January 17th Edition of SJTV

This week's Edition of Social Justice is all about Election Fraud Past and Present. We'll be seeing video clips from BlackBoxVoting.org and excerpts from the HBO Docmentary "Hacking Democracy
If you thought that problems from the 2000 elections were a thing of the past think again. If you wan your vote to be counted in 2008 you are going to have to demand it and fight for your vote.



DEMANDING AN END TO TORTURE
Also Declare It! from World Can't Wait.org. Declare yourself against torture and demand the shut down of U.S. Military Concentration camp in Guantanamo Bay Cuba.

January 10th Edition of SJTV

In a remarkable example of arrogance and disregard for the democratic process in media, FCC Chairman Kevin Martin decided to move forward changing existing rules which banned cross ownership 0f media outlets. Despite massive public outcry against this change and requests from a a congressional committee to delay the decision until the matter can be studied further Martin officially changed the rules on December 18th 2007.

What this means for you and me is that one of a few large companies can now own own newspapers, radio, tv and other media outlets in any given region and across the country thereby controlling ALL the news and information you and I have access to.

On the January 10th edition of Social Justice Television we will view two videos the first of which is a video how to guide from www.freepress.net on organizing Media Reform and why it's important. Check out their website for lots of good info and ways you can become active.

The Second video is a report from Bill Moyers Journal and gives a good account of what has occurred on this issues to date.



Two other good online resources to learn more about media reform are

http://www.stopbigmedia.com

What's So Bad about Big Media?

• Big Media fail local communities. Big Media companies get a sweet deal from the government. They get to use the public airwaves � for free � to make billions in profits. In exchange for this government handout, broadcasters are supposed to serve the public by offering quality programs that meet the needs of local communities. Instead, Big Media companies gut local newsrooms and ignore local issues.

• Big Media ignore diversity. Big Media have limited ownership opportunities for women and people of color, pushing them off the public airwaves and stifling vital voices. Coverage of issues that matter to people of color, women, the middle and working class, and rural communities has disappeared. The result? Media that fail to represent our nation's diversity.

• Big Media are bad for democracy. Democracy can't exist without an informed public. We rely on unbiased news from independent sources to stay informed and to hold our government accountable. But media consolidation means fewer sources of news, opinion and information. Instead of hard-hitting critical journalism, Big Media give us a junk diet of celebrity gossip and sensationalism.

http://www.reclaimthemedia.org/

Washington State pushes ahead to reverse FCC decision

Washington State Congressmen Jay Inslee and Dave Reichert have introduced legislation that will counteract the FCC's decision to allow further consolidation of media companies. The Media Ownership Act would retroactively prevent the FCC’s rushed decision from becoming law by requiring more time for public comment. In the Senate, Senator Maria Cantwell is cosponsoring a similar bill.

Take action to urge your elected officials to reverse the FCC!

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