PressEthic

An organization called The Media Consortium has set some lofty goals for itself.

The Consortium refers to itself as a "progressive, independent, non-profit media association" and aims to provide alternative news, through a variety of venues, to compete with corporate-owned media.

This summer, representatives from leftish news organizations such as The American Prospect, The Nation, Mother Jones, The Progressive, The Washington Monthly, AlterNet.org, Grist.org, Link TV, Free Speech TV, Air America, New American Media and In These Times signed a "Declaration of Independent Media."

The Declaration read, in part:

We, the makers and providers of progressive, independent journalism, declare our intent to form among ourselves a new nonprofit association, The Media Consortium. . . . We believe it is possible and necessary to seize the current moment and change the debate in this country on our terms. Therefore, the mission of The Media Consortium is of vital importance -- not just for the furtherance of our individual enterprises, but for the health of American democracy.

Worthy aims indeed, but how do they intend to do it?

According to Jessica Clark and Tracy Van Slyke from In These Times (a member of Media Consortium):

The end goal: to develop a sustainable progressive media infrastructure that can inform and influence public opinion, encourage grassroots action and create political change. But to do so media outlets and media-focused organizations need three things: support from each other, investment in core journalistic efforts, and a strategy for moving into new digital media that facilitate rapid response initiatives and audience interaction.

Call me cynical, but this sounds to me like planning to form a plan.

Representatives of the Media Consortium are meeting this week in LA. Perhaps that is what they will do.