在傳播領域，多元化一直是媒介追求的目標，但是何謂多元化卻 是一個尚未被精確界定的名詞，多元化雖源於政治上的多元主義，但 隨著民主政治的發展，媒介多元化的概念亦隨之成長。多元化的意涵 除了指涉政治多元所含蓋的「競爭」、「參與」、「分權」及「制衡 」等概念外，更包括媒體表現的多元，多元主義在大眾傳播的實踐已 被視爲抗拒媒體單一化、提供更多選擇、反映社會差異、落實言論自 由與保障少數族群傳播權益的重要理念。同時，多元化也是評估節目 品質的重要標準，相關研究者更致力發展評估及測量節目多元化的指 標。國内目前有關多元化的論述尚未成熟，也未將多元化的概念具體 落實於傳播政策的設計，實證研究更爲缺乏。本文藉此檢視有關多元 化概念的相關理論，首先説明多元化概念的淵源背景，繼而分析媒介 多元化的政策與理念，並整理學者對多元化的界定，旨在釐清媒介多 元化概念之面向與意涵，以作爲建立客觀評量媒介多元化程度的指標 與依據。

The value of diversity has always been pursued as an end for mass media, but questions about what are the concepts of diversity are not specifically defined. The origins of diversity has significant roots in political pluralism and it gradually became an important political concept which is identified with the development of liberal democracy. Although diversity has its primary reference to political plural concept of competition, participation, check and balance, and the separation of powers, the appeal of diversity for mass media has been extended as a critical response to centralized control and conformity by providing for social difference and minority access, maximizing consumer choice and encouraging alternative voices and expression. Besides, diversity is assential to quality of program content in broadcasting. The study on program diversity are tried to operationalize the abstract concept and to develop the measuring method. Other factors like the degree of regulatory control, intensity of competition and sources of financing also affect the amount of diversity available. In Taiwan, few of the questions for diversity research are systematically investigated and the diversity principle has’t been fully interpreted and implemented in media policy. This paper reviews the related literature of diversity, first to explore the origins, then to analyze the diversity idea in media policy and examine its basic conceptual defintion. The purpose is to develop a framework of analysis in order to guide assessment of media diversity.