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Up one levelProgram news, opportunities, and updates. To submit news to us, send it to mediahub@ssrc.org.
Project Profile: Media Concentration = Less Local TV News Finds "Necessary Knowledge" Research Project
Federal policymakers weighing the decision to allow media companies to own multiple TV stations now have new evidence to contend with. Dr. Danilo Yanich of the University of Delaware’s Local TV News Media Project analyzed two years of televised newscasts from five major media markets -- - New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Boston, and Albuquerque -- and found that media concentration does correlate with less local news coverage.
Consumer groups call FCC-commissioned media ownership research biased
The Consumer's Federation of America, Consumers Union and Free Press have issued a report entitled "Biased Questions Yield Biased Answers: How the FCC Loaded the Dice in Setting its Media Ownership Reseach Agenda" that critiques the methods and findings of the FCC-commissioned studies on media ownership that were recently released.
FCC Dataset on Radio Localism Now Available for Download
The SSRC Data Consortium for Media and Communications Policy is releasing an FCC-collected dataset on the link between media ownership and the provision of certain kinds of radio content, including local news and public affairs. The data is part of the Federal Communications Commission’s response to a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request filed by The Institute for Public Representation (Georgetown University) in August 2006.
New Analysis of Federal Mechanisms for Public Access to Proprietary Data
In a memorandum entitled “On the Public’s Right to Proprietary Data” Guinevere Jobson of the American University Law Clinic addresses the important media policy question “Is there a public right to access proprietary information where the government uses public funds to purchase the information and relies on that information in its decision-making process?”
Center Releases License for Non-Commercial Use of Its Media Tracker
Today the Center for Public Integrity released a license for the non-commercial use of its "Media Tracker," a free online database at the heart of the Center’s “Well Connected” project on media and telecommunications. This new license, featured on the Center’s Website, gives the public and organizations the freedom to copy, adapt and redistribute Media Tracker data at no charge.
SSRC Receives $1.5 Million Ford Grant to Continue Work on Media Reform
The Social Science Research Council (SSRC) has received a $1.5 million grant from the Ford Foundation to expand its work to bring together academics, advocates and policymakers public-interest media and communications reform in the United States. The investment represents one of the largest single grants by a major foundation in this emerging new field.
New report on the social impacts of community radio
The World Association of Community Radio Broadcasters, AMARC published on its website the report “Community Radio Social Impact Assessment: Removing barriers, Increasing Effectiveness”.
Third Round Collaborative Grants Announced
The Social Science Research Council (SSRC) is pleased to announce four recipients of small grants for academic-advocacy collaboration in the media and communications field. Each of the grantees in this Spring 2007 round will receive $7,500 to conduct a collaborative research study.
New paper by Phil Napoli / Michelle Seaton on commercial data access in media policy
Dr Phil Napoli and Ms. Michelle Seaton published a new paper on access to data issues in media policymaking for the March 2007 issue of the Federal Communications Law Journal.
Data Consortium Releases Paper "Toward a Federal Data Agenda for Communications Policymaking"
The SSRC-sponsored Data Consortium for Media and Communications Policy has prepared a paper entitled "Toward a Federal Data Agenda for Communications Policymaking." The paper outlines some of the key challenges surrounding data collection, access and analysis for media and communications policy in the United States, and makes a number of recommendations for how to address some of the most salient problems in this area. Prepared by Dr. Phil Napoli of the McGannon Center and Joe Karaganis of the SSRC, the paper is the product of several months of consultations and discussions with a wide range of media policy researchers, advocates and policy-makers.
Napoli statement to Congressional Briefing on "Local Media Diversity Matters"
Dr Phil Napoli, Director of the McGannon Center at Fordam and a partner of the Necessary Knowledge program, delivered a statement to a congressional briefing sponsored by the Center for American Progress. Dr. Napoli summarizes well the challenges of access to data issues in media and communications policy and offers a number of key recommendations to Congress and the FCC. The complete text of his remarks follow.
Audio of Adelstein, Calhoun, and McChesney Comments at Pre-Conference available
By popular demand, we have posted audio recordings and transcripts of remarks by FCC Commissioner Jonathan Adelstein, SSRC President Craig Calhoun and Free Press founder Bob McChesney at the SSRC-Free Press 'Media Policy Research Pre-conference' held on January 11 in Memphis ahead of the National Conference on Media Reform.
Transcript of FCC Commissioner Adelstein's remarks at Media Policy Research Pre-conference
John Anderson has passed on to us a transcript of the keynote address by FCC Commissioner Jonathan Adelstein at the Media Policy Research Pre-Conference in Memphis on January 11, 2007. Please read Commissioner Adelstein's full remarks below.
Media Research Pre-conference gathers 200+ academics to strategize on research needs for 2007
On January 11, 2007 at the Memphis Cook Convention Center, the Media Policy Research Pre-conference brought together over 200 media policy researchers, students, activists, and policy-makers to discuss media research needs for the coming year. The all-day conference featured eight working group roundtable sessions on key policy research areas, a poster session to present new scholarship, and a keynote address by FCC Commissioner Jonathan Adelstein. A summary document will be produced as a result of the pre-conference, setting out a media policy research agenda for 2007.
Audio recordings of presentations by researchers at NCMR available online
Many of the participants in the January 11 SSRC-Free Press 'Media Policy Research Pre-Conference' also participated in the larger National Conference on Media Reform. Audio recordings of a number of these research-oriented panels are now available at the Free Press conference website.
Second Round Collaborative Grants Announced
The SSRC is pleased to announce the second round of small grants for academic-advocacy collaboration in the media and communications field. These grants provide up to $7,500 for short term, academic-advocacy collaborations. Five grants were announced on December 22.
FCC Posts Staff Reports and Studies on Media Ownership Webpage
Washington, DC - The Media Bureau of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) today made public Media Bureau staff reports and studies on media ownership and related issues in response to a request from Chairman Martin.
New Book Makes Case Against Media Consolidation
[December 18, 2006] Consumer Federation of America, Consumers Union and Free Press will release The Case Against Media Consolidation -- a biting critique of media concentration -- at a book party in Washington, where they will offer a sneak preview of next year’s debate over sweeping changes to the nation’s media ownership rules.
New Studies Say Bigger Media Isn't Better
On October 23, 2006, the Benton Foundation and the Social Science Research Council released four independent academic studies on the impact of media consolidation in the United States. The new research focuses on how the concentration of media ownership affects media content, from local news reporting to radio music programming, and how minority groups have fared – as both media outlet owners and as historically undeserved audiences -- in an increasingly deregulated media environment.
First Round Collaborative Grants Announced
The Social Science Research Council is proud to announce the first round of small grants for academic-advocacy collaboration in the media and communications field. The first round will provide grants of up to $7,500 for research that supports advocacy, organizing, policy and/or campaign uses in the media and communications field in the US. The grants are intended for short-term work, completable and usable by advocacy partners within the next 4-12 months. Six grants have been awarded in this first round.