[Peace-discuss] communities, politics and media reform

[Susan Davis]

><http://www.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?key=910878&url_num=1&url=http://www.freepress.net/>
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>Dear Media Reformer,
>
>With the GOP convention wrapping up today and Congress returning to 
>Washington next week, media reform advocates are gearing up for a busy season.
>
>Media coverage of the election is a disaster. Corporate media are avoiding 
>substantial analysis and debate in favor of sensationalistic sound-bite 
>journalism, gossip and horserace-style speculation. Celebrity journalists 
>mute the tough questions and amplify partisan spin, and rarely point out 
>the inaccurate and misleading statements made by candidates and their 
>proxies. As outgoing head of the National Association of Hispanic 
>Journalists Juan Gonzales quipped: "If (a government official) said the 
>world was flat, today's corporate media would dutifully report, 'Breaking 
>News: There Appear to be Differing Views on The World's Shape.'"
>
>The facts are damning. Networks will carry a mere three hours of 
>convention coverage this week. During the 2000 election, we heard directly 
>from presidential candidates an average of only 9 seconds per night on the 
>news. Four years later, as election reporting declines, networks are 
>raking in a record $1.5 billion in political ad revenue — hardly an 
>incentive to expand their coverage. Campaign advertisements outnumber 
>campaign news stories four to one.
>
>Many conservative organizations and Republican members of Congress have 
>expressed strong support for media reform. Nonetheless, the GOP platform 
>fails to include any support for limits on media consolidation. Once 
>again, Big Media lobbyists are having their way with public policy through 
>close ties with elected officials.
>
>Despite these dark days, media reform has more momentum than at any point 
>in our nation's history. In Washington and across the country, activists 
>are redoubling efforts to fight back:
>
>1) Communities nationwide are fighting monopoly cable providers (like 
>Comcast and Time Warner) to ensure that cable and broadband services serve 
>the community and not just the bottom line, with increased public access 
>and more non-commercial channels.
>2) Advocates are pressing Congress to force cable monopolies to carry new, 
>independent networks and to make access to cable more affordable through 
>measures like 'a la carte' programming that let viewers choose which 
>channels they pay for.
>3) With last year's disastrous loosening of media ownership rules rejected 
>by the courts, activists are pushing for more public involvement in the 
>FCC's creation of new rules.
>4) Legislation to license thousands of new low power FM radio stations is 
>working its way through Congress.
>5) A growing coalition is demanding increased access to the public 
>airwaves for low-cost, high-speed, wireless broadband that would turn 
>Internet access into a public right instead of a luxury.
>
>This is just a glimpse of what's going on in the fight for media reform. 
>Americans understand that our democracy will not survive without tougher 
>journalism, more diverse and independent voices, and a stronger 
>noncommercial media sector. It is up to you to keep the momentum going. 
>The Free Press website 
>(<http://www.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?key=910878&url_num=2&url=http://www.freepress.net>www.freepress.net) 
>is now even easier to use, containing resources and tools to help you get 
>more involved, raise awareness, and hold our elected officials and the 
>media accountable.
>
>The time is now — to fight organized media corporations with organized 
>people — and create a media system that puts the public interest before 
>profits.
>
>Onward,
>Josh Silver
>Free Press
>
>P.S. The city of Philadelphia is looking to launch a groundbreaking 
>municipal wireless program that would revolutionize Internet access there. 
>The story can be found 
><http://www.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?key=910878&url_num=3&url=http://www.freepress.net/news/4410>on 
>our newswire.
>
>P.P.S. Our friends at Common Cause are working on a creative get out the 
>vote campaign that needs ground troops. Go to 
><http://www.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?key=910878&url_num=4&url=http://www.voteforamerica.org>www.voteforamerica.org. 
>
>
>You (dschille at uiuc.edu) are receiving this message as a subscriber of the 
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