Media and democracy can mean a lot of things -- getting rid of payola pundits, ensuring disclosure of fake news and challenging government propaganda. But it also means using technology to further democratize new media. That’s one goal of our newly-redesigned website.

One of the first things you'll probably notice is the three feature boxes on the home page. These areas will highlight our most important breaking news items, be they original CMD reports, short Spin of the Day items or our Weekly Radio Spin.

Patti Smith and Tricia
In addition to being a tech geek, I'm a rocker. I've been playing guitar since I was a teenager. So when Patti Smith agreed to a silent auction to benefit the Center for Media and Democracy (CMD) at her concert in Madison, Wisconsin, I began looking forward to meeting the quintessential godmother of punk rock. Little did I know how special the evening would turn out to be.

The concert was held at the Barrymore Theatre on August 5. As CMD staff were soliciting auction items, executive director John Stauber asked me if I "had an old guitar laying around that I'd like to donate." I mulled his question over for a few days and then offered my 1958 Gibson LG-1 acoustic guitar.