Michael Copps on Protecting the Media and Democracy

Acting FCC Chairman Michael Copps spoke this morning at Free Press’ Changing Media Summit, and he delivered a rousing reminder of how central the media are to sustaining a democracy, and how hard we need to continue to work to protect it.

After musing that change has come to America and to D.C. (“reform breezes are blowing through the corridors of power all over this city”), Copps said that, beyond politics, so many aspects of our modern lives — the way we live, work, play, and produce media — are in flux as well. That isn’t the most comforting fact, but it gives us an opportunity to change journalism, the Internet, and public media for the better.

To help sort it all out, Copps offered four organizing principles “that should serve as our touchstone as we sift through the myriad ideas out there and try to create a media that is truly of, by and for the American people.” (Read the full text of his remarks for more.)

A quick summary:

Principle Number One: Democracy

“Paraphrase James Carville if you like: It’s the democracy, stupid. A democracy runs on information. Information is how we make intelligent decisions about our future and how we hold the powerful accountable. Deprive citizens of relevant, accurate, and timely information and you deprive them of their ability to govern themselves.”

Principle Number Two: Old media are not dead

“Judging by some of the stories out there, you’d think that just about everyone sits down at night to watch their favorite shows on Hulu and that TV news and local newspapers have gone the way of the buggy-whip. The fact is that most consumers still get their news and information from their local newspapers and broadcast stations. The Internet, for all its many glories, doesn’t yet fully compete with them in such areas as investigative journalism or in-depth local reporting, and may not anytime soon.”

Principle Number Three: Make sure the sins visited upon old media don’t deny the promise of new media

“You know me as someone who has supported and pushed the cause of Internet Freedom, Internet Openness, Net Neutrality, whatever you want to call it, for a long, long time. While the tide runs we need to assure this, and, for openers, I will be working for a Fifth Principle of Non-discrimination to be one of the first fruits of our reconstituted FCC.

Principle Number Four: Remember what got us here

“A lot of organizing. Grass-roots work everywhere. Town hall meetings, media reform conferences, teach-ins, marches. Don’t anyone think: ‘We won, it’s over, now let’s just go harvest the fruit.’ Change has come to Washington, but Washington has not been conquered.”

Free Press is a national, nonpartisan organization working to reform the media. Free Press does not support or oppose any candidate for public office. Through education, organizing and advocacy, we promote diverse and independent media ownership, strong public media and universal access to communications.