Why Independent Media Matters
On April 15th, the annual Izzy Award ceremony took place at Ithaca College. The award is named after the legendary dissident journalist I. F. Stone and is given for outstanding journalistic work. The event is organized by Park Center for Independent Media that I currently head as its Director. I am posting my speech here.
Ladies and Gentleman,
Thanks for being here this evening.
Tonight we honor outstanding journalists whose work continues the legacy of the legendary Izzy Stone who spoke truth to power and continued to remind us that the central tenet of journalism was to uphold the public interest.
This year the judges selected four winners to share the Izzy award. First, Earth Island Journal for its path breaking Autumn 2018 issue that explored the connections between environmental and women’s rights and activism. Laura Flanders for bringing progressive and internationalist perspectives to American audiences; Dave Lindorff for uncovering the opaqueness of Pentagon accounts and bloated military budgets; and Aaron Maté for consistently exposing the hyperbole of the Russiagate scandal….
The Park Center for Independent Media is dedicated to promoting media produced outside corporate control and to inspire and train the next generation of independent journalists in the traditions of Izzy Stone and many others before him.
In fact, a lesser known history of the United States is the history of dissent through centuries and how journalists and activists have shaped social change. Be it the rights of the working class, women, sexual freedoms or abolition of slavery — — nothing was achieved without the tireless efforts of countless men and women who challenged the status quo.
Tonight is also a celebration of this rich legacy of dissent and of speaking up.
Independent journalism is even more critical today given that we are living in the age of extreme inequality where the top 1% of world population or the billionaires celebrated by mainstream media own more wealth than half of humanity or 3.7 billion people.
The oligarchs of today also control the media and its narratives in the U.S. and beyond. We are also witnessing a nefarious link between these oligarchs and the strongmen with fascist ideas rising to power everywhere. From Hungary to the Philippines and Turkey; and from India to Brazil.
The concentration of wealth is mirrored in the concentration of media ownership. In 1980s, more than fifty companies controlled U.S. media. In 2019, 5 companies control vast majority of media content that we consume.
Independent media have never been so relevant. They are relevant for the American publics that face threats of climate change, crumbling infrastructure and services, racism, mass incarceration, out of control gun ownership and the highest ever military budget that will be approved later this year.
And what happens here resonates across the globe. There are millions of children starving in Yemen due to a war by Saudi Arabia supported by the U.S. And relentless exploitation of fossil fuel energy sources undertaken by corporations with impunity.
Without informed public opinion here and elsewhere, the battle for saving the planet cannot be fought.
This is why we are gathered here.
To reaffirm our commitment to the public good, to global peace and celebrating the power of truth and justice.
At the end I would like to thank Diane Gayeski, Dean of the Park School of Communications whose support to our center is vital. I must thank my colleague Brandy Hawley who is a formidable pillar of the Center. My illustrious predecessor Jeff Cohen deserves special gratitude. He remains engaged in many capacities and his support has been invaluable.
And last but not the least, Adelaide Gomer, the President of Park Foundation whose generous support keeps us going. In fact, I wonder how the Indy media landscape would look like if there were no Park Foundation! Please give her and Park Foundation staff a big hand.
