NEWS Federal Communications Commission 445 12th Street, S.W. Washington, D. C. 20554 This is an unofficial announcement of Commission action. Release of the full text of a Commission order constitutes official action. See MCI v. FCC. 515 F 2d 385 (D.C. Circ 1974). News Media Information 202 / 418-0500 Internet: http://www.fcc.gov TTY: 1-888-835-5322 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: News Media contact: November 16, 2009 John Giusti at (202) 418-2000 COMMISSIONER COPPS ANNOUNCES STAFF CHANGE Commissioner Michael J. Copps announced today that journalist Joshua Cinelli will join his office as Advisor on Media Issues. Commissioner Copps stated: “I am so pleased to have someone of Joshua’s caliber, talent and deep sense of commitment to serve as my advisor on media issues. He arrives at a critical time for the future of our country’s media policy. He and I are both convinced that the opportunity for media reform is now. We have new leadership and a new sense of direction at the Commission plus a window of opportunity to address the gamut of pressing media issues, including too much media industry consolidation, too little diversity, and too many years of lax public interest oversight. In addition, I feel passionately about the need to confront the crisis facing broadcast journalism, with slashed news budgets jeopardizing the civic dialogue upon which our democracy relies. As a journalist who has worked in both traditional and ‘new’ media, Joshua is ideally suited to help craft innovative solutions to ensure that the interests of the American public are being served by all our media.” Mr. Cinelli has served most recently as news web editor at The New York Daily News. He has previous experience reporting for newspapers in Portland, Oregon, and New York City, and has done multimedia coverage for The Huffington Post. Cinelli also served as Legislative Director for a member of the Texas House of Representatives. He is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Madison and the City University of New York’s Graduate School of Journalism— where he was awarded the Arthur “Punch” Sulzberger Scholarship, the Time Inc. Scholarship, and the Dean’s Award for Excellence in Journalism. Commissioner Copps expressed his deep gratitude to Jamila Bess Johnson, who has been on detail to his office as interim media adviser. “I asked Jamila to give us a few months help when I became Acting Chairman in January. Then we asked her to stay several months longer— and she agreed. She has done an absolutely stellar job. Jamila shares my passion for the issues that affect the state of the American media. Her expertise, her invariably sound judgment and her commitment to the public interest have been invaluable to me in tackling the many challenging issues that we have faced—beginning with those surrounding the DTV transition during my Acting Chairmanship. She is a wonderful person and a tremendous asset to this Commission. I am grateful for the opportunity we have had to forge a friendship that I know will last through the years.” - FCC -