VOA标准英语2010年-Andrew Jay Schwartzman, Attorney and M

He has fought tirelessly for minority inclusion and freedom of speech in American broadcasting

Adam Phillips | New York 31 December 2009

Some of the cases Andrew Jay Schwartzman takes on are pretty arcane¹. They might be broadcast media regulatory issues at the Federal Communications Commission. Or they could relate to interpretations² of the Communications Act of 1934, which requires broadcasters to serve the public interest by offering, among other things, educational and public affairs programming.

But all of Schwartzman's work concerns the First Amendment³ to the U.S. Constitution, which in essence bars Congress from passing laws to restrict free speech. In practice, what that means is that the government of the United States has an obligation to create opportunities for political debate and free expression, says Schwartman, who cites this is the guiding principle behind his work. "I represent people who seek to have access to information, who seek to participate in debate by speaking and receiving information on important issues and ideas."

Childhood Lesson in Citizen Democracy at the Family Table

Born in 1946, Schwartzman says citizen democracy was a cherished ideal in the middle class suburban⁴ home where he grew up. He recalls the conviction with which his liberal and politically engaged parents supported the civil rights movement, which sought full equality for African-Americans. "There was a lot of discussion and argument at the family dinner table," he recalls. "My parents were active in their political party organizing voters and seeking to influence the political process." Schwartzman also became fascinated with the question of how people formed their opinions, and how people expressed themselves publicly and how they decided⁵ for whom they are going to vote.

At Law School, Schwartzman Finds His Métier

In 1968, Schwartzman entered the University of Pennsylvania Law School, where he was able to combine his passions for social justice and the process of public discourse⁶ by specializing in communications law. While still in law school, Schwartzman began to help with a suit being brought by the activist⁷ wing of the United Church of Christ to prevent a Mississippi radio station from getting its broadcast license⁸ renewed. The suit claimed that the station discriminated⁹ against blacks in its hiring, and broadcast racist¹⁰ speech. "The African American group [plaintiffs] successfully sued in court to have the license taken away," he says, adding that "the case in Jackson Mississippi helped create a broader view of how the public could participate in a regulatory process."

Schwartzman went to work for the United Church of Christ after graduating from law school in 1971. It was an exciting time for him, when citizen activists¹¹, such as consumer advocate Ralph Nader, were exerting their power to affect government policies in new ways.

After a stint¹² with federal regulators, he joins Media Access Project

To better understand the federal regulatory process, Schwartzman went to work for the U.S. government from 1974 to 1978. During this time, he established close ties with lawyers at Media Access Project. The group had been founded in 1971 to address concerns that opponents of the Vietnam War were not being fairly represented in the mass media. In 1978, Schwartzman was asked to take the helm there and he readily agreed.

One of the first legal battles Schwartzman won in his new role involved a small radio station in northern New York State whose owner consistently allowed his personal politics to prevent a wide diversity of community views from being heard. It was a tough fight, but after seven years of lawsuits¹³, the station lost its broadcast license. Schwartzman says that this outcome delivered a very important message to other broadcasters: "… that their license belongs to them, but the airwaves belong to the public!"

Communications Technology Changes: Micro-Stations and the Internet

Communications technology itself has changed over the past three decades in ways that have created new challenges and opportunities. For example, it is now easy to create low wattage "micro" FM radio stations that broadcast within one neighborhood or rural community. Schwartzman successfully argued before the FCC to allow such stations to flourish without the complex licensing¹⁴ procedures required of large stations. Today, hundreds of them operate, and many hundreds more are being planned.

"This is very rewarding work," says Schwartzman, who often hears from people who get their community micro-stations on the air. For example, agricultural workers in Florida have used their station to help create a labor¹⁵ union, and make sure their members are well served. "So it's had an important effect on how people communicate with each other and how people can organize politically," adds Schwartzman with evident satisfaction.

Schwartzman sees the campaign to provide media access for everyone continuing on the Internet. For example, he and his staff are working hard to ensure that free speech on websites will remain uncensored, and that it will be against the law for a company to pay a commercial Internet provider to slow down a consumer's access to its competitors' websites. Schwartzman good-naturedly acknowledges that his work will not create an American utopia by itself. But he's proud to be playing a role as a guardian¹⁶ of America's treasured freedoms.

1 arcane   

adj.神秘的，秘密的

参考例句：

• The technique at one time was arcane in the minds of most chemists.这种技术在大多数化学家心目中一度是神秘的。
• Until a few months ago few people outside the arcane world of contemporary music had heard of Gorecki.直至几个月前，在现代音乐神秘殿堂之外很少有人听说了戈莱斯基。

2 interpretations   

n.解释( interpretation的名词复数 )；表演；演绎；理解

参考例句：

• This passage is open to a variety of interpretations. 这篇文章可以有各种不同的解释。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The involved and abstruse passage makes several interpretations possible. 这段艰涩的文字可以作出好几种解释。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

3 amendment   

n.改正，修正，改善，修正案

参考例句：

• The amendment was rejected by 207 voters to 143.这项修正案以207票对143票被否决。
• The Opposition has tabled an amendment to the bill.反对党已经就该议案提交了一项修正条款。

4 suburban   

adj.城郊的，在郊区的

参考例句：

• Suburban shopping centers were springing up all over America. 效区的商业中心在美国如雨后春笋般地兴起。
• There's a lot of good things about suburban living.郊区生活是有许多优点。

5 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

6 discourse   

n.论文，演说；谈话；话语；vi.讲述，著述

参考例句：

• We'll discourse on the subject tonight.我们今晚要谈论这个问题。
• He fell into discourse with the customers who were drinking at the counter.他和站在柜台旁的酒客谈了起来。

7 activist   

n.活动分子，积极分子

参考例句：

• He's been a trade union activist for many years.多年来他一直是工会的积极分子。
• He is a social activist in our factory.他是我厂的社会活动积极分子。

8 license   

n.执照，许可证，特许；v.许可，特许

参考例句：

• The foreign guest has a license on the person.这个外国客人随身携带执照。
• The driver was arrested for having false license plates on his car.司机由于使用假车牌而被捕。

9 discriminated   

分别，辨别，区分( discriminate的过去式和过去分词 )； 歧视，有差别地对待

参考例句：

• His great size discriminated him from his followers. 他的宽广身材使他不同于他的部下。
• Should be a person that has second liver virus discriminated against? 一个患有乙肝病毒的人是不是就应该被人歧视？

10 racist   

n.种族主义者，种族主义分子

参考例句：

• a series of racist attacks 一连串的种族袭击行为
• His speech presented racist ideas under the guise of nationalism. 他的讲话以民族主义为幌子宣扬种族主义思想。

11 activists   

n.（政治活动的）积极分子，活动家( activist的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• His research work was attacked by animal rights activists . 他的研究受到了动物权益维护者的抨击。
• Party activists with lower middle class pedigrees are numerous. 党的激进分子中有很多出身于中产阶级下层。 来自《简明英汉词典》

12 stint   

v.节省，限制，停止；n.舍不得化，节约，限制；连续不断的一段时间从事某件事

参考例句：

• He lavished money on his children without stint.他在孩子们身上花钱毫不吝惜。
• We hope that you will not stint your criticism.我们希望您不吝指教。

13 lawsuits   

n.诉讼( lawsuit的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Lawsuits involving property rights and farming and grazing rights increased markedly. 涉及财产权，耕作与放牧权的诉讼案件显著地增加。 来自辞典例句
• I've lost and won more lawsuits than any man in England. 全英国的人算我官司打得最多，赢的也多，输的也多。 来自辞典例句

14 licensing   

v.批准，许可，颁发执照( license的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• A large part of state regulation consists of occupational licensing. 大部分州的管理涉及行业的特许批准。 来自英汉非文学 - 行政法
• That licensing procedures for projects would move faster. 这样的工程批准程序一定会加快。 来自辞典例句

15 labor   

n.劳动，努力，工作，劳工；分娩；vi.劳动，努力，苦干；vt.详细分析；麻烦

参考例句：

• We are never late in satisfying him for his labor.我们从不延误付给他劳动报酬。
• He was completely spent after two weeks of hard labor.艰苦劳动两周后，他已经疲惫不堪了。

16 guardian   

n.监护人；守卫者，保护者

参考例句：

• The form must be signed by the child's parents or guardian. 这张表格须由孩子的家长或监护人签字。
• The press is a guardian of the public weal. 报刊是公共福利的卫护者。