Draft GPUS Platform Amendment Media Reform

DRAFT AMENDMENT FOR THE 2010 PLATFORM OF THE GREEN PARTY OF THE UNITED STATES

CHAPTER 2: SOCIAL JUSTICE

Section title: Free speech and media reform

Section subtitle: Media reform for a stronger democracy

Our Position: Greens want to strengthen citizens' influence over the broadcast media, and boost the number of community and non-profit news outlets, to enhance the media's crucial watchdog function, and to help create a more diverse and vigorous exchange of ideas in America.

Green Solutions

  1. Return control of the public airwaves to the public.  Corporate control of our broadcast airwaves has severely damaged our politics and culture.

  2. Carve up the media conglomerates, and follow up with vigorous anti-trust enforcement.

  3. Greater public oversight of commercial broadcast outlets.  Outlets that violate strict public interest standards will lose their licenses.

  4. More community radio, by expanding the licensing of new non-commercial low-power FM radio stations.

  5. Net neutrality.

  6. Broadband access for all Americans.

  7. End commercial broadcasters' free licensed use of the public airwaves.  Require market-priced leasing of any commercial use of the electromagnetic spectrum.

  8. Free and equal airtime for ballot-qualified political candidates on radio and television networks and stations.

  9. Provide generous public funding for the National Public Broadcasting System to ensure high-quality news and cultural programming with the widest possible range of viewpoints.

 10. Prohibit commercial advertising targeted to children under 12 years old, as well as advertising in public places such as schools, parks, and governmental buildings.  

 11. Oppose censorship in the arts, media, press and on the Internet.

 12. Encourage Americans to watch less television, and instead to talk with their families, friends and neighbors, and to engage in myriad other constructive, artistic or healthful pursuits.

 13. Reduce mailing costs for non-profit and independent magazines and journals, and eliminate them for those that receive less than 20% of their revenues from advertising.

 14. Tax credits or government subsidies for state, local and investigative reporting by print media.  All subsidies must be content-neutral.

 15. Create an "Audience Network" empowered to take airtime from commercial television and radio stations, to broadcast a variety of non-commercial cultural, political, entertainment, scien­tific or other high-quality programs.