What We Do

FMC is a nonprofit association of businesses and nonprofits concerned about the local news.

The Fair Media Council was created to represent the official voice of the news consumer -- the public -- on how the local media was doing its job. That was more than 30 years ago, when a group of concerned business and community leaders realized the important role news plays in maintaining vibrant, competitive communities. Today, FMC is nationally regarded as one of the oldest and most effective media watchdog organizations in the country, with a unique emphasis on creating an educated news consumer. No other organization in the country fulfills these dual roles.

FMC Core Goals

• Critique the local news in the greater New York metro region to motivate the media to be responsive and responsible to the communities it serves
• Advocate for quality local news that covers a variety of issues and includes a variety of opinions
• Educate the public to become media savvy news consumers
• Identify particular issues of community concern in need of news coverage to create general awareness and push toward solutions
• Motivate the public to participate in the news process
• Demystify how the news media works in order for the public to gain a greater understanding of the news
• Maintain an open dialogue between the community and the news media
• Provide feedback to the FCC on how changes in the local news are affecting news coverage
• Identify and highlight areas of concern, such as emergency information dissemination, that need greater attention

New York-based businesses and nonprofits are eligible to be FMC members. We give our members the resources to:

Work Smarter.
We take you behind the scenes in the news business to give you a heads up on changes happening with the news products you use to promote your products and services. We’ll tell you about format and demographic changes, and keep you in the loop when media personalities start to play musical chairs. We’re the toolbox for you to make the most of your branding and marketing plans, corporate image and public relations strategies. The reality is we work and live in the No. 1 media market in the world. Here, perception is everything and we know just what to do about it.

Live Better.
We teach you what the media doesn’t want you to know, so you can be an educated news consumer. We know the world’s on information overload. We’re here to help you clear through the clutter, learn more in less time and put the intelligence to work
for you.

Play Harder.
When you know how to access accurate information efficiently, you spend a lot less time saying, “If I only knew....” The good news? There’s a lot of things to do around here to fill up your newly-found free time. (You’re welcome.)