What:   Media and Democracy: What the proposed sale of Cox Media might mean to Dayton.

Why:    The Dayton Daily News, Channel 7, and WHIO Radio are being sold to a private equity fund.  

             What might the impact be? What can you do?

Where: University of Dayton’s River Campus, 1700 S Patterson Blvd, Dayton, OH 45409.

When: Monday, July 29 from 6:00-7:30pm.

Yosef Getachew, Common Cause’s Media and Democracy Program Director, will provide an overview of media consolidation all over the country and its impact on communities.

Join us for an exploration of how media and democracy intersect and the importance of strong local media. Panelists include:

• Bob Daley, former political reporter (Dayton Journal Herald, Dayton Daily News, Congressional Quarterly),

• Dr. Jim DeBrosse, retired assistant professor of journalism and a veteran newspaper reporter who worked 20 years for Cox newspapers in Dayton,  

• Dr. Joel Pruce, assistant professor in the University of Dayton’s Department of Political Science,  

• Melissa Rodriguez, community activist

• The Honorable Tom Roberts, former member of the Ohio General Assembly and Ohio Conference President of the NAACP
  

• KevinZ. Smith, director of the Kiplinger Program in Public Affairs Journalism

• The Honorable Nan Whaley, mayor of Dayton

Some background:

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is considering the proposed merger of Cox Media, hedge fund Apollo Global Management, and Northwest Broadcasting. Voting and the quality of representational democracy is dependent upon access to good information from a variety of sources.  

That’s why in May, Common Cause and Common Cause Ohio, joined by United Church of Christ, filed a petition with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) asking the agency to deny this proposed merger. If approved, Apollo would own 25 television stations putting a significant amount of media ownership in the control of a private equity firm.

Since 2004, about a third of the largest newspaper chains are now owned by private equity firms. The quality of news and information has significantly diminished under private equity control. These firms typically implement cost cutting strategies that eliminate needed reporters. Communities are left with reduced access to important information.

This free event is sponsored by Common Cause Ohio, the Kiplinger Program in Public Affairs Journalism, and the University of Dayton’s Human Rights Center.