CHICAGO MEDIA ACTION ELECTRONIC NEWSLETTER: September 1, 2003 http://www.chicagomediaaction.org (1) ANNOUNCEMENT: TWO SEPTEMBER EVENTS Join Chicago Media Action for two September events. * Join us Thursday, September 4, 2003, 5pm-6pm, Tribune Plaza, 435 N. Michigan Ave., downtown Chicago. Chicago Media Action is joining with the Independent Press Association and the Chicago Chapter of the National Organization for Women in an event/rally to help Reclaim the FCC. September 4 is the date that the FCC deregulation ruling of June 2 goes into effect, and this event is one of a number of coordinated national events on September 4. For more information, please visit: http://www.chicagomediaaction.org/index.php?link=reclaim_the_fcc * Join us Thursday, September 11, 2003, 5:30pm, at the Chicago Temple of the First United Methodist Church, 77 W. Washington. CMA will be presenting the film "Aftermath: Unanswered Questions from 9/11" by the Guerrilla News Network, with a public discussion afterwards. (At least 15 other venues across the U.S. will also be showing Aftermath on 9/11.) Snacks will be provided. The event will be hosted by Chicago radio personality Cliff Kelley. For more information, please visit: http://www.chicagomediaaction.org/index.php?link=aftermath In addition, Chicago Media Action is also co-sponsoring (with Chicago Filmmakers) five other films during the Fall 2003 Chicago Filmmakers season. You can learn more about the films at: http://www.chicagofilmmakers.org/navkino.htm (2) WHAT'S HAPPENING IN MEDIA POLITICS? Congress had its August recess, and will geared up for a renewed struggle on media issues in September. To follow the happenings on Capitol hill and media issues more generally, check out these resources courtesy Free Press: http://www.mediareform.net/washington.php http://www.mediareform.net/newscenter.php The Free Press newsfeed is syndicated to the Chicago Media Action newsportal: http://www.chicagomediaaction.org/index.php?link=newsportal (3) WHAT'S HAPPENED LAST MONTH WITH CMA? CMA co-sponsored (with Not In Our Name and Chicago Filmmakers) two public screenings of "Afghan Massacre: Convoy of Death." The showings were successful; more than 130 people came to both screenings in Skokie and in downtown Chicago. CMA also submitted an op-ed and a letter to the Chicago Tribune; the op-ed was in response to a Tribune editorial decrying the media democracy movement, and the letter was in an expose of WTTW in the Chicago Tribune magzine. CMA did get an op-ed published in the online edition of the Chicago Maroon (the main newspaper of the University of Chicago). You can read all of the CMA happenings on CMA's blog archive for August: http://www.chicagomediaaction.org/index.php?link=archive (4) MEDIA FACTOID OF THE MONTH From the September 2003 Harper's Index: Number of females on the American Film Institute's list of the 50 greatest movie villains of all time, aliens included: 15. Number of females on its list of the 50 greatest movie heroes, Lassie included: 7. (5) MEDIA QUOTE OF THE MONTH "I wonder how many fine, inspiring ideas in every walk of life are strangled in the womb of the imagination because there's no way past the gates of commerce?" -- Frank Pierson, president of the Academy of Motion Pictures and Sciences, screenwriter for the films Cool Hand Luke and Dog Day Afternoon, in a commencement address to the 2003 USC film school (6) MORE ANNOUNCEMENTS TELL WASHINGTON: GET THE WTO OUT OF OUR MEDIA This September at the World Trade Organization (WTO) meeting in Cancun, Mexico, the US Trade Representative will attempt to expand the WTO's power over Communications and Audiovisual Services. This includes film, radio, television, video, and music production, as well as media distribution services such as satellite, cable and broadcast. The result could spell disaster for vibrant media systems worldwide. If this occurs, US regulations that favor media diversity, localism and the public interest could be attacked as "barriers to trade." Media ownership limits, as well as Federal and state programs that encourage diverse media, could be considered outright trade violations. Please visit http://www.mediareform.net/global and sign the petition there. CONTACT SENATOR FITZGERALD ON LPFM! The Senate Commerce Committee (Fitzgerald is a member) is planning to hold a hearing on low power radio sometime this fall - probably September or October. Tell him how important community radio and LPFM is to you and why. Make sure he knows a new FCC engineering study proves low power stations do not interfere with existing broadcasters. Above all, tell him he needs to give the FCC authority to restore the LPFM service to its original mandate. For a sample letter, go to www.prometheusradio.org/free_letter.shtml. Send to The Honorable Peter Fitzgerald, United States Senate, 555 Dirksen Senate Office Building, Washington D.C., 20510 MEDIA REFORM CONFERENCE SCHOLARSHIPS AVAILABLE: DEADLINE 9/15/2003 Scholarships are available for the National Conference on Media Reform, November 7-9, in Madison, WI. Please pass along to anyone who you think is considering attending, but has hesitated due to insufficient funds. The application deadline is September 15. To apply, register, or learn more, visit www.mediareform.net. Labor activists, youths, people of color, LGBT, and grassroots activists are encouraged to apply. Be sure to save the date: October 17, 2003, which will be International Media Democracy Day; our plans for this date are still in formation, but look for an announcement. Chicago Media Action holds twice-monthly meetings on the 2nd and 4th Tuesday of the month. CMA's next meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, September 9, 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