In a decision that pitted anti-violence advocates against web content creators, the Supreme Court struck down a California law prohibiting the sale of violent video games to children under 18.
Continue reading Supreme Court Comes Down on the Side of Video Games in Brown vs. EMA
Sue Wilson reports from Sacramento where the Entercom radio chain was assessed a 16 million dollar wrongful death verdict in the Jennifer Strange case, where the Sacramento mother of three died after participating in a water-drinking contest at Sacramento radio station KDND.
Continue reading 16 Million Dollar Verdict in Strange Wrongful Death Case
Before the Bay Area premiere of Broadcast Blues, community members gathered to advocate for an FCC docket and study of the impact of media hate speech.
Artist education, research and advocacy organization Future of Music Coalition announces the release of a report that analyzes radio playlists to determine whether policy interventions resulting from payola investigations have had any effect on the amount of independent music played on terrestrial radio.
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is being urged to monitor “hate speech” on talk radio and cable broadcast networks.
A coalition of more than 30 organizations argue in a letter to the FCC that the Internet has made it harder for the public to separate the facts from bigotry masquerading as news.
Media Alliance joined 38 organizations to call for political debate moderators to ask candidates how they plan to improve high-speed Internet access.
The over three dozen signers include a diverse group of national civil rights groups, technology policy advocates, media advocates, and community organizing groups concerned with the fact that approximately 34 million Americans still lack access to high-speed Internet, and the consequences of this divide. Continue reading What Will They Do About The Internet?
Crypto Wars 2 pit encryption advocates against the FBI which wants code written to break password protections in smartphones. Only weeks after the broad open letter was prepared: the issue broke when the FBI got a court order to compel Apple Computer to break its own smartphone encryption. Apple is fighting the order. Continue reading Don’t Undermine Encryption: Apple vs. NSA
For literally decades, Media Alliance has been publishing a community-oriented list of journalists to aid advocates, local groups and researchers in getting alternative information and perspectives out to the media. Originally under the name People Behind The News and then the Northern California Press List. Always at a fraction of the price of the professional PR companies.
But in 2019, it’s becoming clear that journalists are more and more reluctant to throw the communications door wide open. Dangerous trolls, literal shootings at newspaper offices, doxxings and verbal abuse; it has all taken a toll. So when we say to the press that we want to make your personal contact info available so the non-professionals can reach you more easily, a lot of journalists say no thanks.
We get it. The safety of journalists is important to us. But so is the ability of underrepresented voices, untold stories, and alternative points of view to get in front of the mainstream media.
So we’re taking a new approach for 2019. A community-based press release service.
For what we hope is a modest price (and as usual, if you call or email and plead poverty, we’re probably a soft touch for a noble cause), we’ll take your information and polished or unpolished press release and distribute it for you and hopefully start getting you the media coverage you deserve.
Here is how it works:
A) Send us an image and your draft press release, including a media contact for follow-up inquiries, and all the who, what, where, when and why information, and we’ll give it a once-over and send it out to 800 Northern California journalists.
$150
B) Send us an image and some basic information and we’ll craft your press release including finding the news hook and the telling quote, format it, and send it out to 800 Northern California journalists.
$275
Book a series package of 3 releases whenever you need them and get 20% off on each one. Good for two years from the date of purchase.
