As you probably don't know (since no one knows), the FCC is going to reconsider some of its rules next month. Right now, they are only listen to the big media conglomerates, not because the FCC is corrupt, but because the conglomerates are the only ones talking. As a result, they will likely change the rules preventing high degrees of media concentration with the result that TV media will become highly concentrated in a few companies. The rules prevent companies from owning too much stake in a market or from buying up too many other companies.
This is a bad thing. This will put the control of entertainment and news programming in the hands of a few. Diversity is a good thing. Media concentration is not diverse.
If you wish to have your government work for you instead of business interests, take a few minutes to go to the Media Reform site for some info about why media concentration is a bad thing and what you can do about it. Don't just send email though, but print out the letter and sign, stamp,and send it. Paper mail gets much more attention. Give them a phone call if you have time to burn.
I'm not being paranoid, just pragmatic here. I'm not coming at this issue from a "corporations are evil" or "the government is corrupt" perspective either. Corporations are self-interested and I can't blame them for that. I can fight them and be disgusted with them for that, but its only natural to be self-interested. And the government just does what its told; if the corporations are the only ones who make their voices heard, their opinions shape policy.
Make your opinion heard. This really is an important issue that really will affect your life. You can make a difference.
If you are interested in other ways the government and corporations are shaping the world we live in, check out the Electronic Frontier Foundation. These are the people that successfully defended the P2P networks from corporate assault. Good people. They have an EFF Action page if you want to get involved. Electronic Privacy Information Center is another good place to find out how technology, business, and government are changing our lifes, mostly by restricting what we can do with information.
Posted by Nutrimentia at May 7, 2003 02:53 PM | TrackBack