July Meeting Minutes

1. Introductions of new members.

2. Sometime we worry about “talking to ourselves”. Not a problem, we need to activate our base

3) Please note that BlueWave web site has changed to a .org. New url is
http://www/bluewavenj.org

4) Subcommittee Reports:

1. Framing: Cindy Handler and Joann Zippel report on the compilation of “shared values framing that framing group has created. This is a great piece of work and will be distributed to media reform group for comments. We will then post on web and distribute to all of Blue Wave membership. We will post on blog by the end of the week.

We will share this language with George Lakoff’s Rockridge institute as well

2. Speakers: Robin reported on film festival at Wellmont, probably Saturday April 29/06. Possibly Robert Greenwald films. Early planning stage – contact Robin to help. We will be taking your suggestions for film series on the blog. Post will be there by the end of the week.

Robin put 5 ideas of “what is media reform” together in a good handout. Robing will be accepting “5 most important Media Reform Factoids” for another week. You can send them to rseidon@earthlink.net. Remember, if you only had 3 minutes to communicate the most important issues involving media reform, what would these be? Try to remain non-partisan, This issue effects everyone

3. Legislative: Rich and Ann: the Internet is important and will become more so. Wireless internet holds the best promise for internet, phone, radio and television service in the future. It is cost effective and the free flow of information would thrive taking away the gate-keeper of big business. There is a strong movement by big business to outlaw this technology at the community level. Rich’s idea is to spur legislation that would protect our right to use this technology down the road. National legislation has been proposed by McCain/Feingold. We will try and do something preemptive in NJ. Rich has written a letter to Nia Gil. We look forward to her response.

5) Group requested that I send out new blog invitations. I will do so.

6) Group requested e-mail addresses of all present be circulated among this group, will do that.

7) Keep an eye out for International World Television (find this on Google) – global independent news enterprise

8) Because framing group has completed their job for the most part, we will have to re-configure ourselves to that our new language and media factoids forward. There are several ways of doing this. At the next meeting be prepared to take action. Here are some possible ways to become involved:



Editorial Writing -organizing around a topic. Use framing language, organize editorial writing campaign – e.g. Robert Novak issue. Suzy post “ tips on letter writing for print publications.”

Work to get Democracy Now! on NJ-PBS. There are other NJ groups that may want to join the effort. Can also work to get this on Cable Access. 3 of us from group have volunteed to work on committee in Montclair, Robin Seidon is spearheading effort here. Amy Goodman will help. Free Speech TV.

Outreach/education – camera around town interviewing people about whether media is “serving the public interest”. If yes, how so. If no, why not. Then give out media fact sheet complete with important urls and url to our framing language. If appropriate, encourage them to join us

License Renewal for Comcast comes up in 2008. Is Comcast “serveing the public interest’? Is it fulfilling the obligations of it’s contract? To find out, we must have access to their contract and must become familiar with their local programming here.

The Elections of 2006 are key to turning our careening country around. Let’s come up with a platform for what is realistic and what we would like to see in terms of legislation. We must be concrete and communicate these priorities to candidates.

Newsletter? Possibly, for outreach.

Organize a boycott?

Volunteers to monitor
Legislation – Guy is going to give this a shot

Welcomers – make new folks feel welcome and bring them up to speed on info and current activities. Nancy, Carrie, Ann

Blogger – TBD

FCC – monitor still needed

Local cable monitor – still needed

New Technology Monitor - still needed


Next Media Reform Comm. Meeting: Tuesday, August 30 at 7:30-
will send contact info in e-mail