Town Meeting on the Future of Media
Federal Communications Commissioners Jonathan Adelstein and Michael Copps will visit Norfolk, Va., on March 30 to listen to local citizens' concerns about media consolidation. This "Town Meeting on the Future of the Media" is a rare opportunity for the public to participate directly in crafting media policies that serve the public interest.
WHAT:
WHEN: Thursday, March 30, 2006, 7 p.m.
WHERE: Old Dominion University, Mills Godwin Building, Room 102
WHO: FCC Commissioners Jonathan Adelstein and Michael Copps, local leaders and media representatives, concerned citizens.
The Town Meeting on the Future of the Media is taking place as the FCC prepares to review federal regulations on media ownership. Later this year, the commission is expected to propose changes to the rules governing how many television stations one company can own in a given market and whether one company should be allowed to own television stations and the major daily newspaper in the same market.
"The public voice has been left out of the decision-making process on media policy for far too long," said Josh Silver, executive director of Free Press, a national, nonpartisan media policy group that has helped organize previous hearings in Albuquerque, N.M, Portland, Ore., Dearborn, Mich., St. Paul, Minn. and Iowa City, Iowa. "Media consolidation has come at the expense of investigative journalism, quality entertainment and meaningful political debate. This forum will give Virginians a chance to voice their concerns to the FCC before they consider letting Big Media to get even bigger."
The forum, which is free and open to the public, will feature panel discussions on how media concentration affects local news and information. The forum will also include an open microphone session for the public to offer testimony on media issues to Commissioners Adelstein and Copps. All testimony will be recorded and submitted to the FCC and Virginia's elected officials.
The Norfolk meeting is being organized by Free Press in partnership with numerous local organizations, including Old Dominion University, Norfolk State University, the League of Women Voters of Virginia, the League of Women Voters of South Hampton Roads, Virginia Organizing Project, the Urban League of Hampton Roads, Public Policy Virginia, the Tidewater Peace Alliance, Hampton Roads Independent Media Coalition, the Naro Expanded Cinema, Tidewater Sowers of Justice, Community Capacity Builders, and the Virginia National Organization for Women.
"Like many other areas, the media in Hampton Roads is owned by just a handful of people," said Bev Sell of the Virginia Organizing Project. "The more that one company owns, the less diverse the coverage and fewer the number of viewpoints. The public has a right to be exposed to a variety of viewpoints on issues and needs greater public access to media outlets to be a part of the debate."
Along with its local partners, Free Press is also organizing a series of workshops to help residents of Hampton Roads prepare their testimony in advance of the forum. The workshops, which are free and open to the public, are scheduled to take place:
Saturday, March 25, 10 a.m.
Norfolk Public Library, Lafayette Branch
1610 Cromwell Drive, Norfolk
Sponsor: Virginia Organizing Project
Monday, March 27, 7 p.m.
Norfolk State University
Madison Hall, Room 156
Sponsors: Norfolk State University and the Urban League of Hampton Roads
Wednesday, March 29, 7 p.m.
Studio for the Healing Arts
1611 Colley Avenue, Norfolk
Sponsors: Tidewater Peace Alliance and Hampton Roads Independent Media Coalition
"As an owner of a small, independent media company that shows and promotes independent films, I frequently hear views from my patrons about the sorry state of broadcast news and programming," said Tench Phillips, president of Norfolk’s Naro Expanded Cinema. "Many feel they have been marginalized by large corporate media and are powerless to effect change. The upcoming Town Meeting will provide a rare opportunity for citizens to give voice to their concerns and actually be heard."
FCC Commissioners Copps and Adelstein will be available for a limited number of interviews in advance the event. To schedule an interview with the commissioners, media policy experts, or local citizens concerned about media consolidation, please contact Craig Aaron of Free Press at 202-265-1490, x 25.
For more information on the or the workshops, please visit: www.freepress.net/future/=norfolk