BOSTON - A Massachusetts prison inmate calling his or her mother on Mother's Day could pay as much as $.86 a minute. In some states, a collect call from jail can cost up to $2.75 a minute. Advocacy groups say these charges are additional burdens for families trying to provide support for incarcerated loved ones.

Lee Petro, a lawyer and expert on prison telephone service contracts, says it's because of monopolies that benefit phone companies and give commissions or "kickbacks" to state governments.

"In states where there are pre-existing contracts that involve commissions that are being paid to the local governments or state governments, a 15-minute phone call can cost more than $20."

The Massachusetts Department of Telecommunications and Cable is considering a case that calls for a review of what petitioners say are "unjust and unreasonable" rates. Historically, high rates have been rationalized by the need to monitor jailhouse calls. Advocates say better technology has brought those costs down, but inmates and their families still pay exorbitant rates.

Bonnie Tenneriello represents prisoners and families asking the Massachusetts Department of Telecommunications and Cable to review and revise jailhouse phone rates. She is optimistic they will hear the case.

"Our petitioners are complaining that the prison rates make it impossible for them to stay in touch, and we've presented a wealth of evidence that these rates are unreasonable and excessive."

Steven Renderos is an organizer of Mother's Day of Action, to be held on Friday. He is collecting stories about prisoners and families affected by the high-cost phone calls, then will send them to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), he says.

"It's an opportunity to elevate stories from families, from people who have loved ones behind bars. We're going to send those stories directly to the FCC, because the Federal Communications Commission has a direct role to play in addressing the rates of phone calls within prisons."

Lee Petro says high prison phone prices can drive a wedge between inmates and their families that, in the long run, burdens society.

"It's a proven fact, over and over again, that the level of contact they had while they were in prison - with their family and their social network - renders their re-entry into society more beneficial, more stable, and they are less likely to commit crime down the line."

Advocates say the problem affects those hardest-pressed to cope with it, pointing out that some 2.3 million people are incarcerated in America, nearly 40 percent of them black and nearly 20 percent Latino.




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New York lawmakers are considering a bill to broaden statewide outreach through local media. The Local Community and Ethnic Media Commitment Act would require state agencies to spend about 50% of their print and digital advertising budget in local community and ethnic news outlets. This issue hit home for State Senator Jessica Ramos, who introduced the bill, since she represents the multi-ethnic Jackson Heights neighborhood in Queens. A 2022 Census report finds more than 6-million people in places like New York City speak a language other than English. Ramos feels this bill is an effective way to get important information to people of all backgrounds.

"If we want people to take advantage of programs, if we want to educate people about different government processes, then we should certainly be doing so in their language, so that they're engaged and truly feel a part of our community - as they are," Ramos said.

While the bill has not faced much opposition, some media outlets feel government involvement in local media is complicated. In a 2021 report from Northwestern University, experts noted government financial support of local media might provide leverage for politicians to shape the news as they see fit. Currently the bill is in the Senate Finance Committee.

As lawmakers are still learning about the bill, it has not faced many legislative hurdles yet.
But Assemblymember Sarahana Shrestha, its sponsor, noted one barrier to getting the bill passed is time.

"Because of how much time the budget ate into, with a month delay," Shrestha said. "So on our side, with the Assembly, we're just rushing to get bills numbered, get bills moved through the committee."

She added having this provision in next year's budget would help all New Yorkers learn about new rules, programs and funding opportunities they might be eligible for. The current legislative session is set to adjourn June 8th.

Thousands of writers are currently on strike following a breakdown in negotiations with the Writers Guild of America and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers.

The strike could have a significant impact on Georgia's economy, which is heavily reliant on the film and television industry.

In 2022, Gov. Brian Kemp announced that the industry spent more than $4 billion in the state, making it a crucial part of Georgia's economy.

While talk shows have been the most affected, other productions could also suffer if the strike persists - according to Charles Bowen, Founder of the Savannah Film Alliance.

"If the WGA and the writers decide to actually picket an existing production," said Bowen, "many of the other unions will honor that picket line, and it's basically going to shut down the entire production."

Bowen noted that as writers seek better compensation for their work, they also grapple with new challenges from streaming and AI, which were not present during previous negotiations.

Lakisha Ginyard Louissaint is a director who has worked in Georgia. She stressed that the potential impact on local businesses and jobs goes beyond the immediate effects on writers and producers.

"Without them being able to tell a story," said Louissaint, "the PAs won't have a job, the background people won't have a job, and it puts a halt on a lot of things."

The AMPTP has committed to negotiating new contracts with the Directors Guild of America starting May 10.

This is the first strike to impact production since 2007, which lasted 100 days.




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The Texas Observer, a nonprofit news organization known for its liberal, independent reporting and cultural criticism, will continue publishing, after a successful fundraiser and reversed decision by the board of directors.

The paper's 17 employees learned of its parent organization's decision to lay them off and put the paper "on hiatus" from a Texas Tribune article in late March.

James Canup, former managing director for Texas Observer, resigned in protest. Since then, a GoFundMe campaign started by Canup has raised more than $300,000 to keep the Observer afloat.

Canup said the paper, which accepts no corporate advertising, has always relied on donations and philanthropy for its investigative reporting and cutting-edge commentary.

"It's sort-of a definer of progressive, liberal, populist values for Texas," Canup explained. "And that means that they can write and say things that nobody else is going to say."

The changing media landscape has forced more than 2,500 newspapers to close since 2005, according to a 2022 study by Northwestern University. The late firebrand journalist Molly Ivins worked at The Texas Observer in the early 1970s before moving to the New York Times.

Canup believes the watchdog journalism produced by the Observer is more important than ever in Texas.

"It's a miracle that the thing has survived for almost 70 years," Canup contended. "Progressives have been losing in this state for three decades and so, the wins are few and far between, and this one is satisfying."

The Northwestern study also noted the communities losing newspapers do not typically get a print or digital replacement, leaving 70 million residents -- a fifth of the country's population -- living in an area with no local news organizations. About 7% of U.S. counties now have no local newspaper.

Support for this reporting was provided by The Carnegie Corporation of New York.