InternetNM
Alibi: Not Just Net Neutral
http://alibi.com/index.php?story=34831&scn=news&fullstory=y
“Today the danger is that big business will put us on the road to the cannibalization, and the cable-ization, and the consolidation of broadband and the Internet,” Copps said to a supportive crowd of more than 400. “And they’ve already made tremendous headway in their agenda.”
The public addressed a panel that included (from left) Andrea Quijada,executive director of the Media Literacy Project; state Rep. Antonio “Moe” Maestas; Geoffrey Blackwell, chief of the FCC’s Office of Native Affairs; and Commissioner Michael Copps. …At the hearing, panelist and state Rep. Antonio “Moe” Maestas brought up previous battles between capitalist conglomerates and public advocates. “There’s railroad neutrality, there’s public highway neutrality, there’s telephone neutrality,” he said. “There must be Internet neutrality in this nation, and we must fight for it tooth and nail.”
In summing up the Albuquerque forum, Copps made it clear that he had heard the public. “I have the impression that you all would like me to ask the chairman to do something,” he said to a chorus of laughter.
KOAT ABC Affiliate Coverage: Broadband Access Topic of Public Hearing with FCC Commissioner
KUNM IN FOCUS: Future of the Internet Town Hall (2010-11-19)
KUNMYouthRadio: Future of the Internet Public Hearing with Commissioner Copps
KUNMYouthRadio Future of the Internet Public Hearing: City Councilor Rey Garduño
People Powered Policy Making
http://stearns.wordpress.com/2010/11/23/people-powered-policy-making/
The most recent of these public hearings was held in Albequerue, New Mexico (co-sponsored with the Center for Media Justice and the Media Literacy Project). It was a powerful event where people from across New Mexico talked about the role of the internet in education, social justice, employment, small business, creativity and more. People of all ages and backgrounds spoke – some read poetry they had written especially for that event. … When we leave policy to pundits, lobbyists and experts alone we sacrifice it to Washington D.C. conventional wisdom.
Colorlines: Politicians, Artists Draw Broadband Battle Lines http://colorlines.com/archives/2010/11/throwing_cyber_stones_from_silicon_valley_to_dc.html#
And just as net neutrality claws its way back into the headlines, there’s more on how artists are positioning themselves as stakeholders in the debate. Last week, spoken word poets helped steal the show at a town hall meeting sponsored by left leaning advocacy organizations in New Mexico.
RW/TVB: Copps Says FCC Made Broadcast Diversity Difficult
http://www.radioworld.com/article/109454
http://www.televisionbroadcast.com/article/109374
“Broadcasters said just give us a ton of free spectrum–hundreds of billions of dollars as it turned out–and the airwaves would always serve the people first, always provide the local and diverse programming reflective of our communities. You saw what happened there!,” Copps said yesterday at an Albuquerque, N.M. public hearing on “The Future of the Internet.”
Copps Statement at “The Future of Internet’ Public Hearing, Albuquerque, New Mexico http://www.tmcnet.com/usubmit/2010/11/18/5146250.htm
Thank you, Amalia Deloney, for your very kind and generous introduction. Thank you to the organizations behind this meeting tonight–the Center for Media Justice that does so much for historically disenfranchised communities; the Media Literacy Project for what it is doing here in Albuquerque and elsewhere to show all our citizens how the new tools of communications can create opportunities for individuals and communities; and, of course, my old friends at Free Press for the out-front role they play in fighting for media democracy in both our traditional media and in the new world of broadband and the Internet.
SFGATE (SF Chronicle): Is Internet Next Civil Rights Battle?
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/blogs/inoakland/detail?entry_id=77225
Of special concern to activists is the impact unregulated telecom control could have on minority communities, where broadband Internet usage has grown but continues to lag that among whites. Imposing premium access fees would undermine efforts to close the digital divide, according to Amalia Deloney, grassroots policy director for the Oakland-based Center for Media Justice. “We all fear that these corporations — AT&T, Comcast, Verizon — really want to control the Internet for their own benefit,” Deloney said. “What it would cost for people to be able to get the Internet they want is a huge issue.” Deloney’s group banded with 45 national and local organizations to form Latinos for Internet Freedom. The Center for Media Justice also is part of the national Media and Democracy Coalition. These groups are promoting public debate on net neutrality and the future of the Internet.
Good Morning Tech: FCC Chariman says Net Neutrality rules still on the way
http://thehill.com/blogs/hillicon-valley/technology/129877-good-morning-tech-fcc-chairman-says-net-neutrality-rules-are-on-t
FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski confirmed Wednesday that the FCC is still working to make net-neutrality rules that would constrain how phone and cable companies manage Internet traffic.
“That’ll happen,” Genachowski said, noting that the agency is doing “a lot of work” to make sure the rules are written soundly. He also blamed two corporate giants for helping slow down the process: Google and Verizon.
ABQ Journal: Official: FCC Will Fight for Net Neutrality:
http://www.abqjournal.com/news/state/172340426039newsstate11-17-10.htm
It is the Federal Communications Commission’s job to enforce net neutrality, Commissioner Michael Copps told hundreds of New Mexicans at the National Hispanic Cultural Center on Tuesday, and the agency will fight to do so.
The Hill: Net Neutrality Activists Express Themselves with Poems
http://thehill.com/blogs/hillicon-valley/technology/129597-net-neutrality-activists-express-themselves-with-poems
http://thehill.com/blogs/hillicon-valley/technology/129605-good-morning-tech
Verse is one way net-neutrality activists expressed themselves at a public hearing co-hosted Tuesday night by Free Press. The event in New Mexico, which featured Federal Communications Commissioner Michael Copps, drew activists who read poems aloud. “And if you saw my Comcast bill you’d see, it’s as reasonable as a robbery,” slam poet Hakim Bellamy intoned in his piece.
Colorlines: Artists Call for Open Internet in New Mexico
http://colorlines.com/archives/2010/11/artists_call_for_open_internet_in_new_mexico.html
Nearly 400 people gathered at the city’s National Hispanic Cultural Center to discuss the future of the Internet… But it in the end, it wasn’t Copps who stole the show. It was the artists. Sara Jerome wrote for The Hill that poetry seemed to be one of the themes of the night. The night began with a pueblo Native American song, and was capped off by a screening of a “Free the Air” counter ad to Verizon(Full disclosure: my partner helped produce the video and works for Media Literacy Project). And when it came time for public testimonies, several slam poets got up the mic. Jerome highlighted one poem, and you can watch others at the end of Tuesday’s webcast of the event. “It was intentional,” said Andrea Quijada, executive director of Media Literacy Project, about the night’s focus on the arts. “We don’t see a distinction between arts and culture and organizing, and a lot of times they’re separated.
“Reclaiming culture is the most effective tool of resistance that our communities have relied on for survival, ” she added.
DFNM: Powerful testimony abounds at Future of Internet Hearing
http://www.democracyfornewmexico.com/democracy_for_new_mexico/2010/11/powerful-testimony-abounds-at-future-of-the-internet-hearing-supporting-net-neutrality-and-broadband-access.html#
The hearing was co-hosted by Free Press, the Center for Media Justice and the Media Literacy Project. If you attended, I think you would agree they did a fine job. The event was well attended, the speakers were excellent and the public hearing portion featured a diverse mix of New Mexicans of various ages and backgrounds explaining what the internet means to them. There was very compelling testimony from middle school children to adults, from artists of the spoken word to health care providers. All stressed that they NEED the internet to function well in their daily lives. What would prevent them from having affordable and easy access to the internet? Corporate greed.
ABQ Journal: Attacks on “Net Neutrality” Hurt Internet Growth
http://www.abqjournal.com/opinion/guest_columns/1722640362opinionguestcolumns11-17-10.htm
So who’s on the other side? On Tuesday there was to be a public hearing in Albuquerque co-hosted by Free Press, Center for Media Justice and the Media Literacy Project. These groups seem dedicated to yesterday’s thinking about the way the Internet has traditionally operated.
NM FBIHOP: FCC Hearing on the future of the Internet
http://www.nmfbihop.com/diary/4470/fcc-hearing-on-the-future-on-internet-tonight
The Internet is an essential tool for participating in society and politics,” said Andrea Quijada, executive director of the Media Literacy Project. “No community should be left behind. American Indians and Latinos, especially those who live in rural areas, need the Internet to advocate for themselves, access government services and get important educational and health information. The Internet means opportunity, and we can’t deny opportunity to people because they can’t afford the Internet or don’t have access to it.”
Mountainair Arts: NM Future of Internet TownHall
http://mountainairarts.blogspot.com/2010/11/fw-nmslam-fcc-commissioner-michael.html
Internet access matters to all of us in Mountainair. My thanks to Hakim Bellamy for sharing this. Short notice to be sure but please try to attend the town hall meeting. read Commissioner Copps’ Op-Ed in Monday’s Albuquerque Journal and more information about tonight’s townhall ~ Tuesday beginning at 6:30 p.m. at the Albuquerque Journal Theater in the National Hispanic Cultural Center, 1701 4th Street SW.
Wireless Revolution: Hundreds Gather in NM to Tell FCC to Protect Open Internet
http://4g-wirelessevolution.tmcnet.com/news/2010/11/17/5143496.htm
*From Press Release…
Heartland Info Tech: Link to the Hill article w/ Poem
http://www.heartland.org/infotech-news.org
Minority News: Is Internet Access Next Civil Rights Battle?
http://minoritynews.net/page.php?storyID=18361
“We all fear that these corporations — AT&T, Comcast, Verizon — really want to control the Internet for their own benefit,” Deloney said. “What it would cost for people to be able to get the Internet they want is a huge issue.”
Deloney’s group banded with 45 national and local organizations to form Latinos for Internet Freedom. The Center for Media Justice also is part of the national Media and Democracy Coalition. These groups are promoting public debate on net neutrality and the future of the Internet.
Alibi: Public Hearing on Future of the Internet
http://alibi.com/index.php?story=34661&scn=blog
COLORLINES: Open Internet Advocates Try to Reboot Fight for AccessNet Neutrality Fight Heats Up in the Desert
http://colorlines.com/archives/2010/11/net_neutrality_fight_heats_up_in_the_desert.html
Residents in and around Albuquerque, N.M., will gather today for a town hall meeting to discuss the future of broadband Internet legislation. The meeting, the second such event in less than six months, comes at a difficult time in the battle over how open the Internet will remain.
Public News Service: Internet’s Future Runs Through Duke City Tonight
http://www.publicnewsservice.org/index.php?/content/article/17007-1
The future of the Internet is being routed through New Mexico. Tonight, Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Commissioner Michael Copps and leaders from the state’s diverse populations host a special hearing on Internet access and freedom.
ABQJOURNAL OPINION/GUEST_COLUMNS: Open Internet Needed for All
http://www.abqjournal.com/opinion/guest_columns/15225846opinion11-15-10.htm#ixzz15MKJtzKf
The Internet was born on openness, has flourished on openness and depends on openness to realize its full potential. And its potential is so great. This incredible technology intersects with just about every great challenge confronting our nation — whether it’s jobs, education, energy, climate change and the environment, news, international competitiveness, health care or equal opportunity.
There’s no solution for any of these challenges that does not have a broadband component to it. We now have a technology with near limitless potential and are just beginning to truly harness its full ability.
But online freedom of Americans is at risk.
Right now, there are a few companies that have the ability to control what we see and do online, with or without our knowledge.
Native Public Media: MLP, CMJ and Free Press to host townhall on Future of the Internet
http://www.nativepublicmedia.org/on-november-16th-the-media-literacy-project-center-for-media-justice-and-free-press-will-be-hosting-a-townhall-on-the-future-of-the-internet.php
You can also download one of our quarter page flyers and share with your networks or get a townhall web badge to embed on your personal and organizational blogs and websites. Also, please share our recent ” Free the Air” video with your friends and networks.
ABQ Business Journal: ABQ hosts Future of Internet Event
http://www.bizjournals.com/albuquerque/blog/2010/11/ABQ-hosts-Future-of-the-Internet-event.html
Albuquerque’s Media Literacy Project, the Center for Media Justice and Free Press are hosting a town hall meeting on Internet issues Nov. 16 at the National Hispanic Cultural Center.
Media Literacy Project Executive Director Andrea Quijada said the gathering is crucial in shaping national policy on Internet access issues in New Mexico and other states. The Business Weekly wrote about Quijada and the MLP’s efforts last summer.
Read more: Albuquerque hosts ‘Future of the Internet’ event | New Mexico Business Weekly
NM Latinos to Verizon: Air Has No Ownership
http://oti.newamerica.net/publications/special/new_mexico_latinos_to_verizon_air_has_no_ownership_40037
Lately, cell phone companies have been trying hard to convince us that we control the airwaves. T-Mobile recently asked, “What do you want from your wireless company?” Verizon says we can “Rule The Air” with their service. These ads ignore that the airwaves already belong to the public, and that we are losing control, not gaining.
BroadcastingCable and Multi Channel News: Copps to Attend Open Internet Event in New Mexico
FCC Commissioner will appear at public hearing with Native Americans, Latinos, others
http://www.multichannel.com/article/459440-Copps_To_Attend_Open_Internet_Event_In_New_Mexico.php
In addition to being a proponent of codifying and expanding network neutrality rules and reclassifying broadband as a Title II telecommunications service, Copps has long been the FCC’s strongest voice for ensuring that communications services, including high-speed broadband, do not bypass tribal lands.
New Mexico Independent: FCC Commissioner to attend ABQ hearing on future of the Internet
Federal Communications Commissioner Michael Copps will be in Albuquerque Nov. 16 for a hearing on the future of the Internet. The event is sponsored by The Media Literacy Project, The Center for Media Justice and Free Press. The pro-net-neutrality groups are encouraging members of the public to share their thoughts on Internet access and freedom with the commissioner. (What is net neutrality? See the video above.) Other attendees include Geoffrey Blackwell of the Office of Native Affairs and Policy Consumer & Governmental Affairs Bureau, Joe Garcia of the All Indian Pueblo Council and Loris Taylor of Native Public Media.
Weekly Alibi: Community Calendar
http://alibi.com/index.php?scn=cal&desired_cal=comm
Federal Communications Commissioner Michael Copps is coming to Albuquerque to hear from citizens about Internet access and net neutrality. Web freedom fighters argue that government and Internet service providers should not restrict access and speed. Opponents of net neutrality say companies should be allowed to develop tiers of access and to direct traffic away from competitors in the interest of progress. Congress, through inaction, has left the topic in the hands of the FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski, according to Washington Post reporter Rob Pegoraro. So now is the time to speak up. The Tuesday hearing at the National Hispanic Cultural Center (1701 Fourth Street SW) is presented by the New Mexico Media Literacy Project, Free Press and the Center for Media Justice. RSVP and find more info on Internet freedom at savetheinternet.com/abqhearing. (Marisa Demarco)
Albuquerque Journal Theater · 6:30 p.m.
Democracy for New Mexico: Public Hearing in Albuquerque with FCC Commissioner Copps on Future of the Internet
The Internet’s future will be debated on November 16 in Albuquerque at a public hearing featuring Federal Communications Commissioner (FCC) Michael Copps and community leaders. The hearing coincides with the National Congress of American Indians’ Annual Convention and is a valuable opportunity for Native Americans, Latinos and people from all of New Mexico’s diverse communities to share their ideas, experiences and concerns about Internet access and freedom. It’s a rare chance for members of the public to participate in this important debate and to make their voices heard.
Fighting for the Future of the Internet with Leticia Miranda
To hear the entire show, CLICK HERE.
My guest Nov. 10 on No Country For Young Men was Leticia Miranda of Media Literacy Project. She is organizing around a dramatic public hearing on the Future of the Internet at the National Hispanic Cultural Center in Albuquerque on Nov. 16.
The event will feature FCC commissioner Michael Copps and hundreds of locals will be offered a chance to testify about their support for (or, in theory, opposition to) Open Internet principles.
El Grito NM: Wanted: Protectors of the Internet (Corporations Need Not apply)
http://elgritonm.org/elgrito/wanted-protectors-internet-corporations-need-not-apply
We all have a right to the communications systems of today and we should accept no less. Broadband needs to be a service in every home that serves and is shaped by the citizens that use it. Fight back now for a free and open internet so you don’t find your future self wondering “what could have been if we had protected the internet?”
Minority News: New Mexicans Speak Out on Future of the Internet
http://minoritynews.net/page.php?storyID=18146
The Internet’s future will be debated on Nov. 16 in Albuquerque at a public hearing featuring Federal Communications Commissioner Michael Copps and community leaders. The hearing coincides with the National Congress of American Indians’ Annual Convention and is a valuable opportunity for Native Americans, Latinos and people from all of New Mexico’s diverse communities to share their ideas, experiences and concerns about Internet access and freedom. It’s a rare chance for members of the public to participate in this important debate and to make their voices heard.
Media Minutes: New Mexico Takes Center Stage of Future of Internet Debate
http://www.savetheinternet.com/blog/10/11/10/new-mexico-center-stage-future-internet-debate
Listen at the above link!
Traci Morris: Future of Internet TownHall on November 16, 2010
http://tracilmorris.com/2010/11/12/future-of-the-internet-town-hall-on-november-16th-2010/
Other relevant articles
http://newamericamedia.org/2010/11/internet-access-as-the-next-civil-rights-battle.php
The ongoing, often arcane, battle over whether telecommunications companies may slow certain online services and charge fees to speed up others has morphed into a civil rights controversy.
Many of the country’s leading civil rights organizations are siding with the phone and cable companies in their bid to prevent federal regulations over their broadband, or high-speed, Internet services. At stake: whether to preserve “network neutrality” — the longstanding principle that all consumers can access whatever websites or applications they want on the Internet, at the same speed and without limitations imposed by Internet service providers.
Clouding the issue, however, is that more than half a dozen of these groups are fighting accusations of being bought off by the telecom industry. Records of telecom contributions to minority interests reveal a minimum of nearly $2 billion in cash and in-kind support made in the past decade by the top three providers — AT&T, Verizon, and Comcast.
Politico: Udall Opinion Piece
http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1010/43769.html
While these providers should be rewarded for the enormous investments and innovations they bring to the market, the open Internet should not be jeopardized to boost the profit of a handful of companies. This is especially true in a rural state such as New Mexico.
Read more: http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1010/43769.html#ixzz156aEVMAS
Broadcasting Cable: Coalition Backs Applying Net Regs to Wireless
The divide over network neutrality rules between coalitions of groups representing various minority interests was in evidence again this week as the FCC collected comments on its proposed expansion and codification of its Internet openness guidelines.
While the Minority Media & Telecommunications Council, representing a couple dozen groups, said it continued to have deep concerns about the rules and their impact on diversity, the Media Action Grassroots Network and Latinos For Internet Freedom, comprising about as many groups (including the National Hispanic Media Coalition [NHMC] and Free Press), told the FCC it needed to apply those rules to all platforms, including wireless broadband, to promote diversity.
“As the comments note, people across the U.S. are using the mobile wireless Internet to promote social justice and democratic discourse, which is just one of many reasons why an open Internet without gatekeepers and discrimination is essential,” said Jessica González, VP of policy and legal affairs for NHMC, which drafted the comments.
Minority News: Latinos Demand Internet Freedom Protection
http://minoritynews.net/page.php?storyID=16354
A new coalition of over 40 national and local organizations representing Latino communities, Latinos for Internet Freedom launched today by filing comments with the Federal Communications Commission to keep the Internet open and protect Latino consumers.
As one of the fastest growing communities in the United States, Latinos number 47 million with nearly 19 million online. The groups say strong Network Neutrality – or open Internet – rules would allow Latino communities to reap the economic and cultural opportunity presented by what many have called, “the most inclusive, democratic and transformative communications system ever created.”
Suite 101 MLP joins Latinos for Internet Freedom
With so much of our daily lives impacted by our ability to get online, Latino groups across the country are speaking out about the importance of an open Internet. In New Mexico the Media Literacy Project (MLP) announced in August, 2010, they joined “Latinos for Internet Freedom.”
“Our communities care about the future of the Internet, it’s essential now – like electricity, ” says Andrea Quijada, MLP Executive Director. “For Latino communities in New Mexico to have a future online, the Internet needs to remain open.”
Technology: Minority Coalition Backs Applying Net Regs to Wireless –
http://www.escapelatino.com/node/16055
The divide over network neutrality rules between coalitions of groups representing various minority interests was in evidence again this week as the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) collected comments on its proposed expansion and codification of its Internet openness guidelines. While the Minority Media & Telecommunications Council, representing a couple dozen groups, said it continued to have deep concerns about the rules and their impact on diversity, the Media Action Grassroots Network and Latinos For Internet Freedom, comprising about as many groups (including the National Hispanic Media Coalition [NHMC] and Free Press), told the FCC it needed to apply those rules to all platforms, including wireless broadband, to promote diversity. Both proponents and opponents of the FCC’s net neutrality regs have found supporters among minority organizations. Some argue that the regs could chill investment and innovation and thus widen the gap between the digital haves and the have nots, the latter which are disproportionately minorities. Others argue that the rules will protect diverse voices from being discriminated against online by gatekeepers controlling access. Broadcasting and Cable Magazine. 10/13/10
Extra stories on CMJ and Justice Communications program
Organizing Upgrade: Cutting Edge Communications
Media Justice and Justice Communications: Building Meaning Through Building Movement
http://www.organizingupgrade.com/2010/11/cutting-edge-communications/
At the Center for Media Justice we believe that the human right to communicate, and therefore to organize and fight for a better future, should belong to everyone.
Unfortunately, in the context of the big money media environment of the U.S. and the dawning of Tea Party politics following the this year’s mid-term elections- the vast majority of voices are shut out of the public debates that shape the daily material conditions of their lives.
Oakland Local: Cyril’s Official Story
http://oaklandlocal.com/article/queer-oakland-malkia-cyrils-official-story
“We learn from media what we deserve. I’ll say this: What you hear on the news becomes the official story, the official truth. It sets the terms of debate for policies, whether it’s health care (the possibility of a public option), the banking industry (holding them accountable for the mortgage crisis), the environment or jobs,” Cyril said.
“We have to begin participating in shaping what that official story is. That so-called truth is shaping public consciousness and the way we think about ourselves, the way we think about what’s possible. It sets the limits of our imagination. It demands that we engage in political process in limited ways, only in the ways that have been defined by what we understand is possible and true. The ability to shape the story is absolutely critical for any possibility of envisioning a different future.”
Racial Disparities Still Delaying ‘Connection’ According to Broadband Study http://campusprogress.org/articles/racial_disparities_still_delaying_connection_in_broadband_study/#
The findings of a recent study (http://www.esa.doc.gov/DN/) on broadband Internet access released this week show that as the number of Americans with Web access continues to climb, communities of color affected by the digital divide.
“What this comprehensive report clearly demonstrates, is that, along with a variety of socioeconomic and geographic factors, need and interest are substantial and powerful indicators of broadband adoption,” says Malkia Cyril, grassroots organizer and Executive Director of the Center for Media Justice. “Whether the Internet holds promise for a community is very much dependent not only on whether that community can access broadband, but also, whether its content is relevant to them and representative of them.”
