Media Consolidation

Media Change We Can Believe In

Rory O'Connor | Posted 11.04.2008 | Media

Read More: Politics, Mccain, Obama, Media, Pbs, Van Jones, Rovian Political Partisanship, Media Deregulation, Cpb, Bush Administration Media, Shock Jocks, Npr, Bush Administration, Media Consolidation, Fcc, Netroots, Radio Hate Speech, Media Politics, Broadcasting Board of Governors, Media News
Rory O'Connor

The Bush Administration's default approach toward journalists has been to use them when necessary and bypass them when not.

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Guidebook for a Media Meltdown

Mike Doyle | Posted 10.27.2008 | Chicago

Read More: Media Consolidation, Chicago Media, Grassroots Training, Social Justice, Community Organizing, Community Media Workshop, Chicago Nonprofits, Chicago News
Mike Doyle

The media world as we know it has imploded in the past year, nowhere with a louder thud than right here in Chicago.

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Wall Street Debacle Holds Lessons For Net Neutrality

Art Brodsky | Posted 09.18.2008 | Media

Read More: Internet, Media Consolidation, Fcc, Filmmaking, Economy, Net Neutrality, Media News
Art Brodsky

We're seeing a grim scenario play out now on Wall Street, as firms acted unwisely with no government oversight, and the public ends up losing. We don't want to see it play out online as well.

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We're Gonna Frickin' Lose this Thing

Adam McKay | Posted 09.08.2008 | Media

Read More: John McCain, Media Consolidation, Media Coverage of 2008 Election, Sarah Palin, Gallup Polls, Barack Obama Gallup Poll, 2008 Election, Gallup, Barack Obama, Media News
Adam McKay

"Stop saying that!" my wife says to me. But this is not a high school football game and I'm not a cheerleader with a bad attitude. This is an election and as things stand now, we're gonna frickin' lose this thing.

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No Bail-Out, No Bail! The Mortgage Melt-Down as seen from MIAMI

Laura Flanders | Posted 07.14.2008 | Media

Read More: Mortgage, Housing, Countrywide, Flanders, Grittv, Foreclosure, Miami, Housing Crisis, Workers, Subprime Mortgages, Media Consolidation, Gentrification, Media News
Laura Flanders

As the Bush administration unveiled a publicly-financed plan to "save" mortgage giants Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae, local residents at a town hall fo...

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I'm Mad as Hell and I'm Not Going to Take It Any More

Norman Horowitz | Posted 06.14.2008 | Media

Read More: Big Brother, Media Consolidation, Radio, The Fairness Doctrine, Media, Censorship, Media News
Norman Horowitz

Certainly I do not want the government defining "fairness". What could be more frightening then the government trying to impose their definition of "fairness" on America's radio stations?

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Moyers vs. Murdoch: Journalism vs. Megalomania

Josh Silver | Posted 06.10.2008 | Media

Read More: Free Press, Media Consolidation, FCC Media Consolidation, Rupert Murdoch, Fox News, Media, Bill O'Reilly, Media Bias, Media News
Josh Silver

The O'Reilly ambush is typical cable news entertainment-posing-as- journalism whose purpose is to sell eyeballs to advertisers, not to inform citizens or better society.

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What Bill O'Reilly Is Really Afraid Of

Timothy Karr | Posted 06.06.2008 | Media

Read More: National Conference for Media Reform, Newscorp, Media Consolidation, Media Reform, Media, Bill O'Reilly, Dan Rather, Rupert Murdoch, Media News
Timothy Karr

Fox News' trash-talking, prime-time headliner is little more than an apologist for those in power -- and especially for his boss Rupert Murdoch.

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"Bagels With Billary"

Charles Warner | Posted 06.05.2008 | Media

Read More: Time Warner, Jeffrey Bewkes, Media Consolidation, Katie Couric, Anderson Cooper, Cbs, Time Warner AOL, Mergers, Media News
Charles Warner

Think of it, Bagels With Billary, a morning show simulcast with Katie Couric as hostess and either Bill or Hillary or both talking with each other or to other celebrities. Who wouldn't go on their show?

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RNC Bloggers Better Be Wired

The Uptake | Posted 05.20.2008 | Home

Read More: 2008 Republican National Convention, St. Paul, Rnc, Media Consolidation, Minnesota, Mn, Media Coverage of 2008 Election, Republican National Convention, 2008 Election, Offthebus, Home News
The Uptake

Planning on using your laptop to blog the Republican National Convention? Plan again. There will be 15,000 members of the media packed into the event and wireless will be crippled beyond use.

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Senate Votes to Reverse FCC Decision Allowing Media Consolidation

Josh Silver | Posted 05.16.2008 | Media

Read More: Rupert Murdoch, Kevin Martin, Media, Fcc, Media Consolidation, Media News
Josh Silver

The Senate's vote reflects growing awareness -- in Congress and with average Americans -- of the perils of concentrated media ownership.

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Unearthed: News of the Week the Mainstream Media Forgot to Report

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Brendan DeMelle | Posted 05.09.2008 | Media

Read More: Gas Prices, Persian Gulf, Right Wing Media, Oil Sands, Renewable Energy, Neal Boortz, Depleted Uranium, Dick Cheney, Tar Sands, Dan Abrams, Environmental Protection Agency, Solar Tax Credits, Oil Industry, Richard Nixon, Dow Chemical, Guantanamo Torture, Michael Savage, John Ashcroft, Mary Gade, Chevron, Dioxin, Solar Power, Thomas Friedman, Tavis Smiley, John Conyers, Karl Rove, Bp, Rush Limbaugh, Exxon Mobil, Mother Jones, Green Building, Lou Dobbs, Iraq Contractors, Co2, John Yoo, Iraqi Interpreters, Shell Oil, Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, Whistleblowers, Talk Radio, Kbr, Media Consolidation, Don Siegelman, 60 Minutes, Sean Hannity, Conocophillips, Ducks, Fox News, Clean Technology, Glenn Beck, Bush Approval Rating, Bill O'Reilly, Media News
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Brendan DeMelle

Hundreds of ducks made a fatal landing in oil and toxic sludge; Republicans block federal aid to wind and solar; the shocking testimony of three whistleblowers on US contractors in Iraq.

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FCC Endorses Junk News, Calls Fox's TMZ and 700 Club 'Bona fide Newscasts'

Josh Silver | Posted 05.06.2008 | Media

Read More: Rupert Murdoch, Mainstream Media, 700 Club, Media, Media Consolidation, Tmz, Pat Robertson, Fcc, Media News
Josh Silver

Stamping junk news as genuine isn't new; Entertainment Tonight got its bona fide pass from the FCC in 1988.

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Vetting the Candidates: An American Tradition

Adam McKay | Posted 04.25.2008 | Politics

Read More: The Real Mccain, John McCain, John McCain 2008, Media Consolidation, Ronald Reagan, Media Coverage of 2008 Election, McCain Scandal, Cliff Schecter, Hillary Clinton, Media, Cliff Schecter Mccain, Barack Obama, Politics News
Adam McKay

Okay, I get it. We let all Republicans and most Democrats off the hook because they will roll over for the companies that own the media and in McCain's case literally get blown by lobbyists, but come on! Are we not even remotely pretending anymore?

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The Media Shopoholic Strikes Again

Marvin Kitman | Posted 04.24.2008 | Media

Read More: News Corp, Media Consolidation, Fcc, FCC Media Consolidation, Rupert Murdoch Newsday, New York Post, Newsday, Rupert Murdoch, New York Times, Washington Post, Rupert Murdoch Wall Street Journal, Media Monopolies, Media News
Marvin Kitman

Whenever Murdoch is depressed, my studies over the years as a media pathologist find, he has what he calls "an expansionist lunge." And when he's in one of them he can't be outbid.

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The Wire's Final Season and the Story Everyone Missed

David Simon | Posted 03.17.2008 | Media

Read More: Newspapers, Drug War, No Child Left Behind, Drugs, War on Drugs, Media, Press, David Simon, David Simon on the Wire, Newspaper Industry, The Wire, Media Consolidation, David Simon on the Wire's Final Season, The Wire's Final Season, Baltimore Sun, Brian Lowry, Nclb, Media News
David Simon

Let's happily concede that all criticism stands and get to the real fun: something happened in season five of The Wire when almost no one -- among the working press, at least -- was looking.

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What the Times Didn't Tell About McCain

Robert Scheer | Posted 02.27.2008 | Politics

Read More: Telecommunications Act, Campaign '08, Media Consolidation, Bill Clinton, Republican, New York Times, Vicki Iseman, John McCain, President, Lobbyist, Iseman McCain, Politics News
Robert Scheer

McCain was one of five senators (and the sole Republican) who voted against the atrocious telecom legislation that Iseman was pushing, which President Clinton signed into law.

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Fear, Loathing & the Crisis of Confidence

David Sirota | Posted 12.21.2007 | Politics

Read More: Fcc, Media Consolidation, Wiretapping, Conspiracy Theories, Conspiracy, 9/11 Conspiracy Theorists, Politics News
David Sirota

The growth of conspiracy theories as a phenomenon should not be ignored, because they represent something deeper - a distrust of a government.

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Actually, I Support Yesterday's FCC's Cross-Ownership Decision

Russell Shaw | Posted 12.19.2007 | Media

Read More: Kevin Martin, Media, Media Consolidation, Fcc, FCC Media Consolidation, Kevin Martin FCC, Media News
Russell Shaw

In most metro areas -- especially the 20 largest metro areas where the relaxed restrictions would apply -- we have lots of diverse voices.

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FCC Lifts 32-Year Old Consolidation Ban, Allows Broadcasters To Own Newspapers

AP | John Dunbar | Posted 12.18.2007 | Media

Read More: FCC Cable, FCC Chairman Kevin Martin, FCC Chairman, Kevin Martin, Fcc, Media Consolidation Vote, Kevin Martin FCC, Kevin Martin Media Consolidation, Media Consolidation, Media News

The Federal Communications Commission, overturning a 32-year-old ban, voted Tuesday to allow broadcasters in the nation's 20 largest media markets to ...

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Harry Potter Fans and the Fight Against "VoldeMedia"

Andrew Slack | Posted 12.17.2007 | Media

Read More: Media Consolidation, FCC Media Consolidation, Kevin Martin, Kevin Martin Media Consolidation, Harry Potter, Media, Lord Voldemort, Kevin Martin FCC, J.K.Rowling, Voldemedia, Harry Potter Alliance, Media News
Andrew Slack

The Harry Potter Alliance put out "Rocking Out Against VoldeMedia," which is aimed at building awareness and action against FCC Chairman Kevin Martin's current rush to gut media consolidation rules.

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Stop the FCC Before December 18th!

Joseph A. Palermo | Posted 12.14.2007 | Media

Read More: Rupert Murdoch, Kevin Martin, Joseph Goebbels, Congressional Hearing on Media Consolidation, Media Consolidation, FCC Media Consolidation, Big Media, Kevin Martin Media Consolidation, Fox News, Media News
Joseph A. Palermo

Chairman Martin and the other Republican corporate puppets on the FCC want to destroy localism in order to save it. The citizens of this nation, along with the Congress, have had enough of media consolidation.

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FCC Chief "Defiant," Refuses To Delay Consolidation Vote

Los Angeles Times | Jim Puzzanghera | Posted 12.14.2007 | Media

Read More: FCC Cable, Media Consolidation, Media Consolidation Vote, FCC Chairman Kevin Martin, FCC Chairman, Kevin Martin, Kevin Martin Media Consolidation, Fcc, Kevin Martin FCC, Media News

Facing growing criticism of his agenda and tactics, a defiant Kevin J. Martin, chairman of the Federal Communications Commission, refused senators' re...

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Junk News Is Making Us Sick

Josh Silver | Posted 12.13.2007 | Media

Read More: Rupert Murdoch, Media Consolidation, Fcc, Media, FCC Media Consolidation, Kevin Martin FCC, Media News
Josh Silver

Today in the Congress, senators berated FCC Chairman Kevin Martin about his plans to open the floodgates of media consolidation. And Martin didn't flinch.

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Harry Potter vs. Big Media

Josh Silver | Posted 12.12.2007 | Media

Read More: Senate, Fcc, Media Consolidation, Media, Kevin Martin, Media Reform, Harry Potter, Music, News Corp, Tribune Company, Potterwatch, Media Ownership Rules, Media Ownership, Harry and the Potters, Wizard Rock, Gannett, Harry Potter Alliance, Media Monopolies, Media Conglomerates, Big Media, Federal Communications Commission, Rupert Murdoch, Andrew Slack, Harry Potter Fans, Kevin Martin FCC, Local News, Music Inspired by Harry Potter, Voldemedia, Media News
Josh Silver

Potterwatch is building a real-world movement against "Voldemedia" -- the handful of companies that control most of what we see, hear and read every day.

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