To conduct what critics are calling an intrusive examination of newsrooms across America, the Federal Communications Commission tapped a Beltway firm whose philosophy aligned neatly with the study's goals—which were to promote "diversity" in the newsroom, presumably in terms of who is hired and what is covered.
Those goals sound innocuous enough, but the study has run into a buzz saw of criticism on Capitol Hill as lawmakers question whether it could be used to pressure media outlets into changing their coverage.
The company, however, tapped to lead the next phase of that study has little in its background pertaining to the media. The Maryland-based company, Social Solutions International, founded in 2005, specializes in areas like maternal health, HIV/AIDS, immigrant health and substance abuse.
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