Sustaining Democracy in a Digital Age

The digital world is having a noticeable effect on culture, particularly the enforcement of copyright laws. Photo Credit: Joao Almeida (Flickr).

To protect the national heritage of a country and to promote cultural expression—it sounds like a daunting and impossible task.

Recent policy discussions, technological advancements, and transnational discussions beg for some sort of authoritative viewpoint on how to go about doing this. From European opposition to the latest draft of the Anti-Counterfeit Trade Agreement (ACTA) to threats of Quran burning in a Gainesville, Fla., church, the intersection of culture and public policy is ripe with unanswered questions.

Yet, with the recent uptick of discussions surrounding the effects of technology on preserving or destroying culture and society, it comes as no surprise that ideas such as bringing a minister of culture to the U.S. have garnered attention.  Over the past few years, industry leaders such as Quincy Jones and former National Endowment for the Humanities Chair William Ferris have called on the Obama administration for the creation of an arts-czar or secretary of culture. Proponents claim that such a position would provide a more cohesive leadership for existing federal cultural programs and would assure that these programs receive proper recognition and financing. Opponents argue that the additional cabinet position would simply result in more bureaucratic red tape.

All arguments aside, the responsibilities themselves are interesting to explore, especially in the case of the United States. As a “melting pot” of culture, identifying what constitutes American culture is a tricky one. It’s a debate influenced by (but not exclusive to) history, the arts, nationalism, and economics. Someone in a position dedicated to preserving and promoting U.S. culture might be after a perpetually moving target.

However, I argue that it’s not as important for us to have a formal culture position in the U.S. as it is for us to question the positions already in place—jobs that may already serve the same purpose. For example, Victoria Espinel as the Coordinator for Intellectual Property Enforcement,  US Trade Representative Ron Kirk, and theChairman Jim Leach of the National Endowment of the Humanities traditionally all serve to protect artifacts of American culture. How do these positions work together (or not) in protecting US culture? Do their tactics and end goals align?

Similarly, with recent global concerns such as ACTA, Internet governance, and censorship on the web, the position in American government plays an important role in international discourse. As the digital revolution transforms the culture of nations and of the world, who exactly is at the helm of the U.S. efforts? How do we ensure creative industries are sustained?

These kinds of questions and more are what we're thinking about in preparation for Media Policy Initiative’s upcoming webinar. The online-only event, Closed for Business: A Global Panel Discusses International Copyright Laws and Their Impact on the Open Internet, will be held Sept. 9 from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. (U.S. EST). Tune in live tomorrow to join the ongoing debate.