NABJ TO HILL: REVERSE CROSSOWNERSHIP MOVE

The National Association of Black Journalists says the commission's vote limits opportunity for minority media ownership and localism.
By
TVNewsCheck,

The National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ) is calling on Congress to reverse this week's decision by the FCC to allowing corporate ownership of both newspaper and broadcast media in the same city.

NABJ said it strongly believes that media ownership should reflect the racial and ethnic make up of society and such a decision prohibits such diversity.

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"Is the fourth estate to be sold to the highest bidder?" asked NABJ President Barbara Ciara. "Congress cannot allow the FCC to limit diverse voices and further prevent ownership opportunities to minorities."

In a letter this fall to FCC Commissioner Kevin Martin, NABJ took issue with his desire to lift the ban on these types of media takeovers, citing their impact on minority owners and journalists.


"With increasing media consolidation the number of minority owners will steadily decrease," wrote Ciara. "The commission has a responsibility to maintain its public interest obligations and in order to do so, there must be safeguards to ensure station leadership and programming is as diverse as the communities they represent."


Following the decision, Democratic and Republican members of the House of Representatives and Senate proposed legislation reversing the FCC's actions.


"It becomes a major problem when you see that in a nation where 34 percent of the population are people of color, minorities own less than 10 percent of media outlets," said Ernie Suggs, NABJ vice president of print. "NABJ will reach beyond the press gallery to congressional members and ensure this vote is reversed and our freedom of speech is not sacrificed by higher profits."


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