• Press Harassment at the Political Conventions

    Josh Stearns
    September 7, 2012

    The close of the Democratic National Convention brought to an end two long weeks of political punditry, public protest and an enormous police presence that engulfed both Tampa and Charlotte. However, even with a reported 15,000 journalists on hand at both conventions and a huge and complicated security force filling the streets, there were relatively few cases of press suppression.

  • Oy Vey: More Public Media Cuts

    Amy Kroin
    September 6, 2012

    The executive director of West Virginia Public Broadcasting has proposed $200,000 in budget cuts — and warned that additional cuts might be necessary in light of the governor’s call for a 7.5 percent drop in state funding.

  • Election 2012: The Year of the Man

    Amy Kroin
    September 5, 2012
    Ross Perot was a candidate the last time a woman anchored a presidential debate. This was in 1992, when ABC’s Carole Simpson moderated the first-ever town hall-style debate. Unfortunately, she wasn’t given much to do. "I was told in my earpiece by a producer, 'Go interview the lady in the green dress on the left, and now the man in the red sweater,” Simpson recently told the Huffington Post. I had no control over the questions that were asked, or who asked, or in what order. I was like a traffic cop."

  • Journalists in Need of a Safety Net

    Josh Stearns
    September 4, 2012

    More and more independent journalists and citizens are putting themselves on the front lines to cover city halls and city streets, politics and protests — and they’re doing so without the support or protection afforded staff at established newsrooms.

  • 'Twas the Summer of Internet Freedom

    Josh Levy
    September 4, 2012

    The summer of 2012 started with a bang when the Declaration of Internet Freedom, a document drafted by Internet advocates of all political stripes, launched right before Independence Day.

  • Say No to Internet Taxes

    Jenn Topper
    August 31, 2012
    The Universal Service Fund needs to be revamped, but we shouldn’t be adding an Internet tax to consumers’ already sky-high bills. If we truly want to stabilize the fund, we need to think about proposals for funding that don’t pass costs on to consumers.

  • Lobbying for the Greater Good

    Mary Alice Crim
    August 31, 2012

    When Congress takes a break in August and our elected officials jump on planes and trains to escape the stifling swampy humidity in Washington, D.C., organizers like me get pumped. Why? Because we know this is prime time for activists around the country to meet with their elected officials in their district offices to discuss issues that impact their lives.

  • Meeting With Rep. Eshoo's Office Yields Big Rewards

    Urvi Nagrani
    August 30, 2012
    Traditional media sources tend to frustrate me. The assumption that the audience is a monolithic group with the same background means details are often left out, biases are re-enforced and issues are presented simplistically. That’s one of the many reasons I’ve embraced the Internet.

  • Presidential Debate Commission Turns Blind Eye Toward Race

    Joseph Torres
    August 29, 2012

    Race has always been a central issue in our nation’s politics, too often reflected throughout our history in news coverage that gave credibility to racist government policies.

    Race is front and center this presidential election year so it's hard to comprehend why the Commission on Presidential Debates failed to select a journalist of color to moderate at least one of the upcoming debates. 

  • Cats, Cookie Monster and Campaigns

    Dutch Cosmian
    August 28, 2012

    We at Free Press have finally found a place to put all those cat videos we love. But seriously, folks, we’ve launched our very own Tumblr.

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