Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.
–First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, Bill of Rights ratified Dec. 15, 1791
“the widest possible dissemination of information from diverse and antagonistic sources is essential to the welfare of the public, that a free press is essential to the condition of a free society.”
–U.S. Supreme Court, 1945
Well, if you couldn’t tell by now, I am a media activist. What this means is that I study policy, advocate for media reform, organize around media justice issues, and create media in order to affect positive social change. Media is everything, from the advertisements we see and hear everywhere, to the radio and music we listen to, to the television and film we watch, to the blog you’re reading right now.
I mean, seriously…pick your issue. Dog poop left on your lawn to genocide in Palestine, how people feel about an issue is in direct proportion to what they hear and learn about it, via media or secondhand. Increasing the media capability of our communities is very important, because as the corporate marketplace deregulates and consumes more and more public space and airwaves, media makers and advocates will be very important to the future of this country as the truth and best interests are often concealed.
So I’m attending two of the top media conferences this June.
2008 National Conference for Media Reform: Minneapolis, June 6-8
Presented by Freepress
NCMR 2008: Media reform starts here
2008 Allied Media Conference: Detroit, June 20-22
Presented by Allied Media Projects
AMC 2008
“BE THE MEDIA”
So first, a little introduction by enemy of media reform and corporate mouthpiece Bill O’Reilly, who sent producers to Minneapolis to attack the “left-wing nutjobs” who hate America, us pesky media reformers. It stands to reason that he’d denounce anyone trying to restructure our unbalanced and unfair media, as his livelihood depends on the crooked FauxNews system and media monopolizers like Rupert Murdoch of NewsCorp, his check-signer.
Video description: In his June 5 broadcast, Bill O’Reilly told guest Bernie Goldberg that Dan Rather is in Minnesota this weekend with the “crazy far left” — and bragged that he’ll have video to show on Monday. “These people are crazy,” O’Reilly alleged. “Real nuts!”
Bill O’Reilly Sends Ambush Team to National Conference
Pretty funny…let’s see how FauxNews spun it…
Bill O’Reilly Attacks Bill Moyers and Dan Rather
Uh-huh…But what really happened?
What Bill O’Reilly doesn’t want you to see
Ha! How ’bout some uncut footage of Porter Barry’s attack in its’ entirety?
Fox Ambushes Bill Moyers
“Bill O’Reilly isn’t a journalist, he’s a pugilist.” – Bill Moyers
ACTION! Tell Bill O’Reilly: Stop Pretending to be a Journalist
Yeah, so that was the dirty drama…but the conference was awesome. It’s so nice to chat with such a diverse group of people from the U.S. and abroad who understand how pressing the issue is to take back U.S. media–a very patriotic and informed group, let me tell you. From elderly couples to young radicals, activists and war resisters to embedded journalists and news execs–people of every size, shape, background and cultural identity–all joined by the bond to demand media justice and reform. Very exciting–and my Truther compadres were there as well, Dr. Kevin Barrett (founder of the Muslim-Christian-Jewish Alliance for 9/11 Truth) and Carol Brouillet (Bay Area 9/11 activist).
Here’s what I’m talking about:
Faces of Media Reform
So I attended several panels, with audio/video files available for your review!
Free Speech in the 21st Century
Censorship of free speech over cell phones and the Web has raised questions about the First Amendment in the digital age. What rights do we have when using new technologies to connect to one another? How can we prevent network operators from stifling free speech? What can we do to ensure that bloggers and new media journalists are extended the same protections afforded traditional media?
DTV Transition: Will Your TV Go Dark? no audio :(
On Feb. 17, 2009, television will change forever when stations across the nation switch from analog, over-the-air broadcasting to digital broadcasting. Many of the 21 million American households that will be most affected by the digital television (DTV) transition — including low-income families, the elderly, minorities and individuals with disabilities — are unaware of the switch and will need help in order to stay connected. This workshop will explore the policy implications and implementation issues, including what conference participants can do to help their families and communities understand and make the switch.
Media and the War: An Unembedded View
There’s no greater challenge for a free press than covering issues of war and peace. And government and military attempts to manipulate the media have never been more sophisticated. The failure of the press to ask tough questions in the run-up to the invasion of Iraq — and the resulting consequences — is now well-documented. But what about what’s happening right now in Iraq, Afghanistan and on the home front? Have the media learned from their failures? Has anything changed? What are the stories that aren’t being told by corporate media?
Creating Media Reformers with Media Education (best panel I’ve ever been to)
How do you turn Mr. and Ms. Apathy into media reform activists? Busy people become media reformers only when they realize that their most sacred cause is crippled by today’s Big Media monopolies. To make reform a top national issue, we need more people who understand media and the way it operates in our culture. But well-meaning media reformers and educators too often fail to motivate students and citizens. We can do better. Two nationally known media educators will share tips through inspiring, interactive, multimedia-driven techniques and content. A DVD with handouts and motivational clips will be provided.
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