Reform conference examines media's responsibility

My coverage of the National Conference for Media Reform:

Amy Goodman of Democracy Now interviews D'Army Bailey, founder of the National Civil Rights Museum at the site of Martin Luther King's assassination.
Memphis -- As the media reform movement, now about five years old, picks up speed, its scope is tightly focused on what the Rev. Martin Luther King called "the madness of militarism."

At its core, the movement calls for inclusive, truthful coverage, a democratic press that refuses to be President Bush's lapdog and new legislation to break up media monopolies. It's been galvanized by the Iraq War, but stopping that war isn't at the forefront of the movement anymore.

Last weekend the National Conference for Media Reform was buzzing with the question, "How do we stop the American invasion of Iran?"

One possible answer is impeachment. In the next couple of months the New Mexico State Legislature will likely ask Congress to begin impeachment proceedings against President Bush and Vice President Cheney, according to David Swanson, director of Democrats.com. He said that it's imperative this happen lest future presidents operate as mavericks using the Bush precedent.

Amy Goodman of Democracy Now and journalist Larry Everest discussed concerns that Bush might be planning to attack Iran. Goodman said Bush is acting in the interests of preserving a 21st century American empire.

U.S. Rep. Dennis Kucinich (D-Cleveland) worried that the start of impeachment proceedings could accelerate a war but said, "If Bush attacks Iran, all bets are off."

Paul Rieckhoff, founder of Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America, said the current wars stand out in American history as ones that are sanitized by the media.

"This is really a war of disconnect," he said. "You really don't see the depth of sacrifice. You never see a dead American soldier on the news. You never see it."

Rieckhoff said mainstream coverage ignores the stories of the Iraqi people. He condemned the use of embedded journalists. Embedding endangers other journalists because insurgents see reporters as just an arm of the military, he said. Embedded reporters are too close to U.S. troops to be effective, he said.

"You can't criticize me if I'm covering covering your ass," Rieckhoff said.

A large number of the 3,500 journalists and activists at the conference here were women and people of color. A handful from other countries attended, too. Media reform as a civil rights issue was a recurring theme.

The discussion of free speech and indecency is upside down, according to Lisa Fager, an activist from Washington, D.C. Corporate interests have dumbed down radio for black audiences, she said. Dialogue or even music that criticizes the government is missing, replaced by gossip, she said. When the First Amendment is cited, it's to defend lyrics that talk about "bitches, pimps and hoes."

"Nobody wants to fight for my freedom of speech when I actually want to talk about something," Fager said.

Likewise, indecency fines are levied against people like Howard Stern, who plays to an audience of thirtysomething white men. A fight against indecency is supposed to be protecting children, yet urban stations that cater to teens play music rife with sexual themes and the degradation of women, Fager said.

"There's a right wing agenda behind indecency, and there's also a progressive use," she said.

Several sessions dealt with the marginalization of whole populations. The consensus was, if you're a person of color, a woman, poor or not American, you just aren't being heard.

Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) addressed the conference. If you're concerned about health care, global warming, the war or almost any other major issue, he said, "You are kidding yourself if you are not concerned with corporate control of the media."

Sanders decried the press coverage of opposition to the Iraq invasion in 2003.

"Day after day those of us who opposed the war were holding press conferences that you never saw," Sanders said. "In terms of the war in Iraq, the American media failed and failed grotesquely. They are as responsible as President Bush for the disaster that now befalls us."

Sanders said it's no accident that we don't hear stories about common people, the labor movement or the nation's health care crisis.

"Somebody is supplying us with a mirror, and we want that mirror to reflect the lives of ordinary people," he said.

Sanders said it's the time to reopen discussion about the Fairness Doctrine, which required equal time for issues debated on broadcast channels. Congressmen Steve Cohen (D-Tenn.) and Maurice Hinchey (D-N.Y.) said revision of the 1996 Telecommunications Act is being discussed in Congress.

Hinchey said the elimination of the Fairness Doctrine in the 1980s caused the rise of right-wing radio.

"The question is: Is it going to move back now that we're in charge?" Hinchey said. "The country today is at one of the most critical moments in its history." ©

This Is What War Looks Like

“… a burned infant trying to nurse from its dead mother’s breast …”

When we think of war, I think a lot of us imagine U.S. soldiers in khaki uniforms advancing upon enemy troops on a battlefield or moving like cats among shattered urban buildings. But it’s important to recall the true wages of war, that it falls most heavily on women and children.

The Memory Hole, operated by journalist Russ Kick presents, “This is War,” a horrific look into how bad it really is. This line from reporter Richard Boyle in Vietnam, haunts me: “I could watch a burned infant trying to nurse from its dead mother’s breast, see young men with their faces blown away, witness a boy deliberately gutted … and never protest.”

I’m shocked at what we’re capable of doing. Do we blame the imperialist war machine? The government? Ourselves? Are we complicit by virtue of being U.S. citizens for war crimes committed by our troops? What can be done to evolve beyond this brutality?

A prayer for mercy is all I can offer.

— Stephen Carter-Novotni

The road to the National Civil Rights Museum

I'd never even heard of the National Civil Rights Museum before, but it made sense. Memphis was the city where Martin Luther King was assassinated. It was also the host city for the National Conference for Media Reform which drew upwards of 3,500 journalists and activists to one of America's poorest cities January 12-14.

Memphis is so poor, in fact, that their bus service stops running at 9:30 p.m. on Saturday nights. (even though, strangely, their trolleys run until 1 a.m.) The homeless shelters also charge admission - a minimum of $7 a night.

So on Saturday, after running around Behle Street with Justin Jeffre - of the band 98 Degrees and now a media activist - I decided the easiest way to return to the Emmanuel Catholic Worker House in Midtown, where I was staying, was to hitch a ride.
My ride turned out to be Memphis Circuit Court Judge D'Army Bailey, who was also attending the conference and described himself as "having done some activist work in the '60s." The judge dropped me off and I didn't figure on seeing him again.

I only found out about the museum the next day, on my way back to the airport. The Seattle-based artist I was hitching with wanted to see it before his flight. We drove through miles of urban blight trying to find it and, when we finally got to the address, we came to a run down hotel, painted hospital-scrub green, that looked like it was from the 1960's. Which, of course, it was.

"Holy God," I exclaimed. "This is where King was shot. They kept the whole thing intact."

And there, on the balcony, standing over a blood stain almost four decades old, in front of room 306, behind the wreath marking King's last place on earth, was Judge Bailey being interviewed by Democracy Now's Amy Goodman.

Anyway, that's how I got that photo that went with my story.

- Stephen Carter-Novotni

In Memphis

This will likely be a short, non-poetic post since I'me quite tired and it's about 4 in the morning here.

Before you ask, no, I didn't tie one on - I crashed - hard - at about 4pm yesterday after arriving in Memphis Airport at 10am, stopping at Emmanuel House (a Catholic Worker house where I'm staying), dropping my stuff and heading to the Media Reform Conference.

I attended like two sessions - sorta - too tired and the speakers too boring. One woman read nervously some speech she'd prepared. That's just not a real speaker panel and not why I'm here. I used to stay out of courtesy for speakers and now I just leave. I'm here for the business of news and have limited time, so if they're boring, well, screw it.

Em House folks have been very kind and I feel a bit bad that I wasn't able to socialize, but I had three hours sleep yesterday, so my tank is empty or was,anyway.

Maybe we can hang on Sunday after the Con closes.

I need to email folks and schedule interviews for this evening.

I miss Beck and Uly very much. Thank you, all who are helping them out this weekend.

More later.

- Steve

In Chicago, on my way to Memphis

I feel okay about flying half the time.

The rest of the time I imagine what will happen in a crash.

I'm not sure whether my glasses would melt to my face first or if I'd be crushed first.

Am I scared of flying, pain, death or being roasted at 500mph?

Steve