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Bumped. - Ray
Here at the big tent covering a panel put together by Common Cause and the Center for Independent Media. Here are the panelists:
Heather Smith, Rock the Vote
Gene Karpinski, League of Conservation Voters
Mark Lloyd, VP for Strategic Initiatives at the Center for Civil Rights
David Bennahum, founder of Center for Independent Media.
Karpinski: The current problem of "balance" in the media is not new. The news coverage over tobacco over the last 50 years is similar to the current coverage of global warming, all sides are mentioned despite the fact one side was clearly wrong.
It takes a strong effort on the part of an organization to get the media to pay attention to a particular issue. LCV pressured the mainstream media to ask the candidates more global warming questions, and we're successful during the Democratic primaries earlier in the year.
Lloyd: The media has not progressed that much since the 60s in terms of covering minority issues. The conversation and public debate over civil rights is either in one extreme (framed in the 1960s) or the other (we're in a post-racial era.) The media therefore don't cover issues of discrimination much at all.
The other problem is the media focuses on a "conflict frame."
Smith: The media has told everyone that youth are disengaged, apathetic and don't vote. Of course, this is very demoralizing to youth. The media then reports/laments the lack of a youth vote. They create a vicious cycle.
The AP runs a headline "Youth Vote A Bust" after 2004, despite it was one the largest increases in youth turnout.
Rock the Vote tries to empower young people (they send out their own reporters) to use social networks and new media to get their message out, apart from the traditional media.
Barack Obama did not create the youth movement. The youth movement has been building over time.
Bennahum: Started Center for Independent Media because due to new Internet tools, we could be the media. Tried to merge the speed of the blogs with journalistic standards. CIM treats "balance" differently: you have to come to a conclusion in your reports.
Newspapers claim they are losing readership because of technology, it's instead because they are putting out a bad product. The rise of the blogosphere at the expense of traditional media demonstrates this.
Audience Question: Why isn't the media covering the youth vote?
Smith: The media hasn't kept up with youth trends in terms of how they get their information. The media also doesn't cover issues relating to youth in any kind of substantial way.
Audience Question: How do we prevent ageism in the media?
Lloyd: It's important to work with existing groups to make sure young people understand the contributions of their elders.
Audience Question: How can we get the media to recognize the fact that it is hard for youth to vote in certain areas?
Smith: The voter registration system has been set up to keep people from voting. When the registration system is easiest, the higher the voter turnout. It's important to lobby for legislative change in this area.
And that's a wrap!
