A View from the Field: Meeting with Powerful Decision-Makers

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.

• Vanessa Maria Graber and Joseph Torres attended the symposium “When Media Put Social Justice at Risk,” where Joe was an interlocutor. The Center for Media at Risk and the Annenberg Center for Collaborative Communication hosted this event.
• Cassie Owens joined fellow Journalism Accountability Watchdog Network members to celebrate the end of a big year advocating for equitable and antiracist coverage and practices in Philadelphia. 
• Jessica J. González testified before the California Senate Judiciary Committee hearing about the need for trustworthy journalism that serves community needs. Jessica also spoke out against the flawed California Journalism Preservation Act (CJPA). According to Free Press Action’s research, the CJPA would reward massive media conglomerates and hedge funds that have destroyed local news while investing very little in locally focused outlets. 
• Heather Franklin spoke to UMass Amherst students, including members of the Responsible Technology Coalition, about the FCC’s proceeding to reinstate the Net Neutrality rules and the agency’s authority under Title II of the Communications Act. Restoring Title II would give the FCC the power to protect against sensitive data breaches, hidden fees, privacy violations and countless other shady behaviors from companies like AT&T, Comcast and Verizon.
• Amanda Beckham, Nora Benavidez, Rose Lang-Maso, Jenna Ruddock and Matt Wood joined partners in the Disinfo Defense League for meetings with key decision-makers in Washington, D.C. The group first met with Federal Trade Commission Chairwoman Lina Khan and Commissioner Rebecca Kelly Slaughter to discuss the agency’s proceeding to rein in commercial surveillance. And in meetings with six congressional offices, the group discussed a range of issues related to social-media platforms, including rampant disinformation, language disparities in content moderation, government surveillance reform, the civil-rights implications of AI and the need for data-privacy legislation.