Media Justice League

Tumblr Staff: SOPA Update

Tue, 17 Jan 2012 13:30:18 -0600

This weekend, we hosted a meeting at Tumblr HQ with top technology companies, politicians and advocacy groups to coordinate our effort to reform or prevent the well-intentioned but deeply flawed Stop Online Piracy Act from becoming law. You guys have already made a huge impact in Washington, but…

Will they blame Texas for killing the Internet? We hope not.

Tue, 10 Jan 2012 14:07:00 -0600

Do you remember the scene in the movie “Despicable Me” where Gru lays the rumors to rest?

Sat, 31 Dec 2011 09:56:23 -0600

For those of you who haven’t seen the animated film, it’s about a super-villain, who adopts three young girls as part of his plan to steal a super weapon from a fellow villian. He takes the girls to his suburban home that doubles as a his underground lair where he, and thousands of short yellow minions plan nefarious deeds – their latest plan to steal the moon.

But a fat cat bank executive tells Gru that he is too old and out of date and that the bank will not loan him the money for his rocket to the moon. At home Gru gathers his minions to tell them the rumors are true – the bank will not give him the money to back his plan. They will never get to the moon. Amid a sea of fallen faces, he feels a small hand poking him in the back. He turns to see the three little girls – one handing him her piggy bank. Before he can say no, all of the minions start giving him their money to make their dream of building a rocket come true.

The beauty in children’s movies is the simplicity of universal truths. Giving is good. Sharing can make a dream come true. Collaborating can mean the difference between success and defeat.

We here at the MJL are asking you to give. To share. To collaborate. With your help we can make our dreams come true, to help build a community where access to media is fair, where technological education is affordable, and communication systems are protected.

Foundation funding is down from years past and it is a source of money we can no longer depend on so heavily. So we are calling on friends, family and supporters to be our first group of private donors to help us match the grant.

Sharing is caring!

Let’s be honest here – being a musician, media maker, or community organizer is not the easiest way to a comfortable middle-class life. But at least musicians and media makers can feel good knowing that we have their back all year long! This year, for the first time, we are humbly asking to have your support.

Since 2005, MJL’s network has been promoting, preserving, and protecting the music and media ecosytems. With a little support, no matter how big or small, from our friends, supporters, peers, associates, moms, dads, and anyone else within earshot, MJL can continue being a voice for San Antonio.

In 2012 we are planning to:

Utilize our in-house social media knowledge to further educate the public on the true value of local music and media.
Organize call-to-action meetings and forums with leaders in government, business, education and non-profits city-wide.
Continue our fight to protect your access to an open and neutral internet
Pump up our work educating musicians through Local782’s San Antonio Music Coaltion.
Make people more aware of original San Antonio music with our 3rd Annual Local Music Week
Keep standing up for artists’ and media makers free speech rights by working in coalition with other groups that advocate for real changes that benefit our communities and the public.

For an organization as small as the Media Justice League, your (tax-deductible!) contribution truly makes a difference. So if you appreciate what we do, and want to help us keep doing it, please make a contribution today. Donations of all sizes are meaningful and welcome.

Please donate today. You can visit our donation page to make a contribution online. Support can also be sent by mail to:

Media Justice League and Local782
1414 East Commerce
San Antonio, Texas 78205

Media Justice League is fiscally sponsored by a 501(c)3 tax-exempt charitable organization, the Martinez Street Women’s Center. Contributions are fully tax-deductible.

In community,

The Media Justice League

For Immediate Release: Across the Nation, Media Justice Advocates Applaud Senate's Vote in Favor of Net Neutrality

Thu, 10 Nov 2011 15:18:00 -0600

Contact: Brandi Collins Center for Media Justice 510.698.3800 x409 brandi@centerformediajustice.org

November 10, 2011– The Media Action Grassroots Network (MAG-Net) is pleased the Senate voted (46-52) to reject a resolution (S.J. Res. 6) to repeal the net neutrality rules put in place earlier this year by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). DeAnne Cuellar, Executive Director of the Media Justice League calls the partisan resolution “a sneak attack on Internet freedoms sponsored by Sen. Kay Hutchison [R-TX], and spearheaded by industry-funded members of Congress.” If passed, the resolution, would’ve handed corporations like AT&T, Comcast, and Verizon unrestricted power and control over the Internet.

“As evidenced by the close vote, there is much work to be done across the country to convince our elected officials that we do not need corporate gatekeepers deciding which websites will and will not work,” said Andrea Quijada, Executive Director of the Media Literacy Project in New Mexico. “Small businesses deserve the right to market their goods and services at the same speed and reach as any multi-national corporation. Small businesses and large corporations use the same interstate highways and abide by the same motor vehicle laws to get their goods to and from their places of business. The information highway should be no different.”

“Today’s vote is an important recognition of the role the Internet performs in people’s daily lives. It is no longer a luxury; it is a utility that must be regulated accordingly,” said Steven Renderos, Media Justice Program Director at Main Street Project in Minnesota. An open Internet is critical to America’s economic growth and to the ability of people – especially communities of color, rural Americans and struggling workers – to access the education and employment opportunities necessary to rebuild and strengthen our communities and support our families.

“We’re extremely pleased that the Senate has voted to allow the FCC to carry out it’s work – which is to put people before profits and keep the Internet open and free from discrimination,” said amalia deloney, Media Policy Field Director for the Center for Media Justice. “Maintaining an open Internet ensures that our communities have access to the full creative potential of this important communications system and more importantly, allows us to use this important tool to organize around critical justice issues and strengthen the economic well being of our families and communities.”

Without FCC guidelines in place, giant conglomerates can limit access and increase prices so high that independent voices and diverse perspectives are blocked out. Members of rural, Native, low income and ethnically diverse communities will have even more challenges starting businesses and sharing content that is relevant to their own communities. Open Internet rules create the opportunity for communities of color to have fair access to this essential tool.

MAG-Net moves forward in our fight for media justice and net neutrality. We will continue to work with Congress and the Federal Communications Commission as they continue efforts to preserve Internet freedom for all the voices of our country. For more information about MAG-Net and our work, please visit www.mag-net.org or call Betty Yu, National Organizer, at 510-698-3800 x404.

The Media Action Grassroots Network (MAG-Net) is a local-to-local advocacy network of grassroots community organizations working together for media change to end poverty, eliminate racism, and ensure human rights. With over 100 member groups nationwide, regional chapters, an online action network, a media justice learning community, and collaborative campaigns- MAG-Net is advancing an exciting new vision for media justice.

Artwork by Professor Deborah Kuetzpalin Vasquez, November 19,...

Mon, 31 Oct 2011 11:56:00 -0600

Artwork by Professor Deborah Kuetzpalin Vasquez, November 19, 2011, 630PM at BihlHausArts.org located at 2803 Fredricksburg Road.

Occupying, Organizing and the Movements That Demand Both

Thu, 20 Oct 2011 15:04:05 -0600

Occupying, Organizing and the Movements That Demand Both:

What organizations can do to support #OccuppySanAntonio #occupysananto http://t.co/jhtks1Hv #OccuppySanAntonio #occupysananto #99percent by Rinku Sen

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: News For All The People - Speaker Luncheon

Tue, 18 Oct 2011 10:07:00 -0600

Speaker Luncheon with Juan Gonzalez and Joe Torres Benefiting Media Literacy in San Antonio

We here at the Media Justice League have some exciting news to share. Thanks to the generosity of the San Antonio Current and The Twig Bookstore we can now offer our speaker’s luncheon for FREE to the first 50 people to RSVP. Yes, you can save that $20 you had set aside but RSVP soon as seats are sure to fill quickly. You certainly can’t beat the value.

For FREE you can meet our featured speakers Juan Gonzalez and Joe Torres, aurthors of the book, “News for All the People.” Get your personal copy signed. Tour the offices of San Antonio’s favorite alt-weekly, The Current and meet publisher Michael Wagner. Plus, share lunch with some of San Antonio’s finest journalists, public relations professionals and community leaders. Did I mention this is all FREE? Proceeds from the Twig’s book sales will benefit the Media Justice League’s ongoing media literacy programs throughout South Texas.

This is an opportunity for everyone in San Antonio who makes media, consumes media, and cares about media to come together.

October 26, 2011 - 11:30 AM Meet the authors, book sales, and signing. Noon-1:00 PM Lunch and Program.

915 Dallas Street, San Antonio, Texas 78215 MAP
Limited Space - RSVP Suggested - LINK TO EVENT: http://bit.ly/pexKvt

More about our speakers:

JUAN GONZÁLEZ is a two-time winner of the George Polk Award for commentary, is a former president of the National Association of Hispanic Journalists. He is a columnist for New York’s Daily News, and co-host of the nationally syndicated TV and radio news show Democracy Now! His previous books include Harvest of Empire: A History of Latinos in America, and Fallout: The Environmental Consequences of the WorldTrade Center Collapse.

JOSEPH TORRES is the senior advisor for government and external affairs for Free Press, the national media reform organization. Before joining Free Press, he worked as deputy director at the National Association of Hispanic Journalists and was a journalist for several years.

The Book: News for All the People offers a sweeping account of the class and racial conflicts in American news media, from the first colonial newspaper to the age of the Internet. Based on years of archival research and up-to-the-minute reporting by veteran journalists and media reform advocates Juan González and Joseph Torres, News for All the People reveals how racial segregation in the media distorted the news and highlights numerous examples of how publishers and broadcasters actually fomented racial violence through their coverage.

Fast-paced, story-driven and replete with portraits of individual journalists and media executives, the book weaves back and forth between the corporate battles and government policies that built our segregated media system—as when Commerce Secretary Herbert Hoover gave a radio license to the KKK—and those who rebelled against that system, such as Pittsburgh Courier publisher Robert L. Vann, who led a national campaign to get the black-face comedy Amos ’n’ Andy off the air.

This event is being cosponsored by the San Antonio Current, Democracy Now!, Free Press, and San Antonio Association of Hispanic Journalists (SAAHJ). Reservations are encouraged. For more information contact DeAnne Cuellar at 210-896-9141 (deannec@texasmep.org) or Leticia Medina at 210-291-8753 (leticiamedinatx@gmail.com).

Compassion Fatigue and Victim Centered Approaches to Intervention in Domestic Violence Cases

Tue, 18 Oct 2011 04:18:00 -0600

Thursday, October 20th, 2011
Discuss seven ways compassion fatigue may manifest in your life; may manifest in your organization. What are seven strategies to address compassion fatigue and burnout & how to assess your current risk for it. Thecia Jenkins from Bold Profession Seminars & Consulting will be our presenter for this important workshop.

Children’s Shelter, 2939 W. Woodlawn @ St. Cloud - Parking in Back on Huisache
9am—12pm
RSVP: Patricia Castillo, (210) 533-2729

OccupySanAnto, OccupyTheWorld: The Common Thread

Tue, 11 Oct 2011 11:20:00 -0600

For the last few weeks, the airwaves, radio frequencies, and cyber highways have been inundated with coverage of Occupy Wall Street and its iterations across the nation. Our most prominent news outlets have by turns scoffed and marveled at the movement. There is no denying that Occupy Wall Street has gained momentum. And how. Here in San Antonio, the coverage of, involvement in, and reaction to #OccupySanAnto are as varied as anywhere else. Major news outlets will have you believe that the bulk of occupiers are directionless, bitter, renegade protesters who are unable to articulate what their grievances are, much less what they demand anyone do about them. Anyone who bothers to attend any of the Occupy protests or do a little research, however, will find a common thread. Occupiers, at Wall Street and in cities across the nation, are pulling at this thread and unraveling the carefully devised lies that a fraction of our population has benefited from tremendously while the overwhelming majority languishes in debt and a faces a bleak economic landscape.

Since the collapse of the housing market in 2007 and the subsequent billions of dollars spent on bailing out banks, investment firms, and insurance giants, the economic crisis this country is mired in has wreaked havoc on the lives of millions of Americans. Well, on millions of low- and middle-income Americans I should say. There is a small percentage of Americans who have not only managed to keep their jobs and their amassed wealth but they’ve managed to increase that wealth exponentially. As a matter of fact, the top 1% of Americans owns roughly 42% of the nation’s wealth. Mother Jones put together a series of charts and graphs that clearly illustrate and explain the inequity in wealth distribution. The implications are astounding. The Haves don’t just have more money and more stuff, they have power. All this wealth translates into policy-making power that is then wielded by enormous corporations and finance giants.

Christopher Ketcham, writing for Orion Magazine, observes that “the One Percenter in his Wall Street tower…creates ‘value’ by tapping on keyboards and punching in algorithms. He makes money playing with money, manipulating abstractions. He manufactures and chases after financial bubbles and then pricks them. He speculates on mortgages, car loans, credit card debt, the price of gas that keeps the real economy moving, the price of food that keeps the labor pool alive, always hedging his bets so that he comes out ahead whether society wins or loses.” These “financial nihilists” don’t care to invest in any kind of sustainable future; their vision doesn’t extend to building out much-need infrastructure or exploring alternate forms of energy or devising systems to address resource scarcity. The One Percenters seemingly care only for the immediate returns on their speculations, to the detriment of a great number of Americans.

The Occupiers are pushing back because they recognize that, in this case, the collective power of the people may just match the power of those who control the purse strings. We should recognize that just because individual protesters may care more or less about any one given issue, that doesn’t mean that there is no unity. As individuals, with individual concerns, individual philosophies, and individual upbringings it makes sense that differing views don’t coalesce immediately and seamlessly. We all can, however, agree with Henry George, author of Progress and Poverty, when he proclaims: “It is not enough that men should vote; it is not enough that they should be theoretically equal before the law. They must have liberty to avail themselves of the opportunities and means of life.”

Sadly, we live in a society where a lower economic status means less freedom in terms of job, education, and health care prospects. This realization is at the core of what drives many protesters day after day and this realization is what we should be talking about more. We should not allow the Occupy discourse to be dominated by comments like this one left by a San Antonio viewer: “…seriously….this about the dead beats wanting the people who worked hard to become wealthy and expect them to ‘share’ there [sic] hard earned monies, if they want that type of government then they can go to china, russia etc.” Errors in grammar, word usage, and syntax notwithstanding, this sentiment manages to convey how little analysis is being applied to the movement at large. In 1911, at the height of monopoly finance capitalism, Woodrow Wilson observed, “all our activities are in the hands of a few men” who “chill and check and destroy genuine economic freedom.” One hundred years later and the destruction continues.

Leticia Medina is happy to fight the fight at the Media Justice League alongside equally dedicated folks. Leticia may be reached at leticiamedinatx at gmail dot com.

Tonight: Free Film Screening, Not In Our Town

Tue, 20 Sep 2011 07:56:07 -0600

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: San Antonio Current celebrates 25 years with anniversary bash

Fri, 09 Sep 2011 19:42:00 -0600

Come out to meet members of Local782 and the Media Justice League. Pick up a copy of the copies of the Current’s 25th Anniversary Compilation CD we produced with San Antonio musicians and the alt-weekly staff.

25th Anniversary Press Release

MJL Applauds DoJ Decision to Block AT&T/T-Mobile Merger

Wed, 31 Aug 2011 12:20:24 -0600

San Antonio, TX - In a move that many consumer groups are happy with, the Department of Justice has filed suit to block the proposed AT&T/T-Mobile merger. While this is good news for Americans in general, Texan families in particular should be happy with this newest development.

FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski explained that “[b]y filing suit today, the
Department of Justice has concluded that AT&T’s acquisition of T-Mobile would substantially lessen competition in violation of the antitrust laws.”

We feel heartened by the DoJ’s obervations that the merger does not in fact meet anti-trust law standards. Fostering and protecting healthy competition in any market can only benefit the American people.

Leticia Medina

Deputy Director - Media Justice League

Public Screening and Discussion: Save the Farm

Sat, 20 Aug 2011 10:47:55 -0600

Culture Consumers invites the community to take part in this public screening of “Save the Farm”. The short documentary depicts the struggle to maintain the country’s largest urban community garden in South Central Los Angeles. This is a condensed version of the Oscar-nominated film “The Garden”.

Footage of local community gardens will also be highlighted via Green Spaces Alliance. Speakers will also be on hand to take questions and provide more information to the public. Guests will include members of Roots for Change Community Garden, Green Spaces Alliance and Evergreen Garden.

This public forum is intended to stimulate a platica among the community members and the organizers of various community gardens in our area to provide the needed information for individuals interested in learning more about gardening, sustainability and the future of food.

Help the MJL with in-kind donations

Mon, 08 Aug 2011 16:35:02 -0600

To help offset moving costs we’re looking for in-kind donations. Your generous donation will be publicly acknowledged throughout the year at our events. Currently, we are seeking the following materials:

Printer paper
Ink cartridges
Glue sticks
Scissors (blunt ended/pointed)
Gel ink pens
Water-based markers
Bottles of white glue
Highlighters
Pocket folders
Printer paper and
Scotch tape
Staples
Bathroom cleaner
Vinegar
Window cleaner
Coffee
Coffee Filters
Dish soap
Garbage bags - large, medium & kitchen
Paper towels
Toilet paper
White tshirts (for silk screening classes)
Small refrigerator
Water pitcher with water filter
Small microwave

If you would like to contribute any items listed above, contact Leticia Medina, or drop by the new space 1414 East Commerce.

3,380 Texans stand to lose their jobs, STOP the At&t/T-Mobile merger

Mon, 08 Aug 2011 07:59:11 -0600

All month we are taking action against the AT&T/T-Mobile merger with Media Action Grassroots Network, Free Press, and the Consumers Union. As a network we released Mo Mergers, Mo Problems, filed a petition with the DOJ and FCC and launched an online action urging people to contact their Congressional representatives.

You can support our month of action in the following ways:

1 - Change your Twitter/FB Profile Pic our campaign avatar
2 - Put a ‘Stop the Take Over Web’ badge on your organization’s website
3 - Print out a ‘Stop the Takeover’ sign and hang it in your window
4 - Send a letter to the editor of your favorite publication

And, as always helps tweet, tweet, and tweet using the hashtages - #attmobile #mediajustice #SATX

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Well we're movin’ on up! to the East side...

Thu, 04 Aug 2011 12:49:08 -0600

The Be a Reporter Game

Wed, 03 Aug 2011 15:43:21 -0600

Practice the basics of newsgathering –- asking questions, verifying information –- while racing against a deadline.

Meporter is a location-based news app that enables you to write,...

Fri, 29 Jul 2011 10:52:13 -0600

Meporter is a location-based news app that enables you to write, photograph and video your local news as it breaks. Readers will see your location, comment on stories and check in as eyewitnesses. If they’re on the spot too, they can post more about the story as events unfold.

Out-Anchor Your Local News Anchor!

The 13th annual San Antonio Association of Hispanic Journalists...

Wed, 27 Jul 2011 10:20:00 -0600

The 13th annual San Antonio Association of Hispanic Journalists (SAAHJ) scholarship gala is Friday July 29th at the Grand Hyatt. Tickets are $100; $75, if you’re a dues-paying member. But if you can’t afford that, you’re welcome to join SAAHJ for the 6-7 p.m. reception and silent auction.

RT & Share MAG-Net’s new NO ATT Merger Video...

Mon, 25 Jul 2011 12:01:01 -0600