_ Political Advocacy

In 2012, Media Alliance lobbied public officials regularly on media democracy issues including, Barbara Lee, Zoe Lofgren, Nancy Skinner, Fiona Ma, Jared Huffman, George Miller, Sandre Swanson, Barbara Boxer, Diane Feinstein, Alex Padilla, Steven Bradford, and CPUC commissioners Catherine Sandoval, Mike Florio, Mark Ferron and Timothy Simon. Media Alliance publishes regular op-eds at the Huffington Post on media policy – including such subjects as public access preservation, community radio, the new nonprofit journalism, media ownership, net neutrality, digital inclusion and the national broadband plan, prison phone kickbacks and media access to prisoners and also contributed in 2012 to the LA Progressive, the Bay Guardian, Counterpunch, The Advocate, The Nashville Scene, the SF Chronicle, The Silicon Valley Business Journal and the SJ Mercury News. Media Alliance was identified as one of 40 national organziations driving the media change movement on the right-wing site – The Left Tracking Library.

_ Curbing Media Consolidation

Media Alliance continues to work as an active member of the Media Action Grassroots Network on nationwide efforts to pressure the FCC, watch the congressional agenda, and track local, regional, national and international developments in ownership rules, censorship, privacy, access and neutrality issues. In 2012, Media Alliance got active when Chicago NPR station WBEZ abruptly cancelled Smiley & West, replacing the prominent African-American broadcasters with reruns of Car Talk after decrying the "advocacy identity" of the program, submitted extensive comments on low-power radio implementation and the BART cellular network shutdown in partnership with the National Lawyers Guild and on proposed cross-ownership rules relaxation and increased media consolidation, and intervened extensively in the proposed sale/transfer of the 5th largest noncommercial TV signal in the State of California, KCSM-TV. , 

_ Bay Area Media Justice Hub

MA’s semimonthly newsletter keeps 10,000 Bay Areans up-to-date on media advocacy, communication rights and digital justice, locally and nationwide. Media Alliance has established a Bay Area Media Justice Hub, including partnerships with First Voice Media Action, Poor Magazine, EBASE, Berkeley Community Media, Mujeres Unidas, Ella Baker Center for Human Rights , and the SF Bayview,

_ Amplifying the Media Messages of California's Nonprofit Community

Media Alliance customized workshops for non-profit organizations are available to tailor trainings to specific needs and challenges. Cheap and accessible Northern and Southern California press lists are available on the website to all. The Media How-To Guide tells how to get your message out with little time and money.

_ Defending Diversity

Media Alliance is a litigant in several important court cases: Media Alliance, Benton Foundation, NOW, Common Cause and UCC vs. FCC (female and minority ownership) and Council Tree Communications vs. FCC (spectrum auctions). 

_ Safeguarding Civil Rights & Promoting the Arts

Media Alliance helps create alliances between media creators and media consumers to bring light to under-reported issues and build public support for fundamental rights.

_ Employment Opportunities

Jobfile remains the best Bay Area media jobs listing.