Funferal

Media Reform – call Congress

There’s a clip over on Alternet today about Free Press’s phone-in campaign to have the FCC’s rule changes overturned by Congress. There are a number of bills that stand a chance of being passed – some currently stuck in committee – and the aim of the campaign is to firm up existing support and gain extra votes.
When you go to Free Press’s mediareform.net site and plug in your zip code you are given details of your representatives, where they currently stand on the legislation, and what you might say in a telephone call. All very simple.
I attach below the full text of the call to action from Bob McChesney and John Nichols of Free Press.

Big media is getting bigger and our democracy is at stake.
As you know, a month ago the FCC dramatically relaxed media ownership regulations, suffocating the cornerstone of American democracy: a free, fair, and open public debate.
Because one million Americans raised their voices against the FCC decision, the Senate Commerce Committee recently sent a bill to the Senate floor for a vote that would roll back many of the rules. Today the challenge is to get that bill to the floor of the Senate and House for a vote.
Take 3 Minutes to Stop Media Monopoly: Phone It In.
Call your Congressional representatives and demand that they support the rollback. One phone call from a constituent is more effective than scores of email petitions.
Go to www.mediareform.net/stopthefcc and follow the easy steps or read on for more information.
(Don’t worry, you don’t need to know your Senators’ or Representative’s names, only your zipcode.)
“Roll Back the FCC” legislation now has 38 supporters in the Senate (out of 100). We need 51 for passage.
The House bills have the overlapping support of 65 cosponsors on HR 2462 and 146 on HR 2052. We need 216 for passage.
The www.mediareform.net/stopthefcc website will tell you if your members of Congress are currently supporting rolling back the FCC. If they are supportive co-sponsors, then thank them for their support and ask that they keep the bill alive. If they not a co-sponsor, ask them to become one. (suggested script provided online)
Want to learn more about this issue and media reform? Go to our new organization called Free Press at www.mediareform.net.
Join Free Press.
Call Congress.
For our media, for our Democracy.