Continual increases in state and local taxes of mobile service, digital goods, and digital services harm the ability of low-income communities to realize the full benefits of mobile broadband and create deeply troubling consequences for minorities and the poor. Understandably, the enormous growth of the mobile broadband and applications markets makes the consumer costs of wireless service, digital goods, and digital services tempting potential tax bases for struggling state and local governments. However, more tax increases on mobile service and the purchase of digital goods and services would perpetuate a regressive tax regime. Left unchecked, this tax structure will continue to harm low-income consumers who stand to gain the most from the potential of wireless broadband to lower their cost of living while improving their prospects in healthcare, employment, and other areas.

Continual increases in state and local taxes of mobile service, digital goods, and digital services harm the ability of low-income communities to realize the full benefits of mobile broadband and create deeply troubling consequences for minorities and the poor. Understandably, the enormous growth of the mobile broadband and applications markets makes the consumer costs of wireless service, digital goods, and digital services tempting potential tax bases for struggling state and local governments. However, more tax increases on mobile service and the purchase of digital goods and services would perpetuate a regressive tax regime. Left unchecked, this tax structure will continue to harm low-income consumers who stand to gain the most from the potential of wireless broadband to lower their cost of living while improving their prospects in healthcare, employment, and other areas. Preserving this regressive tax approach would also have significant racial side effects as it would disproportionately increase taxes on minorities across the board, irrespective of household income.

An Executive Summary is also available.

The Federal Communications Commission held a nearly three hour-long public hearing at the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication to discuss recent findings on the needs of local coverage in journalism.

The hearing consisted of three panels of media experts that focused on different topics: broadband access, broadcasting rights and new digital media.  The topics related to the recent FCC report, “The Information Needs of Communities: The changing media landscape in a broadband age.”

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Nicol Turner-Lee, vice president and director at the Media and Technology Institute, Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies, addressed the needs of impoverished citizens.

“More than 40 percent of African Americans are going to smart phones but news consumption is severely limited,” Turner-Lee said.

Read more at Arizona State University's State Press.

As part of its effort to promote the expansion of broadband services to all Americans, Time Warner Cable has pledged to carry $1 million worth of Public Service Announcements (PSAs) for the Broadband Opportunity Coalition (BBOC). The PSA series emphasizes the importance of broadband Internet adoption for economic success in the 21st Century economy, particularly for struggling communities.

Time Warner Cable will carry the PSAs in English, Spanish and five other languages during a two-year period beginning in 2012.

Read more at benzinga.com.

This article was previousuly available at MarketWatch and streetinsider.com.

The Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies held a  Technology Policy Forum sponsored by its Media and Technology Institute on Tuesday, July 26, 2011, on “The New Digital Profile: Managing Privacy in an Evolving, Mobile Internet.”

Parts One and Two of this forum are also available for viewing.

The Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies held a  Technology Policy Forum sponsored by its Media and Technology Institute on Tuesday, July 26, 2011, on “The New Digital Profile: Managing Privacy in an Evolving, Mobile Internet.”

Parts One and Three of this forum are also available for viewing.

The Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies held a Technology Policy Forum sponsored by its Media and Technology Institute on Tuesday, July 26, 2011, on "The New Digital Profile: Managing Privacy in an Evolving, Mobile Internet."

Parts Two and Three of this forum are also available for viewing.

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Dr. Nicol Turner-Lee, vice president of the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies and director of its Media and Technology Institute, has been selected by the Alliance for Women in Media (AWM) as one of the 60 most inspiring women in media today.

Dr. Turner-Lee and the others designated by AWM as Sixty @60 will be honored Nov. 3 in New York at the organization's 60th Anniversary Luncheon.

Nominations were submitted by a national poll of AWM community members, and the winners were chosen on the basis of their inspiring leadership in contemporary media.

This article was previously available at The Washington Informer.

Dr. Nicol Turner-Lee, Vice President of the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies and Director of its Media and Technology Institute, has been selected by the Alliance for Women in Media (AWM) as one of the 60 most inspiring women in media today.

Dr. Turner-Lee and the others designated by AWM as Sixty @60 will be honored on November 3, 2011, in New York at the organization's 60th Anniversary Luncheon. Nominations were submitted by a national poll of AWM community members, and the winners were chosen on the basis of their inspiring leadership in contemporary media.

Download the entire press release by clicking the icon below.

In celebration of the organization’s 60th anniversary, Alliance for Women in Media (AWM) announces its list of the 60 most inspiring women in media today. Selected from nominations submitted by a national poll of AWM community members, the Sixty@60 women were chosen based on their achievements, dedication, authenticity and commitment to advancing their professions. AWM will celebrate its lasting legacy and honor the Sixty@60 at AWM’s 60th Anniversary Luncheon on November 3, 2011, in New York, NY.

Read more about the Sixty@60 honorees, including the Joint Center's Dr. Nicol Turner-Lee, at The Alliance for Women in Media.