National Conference for Media Reform

WHAT: National Conference for Media Reform

WHERE: Millennium Hotel, St. Louis, Mo.

WHEN: May 13-15, 2005

WHO:

FCC Commissioners Michael Copps and Jonathan Adelstein
U.S. Reps. Diane Watson (D-Calif.)
Maurice Hinchey (D-N.Y.) and Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.)
Comedian Al Franken
musical legend Patti Smith
author and political commentator Jim Hightower
Amy Goodman of Democracy Now!
Television host Phil Donahue
Kim Gandy of the National Organization for Women (NOW)
Naomi Klein, author of No Logo
Janine Jackson of Fairness & Accuracy in Reporting (FAIR)
David Brock of Media Matters for America
Seattle Times Publisher Frank Blethen
DJ and activist Davey D
Newspaper Guild President Linda Foley
Daily News columnist Juan Gonzalez
Victor Navasky and John Nichols of The Nation
Outfoxed director Robert Greenwald
linguist George Lakoff
Medea Benjamin of Code Pink
Bill Fletcher of the TransAfrica Forum
radio host and author Laura Flanders
Malkia Cyril of the Youth Media Council
Free Press founder and president Robert W. McChesney

Plus thousands of activists, artists, policymakers, scholars, journalists and citizens concerned about the current state of the media.

The conference is sold out, but it's definitely worth our attention.

Bill Moyers delivered the keynote address in 2003. It's an article worth reading, with a sweeping view of the role of media in democracy. Invoking the spirit and revolutionary rhetoric of Thomas Paine, Moyers raged against the current "quasi-official partisan press ideologically linked to an authoritarian administration that in turn is the ally and agent of the most powerful interests in the world."