CHICAGO MEDIA ACTION NEWSLETTER: February 8, 2008 http://www.chicagomediaaction.org In this newsletter: * A Media Networking Party and an innovative retelling of a classic play * The formation of the Chicago Media Justice strategy sessions * Bush budget raises propaganda funding * Mysterious undersea cable cuts, internet outages likely not accidental * Sam Zell swears publicly at a journalist under his employ who questioned softening of news content (1) ANNOUNCEMENTS AND UPCOMING EVENTS * On February 9, CMA and members of the Metro Chicago Progressive Media Network will have a Media Networking Party. Meet with local progressive media makers, view videos from local groups, learn about and share information about media-related activities and brainstorm ideas for future actions. The party will be held Saturday, February 9, at the New World Resource Center, 1300 N. Western Avenue, in Chicago. For more information call 708/447-1547 or email walterb306@cs.com * Starting February 15, CMA is also co-sponsoring a multimedia presentation of the classic play "Oedipus the King" -- but in this performance, the chorus will be mass-media representatives of TV screens on stage. The play runs for four weeks at the Bailiwick Arts Center, 1229 W. Belmont, in Chicago, starting February 15. To learn more, go online to www.bigbropro.com; for tickets, call 773-883-1090 or visit www.bailiwick.org. If you'd like to pass out CMA literature at the play, contact cma@chicagomediaaction.org * Beyondmedia Education has announced the next Chicago Media Justice strategy session, scheduled for Tuesday, February 19, from 5:30pm to 7:30pm, at the Southwest Youth Collaborative, 6400 S. Kedzie, in Chicago. You're welcome to attend, but RSVP is requested; you can RSVP to jessi@beyondmedia.org or call 773-973-2280. * And the 2007 Chicago Media Action Holiday Singalong is part of the February 2007 episode of Chicago Independent Television: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p4MtS8Ld1KE * Chicago Youth Media Partners - The aim of this listserv is to facilitate networking and collaboration for Chicago Youth Media-related organizations and individuals. Organizations and individuals working on or interested in youth media are welcome to join the listserv and post messages to the group, add events to the calendar, and share relevant links on the 'links' page. Spread the word! http://groups.yahoo.com/group/youthmediapartners/ Videos - http://www.youtube.com/user/swyouthcollaborative (2) WHAT'S NEW IN MEDIA POLITICS? * More than Rhetoric Needed to Close Broadband Gap Bush Administration's Disputed Claims that High-Speed Internet Access is Universal and Affordable http://www.benton.org/node/8947 * On January 24, the FCC has also launched its auction of the 700 Megahertz spectrum -- a portion of the electromagnetic spectrum to be vacated next year by analog TV broadcasters and sold off for future cellphone,internet, and other potential digital use. Harold Feld at the Media Access Project broke the story that the auction appears rigged: http://www.wetmachine.com/totsf/item/1022 (3) OTHER MEDIA NEWS * Public Broadcasters Prepare to Fight Federal Budget Cuts Elizabeth Jensen - NYT - February 6, 2008 The new Bush budget calls for over 50% in cuts to public broadcasting. NPR CEO Ken Stern points out that “one of the shames” is that by focusing on restoring the budget, instead of adding new funds, attention is drawn away from how public broadcasting could do even more to serve its constituencies at a time of media upheaval. “That’s the conversation we should be having, and not just fighting off these paint-by-numbers cuts that the administration is proposing,” he said. http://tinyurl.com/37b9jq * U.S. propaganda board given 2.6% federal funding increase - http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/CA6530236.html?rssid=193 * Cable Cutting Mayhem: 5th Undersea Internet Cable Cut By Nathan Statz February 7, 2008: It began with two undersea telecommunications cables that served as data links between Europe and the Middle East being cut, but it’s now escalated with a further three undersea internet cables being cut, with major disruptions to internet services. http://www.idm.net.au/story.asp?id=9297 Related declassified U.S. document "Information Operations Road Map" - "We must fight the net...We must improve network and electromagnetic attack capability. To prevail in an information-centric fight it is increasingly important that our forces dominate the electromagnetic spectrum with attack capabilities." (see p6) http://www.gwu.edu/~nsarchiv/NSAEBB/NSAEBB177/info_ops_roadmap.pdf Overview - http://tinyurl.com/3au9kt * Chicago media activists - you are not alone! Decentralized local and regional efforts in support of media democracy, justice and reform are growing and blooming, with media summits and seminars planned in Los Angeles (March), Colorado (summer), Portland, OR (Feb.) and a number of other cities. Of further interest is the fact that a variety of public media issues are getting onto the agendas of these forums. It has been said that the best defense is a good offense... Here are notices from two recent events in Oakland - http://tinyurl.com/2n7rxg and San Diego - http://www.foundation4change.org/mjc.php (4) WEBSITE OF THE MONTH http://www.publicintegrity.org/WarCard/ The War Card is a newly-launched searchable database (set up by the Center for Public Integrity) of 935 false statements publicly made by George W. Bush and seven other top White House officials after September 11, 2001, about the threat posed by Saddam Hussein's Iraq. (5) QUOTE OF THE MONTH "Fuck you." -- Sam Zell, Chicago-area billionaire and newly-minted Tribune owner, at a meeting with staff at the Orlando Sentinel newspaper, to Orlando Sentinel photographer Sara Fajardo, who asked Zell about softening news coverage. To see the video online: http://gawker.com/5002815/exclusive-sam-zell-says-fuck-you-to-his-journalist (6) FACT OF THE MONTH France will probably pass legislation later this year that will eliminate advertising from its state-owned TV and radio channels. http://www.sharewatch.com/story.php?storynumber=164025 And on that hopeful note, until next month, we bid you adios! *** *** *** *** *** *** *** This is an email from Chicago Media Action, a Chicago activist group devoted to media issues. This newsletter is edited by Scott Sanders and Mitchell Szczepanczyk. Chicago Media Action, P.O. Box 14140, Chicago IL 60614-0140 Call toll-free: 1-866-260-7198 Web: http://www.chicagomediaaction.org E-mail: cma@chicagomediaaction.org