Seattle Times ' Editorial Page Editor, Mindy Cameron, stated the Media Beat column was too much of the same thing every week, and that the two writers had had there chance to say what they had to say in the Times. However, the erratic scheduling makes these columns very easy to miss and forces progressives to subscribe to a watered down, right-slipping newspaper in order to keep up with them. Although there are writers on the Times' staff who can be considered moderate to liberal, no regular column provides Seattle readers with the consistently hard-edged corporate media scrutiny that Media Beat does. Earth Off the Air 1994 also marked the demise, or leave of absence, of Earth on the Air , a locally produced, nationally aired radio show dedicated to providing a voice for the forces striving to do right by the planet earth. Successful progressives have an obligation to support small progressive enterprises, not just as occasional contributors, but as sturdy benefactors.
Progressive media needs a strong foundation.
You need not be famous to participate, either. If you're making the dough, put some of it back into the community where it is needed the most. And, now that the Republicans have taken control of huge chunks of the federal and state government, it is imperative for everyone out there reading this to help strengthen progressive-minded projects. The censors are lurking and election '94 gave them all an immense boost of confidence. The Seattle Times has made great strides from its place ten years ago as a fish-wrapper for the shuffleboard set.