Andrew Jay Schwartzman

Andrew Jay Schwartzman "is the President and CEO of Media Access Project (MAP). He has directed the organization since June, 1978.

"MAP is a non-profit public interest telecommunications law firm which represents the public's in promoting the First Amendment rights to speak and to hear. It seeks to promote creation of a well informed electorate by insuring vigorous debate in a free marketplace of ideas. It has been the chief legal strategist in efforts to oppose major media mergers and preserve policies promoting media diversity. In recent years, MAP has also led efforts to insure that broad and affordable public access is provided during the deployment of advanced telecommunications networks and the Internet.

"Mr. Schwartzman has appeared on behalf of MAP before the Congress, the FCC and the courts on issues such as cable TV regulation, minority and female ownership and employment in the mass media,"equal time" laws and cable "open access." In recognition of his service as chief counsel in the public interest community’s challenge to the FCC’s June, 2003 media ownership deregulation decision, The Scientific American honored Mr. Schwartzman as one of the nation’s 50 leaders in technology for 2004.

"Mr. Schwartzman is a faculty member of the Johns Hopkins University School of Arts and Sciences, where he teaches in its Communication in Contemporary Society Program. He serves on the International Advisory Board of Southwestern Law School’s National Entertainment & Media Law Institute and was the Distinguished Lecturer in Residence at the Institute’s Summer 2004 program at Fitzwilliam College, Cambridge University. His board memberships include the Advisory Board of the Center for Democracy and Technology, and the Board of Directors of the Minority Media Telecommunications Council. He was co-founder and President of the Board of the Safe Energy Communications Counsel from 1991 through 2003.

"Mr. Schwartzman was the Law and Regulation Contributor to Les Brown's Encyclopedia of Television, and is the author of the telecommunications chapter in the Encyclopedia of the Consumer Movement. His work has been published in major legal and general journals, including Variety, Electronic Media, The Washington Post, COMM/ENT Law Journal and The ABA Journal. He has been a frequent guest on television and radio programs such as The Today Show, Nightline, CNN's Reliable Sources, network evening newscasts, and All Things Considered.

"Mr. Schwartzman is the 1994 recipient of the United Church of Christ Office of Communication's Everett C. Parker Award and the 2004 recipient of the Media Matters Life Achievement Award.

"After graduating from the University of Pennsylvania in 1968, and its law school in 1971, Schwartzman was staff counsel to the Office of Communication of the United Church of Christ. From 1974 until he took his current position, Schwartzman worked for the U.S. Department of Energy and predecessor agencies. He is married to Linda Lazarus, an attorney/mediator practicing in Washington, DC." 


 * Member of the The Real News: International Founding Committee