A View from the Field: From Austin to Oklahoma City

A View from the Field is an ongoing feature that highlights the efforts of Free Press’ team of organizers and advocates. We provide regular updates from the field as staffers work alongside our amazing allies and activists to create a just and equitable media system.

• Nora Benavidez took part in two panel discussions at SXSW in Austin. “Building Responsible Tech with the Latinx Community” examined the need to diversify the tech industry. Right now, the Latinx community represents only 8 percent of the tech workforce and just 1 percent of tech leadership roles. Nora also spoke during “Freedom of Speech or Freedom to Hate,” which Lush Cosmetics sponsored. The discussion explored the dangerous impacts of unmoderated hate and misinformation on social media — and delved into how to hold companies like Meta and X accountable for these harms.
• Craig Aaron gave a speech at a “Protect Public Media Day” rally outside NPR headquarters in Washington, D.C. “A vibrant, independent public-media system is essential to a healthy democracy,” he said. “So it’s no wonder that Donald Trump and Elon Musk hate public media.” Read more about the event. 
• Vanessa Maria Graber took part in the panel discussion “Protecting Democracy” at the National Farmers Union convention in Oklahoma City. Panelists discussed media consolidation, the state of rural media, the local-news crisis and the need to combat disinformation. While at the convention, Vanessa Maria spoke with farmers who raised concerns about the loss of local newsrooms in their communities.
• Amanda Beckham discussed her work during a Disinfo Defense League salon. This is part of an ongoing series where DDL members learn about new approaches, best practices and lessons learned from collective efforts to build strong, trusted information systems.
• Jessica J. González spoke during the panel discussion “Voices Silenced: Media Censorship and Resistance under the Second Trump Administration,” which CALÓ News and the Latino Media Collaborative hosted. The panel explored how the Trump administration’s rhetoric, policies and executive actions have targeted a free press, with particular implications for communities of color. Panelists examined how censorship impacts both the creation and consumption of news. 
• Ruth L. Nuñez took part in the panel discussion “Generative AI + Creative Work” at the UCLA Center for Internet Inquiry.