Posts from December 2009

The Top 10 Internet Moments of 2009
Tim Karr
December 23, 2009

More than a decade ago, President Clinton pledged that every person in America would soon be able to go online "to order up every movie ever produced or every symphony ever created in a minute's time."

Civil Rights, Self-Representation, and the Fight for Open and Neutral Online Networks
Malkia Cyril
December 21, 2009

Two weeks ago, the Center for Media Justice brought together a coalition of national media groups working on racial justice issues including the Media Action Grassroots Network, Color of Change, the Media Democracy Coalition, Presente

Authentic Storytelling on the Net
Garlin Gilchrist II
December 17, 2009

The following is an excerpt from testimony delivered by Garlin Gilchrist II to the FCC during a hearing this week on Net Neutrality:

The Internet's Greatest Gift: Participation
Jack M. Balkin
December 16, 2009

What do digital networks make possible? First, they allow people to become active speakers and creators instead of merely passive consumers of information and entertainment. Second, they decentralize innovation, giving people abundant opportunities to create and use new applications for communication and creativity.

Protecting the Public's First Amendment Rights
Andrew Jay Schwartzman
December 16, 2009

Testifying at yesterday's FCC hearing on Net Neutrality, Media Access Project's Andrew Jay Schwartzman emphasized that the Commission should implement policies to promote the public’s First Amendment right to free expression and civic participation. He argued that the FCC should give little credence to Internet service providers' demands for unfettered discretion over speech on their networks.

A New Tool for Putting Net Neutrality on the Map
Megan Tady
December 14, 2009

The question isn’t who’s been naughty and who’s been nice this holiday season. It’s who’s supporting Net Neutrality, and who isn’t?

ACLU: Setting the Record Straight on Net Neutrality
Jay Stanley
December 14, 2009

The cable industry is saying that Network Neutrality would violate the First Amendment because it would prohibit them from “expressing themselves” by distorting the flow of information over the Internet wires they control.

The Battle to Access Information Online
Michael Burger
December 11, 2009

There is a silent battle occurring in Washington, D.C., over our ability to freely access and exchange information through our last unbiased medium, the Internet. The telecom industry is feverishly buying up policy-makers in an attempt to block new, unanimously approved FCC regulations on Internet service providers.

Cable Industry Confused: It's Not Their First Amendment, But Ours
Marvin Ammori
December 11, 2009

The cable and phone industry keep making the offensive argument that the First Amendment belongs to them, not you--and that the First Amendment empowers them to stifle your online speech just so they can make more money.

Young Entrepreneurs Rely on the Open Internet
Matthew Rosenberg
December 10, 2009

As a young owner of a small business -- a New York-based startup company called onebluebrick -- I rely on an open Internet, and I’ve experienced firsthand what will happen if Net Neutrality is not preserved.

Comcast Merger Bad for Consumers, Free Press and Parents Television Council Say
Megan Tady
December 8, 2009

While Comcast and industry groups want us to think that their mega-media merger is good for business, we’re reminding everyone that it’s a bad deal for consumers.

Truth vs. Spam on Net Neutrality
Megan Tady
December 8, 2009

To: David McClure, U.S. Internet Industry Association CEO
CC: Randall Stephenson, AT&T CEO; Brian Roberts, Comcast CEO; Ivan Seidenberg, Verizon CEO

RE: On Net Neutrality

The Internet Must Not Become a Segregated Community
Malkia Cyril
December 1, 2009

Co-authored with Chris Rabb and Joseph Torres

When Fox News’ Glenn Beck called President Barack Obama a racist this past July, the online advocacy group ColorOfChange.org launched a campaign to convince advertisers to boycott the show. To date, some 285,000 people have joined the effort, and more than 80 companies have pulled their ads.