The FCC's Fellow Traveler?

Turns out the news I wrote up about the FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski’s new press secretary got some bloggers anxious about the future direction of the commission.Jen Howard, who was named to the post last week, is former spokesperson for Free Press, a stalwart opponent of media consolidation.

By this week, some corners of the blogosphere had it that the chairman had picked a “leftwing ‘media reformer,’” who had worked for a group praised by Marxists and pro-Communists, and whose conferences included speakers like Sen. Al Franken (D-Minn.) and (a-ha!) “Hanoi Jane” Fonda.

Howard’s appointment stoked fears that the FCC plans to censor conservative talk radio (though the last time we checked, press secretaries do not get a vote at commission meetings).

Curiously, her name had also morphed into “Jen Lewis” on a couple of sites, though the link to my story in the blog clearly identifies her correctly.

On Twitter, Free Press Campaign Director Tim Karr cited the blogosphere bashing with this tongue-in-cheek tweet: “Comrade @JenHoward80 has successfully infiltrated the FCC. Shhhhhh!”

For the record, more than one media scribe will attest to the fact that Howard has been an accessible, forthright and helpful spokesperson at Free Press…including for publications somewhat to the right of The Daily Worker.