| Friend — In a country established on white supremacy and built on the backs of Black bodies across stolen land, small changes and declarations of good intentions are decades late. The insidious influence of anti-Black racism has persisted through too many “steps in the right direction.”
Media 2070 — built and led by Free Press’ Black staff — is working to create a world where media reparations are possible. This project was founded in 2019 to expose the history of racism in the media and demand radical, wholesale justice. This is our time.
And that’s why, this summer, we’re demanding a full accounting from the FCC of how U.S. media policy has condoned and perpetuated racism. We’re also pushing major news organizations to commit to dismantling anti-Blackness in the media.
We know all too well that real change never comes easy, and we need help from donors like you to keep up the fight. Please contribute to our media-reparations work today!
Donate Now Media 2070’s first major action was to publish an unflinching report detailing the history of U.S. media participation in anti-Black racism and harm.1 And we must see a full accounting of the role that official U.S. media policy has played — because we’ll see real change in the future only if we truly and honestly acknowledge our past.
Of course, learning the truth is only the first step — and that is why we’re urging newsrooms around the country to sign our pledge to dismantle anti-Blackness by: Refusing to parrot police narratives about Black people Refusing to criminalize Black men, women and children Trusting Black journalists Showcasing nuanced stories about Black people and communities Media 2070 and all of Free Press are committed to working for racial justice over the long term — but as a nonprofit, we depend on support from people like you to keep up the fight. Please make your first-ever gift to Free Press now.
Thank you for everything you do for our movement — your support is a critical part of the fight for racial justice.
Alicia and the rest of the Media 2070 team
media2070.org
P.S. This past year, journalists of color pushed The Los Angeles Times and The Kansas City Star to publish apologies for how they have inflicted harm on Black communities. Many more outlets must do the same — but we must also remember that newsrooms alone are not responsible for the systemic racism that exists in our media system. By donating today, you will help us demand a full accounting from the FCC of the role that federal media policies have played in the oppression of Black people in our country. Please donate now.
1. “Media 2070: An Invitation to Dream Up Media Reparations,” Media 2070, October 2020 | 