Officials from the Federal Communications Commission visited the Walter Cronkite School Monday to discuss the changing landscape of media with the advent of new technologies.
The FCC presented its June 2011 report, titled “Information Needs of Communities: The Changing Media Landscape in a Broadband Age.” The report was written by Steven Waldman and the FCC Working Group. It addressed some of the new opportunities and challenges in journalism that have resulted with new technology.
Three different panels, which consisted of various media experts and industry insiders, presented their comments on the report and then took questions from online and the live audience.
FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski pinpointed one of the emerging problems facing the world of journalism—the growing gap in local news reporting that digital media has failed to fill. Local media outlets are still doing the majority of reporting and digital publishing despite the reduction of more than 15,000 local journalism jobs.
“The less quality local reporting we have, the less likely we are to learn about problems,” Genachowski said.
The first panel voiced their concerns about widespread access to broadband Internet; concerns were in response to Genachowski’s claim that ubiquitous broadband is essential for a healthy economy and democracy.
“It is the commission’s job to ensure that all the people of the United States have high speed Internet access at reasonable charges. It is not the commission’s job to optimize revenue,” said panelist Susan Crawford of the law school at Yeshiva University.
Panelist Nicol Turner-Lee, vice president and the first director of the Media and Technology Institute for the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies, discussed how minority communities have not gained enough access to broadband.
“The lack of universal access to broadband leaves behind billions of citizens that are not yet connected,” Turner-Lee said.
The second panel focused on various issues regarding broadcast journalism.
Coriell Wright, policy counsel for Free Press, presented a focus on bettering the quality of reported information in order to develop a better dialogue with the community.
Laura Walker, president and CEO of New York Public Radio, discussed the need for the government to make data easily available to the public.
The third group of panelists addressed federal government aid, spending biases and statehouse reporting.
The KAET studio was packed with professionals and Cronkite students, giving a warm reception to the government agency in charge of regulating American communications.
“We encouraged them, and they came here,” said Cronkite School Dean Christopher Callahan to students of the FCC’s choice to present their findings at the Cronkite School.
Although the hearing was more than two hours long, Daisy Prado, a journalism freshman, thought the panelists were rushed in their commentary.
Prado said she was happy to hear the panelists’ concepts, but said, “it’s going to take a lot to enforce all of those ideas.”
Contact the reporter at carolina.m.lopez@asu.edu
