ctivism campaign for more democratic and issues-oriented standards of reporting.

While there is no shortage of mainstream media coverage of the ongoing campaigns, much of this reporting does not illuminate the candidates' stances on the issues that matter to us most - such as the economy, health care, employment, the war in Iraq, and education.

The project was sparked in part by this frustration, and also by the media's duplicity in the democratic -- with a small 'd' -- failures of the 2000 presidential election. This time around we're putting in place a citizen-powered tool that will monitor the media bus as it careens down the campaign trail. We see in the wreckage of 2000, an opportunity in 2004 to change media for the better, encouraging coverage of the issues over the "horse race" and substance over spectacle.

I am writing you now so that you can become involved with this important effort:

Please visit Media for Democracy (http://www.mediafordemocracy.us/) to learn more and sign up as a member to receive our weekly updates and original alerts. You can join us now at http://www.mediafordemocracy.us/mfd/join.html

You will receive exclusive, insightful reports on media election coverage as it occurs. Reports not only flag reporting mistakes, they also provide you with the electronic means to put news executives and journalists on notice. Your voice will be amplified by MediaChannel's community of 100 independent U.S. media affiliates and more than 125,000 users who make up the MediaChannel network.

Media for Democracy is powered by citizens and the Internet. We will continue to mobilize a constituency of people across the political spectrum who will stand with Media for Democracy - and its more than 100 independent media affiliates - in the fight for media that is more diverse, accountable and democratic.

= = = = BACKGROUND

Media For Democracy (www.mediafordemocracy.us) is funded by a grant from the Schumann Center for Media and Democracy and through individual donations to MediaChannel.org.

MediaChannel.org (www.mediachannel.org) is a media issues network founded in February 2000 by an international team of journalists, educators, policy reform advocates, new-media specialists and accomplished media makers to respond to the ongoing consolidation of media under a small handful of corporations. The founding of MediaChannel.org set into motion a global, Web-based initiative to mobilize media makers, consumers, educators, analysts and activists. MediaChannel started with 20 affiliates; today the network boasts more than 1,100 independent media affiliates who have joined in a global campaign for more diverse, democratic and accountable media.

Regards,

Timothy Karr, Executive Director MediaChannel.org www.mediachannel.org 212-246-0202 x.3009

Media For Democracy Site URL: www.mediafordemocracy.us

P.S. - Here's a recent MediaChannel article that might be of interest:

** HOW CAMPAIGN COVERAGE UNDERMINES DEMOCRACY By Danny Schechter All too often, the way our democracy is "covered" covers up the real forces that shape it. Once again, the long slog of primary coverage has been packaged as Electotainment. http://www.mediachannel.org/views/dissector/affalert137.shtml

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------