[Peace-discuss] Fwd: Moment of truth for media and democracy

[Alfred Kagan]

>Delivered-To: faculty at alexia.lis.uiuc.edu
>Date: Tue, 7 Oct 2003 12:51:21 -0400
>Subject: Moment of truth for media and democracy
>From: Robert McChesney <rmcchesney at mediareform.net>
>To: info at mediareform.net
>Reply-To: rmcchesney at mediareform.net
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>Media corporations are getting bigger and democracy is losing. 
>Journalism has become dumbed-down entertainment, we are deluged by 
>advertising, and elections have become scripted horseraces instead 
>of forums for meaningful debate.
>
>And it's getting worse. This summer the Federal Communications 
>Commission made it easier for media giants to get even bigger. In 
>response to massive public outcry -- some three million Americans 
>wrote or called Washington in an unprecedented show of opposition -- 
>the Senate passed a full rollback of the FCC rules. Now members of 
>the House of Representatives are listening to big media lobbyists 
>instead of the public, and are blocking a vote.
>
>Today we've reached a make-or-break moment that hinges on you. With 
>three simple steps, you can make the difference. Your petition and 
>phone call are the only ways to force a vote on legislation that 
>would reverse the FCC's decision.
>
>STEP ONE
>Sign the online petition to roll back the FCC rules. Go to 
>http://www.mediareform.net/petition.php .
>
>STEP TWO
>Call your U.S. Representative. Go to 
>http://www.mediareform.net/callcongress for the number and details. 
>Most Members of Congress get fewer than 5 calls a day from 
>constituents on ANY legislative issue. 10 calls on one issue looks 
>like a banner day. 50 makes people sit up and wonder. 100 lights a 
>fire.
>
>Why call? Because a letter is being circulated by leading House 
>Democrats and Republicans calling for a vote on media ownership. If 
>your Representative hasn't signed it, please call them and ask 
>him/her to do so. Over 120 (out of 435) have signed already.  Click 
>here http://www.mediareform.net/callcongress to find out if your 
>Representative is on the letter. Instructions are provided.
>
>STEP THREE
>Forward this message to everyone you know.
>Yours,
>
>Robert W. McChesney
>Free Press
>
>P.S. For more information on the FCC rules and media reform efforts, 
>visit http://www.mediareform.net . Working together we can build a 
>better media.
>
>BACKGROUND
>Since the FCC loosened media ownership rules on June 2, the House 
>and Senate have voted for three bills that overturn some or all of 
>the changes. Not a single one of these bills has passed in both 
>chambers.
>
>On September 16th the Senate voted by an overwhelming margin for a 
>full reversal of the FCC's blunder. It's now in the House of 
>Representatives, but the Speaker of the House -- Rep. Dennis Hastert 
>-- is rejecting the democratic process. Hastert, who controls the 
>House voting schedule, says he has no plans to allow a vote on the 
>resolution.  Republican Majority Leader Tom Delay has called the 
>Senate bill "dead on arrival." They won't permit a vote because they 
>don't want it to pass. They favor the concentration of corporate 
>wealth over a democratized media system (see 
>http://www.mediareform.net/news.php?id=1178 for details). Your 
>action is the only thing that will change their minds.
>
>
>-----
>Visit http://www.mediareform.net/remove.php to be removed from 
>future mailings.


-- 


Al Kagan
African Studies Bibliographer and Professor of Library Administration
Africana Unit, Room 328
University of Illinois Library
1408 W. Gregory Drive
Urbana, IL 61801, USA

tel. 217-333-6519
fax. 217-333-2214
e-mail. akagan at uiuc.edu