A View from the Field: Confronting Billionaire Power

We provide regular updates from the field as staffers work alongside our amazing allies and activists to create a just and equitable media system.

• Jessica J. González took part in the event “U.S. vs. Billionaires: A National Convening on Curbing Excessive Wealth & Boosting Working Families.” The San Francisco gathering brought together leading policymakers, economists, organizers and advocates. During the panel discussion “How Excessive Wealth Is Unraveling Our Nation,” Jessica spoke about billionaire control of the media and tech sectors.
• Jessica participated in a panel discussion in Los Angeles following a screening of the documentary Steal This Story, Please!, a look at the work of pioneering journalist Amy Goodman. The Democracy Now! co-host also took part in the conversation, which examined free speech, independent journalism and the changing media landscape.
• Amanda Beckham and Nora Benavidez organized a congressional briefing exploring election integrity and threats to democracy. “Our government must be capable of protecting elections from intimidation, foreign interference and political violence without turning the machinery of government against the very people it is meant to serve,” Nora said in her opening remarks. “And beneath these developments lies a fundamental question: What happens when the institutions entrusted with protecting our democracy become vectors of uncertainty about its future?”
• Nora also participated in the panel discussion “Fighting the Broligarchy” in Oakland, which Hard Reset Media and Lush Cosmetics presented. The conversation examined how a few tech-bro billionaires have forged alliances with authoritarian-leaning state powers. Panelists discussed ways to stand up to Big Tech and stop it from amassing even more control over our communities.
• Nora gave a presentation on AI governance and tech accountability for participants in a fellowship program at the Digital Democracy Institute for the America. She also took part in the closing discussion of UCLA’s Careers in Tech Law conference.
• Joseph Torres delivered a powerful keynote speech at Borealis Philanthropy’s conference in Chicago on how media institutions and media policies have fueled racism for hundreds of years. “Next year marks the 200th anniversary of the founding of the Black press in New York City,” he said. “In 1827, Freedom’s Journal proclaimed: ‘We wish to plead our own cause. Too long have others spoken for us. … From the press and the pulpit, we have suffered much from being incorrectly represented.’ Those words remain true today.” Read the full speech.
• Joseph took part in the panel discussion “#BlockTheMerger: Resisting Media Consolidation, Corruption, and Authoritarian Takeover” at the Union for Democratic Communications conference in Ithaca, New York. His presentation addressed how media policies and powerful media institutions have played a critical role in undermining the civil and human rights of communities of color — and the struggle to realize a multiracial democracy. He argued for the reconstruction of our media system.
• Free Press and allies at the Latino Media Collaborative, Maynard Institute and Rebuild Local News hosted the Local News Policy Summit in San Antonio, Texas. The first national event of its kind, the summit brought together legislators, journalists, advocates and philanthropic leaders to explore ways to advance strong journalism policies on the state level. Alex Frandsen moderated the panel discussion “Funding the Information Communities Need” while Joseph participated in a discussion about equity in local-news policy. Craig Aaron moderated a discussion about the need to expand our definition of public media — and build something better. He also shared closing remarks at the summit.
• Craig and Alex attended the Civic Media 2.0 Summit at Harvard’s Shorenstein Center, where they led a session on Free Press’ Media Policy Collaborative. The network brings together journalists, activists, academic experts and funders to win transformative policies that treat journalism and civic information as public goods. Alex also co-led a session with Darryl Holliday on the California Civic Media Program.
• Craig participated in a panel discussion at a Movement Media Alliance gathering in Baltimore about AI’s impact on journalism, media production and newsroom decision-making. Craig underscored the need for newsrooms to align with community demands.
• Free Press co-hosted the event “Free, Fair and Factual: How Local News Strengthens Our Elections” at Temple University in Philadelphia. Craig and Pennsylvania State Rep. Chris Rabb delivered remarks. Vanessa Maria Graber moderated a discussion about the connection between strong local news and civic participation, with a particular focus on election integrity and the ways that journalists help people access the information they need to vote.
• Jenna Ruddock helps coordinate the Data Center Working Group, a coalition working to ensure that local communities have a voice in AI’s future. In September, the group gathered in Indiana with organizers from across the country to discuss ways to stop the construction of data centers.
• Jenna delivered the talk “The People vs. the Cloud” at Georgetown Law’s “Life After Data” conference. She examined how community resistance to massive data-center projects goes beyond opposing new construction or AI more broadly. Jenna argued that these struggles are creating spaces for imagining collective futures that stand in opposition to what tech billionaires are selling.
• Jenna was a guest lecturer at the University of Virginia Civil Rights Law Clinic, where she discussed data centers and community organizing.
• Sarah Stone co-led the event “What Does the Media Get Wrong About Baltimore,” a discussion and zine-making workshop exploring the power of media narratives and how the public can advocate for fairer and more accurate news coverage.
• Sarah and Free Press board member Martha Fuentes-Bautista team-taught a class at UMass Amherst, where Fuentes-Bautista teaches in the School of Public Policy and the Department of Communication. Free Press will share the results of an upcoming assignment for students with lawmakers as part of our campaign to create a Massachusetts Civic Information Consortium to strengthen local news. 
• Julio Ricardo Varela took part in “America Speaks Spanish? Media, Identity and Democracy in a Changing Nation.” The panel discussion in Boston, which Conexión, El Planeta and the local Harvard Club hosted, examined the media’s evolving role in shaping identity, civic participation and power.
• Julio participated in the event “¡Somos Más! Latino Civic Engagement in Massachusetts,” which focused on Latino voters and the ecosystem of Latino-serving civic-engagement organizations in the state. The Boston Foundation’s Latino Equity Fund and the Mauricio Gastón Institute for Latino Community Development and Public Policy at UMass Boston presented the event. During the gathering, Julio moderated a discussion featuring elected officials and community organizers who identified opportunities to expand Latino civic engagement.