미디어 융합으로 정보과잉이 가중될 것으로 예견되는 미래사회에서는 지각적 혼돈을 제어할 수 있는 주체적 소통 능력의 증진이 긴요한 정책적 과제로 대두할 전망이다. 따라서 국민 개개인의 소통 역량을 신장시킬 수 있는 "자율성 확보"가 미디어 정책의 근간이 되어야 할 것으로 본다. 소통 주체의 자율성을 적극 반영한 미디어 정책의 도출을 목표로 하는 이 연구에서는 (1) 수용자중심적인 기존 미디어론을 비판적으로 점검하고, (2) 과학지식의 대중화에 관한 일련의 과학사회학적 논쟁으로부터 "미디어 관여 모형"을 이끌어낸 후, (3) 그에 준거해 불확실한 여론에 휩쓸리는 난중(亂衆)을 분별 있는 현중(賢衆)으로 전환시킬 수 있는 새로운 미디어 정책의 목표와 실현 방향을 탐지해 보고자 한다

Communications in the age of media convergence aspire after ubiquity in that anybody is able to exchange any message anywhere anytime through a wide range of channels and methods. Accordingly, the communication coverage is expanded in every aspect of time, place, subject, object and mode. The expansion of communication coverage promotes the opportunities of communications, but at the same time, it breeds a new set of policy reactions by aggravating social conflict and unrest. This study suggests a "media engagement model" as a new paradigm of media policy. This policy model has been devised for citizens to actively participate in media activities and cultivate their competence in making right decisions. The Media Engagement Model can be divided into three categories: Public Understanding of Media model(PUM), Public Apprehension of Media model(PAM) and Public Participation of Media model(PPM). While PUS model that stressed cognitive aspects centered around knowledge acquisition needs to be expanded to the PAM model which implies keen discernment in a broader sense, they tend ultimately be extended to PPM model which signifies active involvement of the public in media activities. But such discussion on media engagement models should be further promoted by taking into account actors. Then, media engagement model can finally be divided into a total of nine categories(3x3): in terms of action, understanding, apprehension and participation; and in terms of types of actors, the mass, the multitude and the enlightened public. Among those, most plausible ones are MUM Model, the intersection of the masses and understanding, the TAM Model, the contact point of the multitude and apprehension, and the PPM Model, the junction of the enlightened public and participation. Today`s individualized citizens have attributes of the masses, the multitude, and the enlightened public all at the same time. With reasonable communications and rational judgement based upon tolerance, they will be transformed into wise citizens. But straying without discernment or judgement, they will fall to become blind citizens. Therefore, the process of developing media policy in the age of convergence based on the principle of autonomy should be devoted to establishing the media engagement model and relevant action strategies, which can lead individualized citizens, who are at the risk of degenerating into blind citizens, to become wise citizens through free and equal communications.