The Role of media in the knowledge economy

In this chapter, we put forward the idea that media are cornerstone institutions in a knowledge society, and they have an important place in knowledge policy deliberations. To consider properly the role of the media in knowledge policy we assert a strong relationship between knowledge and communication. We argue that knowledge is socially constructed and that the media are the primary mechanisms for the institutionalization of this process. Furthermore, we argue that both static, reason-based, canonical knowledge and processual, fluid, contested knowledge are appropriate in different contexts of use. New interactive media, in particular, offer opportunities for the latter. New media can promote a diverse and tolerant citizenship, personal development, creative production and economic benefit. Achieving these ideals, however, requires that we adopt an approach to knowledge that is not economistic and technocratic in orientation.