seattle indymedia center

Amy and David Goodman are on an 80 city national tour to promote a media that is accountable to the public as well as the radio program Democracy Now and their new book, Static: Government Liars, Media Cheerleaders, and the People Who Fight Back.

Speaking about the American public, Amy told the conference, "There is a hunger for independent voices in this country. People are tired of the small circle of pundits who know so little about so much, who explain the world to us and get it so wrong." She added, "Those who believe in peace are not a fringe minority.... They are the silenced majority. They are silenced by the corporate media. We have to take the media back which is why Reclaim The Media is so important."

She spoke powerfully of a media that is not censored by corporate interests. She said, " Could you imagine if for one week in Iraq... we saw babies dead on the ground; we saw women with their legs blown off from cluster bombs in Lebanon; we saw soldiers dead and dying in Iraq... Americans are a compassionate people. They would say war is not the answer to conflict in the 21st century. This is why it is critical to have an unembedded media. The media are the most powerful institutions on earth. More powerful than any bomb. More powerful than any missile. And the pentagon has deployed the media and we have to take it back."

David Goodman also spoke at the event.

On Bush propaganda, David noted, "The Government Accountability Office estimated that between 2003-2005 the administration spent 1.6 billion dollars on advertising and public relations to support it's policies."

And on the corporate media, David commented, "It's a sad day when the government no longer has to cover up its dishonesty because the American media does it for them."

Lupito Flores told the audience about the low power station KYRS in Spokane. It is the only station in Spokane to broadcast Democracy Now. The government gives priority to big commercial stations, so KYRS is in danger of being pushed off the airwaves.

Karen Toering, co-director of Reclaim the Media, spoke of our polluted airwaves and of the fights ahead. She said, "The Senate is considering a massive telecom bill that could literally transform the internet as we know it."

She also noted the continuing danger that the FCC is "once again, making an effort to water-down ownership rules." A previous attempt was beaten back by massive public pressure two years ago.

Pete Tridish is the director of Prometheus Radio Project . His organization helps create low power radio stations across the U.S..

The Project is more than just about radio. It's about creating community radio that supports civil rights, labor and environmental struggles.

Prometheus does barn-raising, which consists of members of a community getting together on a weekend to create a community radio station. This process includes 40 to 50 workshops on subjects such as how to edit news stories, how to run pledge drives, and how to wire an antenna. Pete told the audience, "But more than that, it's a moment of political movement building."