FAIR

Defending and invigorating free speech by striving for a more pluralistic media

The Problem

The mainstream US media is increasingly concentrated in fewer and fewer corporate hands. As a result, the kind of independent, aggressive and critical reporting and the broad spectrum of viewpoints that are essential to an informed democracy are increasingly squeezed out by the perspectives of government and corporate elites. The media risk becoming more lapdog than watchdog, leaving the public less informed on key issues and less able to participate in our democracy.

The Solution

FAIR has been challenging media bias since 1986, advocating for media access on behalf of constituencies that lack the wealth to purchase their own TV stations or daily newspapers. They seek to break this pattern of exclusion by dialoguing with media programmers, reporters, and editors and scrutinizing media practices that cut against public interest, peace, and minority viewpoints. At the same time, they promote strong, non-profit alternative sources of information, and encourage the public to become “media activists rather than passive consumers of news.”