Media Policy Becomes a Presidential Campaign Issue

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http://www.commondreams.org/news2007/0808-06.htm

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
AUGUST 8, 2007
3:45 PM


CONTACT: Free Press
Jen Howard, Free Press, [phone], x22

Media Policy Becomes a Presidential Campaign Issue
But Most Mainstream Outlets Ignore Debate on Media Consolidation


CALIFORNIA - AUGUST 8 - Presidential candidates are pushing media reform into the public spotlight and onto the campaign trail with recent statements calling for a more open and democratic media system.

With Rupert Murdoch's takeover of Dow Jones imminent, presidential candidates are starting to question the policies that allow a handful of companies to control so much of the media — and limit citizen's access to information.

Yesterday, former North Carolina Sen. John Edwards spoke out against the Dow Jones deal and media consolidation during an appearance on CNN, telling host Wolf Blitzer: "I don't want to see Rupert Murdoch — or anybody else for that matter — owning every newspaper in America. What we have seen with consolidation of the media is not healthy for this country. We need divergent opinion expressed in this country and if the media is consolidated that runs completely contrary to that."

Blitzer dodged the issue of consolidation by shifting the discussion from policy to the proceeds from a book Edwards wrote for HarperCollins that the senator donated to charity. On Fox News, host Michelle Malkin disparaged Edwards' comments about the network's parent company. (Watch the video here.)

Similarly, major news outlets ignored statements on media consolidation made during Saturday's Democratic debate at the YearlyKos convention in Chicago.

"Consolidation ought to be one of the great concerns of every person in this country — denying us the kind of free access and information," said Sen. Chris Dodd (D-Conn.). "I'll do everything I can to see that that is broken up, as president of the United States."

Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-N.Y.) addressed the media system as a whole saying: "I think that we have got to do everything we can to open up our media environment. ... We have to have more competition, more voices and the Internet open so that we don't put it in the domain of any one or a couple of the media or utility owners."

Over the past year, nearly every Democratic presidential candidate, including Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.), Sen. Joe Biden (D-Del.) and Rep. Dennis Kucinich (D-Ohio), have expressed support for an open Internet or "Net Neutrality" — the fundamental principle that prevents phone and cable companies from discriminating against online content and services.

They are joined by Republican candidate Mike Huckabee, former governor of Arkansas, who told Republican bloggers in May that Net Neutrality must be preserved. Candidates including Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) and Rep. Ron Paul (R-Texas) have also expressed interest in media issues such as Low Power FM and Internet radio.

While presidential candidates have started to focus attention on media policies, the mainstream media have yet to devote serious coverage to the issue.

"Mainstream media cannot be trusted to focus on issues that go against the self-interest of their owners," said Josh Silver, executive director of Free Press, the national, nonpartisan media reform group. "Only by rolling back media consolidation and ensuring universal, affordable Internet access will we fix our broken media system. We urge all of the candidates take a stand against media conglomerates and support the diverse and vibrant media that our democracy requires."