Media Alliance
- Mar 23
- 2 min read
Media Alliance (MA) is a Northern California democratic communications advocate that focuses on advancing policies that protect freedom of expression, bodily autonomy and communication systems that work in the interests of people, not corporations. Their work includes both legacy media (like radio and television) as well as digital issues including network neutrality, digital inclusion and access, cyber-surveillance/online spying, and social media accountability.
This month, we talk with Media Alliance's Director Tracy Rosenberg about the organization's history and its role in advocacy and artist support.
How has Media Alliance changed since its founding in 1976 at Fort Mason in San Francisco?
MA was founded by left-wing print journalists in the Bay Area who wanted to change their coverage of the social justice movements sweeping the Bay and the country in the 60’s and 70’s. They wanted to use different kinds of sources, adjust their framing and convince their editors of the value of those changes. The nonprofit became a hub for the training and mentoring of citizen and community-oriented journalists for the next 20 years. As journalism changed, so did MA and we transitioned into being policy advocates focused on the rules of the road and the power brokers that determine the rules for the systems we all use. In the last 15 years, Media Alliance and our satellite organization Oakland Privacy have become nationally recognized advocates.
How does MA support media and creative artists?
MA supports vital arts expressions in several ways. We fiscally sponsor a variety of creative projects including spoken word, short film, documentary, web preservation and many other kinds of artistic projects. Fiscal sponsorship allows our projects to access funds from charitable institutions and offer tax-deductibility benefits to donors. In addition, MA’s policy work across digital policies intersects many artistic flashpoints including censorship, copyright, concentration of ownership, technology access, social media algorithms, and online spying and surveillance.
How do the arts and advocacy work together?
Artistic expression has powered social change for centuries. The ability of images to cut through jargon and policy-talk can focus a discussion in a way nothing else can. The human costs of words on paper spring to life when vividly illustrated and complex issues can become instantly understandable. Protections that allow artists to work free of censorship, maintain ownership of their creative output, and gain an audience for their work are essential for a healthy society to progress. We are honored to be a small part of preserving and fighting for those protections.
Find out more at media-alliance.org and join them on the social media platform of your choice:
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