Reclaim the Media

As people of color we know beyond a shadow of a doubt the way we are portrayed in the media is more about stereotypes than truth. It’s not just news media but entertainment media as well. Those in control of the images and information we consume don’t care to accurately portray people of color, or see the importance in empowering said people to help paint the fuller picture--something the NAACP has historically battled against.

The internet on the other hand, is different. Sites like the FXP and its vast network of Black writers share perspectives, opinions and truths the consumer couldn’t get anywhere else. Ask yourself how you would feel if your internet service provider decided it didn’t like such sites, and prevented your access. What if we couldn't find online:

The Oscar Grant shooting video.

Video of military abuses overseas.

Voter registration information.

Access to family planning clinics.

This is why the debate over net neutrality is so important--and why the NAACP should rethink its stance on this important civil and human rights issue.

This week, Rep. Jay Inslee responded to constituent concerns by sending a letter to the Federal Communications Commission, urging the FCC to follow through with reclassifying broadband as a telecommunications service. Reversing a radical, deregulatory change made during the previous administration, reclassification will preserve the FCC's authority to enforce long-recognized rules treating all data equally, and will allow the FCC to implement its National Broadband Plan, bringing broadband service to millions of underserved Americans. The letter was signed by thirty-two members of Congress (full text below).

For the next week, Detroit will be the epicenter for two major gatherings for progressive and social justice organizing: the twelfth Allied Media Conference and the second U.S. Social Forum. Washington State and the Northwest will be well-represented, with large delegations from urban and rural social justice organizations, labor unions, student groups and others. Reclaim the Media will be there with a delegation of Seattle-area activists and organizers from our Northwest MAG-Net coalition, including representatives from Reel Grrls, KBCS, Communities Against Rape and Abuse, Hidmo, Youth Media Institute, the Community Alliance for Global Justice and others. Follow the action on Twitter: #amc2010, #nwussf, #mediajustice.

Today, over 170 House Republicans sent FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski a letter urging the Commmission not to proceed with plans to protect an open Internet by reclassifying broadband as a "telecommunications service" rather than as a radically deregulated "information service." All three Washington State GOP representatives signed the letter, including Congressman Dave Reichert, who previously voted in support of net neutrality rules, saying that the Internet "should be an equal place" for people and companies. Reichert has apparently reversed his earlier opinion, and now stands with GOP leadership in support of open Internet opponents (and Reichert donors) AT&T, and Comcast.

The message couldn't have been more clear last month when FCC staff sat in a crowded Seattle conference room with about 80 local folks, gathered to share our opinions on preserving a fair and open Internet. Even in the tech capital of Seattle, urban communities need broadband access that is more fair, more affordable, and more reliable—and we need consumer protections from Internet providers who would keep many of us stuck in Internet slow lanes rather than treating us all fairly.

In Seattle, our local Digital Justice Coalition, led by Reclaim the Media and other MAG-Net member organizations, is calling for both local and national solutions for expanding digital rights. We're pushing our city government to build a publicly-owned fiber broadband network, in order to provide affordable, fast broadband to every home/office in Seattle. But for the long term, federal policies are needed to protect our digital rights--not just in tech centers like Seattle, but in all urban and rural communities. That's why MAG-Net member organizations across the country are continuing to push the FCC and our elected officials to enact policies that make high-quality broadband access truly universal, maintain a fair and open Internet, and encourage all people to become fully engaged participants in our digital democracy.

The Internet as a Universal Service, the Conservative and Corporate Backlash, and the Struggle Over How We Communicate.

For the past month the most important telecommunications platform of our time, the Internet, has gone without any form of regulation or government oversight. This situation didn't cause some downward spiral collapsing email and leading to tolls for visiting pages across the web - thank goodness. But, after the ruling in the Comcast Bit Torrent case an opening was presented for Broadband Internet Service Providers (ISPs) to brush off government authority. The U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals for D.C. ruled that the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) doesn't have the authority to impose regulation on ISPs. If this situation sticks ISPs have clearly stated what they intend to do - charge whatever they like for any content they like, while limiting traffic for those who don't pay high premiums.

This week, the National Hispanic Media Coalition (NHMC) filed comments (pdf) in the FCC's proceeding on the Future of Media and Information Needs of Communities in the Digital Age. Joined by 32 national and regional organizations from throughout the country, the comments ask the Federal Communication Commission (FCC) to examine hate speech in media.

Harold Feld from Public Knowledge provides a great summary of the FCC's proposed broadband reclassification, the positives and negatives from a public interest perspective, and the likely fight that likes ahead.

Today, Federal Communications Commission Chairman Julius Genachowski announced his intention to reassert the FCC's authority to protect broadband consumers' rights, including net neutrality. The Chairman's full statement is here (pdf).

The move comes two weeks after a federal appeals court decision (Comcast vs.FCC) undermined the legal basis under which the FCC had sought to prevent Internet companies from blocking access to websites; and one week after a room full of folks in Seattle resoundingly told FCC that net neutrality oversight was needed to preserve an open Internet.

UPDATE: Your phone calls and emails to the FCC appear to have had an effect: Chairman Genachowski reportedly plans to announce Thursday morning a new strategy for asserting authority to protect broadband consumer rights. Stay tuned!

Ever get that feeling, like it's deja vu all over again?

When the FCC held a public hearing on media consolidation in Seattle two years ago, over 1100 people turned out to deliver a clear message: don't let big media get any bigger. But just days afterwards, then-FCC Chairman Kevin Martin informed the readers of the New York Times that he planned to go ahead with plans to dismantle more of the rules protecting media diversity.

Now, days after Seattle urged the FCC to affirm its authority to protect broadband users from corporate content-blocking, FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski appears to be backtracking from his stated support for strong net neutrality rules. Read more for details and take action!