Common Blog

On Tuesday the Senate will consider President Obama’s nominee to chair the Federal Communications Commission. The FCC makes decisions that influence everything from what you hear on the radio to the price you pay for your cell phone to the apps you can run on your tablet. It’s crucial that we have a public-interest champion [...]

I was disappointed last week to see that former Federal Communications Chairman Reed Hundt, my friend and predecessor at the FCC, has joined forces with opponents of the Commission’s longstanding cross-ownership rules. Hundt argues that greater media consolidation, including common ownership of newspapers and television stations in the same market, should be permitted “in celebration of our [...]

“Dollarocracy”—rule by the dollar—what a great and telling name for a shrinking American democracy that every day loses ground to the command-and-control of unchecked money.  Somebody ought to write a book based on the idea. Just in: somebody has!  Dollarocracy: How the Money and Media Election Complex Is Destroying America is the title of a [...]

There are days that remind you that a little idealism and a lot of work can change the national conversation. A strong democracy needs strong, independent voices in the media to dig for facts and ask tough questions of those who wield power – public and private. That’s why we were so concerned when the [...]

Our nationwide Day of Action to keep the Koch Brothers from buying the Tribune Company papers was a resounding success!