James Wilson could have ended up blind. The contact lens cleaning solution he was using had been recalled, but because the media didn't cover the recall, he never heard about it. In the NPR report by Joanne Silberner, a spokeman from the FDA reports that this was one of those cases where it seemed that everything was done right. The Center for Disease COntrol noted an increase in a dangerous eye problem, linked it to a certain contact lens cleaning product, contacted the manufacturer, who immeadiately recalled the product and worked with the FDA to spread the word. This is where the process fell apart. Tim Ulatowski of the Food and Drug Administration notes, "We rely on the media to a greater or lesser extent depending on the particular recall we're working on." Unfortunately contact lens sollution was not as good a story as tainted dog food, and it never made a substantial appearance in the headlines. Stories like this remind us that the media has a responsibility beyond its own bottom line. The public owns our nation’s airwaves. Big Media companies have been permitted to use these airwaves for free under the obligation that they serve the public interest. Now, we have just 6 corporations – Viacom, CBS, GE/NBC Universal, Disney/ABC, NewsCorp/Fox, and TimeWarner – controlling the majority of what we seed, read, and hear. Or more applicable to this case - what we don't see, read or hear. We've got to hold these companies responsible for giving us the information we need. However, even more important, we need to demand new policies that encourage local ownership, diverse perspectives, and greater competition.