We've all heard the phrase, "a free press is a condition of a free society." But what happens when just a few corporations control the press, including television, radio and the newspapers? And what would happen to the Internet if those same corporations were able to control who has access to certain sites on the World Wide Web, or Internet?

When a small number of big corporations control too much of our sources of news, information and culture, the public interest is threatened. Yet big media companies are lobbying Congress and the Federal Communications Commission to give them more control. PennPIRG is fighting to make sure citizens have access to a free, independent media that serves the public interest. Click here to send a message to the FCC opposing media consolidation.

Stopping Corporate Media Consolidation

Just a few big corporations own the vast majority of what you see on television, hear on the radio, and increasingly, read in the newspaper.

That's Bad News For American Democracy. Pro�t-driven big media companies are cutting back on reporters and relying more on prepackaged programs. As a result, we're not getting information on the most important civic issues like elections, let alone a discussion of local affairs.

That's Bad News For American Culture. Big media companies make national decisions about the music we hear on the radio, making it dif�cult for local artists to gain exposure. While college radio stations and a few other low-power stations remain the local sources of more diverse musical choices, big media companies are trying to buy or block those too.

And That's Not What Anyone Would Call A Free Press. Big media giants are watching out for their pro�ts, not the public interest. The mainstream media rarely covers stories about itself, even keeping the public in the dark about the FCC's proposed rule to allow greater media consolidation. Some have also blacklisted artists that speak out on controversial issues, and threatened not to cover presidential news conferences that interrupt prime- time programs.

Big Media Companies Are Working To Get More Control. As these media giants continue to grow, they also are urging the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to:

• Reduce ownership limits so that they can get even bigger;
• Weaken the rules on the cross-ownership of newspapers, broadcast and radio stations in local markets.

The FCC Wants Your Input

The FCC is accepting public comment on media ownership issues beginning July 2006. The agency needs to hear your concerns. You can visit www.pennpirg.org/mediaownership to submit electronic comments to the agency.

Download an action alert you can distribute to friends and family to help them contact the FCC. (PDF, 25 KB)

Keeping the Internet Free

Many of us use the internet every day to do things like read our local paper online, download music, share photos with friends and family and keep in touch through email.

Now, the largest telephone and cable companies are trying to limit our Internet access by deciding who and what gets priority. Under their vision of the internet, certain web sites would load faster if the web site operator paid more, certain e-mails could be intercepted if the internet provider didn't like what you had to say, and websites that had a political message unfavorable to the internet provider could be blocked.

The Internet was designed so that no one company, government, or individual could control or limit the flow of information, and that's why it's just as easy to access a popular website like Amazon.com as it is to send an email to a loved one.

But the Internet as we know it is at risk because of recent Federal Communications Commission and Supreme Court decisions. Unless reversed, these decisions will allow the telephone and cable companies to decide who and what gets priority online.

This will not only affect the way in which we use the internet on a day-to-day basis but will also stifle innovation online. Instead of being a place for big ideas from small companies, the Internet would become a rigged system where only those with the deepest pockets get a chance to compete. Political views unfavorable to big media companies could be stifled, and producers of arts and cultural material may not be able to afford the higher fees of the internet provider.

Your Senators have an opportunity to preserve to preserve our freedom of choice online. Comprehensive Internet and cable television reform legislation recently proposed in the Senate Commerce Committee by its Chairman, Ted Stevens (AK) fails to preserve what is called "net neutrality," among other problems. But a bi-partisan PIRG-backed bill by Senators Olympia Snowe (ME) and Byron Dorgan (ND) could be added to the Stevens bill. Sign our Internet Freedom petition. You can help by calling Senators Specter and Santorum and urging them to support keeping the internet free.