We just finished my most pressing responsibility in Memphis, the Media Policy Research Pre-conference that my group the Social Science Research Council organized to gather academics to discuss research needs in media and telecommunications public policy for the coming year. I frankly had some concerns about how successful the event would be, with several fairly…
Category: Media Reform
Off to Memphis for the weekend
I’m off to Memphis tomorrow to participate in the National Conference on Media Reform, put on by Free Press. And as excited as I am to be with 3,000 media activists, researchers and policy-makers, right now I just want me some Memphis barbeque. I have fantasies about making it out to Graceland, but I think…
“Videogames for Good” meeting, January 12 in Memphis
Just got an email from Suzanne Seggerman, head of Games for Change, that they will be organizing a session on "Videogames for Good" at the upcoming National Conference on Media Reform in Memphis this coming weekend. Why a session on videogames? Here’s what Suzanne writes: Videogames are increasingly ubiquitous. More than half of all Americans…
Super new video on Net Neutrality from Save the Internet!
Here’s an awesome new video from the Save the Internet crew. Great message, great production values. Good job, guys!
Why you should go to the Nat’l Conference on Media Reform in Memphis this January
There are lots of great reasons why you should plan on attending the National Conference on Media Reform from January 12-14, 2007. Here’s ten: It’s in Memphis. You know, Graceland, barbeque, home of the blues It only happens every two years Hang out with 3,000 media activists, bloggers, researchers, policy-makers, journalists and artists Come to…
Net Neutrality Party on Jan 11 in Memphis
As someone who blogs on occasion about Net Neutrality and internet regulation issues, I received an invitation to the Save the Internet Coalition’s "Party for the Future" on January 11 at the Gibson Guitar Factory in Memphis, TN. Held in conjunction with the National Conference on Media Reform, organized by Free Press, it promises to…
The problematic of constituencies of color and Net Neutrality
Matt Stoller over at myDD.com posts a terrific commentary on the difficult political trade-offs for communities of color and the network neutrality debate. In a nutshell, Matt notes that while two major associations of black and hispanic journalists came out recently in support of net neutrality, the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) and…
Every Time You Vote against Net Neutrality, Your ISP Kills a Night Elf
Hilariously titled "Every Time You Vote against Net Neutrality, Your ISP Kills a Night Elf" an article by Tony Greenberg and Alex Veytsel of Ramprate argues that online massively-multiplayer online games will be the first to get the knife if Net Neutrality provisions go out the window. They contend that online video will survive in…
“The Journey” and media reform
I watched again Friedrich Kirschner’s spectacular machinima "the Journey" last night. It’s been floating around in my head ever since. It strikes me that it’s a good allegory for media reform. Little stick figures pointlessly race around a bleak valley while giant monitors display banal images at them. A sign tells them to "Never leave…
“Before the Music Dies” tackles the increasing homogenization of the US music industry
"Before the Music Dies," a new documentary film by Andrew Shapter and Joel Rasmussen, explores how the radio and record industry conspire to limit musical choice by consumers. Meanwhile they examine how independent artists find new fanbases through the internet and live performance. The film includes interviews with such diverse and notable artists as Branford…