Dear friends:

Lee Myung-bak's New Right government in S. Korea is taking disturbing steps
to limit freedom of expression, shut down independent media, and defund
media, arts, and cultural organizations across the country. The latest blow
is an attack on public media center MediAct, which has played a key part in
the democratization of Korea's media system since the end of the
dictatorship, trained thousands of people in media production, and developed
many successful media policy proposals to open up Korea's mediascape to
diverse voices.

Please take action now to express international support for MediAct.

More information below.

       MediAct in Korea has long played a vital role to support alternative
and independent film and video production, a critical citizens’ media
monitoring movement, and an independent, democratic trade union movement
since the late 1980s wave of democracy movement in Korea. They have also
collaborated with many of us around the world.

   However, in the past two years, the mediascape and culture sector in
South Korea has undergone some drastic changes under the Lee Myung-bak
regime/New Right that has taken power as of 2008.

   Now MediAct is facing the crisis of a shut down with the massive and
politically motivated budget cutting by Korean government. Thus, we need
international voices to condemn the Korean government's attack against the
independent media environment in Korea.


1) Sign http://www.gopetition.com/online/33662.html
Media and democracy in South Korea: Save Mediact

2) For updates: Join ACT NOW to save MediAct & Independent Media in Korea!
facebook page:
http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#/group.php?gid=273091817582&ref=nf

3) Call KOFIC's Chairman Cho, Hee Moon  82-2-958-7521
or email: [log in to unmask]
cc: [log in to unmask]

More info:

Mediact website: http://www.mediact.org

English Intro:
http://tinyurl.com/ygtsoq5

Related Interviews:
http://tinyurl.com/yk36jrl




-- 
Dorothy Kidd
Associate Professor
Department of Media Studies
University of San Francisco
2130 Fulton St.
San Francisco
94117-1080
415-422-5061
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