Today, the FCC announced publicly that it is moving ahead with its research framework designed pursuant to Section 257, the Critical Information Needs Study.

Cheryl Leanza, the policy advisor for the United Church of Christ OC Inc., praised Chairwoman Clyburn today for her leadership in moving this effort forward.  "The Chairwoman has once again proven that she has her eye on the ball.  Even in tight fiscal times, the Chairwoman is pinching pennies to increase the FCC's knowledge base on critical policy issues facing the agency." 

The United Church of Christ, OC Inc. has been requesting the Federal Communications Commission improve its understanding of communities of color for the last 15 years, since the U.S. Supreme Court handed down its Adarand decision, which led the FCC to scale back its media diversity efforts.   Its most recent efforts centered on the media ownership data released by the FCC under Chairman Genachowski at the end of last year.

"The Section 257 Critical Information Needs study is at long last the kind of comprehensive analysis the FCC has lacked.  We are delighted to see Chairwoman Clyburn put the Commission on the road to understanding how the media and telecommunications ecosystem serves the critical information needs of all people in the United States." 

At the same time, the Federal Communications Commission also announced a new study examining Hispanic television viewing and ownership as part of its on-going efforts to promote diversity.  "I am excited to see the question of Hispanic ownership addressed in such detail," noted Leanza, "we look forward to learning more about it and working with the Commission where we can to ensure its success."

As part of the media violence fast, we are sharing a few reflections for our participants to enhance the meaning during the week.  Don't forget to also take a look at our resources page. 

Eyes that Do Not See

Scriptural texts are often concerned with people who have eyes, but do not see.   As we take a week to avoid violence in the media, what can that idea mean for us?  When we watch television, it can mean a time of relaxation and fun at the end of the day.  But sometimes we become so desensitized to the violence on-screen, that we don't even realize we're watching it.  How many prime time TV shows involve murders or other crimes -- and these days they are often pretty grizzly!  

Do you have eyes that do not really "see" the violence in a show when you watch it?  Do you think that impact violence you encounter other places in your life?  If you chose to avoid even the TV news this week, how did avoiding fictional violence change the way you viewed real violence on television?  If you avoid all violent media, do you find yourself wanting to read more or less about violence in the written news? If your children are avoiding violent video games this week, are they willing to see the world in a new way?

What is it like to find alternate ways to occupy your time for this week?   Will your eyes (and your heart) respond differently after a week away?   

-- UCC's media justice ministry, OC Inc.

Yesterday, UCC OC Inc. joined two important efforts with children forefront in our minds.  We joined with our colleagues at the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights as we spoke out in comments before the Federal Communications Commission in support of the President's ConnectED proposal to increase the Internet capacity of schools and libraries around the country. 

On a different note, we joined with a wide array of consumer, children's and privacy advocates to ask the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to protect teens from marketing.  Much has been published lately about "big data" and its power in the modern day.  While we are concerned about adults and children, teens are particularly susceptible to marketing from their peer groups, and Facebook recently changed its policy with regard to teens.

On the good news front for kids and privacy, this summer the FTC adopted strengthened rules to protect children's privacy.  Companies should be complying with these rules already.  If you have kids, keep an eye out -- see if the online media your child uses complies with the new rules.  Check out Center for Digital Democracy's Parent's Guide.  Here are a few highlights, download the guide for the full story:

• Talk with your children about what they do and where they go online, as well as what apps they download on their mobile phones. Make sure that the media they are engaging with is age-appropriate.
• Explain to them that they need to be very careful about what they post online about themselves.
• Be wary of websites, mobile apps, and other child-oriented digital media that ask for a lot of personal information that does not seem necessary.
• Be especially careful about your children’s use of mobile phones. Mobile apps should never ask your child to give permission for collection of her location without first obtaining your permission.
  • Some apps may be “free” to download, but once children begin playing with them, they may be prompted by the app to purchase multiple items in the game (“virtual goods”). This practice can rack up a very high bill without parents knowing.
• Review the privacy policies of all the websites and digital devices your children use to make sure you are comfortable about the safety, security, and privacy protections provided on them.

We hope you are having a good media violence fast.  As part of the fast, we are sharing a few reflections for our participants to enhance the meaning during the week.  Don't forget to also take a look at our resources page. 

The teachings of Thich Nhat Hanh have a profound impact on me for many years.  In one of  his teachings, he talks about mindful consumption.  We not only consume food, we also consume violence through watching violent movies and playing violent video games.  I had always been affected by watching violent films and it would take a long time to shake the images, loud noises, watching people being killed.  So I decided to stop watching them.  It was not hard at all and outside of  going to the latest "Star Trek" films (that is very hard to give up) I've given up watching violence all together and it's a relief for my whole system.  -- Rev. Julia Jarvis, UCC minister

-- UCC's media justice ministry, OC Inc.

As part of this week's media violence fast, we are sharing a few reflections for our participants to enhance the meaning during the week.  Don't forget to also take a look at our resources page. 

"Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things." --Philippians 4:8

According to the book of Proverbs, "...as a man thinketh in his heart, so is he." According to the health conscious, "You are what you eat." And, according to many motivational speakers, "You only get out of life that which you put into it." No matter who the source is, the message is basically the same. Whatever you surround yourself with and devote your time to essentially speaks volumes as to what you become.

If we are surrounded by hatred, we learn to hate. If we are surrounded by love, we learn to love. We are admonished in scripture to think on things that are pure, lovely, good, excellent and worthy of praise. While stories and games that include violence are not always a problem, it is useful to spend some time away from them so that we can consider more deeply what impact violent media has on us.

Gracious God, renew our hearts and mind that we may focus our time and our thoughts on the more positive, beautiful aspects of life. Teach us the truth, let us model for others the kind of people that we want to be.  Empower us to exemplify your loving kindness, so that we may spread your message of love to all whose paths we cross.

-- UCC's media justice ministry, OC Inc.

Images of people of color and other historically marginalized communities proliferate in the media.  At times they inspire, but more- often-than-not they perpetuate stereotypes and misinformation rather than empowerment and liberation.  

Behind the scenes a web of rules, regulations and production not only create, but disseminate these images… often at the expense of our communities’ health and wellbeing.  Fortunately this is not the end of the story!

Join us for an interactive and creative session that explores the ways that story-telling, organizing, and technology can help to shape the stories that impact our lives.  Bring your own stories as the United Church of Christ’s media justice ministry and the Center for Media Justice join forces to consider these questions and look for ways to promote racial justice through the media. 
 
This session will be held on Tuesday, October 1 at the First Congregational United Church of Christ, 945 G St NW, Washington DC 20001 (near Metro Center).  The session will start at 10:30 am and end at 12:30 with lunch.   RSVPs are necessary so we can provide you with lunch.
 
The workshop will occur after the UCC's annual Everett C. Parker Lecture and Awards Breakfast, which will start at 8 am.  Limited complimentary tickets to the breakfast may be available, please email cleanza@alhmail.com if you would like to attend both events.

Join Us: A National Civil Rights Call on Protecting and Expanding the Lifeline Program, September 12th, 2-3pm EST

Thanks to the Lifeline program, our nation's most vulnerable and chronically underserved – struggling families, communities of color, native populations, seniors, veterans, and rural residents—are able to maintain telephone service that would otherwise be unaffordable. But recent media attention has ignored the benefits of this critical program, focusing instead on perceptions of fraud and abuse.  Read our blog post on the Lifeline Program.

Join Representative Doris Matsui (D. CA-6), California Public Utilities Commissioner Catherine J.K. Sandoval, advocates, and experts for a national conference call to discuss the importance of protecting and expanding Lifeline. Speakers will discuss the most recent attacks on the program and how you can take action to protect and expand this essential service. There will be time for Q&A with speakers at the end of the call.

September 12, 2013, 2:00-3:00 p.m. EST

Please RSVP here to receive a dial-in number

• Keynote Address: Representative Doris Matsui, D. CA-6
• Edyael Casaperalta, Program and Research Associate, Center for Rural Strategies
• Commissioner Catherine J.K. Sandoval, California Public Utilities Commission
• Professor David Super, Georgetown Law School
• Jessica González, Vice President, Policy & Legal Affairs, National Hispanic Media Coalition
• Moderated by Nancy Zirkin, Executive Vice President, The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights

This event is one of several activities designed to highlight National Telephone Discount Awareness Week. For more information, visit www.civilrights.org. Questions? Please email sadler@civilrights.org

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC), led by Acting Chairwoman Mignon Clyburn scheduled a vote tomorrow on a long-pending petition to reform predatory prison phone rates.  The United Church of Christ's media justice and communications rights ministry, called Office of Communication, Inc., has been active in promoting the cause of justice at the FCC.  In anticipation of the vote tomorrow, Rev. Geoffrey Black, General Minister and President of the United Church of Christ issued the following statement:

Less than a year ago, I joined inmate families as they rallied outside the FCC asking for an end to long distance predatory prison phone rates.  Tomorrow the FCC will act under the leadership of Acting Chairwoman Mignon Clyburn, who heard the call of justice.  We offer Chairwoman Clyburn and her staff our gratitude for taking action and ending 10 years of delay.  We are very proud of the role the UCC’s historic media justice ministry played in bringing about the FCC vote.

For more information about this issue, visit our web page, www.uccmediajustice.org/prisonphones.

Press contact: Cheryl Leanza, UCC OC Inc. policy advisor: 202-904-2168

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The United Church of Christ is a faith community rooted in justice that recognizes the unique power of the media to shape public understanding and thus society.  For this reason, UCC’s Office of Communication, Inc. (OC, Inc.) works to create just and equitable media structures that give meaningful voice to diverse peoples, cultures and ideas.  Established in 1959, OC Inc. ultimately established the right of all citizens to participate at the Federal Communications Commission as part of its efforts to ensure a television broadcaster in Jackson, MS served its African-American viewers during the civil rights movement. 

The Cleveland-based United Church of Christ has 5,700 local congregations across the United States.  It was formed by the 1957 union of the Congregational Christian Churches and the Evangelical and Reformed Church.

The Federal Communications Commission has heard the call of justice.  The FCC has scheduled a vote on Friday to consider the 10 year-old petition of Martha Wright to end the high cost of long distance calls to prison.

We don't yet know how the vote will go, but under the leadership of Acting Chairwoman Clyburn, we are hopeful for a good ruling.

As the Commission was undertaking its final consideration of this question, we submitted our petition of religious leaders and organizations urging the FCC to act.  Thank you to all who signed the petition!

The FCC will stream its meeting on Friday morning via the Internet.  Or you can follow UCC OC Inc. on Twitter, and look for the hashtag #phonejustice.  UCC OC Inc.'s allies at the phone justice campaign are also organizing phone justice viewing parties across the country to watch the FCC's live stream.  Click here and let them know you will be watching!

By W. Evan Golder

No matter where you live in the United States, a UCC OC Inc. petition filed at the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) on Wednesday, July 24, will affect you.   The petition seeks to deny the right of Gannett Company, the nation’s largest newspaper publisher, to expand its hold in five media markets by buying a TV company called Belo Corp.  If the merger is approved by the FCC, it will affect media markets, large and small, across the country.  The petition focused on five of the hardest hit markets.  Members of the UCC filed to demonstrate to the FCC how they would be harmed by the merger.

In Phoenix, the Rev. David W. Ragan watches Phoenix’s three television stations – KTVK, KPNX, and KASW – and subscribes to Phoenix’s only major daily newspaper, the Arizona Republic.  But he finds it “almost impossible” to get media coverage for events sponsored by groups fighting for equality in Arizona “when our cause is against the positions taken by the dominant perspectives of the press and the community it shapes.”

In Tucson, the Rev. Teresa Blythe regularly watches KTTU and KMSB and reads the Arizona Daily Star, the only daily newspaper providing news of her entire community. Gannett, which currently owns 23 television stations and 82 U.S. daily newspapers, including half-ownership of the Star, proposes to provide major services to KTTU and KMSB. “Without independent voices,” Blythe says, “there will be less investigative journalism, which allows corporate interests via press releases and highly ‘spinned’ news to dominate the news.”

In St. Louis, the Rev. David Beebe serves Good Shepherd United Church of Christ. Among the television stations he watches are KMOV and KSDK, both of which Gannett proposes to own. This potential common ownership “harms me,” he says, “by sharply reducing the number of independent voices and competitive news sources available to me.”

In five media markets, these three and Louisville, Ky., and Portland, Ore., Gannett proposes to purchase broadcast licenses, thus reducing the number of media outlets in these markets—and the number of sources of news and information.

But this media consolidation cannot occur in a vacuum. These deals must be approved by the Federal Communications Commission—and the public has a right to oppose them.

So the UCC’s media justice arm, OC Inc., short for UCC Office of Communication, Inc., joined with five other public interest organizations to file objections to this media concentration. The other groups are Free Press, the National Association of Broadcast Employees and Technicians and the Broadcasting and Cable Television Workers Sector of the Communication Workers of America (NABET), the Communications Workers of America (CWA), the National Hispanic Media Coalition (NHMC), and Common Cause.

The filing today and the every member of the public’s right to hold media accountable at the FCC are due to the legal rulings established by OC, Inc. More than 50 years ago, OC, Inc.’s founder, Everett Parker, mounted a concerted campaign to deny the license of WLBT-TV in Jackson, Miss and successfully divested the station from its owners.

One of the UCC members who helped with Wednesday's filing was inspired by the original work to take part.  St. Louis pastor David Beebe was new to ministry when Everett Parker created OC, Inc. “Up to then, I had thought of a denomination’s Office of Communication as the publicity arm of the church,” he says. “I hadn’t thought of it doing social justice. But I learned what he was doing in Jackson, Miss., and I was very proud. Now I’m grateful that OC, Inc., is still functioning and doing the work that Everett Parker started.”