Americans Increasingly Wary Of FCC Media Changes

[Judi Lynn]

Americans Increasingly Wary Of FCC Media Changes
Last Updated: 7/13/2003 5:15:08 PM


The more Americans learn about federal changes
that lift restrictions on companies owning different media outlets in the same city, the less they like it, a new poll suggests. The public has been increasingly concerned in recent years about the independence of the press.

New rules passed by the Federal Communications Commission allowing more concentrated ownership
appear to have heightened those fears, according to a poll by the Pew Research Center for the People & the Press. Half in that poll, 50%, said they think allowing companies to own more broadcast and newspaper operations in the
same city will have a negative effect.

Only 10% said that would have a positive effect. About a third said in February that the concentrated ownership of media outlets in a city would have a negative effect. But few
people at that time had been paying much attention to ongoing efforts to change the media ownership rules.

Seven in 10 in the new poll said they think news organizations are often influenced by powerful people and organizations. "Over the last 20 years, people have had growing doubts about
whether the press is really independent or influenced by powerful forces," said Tom Rosenstiel, director of the Project for Excellence in Journalism. "They have growing concerns about that influence." (snip)

(snip) Andrew Kohut, director of the Pew Research Center, said the worries about the new ownership rules are probably related to "the suspicion the public has about corporate power." (snip/...)

http://www.wusatv9.com/news/news_article.asp?storyid=20412

[NYC]

1. A few days ago, I received a letter from Rep. Carolyn Maloney

saying that the FCC had received over 500,000 post cards and emails.