Media Reform

Documentaries on How Media Impact the World

by

From the Media Education Foundation – documentary films on the media

The MEF has a variety of films about the media which.  They can be used for media community literacy efforts or as a part of school programs.

Headline: “Films That Inspire Critical Reflection on the Social, Political, & Cultural Impact of American Mass Media”

“Media Education Foundation produces and distributes documentary films and other educational resources to inspire critical thinking about the social, political, and cultural impact of American mass media.”

https://www.mediaed.org/

 

Do Media Prop-up Corrupt Politicians?

by

Article in Huffington Post by By Michael Arceneaux, 10/4/24

Headline: “Like Foreign Governments, The Media Helps Prop Up NYC Mayor Eric Adams”

Subhead: “One writer claimed Adams would “save New York,” another said he was in their top 5 for the next democratic nominee for president — both ignoring the trail of corruption investigations that followed the New York mayor.”

“. . . According to Shachtman’s reporting, “The coverage was so slanted that the City Hall bureau chief left in part over disagreements with management over the fawning coverage of Adams.”

“It can’t be overstated how much-alleged straw donations from a foreign government used to gain eight figures in matching public funds undoubtedly played a role in Adams’ win in that hotly contested NYC mayoral race.

“Similarly, ridiculous headlines and conservative political tones aside, the New York Post remains an important paper in the city, so it also can’t be overlooked how much the paper’s endorsement and slanted coverage influenced the results of an election determined by less than 7,000 votes. ”

https://www.huffpost.com/entry/opinion-media-new-york-eric-adams_n_66ff08dee4b03185708eb118

 

Legacy Media Treat Elections as Sports Events

by

Rollerball Image from TMBD

Article by feris Hero, Daily Kos, 9/24/24

Headline: Dear Legacy Media, Election Coverage Is Not (And Never Should Be) A Sporting Event

“The legacy media coverage of elections is too often treated by them and others as some kind of sporting event. I’m not even really discussing the elections themselves, but rather the coverage itself is the sporting event. A bad week of media coverage gets stories about ‘How Can the Campaign Turn This Around?’, which is often a cover to run negative points about the opposing campaign. Media complains that campaign isn’t providing enough details on some policy point, ignoring the fact that no politician has provided actual details on policies since at least before any of us were born.”

https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2024/9/24/2272572/-Dear-Legacy-Media-Election-Coverage-Is-Not-And-Never-Should-Be-A-Sporting-Event?pm_campaign=front_page&pm_source=more_community&pm_medium=web

Social Media Hazardous to Health?

by

 


Article in The Hill by Sarah Fortinsky, 09/10/24 2:42

Headline: “42 states and territories press Congress on social media warning labels”

“US Surgeon General Murthy, in June, called for a surgeon general’s warning label to be placed on social media platforms, similar to those warning labels that appear on tobacco and alcohol products. He noted that studies have shown that warning labels on tobacco products can increase awareness and change a user’s behavior.

“ ‘It is time to require a surgeon general’s warning label on social media platforms, stating that social media is associated with significant mental health harms for adolescents,’ he wrote.

“This problem will not solve itself and the social media platforms have demonstrated an unwillingness to fix the problem on their own. Therefore, we urge Congress to act by requiring warnings on algorithm-driven social media platforms, as recommended by the Surgeon General,” they wrote in the letter”

https://thehill.com/policy/technology/4871983-social-media-warning-labels-attorneys-general/

 

Media Reformer Phil Donahue Dies

by

Headline: “Phil Donahue Daytime Talk Show Pioneer Dies at Age 88”

Article in CBS News by Alex Sundby, 8/19/24

Phil Donahue was a keynote speaker at the National Conferences on Media Reform in Memphis and Minneapolis. The events, sponsored by Free Press, brought together activists, educations, media makers, and concerned citizens working for better media.

“President Biden awarded Donahue the Presidential Medal of Freedom earlier this year. The White House called ‘Donahue’ one of the most influential television programs of its time.

” ‘Phil Donahue broadcast the power of personal stories in living rooms all across America,’ Mr. Biden said during May’s White House ceremony. ‘He helped change hearts and minds through honest and open dialogue. And over the course of a defining career in television and through thousands of daily conversations, Phil Donahue steered the nation’s discourse and spoke to our better angels.’ ”

 

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/phil-donahue-dies-age-88/

Wikipedia article:  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phil_Donahue

 

Bangladesh Could Have Free Press Soon

by


From The Guardian article of 8/9/24 by Redwan Ahmed and Kaamil Ahmed.

Headline:  “Bangladeshi journalists hopeful of press freedom as Hasina era ends”

Recently the authoritarian leader Sheikh Hasina fled the country after protesters forced her out.  This followed years of oppressive rule and censorship of the press.

“Arrests, abuse and forced disappearances at the hands of Bangladesh’s security forces have loomed over journalists for most of Hasina’s 15-year rule, preventing them from routine reporting for fear of writing anything that could be perceived as embarrassing for the government.”

Link:  https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/article/2024/aug/09/bangladeshi-journalists-hopeful-for-return-to-press-freedom-as-hasina-era-ends

Looks Interesting

by


Training Session for Netroots Nation 2024! Will you please help choose the title?” – Sue Wilson
 
1. “How Local Communities can Hold TV and Radio Stations Accountable”
2. “Empowering Local Communities by Holding the FCC Accountable”
3. “Making Local Broadcasters Accountable to Your Community”
4. “How to make Local Broadcasters Accountable to Your Community”
5. “How to Stop Local TV and Radio from Poisoning Your Air” Don’t like any? I’m open to suggestions. THANKS!

Sue Wilson may be contacted on Facebook.

https://www.facebook.com/SueWilsonTV