FAIR is a national media watch group that offers criticism of media bias and censorship. It seeks to invigorate the First Amendment by advocating for greater diversity in the press and scrutinizes media practices that marginalize public interest, minority and dissenting viewpoints.
FAIR believes that independent, aggressive and critical media are essential to an informed democracy, but thinks that mainstream media are increasingly cosy with the economic and political powers. With mergers in the news industry, limiting the spectrum of viewpoints, U.S. media outlets overwhelmingly owned by for-profit conglomerates and supported by corporate advertisers FAIR sees independent journalism compromise.
FAIR was established in 1986 to shake up the establishment-dominated media. As an anti-censorship organization, FAIR exposes important news stories that are neglected and defends journalists when they are muzzled.
Strategies and Policies
Research and Monitoring: FAIR monitors a wide range of national news media - newspapers, magazines, television and radio - and publishes regular reports documenting pro-establishment, pro-corporate tilt in major news outlets.
Media Outreach: In its efforts to challenge bias and censorship, FAIR maintains a regular dialogue with journalists at news media outlets across the country. FAIR makes recommendations to media professionals on how to expand, diversify and improve coverage of a wide range of issues.
Media Activism: FAIR encourages media consumers to become media activists and regularly puts out activist alerts. It works with a nationwide network of local activists and groups that focus on key issues in their communities and participate in national campaigns coordinated by FAIR.
Media Watch Desks: FAIR operates specialized research and advocacy desks that work with activists and media professionals on specific issues. The Women's Desk analyses the effects of sexism and homophobia in the media and works to get feminist perspectives included in the public debate. The Labor Desk scrutinizes and confronts class bias in news coverage that favors moneyed interests and slights workers and unions. The Racism Watch Desk monitors and combats the media's marginalization, misrepresentation and exclusion of people of color.
CounterSpin: FAIR runs a radio program, which draws on a network of experts, analysts, activists and artists, which expose and highlight censored stories, biased and inaccurate news and the corporatisation of public broadcasting.
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FREEnet is an academic and research network, interconnecting computer networks of research institutes of the Russian Academy of Sciences, universities, colleges, and other research and academic institutions. It was established in 1991 by the N.D. Zelinsky Institute of Organic Chemistry at the Center of Computer Assistance to Chemical Research. It provides its more than 350 members of the academic and educational community with all types of basic Internet services and various information services.
Strategies and Policies
FREEnets general intention is to become a backbone infrastructure providing:
Open networking services for efficient access to the network and information resources located both in Russia and all over the Internet.
Reliable network connectivity for research, academic and educational communities in Russia and abroad.
Worldwide access to science and information resources of the Russian Academy of Sciences, universities and colleges in Russia.
Assistance to the progress of Russian based fundamental research.
Assistance to the development and application of modern information technologies in education.
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