My program on Media and Democracy at the Social Science Research Council has publicly launched the Media Research Hub, a new online resource for researchers, advocates, practitioners, and policymakers working for a more democratic and participatory public sphere. Through the Hub, activists and researchers can find out about funding opportunities for research work, get access…
Category: Media Reform
Position Available: Future of Music Coalition Communications Director
The Future of Music Coalition, a great advocacy group that works for more fair and balanced public policy on music-related issues, is hiring a Communications Director. If you’ve got the passion for media justice, defending the rights of musicians and music fans, then this might be the job for you. Check the full job description…
Excellent article on “Who Controls the Media”
Lefty magazine Toward Freedom has a good summary of the major challenges in the media justice cause in the article "Who Controls the Media and How to Take It Back" by Megan Tady. It scans some of the most pressing problems with the media today, including: the highly concentrated ownership of mainstream media, the fight…
Submit a question to the Dem Presidential debate via YouTube
YouTube and CNN are inviting citizens to submit questions to presidential candidates via YouTube video this summer. Get your video in by July 22 so it can be considered for the July 23 Democratic candidate debate on July 23 in Charleston, South Carolina. If your question is selected, you may be flown to Charleston to…
Net radio saved… negotiations between Sound Exchange and net broadcasters resume
It looks like net radio won’t go dark on July 15 as previously predicted. WIRED’s blog "Listening Post" reports that Sound Exchange, the consortium responsible for enforcing royalties for the music industry, has agreed before Congress that they will not collect fees from net radio stations under the proposed new fee structure until a new…
Ben Scott on why the iPhone sucks (hint, it rhymes with “AT&T”)
Here’s a great run-down by Ben Scott of the non-profit group Free Press of what’s wrong with the iPhone from a public policy perspective. (Recorded by Matt Stoller.) For those who can’t spare the time to watch Ben’s cogent 5 minute explanation, here’s the rundown: Consumer Choice: The iPhone locks consumers into one telephone company,…
“Good Copy Bad Copy”: New documentary about copyright and culture available for download
Click To Play I just got word about a new documentary about copyright and culture called “Good Copy Bad Copy”, directed by Andreas Johnsen, Ralf Christensen and Henrik Moltke. The movie features a number of prominent academics (Benkler, Lessig) , artists (i.e. Girl Talk, Danger Mouse) and recording label representatives talking about intellectual property and…
Discussion on “Media Policy and Games” at Games for Change
Alex Quinn, the new Executive Director of Games for Change, (center) moderated a panel with Adam Green of MoveOn.org (left) and Ted Castronova of Indiana University (right), on the intersection of public policy and games. Adam talked about how activists working on Net Neutrality were looking to expand their outreach to the gamer community and…
Photos from Games for Change Day 1 online
Today was a rush of incredibly interesting discussions and speakers for day one of the Games for Change Festival at the Parsons School of Design. I’m much too exhausted to do a recap, but you can at least see some pictures from the event here.
Tell the FCC to set aside spectrum for faster, cheaper internet!
The activist group Free Press sends out the alert that the US government is going to give away to telecom companies key slices of the radio spectrum left vacated in the transition to digital TV. In their view, these newly available frequencies should be kept aside for unlicensed use to facilitate faster, cheaper form of…