Bill Moyers aired a program Friday on the latest power grab by our corporate media. Once again a government agency, in this case the FCC, is trying to ram through new guidelines and regulations (less regulation) giving the public little time to know what's coming or to respond.
Watch the Bill Moyers Journal: Media Ownership Rules
I am shocked that more has not been said on this topic here recently on Daily Kos. I mean, we all know the corporate media control is a problem. But what are we doing to change that?
A few diaries touching on this topic have managed only a few comments.
ml's Is the fight against media consolidation really bipartisan?
AlanF's "Smells like mean spirit": FRIDAY: FCC in Seattle
Lefty Coaster's FCC Comissioners face a cynical, angry crowd in Seattle
Where's the outrage? Why spend so much energy on campaign diary wars, when in front of us lies a real threat to "little d" democracy -- the erosion of our free media?
This is THE ISSUE here at Daily Kos that we should be rallying around. There should be a Front Page Action Alert, calling all dKos readers to demand that the FCC not allow for more media consolidation -- in this instance, allowing TV stations to own the local Newspaper in the same city. The American citizenry deserves to have multiple media outlets and points of view to be aired and printed within the cities of this country.
More consolidation will only lead to a greater ability for the GOP or other group to control the message or slant of news programming/stories as they please. And when such changes are thrust forward with only a couple weeks for the public to respond, you know something is rotten in the state of Denmark America.
For starters we all need to write to our Senators and Congressional Representative. We need to write to the FCC. We need to be writing Letters to the Editor to our local newspapers.
Here's the info that can be found on the webpage for Bill Moyers program as to who to contact along with resources pertaining to the issue of Media Consolidation:
WEIGH IN ON FCC RULE CHANGES:
* Contact the FCC Commissioners
* Rick Karr on making your opinion heard
THE FCC REVOLVING DOOR:
The Center for Public Integrity, a non-partisan watchdog group recently released a new study on the workings of the FCC called "Well Connected." It documents the revolving door between FCC commission membership and industry lobbying. The study contains several items of note:
* A Travel report documenting FCC trips and expenses paid for by industry groups.
* Databases enabling you to find out who owns what media outlets in your own neighborhood.
* A survey of the media ownership in the hometowns of the five FCC commissioners.
* Documentation on how the FCC gathers and disseminates its data on media ownership.
FIND OUT MORE:
* Read statements from the Seattle hearing
* Response from Commissioners Copps and Adelstein (PDF)
* Letter to Commissioner Martin from Senator Maria Cantwell and Representative Jay Inslee of Washington State (PDF)
* "Few Friends for Proposal on Media," THE NEW YORK TIMES, November 13, 2007.
Two of the links that I did not activate were broken on PBS's site. I'll update when those links are restored. (UPDATE: Thanks to lynneinfla for alternate links to the PDFs!)
The Deadline for Public Comment is December 11th. Make your voice be heard!