Journalists cannot be objective about their right to exist. They must engage the forces that put profit ahead of public service, and they must do it by taking an active, informed role in shaping public policy and the business practices of our industry. more»

WASHINGTON -- Today, Google, Apple and AT&T responded to the Federal Communications Commission’s inquiries into iPhone users on AT&T’s network being denied access to the Google Voice application.

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The cell phone industry not only engages in price-gouging, but its anti-competitive practices have left the United States wireless industry lagging behind the rest of the world. And university scholars, city and state government, and private enterprise are working to bridge the digital divide in Chicago.

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Astroturf, or fake grassroots, groups have been painting Net Neutrality as an attempt to "socialize the Internet." Behind their Cold War rhetoric is a dirty little secret: Astroturf groups are funded by corporations and political groups to manufacture a Potemkin Village of public support for any given issue, to sway politicians, and to fool members of the media into putting them on the air. more»

WASHINGTON -- Today, Free Press launched an online interactive tool to expose phony grassroots groups hired by big phone and cable companies to advance their political agenda.

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WASHINGTON -- According to a new study from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, rural counties on the wrong side of the digital divide are at a major economic disadvantage compared to rural counties with high-speed Internet. The study shows that counties with broadband have stronger economic and employment growth than unserved rural areas do.

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Howard Kurtz wants the government to stay out of efforts to save journalism. But government policy had a major role in creating the media's current problems, and government policies can help to solve them. The only ones who would benefit from Kurtz's hands-off approach are his bosses. more»

Consumer and public interest groups want the FCC to take action to collect better information on broadband availability and usage across the country. And around the world, plans are under way for celebrating OneWebDay on Sept. 22.

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If you’ve glanced at the news these past few months, you know that the future of the Internet, the fate of quality journalism, the movement to expand local radio, and our right to communicate freely in the United States are all hanging in the balance.

Wish there were someone keeping it all straight for you? There is.

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WASHINGTON -- Today, six consumer and public interest groups sent a letter to FCC Chair Julius Genachowski presenting a list of priorities for policy changes in broadband data collection. The letter calls for the completion of an open proceeding that would expand collection of broadband availability data and for the coordination of data-collection efforts between the NTIA broadband grant programs and the FCC.

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