Whereas the principle that an informed and engaged electorate is critical to a vibrant democracy is deeply rooted in the laws of free speech in the United States and underpins the virtues on which the United States has established the Constitution of the United States and the tenets of citizenship, which are, as presented in the Preamble to the Constitution, We the people of the United States in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity ; Whereas an independent, diverse, and local media that provides exposure to a broad range of viewpoints and the ability to contribute to the political debate is central to sustaining that informed engagement by all citizens of the United States; Whereas varying media entities play a significant role in how constituents are exposed to news and discussions that impact the ability of constituents— (1) to learn about and debate local, State, and national issues central to the stability and security of the United States; and (2) to effectively monitor their representatives; Whereas Congress recognizes the central role of mass communication and encourages source, content, and audience diversity on the shared telecommunications and media platforms of the United States; Whereas encouraging diversity is important to the survival of small independent and diverse media outlets that serve diverse audiences and local media markets; Whereas, 50 years after the Kerner Commission issued its media diversity recommendations, challenges remain with underrepresentation in minority and rural populations in the media and participation in ownership and control of media decisionmaking, despite those populations comprising over 40 percent of the population of the United States