Media Content

Media Issues

GFEM is an advocate to our grantmaker colleagues, encouraging them to fund innovative media arts and public interest media—through support of content, infrastructure, and policy—as a vital form of cultural expression and essential component of our democracy. Whether providing support for documentary or narrative films, or efforts to close the national or international “digital divide,” or supporting advocacy and educational organizations to keep the Internet unrestricted, or highlighting media advancements being made in developing countries, or the evolving media policies in developed nations-GFEM’s aim is to provide small and large funders alike with information to assist them in making decisions about supporting the interconnected areas of media content, infrastructure and policy.

Content

A television program or film puts a face on an issue. A radio news feature or documentary brings a tangible reality to recited facts. Video streamed on a website underscores issues presented in plain text and can move people to action. Whether the content is targeted to public or commercial media outlets, funders need a working understanding of the entire media landscape in order to be most effective in their grantmaking. View Content articles

Infrastructure

A high-speed, unfettered Internet, community-based media arts organizations, PBS, NPR, Public/Educational/Government (PEG) public access stations, or mobile phones are all a part of our media infrastructure—GFEM provides funders with information to help them in supporting media infrastructure, whether local, national, or international. View Infrastructure articles

Policy

Restrictive media policies can curtail access to the content we do have through the infrastructure we currently have in place. There are clear roles for funders to play in helping to address media policy issues and GFEM works to keep funders abreast of the constantly shifting media policy environment. View Policy articles

Op-Ed: Putting Local Radio Back on the Congressional Radar

Nine years ago, when my family lost our radio business, our Virginia community lost the voice it had known for 46 years.[Source: Augusta Free Press, by Rita Sutherland; September 18, 2009]

Protecting Free Speech in the Digital Age

Who should control the Internet? The United States and the European Union are poised to address an issue that affects the free speech interests of Internet users around the world. [Source: ...

In Rural Africa, A Fertile Market for Mobile Phones

Laban Rutagumirwa charges his mobile phone with a car battery because his dirt-floor home deep in the remote, banana-covered hills of western Uganda does not have electricity.[Source: The New York ...

Web Survey Finds Speed Is Quickest Overseas

To try to come up with a more complete picture of where countries stand, the study's researchers created an overall index of “broadband leadership” including the performance scores and market ...

Dialing for Answers Where Web Can’t Reach

This story in The New York Times features an initiative by Jon Gosier, the guest speaker from GFEM's delegation dinner at the 2009 South by Southwest Interactive Festival. [Source: The New ...

FCC Chairman Promotes Network Neutrality Rules for both Wired and Wireless Internet Connections

FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski waded directly into the network neutrality fight, launching a new rulemaking proceeding designed to turn the FCC's existing Internet freedom "principles" ...

Community Media's Path Out of Obscurity

If non-commercial media organizations hope to play a more significant role in the next evolution of the media landscape, we have to identify and capitalize on the strategic advantages of our ...

Building a Viable News Ecosystem Around Hyperlocal Bloggers: Hopeful Results from Running the Numbers

There is a future for news – a sustainable and once-again profitable future with the prospect of expanding and improving journalism by taking it deeper into our communities with increased ...

Time for Higher Education To Step Up on National Broadband Strategy

Given the historic opportunity, it is high time for higher education to become actively and constructively engaged in the national broadband policy making effort. [Source: Bytes from Lev blog, by ...