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The Media Democracy movement is slowly emerging onto the mass media radar screen and the public discourse as it coalesces around particular flaws in our media system. These issues are often related to media ownership concentration, limitations to media access and the under or misrepresentation of important social problems, among others. Most recently, a large part of the movement has directed its focus on organizing campaigns against FCC moves to relax the few remaining restrictions on media ownership .
Links to many of the most prominent Media Democracy activist organizations are located below.
Mediademocracyday.org
Mediademocracyday.org, as indicated by its name, is promoting a media
democracy day. The first Media Democracy day was held on October 18, 2002.
From the Website: "In our era of rapid concentration and commercialization
of the mass media, one major convergence remains: interest groups for
media democracy.
Media Democracy Day will push for and promote a mass media system that
informs and empowers all members of society. Media Democracy Day will
connect existing pockets of critical and creative media projects with
social movements into a coherent message for public attention and local
and global actions."
Acmecoalition.org
Sponsoring a media democracy conference in Albuquerque, NM (fittingly
set to begin on Media democracy day), this site is playing an integral
role in the budding Media Democracy movement. At the conference, the renowned
media scholars, Robert McChesney and Mark Crispin Miller, will be keynote
speakers. This website is a great resource for seeing who the main groups
and figures are in what may be a significant social force in the coming
years.
Reclaimthemedia.org
This site is sponsored by the coalition, Cascadia Media Alliance. From
their mission statement: "The Cascadia Media Alliance is a coalition
of independent journalists, media activists and community organizers in
the Pacific Northwest, promoting press freedom and community media access
as prerequisites for a functioning democracy."
Indymedia
The organization behind this website was launched in Seattle during the
WTO protests. Based on the radical ideal, "Become the Media,"
this growing international network of 90+ Independent Media Centers (IMC)
exemplifies media democracy. The IMC communications model, relying on
a unique"open publishing" feature, allows for civic journalists
to post their own news stories and radically democratize the media.
Mediachannel
Founded by the veteran journalist, Danny Schechter, MediaChannel.org is
a nonprofit, public interest Web site dedicated to global media issues.
MediaChannel offers news, reports and commentary from our international
network of media-issues organizations and publications, as well as original
features from contributors and staff.
Mediatank
Founded during the 2001 RNC in Philadelphia, this organization focuses
on a broad range of media issues. Their slogan is "building a future
for Media Democracy." This non-profit organization aims to bring
together media arts, education and activism to build broader awareness
and support for media as a vital civic, cultural and communications resource.
Mediaaccess
The organization behind this site champions such issues as Low Power FM
and contesting rampant media consolidation. Media Access describes itself
as "a non-profit, public interest law firm which promotes the public's
First Amendment right to hear and be heard on the electronic media of
today and tomorrow."
Media-alliance
Based in San Francisco, this 25-year-old organization provides training
and resources for media workers, activists and community organizations.
More Media Democracy links:
Mediageek
Mediawatch
IMPACS
Democraticmedia
FAIR
iwantmedia
