Our History

In 2004, advocates for media reform were gearing up.  Congress was expected to re-authorize the Telecommunications Act the following year, and the Federal Communications Commission was embarking on yet another effort to weaken media ownership rules. 

The public was increasingly dissatisfied with mainstream and corporate media owners, and access to the Internet and mobile devices was still being considered a “luxury” by policy makers despite how critical they were for participating in modern society. 

A growing number of advocacy organizations knew they had to fight for the public interest in these battles over the future of our media and communications systems.  New groups like that focused on media policy such as Free Press and the Center for Media Justice had only recently been formed; media policy groups that had been fighting for decades like Media Access Project and Media Alliance were finding new allies in multi-issue groups like Common Cause and U.S. PIRG that were adding media issues to their agendas.  In Washington D.C. and in local communities, leading activists and advocates were getting engaged. 

These leaders knew that to battle special interests in Washington, such as big media conglomerates, cable and phone companies, this growing movement needed to work together.  They gathered at the Arca Foundation’s Musgrove estate to discuss developing a cohesive, proactive agenda toward democratic U.S. media policy.  There the Media and Democracy Coalition was born. 

The Media and Democracy Coalition was formally launched in 2006, and began by facilitating a field campaign against the FCC’s proposal to weaken media ownership rules.  Housed at the Common Cause Education Fund, the Media and Democracy Coalition was governed by an Executive Committee and Steering Committee of its member organizations.  

In 2008, the Media and Democracy Coalition became independent from Common Cause, and incorporated as a 501(c)(3) non profit organization.  It is now governed by a Board of Directors and Voting Members from among its original leadership, as well as new groups that joined the Coalition in subsequent years. 

To learn more about our accomplishments since 2006, you can download our annual and programmatic reports here. 

2011 Organizational Report

2010 Organizational Report
Check out this video celebrating victories for communications rights in 2010:

2006 Organizational Report