Media for Democracy 2004

[OneBlueSky]

http://www.mediafordemocracy.us/mfd/homepage.html

Media For Democracy 2004 is a non-partisan citizens' initiative to monitor mainstream news coverage of the 2004 elections and advocate fair, democratic and issue-oriented standards of reporting. The project links voters with more than 100 independent media reform groups in a targeted campaign to prevent the types of media mistakes -- such as early, erroneous and politically biased projections -- that plagued the 2000 election.

The Problem

Mainstream media have gone AWOL in their duty to serve the public interest this election year. Americans rely on news outlets to guide civic participation -- by educating citizens on the democratic process, covering the issues that matter to us most and profiling all the candidates on the ballot. But election coverage has diminished in the last 20 years. And the reporting that does occur tends to ignore issues in favor of political caricatures and the "horse race."

How You Can Help

No citizen can count on all news organizations to act ethically in reporting the news and putting the interests of our democracy ahead of their own. We, however, can organize to encourage media executives to better fulfill their professional obligation to serve the public. Media for Democracy mobilizes citizens in an initiative to hold big media to standards for coverage that ensure voter education, airtime for diverse political perspectives and greater coverage of the issues that matter most to Americans.

Each week, Media for Democracy members receive Action Alerts – breaking news and analysis of mainstream media election coverage. These Alerts provide citizens with the means to put news executives on notice when their reporting strays from our standards for media coverage of democratic elections.

We will continue to mobilize a constituency of people across the political spectrum who will stand with Media for Democracy – and its more than 100 independent media affiliates – in the fight for media that is more diverse, accountable and democratic.

http://www.mediafordemocracy.us/mfd/homepage.html

[Meritaten1]

1. Thanks, great post!

This is such an important issue.