Net Neutrality And Freedom Of The Press

Dear Chairman Genachowski and members of Congress, We, the undersigned, ask you to stand with us in favor of “Net Neutrality.” Freedom of the press is a central tenant of our democracy and the Internet is today’s printing press. As journalists we understand that Net Neutrality is at its core about people’s access to information. The future of journalism in America depends on an open and free flowing Internet. Opponents have suggested that a Net Neutrality rule would give the government the power to “become the Web’s traffic cop, shutting down free speech on the Internet.” Nothing could be further from, the truth. Without rules to prevent discrimination, Internet service providers will be free to choose whose online voices are more important. Network Neutrality promotes the widest dissemination of all forms of news and information. This openness is the reason the Internet has unleashed a tidal wave of new journalism efforts and innovative reporting projects. As more and more news and information moves online, we need to ensure that the flow of information on Internet is free and unencumbered. With Net Neutrality we can support newspapers’ transition to the digital era, and at the same time foster a new cadre of voices online. Net Neutrality ensures that innovative local news websites and nonprofit reporting projects can be accessed just as easily as legacy media sites. Net Neutrality encourages journalists to pioneer new tools and modes of reporting and lowers the bar for citizens to participate. It is about creating a level playing field for all voices. The future of journalism is bound up in the future of the Internet. To function effectively, our modern democratic society must protect these central public goods. We need news and information to fill and guide a marketplace of ideas for an informed citizenry. And we need universal access to a communications network to participate in that marketplace as both audience and speaker. Without strong Net Neutrality protections, Internet companies can block certain Web sites, or slow down and obstruct certain applications. These actions would have a chilling effect on free speech and freedom of the press online. Protecting freedom of the press can’t stop online. We call on the FCC to take action now to affirmatively safeguard the free flow of information on the Web before it’s too late. Signed Angela K. Antony, CEO, Beanstockd Media Inc.

Carol Jenkins, President, Women’s Media Center

Jessica Mason Pieklo, Writer and Editor, Care2

David Ardia, Director, Citizen Media Law Project, Harvard Law School

Linda Jue, Director/Executive Editor, G.W. Williams Center for Independent Journalism

Cara Lisa Berg Powers, Co-Director, Press Pass TV

Julia Austin, Associate Publisher, The Texas Observer

Steve Katz, Vice President for Strategy and Development, Mother Jones

Murali Balaji, Assistant Professor, Lincoln University David S. Bennahum, President & CEO, The Center for Independent Media Jason Barnett, Executive Director, The UpTake Joel Bleifuss, Editor & Publisher, In These Times Jeff Cohen, Park Center for Independent Media, Ithaca College David Cohn, Director, Spot.Us Dan Conover, freelance journalist and media futurist, http://xark.typepad.com Jessica T. Durkin, Scranton, PA, http://inothernews.us Phillip Frazer, Publisher & Co-editor, Hightower Lowdown

Chip Kaye, Founder, Jseed.org Tom Klammer, community radio public affairs program host/producer, KKFI

Steve Ranieri, Executive Director, Quote...Unquote, Inc. Tracy Record & Patrick Sand, co-publishers, West Seattle Blog and White Center Now Colin Rhinesmith, Community Media Coordinator, Cambridge Community Television

Fran Korten, Executive Director, YES! Magazine

Iván Román, Executive Director, National Association of Hispanic Journalists

Jonathan Lawson, Executive Director, Reclaim the Media

Nancy Roof, Founder and Editor, Kosmos Journal

Otis Maclay, Pacifica Foundation

Jay Rosen, New York University

Marge May, Producer/Host of Women’s Windows, WERU-FM Community Radio Maine

Mary Serreze, Publisher, NorthamptonMedia

Steve Outing, media consultant, Editor & Publisher columnist Randy Paynter, Founder & CEO, Care2.com

Tracy Van Slyke, Project Director, The Media Consortium Craig Sinclair, Community Media Coordinator, Amherst Community Television

Dan Pacheco, founder, Printcasting

David Sirota, Nationally syndicated weekly newspaper columnist and bestselling author

Steve Hanson, Publisher, RootsWire

Nick Penniman, Executive Director, Huffington Post Investigative Fund

Michael Stoll, Project director, The Public Press

Lauren Hauser, YouthNoise!

Miriam Perez, Editor, Feministing.com

Peter Hussmann, Editor/Publisher, Newton Independent

Richard Phelps, Former Chair of KPFA’s Local Station Board

Garlin Gilchrist II, The SuperSpade

Aldon Hynes, Blogger, Orient Lodge

Ethan Zuckerman, co-founder of Global Voices, senior researcher at the Berkman Center