The mission of the Foundation was re-vamped somewhat in 1981 by Charles Benton, but it has always focused on using media for the public good, particularly for educational purposes.

Since 2001, Benton is home for the US center for OneWorld.net, a global information service, search engine, and network of organizations working for sustainable development and human rights.

[4] The foundation has been most famous for its championing of digital access and for demanding public responsibility by mass media.

It has also been pushing the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to determine the public interest obligations of digital television broadcasters.

Finally, it has sponsored studies that suggest that concentration of media ownership in a few hands is not in the interests of the United States.