Media Heroes

Media heroes are everywhere:

Journalists, activists, media innovators and educators making sure that we all have access to media that supports democratic values of justice, community and respect. Some media heroes are solitary voices keeping a candle of truth burning through a period of darkness. Others are organizers working to expand the range of people who can wield the power of publishing and broadcasting. or reveal hidden aspects of the media that is all around us.

1. Robert McChesney

Critical scholar, author, educator, media activist

Submitted by Craig Schroeder, Columbus OH: Bill Moyers described Bob McChesney as today's Paul Revere. More than anyone, it seems to me, McChesney has boiled his huge, scholarly understanding of the media we have today, and how it affects us, and how we got here, into certain key messages. Those key messages -- such as the idea that our media is a system created by policymakers and rich media owners, and it can be changed through democratic pressure -- are crucial to understanding power, media and democracy.

They're the messages that so many progressive journalists and political observers all over the place have picked up, expanded on from their own particular vantage points, and re-channelled back into the debate. They're the things you hear people say so often at the media reform conference.

People like Ben Bagdikian and I.F. Stone deserve a lot of credit, but I think McChesney, more than anyone, was the one who got these messages out to the people who then gave them the momentum and widespread dispersion they needed to set today's media reform ball rolling.
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Deconstructing the Digital Era

Senator Ted Stevens thinks the internet is a "series of tubes." George W. Bush believes there are internets galore out there. And John McCain...well, the Senator has admitted that he doesn't even know how to use a computer. Politics in the digital era is tricky, not so much because of the wealth of information on the web, but because of the millions of ordinary Americans using that information on a daily basis. Armed with new media tools, muckrackers today number in the millions. No longer is a candidate able to present a poll-tested package to the press and have that persona spoon-fed to the American people. No, today's voters have available to them a universe of information consisting of detailed voting records, primary sources, debunking sites, blogs, and more.
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Think Before You Ink: Are Tattoos Safe?

As the popularity of tattoos continues to grow, so does the concern about potential risks. Some risks, such as the spread of infections through the use of unsterilized needles, have long been known. But what isn't clear is the safety of tattoo inks. Permanent tattoos are made by using needles to inject colored ink below the skin's surface. Permanent make-up is considered a permanent tattoo that mimics the results of cosmetic products such as an eyebrow pencil, lip liner, eyeliner, or blush.
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What is Medicare?

Medicare is our country’s health insurance program for people age 65 or older. Certain people younger than age 65 can qualify for Medicare, too, including those who have disabilities and those who have permanent kidney failure or amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (Lou Gehrig’s disease). The program helps with the cost of health care, but it does not cover all medical expenses or the cost of most long-term care.
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Register for the National Do Not Call Registry

The National Do Not Call Registry gives you an opportunity to limit the telemarketing calls you receive. Once you register your phone number, telemarketers subject to the FTC's Telemarketing Sales Rule, must stop calling you. Most legitimate telemarketers respect the Registry and won't call a number on it. But scammers are willing to violate the Registry restrictions. If your number is on the Registry, be suspicious of any telemarketing calls, unless they are from companies with which you already do business or that are allowed to call under an exception to the rule.
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