Media Policy News
We work hard to capture the media reform headlines following the stories of the day -- 20,000 readers subscribe to the Media Reform Daily newsletter. We also work hard to ensure that the public interest side of the story makes it into the story in the first place. And often you'll find us making news with our policy positions and our activism.
Check out the must reads for stories we think you shouldn't miss and Media Minutes, the weekly media reform radio show. Browse the most recent news headlines and search our extensive library of media reform news with articles dating back to 2003.
Free Press is a national, nonpartisan organization working to reform the media. Free Press does not support or oppose any candidate for public office. Through education, organizing and advocacy, we promote diverse and independent media ownership, strong public media and universal access to communications.
Must Reads
This is where you'll find breaking news, press releases, new research and reports and other important materials that can't be missed.
February 2.2012
A Tumblr blog calling for Arizona State University to unblock the petition website Change.org began circulating the Internet, causing many students to become concerned that their First Amendment rights had been violated. ASU removed access to the site through any University server or email network. The petition was asking for signatures to support lowering the cost of tuition at ASU.
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January 31.2012
Internet companies and activists showed their growing clout by all but killing two copyright bills that big media websites had pushed. Now, the same players who stopped SOPA and PIPA are trying to work together to further protect their interests. They're finding that may be easier said than done.
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November 22.2011
AT&T, with its powerful army of lobbyists and years of experience navigating Washington, thought it could easily persuade the government to approve its merger with T-Mobile. But regulators aren't buying it, and the $39 billion deal is facing its biggest threat yet.
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November 22.2011
FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski dropped an unwelcome Thanksgiving treat on AT&T's lap by announcing he wants an administrative hearing on the carrier's plan to gobble up T-Mobile.
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November 22.2011
AT&T may be running out of options to win regulatory approval for its proposed $39 billion takeover of T-Mobile USA, forcing AT&T to choose whether to drop the bid or endure months of litigation with the U.S. government.
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News Headlines
Read the most recent news articles on media reform issues.
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Free Press, May 23.2012
FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski said that he generally supports data caps and tiered broadband pricing plans. The chairman's comments came during an interview at the Cable Show with former FCC Chairman Michael Powell, now the top lobbyist with the National Cable and Telecommunications Association. The data caps being pushed by the biggest cable companies are bad for consumers — and the FCC should be investigating these caps, not endorsing them.
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The Guardian, May 23.2012
Civil resistance has flourished thanks to an army of amateur journalists dedicated to keeping the Syrian population informed.
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Rem Rieder, American Journalism Review, May 23.2012
The presidential candidates have taken plenty of liberties, and the outlook is for lots more shenanigans before voters go to the polls.
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Wendy Davis, MediaPost, May 23.2012
Consumer advocates aren't happy with comments made today by FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski, who reiterated his support for pay-per-byte pricing during a speech at a cable industry event.
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Jennifer Martinez, Politico, May 23.2012
The hacker collective Anonymous claimed it has released nearly two gigabytes of data it procured from DoJ-owned servers.
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Ryan Devereaux, The Guardian, May 23.2012
A group of independent journalists who were detained at gunpoint while covering the NATO summit believe they may have been intentionally targeted by police. At least four journalists — including a Getty photographer — were arrested while covering the event, and a number of others suffered injuries while working.
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Jasmin Melvin, Reuters, May 23.2012
The National Association of Broadcasters has asked a federal appeals court to block new rules that would force broadcasters to reveal online who is paying for political campaign ads and just how much they are shelling out. The FCC adopted the rules last month in an effort to provide insight on campaign spending ahead of November's congressional and presidential elections.
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True Skool, May 23.2012
Ever wonder why you see and hear the same 20 artists on the rotation on radio and television? No, it's not because people are calling the radio stations and requesting the songs incessantly. The answer: media consolidation.
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Brooks Boliek, Politico, May 23.2012
Verizon told the FCC in a filing that T-Mobile is two-faced in opposing the SpectrumCo deal because its parent company is telling investors it has excess network capacity while T-Mobile is telling the FCC it has too little.
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Michelle Quinn and Jonathan Allen, Politico, May 23.2012
Barack Obama was the first BlackBerry president, and, like the device, he's not as hot in Silicon Valley as he once was.
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