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It's the season to give, so please join me in standing up for people's media and the importance of keeping communications on all platforms accessible, affordable, and free of obtrusive surveillance and corporate manipulation. A better world is impossible if we cannot talk to each other, and the forces of control and domination know that. So we must battle them on one front after another: in the hearings, the court rooms, the offices and on the streets. Please support this work and tell us you recognize it needs to be done. To sweeten the deal, we have a special holiday offer for you. Become a Media Alliance member by the end of December at the $50 contributing member level and we'll throw in a year of the Jobfile Bulletin, a great gift for yourself or an out-of-work friend, and a complimentary Media How To Guide, an easy guide to getting attention with little money and less time. That's a $115 package for only $50. Upcoming Workshops Spokesperson Training - starts March 16th - New session added by popular demand - so register now! This class will cover the basics of framing an issue and developing talking points, give you lots of practice in role playing friendly and not-so-friendly interview scenarios, discuss the art of the soundbite, cover the basics of public speaking, and put you through the necessary friendly fire of evaluating your own on-air performance. Putting Together The Social Media Puzzle - starts March 11th The Internet and digital media are bringing organizations to life in unique ways. From sharing stories about your work or engaging your stakeholders in campaigns to enhance your work: digital media brings people closer while erasing boundaries of time and geography. Review the tools that engage people and generate successful online outreach. More Media Monopoly is Bad for America The X-mas sneak to relax the media ownership rules (again!) while nobody was watching was defeated by your comments, letters and articles. But it's only a brief reprieve. If you haven't filed a brief comment reminding the FCC that they work for you and not just for Rupert Murdoch, now's the time to take a second and do it.
International Internet Regulations - WCIT Stalemate The governments of the world met in Dubai to discuss the future of the Internet - and they didn't get too far. The compromise treaty forged in Dubai has not much to love and a lot to dislike. The United States, along with several other countries, seems poised not to sign it, leaving us with a basic default in international regulatory efforts. Private Doesn't Mean Above The Law 33 social justice and public interest organizations signed on to a joint letter encouraging the reintroduction of the Private Prisons Information Act (PPIA), a bill which would require private incarceration companies that contract with the federal government to abide by the terms of the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). The 2 largest private prison companies have secured over 8 billion dollars in federal contracts in the last five years. On-Line Education: Salvation or a New Set of Problems? When MA board member Samantha Calamari, an educational technologist, proposed writing an article on our website about MOOC's, I said "what's a MOOC?". After reading her thoughtful article on Massive Open On-line Education, the gains, losses and trade-offs as education moves to the cyber sphere were much clearer to me. Low Power Radio Filing Window - Here in no Time! While October 2013 may seem a ways down the line, it's really not if you or your organization want to get involved with one of the new low-power radio stations that will come into being over the next few years in the biggest giveaway of broadcast infrastructure to the public most of us will ever see. Application support is available, so just don't think about it, take action. Among others, Northern California's Common Frequency can guide you through the process with an expert hand. Thank you for your support, past present and future. Happy holidays! Tracy Media Alliance is a member of a national coalition working for a better communications system and a more just world.
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