Stop the Media Mergers: WaPo

Democracy is in crisis -- not in far parts of the world but right here in the United States.

As with most democracies, the greatest threat to ours is internal. The danger within is the loss of our Fourth Estate -- an independent and free press that is essential if Americans are to be knowledgeable and engaged in the democratic process.

Walter Lippmann said that a free press "should consist of many newspapers decentralized in their ownership and their management, and dependent for their support . . . upon the communities where they are written, where they are edited and where they are read."

From thousands of independent media outlets during Lippmann's heyday in the middle of the past century, media ownership dropped to only 50 companies by 1983. Today what was a concern has become a nightmare: The majority of our media are controlled by just five companies.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A30309-2004Sep17.html (registraion req'd)

"Next year the Commerce Committee is required to revisit the Telecommunications Act of 1996. This will be an important review, and a critical opportunity to set new public policy. "

This seems like it will be the next major opportunity to turn back the consolidation in the media. After this election gets settled, this would be a great thing to work on.

We need to make sure congress does the right thing.

"At the darkest moment, with the FCC poised to unleash the next great wave of destructive newspaper and media consoli- dation, a national grass-roots effort materialized. Nearly 2.3 million people sent messages to the FCC and Congress opposing FCC rule changes. Senate Commerce Committee Chairman John McCain (R-Ariz.) called it the greatest spontaneous outpouring of citizen reaction he had seen. But the FCC went ahead and posted new, less restrictive rules designed to help the media conglomerates. "

2.3 million people contacted the FCC and Congress about obscure FCC rule changes. There is a lot of interest in this issue.

states that if any media outlet is connected in any way to a political affiliation, then it should be fined and possibly shut down.

the effort to block the FCC from deregulating. Everyone here deserves a toast. It was one of the biggest group efforts, when we were all "hanging together" before the Primaries tore us apart.

This effort combined with the attention all over the internet and faxing phoning our Congresspeople resulted in one shining light being lit to reform the Telecommunications Act. Here's the relevant snip: and a :toast: to us here on DU who should be proud of what we did.


At the darkest moment, with the FCC poised to unleash the next great wave of destructive newspaper and media consoli- dation, a national grass-roots effort materialized. Nearly 2.3 million people sent messages to the FCC and Congress opposing FCC rule changes. Senate Commerce Committee Chairman John McCain (R-Ariz.) called it the greatest spontaneous outpouring of citizen reaction he had seen. But the FCC went ahead and posted new, less restrictive rules designed to help the media conglomerates.

No so-called "newspaper" is MORE RESPONSIBLE for the Nazi Party's rise to power than the ass-kissing WHORESHINGTON POST.

NO newspaper lies for the Nazi Party more than the WHORESHINGTON POST.

Bob Somerby has these lying whores nailed down in his Daily Howler at http://www.dailyhowler.com

Ever day, Bob adds to the indictment of the WHORESHINGTON POST and SCREW YORK TIMES. Both of thse papers should be tried for High Treason!

But the issue is a structural one as well. Antitrust laws need to be enforced, and the monolopies broken up.

of properties - so I am surprised they published this piece