• What to Pack for a Protest

    Josh Stearns
    August 27, 2012

    More than 15,000 journalists have descended on Tampa for the Republican National Convention. Journalists planning to cover political conventions and the associated protests need to be careful about the gear they bring — especially in light of new local laws.

  • Journalist Rights and Safety at the RNC and DNC, Part Two

    Josh Stearns
    August 24, 2012

    On Thursday, Aug. 23, journalists, activists and citizen reporters from around the country came together for our second Webinar on reporting at the Republican and Democratic National Conventions. This live online event combined critical information on safety and legal issues with personal stories from journalists who have been arrested and have spent their careers covering civil unrest and protests.

  • AT&T’s FaceTime Face Plant

    Chancellar Williams
    August 24, 2012

    For the last couple of days I’ve been reveling in the comments section of AT&T’s Public Policy Blog.

  • The Good, the Bad and the Ugly in the Verizon-Cable Pact

    Joel Kelsey
    August 24, 2012

    Yesterday, the Federal Communications Commission voted 5–0 to approve Verizon’s purchase of a valuable slice of the public airwaves in exchange for a partnership with a cartel of cable companies. While both the FCC and the Department of Justice — which signed off on the swap last week — placed conditions on the deal, it signals dark days ahead for consumers.

  • AT&T: Pay Me, Screw Net Neutrality

    Craig Aaron
    August 21, 2012

    From electricity to earmuffs, once you buy a product or service from a company, it shouldn't be any of their business how you choose to use it.

    The power company doesn't say you can't use the energy-saving features on your new refrigerator unless you buy more electricity, and your grocer doesn't make you buy an extra loaf of bread if you stop purchasing potato chips.

  • Journalist Rights and Safety at the RNC and DNC

    Josh Stearns
    August 20, 2012

    On Aug. 16, we hosted a Webinar on press freedom, journalist safety and reporters’ rights. The online event was a collaboration between Free Press, the International News Safety Institute and Harvard University's Digital Media Law Project, but the roughly 40 people who participated all added value to the discussion. 

    The event was an interactive discussion that drew on a mix of concrete legal information and advice, interspersed with personal stories from both professional and citizen journalists who have covered protests on the ground.

  • On the Road in Toledo

    Libby Reinish
    August 20, 2012

    Toledo, Ohio was one of the “10 hottest campaign markets” when I visited last week, and it showed in the political files of the TV stations there. Weighing in at market number 75, Toledo is small enough that its TV stations are not required to put their political files online until 2014. But these stations are selling more ads than almost any other market in the country.

  • The Top Five Most Ridiculous Things I Have Experienced (So Far) While Collecting Files from Television Stations

    Candace Clement
    August 17, 2012
    While the process of collecting public and political files from broadcast TV stations should probably evoke the feel of a drama or a high-tension mystery show, my experiences have left me feeling like I am starring in my own personal sitcom. Why? Because the process of getting my hands on these files has been laced with moments that can be described only as comedic. Or maybe they more accurately fit into the genre of “dark comedy” —you know, the kind that’s funny but also makes you groan a bit.

  • Free Pussy Riot. Free Expression

    Candace Clement
    Dutch Cosmian
    Tessa Simonds
    August 17, 2012
    Three members of the Russian punk rock band Pussy Riot were sentenced to two years in prison this morning for committing acts of “hooliganism.” Pussy Riot’s conviction rattles us because it seems so outdated. The word hooliganism itself belongs to an era long gone. Yet the sentencing of these women reminds us that no matter how far we think we have come, threats to free speech and freedom of expression continue.

  • New York Times Picks a New CEO

    Josh Stearns
    August 15, 2012
    Mark Thompson, director general of the BBC, has been named the new CEO of the New York Times.The choice of Thompson comes just weeks after the Times announced that it now receives the majority of its revenue from subscriptions, not advertisers. In many ways, the success of the Times paywall has been to cultivate a committed cohort of fans who subscribe — which then allows the majority of readers to access stories for free. This model isn’t that far off from the public media model, where donors account for about 10 percent of the audience.

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