Media Watch

Media Watch

MEDIA WATCH COLUMN: THE URGENCY FOR MEDIA REFORM

By Jennifer Douglas, jen@saveklsd.com

May 3, 2013 (San Diego)--The need for media reform and putting a halt to further media consolidation now seems urgent. Since late April, we have learned that billionaire conservative activists are moving ahead in a bid to buy the Los Angeles Times; Obama's nominated a former corporate lobbyist to head the Federal Communications Commission (FCC); a senator reminds us that six mega-corporations own most of our mass media, and a leading champion of media reform, Common Cause leader Bob Edgar (photo, left) has died suddenly.


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MEDIA WATCH: MEDIA REFORM SUMMIT APRIL 27 IN LOS ANGELES

 

By guest columnist Marie Ida Johnson

April 24, 2013 (San Diego) --If you are concerned about media control, ownership and reform and how your community is served, a summit this Saturday may offer thoughtful perspectives.  While the focus will be on Los Angeles news coverage, don’t think that these discussions will not affect you.  Media concerns and new ideas for better news in any area of the country concern all of us and the summit speakers are quite impressive.

LA Media Reform Group announces its 6th Annual LA Media Reform Summit at Occidental College in Los Angeles from 1-5 p.m. followed by a reception.  The summit is co-hosted by: California Common Cause, The LA Progressive, and the Occidental College Urban and Environmental Policy Institute.  To complete the evening MoveOn is hosting the first public showing of a new documentary on whistleblowers and the free press.


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MEDIA EXPERTS PARTICIPATE IN PANEL TO ADDRESS CONTROVERSIAL PRESS PASS ISSUES

 

By Janis Mork

April 15, 2013 (San Diego)- Last week, in the KPBS studio at San Diego State University, U-T San Diego public engagement reporter Matt Hall moderated a three-member panel  hosted by the San Diego Chapter of Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ)  to explore the controversial issue of press credentials.

Should San Diego Police Department stay in charge of who gets press credentials countywide?

Who needs press passes—and how does SDPD determine who does and doesn’t receive them? 

These are among the questions addressed on a panel consisting of  U-T San Diego public safety reporter Kristina Davis, true crime author Caitlin Rother, and freelance videographer James ‘JC’ Playford, who filled in for  San Diego Reader journalist Dorian Hargrove originally scheduled.


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MEDIA WATCH: OPPOSE PROPAGANDISTS AS MEDIA OWNERS; SIGN A PETITION ASKING THE L.A. TIMES NOT TO SELL TO THE KOCH BROTHERS

Sign petition:  http://act.couragecampaign.org/sign/latimeskoch/#1

By Miriam Raftery

March 18, 2013 (San Diego) – For weeks, rumors have abounded that the respected Los Angeles Times newspaper and its parent Tribune Company may sell to would-be buyers whose goal is not journalism, but propaganda. On March 17, U-T San Diego owner Doug Manchester told MSNBC news that the billionaire Koch Brothers, major financial backers of the TEA Party, are interested in buying the Times empire, which includes the Chicago Tribune as well as the L.A. Times


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Support community news in the public interest! As nonprofit news, we rely on donations from the public to fund our reporting -- not special interests. Please donate to sustain East County Magazine's local reporting and/or wildfire alerts at https://www.eastcountymedia.org/donate to help us keep people safe and informed across our region.

MEDIA WATCH: KNSJ HOSTS SCREENING SATURDAY OF DOCUMENTARY ON LOCAL MEDIA CONSOLIDATION IMPACTS

February 21, 2013 (San Diego) – KNSJ, the new radio station soon to begin broadcasting from East County,  announced last night that it has purchased a transmitter and now is raising funds to cover station operations. 

On Saturday, February 23 at 6:30 p.m.  a benefit film showing of the documentary Save KLSD: Media consolidation and local radio will be shown at the Joyce Beers Community Center  in Hillcrest. Organizers promise “film, food and fun.” A  panel discussion will follow.


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MEDIA WATCHDOG: HOW MEDIA CONSOLIDATION AND CORPORATE CONTROL OF MEDIA—ESPECIALLY RADIO—HURTS DEMOCRACY

By guest columnist Jennifer Douglas, Save KLSD film writer/co-producer

December 17, 2012 (San Diego)--As we celebrate the holidays and ring out 2012, it’s also time to pay attention what is happening right now with ownership of the mass media. Sad to say, the mood is more Scrooge-like than reflecting the spirit of Santa or Jesus. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is about to deregulate the media--and San Diego’s very own media mogul, U-T owner/developer Doug Manchester, may buy-up even more media outlets.


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MEDIA WATCHDOG: IS THE U-T’S PURCHASE OF NORTH COUNTY TIMES AN UNHOLY ALLIANCE?

Merger highlights the decline of independent media

By Miriam Raftery, Editor, East County Magazine

September 19, 2012 (San Diego)—The U-T San Diego’s purchase of the North County Times for $11.95 million dollars has sent shudders across the journalism community locally and nationally.  The deal also includes acquisition of the Californian in Riverside County(no relation to the East County Californian), which was owned by North County Times. 

Demise of one of San Diego’s largest independent media outlets highlights two growing problems: fewer voices controlling the media due to consolidation and a decline in quality including slashing investigative/watchdog reporting and abandoning journalistic standards—most importantly, impartiality.


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MEDIA WATCHDOG GROUP WARNS OF “SMALL BUSINESS BALONEY”, SAYS MEDIA FAILED TO FACT-CHECK GOP TAX CLAIMS

 
July 14, 2012 (New York)-- Barack Obama's July 9 announcement that he would extend the Bush tax cuts for income below $250,000 prompted Republican politicians and presidential candidate Mitt Romney to claim the policy is a tax increase on small businesses."

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REVAMPING THE RADIO DIAL: MORE LOCAL PROGRAMMING ON THE HORIZON

San Diego Community Radio Project also gets set to launch from Descanso; seeks funds and volunteers
 
By Miriam Raftery
 
April 21, 2012 (San Diego’s East County) –“Every once in a while, government does something that is not only good news, but refreshing,” local author and former public radio producer Walter Carlin said of last month’s decision by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to open the airwaves up for community radio stations, rather than reserving that space for mega-networks with concentrated ownership and opinion-shaping power.
 
The decision, however, presents a new challenge, Carlin notes. “Can and will local radio respond?”

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MEDIA WATCHDOG: UNION TRIBUTE SALE RAISES MEDIA ETHICS CONCERNS


By Miriam Raftery
 
November 20, 2011 (San Diego) –Media reform and citizens’ groups have voiced concern over purchase of the San Diego Union-Tribune, a self-proclaimed “watchdog”, by a team led by real estate developer and political activist Doug Manchester. His major pending development projects are the very sorts of deals an independent media outlet would ordinarily report on and investigate.
 


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MEDIA WATCH: 2 WARS END, UNION-TRIBUNE DOESN’T THINK YOU NEED TO KNOW

By Miriam Raftery

October 25, 2011 (San Diego) – On the morning of October 21, President Barack Obama announced that he is ending the Iraq War and bringing home all of our troops by year’s end. That afternoon, NATO announced an end to operations in Libya, ending two wars in one day in which the U.S. led military efforts.

So why wasn’t this headline news at the San Diego Union-Tribune’s online edition?
 
 

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MEDIA WATCH: MURDOCH HACKING SCANDAL REACHES U.S.—ASK CONGRESS TO HOLD HEARINGS

By Matt Butler

President and CEO, Media Matters for America 
 
July 12, 2011 (San Diego) --The charges against Rupert Murdoch's British newspaper, News of the World, have gotten so bad in recent days that people are being arrested and the entire newspaper was shut down. The Murdoch-owned tabloid, already under fire for allegedly hacking thousands of people's phones, reportedly hacked into the voicemail of murdered teenager Milly Dowler, potentially impeding a police investigation and giving her family false hope by deleting voicemails. Reports have also emerged of News of the World allegedly hacking the phones of families of fallen soldiers and the father of a victim of a July 2005 terrorist bombing.
 
And why should we care about what's happening over there?
 
 
 

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MEDIA WATCH: CRITICS OF COMCAST-NBC MERGER EXPECT WIDESPREAD CONSUMER FRUSTRATION IF MERGER IS APPROVED


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MEDIA WATCH: THE REALITIES OF OUR TOXIC FOOD & MEDIA INDUSTRY

 

Over 81% of corn in America is genetically modified--and can cause organ damage in mammals, a shocking new scientific study shows. So why hasn't our media sounded the alarm? 
 

By: Mera Szendro Bok

 


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FIX THE MEDIA! MEDIA POLICY REFORM PANEL IN SD SEPT. 26

 

Media Reform Panel at San Diego Grassroots Democratic Convention Saturday 

September 24, 2009 San Diego)-- The topics of, “Why do cities like San Diego have five or six talk radio stations with conservative viewpoints, but no progressive talk radio?” and “What can we do about it?” will be discussed by a panel of experts at the San Diego Grassroots Democratic Convention on Sept. 26 at 2:00-3:15pm at the Liberty Station Event Center (2875 Dewey Road) in Point Loma.

 

San Diego City Council member(and former Channel 10 journalist Marti Emerald will be joined by TV/radio host Bree Walker and Brad Friedman of bradblog.com. Mike Thaller, Director of the San Diego County Democratic Party Media Relations committee and Chair of Campaign for Progressive Radio (CPR) will be the moderator.


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MEDIA WATCH: 2 NEW STATIONS TO AIR PROGRESSIVE TALK AND COMMUNITY PROGRAMMING IN EAST COUNTY

Plus popular East County liberal and conservative talk show hosts return to airways in resurgence of localism


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MEDIA WATCH: DEMISE OF NEWSPAPERS, INCREASED MEDIA CONSOLIDATION THREATEN DEMOCRACY, WARN MEDIA EXPERTS AT LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS EVENT

By Miriam Raftery

Media Watch“If we don't find a way to save investigative journalism, our democracy will not only suffer, it will die." - Jeanne Brown, vice president, San Diego League of Women Voters

“The good news is the rise of online, nonprofit journalism organizations like East County Magazine.” – J.W. August, managing editor, Channel 10 News

“We believe the Internet has broad ability to improve democracy.” –Jon Bartholomew, associate director of media reform, Common Cause

April 1, 2009 (San Diego)—The demise of major newspapers and consolidation of broadcast media threatens the future of a free press and puts the public’s right to know at risk, speakers warned at a League of Women Voters luncheon held in San Diego on March 19th.


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MEDIA WATCH: LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS AND COMMON CAUSE SCRUTINIZE "MEDIA AND DEMOCRACY" MARCH 19

March 1, 2009 (San Diego)--Channel 10 News Director J.W. August joins Jon Bartholomew of Common Cause on Thursday, March 19 from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at Tom Ham's Restaurant, 2150 Harbor Island Drive, to discuss the quality of today's media. Following the buffet served at 11:30 a.m., Mr. August and Mr. Bartholomew will look at reasons for declines in freedom of the press in the United States, and then open the discussion to questions from the audience. "

 


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Support community news in the public interest! As nonprofit news, we rely on donations from the public to fund our reporting -- not special interests. Please donate to sustain East County Magazine's local reporting and/or wildfire alerts at https://www.eastcountymedia.org/donate to help us keep people safe and informed across our region.

MEDIA WATCH - OBAMA APPOINTS JULIUS GENACHOWSKI AS FCC CHAIRMAN

By Miriam Raftery

Media WatchJanuary 14, 2009 (Washington D.C) — President-elect Barack Obama plans to
appoint Julius Genachowski, a key technology advisor and top fundraiser for
his campaign, to be the next chairman of the Federal Communications Commission,
Associated Press has reported.


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MEDIA WATCH - PRESIDENTIAL DEBATES: HOW TO SEPARATE SPIN FROM FACTS

By Miriam Raftery

Media WatchOctober 1, 2008 (San Diego's East County) -Sorting
out truth from fiction in political races is challenging.   If
you didn’t watch the first presidential debate, for example, you might
get a radically different perspective on how the candidates fared if you’re
listening to a right-wing or left-wing media commentator—or the campaigns
themselves. (If you missed it, you can view a video of the full debate, narrated
by Jim Lehrer of PBS, on YouTube.


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MEDIA WATCH: PRESIDENTIAL AND LOCAL CANDIDATES TAKE STANCES ON NET NEUTRALITY, INTERNET PRIVACY ISSUES

By Miriam Raftery

Media WatchShould Google be allowed to control over 90 percent of Internet searches?

Assemblyman Joel Anderson (R-El Cajon), says no.   He has sent a letter to California Attorney General Jerry Brown asking for an investigation into privacy implications of Yahoo’s search-advertising deal with Google.  The U.S. Justice Department is also scrutinizing the proposed transaction.


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