The Media Project
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The purpose of these documents is to help in sorting
out the voluminous material on media reform, and to offer some suggestions
for action that can be undertaken at the local level. If you have questions
about the material or would like further help in finding resources, please
contact Joe Davis at joe.davis7@cox.net.
As citizens we depend on the media --- television, radio, newspapers, magazines, books, and the Internet --- to provide the information we need to understand the issues that face us as a society, to make crucial decisions in our daily lives, and to choose the politicians who will represent us in our national, state and local governments. It is important that we have access to news and informed opinion from a wide diversity of sources. In our modern world we have come to depend heavily on the broadcast media for news, information, and entertainment. Radio and television are broadcast on the public airwaves, the rights to which are given to broadcasters with the stipulation that this valuable resource will be used in the public interest. The policies for use of the airwaves are legislated by Congress and enforced by the Federal Communications Commission. Over the last three decades, media policy has evolved so that today a small number of corporations control the use of the public airwaves, and requirements that the broadcasts serve the public interest have been relaxed or ignored. A handful of giant media conglomerates virtually dictate the content of broadcast programming --- both television and radio --- with less and less attention to the public’s need for news and information. Thus we are left with many deficiencies in the media that should be dependable resources in a functioning democracy:
With less competition, broadcast programming can be
mainly designed to maximize profits, and this leads to other problems with
what we are given today:
There has also been drastic consolidation in the newspaper
field. Since 1975, two-thirds of independent newspapers have disappeared,
and more than half of all U.S. markets are dominated by one paper. In some
markets, the major newspaper and a network television outlet are owned
by the same corporation.
The Corporation for Public Broadcasting receives an annual appropriation from Congress primarily for the support of the Public Broadcasting Service (television) and National Public Radio. Through these networks, we are able to get news, information, and entertainment of higher quality than is generally available on the commercial networks. The Bush administration and Republicans in Congress are proposing to reduce funding for public broadcasting, leaving us with less good journalism available on the public airwaves. Cable television is more and more becoming the dominant medium for news, information, and entertainment, but this leaves us no better off than with broadcast television. All the cable news networks are owned by just 3 media giants, and 90% of the top 50 cable stations are owned by the same corporations that own the broadcast networks. Since cable systems were de-regulated by Congress, the cost of cable service has risen almost 50%. The Internet in recent years has become a significant source of news and information. Large volumes of text-based information are now available on the World Wide Web. While newspapers initially resisted migrating to the new medium, virtually all now have a Web presence. In just a few years, weblogs have become a source of news and information exchange for many people on over 20 million blogs. Now the new digital technologies are about to spark a revolution in the whole media world. With broadband access to the Internet, it is possible to receive not only text and photos but also audio and now the "motion media" --- television and film. The cost of digital tools for creating, transmitting, and receiving digital video has dropped dramatically, and this will allow many more players to produce high-quality content. This does not mean that the traditional broadcast television, cable television, and movies will go away, but they will be forced to change what they offer in light of the new competition. Electronic media will become more interactive, available on demand, and tailored to the anticipated audience. More than a third of all American homes now have broadband access to the Internet. Most of the broadband networks are owned by cable and phone companies, and service is offered for about $40.00 a month. Wireless systems for Internet access are now in use in commercial facilities and local neighborhoods. The city of Philadelphia is considering building a wireless system that would serve all homes at rates of $10-20 per month. Provision of Internet access as a public utility is now a political question, and bills have been filed in Congress on both sides of the issue. Since the Internet has already proven to be invaluable to business, government, and other organizations, as well as in our personal lives, it is important that broadband service be accessible to everyone. To begin an action program at the local level, the first steps should be:
Since each cable system must contract with the community in which it provides its service, there are opportunities for negotiation by the officials who represent the citizens of that community. By contacting these officials, a local group can bring grassroots pressure to bear not only on the price of service but also on the type of programming that is offered, the provision of public access channels, and the type of Internet service available. With the Telecommunications Act coming up for a rewrite in the next few months, it is important that your Senators and Representatives understand the issues that will be debated and decided --- especially media consolidation, broadband access, programming in the public interest, support for public broadcasting, and fair and effective use of the broadcast spectrum. Make an appointment for a few people to meet with each official, and go well-prepared with a brief presentation on a few issues, and engage him or her in discussion. Leave a few brief materials on the technical issues, but not an overwhelming amount. There is a real need for public education on media issues, since even those citizens who pay attention to the news are not going to get much from the mainstream sources. Public meetings with panel discussions on issues affecting the local community can be effective, especially if you can get some coverage in the local press or on local radio news. Some good videos are available (see under Resources) to be used as a way to generate discussion. Free Press www.freepress.net Free Press is the foremost organization devoted to media reform. The website covers all aspects of media policy, and discusses the issues at length, with links to many other resources and organizations that are active in media reform. Under Action Center, go to Download Activist Tools for several useful booklets you can print out. Also see Beginner’s Guide and Free Press Library under Resources. Media Matters www.mediamatters.org This is a well-funded and well-staffed organization headed by David Brock (see his book below). They monitor the mainstream media and challenge them to operate in the public interest. Their website covers much of the current activism on media reform. Fairness & Accuracy in Reporting www.fair.org FAIR is one of the oldest websites on media reform. They have a bimonthly publication (EXTRA) and a radio program heard on 125 stations. The website has lots of information on current media reform activities, and many useful lists. Under ACTIVISM, go to Media Activism Kit for good suggestions on getting involved in media reform. Media Reform Information Center www.corporations.org/media Links to many other resources on media reform Common Cause www.commoncause.org Common Cause is active on a wide range of media issues. The website has good material on the Telecommunications Act rewrite, community broadband, public-interest obligations of the media, and the digital transition. Federal Communications Commission www.fcc.gov The FCC website has lots of information on its organization, regulations and plans. The Future of Media: Resistance and Reform in the 21st Century. A recent book by Free Press. Has in-depth coverage of many of the key issues of media reform. The Republican Noise Machine by David Brock. Thorough exposition of how the media is controlled by the extreme right Justice Rising Fall 2005 Vol. I #2. Grassroots Solutions to Corporate Domination. This quarterly publication is titled: Facilitating Democratic Discourse: Media Monopoly vs. Popular Communications. Published by the Alliance for Democracy. http://www.thealliancefordemocracy.org/pdf/JR05N2.pdf This issue was devoted to the subject of Media Reform, and contains links to many other resources. Videos: Forum on Corporate Control of the Media, featuring William Rivers
Pitt, best-selling writer on media
Workshops at the National Conference on Media Reform held in
St. Louis in May 2005.
Free Press has a 14-minute video, Mobilizing Media Reform, included
under Activist Tools (see above)
Silencing Dissent: Media Politics After September 11 Sue Bridge
and Cynthia Peters give an
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