Joyce Barnathan (left), with panelists (from left) Rick Wade, Ivan Roman and Joe Torres.

It's an important issue. The Administration has pledged $7.2 billion in the Recovery Act to bring high-speed internet access to businesses and individuals that don’t have access—or cannot afford it. This is clearly a massive undertaking. And the stakes are high especially for minority communities who do not have Internet connections. They are finding themselves at great disadvantage in an increasingly competitive global economic landscape.

ICFJ President Joyce Barnathan said that the United States overall is falling behind in broadband penetration. In 2000, this country ranked fifth in the world. In 2007, we dropped to 22 behind Bermuda, Iceland, and Macao. At the same time, we are living in an era of remarkable innovation in digital technology and other countries are increasingly taking the lead.

Panelist Rick Wade said that the Department of Commerce has received more than 2,000 bids to expand the United State's broadband network. The department plans to publish a map once the projects are underway so journalists can see exactly where the broadband is being laid and its reach into rural communities.

Panelists Joe Torres and Ivan Roman seemed to agree with the Administration's work to involve minority communities and projects that are bringing greater access to low-income groups and people of color.

Now it will be the journalists' job to keep the Administration's feet to the fire and make sure the money is spent in a timely fashion on the right projects.

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There were more than 60 journalists and friends of ICFJ in attendance at the National Press Club event


ICFJ's 18 community radio participants were honored at the beginning of the event. They are in Washington, DC for a week-long program sponsored by The McCormick Foundation. They will head back to their homes this weekend, but the program will continue for two more years through one-on-one mentoring, in-country training, and the development of a Spanish-language Internet portal so the journalists can share content with each other and colleagues across the continent through a partnership with the Public Radio Exchange (PRX).


Question from the audience.