The History of NW-AML

Formerly – Northwest Alliance for Responsible Media/NWARM

Three distinct passions came together to create the NW-AML. 

1. A Statewide effort to address the lack of quality family television. In the early 1990s, discontent began growing among families in Washington state as they felt there was a shortage of appropriate programming available to them. The Spokane Academy for Family Television – a regional chapter of the state’s Foundation For Family Television (now known as Action 4 Media Education) – pushed for change at the local level.
2. John Caputo’s work. Dr. John Caputo is a communications scholar and a passionate advocate for media literacy, as well as a professor at Gonzaga University. Dr. Caputo hosted several conferences exploring how children respond to growing up in a media-saturated culture. This work was critical to the foundation of NW-AML (formerly NWARM).
3. Growing concern about community violence. Spokane’s West Central Community Center was actively looking into the root causes of violence in its neighborhood and nearby areas. Citizens concerned about the issue began a petition that led to the formation of a citizens’ group aimed at monitoring and countering the impact of media violence on children. 

With these three factors as the driving forces behind NW-AML, the Alliance has been able to effectively connect with the community and bring about positive changes related to media. As the world of media evolves, NW-AML has also expanded its focus to addressing online media and topical issues such as fake news.