Friend— I have some awesome news to share about the work that YOU have helped make happen this last month. It’s been really remarkable to see how much we’ve been able to accomplish and how quickly things are moving. So THANK YOU, as always, for your support and actions! First up, the FCC just got a permanent chairwoman! Free Press has been fighting for a fair and fully functioning FCC for almost a year now, and the confirmation of Jessica Rosenworcel is a HUGE step in the right direction. We’re looking forward to working with Chairwoman Rosenworcel in the weeks and months to come … and we’re continuing to push the Senate to confirm President Biden’s final nominee to the FCC, Gigi Sohn. (Could you take a minute to put some heat on the Senate to make sure it confirms her without delay?) Next, our team has been all over the country fighting hard to protect our democracy and pushing for a more just and equitable media system. From putting boots on the ground to protect and promote local journalism to fighting back against Facebook’s spread of disinformation, we’ve been helping shape policies at the local, state and national levels. Check out our View from the Field blog post for more on what we’ve been up to. Finally, TWICE in this past week, our team has testified before Congress. First VP Matt Wood urged lawmakers to uphold Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act — a critical provision that ensures tech companies can effectively combat online hate and disinformation. And just yesterday, our Co-CEO Jessica J. González urged Congress to stop tech companies from abusing our personal data and spreading disinformation. In opening remarks during the U.S. Senate Commerce Committee hearing on “Disrupting Dangerous Algorithms,” Jessica outlined a set of regulatory guidelines that center civil and human rights and protect democratic principles. These were two really big moments for us, and folks like you helped make them possible. So much is going on as we wrap up 2021 — and honestly there is so much exciting work ahead. We’re really grateful to have you with us … stay tuned for more! In gratitude, Lucia, Dutch and the rest of the Free Press team freepress.net P.S. It’s the end of the year, which is a critical time for organizations like Free Press to raise the funds we need to do our work in 2022. If you can, I hope you’ll consider making a donation to support more of these amazing victories and the battles that we know lie ahead. You can make a tax-deductible gift here (and it will be matched by a generous donor to go 2x as far) or you can give directly to Free Press Action (not tax deductible but very impactful!) to support our legislative work. Thanks again! |