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

Federal Court Denies FCC Authority Over Broadband

[Source: Huffington Post, by Josh Silver, Free Press, April 6, 2010]
In Tuesday's ruling, Judge David Tatel said the FCC lacked "any statutorily mandated responsibility" to enforce network neutrality rules. So, the government agency that is charged with overseeing the nation's communications infrastructure now has no authority to regulate broadband -- the 21st century's primary communications platform?

How Google Wants to Change Telecom

[Source: InfoWorld, by Brad Reed; April 1, 2010]From net neutrality to developing its own mobile phone and OS to creating a high-speed broadband network, Google hasn't been shy about throwing its ...

A New Look at USF

[Source: Ars Technica, by Matthew Lasar; April 2, 2010]

Federal Judge Finds N.S.A. Wiretaps Were Illegal

[Source: New York Times, by Charlie Savage and James Risen; March 31, 2010]WASHINGTON — A federal judge ruled Wednesday that the National Security Agency’s program of surveillance without warrants ...

First Round of NTIA's BTOP Grant Awards Listed

[Source: NTIA, April 1, 2010]
Below is information outlining each BTOP grant award (as of April 1, 2010). Awards will continue to be announced from the First Round application pool on a rolling basis in 2010. All files ...

The Digital Divide Will Ensure a Broadband Ghetto

[Source: GigaOM, by Stacey Higginbotham; March 27, 2010]

Fighting Intensifies over How to Enforce Intellectual Property Laws

[Source: L.A. Times, by Jon Healey; March 24, 2010]Barack Obama may be the country's most tech-friendly president ever, as comfortable discussing net neutrality as Swiss neutrality.  But his ...

U.K. Regulators Officially Mock U.S. over ISP "Competition"

[Source: Ars Technica, by Nate Anderson; March 25, 2010]

The National Broadband Plan: Unanswered Questions and Next Steps

New America Foundation and Free Press Release Joint Analysis of The National Broadband Plan:New Issue Brief Highlights Plan's Unanswered Questions and Details Next Steps

Does the FCC Want Our Internet Slow?

[Source: Huffington Post, by Christian Sandvig and Dan Schiller; March 22, 2010]It looks as though the Obama pledge for evidence-based policy will take a blow on Tuesday, when FCC commissioners ...