Category Archives: Accountability and Representation

When the media does us wrong and community accountability

When Is A Phone Call Not a Phone Call? (When ALEC Says So)

 

by Tracy RosenbergHuffington Post

When a Pacific Gas and Electric pipeline exploded in San Bruno, CA in 2010, pundits all over the nation called out for more aggressive supervision of the energy company, so Californians needn’t fear having their homes burst into fireballs.

Wildfires and windstorms resulted in long-term outages across Southern California in recent years, caused largely by aging lines and overloaded power poles. At the insistence of legislators, millions of dollars in fines have been assessed.

Which makes it really puzzling when mandates for less utility regulation start sailing through the California legislature. Continue reading When Is A Phone Call Not a Phone Call? (When ALEC Says So)

Deceptive Digital Marketing Claim Filed Against Pepsi

 

Consumer groups filed a complaint against Pepsico and Frito-Lay for online marketing to teens that included immersive games and intrusive social media.

The online marketing campaigns included video games labeled “Hotel 626”, “Asylum 626” and “Doritos Rhianna Late Night” an music experience with pop star Rhianna. Continue reading Deceptive Digital Marketing Claim Filed Against Pepsi

Anti-Hate Speech Resolution Passes SF Board of Supervisors Unanimously

 

Update: On September 10th, Clearchannel station KNEW announced they were dropping Savage Nation from their SF schedule.

On Tuesday August 11th, San Francisco became the first municipality in the country to support the National Hispanic Media Coalition’s petition for an FCC docket and report on media hate speech and its possible impact on hate crimes.

The vote was unanimous!  Continue reading Anti-Hate Speech Resolution Passes SF Board of Supervisors Unanimously

Bailouts For The Media Moguls: Thinking Outside The Newspaper Box

 

By DeeDee Halleck

John Nichols and Robert McChesney have written a widely posted Nation article searching for answers to the current emergencies in the newspaper business. (“The Death and Life of Great American Newspapers”)  They recognize the crisis as an opportunity to rethink public media in general and their suggestions for remedy are at least a provocative starter for the needed reassessment and creative activism.  They suggest the government pump in $60 billion over the next three years, a pricetag that is similar to, though less than, the handouts to AIG and the US banks.

Continue reading Bailouts For The Media Moguls: Thinking Outside The Newspaper Box

Fox News is no news outlet

 

By Tracy Rosenberg – published San Francisco Chronicle

The Obama administration has taken a lot of heat recently for declaring war on Fox News, including from Chronicle columnist Debra J. Saunders. And it’s true that you can’t have presidential staffers ducking press inquiries. But media lies and distortions are another ball game entirely. Let’s look at the record:

Continue reading Fox News is no news outlet