As the US Senate begins to examine new laws governing the pricing and delivery of Internet services, the Online News Association Thursday announced it was backing the concept of ‘Net Neutrality’ – the idea that “network providers should not discriminate between people or organizations that provide services over a network.” The ONA believes that Net Neutrality will help preserve and extend standards of free speech, which have found new expression with the proliferation of Internet access.

The ONA believes that proposals that would allow cable and phone companies to give priority to the content of those that pay for the privilege would have a negative impact on the free speech of many of its members and the public at large. This includes ONA members who work for large, well-established media organizations, as well as ONA members who work for or who have started, smaller online news operations to serve their communities.

Non-discrimination in the provision of Internet services is the best way to ensure that the Internet continues to develop as a forum where free speech can flourish.

“Our nation should not allow the creation of bandwidth ‘haves’ and ‘have-nots’,” said Michael Silberman, President of the Online News Association. “Net Neutrality will protect both big media organizations and the small sites who are most likely to offer diverse points of view and least likely to be able to afford high fees to distribute those views.”

While the ONA recognizes that Internet Service Providers have a right to earn a fair profit for their services, the organization believes that can be accomplished without imposing tiered pricing structures for various kinds of content.

The ONA agrees with Internet historian Randall Stross who recently wrote, "Rather than having network operators select content providers on our behalf — the philosophy of the local cable company — the Internet allows all of us to act as our own network programmers, serving a demographic of just one person."

While the ONA recognizes that Net Neutrality can mean different things to different people, the ONA encourages lawmakers in the Senate to support all measures that allow consumers unhindered and equal access to all content on the Internet, and that encourage and preserve free speech, the cornerstone of the Internet and the communities it serves.

For more information, contact:
Tom Regan
Executive Director
Online News Association
617-698-5252
tregan@journalists.org