The right to be understood: Conceiving the multi‐ethnic public sphere

Abstract The article deals with the role of mass communications in multi‐ethnic societies and proposes a model for a multi‐ethnic public sphere. Following Young's strictures on the role of an active state in guaranteeing equity of participation through the creation of state institutions capable of enabling diversity, the author advocates a third generation of human rights framework which recognizes the integrity and solidarity of peoples and which then presents itself as a necessary expansion of the right to communicate to incorporate the right to be understood. The communication environment consequently outlined as being adequate to service this multi‐ethnic public sphere is itself diverse, and operates under a tension between first generation freedom of action and second generation regulation to guarantee equality of expression and service.