NOI Summit Session 6 -- Holding the Media Accountable

4:27: This session is being run by Erin Hofteig, Karl Frisch and Jeremy Schulman of Media Matters.



4:30: Whatever issues are important to you, the media should be your second-most important issue.

4:34: Conservative misinformation is defined as "News or commentary that is inaccurate, unreliable, or not credible and that forwards the conservative agenda." It isn't simply conservative thought, it's inaccurate or incomplete information.

4:38: For a long time there has been a conservative spin that the media is liberally biased. It isn't particularly true, but they have repeated it as a mantra for years and the image has taken hold.

4:41: Media correction has to be done on a bit-by-bit, piece-by-piece basis.

4:42: Reporters read blogs. You should get to know them and they probably want to get to know you.

4:43: Need to build a media list of all of the relevant reporters, radio shows, and television.

4:43: Being attacked by right-wing media is a badge of honor and means that your

4:44: They aren't going to come to us. We have to be proactive and reach out to them.

4:44: Communicate respectfully with the media, don't make it personal. If you make it personal, you have little or no chance of influencing them or getting them to do their job correctly.

4:48: It is important that you accurately portray what they are doing. Quote them accurately and be careful about attributing intent, which is something you may not be able to accurately discern.

4:52: Media accountability doesn't work particularly well in a solitary fashion, when a lot of groups work on getting the media criticism message out. Blogs and groups need to help spread the word.

4:55: Reach out to the organizations that might be interested in the issues that you are writing about and let them know about what you are writing.

5:03: When media isn't doing a great job, one of the best ways to focus on them is to target their advertisers. Listen to a show and write down the advertisers and then contacting them (in significant numbers).

5:08: If you have the type of influence that gets right-wing media people talking about you and your criticism, then they aren't slandering liberals or other things like that.