by Luke Schneider, News Writer
The Orpheum Theater will host the “Tell Us the Truth Tour” on Friday, November 7 in conjunction with The National Conference on Media Reform, which runs from November 7-9 at the University of Wisconsin.
The concert is the first of 13 tour stops covering the Midwest and East Coast. The tour features artists such as Tom Morello, former guitarist of the politically active band Rage Against the Machine, Billy Bragg, Boots Riley of The Coup, and Lester Chambers of the Chambers Brothers.
Self-described as “the loudest, angriest, funniest, and most effective challenge to corporate domination of the public discourse in recent history,” the purpose of “Tell Us the Truth” is to promote activism and address the issues of fair trade and media consolidation that are facing the country.
“When presidents and politicians lie, it is the job of the press to expose and challenge those lies,” Morello in a statement. “When the press fails, the lies become laws. The point of the ‘Tell Us the Truth Tour’ is to help others make these connections, and to show them that activism can change the policies of the country.”
Last June, the Federal Communications Commission removed barriers put in place to control the growth of large corporations that operate in the forms of broadcast, print, cable, and even the Internet.
The conference and the tour are both against these “monopolies” and are trying to promote more diverse and local news sources. According to the “Tell Us the Truth” website, “fewer sources of local news, and the absence of conflicting points of view, deprive citizens of the information and context they must have to participate in their democracy.”
“Without adequate information, people can’t make decisions about policy and government decisions that affect their lives,” said Paul Barrett, Administrative Director for the Haven Center, which is hosting the conference on campus.
Melissa Roberts, program associate of Common Cause, was quick to point out another fault of large media conglomerates.
“They could easily pick a view,” Roberts explained. Roberts said Fox News, a channel with a widely conservative reputation, was an example.
“If more people are watching Fox News, they’ll have a more conservative slant,” Roberts replied.
Currently, there are two proposed bills that are being put through Congress to try to “reverse much of the FCC’s rulings and ensure that the FCC’s mandate was not for deregulation, but rather to work for the benefit of the American public,” according to the “Tell Us the Truth” site.
Others involved in different dates of the tour include artists Steve Earle, Mike Mills of R.E.M., Jill Sobule of The Coup, and actress Janeane Garofalo, who will host the last four stops.
“This concert tour is a great way to inform the public about the dangers of media consolidation and urge people to encourage their Member of Congress to support legislation that rolls back the new ownership rules,” said Common Cause president Chellie Pingree in a statement.
In addition to grassroots group sponsor Common Cause, A.F.L.-C.I.O., Citizens Trade Campaign, the Future of Music Coalition, and Free Press have joined together to offer their support.
