Two weeks ago, the GAO released a report that FCC staff routinely leaks meeting agenda items to industry associations and lobbyists, leaving consumers and public interest activists in the dark.

The Washington Post did run a brief item in a section of the paper normally devoted to civil service HR policy, pointing to the actual report. But if anyone in the traditional media has followed up the story, explaining to the general public why this might be significant, I haven't found it.

The insider publication Congressional Quarterly ran a story with a money quote from Rep. Ed Markey that probably explains why the story's being ignored:

"When the corporate insiders and the K Street crowd have the inside track on decisions critical to telecommunications, media, broadband or wireless policy, then the public and consumers are at an inherent disadvantage," Markey said.

This blog was created to draw public attention to precisely these kinds of issues, the use and abuse of policy and power that shapes the Internet, our phone service, and what we see on TV.