While recent protests over proposed legislation addressing media entertainment piracy were loud and widespread, a veteran TV executive says the public seems unaware of an even greater threat to our free speech and a free press.

"People voiced concern about whether SOPA and PIPA (the House and Senate piracy bills) would limit free speech on the Internet. But the resurrection of television's old Fairness Doctrine, so government could again edit and censor news is a far more ominous threat," says Corydon B. Dunham, former 25-year NBC-TV executive and author of Government Control of News: A Constitutional Challenge.

"The Federal Communications Commission has drafted a new policy for government control of news.  And even though a special study last year recommended that such a censorship policy be scrapped, it's still pending, with the potential for action. Frankly, I'm surprised there is no outcry or debate about this political threat to distort news and speech and suppress them."

The FCC's proposed new Localism, Balance and Diversity Doctrine mirrors many aspects of the long-dead Fairness Doctrine, he says. That doctrine was revoked in 1987 when the FCC and the courts found that it had suppressed news, chilled speech, imposed censorship, prevented criticism of the administration then in office, and created an atmosphere of "timidity and fear."

"The new localism doctrine is very similar." Dunham says. "It would force television stations to provide government 'localism' in news production and coverage - as well as revise news reports to comply with government dictates on news balance and viewpoint diversity. Failure to comply could mean loss of the station license to broadcast.

"It may sound good to some people, but in the past, government investigations and regulation enforcement deterred news broadcasts about public and political issues. to keep their broadcast licenses, stations had to conform their news and political reports to what they believed FCC commissioners would approve or revise news reports to what the commissioners did approve.

"The FCC itself finally revoked that doctrine as against the public interest. Since the FCC is planning to transfer to the internet the broadcast spectrum now used by local TV, news websites ultimately could fall under the new Internet rules."

Here are some highlights of the old doctrine and the new one:

• The Fairness Doctrine ruled TV news broadcasters from 1949 to 1987. Believing that the communication power of this, at the time, new medium concentrated great power in few hands, the government mandated that broadcast stations provide what the FCC would decide and dictate as  appropriate "contrasting view" coverage.

• Under the Localism Doctrine, enforcement would not only be the job of the FCC, but also of a local board added at each station to monitor programming, including news. the members of that board would be required to recommend against a station's license renewal if  they thought station programming news was not complying with this new FCC  policy on localism, balance and diversity.

• Under localism rules, a three-vote majority of five politically appointed FCC commissioners at a central government agency would make local news judgments. They would override independent, local TV reporters and editors to impose government agency views on what should be reported and how.

"This new policy, if activated, would directly target news and speech on television and enable an administration to use news coverage to manipulate and influence public opinion about important public and political issues," Dunham says. "The effect would inevitably be something quite different from independent news."

That isn't speculation, Dunham notes. It's history.

About Corydon B. Dunham

Corydon B. Dunham is a Harvard Law School graduate. His Government Control of News study was initiated at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, Smithsonian Institute, and expanded and developed for the Corydon B. Dunham Fellowship for the First Amendment at Harvard Law School and the Dunham Open Forum for First Amendment Values at Bowdoin College. Dunham was an executive at NBC from 1965 to 1990. He oversaw legal and government matters and broadcast standards. He was on the board of directors of the National Television Academy of Arts and Sciences, American Corporate Counsel Association, and American Arbitration Association among other posts.

The 2012 David R. Collins Children's Literature Festival is set for October 2nd at the Davenport River Center and promises a day full of literary adventures. This year's festival features Cheryl Harness, author of historical fiction, Rick Eugene magician extraordinaire, and seven other enthusiastic authors. All third, fourth, fifth, and sixth graders from schools or home schools in the Mississippi Valley area are invited to experience the magic of the written word from 8:45 a.m. to 1:45 p.m. on October 2nd at a cost of $5 each. There must be one adult supervisor for every 10 students. Scholarships are available for schools or students who are unable to pay. The deadline for registrations is September 18th, but space is limited so register soon!

The featured presenter, Cheryl Harness, is an author and illustrator from central Missouri whose impressive repertoire of over 40 ghost stories and historical books have titillated young audiences for years. Funny and talented, she will demonstrate her process of researching, writing, and illustrating the ideas the pop into her head. All students will get to experience Harness' enthusiastic presentation as well as magician Rick Eugene's tricks and illusions.

Other presenters include Ryan Collins and Belinda Holbrook, both back by popular demand for their interactive presentations that encourage students to engage with literature as both readers and writers. A new group of presenters include non-fiction experts, poets, illustrators, and science aficionados and feature such names as Leone Castell Anderson, Eileen Boggess, Deb Bowen, Michael Graf, and Jill Esbaum. With such a wide array of professional interests, there will certainly be something for everyone.

In addition to the presentations, children will have the opportunity to shop for their favorite presenters' books as well as others. All children will receive a free book along with other giveaways.

Contact Joan Walton by phone at 563-391-2738 or by e-mail at djwalt4@msn.com for information and registration materials for your school. More information along with a registration form and Festival brochure are also available at www.midwestwritingcenter.org under the "Events and Opportunities" tab.

The 2012 David R. Collins Children's Literature Festival would not be possible without its partners, the Davenport Public Library, Bi-State Literacy Council, and the Midwest Writing Center; or it grantors, The Riverboat Development Authority, Scott County Regional Authority, and The Moline Foundation.

Entrepreneurs and businesses, interest clubs and civic groups, authors and even proud parents - they all have a message they want the press to help share.

They may be interested in contributing an article or column. They may have a great story they'd like a reporter to tell. Or, they have a product or book that can help readers solve their problems.

As media outlets devoted to providing news and information to their readers, the press -- newspapers, magazines and their online counterparts -- want to help! But, too often, the people interested in getting print coverage thwart their own efforts by making simple mistakes.

Here are some things to consider before sending that email:

• Pay attention to deadlines: Newspapers are generally daily or weekly; magazines may publish weekly, monthly, quarterly or annually. Both plan their feature content ahead of time. For papers that may be from a few days to two or three weeks ahead of publication. Magazines may be working on their May issue in February. Either way, working in advance is vital. If you're hoping to time your story idea or article to coincide with a season or special event, consider when you'd like to see it published and work backward from that date. It also helps to comb the publication's website for information on deadlines and policies regarding unsolicited material.

• Read the publication: Once you understand what sort of content the publication uses, in what format and in which sections, you can tailor and target your pitch. Say you, as the owner of a children's art gallery, want to provide back-to-school tips for helping inspire creativity. You can A) Send an article full of tips to the main editor listed on the website, or B) Read a few issues of the newspaper or magazine and find out if and when it publishes a parenting page or an arts page, and who the editor is. (You can also see if it uses a question-and-answer format, bulleted tips, or longer articles.)

• Pay attention to the news: Knowing today's issues, trends and breaking news can help you make your pitch timely and current? Most publications look for a "news hook" - a way to give a piece context because it relates to something happening now. There have been lots of news features on the Mormon religion, for instance, since Mitt Romney began campaigning for the GOP presidential nomination. Romney being Mormon gives publications a reason to write about that religion. He's a great news hook. Does your business offer solutions for people to help beat the recession? If it's in the news and you can speak to it, don't hesitate to get your pitch together and send it off today.

• Be concise: Often, a few sentences describing your story angle and how it relates to a timely topic is enough. Avoid burying the important information in a long narrative or in glowing paragraphs about how wonderful your idea, product, book or company is. Instead, present the information in a way that respects your contact's time. Brief is best.

• Make the important information easy to find: If editors have to search for dates, your contact information, or local relevance, they may give up - even if they're initially interested in your pitch. Think of the information you would need if you were considering writing a story or publishing what has been provided. The vital information should be present and clearly visible.

Even if you don't make these common mistakes, catching the interest of an editor can be difficult. Remember to paste your pitch into the body of your email - don't send it as an attachment, which may get it flagged as junk mail. Follow up with a polite phone call ("Just wanted to make sure you received my email regarding an article I can write for you"). Getting print coverage is possible, so don't give up!

About Marsha Friedman

Marsha Friedman is a 22-year veteran of the public relations industry. She is the CEO of EMSI Public Relations (www.emsincorporated.com), a national firm that provides PR strategy and publicity services to corporations, entertainers, authors and professional firms. Marsha is the author of Celebritize Yourself: The 3-Step Method to Increase Your Visibility and Explode Your Business and she can also be heard weekly on her Blog Talk Radio Show, EMSI's PR Insider every Thursday at 3:00 PM EST.