Future of News
Foster diverse local media — not bigger broadcasting conglomerates.
When giant out-of-touch corporations own the news, local stories — especially those of people of color and other marginalized communities — go untold. The public needs access to diverse news sources that are locally controlled and reflective of community histories, not the cookie-cutter content and racist propaganda that pollutes our airwaves.
In a digital world, broadcast news may feel like a relic of the past — but it’s still the public’s primary source for local news, and is especially critical to low-income communities and people of color who can’t afford internet access. It’s time to turn the tide on waves of massive broadcast consolidation that have left these communities without real choices.
Starting points:
Support legislation to restrict broadcast-media consolidation — for example, by limiting broadcasters to owning just one television station per local market and reaching only 15% of the national audience.
Support legislation to promote media-ownership diversity — for example, by offering tax credits for station sales to women and people of color.
Support legislation to force all deregulatory media decisions to include an analysis of how they will impact women and people of color, and to forbid deregulation that harms women and people of color.
Appoint FCC commissioners who are committed to fulfilling the agency’s obligation to promote media diversity and ownership by women and people of color.