FTC Seeks Public Comment by Nov. 6
The Federal Trade Commission is investigating the state of journalism, and they need to hear from you by Friday.
What does the FTC have to do with journalism? FTC Chairman John Liebowitz has said, "We do two things at the FTC: competition and consumer protection. Both of those issues touch on the future of journalism.”
On December 1 and 2, the agency will be holding workshops on journalism and the news in our digital economy. Liebowitz explained that the FTC hopes to use these workshops to “come up with some ideas about what policy makers or lawmakers might think about doing, or refraining from doing, going forward." What’s unique is that the FTC is looking to you to help come up with those ideas.
Tell the FTC What You Need from the News
Already this year, both the House and Senate have held hearings on the state of the news. As our government considers what role it should play in supporting journalism, we have to be sure the public and working journalists have a voice in the process.
In announcing the workshops, the FTC released an eight-page memo with nearly 50 questions organized around three topics: Changes in Journalism Driven by Technology, Economic Challenges of News Organizations, and Possible Government Policies.
We’ve already read the memo (so you don’t have to), and condensed the key themes into five groups of questions. You don’t need to file extensive comments or be a lawyer to participate. We've created a quick survey to make it easy for you.
Add Your Voice Before November 6.
If the public doesn't weigh in now, the loudest voices will be the Big Media lobbyists and corporate execs who got us into this mess. We know Big Media will be pushing for more mergers and consolidation. Their lobbyists want to relax antitrust laws so they can fix prices and prop up old business models at the expense of innovation and good jobs for journalists.
We don’t need more of the same bad policies. We do need to invest in more public interest journalism, support promising new media models, protect the First Amendment, and encourage diverse voices online, on the air and in print.
Make Sure the FTC Hears from You.
You know better than anyone what cost-cutting and newsroom layoffs have meant for your community: less quality news and fewer watchdogs.
The FTC needs to hear your ideas for saving the news. And we need to act quickly — the public comment period ends Friday, Nov. 6.
Free Press is a national, nonpartisan organization working to reform the media. Free Press does not support or oppose any candidate for public office. Through education, organizing and advocacy, we promote diverse and independent media ownership, strong public media and universal access to communications.
Comments:
End the Big Broadcast Swindle
The FCC is reviewing its media ownership rules and needs to hear from you. Tell the FCC we need rules that serve the public, not big broadcasters.
Change the Channels
Check out the interactive map to see consolidating newsrooms near you.
Against media bias
I have recently joined the black ribbon committee against media bias. I do not feel that people should have to sit in front of the computer for 6 hours a day, just to sift through the news to read both sides of the issue. I have seen a lot of reports on major news networks that only give credit to democrats for their work over the last year, and I see very little reports about how our taxes are being mismanaged, the truth about how certain legislation will affect people, or any transparency on investigative reports about Obama's citizenship.
The news should be comprised of a format for an entire hour, (emergency reports, top headlines, current issues, related issues, entertainment, weather reports, and community news), and this must include local and community news that is balanced to the demographic of the area. I don't always want to hear about Michael Jackson and Ludacris, just like I don't want to hear about Britney Spears, and the current news is imbalanced in presentation.
A news cast should be informative, rather than for the sake of entertaining, as we have over-commercialized news programs, and the people who support them use them to exploit their political agendas, and this goes for Republicans and Democrats alike!
When I watch the news, I expect to see both sides. The FTC should have a committee to monitor shows, and that they include a format that the FTC agrees upon. I mean this to be just FOR NEWS ONLY. The FTC cannot regulate other political shows, as the news according to so-and-so, as that is their show. I don't believe that the FTC should police the internet, that there should be an internet committee other than the Better Business Bureau to regulate internet commerce/objectionable content that could indicate criminal activity.
Thanks Free Press for raising awareness to public comment period
I already submitted my comments to the FTC about my concerns on media consolidation, open Internet etc and encouraged a few friends to do so as well -- one of them already told me he submitted a few comments -- he didn't have time to answer every question on the write in survey but answered as many as he could.
I answered them all though!
The news media needs to stop
The news media needs to stop focusing on fluff and scare pieces and aim at more important current issues (i.e. energy concerns and health care rather than balloon boy or missing female white college students). Stop serving the interests of corporate white christian America, challenge the status quo! America is doomed if the right issues are not raised.
Public FTC comments
The consolidation of news media sources, primarily through the monopolization of mega-media, means less truth and the death knell of the fourth estate. News spun to make it's forum sponsors money, and only to make them money, is not news. Less Michael Jackson and Britney Spears and pseudo news, and more national and international and local real news is crucial to democracy and ultimately to the survival of the planet. Stop the monopolies in media.