Protect public TV from political infiltration.

US Hate Radio Sounds a Rwandan Echo
For observers familiar with the rhetoric that dominated Balkan and Rwandan airwaves during the hate and war crimes in those two regions, the strident, accusatory language of America's talk show hosts sounds a troubling echo.
  Demand an apology from Limbaugh and Savage.

Sinclair's Own 'Agenda'
Behind Nightline Snub
Sinclair Broadcast Group ordered its ABC affiliates to pre-empt the Nightline broadcast, saying that by reading the names of US dead in Iraq, ABC is "motivated by a political agenda." The only "political agenda" in play is that of Sinclair executives who have funneled 98 percent of their political contributions this year to the GOP.
  Tell Sinclair that censorship is no solution.

Stake Your Claim to the Airwaves
The FCC is on the verge of giving billions of dollars' worth of your public airwaves to large media conglomerates. It's time to demand something in return.
  Tell the FCC To Take the Public Interest Seriously

Demand Truth in Political Advertising
Voters can't always rely upon political attack ads to tell them the truth. Unfortunately, television news programs -- often trusted to sort political fact from fiction -- have not taken well to the role of fact-checkers.
  Tell locals to refuse to air misleading political ads

Pull Back the Curtain on E-Voting
The electronic voting machine problem is a story whose legs are growing longer by the minute. Many of these machines will be in use on Super Tuesday. Why then is mainstream media waiting until it's too late to tell the tale?
  Tell the networks to lift the curtain on the problems of e-voting

A Smear's Journey to Page One
At what point does reporting a smear become acceptable? In a news landscape increasingly crowded with rumormongers and "gotcha" news sites, mainstream news organizations often cross the line to vie with less scrupulous web sources for readers’ attention.
  Stop smears from spreading to mainstream news

Media Was AWOL. Was Bush?
After being absent without leave for years, the mainstream media is finally demanding answers to perennial questions about President Bush's military service.
  Demand full media accounting of Bush's record.

Campaign Roadkill: Pay-To-Play
Formula Steamrolls Underdogs
The murky relationship of money, media and politics becomes crystal clear when it comes to advertising. If a candidate can't deliver cash to buy political spots from local broadcasters, his or her run for office is dead on arrival.
  Tell the FCC to Stop the Abuse

Where's the Beef? Network
Coverage Thin on the Issues
The Big Three news networks have taken to the 2004 campaign trail with a fervor that is unparalleled. But "the beef" in their reporting -- in the form of coverage of the candidates' positions on issues that matter most to Americans -- has gone missing from nightly newscasts.
  Put the Big Three on Notice

Horse Race Coverage
Tramples the Issues
The Dean "moment" is just one of many set pieces in network news' ongoing portrayal of the 2004 elections as a horse race pitting archetype personalities against one another. This drama may play well on the small screen, but it accomplishes little towards educating voters about the candidates' political views.
  Put the Networks on Notice

CBS Allows White House
Super Bowl Ad, Snubs MoveOn
The nearly 100 million viewers who tune into the Super Bowl on CBS will be served up ads that include everything from beer and bikinis to credit cards and erectile dysfunction. They will also see a spot from the White House. Is this an advocacy ad? If so, why did CBS opt to include the White House ad while cutting MoveOn from the program?   Tell CBS To Stop the Bias

Undercovered Candidates
Spoil the Media Election
Nightly news networks set the stage for Iowa's winner weeks in advance of Monday night's caucus vote. But Howard Dean stumbled and so did the media's efforts to forecast a result before Iowans could vote.   Put the Networks on Notice

Right And Left Agree
On One Thing -- Media Bias
"A corporate bias in the media? Maybe there is," White House communications director Dan Bartlett tells MediaChannel. We investigate media perceptions across the divide to find that old adversaries often share a common view.
  Take Action Against Bias

MoveOn.org, The New York
Post and Media's Double Standard
As MoveOn.org endures a media lynching for featuring ads comparing President Bush to Adolph Hitler, there is little outcry against a New York Post column that likens Howard Dean supporters to Hitler's Brownshirts and Dean himself to Joseph Goebbels.
  Send a Letter to The Post

Sound Off: Media for Democracy 2004 Forum
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