A View from the Field: Exposing the Surveillance State

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.

• Yanni Chen and Jenna Ruddock hosted “Supreme Court Report,” a Free Press Action webinar about cases impacting federal regulators and the ability of social-media platforms to combat disinformation and moderate against hateful content. Watch the webinar.
• Jenna also took part in a panel discussion at the Take Back Tech conference in Chicago. The conversation examined the environmental impacts of data centers and their role in facilitating surveillance.
• At its June meeting, the Free Press-led Media Power Collaborative — a space for media workers, movement organizers and researchers — discussed the latest policy efforts to strengthen local journalism. Participants also explored who the MPC should partner with in its efforts to transform local news. Alex Frandsen and Mike Rispoli organized the gathering, which Mike hosted.
• Cassie Owens led a care practice at a youth justice and media workshop in Philadelphia. Learn more about Cassie’s transformative work in Philly.
• Candace Clement testified at a hearing exploring the possible creation of a journalism commission in Massachusetts. “The details matter here and it is crucial that lawmakers keep a core question in mind,” she said. “Will Massachusetts invest in a new sustainable future for local news, one rooted in community need rather than corporate profit? Or will we simply prop up an ailing media system that has long failed to provide the kind of public-service journalism that’s most needed?”
• The Media 2070 team — Diamond Hardiman, Joseph Torres and Venneikia Williams — took part in Kaleidoscope Live, a summit in Charlotte, North Carolina, featuring BIPOC funders, organizers and journalists. During the Borealis Philanthropy event, the team gave a presentation delving into the social and legal sustainability of media reparations, and both Diamond and Joe took part in panel discussions. Media 2070 also presented a screening of a forthcoming documentary about Black Future Newsstand, an art installation co-created with the Black Thought Project that debuted in Harlem in June 2023 to much acclaim.
• Nora Benavidez took part in an LTX Live webinar exploring how the growth of generative AI has disrupted entertainment and all forms of media. The discussion considered what all of this means for the Latine community of creators, directors, writers, actors, technologists, businesses and lawyers.