Strategically Communicating

So, the plot thickens, and McChesney ends his book on a somewhat positive note. Talk of a groundswell of support for media reform is indeed encouraging. However, I’m not sure that I agree with McChesney’s tactics. In the long run, I believe that legislative action should be taken to level the playing field in the media business, but I don’t think that legislative action can be the first step.

Our political climate is one of gridlock and corporate influence. What motivation do politicians have to see the corporations that fund their campaigns suffer? Even if the matter made it to Capitol Hill, how could we expect a decision against corporate interests to be passed? I believe that any progress made in this battle will be the result of changes in consumer preferences. Media studies should be a part of our educational system. My hope is that when people are encouraged to make educated decisions about the media they consume, media that serves corporate interests will lose credibility.

Does media literacy education have the power to change our current media environment?

How can we expect politicians to bite the hand that feeds them?

I’m glad to be done with McCesney in the sense that it will be one less reading to do.  However the reading was eye-opening.  I have to say that when it comes to social issues, I have always been one of those people that is on the outside looking in.  I have had the attitude that I don’t want to stand in the rain and I’m glad that someone else is being active.  I cheer them on.  I don’t believe I’m alone in this.  MeChesney at least has stirred something in me to be more active.

On page 499 McChesney states that “the battle over media is about whether people or corporations, public interest or private profit, should rule the realm of communication.”  If there is a buck to be made, corporate is going to try to seize control.  I don’t believe people want corporate to rule the media.  People don’t act because ‘who has time?’  After a long day of working , who wants to load themselves with more issues or work?  I believe that more people care than I think.  Unfortunately, because we sit back and let others do the work that’s where corporations gain the power because we are fighting money with people.   People should win every time if they have the supportive numbers however we don’t all show up.  Corporations always show up with their dollars.  That’s why they are able to influence our policymakers before we do.  People are more reactive than proactive.  We are always working to undo what corporations have done instead of staying in front of them.

This is why I am at least moved to be a little more proactive in supporting causes I believe in.

Discussion questions:

1.  What get’s you to act?
2. Do you believe things are changing for the better?
3. What do you think would happen if say for example the ‘occupy’ movement continued to grow in mass numbers?   Will change happen?

McChesney makes compelling points about the dangers of media deregulation (chapter 19) and the importance of loosening the corporate media stranglehold on information and public discourse. Indeed, the “corporate media explosion” that has hastened “the implosion of public life” (chapter 20) is both increasingly evident and entrenched.

Unfortunately, it’s exceedingly difficult to close that regulatory barn door after the horses are already out. McChesney was grim when he wrote the book a few years ago. Nowadays, I suspect he’s popping blood-pressure medication ad nauseum given the trench warfare of contemporary U.S. politics.

Consider how politically difficult it’s been to place increased regulations on financial institutions even though the free-wheeling sins of the financial industry are almost universally regarded  as being a primary cause of the current economic morass.

To initiate a regulatory overhaul of media and telecommunications is a non-starter for the foreseeable future even though I’d agree that there’s an increased distrust of corporate media (chapter 22) across ideological lines.

While I support McChesney’s “Case for U.S. Public Broadcasting” in chapter 21, the prospect of increasing assistance for public broadcasting through legislative means is a dead-end street in this political environment. Conservative ideologues are particularly hell-bent on eroding the already rickety public broadcasting system as it exists.

At the risk of sounding naïve, the best bet for preserving non-partisan media outlets at this juncture is through grassroots measures like social activism, social media and direct philanthropic support. The pledge lines are open.

Discussion questions: 

Juxtaposed against the widespread success of conservative talk radio, why do you think the liberal counterpoint—Air America—was such a failure?

Given the current political climate, which do you think is more likely: increased regulation of corporate media or even further deregulation of those same companies?

McChesney discusses the antitrust case against Microsoft. On what grounds could you argue that a media conglomerate like News Corporation is in violation of antitrust laws?

In chapter 21, McChesney (2008) makes a robust argument that our country needs a stronger nonprofit and noncommercial public media sector. After several weeks of what seems like living in the mind of McChesney, I could not help myself from wanting to move from talking about it to doing something about it. So, I went to the Internet and discovered various online advocacy efforts. In the past, I would not have normally gotten involved in these types of efforts. Nonetheless, after reading McChesney, I am compelled to take action. I chose to get involved by starting with two current efforts described below. Engagement, after all, is at the core of democracy and media reform in our county.

 Free Press “Save the Internet” Campaign

This campaign focuses on protecting Internet freedom and Net Neutrality from the big phone and cable companies who want to be Internet gatekeepers. The campaign encourages people to sign the SavetheInternet.com petition and tell Congress to pass Net Neutrality legislation. I was compelled to sign the petition and join their Facebook following to stay informed. For more information, visit http://www.savetheinternet.com/.

 170 Million Americans for Public Broadcasting Campaign

This project represents a collaboration of public radio and television stations, national organizations, producers, viewers and listeners throughout the country in favor of a strong public media in the United States. Campaign efforts encourage people to sign up to receive action alerts from the campaign in order to stay informed about local developments on federal and state funding for public broadcasting. Subscribers are asked to contact their elected representatives and encourage them to support funding for public broadcasting. For more information, visit http://170millionamericans.org/take-action.

 Class discussion questions:

• How do individuals discern which campaigns to get involved with?
• How do advocacy groups effectively engage with their audience, especially with those who would not normally consider getting involved?
• How do campaigns seek collaborative approaches in order to cut down on competing efforts?

As I finished McChesney this week I was pleasantly reminded that a few good people sticking to what their experience, the lessons of history, and instincts tell while making connection with others in all size forums can make real change. Not to mention preventing colossal errors in public policy with irreversible consequences stretching generations into the future. Copps and Adelstein worked to provide forums where the public could both learn about the intended FCC changes and voice their thoughts on the matter. 2.3 million comments and many forums later the changes were overturned as the voice of the public was heard on an issue many in governments previously thought no one really cared about or understood.

I would argue that the issues of media power via ownership, diversity of views, relevance to community and the dangers of continued media consolidation are understood on both and instinctual and experiential level by people. One only has to look around one’s home, out in the street, or at other mass transit commuters to understand the power that media and by extension its owners have in society. Therefore even if one does not understand every point made, or have time to read every word published, we know the media is not doing all we want or need it too. We also know we don’t see a lot or any of ourselves and our experiences in the media. This fight against media conglomeration is far from over and will, no doubt reappear in many forms to come.

Questions For Discussion:

The question is will we, the public, be able and willing to continue the fight in the long haul as more real day-to-day survival problems stay in the forefront worries?

McChesney suggests that a reform of media really comes down to a “battle over whether people or corporations, public interest or private profit, should rule the realm of communication”.  He goes on to say that this will ultimately lead to a “direct confrontation with capital”.  And finally something hopeful- “by blasting open the media it will make it possible for progressive media to have a chance to succeed and contribute to generating a stronger and more vibrant political culture, which likely will mean a rejuvenated Left.”  

Having seen “Miss Representation” on Friday night (which is a must see for those of you in this class), I’m compelled to act more than ever.  McChesney says, “The strength of the corporate status quo was not that it was so popular or democratic, but, rather, that it cultivated the notion that there was no alternative to the status quo”.  The media objectify the female body and very often reduce powerful women to nothing more than sex objects because they “think” that is what we want and care about?  And “we” accept it as “status quo”, but how do we make it clear that we don’t just not care about that but that it is unacceptable and that we won’t stand for it?  The film suggests boycotting films that objectify women and using our purchasing power to deliver the message that this isn’t okay.  Educators and politicians also need to be encouraged to teach media awareness and to regulate the media.  Slowly reform will come.  The status quo is clearly no longer acceptable to many many Americans.  I believe that a paradigm shift is happening and that it is only a matter of time.  I am hopeful.

Discussion Questions:

What do you think McChesney means by a “rejuvenated Left”?

Do you believe things are changing?  Do you see positive trends?