It's Up to Us to Protect the First Amendment
February 9, 2012 by Josh Stearns What happens when a journalist is arrested? How do we account for the stories that don’t get told, or the issues that don’t get covered because the press was restricted or behind bars? How do we measure the intimidation journalists feel, and the chill that police intervention places on freedom of the press?
Obama Joins the Democracy Fire Sale
February 7, 2012 by Timothy Karr President Obama succumbed late Monday to the dark logic of the Super PACs, instructing top West Wing staffers to help raise money for the so-called "independent" groups that have been successful in picking winners and losers thus far in 2012.
The SOPA/PIPA Money Trail
February 7, 2012 by Josh Levy Before the Web blacked out to protest the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) and the Protect IP Act PIPA) — the Internet-censorship bills that faced massive opposition online — there was another SOPA blackout.
The Onslaught Is Coming to a TV Near You
February 6, 2012 by Timothy Karr If Minnesotans flip on their TVs right now, they're likely to see at least one — a political ad slinging mud at a presidential candidate.
Censorship U?
February 3, 2012 by Josh Levy Arizona State University might need to change its name to Censorship U after deciding to block students’ access to popular petition site Change.org.
As Pressure Builds, Some Cities Respond to Journalist Arrests
February 2, 2012 by Josh Stearns After arresting more than 20 journalists in New York City, and threatening press in various other ways, the New York City Police Department has admitted that it has reprimanded only two of its officers for their actions.
Tucson Media Monopoly Takes Root
February 1, 2012 by Libby Reinish UPDATE: Today marks the beginning of a local media monopoly in Tucson, Ariz. Exploiting loopholes in the Federal Communications Commission’s ownership rules, Raycom Media has taken control of three local stations: KMSB, KOLD and KTTU.
Public Media: Still on the Chopping Block
February 1, 2012 by Amy Kroin Last November Free Press released On the Chopping Block: State Budget Battles and the Future of Public Media, an inventory of dramatic state-level funding cuts to public broadcasting.
Save the Date for NCMR 2013!
January 31, 2012 by Mary Alice Crim Internet censorship. Massive media mergers. Attacks on public and independent media. Not to mention all that slanted, horse race-style election coverage that does nothing to inform or inspire.
A Push for Privacy in the Wake of the Carrier IQ Controversy
January 31, 2012 by Josh Levy Remember Carrier IQ, the company that makes the secret spying software that’s installed on more than 140 million phones? You know, the software that can record our most sensitive personal data?
