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Q&A with Tracy Rosenberg of Media Alliance

Tracy Rosenberg has worked as Media Alliance's Executive Director since 2007. She has organized and advocated for a free, accountable and accessible media system, focusing on the protection and sustainability of alternative media outlets monitored the mainstream media for accuracy and fair representation and facilitated the training of numerous nonprofit organizations and citizen's groups in effective communications. She currently sits on the boards of the the Alliance for Community Media Western Region, the Pacifica Foundation and Common Frequency and serves on the anchor committee of the Media Action Grassroots Network.

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Lovin It: A Roundup of MAG-Net’s #NotLovinIt Week of Action for Healthy Wi-Fi

Click here and check out the rest of our memes on Flickr  A week after the Washington Post published an article on Free Wi-Fi, the Wall Street Journal published an article connecting education, technology, and health.  In response, the Media Action Grassroots Network and the Praxis Project launched the #NotLovinIt campaign - a week of creative, online action to highlight the relationship between public broadband access and health indicators in communities of color, low-income communities, and rural communities.  This included blogs from organizations in the MAG-Net community, memes and social media activities.  The actions culminated in a Valentine's Day "Twitter Party" where groups using the #NotLovinIt and #MediaJustice hashtags targeted reporters and encouraged them to investigate more how expanding public Wi-Fi would best serve the needs of communities.

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Michelle Lozano: Internet Hunt

It took me about five months to be able to purchase a wireless internet box for my home. Initially, I did not worry too much about having internet at home, but when I noticed that my sister was turning in assignments late at her community college, and thus lagging at the back of the class, I decided the investment in internet was necessary.  Unfortunately, that internet box only survived about two months in my home after it was accidentally dropped in water. Now, almost two more months later, I am still attempting to save the money ($100) to reconnect my family to the internet.

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Loris Taylor: The Growing Digital Divide in Indian Country

Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chairman Julius Genachowski addressed the National Congress of American Indians in 2010, the first sitting chair of the Commission to do so.  If that was any indication of how long it has taken to bring the spotlight to the digital divide in Indian Country, it was only the beginning.  In his address, Genachowski said, “The goal of bringing broadband to Indian Country is important and urgent.  It will require the Federal government to recognize the importance of Tribal autonomy and work hand-in-hand with Tribal governments as partners.  I look forward to building on the strong relationship between the Commission and NCAI.  Working together, I believe we can turn Indian Country into a model for digital transformation and success.” 

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Erick Boustead: Bada bop bah Bridge the Divide, Without the Fries

This week I learned – on the Internet – about the latest impact from the privatization of daily life: young students, especially in rural, tribal and low income communities of color, having to resort to fast food places like McDonald's to do their homework. No public libraries, no access at school, and unable to afford Internet at home even if it’s available, the only  “free” option for wifi comes with a side of diabetes and heart disease.

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Joy Spencer: McDonald’s Digital Trojan Horse- Free Wi-Fi to establish their 360-degree advertising environment

Today marketers can reach everyone, but especially children and teens, at any time and any place through any number of ever proliferating mobile devices that are hitting the market.  Minority teens especially are more likely to have mobile phones and use them to get online than their white counterparts—making their phones a critical and often only access point to the Internet.  Marketers know this and understand that if they can reach them on their mobile phones then they have a captive audience for their campaigns.  Given this, it is clear that by offering free Wi-Fi to students in poorer communities, McDonald’s is not just serving up an Internet connection but implementing an ingenious strategy to further secure their dominance in the fast food industry—both online and offline.  

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Simran Noor: Community-Scale Solutions Are Critical

From eighth grader, Joshua Edwards in Citronelle, Alabama to Daryl Bingham in Oak Brook, Illinois, people in communities without Internet access rely on third parties, in these cases a local McDonald’s, to access the Internet and leverage its many social, economic, educational and health benefits. No American should be forced to access Internet through a fast food restaurant. But for many, like Joshua and Daryl, this is their only option.   

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Bryan Mercer: #NotLovinIt – Expand Free Public WiFi Now!

  Cross-posting from Media Mobilizing Project Why is McDonald's one of the few places with free WiFi access? Organizations and individuals drawing the link between obesity and internet access have launched a new campaign calling on the Federal Communications Commission to expand free public internet access nation wide.

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V-Day #NotLovinIt Twitter Party, Suggested Twitter Handles and Tweets

Join the Media Action Grassroots Network as we use Twitter to urge health and technology reporters to cover free public WiFi as the healthiest option for our children. Valentine's Day (Thursday, Feb. 14) from 10am -11am PST - follow the #NotLovinIt and #MediaJustice.  See below for a list of reporters and suggested Tweets. Suggested Reporters to Tweet