Free Press is a “national nonpartisan organization working to increase public participation in crucial media policy debates, and to generate policies which will produce a more competitive and public interest-oriented media system with a strong noncommercial sector.” Its founder and president is Robert McChesney.
Executive Director - Josh Silver
Salim Muwakkil - Advisory Board
Craig Aaron - Communications Director
Funding
Mobilizing Media Reform “was made possible with generous support from:
Acra Foundation
Glaser Progress Foundation
Nathan Cummings Foundation
Otto Haas Charitable Trust
Overbrook Foundation
Park Foundation
Quixote Foundation
Schumann Center for Media and Democracy
and many individual donors.”
(source: enclosed brochure)
Ford Foundation
http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Free_Press
From the lefties at sourcewatch...
Salim Muwakkil - Advisory Board?
Salim Muwakkil “is a senior editor at IN THESE TIMES magazine. He is an Op-Ed columnist for the CHICAGO TRIBUNE, a member of the editorial board, and a columnist for, the Madison-based Progressive Media Project, an advisory board member of Free Press and a 2000 Media Fellow of the Soros Open Society Institute. He was a contributing columnist for the Op-Ed page of the CHICAGO SUN-TIMES from 1993 to 1997. His work has won him many awards - including the Studs Terkel Award for journalistic excellence.
“Salim Muwakkil is a contributing author to six books: APPEAL TO REASON: 25 YEARS IN THESE TIMES, 2002; STATES OF CONFINEMENT, 2000; THE FARRAKHAN FACTOR: AFRICAN-AMERICAN WRITERS ON MINISTER LOUIS FARRAKHAN, 1998; THE BELL CURVE DEBATE, 1995; COLLATERAL DAMAGE: THE NEW WORLD ORDER AT HOME AND ABROAD, 1992; INSIDE THE L.A. RIOTS, 1992.
“From 1986 to 1990 he taught journalism at Chicago’s Columbia College. He has also been an adjunct professor at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago’s Film Center, Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism, the Associated Colleges of the Midwest’s Urban Studies, and the University of Illinois in 2001.
“From 1995-96 Muwakkil was a co-host of Pacifica News’ network daily “Democracy Now” program and from 1993 to 1996 he hosted a weekly talk show on Chicago radio station WVON-AM. Muwakkil is a frequent guest on CHICAGO TONIGHT, a public affairs program on PBS, BEYOND THE BELTWAY, a nationally syndicated radio program of political commentary. He has provided on-air political analysis for Fox TV News in Chicago and is an occasional commentator for the Pacifica News Network, the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation and Monitor Radio.” [1]
http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Salim_Muwakkil
And, of course, Bill Moyers interviewed him...
http://www.pbs.org/now/society/muwakkil.html
Another Chicago guy.