FMC Connection Day 2009 Remarks

Spend One Day with Us & Get Media Savvy.

"On behalf of the board of directors, welcome to Fair Media Council’s annual connection day.

So many people to thank…

Sponsors like Astoria Federal, who came on board when we needed help the most to make this day happen

Briarcliffe College, our landlord, who continually supports in so many ways. Briarcliffe and North Shore-LIJ have provided the volunteers who allow the day to run smoothly, so please thank the staff behind the registration desk before you leave today

Thank our moderators and panelists, please stand to be recognized. Without you, there is no event. To all our sponsors, exhibitors, advertisers and ticket buyers, thank you for believing in and supporting the work of the Fair Media Council.

Today, we’ve done something very special. We’ve brought together the best and the brightest in the news media, social media and communications to openly discuss, debate and educate each other in a setting that levels the playing field and seeks to include the you, the public, in an honest dialogue of what’s happening in the world of media today, and how you may choose to become part of the dialogue.

If you walk away today with one impression of the Fair Media Council, let it be that this is an organization that educates and supports freedom of speech and expression, and how to exercise it responsibly. It is only through, and because of, open dialogue between the public and the media that solutions may be found for whatever problems may exist.

This past year, we’ve seen dramatic changes to the media landscape. In particular, more media consolidation. The Fair Media Council has, for 30 years now, advocated against media consolidation, as it is harmful to the public, as it results in less news. (And please don’t confuse the advent of more channels and more ways to receive news with more news and information). It is harmful to the media industry itself, resulting in less jobs, less journalists to check facts, less stories to be covered by fewer people and less reporters out on the streets, engaging in dialogue with the public. And yes, it can even be harmful to advertisers.

FMC was highly critical, and remains so, of Cablevision taking over the Long Island’s only daily paper, for the many reasons I just explained. From the moment the deal was announced, we viewed it as damaging to the public interest. We predicted less news, which you can readily see has happened. We now see Cablevision refusing to allow certain ads to run in Newsday, which Newsday used to have the freedom to run under prior ownership. Having one company monopolize the news and information nearly 3 million receive has proven and will continue to prove harmful, but there’s a larger issue brewing, and it involves Net Neutrality.

Net Neutrality is about keeping the internet free and open to the public, so you may find the information you seek. Without Net Neutrality, your searches for information may be ranked by advertiser preference, or entirely missing. One company on Long Island currently has 100 percent market penetration of Nassau and Suffolk counties, controlling news, information and internet access. That’s just one case study.

Keeping a public informed and engaged in issues is vital to the health and well being of the community. A free flow of news and information is vital for local businesses to thrive and maintain the quality of life you’ve come to appreciate and, sometimes, take for granted.

What the Fair Media Council has managed to do here today is break ground, in order to create a common ground. We’ve brought the traditional news media together with social media – two entities people said couldn’t and shouldn’t be in the same room together – and we’ve provided the public with an opportunity to share, learn and be part of the news process.

As the media landscape continues to change, as audiences become more fragmented, it has, ironically, become harder to get stories out and have your voices. There’s a lot of white noise, and no one’s quite sure what is to be believed and trusted these days. That’s why it’s imperative the best practices of the traditional news media – which historically have provided that all-important third-party filter – and the tech savvy of the social media world need to be brought together, as you see here.

One of the really cool things about social media is, people are willing to learn what it is and how to use it. People are not so willing to be educated about traditional news media, as they grew up with it and don’t want to be told they watch too much TV – it’s a fact – and don’t read enough newspapers—also a fact. Most can’t tell the difference between a news story and a commentary piece. Many are confused by advertorials. These are things you are supposed to know, yet unless you specifically take courses in journalism or media, there’s no way you could know. That’s why the Fair Media Council believes so strongly that educating the public to become media savvy is the best way to create a critically thinking public and an engaged society. Teach a child how to properly use news, and you create a world-class citizen.

This is the work of the Fair Media Council, and if you are a business or a nonprofit organization, please join us as a member. Forms are at the registration desk. The work we do everyday, is only possible with the help and support of people like you, and the incredible generosity of a board of directors who, individually, are accomplished and powerful in their own right and, as a group, enjoy the freedom to support critical issues in order to serve the public’s interest.

Thank you for listening."

-Jaci Clement

Executive Director, Fair Media Council