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The National Conference for Media Reform: June 6-8, 2008

Thousands will gather June 6-8 in Minneapolis-St. Paul for the National Conference for Media Reform 2008. This inspiring event will offer bold visions, new ideas and concrete solutions to building a better media system. Please join us and add your voice.

If you or your constituents want to be part of the fight to stop Big Media, the clock is ticking.

FCC Chairman Kevin Martin plans to call a vote at the FCC's monthly meeting tomorrow on his proposal to allow more media consolidation. Hundreds of national, state, and local organizations are mobilizing to turn up the heat on Martin to cancel the vote and establish a fair process for public input. We need to deal with crucial issues of localism and minority media ownership before considering any new rules.

But Martin seems to be done listening to the public, so our main pressure point right now is the Senate's bipartisan Media Ownership Act of 2007 (S. 2332).

This was a watershed week for media reform, as three important bills passed congressional committees and activists rallied in front of FCC headquarters before the final localism hearing. Meanwhile, a new study shows media consolidation is detrimental to children's programming.

Related Links

Public interest groups want to know why the DOJ submitted a filing to the FCC against Net Neutrality – six weeks after the deadline. And OneWebDay's founder talks about why we need to take time to appreciate the Web.

Media Minutes: September 14, 2007
The FCC is holding a public hearing on media ownership in Chicago on Sept. 20, and local organizers are busy educating the public about the issues. And public access television stations across the country are gearing up for local elections.

The Youth Media Council is working for media justice and making a difference. Executive Director Malkia Cyril talks about mediating the public conversation to create better public policy. And as American news organizations cut back on international coverage, Americans are increasingly unhappy with the quality of television news.

Media Minutes: August 31, 2007 from Free Press
The Bush administration finally admits that telcos have helped the NSA spy on Americans, which could help pending lawsuits against the illegal wiretapping. And a study finds Chicago's local news programs don't represent the rich diversity of that city.