WASHINGTON - March 27 -

EVENT: Conservatives not only control all three branches of government, major parts of the media are increasingly conservative, too. Conservatives dominate the cable and radio airwaves, as well as the nation's op-ed pages. Meanwhile, the established news media is under constant assault from the right for demonstrating a so-called liberal bias, which many progressives critics allege leads to softer coverage, more accommodating of those in power and imperiling objective, independent inquiry. Recently, reportage on the Iraq war has been drawn into the political crosshairs.

Can progressives find their media voice? Is news coverage skewed to either side? What can consumers of news do to ensure accurate and reliable reporting? These and other questions will be explored on April 5 at George Washington University by a range of media practitioners and critics. They'll identify both problems and potential solutions.

WHO:

-- David Brock, president and CEO, Media Matters for America

-- Eleanor Clift, contributing editor, Newsweek

-- Al Franken, Host, The Al Franken Show

-- Danny Goldberg, CEO, Air America Radio

-- Helen Thomas, syndicated columnist, Hearst News Service

WHEN: Wednesday, April 5, 4 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. EST

WHERE: The George Washington University, Media and Public Affairs Building, Jack Morton Auditorium, 805 21st St., NW, Washington, D.C. (Foggy Bottom-GWU Metro, Blue and Orange lines)

REGISTRATION: Free and open to the public. Doors open at 3:30 p.m. Early registration is highly recommended. Seating is limited, to register please visit http://www.mediamatters.org.

Editor's Note: The event is "open press." Camera crews are encouraged to arrive at 2 p.m. for early set-up.

Media Matters for America is a Web-based, not-for-profit, progressive research and information center dedicated to comprehensively monitoring, analyzing, and correcting conservative misinformation in the U.S. media. Media Matters for America is the first organization to systematically monitor the media for conservative misinformation every day, in real time. For more information, visit http://www.mediamatters.org.

###