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Welcome to the June edition of the Free Press Update, our monthly newsletter. Let’s dig into everything we’ve been up to in the last month:

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The Black Future Newsstand Experience

What does a media that loves Black people look, feel and sound like in a future where reparations are real?

In the days leading up to Juneteenth, Free Press’ Media 2070 project and the Black Thought Project launched the Black Future Newsstand — a custom-built art installation — at a series of public events in Harlem. The newsstand’s shelves were filled with publications that center Blackness, and Black people of all ages covered the exhibit’s Black Thought Wall with their dreams of the media’s future.

A documentary that will feature behind-the-scenes interviews and footage from the project’s creation is in the works. And we’re already discussing plans to take Black Future Newsstand to future locations.

Read our recap of Black Future Newsstand’s inspiring and joyous launch events.
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Internet Access in Jeopardy for Millions

Home internet is as essential as electricity, and the pandemic drove this reality home.

But it’s also super-expensive. That’s where the FCC’s Affordable Connectivity Program comes in: It gives households living near the poverty line or enrolled in Medicaid, SNAP or other federal-aid programs up to $30 per month for the internet package of their choosing — and $75 per month for people living on Tribal lands.

Unfortunately, the ACP is going to run out of money unless Congress takes action. If you haven’t already, please join us in urging lawmakers to fund the Affordable Connectivity Program before it’s too late.

TAKE ACTION >>
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Trump's Lies Spark Right-Wing Cries to Defund PBS

PBS must have really crossed the line this time.

During its broadcast of Trump’s post-indictment rally on June 13, PBS NewsHour added factual context to the disgraced former president’s claims that he had won the 2020 election, that federal prosecutor Jack Smith was a “deranged lunatic” and a “thug,” and that the so-called deep state was “destroying our country” and “coming after you next.”

But what really set off Trump loyalists was the NewsHour chyron that appeared near the end of the former president’s speech. As he pledged to use all his might to fight the deep state, NewsHour added a chyron stating: “Experts warn that inflammatory rhetoric from elected officials or people in power can prompt individual actors to commit acts of violence.”

This triggered far-right influencers like Charlie Kirk (2.3 million Twitter followers) and Jack Posobiec (2.1 million Twitter followers), who took to social media to call for a total defunding of PBS. By the following morning, “Defund PBS” was trending on Twitter. Read the full recap and analysis on the Free Press blog from Timothy Karr, our senior director of strategy and communications.

READ MORE
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The Senate Must Confirm FCC Nominees Anna Gomez & Geoffrey Starks ASAP

The Federal Communications Commission has been in an unprecedented 2–2 deadlock since January 2021, the result of efforts by the phone, cable and broadcast lobbies to hamstring the agency that oversees their businesses. Never before has the American public had to wait so long for a commissioner’s seat to be filled.

The nomination of Anna Gomez and renomination of Geoffrey Starks follows a protracted and ultimately failed effort to confirm Gigi Sohn — a public-interest champion whose confirmation ran up against a vicious and relentless smear campaign by telecom and broadcast lobbyists, right-wing media and astroturf operatives. And they’ll try it again.

If you haven’t already, please sign our petition urging the Senate to confirm Gomez and Starks today. The more petition signatures we can deliver, the louder our call for action will be.

SIGN THE PETITION
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A View from the Field

Check out the latest updates from the field as Free Press and Free Press Action staffers work alongside our amazing allies and activists to create a more just and equitable media system. Below are just a few snippets from our monthly View from the Field blog — you can read the entire post here!

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Senior Counsel and Director of Digital Justice and Civil Rights Nora Benavidez took part in a panel discussion on misinformation, harassment of journalists and social media at the North American Broadcasters Association conference in New York. David Reiter of CBS News moderated the conversation.

Media 2070 Campaign Manager Venneikia Williams taught “Diagnosing the Media System,” a month-long class at Colorado College. The course explored how the media have harmed communities of color for centuries. Students learned about the cultural and infrastructural interventions needed to secure media reparations. One of the many powerful works on the syllabus was the 100-page essay that launched the Media 2070 project back in October 2020.

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The Free Press-led Media Power Collaborative (MPC) brings together media workers, movement organizers and allied researchers to build a shared vision for the future of our local media system. In May, Reparative Journalism Program Manager Diamond Hardiman, News Voices Director Vanessa Maria Graber, Senior Director of Journalism and Civic Information Mike Rispoli and News Voices Program Manager Alisha Wang Saville led a workshop for MPC members on narrative power. The Free Press staffers shared case studies and workshopped ideas on how to tell our stories to win. Watch a video of the discussion.

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Thank you for reading! The info here represents only a small fraction of what Free Press and Free Press Action are doing every day to fight for your rights to connect and communicate. Will you donate today to power our work forward? We’re hoping to hit our goal of 250 donations before the end of June, so any amount you can give makes a meaningful difference. Thank you!

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More soon,

All of us at Free Press and Free Press Action
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