2010 MEDIA DEMOCRACY DAY - CHICAGO
PEOPLES MOVEMENT ASSEMBLY
DRAFT UNITY STATEMENT
INTRODUCTION: BACKGROUND, GOAL, ADOPTION, QUESTIONS FOR FORMULATION OF RESOLUTION OF
UNITY
MEDIA DEMOCRACY
THE IMPORTANCE OF THE MEDIA?
DEMOCRATIC
MEDIA AND DEMOCRACY
CURRENT
PROBLEMS INVOLVING THE MEDIA
PLATFORM
ACTIONS
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INTRODUCTION:
BACKGROUND
The
Chicago Area Progressive Media Unity Statement is a synthesis of input from
participants at the People’s Movement
Assembly (PMA), the afternoon session of 2010 Media Democracy Day –
Chicago (MDD), held November 7, 2010 at the Teamsters Building in Chicago.
The event was inspired by the People’s Movement Assemblies featured at
the
Participants
at the MDD People’s Movement Assembly were grouped into smaller discussion
groups on the World Café model and posed several questions in each of two
rounds. After each round, each group
reported back to the plenary and comments were recorded.
GOAL
The goal
of the Unity Statement is to stimulate dialogue, increase clarity and focus of
issues, and develop a common sense of mission that will enable the progressive
media community to be more unified, interconnected and effective.
ADOPTION
Area
progressive organizations, especially media-oriented organizations, are invited
to review the draft Unity Statement, discuss it and submit input. They are invited to vote on adopting the
resultant revised Unity Statement as an organization.
QUESTIONS FOR FORMULATION OF RESOLUTION OF UNITY
The questions presented during the People's Movement Assembly broadly
cover the big picture for a holistic media revolution and also focus upon
specific plan of action. We want to have to vision for where we are headed in
the future, but we also want to focus on direct initiatives that we can start
with today.
Round
I:
Defining Where the Media Is and Where We Want It to Be?
1.
What is a “democratic media” and why does it matter?
In what ways does media impact our society?
Why do we need democratic control of media, and particularly now at this point
in history?
2.
What are the important media issues we share in common as progressive media
activists and progressive activists?
What are your concerns about the current state of the media? How does media effect you personally?
3.
What is our vision for a democratic media? How would you shape media for the
future?
What would a better media system look like? What are our goals for
media and what exactly do we want to achieve?
Round
2:
Outlining
How We Can Achieve Our Media Goals
1. What Planks/key
demands/changes in media in
Examples might be: Net Neutrality, media concentration, public access,
broadband, censorship, free speech, rights of content, ownership, privacy etc.
2.
How are media and communications major tools that can be used by Change Agents
for to benefit our communities and our society?
In what ways could the social changes you seek for your communities
make use of media tools? How are you
using media tools to get across your message?
3.
What are the specific commitments we can make to take steps towards achieving
our media goals?
What
actions are you (or your organization) willing to take? What actions might be recommended for the
larger progressive media community?
For more information on the World Café model, see: http://www.theworldcafe.com
MEDIA DEMOCRACY
We submit this Unity Statement as progressive media professionals,
progressive media activists, and individuals and organizations that are
concerned about the media:
THE IMPORTANCE OF THE
MEDIA?
Media, which we recognize as including all
outlets of broadcast, print, electronic and performance media whether
mainstream or alternative, is a powerful tool for communication.
Media allows people to connect with one
another and reach out to others around the world. Media is the lens used to
view the world, people use the media to get local and global perspectives;
media shapes the worldview and impacts the way people perceive and interpret
reality
Media helps people express themselves,
their concerns and their visions.
DEMOCRATIC MEDIA AND DEMOCRACY
Our founding fathers recognized that an
informed public is essential to maintaining a democratic form of
government. They believed this so
strongly that they set up laws and structures to establish it, including subsidized postage
for newspapers. Democratic media, open to all views
and free of centralized control by powerful public or private interests, is essential
to properly inform the public.
A democratic media provides the public
with information that is accurate, educational, and informative, and which is
useful toward promoting the well-being of the society.
A democratic media allows people to
represent themselves and not be dominated by interests with a private or even
secret agenda.
A democratic media will watch and report
accurately on the actions of public figures and elected representatives
A democratic media enables people to participate
comfortably in the democratic process,
Such a media should be structurally
organized democratically, not directed by politics but by community decision
making.
CURRENT PROBLEMS INVOLVING THE MEDIA
At the present time the media is not
fulfilling its role within a democratic society. There are numerous aspects to this problem,
including:
1.
The consolidation and tightening of media control in the hands of a few;
which promotes a bland uniformity and superficiality that does not adequately
address important issues.
2.
The dependence on corporate financiers and advertisers to sustain
operations which creates a serious conflict of interest and often leads to bias
and censorship
3.
The high cost of an FCC license for radio (250K), ownership and
accessibility to spectrum, which limits license ownership to a few corporations
or wealthy individuals. Wealthy corporations and their investors are given the
special privilege to control the media and communications infrastructure while
the public is being excluded, denied access, and refused a needed service.
4.
The surrender to a profit incentive and financial motivation, which
benefits the few while long-term public interests are neglected
5.
The fabrication or dissemination of disinformation and propagandizing in
order to promote an agenda that benefits the few at the expense of the
majority, such as in the case of the build up to the War/Occupation of
6. The repetition of insignificant stories around
the world, the scarcity of original programming of critical issues, and failure
to cover important but “small” stories.
7. The bias of many of the TV and Radio talk show
hosts. Commentators are often simply regurgitating talking points without any
original thought;
8.
The broadcasting by networks of stories without adequate research on
their validity
9.
The failure of mainstream media to present any significant amount of
real, powerful journalism
10.
The use of the media to overwhelm and to silence dissenting opinion /
ideologies
11.
The suppression of factual reports
12.
The way in which stories and narratives are designed to shape the way
that people think. People's ideas are
being conditioned by the media; this is restricting critical thinking,
distorting consciousness, and perverting culture
13.
The way in which people are over-saturated with sensory stimulation and
overwhelmed with useless information and superficial distractions
14.
The manipulation of people to be consumers / shoppers at the expense of
being participatory citizens
15.
The lack of access to alternative media sources for those with a low
income who can't afford internet, cellphones, computers or other electronics
which are becoming increasingly essential.
16.
The poor quality of service to small communities and dwindling local
coverage around the country.
17.
The failure to include all legitimate candidates for office in the
public debates, in clear violation of the Fairness Doctrine which mandates that
networks maintain standards of fairness and journalistic integrity in order to
be eligible to lease the public spectrum.
18.
The instances in which individuals have been barred from recording the
police in public or charged with felony eavesdropping for recording a
misdemeanor arrest.
19.
The extreme copyright infringement laws, under which personal photos of
copyright material could be claimed by corporations
20.
The inequality of access by the public as compared to the access of the
major networks
21. The lack of appropriate mechanisms to hold
the major networks accountable, and lack of repercussions for bad behavior
PLATFORM
In order to address these critical issues
we present the following platform:
The government
1.
That media standards be set as universal, accessible, affordable,
available, based on democratic ideals, accountability, integrity, and upholding
of the social contract
2.
That monopolies and media consolidation be
broken up to provide more diversity and access
3.
That the right to reply be reinstated
4.
That the public media structure be developed as a viable alternative to
the corporate networks
5.
That the public share in the control of the public media
6. That community centers be offered with
free or low cost internet access, and provide public access studios for
production,
7.
That public tools and resources
along with media literacy courses be provided to empower people to be
successful producers, including training on how to produce media, how to
utilize media to reflect their perspectives
8.
That tools be used to make the media more accessible and affordable to
people, create a local media infrastructure that is open to the public, provide
multimedia tools and resources for the public to utilize for their own
purposes, put the power in the hands of the people,
9.
That spaces be established that are open to the community so that people
can get together and work cooperatively:
build media centers that educate people on key media issues and advance
people closer towards achieving goals
10.
That the infrastructure for public broadband be built to provide access
for every citizen
11. That the principle of net neutrality
be protected
12.
That media literacy be a standard
part of the curricula at all levels; that students be taught how to make media more democratic; that
communication and media be a required
part of the educational curriculum; that schools provide training and resources for the public
to use:
a) learn about the
constitution, how the government works, the issue of free speech and how these
issues impact our lives
b) learn about the
essential role of media in our society / civilization; illustrate how media and
communication is an integral part of the global infrastructure
c) learn the history of media, including such
historical media figures such as Edward Bernays, and William Randolph Hearst,
and how media can be used for good or bad; learn how propaganda can be used to
manipulate public opinion in order to gain political or economic control; look
at the old regulatory framework that did exist prior to deregulation,
restructuring, the Fairness Doctrine.
d) learn about media
consolidation of ownership and the monopolies in control; learn about how this
poses a conflict of interest with the public and give examples, such as how
editorial decisions are made based on corporate bias.
e) promote better
understanding of how to use narratives and stories in order to move the
discussion of important issue from the fringes into the wider public discourse.
d) provide opportunity
to engage in opposition research in order to gain awareness of how actions
could be constrained or diminished; have fact based research to add context.
g) utilize multimedia
as educational tools and incorporate films, websites, diagrams, facts and
research, PR campaigns, advertisements, marketing...etc.
13.
That there be public access on regular TV not just on cable; that regular networks open the bandwidth and
free-up unused digital stations for public access stations like CANTV; that
networks open up the airwaves for community programming and provide access
to the digital broadcasting scheme and
utilize the full bandwidth,
14.
That the public access networks integrate and share programming between
communities; that a system be created by which it is possible to tune into
other channels being broadcasted from other communities. We need to build our
social networks so that communication flows between groups
15.
That PEG- public educational and government access outlets develop
massive set of servers so all community access can be archived
16.
That there be a media bill of rights for journalists, artists, and media
producers, (especially independent media, who are not affiliated with a major
network) to provide legal protection and equal access to cover important
events.
17.
That open source content be promoted and people
encouraged to contribute to the creative commons so that media can be used and
distributed freely.
18.
That there be community kiosks so that people
can post bulletins locally and keep in touch
The public
1.
That a news wire for independents be created to provide a vehicle for
getting stories out
2.
That we have better communication with each other, and a clear message
3.
That we find a common ground / issues to build upon
The corporations
1)
That we work as a community to redefine the rules for broadcasting and
establish a set of standards for integrity that will define a public code of
conduct for the media, including accuracy in reporting, social responsibility
and the promotion of the public wellbeing of all communities
2)
That diverse representation on the media staffs be ensured
2)
That providers that fail to observe the principle of net neutrality be
held accountable.
4)
That minimal standards be established for violence and racism shown on
broadcast media, video games and other media that reaches children
5)
That alternative ways of financing media be developed so that media is
not dependent upon funding from commercial advertisers and corporate
sponsorship. We need independent/ public funding for the media. Commercial
media outlets should pay more money for licenses and the proceeds invested
directly into community media and public access.
6)
That campaign financing and use of media for political advertisements be
reformed
7.
That public access be lived streamed and paid for by cable companies
8.
That there be additional funding to supply
technical equipment used for public access
9)
That community announcements be given free air time
ACTIONS
As a progressive media community we commit
to the following actions in order to take steps toward implementing our
platform:
1.
To stay intact as a group, to keep the solidarity, keep the momentum
going, and strengthen our progressive media network
2.
To make available a list serve for those interested in exploring
solutions and actions
3.
To link with each other as individuals and as
organizations to integrate ideas into a central website
4.
To get together for follow up meetings and keep the conversation going,
such as a monthly meeting where people can address these issues and fine tune
the actions
5.
To establish a committee to draft a media bill of rights
6.
To develop the language and concepts of media to illustrate how the
system should work ideally, including a redefinition of “public” and
“democratic”
7.
To make use of the tools and services provided by local organizations, such
as Chicago Indy Media, CANTV, Cooperative Media, and ethnic media and to
explore additional resources, such as the Media Education Foundation
8.
To organize training and workshops and to promote training with the
10.
To publicize airtimes of our program to our local groups to watch and
discuss
11.
To look at media licenses and leases; see what is available for public
use and develop progressive outlets, whether broadcast or virtual
12.
To seek funding for media projects through organizations like the
Crossroads foundation
14.
To make creative use of all forms of media. Progressive media needs to
be more appealing to the broader public. We need to raise the volume, highlight
our own issues, make content so compelling that it can't be ignored, engage the
audience emotionally. We need to compete with the major networks in producing
quality aesthetics and compelling narratives.
15.
To repackage the content to reach different audiences, and connect with
to the mainstream
16.
To release content as creative commons wherever possible so that it can
be redistributed freely
17.
To use emerging distribution methods such as Google TV box that brings
content tailored to TV
18.
To be media watchdogs, ensure
that the media networks are held accountable and forced to uphold standards of
integrity, organize community watch dog groups who are constantly patrolling
the media, and to organize petitions when appropriate
19.
To develop coalition policy initiatives which are directed at improving
media policy
20.
To challenge the FCC regarding renewal of the licenses of corporations
who have not upheld their obligation under the fairness doctrine or community
service requirements
22.
To use the legal system and organize class action lawsuits if necessary
in order to obtain justice and accountability
23. To continue to discuss and refine these principles and to implement these actions.