The Future of Media Resistance and Reform in the 21st Century

by McChesney, Robert; Newman, Russell; Scott, Ben; Moyers, Bill

• ISBN13: 9781583226797
• ISBN10: 1583226796
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2005-04-05
• Publisher: Seven Stories Press

Summary

Despite increasing criticism of the US media, little serious discussion has emerged as to what concrete steps are needed for lasting reform. The Future of Media collects the most up-to-date thinking from the vanguard of media theorists, commentators, journalists, scholars and policymakers, who examine where we are now and lay out a five- to 10-year roadmap for change. Edited by Robert McChesney, Russell Newman and Ben Scott, The Future of Media: Resistance and Reform in the 21st Century considers how open access to the Internet relates to tomorrow's wireless technologies, how the problems in commercial journalism stem from poor regulatory policy in broadcasting, how the concerns of media workers should be shared by media consumers and much more. The book establishes the poor performance of the media in guiding our democratic political debate and demonstrates how the policy battles, commercial expansion and social resistance of the next few years will reshape the media landscape for decades to come, determining who will be tomorrow's media gatekeepers. Contributors include FCC Commissioner Michael Copps, Representative Bernie Sanders, renowned journalist Bill Moyers, media scholar Robert W. McChesney and Newspaper Guild President Linda Foley. The publication of The Future of Media anticipates and will appear in time for The Second National Conference for Media Reform to convene in St. Louis, Missouri, in May 2005. In addition to the editors of the present volume, the conference will bring together activists, media creators, academics and lawmakers to discuss visionary and practical solutions to the problem of narrowly owned media. The Future of Media shines a light on a wide array of media issues with direct impact on our lives and is a comprehensive handbook for activists, students and concerned citizens.

Author Biography

ROBERT W. MCCHESNEY is a research professor in the Institute of Communications Research and the Graduate School of Library and Information Science at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. His work concentrates on the history and political economy of communication, emphasizing the role media play in democratic and capitalist societies. While teaching at Wisconsin, he was selected as one of the top 100 classroom teachers on the Madison campus.

Table of Contents

Foreword	vii
Bill Moyers
Introduction	1	(8)
Russell Newman
Ben Scott
PART 1: THE THREAT TO A FREE PRESS
The Emerging Struggle for a Free Press	9	(12)
Robert W. McChesney
The Fight for the Future of Media	21	(20)
Russell Newman
Ben Scott
Media Reform from the Inside Out: The Newspaper Guild-CWA	41	(10)
Linda Foley
Media Bias: How to Spot It---And How to Fight It	51	(14)
Peter Hart
PART 2: SYSTEMIC MARGINALIZATION
Why Americans Should Take Back the Media Congressman Bernie Sanders	65	(8)
Lessons for Realistic Radicals in the Information Age	73	(24)
Mark Lloyd
Media and Marginalization	97	(8)
Malkia A. Cyril
Resisting the Conquista of Words	105	(12)
Barbara Renaud Gonzalez
PART 3: MEDIA REGULATION IN THE PUBLIC INTEREST
Where is the Public Interest in Media Consolidation?	117	(10)
Michael J. Copps
Who is Watching the Watchdog?	127	(14)
John Dunbar
The Media and Campaign Reform	141	(8)
Vidya Krishnamurthy
The Legal Case for Diversity in Broadcast Ownership	149	(14)
Andrew Jay Schwartzman
Cheryl A. Leanza
Harold Feld
Reclaiming the First Amendment: Legal, Factual, and Analytic Support for Limits on Media Ownership	163	(22)
Mark Cooper
PART 4: TOWARD A NEW MEDIA AGE: THE POLITICS OF CONVERGENCE, NEW MEDIA, AND INNOVATION
Sharing the Wealth: An Online Commons for the Nonprofit Sector	185	(22)
Jeff Chester
Gary O. Larson
Reclaiming the Public Airwaves	207	(12)
Michael Calabrese
Matt Barranca
Wirelessing the World: The Battle over (Community) Wireless Networks	219	(24)
Sascha D. Meinrath
Copyright Reform: The Next Battle for the Media Reform Movement	243	(16)
Gigi B. Sohn
PART 5: THE FUTURE OF MEDIA IN A GLOBAL AGE
The Globalization of Media Policy	259	(16)
Sasha Costanza-Chock
Our Media is Not for Sale	275	(14)
Lori Wallach
Chris Slevin
Index	289	(14)
Free Press Media Reform Action Guide	303	(70)
About the Authors	373