<html><head><style type="text/css"><!-- DIV {margin:0px;} --></style></head><body><div style="font-family:verdana,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:8pt">FYI<br><div style="font-family: verdana,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 8pt;"><div style="font-family: times new roman,new york,times,serif; font-size: 12pt;"><div><br style="" clear="all"></div>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;" align="center"><b style="">Public Interest Media
Activism and Advocacy as a Social Movement:
</b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;" align="center"><b style="">A Review of the
Literature</b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;" align="center"><b style=""> </b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;" align="center"><b style=""> </b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;" align="center"><b style="">Abstract</b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;" align="center"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">This report examines the academic
literature focused on public interest media and communications activism and
advocacy within the
U.S. and abroad
(labeled, in the name of brevity, the “media reform” movement throughout this
report).<span style=""> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="">
</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">This report first seeks to
outline the parameters of the movement under consideration, in terms of the
primary conceptual frames employed, outcomes pursued, and strategic approaches.
<span style=""> </span>As this section illustrates, the
media reform movement is characterized by a diverse array of conceptual frames
(ranging from “media reform” to “media justice” to “communication rights” to
“media democracy”), and a hesitancy at this point to coalesce around a single
unifying frame.<span style=""> </span>The movement is
similarly diverse in terms of its outcome priorities and in terms of the
strategic approaches employed by its various member organizations.<span style=""> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">The second section of the report
charts the origins and evolution of the research in this field.<span style=""> </span>As this section illustrates, over time
the analytical approach that scholars have brought to the topic increasingly has
adopted a social movement theory perspective.<span style=""> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">The third section considers the
media reform movement as a social movement, identifying key recurring themes in
the literature related to the interaction between media reform and other social
movements, to the relationship between social movements and the media, and to
the organization and performance of the organizations driving the media reform
movement.<span style=""> </span>As this section
illustrates, media reform is unique in the extent to which its goals can
facilitate the success of other social movements, but also is uniquely hampered
by the extent to which traditional mainstream media are motivated to deny press
coverage to media reform.<span style=""> </span>This
section also highlights some of the most common critiques leveled at the media
reform movement, ranging from a lack of coordination and collaboration between
groups, to a lack of a strong nation-wide constituency, to a primarily reactive
orientation toward policy issues.<span style="">
</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">The concluding section summarizes
the key findings of the report and offers a series of recommendations related to
strategic approaches for the movement and to avenues for future
research.</p><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman';">
<div><br style="" clear="all"></div></span>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;" align="center"><b style="">Key
Findings</b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Wingdings;"><span style="">n<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal;">
</span></span></span>The academic literature on the media reform movement is
much more extensive than has previously been suggested, due in large part to
tremendous growth in the literature in recent years, as well as due to the
diverse terminology used to describe the movement (which can confound efforts to
assemble an appropriately inclusive body of literature).</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Wingdings;"><span style="">n<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal;">
</span></span></span>A significant proportion of the literature is internally
generated (i.e., produced by individuals involved in the movement).</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.25in;"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Wingdings;"><span style="">n<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal;">
</span></span></span>The tendency among scholars to conceptualize media reform
as a social movement has become more common in recent years.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Wingdings;"><span style="">n<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal;">
</span></span></span>The media reform movement frequently has been characterized
as unique due to the extent to which the ends of the movement support key means
by which other social movements achieve their goals.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Wingdings;"><span style="">n<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal;">
</span></span></span>The media reform movement frequently has been characterized
as subservient to broader social movements, given its tight linkages throughout
its history to social movements such as civil rights, yet evidence of strong and
systematic linkages between media reform and other social movements has been
lacking.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Wingdings;"><span style="">n<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal;">
</span></span></span>The media reform movement frequently has been characterized
as highly fragmented, lacking substantial inter-group coordination, and lacking
a sufficiently large constituency.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Wingdings;"><span style="">n<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal;">
</span></span></span>The media reform movement frequently has been characterized
as reaching its peak in the late 1960s and early 1970s, but also becoming highly
rejuvenated within the past decade, in terms of public interest organization
activity, citizen interest, and funding support.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"> </p><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman';">
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