Media Heroes

Media heroes are everywhere:

Journalists, activists, media innovators and educators making sure that we all have access to media that supports democratic values of justice, community and respect. Some media heroes are solitary voices keeping a candle of truth burning through a period of darkness. Others are organizers working to expand the range of people who can wield the power of publishing and broadcasting. or reveal hidden aspects of the media that is all around us.

1. Robert McChesney

Critical scholar, author, educator, media activist

Submitted by Craig Schroeder, Columbus OH: Bill Moyers described Bob McChesney as today's Paul Revere. More than anyone, it seems to me, McChesney has boiled his huge, scholarly understanding of the media we have today, and how it affects us, and how we got here, into certain key messages. Those key messages -- such as the idea that our media is a system created by policymakers and rich media owners, and it can be changed through democratic pressure -- are crucial to understanding power, media and democracy.

They're the messages that so many progressive journalists and political observers all over the place have picked up, expanded on from their own particular vantage points, and re-channelled back into the debate. They're the things you hear people say so often at the media reform conference.

People like Ben Bagdikian and I.F. Stone deserve a lot of credit, but I think McChesney, more than anyone, was the one who got these messages out to the people who then gave them the momentum and widespread dispersion they needed to set today's media reform ball rolling.
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Deconstructing the Digital Era

Senator Ted Stevens thinks the internet is a "series of tubes." George W. Bush believes there are internets galore out there. And John McCain...well, the Senator has admitted that he doesn't even know how to use a computer. Politics in the digital era is tricky, not so much because of the wealth of information on the web, but because of the millions of ordinary Americans using that information on a daily basis. Armed with new media tools, muckrackers today number in the millions. No longer is a candidate able to present a poll-tested package to the press and have that persona spoon-fed to the American people. No, today's voters have available to them a universe of information consisting of detailed voting records, primary sources, debunking sites, blogs, and more.
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Including Families and Caregivers

Family and informal caregivers play an important role in the lives of their loved ones. They also play an increasingly important role in how the health care system functions. By communicating effectively with all the individuals involved in your patient’s care, you can help him or her while making efficient use of time and resources. Informal caregivers may be important “informants.” They can also help to reinforce the importance of information you give or the treatment you prescribe.
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Pet Travel

Many injuries, deaths, and escapes can be attributed to either the pet trying to escape the kennel and as a result hurts its paws and/or gums, or due to actual escape. Find out how to protect your pet during travel.
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Reporting Phone Fraud

Many phone sales pitches are made on behalf of legitimate organizations offering genuine products and services. Unfortunately, scammers also use the telephone to commit fraud. That's why the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) encourages you to be skeptical when you hear a phone solicitation and to report it if you think the call may be fraudulent. Your complaint counts! Fight telephone fraud. Report telephone scam artists to the FTC and to your state Attorney General. When you report fraud to the FTC, your complaint is entered into a secure database that is available to hundreds of civil and criminal law enforcement agencies in the U.S. and abroad. By reporting telemarketing fraud, you are providing important information to help law enforcement officials track down scam artists and stop them.
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