President Bush and Senator Kerry have received more than 24,000 letters asking them to make their positions known on media reform. Despite this, both camps have maintained a telling silence on the issue. But the fight for better media is far from over.
1. Break the Silence: If you haven't already taken action to make media reform an issue in 2004, please take a moment to submit your own letter to the candidates by following this link. (http://www.mediafordemocracy.us/campaign/kerry)
2. Change the FCC Rules: Late last month, the Third Circuit Federal Appeals Court overturned the government's lax media ownership rules, sending them back to the Federal Communications Commission for a rewrite. We must ensure that new FCC rules also address concerns that Big Media better serve Americans by providing more election and candidate coverage in advance of a vote. Tell the FCC to end its past policy of lax enforcement of guidelines and write real guidelines that will ensure media engage voters in our democracy. Take a few minutes now to send an email to the FCC asking them to enact public interest obligation guidelines. (http://www.mediafordemocracy.us/campaign/claim)
3. Tell Ten Friends and Win: Media for Democracy is offering free copies of Robert McChesney's enlightening manifesto for the media reform movement, "The Problem of the Media," to the first 100 members to sign ten friends to Media for Democracy. It's simple: follow this link to our "Tell a Friend" page and send your invitation to ten colleagues interested in joining the fight for mainstream media that are more accountable and democratic. We will award your successful efforts with a free copy of McChesney's book. (http://www.mediafordemocracy.us/mfd/join-forward.tcl)
4. Bend an Ear in Boston and New York: Our next action is to raise the media reform issue during the Democratic and Republican conventions this summer. Media for Democracy members have gained access to the conventions where we will be distributing materials and media reform guides to the 35,000 delegates, politicians, lobbyists and journalists who plan to attend. We are raising $20,000 to cover printing costs, sponsor events and ensure that every delegate hears our concerns. Support this effort by contributing to Media for Democracy: (https://secure.ga3.org/05/donatetomfd)
The political silence on media issues in 2004 speaks volumes about big media's hold on the electoral process. Over the last four years, Washington lobbyists have pocketed $160 million in big media money to support dismantling rules against conglomerates owning more outlets in more markets. In the last eight years, big media has tipped more than $30 million into the war chests of federal candidates, with the larger share (62 percent) ending up in the hands of regulation-hostile Republicans.
The net result, in 2004, has been candidates' apparent unwillingness to take a clear position against the media corporations that control so much of what we see, read and hear.
It's time we put the Big Media issue back on the political map.
Stay tuned and ready,
Timothy Karr
Executive Director
MediaChannel.org
Media for Democracy
1. Break the Silence: If you haven't already taken action to make media reform an issue in 2004, please take a moment to submit your own letter to the candidates by following this link. (http://www.mediafordemocracy.us/campaign/kerry)
2. Change the FCC Rules: Late last month, the Third Circuit Federal Appeals Court overturned the government's lax media ownership rules, sending them back to the Federal Communications Commission for a rewrite. We must ensure that new FCC rules also address concerns that Big Media better serve Americans by providing more election and candidate coverage in advance of a vote. Tell the FCC to end its past policy of lax enforcement of guidelines and write real guidelines that will ensure media engage voters in our democracy. Take a few minutes now to send an email to the FCC asking them to enact public interest obligation guidelines. (http://www.mediafordemocracy.us/campaign/claim)
3. Tell Ten Friends and Win: Media for Democracy is offering free copies of Robert McChesney's enlightening manifesto for the media reform movement, "The Problem of the Media," to the first 100 members to sign ten friends to Media for Democracy. It's simple: follow this link to our "Tell a Friend" page and send your invitation to ten colleagues interested in joining the fight for mainstream media that are more accountable and democratic. We will award your successful efforts with a free copy of McChesney's book. (http://www.mediafordemocracy.us/mfd/join-forward.tcl)
4. Bend an Ear in Boston and New York: Our next action is to raise the media reform issue during the Democratic and Republican conventions this summer. Media for Democracy members have gained access to the conventions where we will be distributing materials and media reform guides to the 35,000 delegates, politicians, lobbyists and journalists who plan to attend. We are raising $20,000 to cover printing costs, sponsor events and ensure that every delegate hears our concerns. Support this effort by contributing to Media for Democracy: (https://secure.ga3.org/05/donatetomfd)
The political silence on media issues in 2004 speaks volumes about big media's hold on the electoral process. Over the last four years, Washington lobbyists have pocketed $160 million in big media money to support dismantling rules against conglomerates owning more outlets in more markets. In the last eight years, big media has tipped more than $30 million into the war chests of federal candidates, with the larger share (62 percent) ending up in the hands of regulation-hostile Republicans.
The net result, in 2004, has been candidates' apparent unwillingness to take a clear position against the media corporations that control so much of what we see, read and hear.
It's time we put the Big Media issue back on the political map.
Stay tuned and ready,
Timothy Karr
Executive Director
MediaChannel.org
Media for Democracy