Free Press

Chronicle of Journalist Arrests Wins Storify Award

Stevie Converse — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 07:52:19 -0500

Full article: SavetheNews.org
Amy Kroin
Josh Stearns, whose documentation of press arrests on social media platform Storify has earned him the sites nod as "Storify of the Year," says he'll continue to chronicle journalists arrests. He hopes to shine a spotlight on the impact of press suppression and journalist arrests.

Media Minutes: November 18, 2011

Candace Clement — Thu, 17 Nov 2011 15:58:34 -0500

Internet companies and public interest groups are fighting a bill that could legalize Internet censorship. The Stop Online Piracy Act would allow corporations to shut down websites they suspect of copyright infringment and freeze payments to content providers and advertisers — all without a court hearing. And while the nation focuses on federal cuts to public media institutions like NPR and PBS, a new report shows how a quiet effort to cut state funding is eliminating stations, programming and jobs.

Hundreds Gather to Protest Outside News Corp. Shareholders' Meeting in L.A.

Stevie Converse — Fri, 21 Oct 2011 15:17:07 -0400

Full article: Free Press
On Friday, hundreds of people gathered on the street outside News Corp.’s annual shareholders' meeting to protest the media giant, which has been embroiled in a scandal over allegations of widespread phone hacking, bribery and extortion. The loose affiliation of groups that demonstrated on Friday -- including Common Cause, OccupyLA, Free Press, Avaaz.org, Change to Win, Good Jobs LA, Brave New Foundation, National Lawyers Guild and others -- demanded that News Corp. shareholders make company executives and the board accountable to U.S. law and the public interest.

Media Minutes: October 21, 2011

Candace Clement — Thu, 20 Oct 2011 16:31:03 -0400

A street protest outside News Corp.'s annual shareholders' meeting in Los Angeles is sending a message to Rupert Murdoch and his investors that "News Corp. Is Not Above the Law." And community members spoke eloquently at the Rural Broadband Summit about Appalachia’s need for high-speed broadband service.

Media Minutes: October 7, 2011

Candace Clement — Thu, 06 Oct 2011 15:13:08 -0400

After three weeks of the Occupy Wall Street protests, the establishment media are beginning to pick up the story. But increased airtime doesn’t necessarily equal quality reporting. And a new paper says that Net Neutrality generates economic benefits for consumers — as much as $5,600 per user, per year.

Media Minutes: September 30, 2011

Candace Clement — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 16:04:00 -0400

Free Press filed a federal lawsuit to challenge the Federal Communications Commission’s Open Internet rules. And Black Voices for Internet Freedom is a new coalition of local and national organizations and leaders focused on keeping the Internet open and free from discrimination.

Media Minutes: September 9, 2011

Candace Clement — Thu, 08 Sep 2011 18:43:58 -0400

Over the last few weeks, more than 80 Free Press advocates from across the country met with legislators and their staffs to voice the public’s perspective on media issues like the AT&T-T-Mobile merger, Net Neutrality and community media.

Victories of People-Powered Lobbying

Stevie Converse — Fri, 02 Sep 2011 10:17:22 -0400

Full article: SavetheInternet.com
Candace Clement
Over the last two weeks, more than 80 Free Press activists from across the country have met with members of Congress and their staff to provide the public's perspective on a range of media issues -- including the AT&T–T-Mobile merger. In these visits policymakers heard not from lobbyists and lawyers but from people who are impacted by the decisions made in Washington.

Free Press to Newport: We Won't Be Silenced

Stevie Converse — Tue, 12 Jul 2011 11:39:25 -0400

Full article: SavetheNews.org
Josh Stearns
Free Press launched Change the Channels, a new campaign to uncover and fight covert consolidation, a practice whereby TV stations outsource their local news operations to their competitors resulting in less local competition and diversity, and sometimes even duplicate newscasts. We seem to have struck a nerve. Newport Television, one of the worst covert consolidation offenders, sent Free Press a "cease and desist" letter last week. But Free Press is not backing down and won't be bullied into silence.

Media Minutes: July 8, 2011

Stevie Converse — Thu, 07 Jul 2011 17:43:20 -0400

In a victory for the public interest, the Third Circuit Court of Appeals dealt a decisive blow against would-be media moguls this week. It threw out the FCC’s rules that would have allowed one company to own a newspaper and broadcast stations in the same market. And pediatricians agree with First Lady Michelle Obama. They both say that kids should limit their time in front of TV, computers and other devices.