The United Church of Christ is a faith community rooted in justice that recognizes the unique power of the media to shape public understanding and thus society. The mission of the UCC’s Office of Communication, Inc. (OC, Inc.) is to create just and equitable media structures that give meaningful voice to diverse peoples, cultures and ideas.
OC Inc. is the media justice arm of the United Church of Christ. Founded in 1959, only two years after the formation of the UCC, the Reverend Dr. Everett C. Parker was prompted by the Reverend Martin Luther King to set out to reform television stations in the south, which were doing a poor job of covering the Civil Rights Movement.
After undertaking a dangerous strategy to challenge the institutions of racism in the era, and many years of litigation before the Federal Communications Commission and in the federal courts, OC Inc. achieved seminal success. It not only forced the FCC to take away the broadcast license of WLBT-TV in Jackson, Miss., but it also established the legal right of all citizens to participate in FCC proceedings. The case continues today to protect citizen rights in the field of media advocacy. Building upon its successes in the early 1960s, OC Inc. continues to be a leader in media reform by pushing for a more just, accessible, diverse and accountable media. It works to promote public interests in the media, especially for people of color, women and children.