WASHINGTON D.C. - Debates about the state of the media marketplace continue to rage in Washington. Many policymakers, regulators, and consumer groups bemoan the supposed lack of "localism," ownership concentration and an absence of quality programming as a rationale to further regulate in the media sector. But these sentiments do not represent an accurate portrayal of today's media marketplace according to a new Progress & Freedom Foundation Special Report by Senior Fellow Adam Thierer and Research Associate Grant Eskelsen.

In "Media Metrics: The True State of the Modern Media Marketplace," Thierer and Eskelsen show that, contrary to what some media critics suggest, "We have more media choice, more media competition, and more media diversity" than ever before. Indeed, they argue, "To the extent there was ever a "golden age" of media in America, we are living in it today. The media sky has never been brighter and it is getting brighter with each passing year," they say.

The report offers a comprehensive look at a variety of media sectors such as audio, video and print with the intent of providing policymakers with a clear snapshot of the media sector. The survey contains over 70 charts and exhibits illustrating facts and figures on such diverse topics as advertising revenue, company market share, audience trends, and areas of growth in the sector. The report will be periodically updated to reflect the rapidly evolving media industry.

"It is now up to our public policymakers to decide whether future debates about media policy in America will be governed by facts or fanaticism; by evidence or emotionalism," assert the authors in the book's introduction. "The hyperbolic rhetoric, shameless-fear-mongering, and unsubstantiated claims that have driven policy debates in recent years have no foundation in reality and should be rejected as the debate over media policy continues."

"Media Metrics: The True State of the Modern Media Marketplace," is available on the PFF website.

The Progress & Freedom Foundation is a market-oriented think tank that studies the digital revolution and its implications for public policy. It is a 501(c)(3) research & educational organization.