Media Reclamation Project

Happy Winter Solstice! (and happy holidays too)

Here are a couple things of interest, especially if you like to see public input changing the direction of government actions … the first two were coordinated through web-based communication media (email, website, facebook) and are good examples to look at in terms of mobilizing to get something changed

1) Canada’s contribution to the Climate Change conference in Bali – from http://avaaz.org : “In Canada, (and wow did Canadians step up on this!) more than 110,000 citizens demanded that their country stop blocking the talks, supported an ad campaign in Canadian newspapers … and called the Prime Minister’s office and their members of parliament. A Canadian youth delegation in Bali constantly dogged their environment minister with the Avaaz petition.” This, along with pressure from other nation’s governments, helped get Canada to stop blocking consensus at Bali.

2) Canadians’ input on the new copyright bill being proposed by the government, gets government to listen to critics, delay making law – see more at http://www.michaelgeist.ca, especially Dec 17 article, http://www.thestar.com/Business/article/286164

3) Maclean’s magazine faces human rights challenge concerning anti-Islamic bias, fostering Islamophobia – see http://ottawa.indymedia.org/en/2007/12/6393.shtml

4) See this forwarded message about a change in media rules in the U.S., and a call for public input to get this changed back — if you know people in the States, forward this message on to them:

———- Forwarded message ———-
Date: Tue, 18 Dec 2007 23:01:47 GMT
From: “Robert McChesney, FreePress.net”

It happened. A few minutes ago, FCC Chairman Kevin Martin and his two fellow GOP commissioners approved new rules that will unleash a flood of media consolidation across America. The rules will further consolidate local media markets — taking away independent voices in cities already woefully short on local news and investigative journalism.

In 2003, the FCC tried to do the same thing, but millions of people demanded that Congress reject the FCC’s rules. And they did. It’s time to do it again.

We need 100,000 people to get Congress to reverse the FCC’s rules right now.

Sign Our Open Letter to Congress:

http://action.freepress.net/campaign/sbmopenletter/i78kgx6rv6k3mbe?

Then get three of your friends to do the same:

http://action.freepress.net/campaign/sbmopenletter/forward/i78kgx6rv6k3mbe?

This is about whether we will have access to the information that democracy requires. It is about whether or not we’ll have real news and local voices on radio, television and in the newspaper in your town. It’s about whether the public airwaves will represent our nation’s diversity.

Just yesterday — spurred by your calls and letters — 26 senators from both parties sent a letter to the FCC Chairman promising “to revoke and nullify the proposed rule” if the FCC voted to lift the longstanding ban on “newspaper-broadcast cross-ownership.” But Chairman Martin did it anyway.

Congress has the power to throw out these rules — and if 100,000 people demand it, they’ll have to listen.

Take action now
[http://action.freepress.net/campaign/sbmopenletter/i78kgx6rv6k3mbe?] and spread the word
[http://action.freepress.net/campaign/sbmopenletter/forward/i78kgx6rv6k3mbe?
].

Some say that nobody listens to letters like this. Well they definitely do, and it’s a way you can truly help the cause with just a few clicks. Sign on now — and get your friends to do the same.

Your actions are making a difference. Let’s keep up the pressure. And stay tuned — this fight is far from over.

Thanks for bringing us this far,

Robert McChesney
President
Free Press

http://www.freepress.net

P.S. Spread the word: Recruit three new friends to sign on to this letter and send the message to Congress.

P.P.S. Read Senator John Kerry’s blog post on today’s decision on the Free Press Action Network.

*View more information about this campaign at:

http://action.freepress.net/ct/U1wAYYn1bBKB/

*Tell your friends about this campaign at: http://action.freepress.net/ct/UdwAYYn1bBKX/

http://action.freepress.net/freepress/smp.tcl?nkey=i78kgx6rv6k3mbe&