CHICAGO MEDIA ACTION ELECTRONIC NEWSLETTER: November 1, 2003 http://www.chicagomediaaction.org (1) ANNOUNCEMENTS: EVENTS IN NOVEMBER Chicago Media Action is joining with Neighbors for Peace to co-present a rescreening of "Aftermath: Unanswered Questions from 9/11" by the Guerrilla News Network. The rescreening will be held November 23, 2003, in the Evanston Public Library media room, starting at 2pm. For more details about the film, please visit: http://www.gnn.tv/after_math CMA is also co-presenting another film with Chicago Filmmakers. The film is Baghdad On/Off, and will be presented at 8pm on November 1 and 2, 2003, at Chicago Filmmakers (5243 N. Clark, 2nd Floor). For more details about the film, please visit: http://www.chicagofilmmakers.org/navkino.htm And November 2003 will bring the National Conference on Media Reform in Madison, Wisconsin. The last day to register online is November 3 at 12pm Eastern time. For more details about the conference, please visit: http://www.mediareform.net/conference.php (2) WHAT'S HAPPENING IN MEDIA POLITICS? The effort to legislatviely reverse the FCC's deregulation ruling has hit a snag. The Resolution of Disapproval is the parliamentary procedure currently in play in Congress which would override the FCC's deregulation efforts. The Resolution passed the Senate in October and is awaiting a vote in the House. But the pro-deregulatory leadership in the House (led by Illinois' very own Dennis Hastert) has so far refused to the let the Resolution onto the House floor for a debate and a vote. And for good reason: there's a very real possibility it might pass. However, some 200 House representatives (so far) have signed a letter asking the leadership to stop the sandbagging and let the Resolution onto the floor. Stay tuned. (3) WHAT'S HAPPENED LAST MONTH WITH CMA? Another busy month for CMA. On October 16, CMA organized an event--"Racial Stereotypes in Media: How Do They Harm Us? What Can We Do?". The event, held on the evening October 16, 2003 at the First United Methodist Church at Chicago Temple, included a panel, two short films, a keynote speech, and audience participation. For more details, please visit: http://www.chicagomediaaction.org/index.php?link=2003-10-16_forum October 17 was International Media Democracy Day, on which members of CMA also attended and helped organize the kickoff of the Labor Media Conference, which saw a panel discussion, audience participation, and a day of technical skills training. Chicago cable television viewers can watch the October 17 panel and audience on CAN-TV, channel 21, on Sunday, November 2 at 12 Noon. The keynote presentation of the Saturday workshops by Fred Glass can be viewed on channel 21, on Sunday, November 9, at 11:30 AM. (These CAN-TV presentations are CAN-TV productions.) CMA is actively renewing its efforts to improve Chicago's main public television station (WTTW). CMA has sent an open letter to WTTW's board chairman, Sandra Guthman, with four demands: (1) Fire WTTW CEO Dan Schmidt. (2) Call for a government audit of WTTW's badly-mismanaged funds. (3) Implement a regular series of monthly town halls and documentaries, organized by and for the diverse community of Chicago's citizens. (4) Work with an independent commission to establish: [a] new programs for underserved communities, [b] a funding trust to free content from funding restrictions, and [c] public elections for the Board of Trustees. Look for more on this soon, including how you can participate. CMA also launched its first Rapid Response campaign. It utilized a webpage that, with the click of a button, would let users send an email response to a selected decisionmaker. The first campaign was on behalf of Chicago activist Grant Newburger, who faced charges for participating in the March 20, 2003 antiwar protests in downtown Chicago. The campaign saw nearly 140 emails sent to the State's Attorney's office. That, in concert with a lot of other activist support and lobbying, helped with a successful effort. On October 14, the case against Grant was dismissed. (4) MEDIA FACTOID OF THE MONTH The 1982 book "Breaking The TV Habit" by Joan Anderson Wilkins noted (pg. 59) that in Littleton, Colorado, the Littleton school committee distributed the "Kid Vid Guide", advising parents on how to choose programs and setting specific time limits to TV viewing. Littleton was the locale of the 1999 Columbine high school massacre which saw the killings of thirteen people. (5) MEDIA QUOTE OF THE MONTH "Ignorance only works to further the goals of the powerful." -- Sut Jhally, at a talk given at Northampton, Massachusetts, May 1, 2002 (6) THIS MONTH'S RECOMMENDED WEBSITE http://www.diymedia.net DIYmedia.net is a news and information resource for do-it-yourself media efforts. And you haven't lived until you check out the links under Media Collage. (7) MORE ANNOUNCEMENTS On November 9, political satirist Dave Lippman (a.k.a. George Shrub, the singing CIA agent) comes to Chicago for a benefit for the Chicago Coalition Against War and Racism and the National Lawyers' Guild. Sunday, November 9, from 2pm to 5pm at the Hothouse, 31 East Balbo in downtown Chicago. $10 suggested donation. Chicago Media Action holds twice-monthly meetings on the 2nd and 4th Tuesday of each month. CMA's next meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, November 11, at 6:30pm at the Chicago Newspaper Guild in downtown Chicago (36 S. Wabash, Suite 1400, near the Monroe Red Line station). All are invited. *** *** *** *** *** *** *** This is the monthly electronic newsletter of Chicago Media Action, a Chicago activist group devoted to media issues. Chicago Media Action, P.O. Box 14140, Chicago IL 60614-0140 Call toll-free 1-866-260-7198 Web: www.chicagomediaaction.org E-Mail: cma@chicagomediaaction.org To unsubscribe from this mailing list, simply send an email requesting removal to mailinglist@chicagomediaaction.org