Journalists must make the shrinking free press a campaign issue

Media coverage of the 2020 Democratic presidential campaigns began in earnest well over a year ago — but it is not providing citizens with the news and information we need in order to cast informed ballots. We are two former Federal Communications Commission chairmen who believe one critical issue the media is avoiding is … the media itself. The high level of consolidation and corporatization that exists in the industry today speaks to media’s lack of interest in addressing the current shortfall in our news and information. In fact, consolidation has been the major driver in journalism’s decline. Just six conglomerates control 90% of traditional media, and social media is controlled by even fewer companies.

Reporters should begin asking candidates why we don’t have net neutrality and an open internet despite polls showing 85% of the public — Republicans, Democrats and Independents — support it. Reporters should be asking the candidates if media consolidation troubles them and what they might do about it. Reporters should be asking why so many communities live in news deserts today and what they would do to fix this. Journalists need to be a contributing part of the solution to the declining state of their own craft. It’s their responsibility, and it is our democracy that is at stake. We can no longer afford for the media to continue ignoring itself in covering presidential campaigns.

[Michael Copps is a former FCC commissioner and chairman. He is special advisor on Media & Democracy Reform at Common Cause. Newton Minow is the former chairman of the FCC.]