Minority Journalist Leaders Call for a Neutral Net
November 20th, 2006 by tkarrThe presidents of the nation’s two largest associations of minority journalists called on Congress to preserve Net Neutrality so that the Web can remain a haven for diversity, opportunity and free speech.
“The foundation of the Internet has been bought and paid for by the citizens of this country,” wrote Bryan Monroe, president of the National Association of Black Journalists and Rafael Olmeda, president of the National Association of Hispanic Journalists. “Its access should not be auctioned off to the highest bidder.”
“We are troubled by efforts to control the flow of content over the Internet — to deny the public’s ability to receive news and information from a diversity of viewpoints by throttling back the speed of certain Web sites while accelerating others,” they wrote in a joint statement.
The two presidents lead associations that represent thousands of journalists across the United States. They said that among other things their support for Net Neutrality is out of concern about issues threatening the First Amendment as well as attacks against a free and open press:
The Internet is a great equalizer, providing an opportunity for the average citizen or small business, including media companies owned by blacks, Hispanics and other persons of color, to compete in the marketplace of ideas…
If Congress does not support Network Neutrality, the results will be devastating for free speech, for our society and for consumers. The Internet’s promise as the people’s communications medium will be jeopardized. The level playing field will be destroyed in the name of greed. This will reduce competition and the diversity of viewpoints that the public now enjoys.
Olmeda and Monroe said the proposal to “slow down the Internet for those who can’t — or won’t — pony up big bucks will be especially harmful to our communities,” who, they added, have been historically marginalized by mainstream media.
December 18th, 2006 at 11:23 pm
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