Mega-Mergers & the Future of the Internet
Comcast swallowed up NBC. Microsoft scooped up Skype. AT&T tried to take over T-Mobile. What's next? This panel will explore the new face of media consolidation, what it means for the future of the Internet and free speech, and whether there's anything that can — or should — be done to change course before we’re staring at GoogizonFoxBookfinity&T. This panel of scholars, policy experts, and public interest advocates will look at how we got here, measure the impact of the mega-mergers happening now or coming soon, explain what policymakers should be doing to confront the next wave of media concentration, and discuss what alternatives might be possible. The panel will include former FCC Commissioner Michael Copps, Craig Aaron of the media advocacy group Free Press and Andrea Quijada of New Mexico's Media Literacy Project, and will be moderated by tech journalist Sam Gustin.
Presenters
Craig Aaron is the President & CEO of Free Press, the national, nonpartisan, nonprofit media reform group. He works in the Washington office and speaks often to the press and the public on media, Internet and journalism issues. His commentaries appear regularly in the Guardian and the Huffington Post. Before joining Free Press, he was an investigative reporter for Public Citizen's Congress Watch and the managing editor of In These Times magazine. He is the editor of two books, Appeal to Reason: 25 Years In These Times and Changing Media: Public Interest Policies for the Digital Age. Follow him on Twitter @notaaroncraig.
Sam Gustin is a business reporter at TIME.
Monday, March 12
