Can we prevent mass media shifting to the right? This week Avaaz, an internet movement, set its sights on Rupert Murdoch. Avaaz is an online international campaigning body which uses people power to lobby government. With an online membership of over 7 million people, it seeks to uphold democracy by informing policy makers of opinion through email, telephone and media campaigns.
As media mogul Murdoch moves in to add BSkyB to his portfolio, extending his control of nearly half of the British media, Avaaz have asked its people to make a stand. At the time of writing around 50,000 people had written to government in opposition to Murdoch’s expansion on the grounds that it is undemocratic for any one person to own nearly half the media, let alone someone of Murdoch’s political influence.
Avaaz further encouraged campaigners to follow up letters with individual telephone calls to the House of Commons on 2nd March and a protest was arranged in London on 3rd March. The final outcome of the bid is eagerly awaited.
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