The people formerly known as the audience voice their protest at further media consolidation in the US

Last week's FCC hearing in Los Angels was an extraordinary moment in U.S. media history. People came out in overwhelming numbers to tell the Federal Communications Commission that Americans want to turn back the tide of media consolidation.

Nearly 1,000 people packed auditoriums in downtown L.A. and El Segundo; and all but one of the more than 75 people who came forward testified against further media consolidation. Over eight hours of testimony, artists, writers, producers, directors, actors, small business owners and local citizens told all five commissioners about the devastating impact of media consolidation.

Listen to the testimony

This followed news that the FCC had suppressed two studies that revealed the negative impact of media consolidation – including one that showed media concentration was disastrous for local news coverage.

In fact this is what was reported

Michael Powell’s tenure at the Federal Communications Commission was marked by his blatant disregard for the public. Despite overwhelming opposition to his plans to gut longstanding media ownership rules, Powell faithfully served the interest of the corporate media lobby.

Thus many of us weren't the least surprised to learn this week that the Powell Commission buried at least two taxpayer-funded studies that didn’t toe the official line that bigger media is better for us all.

And why is this battle so important? Because we are reposessing folk culture for the 21st Century

Henry Jenkins of Comparative Media studies at MIT believes

The emergence of modern mass media spelled the doom for the vital folk culture traditions that thrived in 19th Century America, the current moment of media change is reaffirming the right of the everyday people to actively contribute to their culture.

So the big question is - who does the media serve? Or in fact who should the media serve? We do seem to be in the Autumnal years of mass media, and industrialised notions of command and control.

And the idea that mass media "creates" culture as news, as entertainment etc., and we the people formely known as the audience consumed that, with no right to play a purposeful part in any of this is over

Media policies made in the public's name must not be made without the public's informed consent. That's why your active involvement is so important. The more all policies reflect public debate, the more likely the media system they shape will serve the people, not just powerful corporations.

via Digital Divide

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