Copps sees 'media injustice' on mobile Web

Democratic Federal Communications Commissioner Michael Copps says that the "media injustice" that he believes is characteristic of the U.S. media is also a mark of the mobile Internet. 

Copps said in a speech on Wednesday that he is concerned that gaps in local content and news on the Internet means that minority customers who are accessing media through their smartphones at higher rates than the general population are largely subject to non-diverse sources of information.

"There is data showing that minorities are adopting wireless broadband at a quicker pace than their counterparts, but is there content geared toward these audiences?" he said.

He cited a study that shows that black or Hispanic populations have fewer Internet-only news sites. 

"If the majority of hyperlocal sites are taking hold in affluent areas that can support advertising, have we really dealt with diversity and competition concerns — or have we just moved media injustice onto a new field?"

The comments push the conversation over media diversity toward questions around the business and advertising models that support mobile content rather than focusing on traditional media only.