On Oct. 6, Florida PIRG and the Florida Media Project hosted Florida’s very first media reform conference at the New College of Florida campus in Sarasota.
Florida PIRG believes that a free and vibrant media, full of diverse and competing voices, is the lifeblood of America’s democracy and culture, as well as an engine of growth for its economy. Florida PIRG helped organize the conference and spearheaded a new coalition to fight against powerful special interests intent on consolidating media ownership and ending Internet freedom.
“In April, we saw hundreds of Floridians at an FCC hearing on media ownership describe how dissatisfied they were with the mainstream media,” said Florida PIRG Consumer Advocate Brad Ashwell. “The Sarasota conference was a way to connect with those who care about the future of the media and a chance to look at ways we can all work together.”
At the event, Florida PIRG and the Tampa Bay Community Network (TBCN) announced plans to create a new state-based media reform coalition that will work to educate the public about a wide range of media and telecommunications issues.
Media watchers, journalists, attorneys, activists and alternative-media producers from across the state met for a full day of presentations, panels and dialogues on media reform as it affects Floridians.
“This was the first such event for Florida,” explained Mark Kmetzko, Director of the Florida Media Project.
Media Bill Of Rights
Those who attended the Sarasota Media Reform conference received the Florida PIRG-backed Media Bill of Rights, a milestone in the media reform movement that presents a positive and unified vision for competitive, diverse and independent media to better serve our nation’s democracy and culture, today and tomorrow. (Download a .pdf of the Bill.)
The Media Bill of Rights would entitle Floridians to, among other things, Internet service from multiple, independent providers who compete vigorously, public broadcasting that is well-funded, and television and radio stations that are locally owned and operated.
Members of the new Florida media reform coalition will join a broad national coalition of consumer, public interest, media reform, organized labor and other groups representing millions of Americans, by agreeing to support and endorse the Media Bill of Rights.
