Freepress Newsletter Fall 2010

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    40 main st., suite 301

    orence, ma 01062

    318

    Aparna Sridhar has never given

    serious thought to working or

    anything but the public interest. Her

    ocus on systemic problems in

    media, elections and the judiciary

    system began in high school. No

    matter what you think about the

    environment or immigration or oreign

    policy or health care those three

    things all together determine how

    decisions get made.

    The daughter o a physicist and an

    aeronautical engineer, Aparna grew

    up in the heart o Caliornias Silicon

    Valley. A research project on the Warren

    Court sparked her ascination with the

    idea o law as a way to make social and

    political change.

    Aparna graduated rom Harvard and

    got her law degree rom Stanord. She

    started out as an election lawyer at a

    private law frm, but her desire to do

    more policy-ocused work led her to the

    media feld. I wanted to do something

    that was more cross-cutting, she says.

    And working or Free Press just seems

    like the right place at the right time.

    As policy counsel or Free Press,

    Aparna works on litigation, policy

    and strategy. She described a typical

    day: sta meeting at the ofce; a visit

    to meet FCC Commissioner Mignon

    Clyburns new chie o sta; phone

    calls with proessors about broadband

    issues; a strategy session back at the

    ofce; and time spent doing research

    and writing on Net Neutrality and the

    reclassifcation o broadband under the

    Communications Act.

    I really like that I work or anorganization where everyone is working

    toward the same goal. In Washington,

    I think, that working with people that

    are committed to a set o principles

    is a privilege. O course, she muses,

    there are other organizations that are

    committed to principles. But they may

    be working toward the wrong set o

    principles, she says with an easy laugh.

    Away rom the ofce, Aparna likes

    to cook (anything with lemon and

    garlic), listen to music (Mates oState

    and Au Revoir Simone are current

    avorites), and has a longstanding

    allegiance to This American Life. Shes

    also a runner who enjoys competing in

    5k and 10k races.

    Aparnas mission: Fast, aordable

    broadband or everyone and preserving

    an open and vibrant Internet, especially

    or noncommercial purposes. And

    making sure that the FCC is a

    regulatory agency that oversees this

    really critical inrastructure. Whether

    or not well get there during my time at

    Free Press, or even in our lietime, is anopen question. But its a battle worth

    fghting.

    Apowerul new voice or Net

    Neutrality has arrived on the scene

    with the launch o Latinos or Internet

    Freedom.

    Comprised o more than 50 national,

    regional and local organizations,

    Latinos or Internet Freedom is working

    to ensure that the Internet continues

    to provide Latinos with good jobs,

    health care, education, small business

    innovation, connection to community

    and powerul organizing tools.

    Using the Internet to educate peopleand promote their cause online, Latino

    groups were able to stop SB 1070,

    Arizonas dangerous and discriminatory

    racial profling law, organize 6 million

    people to march or immigrant rights in

    2006, and orce CNN to fre anchor Lou

    Dobbs or airing anti-immigrant views

    on his show every night.

    But a powerul

    industry with deep

    pockets is using lies

    and scare tactics

    to convince civil

    rights groups that

    Net Neutrality will

    widen the digital

    divide. Latinos or

    Internet Freedom,

    working closely with

    Free Press and other

    SavetheInternet.com

    coalition members,is working to expose

    this and other bogus

    industry claims.

    Meeting with members

    o Congress, the FCC and the White

    House, and reaching out to other

    organizations, Latinos or Internet

    Freedom is fghting to make s

    the Internet continues to serv

    great equalizer o our times

    To learn more, visit latinonetli

    Joseph Torreso Free Press(let)joinswith othermembers o

    InternetFreedom atthe Facing Race conerence in Chicago.

    Photobyamaliadeloney.

    Latinos Organize or Internet Freedom

    Public Would Lose ifComcas Deal Is Approved

    Imagine i yourlocalcable company,

    Internet service providerand broadcast

    station were allowned by the same

    corporation.Then imagine thatcorporation

    also ownedcable channels,a major

    broadcastnetwork anda movie studio.

    Soundar-etched? I Comcastsucceeds

    in itsbidto acquire NBCUniversal, this

    nightmare couldbecome reality or

    millionso American consumers.

    Comcastis the nationslargest cable

    company,largest Internet service provider,

    andaleading providero regionalcable

    sportsandnetwork news.NBCis one o just

    ournational broadcastnetworks, an icon

    o nationalandlocalnewsanda producer

    o populartelevision programming.

    Analystshave estimatedthat i the merger

    isapproved, Comcast-NBCcould control

    one in every ve hourso television

    viewing in Comcastmarkets,andasmuch

    asaquartero channelson the most

    popularcable packages.The merger

    wouldmean higherpricesor consumers

    andewer choicesin programming and

    services,and itwould stie innovation in

    the emerging marketo ronline video.

    Free Press,along with otherconsumer,

    laborand industry groups,is opposing the

    merger,which wouldharm consumers,

    innovation andcompetition. Tenso

    thousandso people have already weighed

    in againstthe deal,which is underreview

    by the Department o Justice andthe

    FederalCommunications Commission.Both

    agenciesare expectedto reach adecision

    on the dealby early 2011.To addyour

    voice andhelpstopthismerger,go to

    www.reepress.net/comcast

    www.freepress.ne

    Sta Profle: Aparna Sridhar,Free Press Policy Counsel

    Free PressPolicy CounselAparnaSridhar

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    This is a public service announcement: Fake news is invading

    our airwaves. In an age when consumers can mute and ast-

    orward commercial breaks, advertisers are looking or ways to sell

    you products where you least expect it: in your local newscast.

    Fake news is advertising that is embedded in news segments

    and disguised as real news. Youve seen it beore though

    you might not realize it. A news story about popular cars or a

    hospital oering a new cancer treatment is eatured in a nightly

    newscast. The problem is the segment was paid or by the car

    manuacturer or hospital itsel and placed by a PR frm. And your

    local station never disclosed that to you.

    Or a paid expert will appear on live newscasts purporting to be

    an authority on something. Stations provide these spokespeople

    with a ree platorm to pitch products they have, in some cases,

    been paid over $10,000 an item to promote. These promotional

    spots are never disclosed to viewers as paid advertisements, and

    understaed newsrooms all over the country are increasingly

    airing ake news because it saves them the time and expense oproducing real news.

    Fake news has no place in our newscasts, and its clearly against

    Federal Communications Commission rules. The FCC, however,

    has let a large, well-documented body o complaints lingering

    and has yet to stop the practice. The longer the agency sits on its

    hands, the urther the ake news invasion spreads.

    Disappoining Resuls

    In 2006 and 2007, Free Press and the Center or Media and

    Democracy (CMD) led the charge against ake news and sent a

    petition to the FCC, backed by tens o thousands o supporters,

    urging the agency to curb the practice. CMDs research ound

    110 TV stations that had aired ake news, and documen ted 138

    instances o undisclosed ake news.

    Five years later, only two o these 138 complaints have resulted

    in action by the FCC, totaling a measly $20,000 in fnes that have

    never been paid. Hardly a stellar record o enorcement.

    And while the FCC drags its eet, ake news continues to ester. Last

    month, ater the Los Angeles Times revealed new instances o ake

    news, we again asked the FCC to hold broadcasters accountable.

    More Documenaion Needed

    Little threat o disciplinary action means its open season or

    broadcasters to keep airing ake news. The Los Angeles Times

    has documented new instances o ake news on 10 TV stations

    across the country. Elizabeth Werner is a toy expert (read:

    spokesperson), who

    was hired by DWJ

    Television, which has in

    turn received big bucks

    to promote toys via

    satellite media tours.

    Further research yields

    plenty o other DWJ

    sales pitches. In one

    segment, Lisa Beres, a

    certifed green building

    expert, touts products

    that purport to keep

    your home sae rom

    dangerous toxins. She

    goes rom station to

    station with her table o

    goodies, making claims

    that an air purifer

    (available at Lowes.

    com!) in every room will protect you rom a newly

    home that is releasing chemicals. Whatever your o

    green-washing, this aint news, olks. Its advertisin

    Dear Friend,

    Seven years ago, a handul o us took a bold step: In the ace

    o undeniable and mounting threats to critical journalism

    and reedom o expression in the United States, we created

    a national media advocacy organization to deend and

    promote the public interest, no matter who is at the helm

    in Washington.

    What began with three sta and a handul o activists is today

    a team o nearly 40 and a movement o hal a million people working together to

    saeguard the universal, aordable, uncensored Internet and hard-hitting journalism that

    our democracy depends on.

    So much has changed because o our eorts. The public is no longer shut out o media

    policymaking sessions where industry giants once wrote the rules behind closed doors.

    We have a seat at the table and a voice that cannot be ignored. Our accomplishments

    have come about through the activism and nancial support o hundreds o thousands

    o individuals and oundations across the country.

    And yet, so much remains to be done. For America to continue to be a global leader,

    our media system must be democratic, diverse and trusted. But our media policy is too

    tightly tethered to the inuence o industry. The result: Our media system is holdi ng us

    back instead o serving as the engine that propels us orward.

    As I look ahead to our next seven years, I anticipate many new challenges that will

    test our commitment and stamina. Huge mergers like Comcast-NBC continue to pose

    a threat; powerul corporations like Comcast and AT&T are spending tens o millions

    to put up toll booths on the Internet; and newsrooms are closing every year, leaving

    Americans with ewer and ewer sources o original reporting.

    We know that every issue we care about, rom education to the environment, rom

    health care to the economy, depends on the work we are doing to oster a connected,

    inormed electorate. But we need to get the word out to an even broader audience and

    get them involved. So please, tell your amily, riends and anyone else who will listen

    about Free Press and media reorm. Forward our e-mails, blog posts, tweets and more

    and ask them to join this movement.

    And nally: Thank you or your tireless support and proound commitment to better

    media and a better democracy. Its because o you that Free Press has built a reputation

    as a tireless public watchdog. Heres to the next seven years!

    Onward,

    Josh Silver

    President and CEO

    FreePress

    MassachusettsOfce

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    Ph413.585.1533

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    eFreePressAcion Fund

    BoardsofDirecors

    TimWu, Chair

    Columbia UniversityLaw School

    MarcyCarsey

    CarseyWerner Company

    LizaCohenPike

    ResourceMedia

    OlgaM. Davidson

    WellesleyCollege

    KimGandy

    Feminist Majority

    MaxieC. JacksonIII

    NationalFederationofCommunityBroadcasters

    MartinKaplan

    Universityof Southern California

    Annenberg SchoolforCommunication

    Robert W. McChesney

    UniversityofIllinoisatUrbana-Champaign

    JohnNichols

    CapitalTimes

    LorisAnn Taylor

    NativePublicMedia

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    Media Reform News ispublished

    byFree Press, anational, nonpartisan

    organizationworking toreorm themedia.

    Contents2010 FreePress.

    LEttER F R O M th E PR ESI D EN t/ CEO Stop the Fake News Invasion

    Sv D April 8-10, 2011,

    he National Conferfor Media Re

    Media. Technology. deMoc

    Register now at www.freepress.net/c