Capital Times steps up for network neutrality (finally)
It is not our intention to make this website about network neutrality all the time. Dane101 has a major stake in seeing network neutrality preserved as there is a decent chance our website could be relegated to the bottom tier if the COPE Act is passed. In addition, our friends in both the Madison music and film scenes could also be severely impacted as they could be put in a position where unless they pay fees or are on a major label or part of a production company that can afford to pay those fees - they will see a serious drop in exposure. There is potential for great harm to small businesses that have found the internet as a way to help get their business off the ground. With all of this in mind, we have been critical of the local publications for being silent on the issue as we believe it is a disservice.
We weren't seeking an editorial, simply some news coverage from somewhere in southern Wisconsin. With the exception of a couple Associated Press articles in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, the only paper that did anything on the topic (as far as we could find) was the Appleton Post Crescent - a paper typically considered to be conservative. The Post Crescent came out strongly in favor of Net Neutrality.
Today, the Capital Times has stepped up in an editorial called "Congress vs. the Internet." The long overdue editorial is exceptional in boiling down the issue so Madisonians can understand the impact of an internet without Network Neutrality. Dane101 applauds the Capital Times and now respectfully turn our eyes to the Wisconsin State Journal.
i wonder
great post, but i wonder if wsj's silence suggests ambivalence on the issue. after all, it would be in its (madison.coms) best business interest to monopolize the Internet locally ( or lee enterprises, nationally). it'll be interesting to see how they reconcile their principles of free and open media with what looks like another wonderful opportunity to exploit and shutout the area's smaller players.
benefit of the doubt
I prefer to give the WSJ the benefit of the doubt. I like to think it is more of an issue of not understanding the importance of the subject. A fair and open Internet is in the spirit of the foundation of journalism going all the way back to James Franklin's Hell-Fire Club.
resonate
There is also the question of whether they think this topic will resonate with their readers. I would say, though, that Madison readers are more likely than not to grasp and care about the issue. It would be interesting to get their comment.
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