'Bring Betty Broadband' campaign leads new OC, Inc. initiative

Leading off its "Bring Betty Broadband" campaign to promote equal high-speed-Internet access for all, a diverse gathering of religious groups has launched So We Might See, a national interfaith coalition for media justice. "So We Might See is an ecumenical, interfaith coalition that has come together to educate and advocate for media justice, both within our faith communities and beyond," says the Rev. J. Bennett Guess, executive director of the United Church of Christ's Office of Communication, Inc. "We will work across religious lines to address the social, structural and economic barriers that prevent equal access to the media and telecommunications." So We Might See plans to develop a network of individuals and congregations that will focus greater public attention on media policy issues, says Guess. "We want to work together to build a more responsible, accessible, and inclusive media." The coalition includes diverse religious representation, including the National Council of Churches, U.S. Catholic Conference of Bishops, the Islamic Society of North America, the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), the United Church of Christ, the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, Mennonite Media, United Methodist Communications, and more. "Bring Betty Broadband will help engage individuals and congregations into meaningful public dialogue about the development and implementation of policies that will help bring broadband to all Americans," says Cheryl Leanza, policy director of the UCC's OC, Inc. The act calls for the Federal Communications Commission to develop a national broadband plan by the end of the year. The viral campaign is built around the woes of a fictional-but-reality-based Betty, a new computer owner who lacks broadband access.