Letters posted here are associated with the following article:

18
Letters
Monday, December 3, 2007 12:00 AM

FCC commissioner Michael Copps vs. "Big Media"

FCC chairman Kevin Martin wants to relax rules on how many media outlets one company can own in one market. Democratic commissioner Copps wants to rally the public to stop media consolidation.

The letters thread is now closed.

View:
Monday, December 3, 2007 05:23 AM

Taking the Easy Out

It's all too easy to say, "Let the dinosaur mainstream media die, because the Internet will save us all..." especially on a Web site like this one.

But the unfortunate fact is that here, we're the choir preaching to each other.

Those of us reading here live in an information-rich world, and I suspect that most of us have the intelligence and wit to tell the difference between the crapola and the chocolate.

But there aren't that many of us.

According to a 2007 report from the Pew Research Center For the People and the Press -- as reliable a source as can be found for subjects like this -- 71% of the American public still regularly get their news from local TV, 54% from a local daily paper, 46% from network evening newscasts, and only 25% from Internet sources like Google, Yahoo, etc.

You can read the report summary for yourself, here:

http://people-press.org/reports/display.php3?ReportID=319

I think the conclusion is inescapable that Copps is right on target. Mainstream media still have enormous power, and it behooves us all to continue to do everything we can to halt -- and even reverse -- consolidation.

Most Active Letters Threads

476

The crazy, irrational beliefs of Muslims

Tom Friedman explains the real problem: stupid Muslims think the U.S. is about war and aggression.
426

A key British official reminds us of the forgotten anthrax attack

A vast array of establishment and expert sources do not believe this episode was really resolved.
210

Is Obama's civil liberties record understandable?

Was it unreasonable to expect him to adhere to his commitments regarding the Constitution?
169

The face of rotted Washington

Evan Bayh demands more debt-financed war - fought by others - while boasting that he's a stern "deficit hawk."
111

How dare you criticize wasteful defense spending!

So you think it's only terrorist-appeasing lefties who are down on Pentagon profligacy? Think again

View all »

Letters Help

Currently in Salon