Academics and Activists Kick Off Superbowl of Media Reform

All Aboard! Two conference participants were spotted on the Memphis trolley. Sarah Olson is a radio journalist who has been subpoenaed by the US Army. She was covering the charges against Lt. Ehren Watada who faces six years in prison, four of which is for speaking to the press. Sarah could spend up to six months in prison if she doesn't testify. Military Reporters and Editors President James Crowley has written about the case: "Trying to force a reporter to testify at a court-martial sends the wrong signal to the media and the military...One of the hallmarks of American journalism....is a clear separation of the press and journalists."
The LA Times says: "There is something especially chilling about the US military reaching beyond its traditional authority to compet a non-military US citizen engaged in news gathering to testify in a military court simply to bolster a court-martial case"
Sarah has been a reporter for Making Contact, which is a project of the National Radio Project, whose producer, Lisa Rudman, is a participant in the Media Reform conference.
To read more about the Memphis conference, check out Harold Feld's blog at http://www.wetmachine.com/totsf/item/699
Here are two other bloggers, Josh Breitbart and Dharma Dailey. More on the conference tomorrow! Or read Josh's blog at www.josh.fm