National Press Club to Host "NEWSMAKER" The Next Round of FCC Consolidation Rules: The Death Knell For the Community Voice and Informed Community Journalism?

Steven Waldman , Senior Advisor to FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski
Bob Edgar , President of Common Cause
Kevin McKinney , Documentary Filmmaker

WASHINGTON, March 1, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The following is being released by National Press Club:

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20080917/NPCLOGO)

DATE: Wednesday, March 6
TIME: 10 a.m.
PLACE: The Murrow Room, National Press Club

The FCC's ongoing relaxation of media consolidation rules allowing large corporations to own more media outlets – with another round of similar rule making expected in the next few weeks - has already resulted in the closing of many local TV and radio stations across the country, the loss of thousands of jobs for journalists and the muddling of the kind of diverse and objective reporting an informed electorate needs to fairly understand government actions and act as responsible citizens and voters.

Examining the different sides of this issue will be: Steven Waldman , senior advisor to FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski and a former national editor for US News & World Report and national correspondent for Newsweek; Bob Edgar , a former U.S. congressman and president of Common Cause, a national nonpartisan citizens lobby working to connect citizens to their democracy with a diverse and open media; and Kevin McKinney , an independent documentary filmmaker whose film Corporate FM has been selected for screening at the 2013 DC Independent Film Festival. Corporate FM explores how relaxing FCC consolidation rules has caused one city to lose its communal voice.

This National Press Club Newsmakers news conference is scheduled for 10 a.m., Wednesday, March 6, 2013 in the club's Murrow Room on the 13th Floor of the National Press Building, 529 14th St., NW, Washington, D.C.

SOURCE National Press Club