Jesus said that the poor would always be with us—but that doesn't mean we shouldn't try to bring them broadband. A coalition of Christian churches and the Islamic Society of North America has launched a new campaign to bring broadband to everyone in the US so that "our poorest communities, our rural areas, our public libraries, our public schools, and community centers" benefit from the communications revolution that the Internet hath wrought.
The "Bring Betty Broadband" campaign casts the broadband debate in moral terms. It's about the "right to disseminate and receive information," it's a "right that helps to define ourselves as human beings and political actors," and it's absolutely essential for everyone in a modern society.
In addition, in the modern economy, just distribution of access to communication and information is essential to promote economic justice," says the group. "Increasingly in the United States, the fundamental right to communicate is meaningless without high speed Internet access."
The joint effort is part of a media reform project called "So We Might See," and it's spearheaded by the United Church of Christ. It has also been endorsed by the National Council of Churches, the US Catholic Conference of Bishops, the United Methodists, the Presbyterian Church (PCUSA), the Lutherans (ELCA), and the Islamic Society of North America.
The groups all believe that the government has a role to play in this process, especially with more than $7 billion in broadband stimulus money on the table. "For too long," they say, "the process of reaching out and educating traditionally disenfranchised communities has been left to volunteer efforts and the philanthropic community alone. Increasing access doesn't just assist the people who are helped, we all benefit. Just as the value of a telephone increases when we can reach more people by using it, the value of the Internet for all of us increases when we are all connected."
But, recognizing that many people without broadband don't currently see its utility, the coalition asks the government "to promote digital inclusion initiatives to stimulate broadband demand and ensure that all US residents have access to the digital skills and equipment necessary to take advantage of the Internet's enormous potential benefits. For example, establishment of local and national digital inclusion councils could work with other agencies and programs to promote digital inclusion principles in the fulfillment of their missions. Media literacy curriculum for secondary schools should be established, along with technology literacy and digital media production."
The "Bring Betty Broadband" webpage features a cute animated video (presumably of "Betty"), but the action step is a form letter that people are encouraged to send to Gary Locke of the Commerce Department (which is overseeing much of the broadband money).
Unlike many such letters, though, senders pledge themselves to help out. "As members of a wide range of faith communities in this country," the letter concludes, "we are prepared to do our part to help our friends and neighbors to get online and to get broadband access. We hope the federal government will also step up to the plate."
So We Might See's media reform mission goes beyond the new broadband campaign; one of its recent projects was the "Spare Kids the Ads" campaign, which sought to cut down on embedded advertisements (product placements), especially those targeted at kids. One key item of concern? American Idol, which "featured products 4,636 times during a six-month period in early 2008. While Simon, Paula and Randy may not necessarily prefer to drink Diet Coke, millions of viewers are led to believe they do—at Coca-Cola's paid insistence."
To promote the issue, the United Church of Christ's Office of Communication dreamed up some holiday-themed e-cards, one of which is too good not to share.
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