At the National Conference for Media Reform in January, FCC Commissioner Michael J. Copps challenged the thousands of people attending to enact a new “American Media Contract.”  I think he did a good job of summing up the problems with big media. He proposed replacing the “bad old bargain that past FCCs struck with the media moguls” with the following:

We, the American people, have given broadcasters free use of the nation’s most valuable spectrum, and we expect something in return:

• A right to media that strengthen our democracy.
• A right to local stations that are actually local.
• A right to media that looks and sounds like America.
• A right to news that isn’t canned and radio playlists that aren’t for sale.
• A right to programming that isn’t so damned bad so damned often.

Conference attendees were asked to share their pearls of wisdom in five words.  Here are some of my favorites (from the FreePress site):

• Don’t Mess With the Internet
• Real News Is Democracy’s Oxygen
• Don’t let Big Media Supersize
• Junk Media Rots Your Brain