[IMC-US] STORY IDEA - personal reprtback for indy folks abouttheNationalCOnference on Me

Mon May 16 22:32:12 CDT 2005

i was going to do it for stlimc, so i can work on that.  others are welcome to join the fun :)  only it won't happen until tomorrow or wednesday.  however, do those who posted emails want them to be made public?  but i sure can use what other indy sites have included about the conference.  some sites are very postive and others have communications between attendees.

- betsy 

BE THE MEDIA
www.stlimc.org

-------- Original Message --------
From: "Tribal Scribal" <valeoftheoaks at hotmail.com>
Apparently from: imc-us-bounces at lists.ucimc.org
To: imc-us at lists.ucimc.org
Cc: imc-us-editorial at ucimc.org
Subject: [IMC-US] STORY IDEA - personal reprtback for indy folks abouttheNationalCOnference on Me
Date: Tue, 17 May 2005 00:55:47 +0000

> 
> anyone care to turn these posts into a u.s. feature?
> 
> d.o.
> 
> 
> 
> >From: Andy Pyle <andypie at earthlink.net>
> >Reply-To: "Working Group for IMC-US." <imc-us at lists.ucimc.org>
> >To: "Working Group for IMC-US." <imc-us at lists.ucimc.org>
> >Subject: Re: [IMC-US] personal reprtback for indy folks about 
> >theNationalCOnference on Media Reform.
> >Date: Mon, 16 May 2005 18:12:31 -0400
> >
> >A lot of readers would rather read these personal accounts than  
> >"professional" "news" stories.  So lets not keep them bottled up on the  
> >list, but get them out on the IMC network.
> >On May 16, 2005, at 10:22 AM, inner_alchemy at Safe-mail.net wrote:
> >
> >>bht! thanks for the update... here's my version
> >>
> >>i want to first apologize that st. louis wasn't organized to do more.   
> >>that was all in the plans when josh and i first started talking, but  as 
> >>usual, i over-extended myself.  between tyring to get CAMP up and  
> >>running, getting the imc site functional before the conference, and  
> >>causing a lot of chaos with the police oversight board issue, i was  
> >>stretched, but i only freaked out once so i thought that was good :)
> >>
> >>the original plan would have been to have seperate caucuses at the  CAMP 
> >>building with a focus on imc and freepress was willing to help  bus people 
> >>over, but that wasn't an option thanks to the city of st.  louis who won't 
> >>let us open.
> >>
> >>but back to the conference... bht laid out the weekend events. so i'll  
> >>just throw in my two cents..
> >>
> >>WHAT I LIKED:
> >>- meeting lovely imc folks from all over the country.
> >>- those people who helped out with CAMP, promote stlimc, and just in  
> >>general how imcistas help each other out
> >>- the thursday night party (and i kinda liked the party at my house,  
> >>although i was exhausted)
> >>- seeing imc in action saturay night with the impromptu computer lab.
> >>- spreading word about imc to people to have never heard of it
> >>
> >>WHAT I DISLIKED:
> >>- not being able to particpate more in the panels.  we got a lot of  
> >>talking TO us
> >>- being hungry
> >>- area african american journalists not present at the conference
> >>- not talking more about media justice (i've never really heard this  
> >>specific term before, but understand it's concept and want to look  more 
> >>into it)
> >>- was that i was tired the whole time and kinda cranky and too tired  to 
> >>have a lot of fun
> >>
> >>WHAT I EXPECTED (AND GOT):
> >>- lots of white, well off faces
> >>- REFORM REFORM REFORM conversation that i didn't understand
> >>- liberals
> >>- support from people that i both knew and didn't know and how people  
> >>were helpful
> >>
> >>WHAT I DIDN'T EXPECT:
> >>- so many different imc's represented
> >>- people to read the confluence and go to freepress to confront them  
> >>about the issue.  it was media action in process and really great :)
> >>- so much enthusiasm from folks who WEREN'T imcistas
> >>
> >>OVERALL - the sessions were kind of irritating, however, they were  
> >>exactly as i would have expected.  hearing lots of comments about how  
> >>freepress didn't include imc in the past, i expected reservations from  
> >>them this year, however, i'm sure it didn't help when i was the same  
> >>person trying to get them to sign the letter to the mayor that they  
> >>refused to do.  i was a consistant pain in their ass and i was okay  with 
> >>that.  i felt inspired, as i usually do with imc gatherings, with  the 
> >>energy and people and ideas and refuse to get upset with the  reform 
> >>conversations because it was a reform conference.  i would like  to 
> >>continue the imc pressence at these events, but only to promote  imc's in 
> >>general, bring together media reform and media justice, and  of course 
> >>challenge their means of reform and their general conference  happenings.  
> >>   however, i don't want myself to concentrate on the  negative, but use 
> >>it for a driving force in the next couple months to  increase my contacts 
> >>and knowledge and kick ass in the future.
> >>
> >>sincerely and thoughtfully - betsy :)
> >>
> >>><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><> <
> >>
> >>BE THE MEDIA
> >>www.stlimc.org
> >>
> >>-------- Original Message --------
> >>From: bht <bht at indymedia.org>
> >>Apparently from: imc-us-bounces at lists.ucimc.org
> >>To: "Working Group for IMC-US." <imc-us at lists.ucimc.org>
> >>Subject: [IMC-US] personal reprtback for indy folks about the  
> >>NationalCOnference on Media Reform.
> >>Date: Sun, 15 May 2005 15:30:00 -0700
> >>
> >>>So, I arrived in St. Louis about four days prior to the beginning of  the
> >>>conference.  I caught up with frinds that I hadnt seen for months and
> >>>started to get more involved/interested with what was happening in the
> >>>Lou.  I think this started right when I pulled up to CAMP (Community
> >>>Arts and Media Project, stlcamp.org) and a bunch of little kids from  the
> >>>neighbourhood ran up to me, hugged me, and called me daddy.  (Then  they
> >>>dug a big hole in the backyard.)
> >>>
> >>>By Thursday, I had a decent grasp of what was going on in the Lou and
> >>>had met folks from here.  Josh Breitbart came into town and we started
> >>>working on Wednesday.  We stuffed bags for the Allied Media  Conference.
> >>>
> >>>By Thursday night many of the Indymedia folks had arrived, and many of
> >>>the reformers arrived and we converged at City Museum (citymuseum.org)
> >>>in the Lou for the conference pre-party.  And I think we partied.  I
> >>>made some real good connections there and had a very fun time, leaving
> >>>with only a few scrapes and a lot of sweat.  We danced two out of  three
> >>>floors, and we danced hard.
> >>>
> >>>The next day the reforming began and it mostly included sitting at a
> >>>table, poking my head into a few places having conversations with many
> >>>different people about indymedia and about St Louis, and basically  just
> >>>working the idea into peoples heads that by coming to this conference
> >>>you are affecting the local community and you have to have respect for
> >>>where you are and awareness for the issues at hand.  THings went over
> >>>well, many folks thought I was from the Lou, although my name badge
> >>>clearly repped pdx imc.
> >>>
> >>>That was the first day of the conference and it was mostly low energy
> >>>networking catching up with folks feeling things out.  It was a good  day
> >>>and we went back to CAMP that night and made friends.
> >>>
> >>>The next day, day two of the conference, was the big day in my book.   We
> >>>had seen that media reform was ignoring or missing the independant  media
> >>>network and the idea that people can be the media nd do away with the
> >>>industry that they are trying to reform.  The disgust was thick.  Indy
> >>>activists were moving about the conference and promoting the indymedia
> >>>movement.  I was working the table most of the day where we had a much
> >>>better setup with three laptops and a few people engaging people  walking
> >>>by and pointing them to their nearest local imc.
> >>>
> >>>One person asked how much it cost to post to the site.  I got to  explain
> >>>to this person that indymedia is not about the money it is not about
> >>>haveing a hold on the media, it is about media justice and putting the
> >>>tools of media production back in the hands of the people.  I think it
> >>>was tough to grasp because the conference was very academic.
> >>>
> >>>I got to talk to quite a few people and then the 4 o clock caucus'
> >>>came.  Inclusing the one that was going to have two indy folks as
> >>>moderators and called independant media producers and the one for  folks
> >>>from the northwest.  I went to indymedia one first and there was  another
> >>>white guy standing in front of everyone telling them how it was and  that
> >>>media is a big issue and that reform is working.  And i got disgusted,
> >>>partly because it wasnt a caucus but mostly because the two indymedia
> >>>folks that were also supposed to moderate were women...and this was  just
> >>>another guy.
> >>>
> >>>So I went to the northwest one and it was much smaller I got to inject
> >>>some of the more radical aims of media justice to people like the
> >>>director of cable access in oregon, and someone similar from
> >>>washington.  I talked to media proiducers working for reform through
> >>>legislation and when i asked them if they had a contingency plan like
> >>>what would they do to attain media justice if legislation fell  through,
> >>>they had nothing.
> >>>
> >>>I stuck that out to the end, because I felt it was important to let
> >>>northwest folks know that someone from cascadia was there.  Then I  went
> >>>back to the INdependant Media Producers one, where apparently all hell
> >>>broke loose once the indy folks realized that they were being taken  for
> >>>a ride.
> >>>
> >>>SOmeone else can explain what i mean because I wasnt there.
> >>>
> >>>So the indymedia folks planned an indymedia caucus to start in a half
> >>>hour, and there we would discuss how to make amends for this washing
> >>>over by free press.  40-50 people gathered in that room, from all  across
> >>>the country, philly, la, portland, seattle, arizona, michigan, san
> >>>diego, nyc, tallahassee, idaho, chicago, bay area, houston, austin,
> >>>tennessee, urbana, carbondale, and others.  One person from Canada in
> >>>the room.  Alot of passion.  Alot of resentment.
> >>>
> >>>WE had a bitch session for awhile and then talked about what we could
> >>>do.  WE decided that we could take action and create a media center in
> >>>the most travelled place of the conference, right in front of the  doors
> >>>to the keynote speech that was happening in a half an hour.  Just a  bit
> >>>away from where pacifica was streaming.  And right where Left Bank  Books
> >>>was selling.
> >>>
> >>>One person volunteered a free printing connection.  Two people made  the
> >>>flier.  A few people donated laptops.  Others started gathered power
> >>>strips and making signs.  We were reclaiming the media.  In about a  halg
> >>>hour we had a bank of about ten laptops all opened to stlimc.org where
> >>>articles about the conference had been posted and people were  encourage
> >>>to post their feelings and their ideas about the conference, how it  was
> >>>going, good, bad or otherwise.  We put the tools in peoples hands and
> >>>let them know that some people werent necessarily happy with what was
> >>>happening.
> >>>
> >>>Then the people slowed as the conference room filled.  The flyer
> >>>returned after about 45 minutes, Left Bank Books asked us to leave  their
> >>>space, so we moved across the hall.  We re set up the laptops and
> >>>started flyering people and continued to encourage people to make
> >>>media.  Quite a few did.  The conference staff were trying to stop us
> >>>and move our things, they didnt know what to do.  THis conference was
> >>>about reform and we were just taking action.  Something reformists may
> >>>or may not do, I have never been one.
> >>>
> >>>Then, a funny things happened.  The internet network went away.  The
> >>>wireless didnt work, the stream of the keynote died, people making  media
> >>>were franctically trying to get it back up.  Dru from IMC Maritimes
> >>>whipped up a word document and opened it on each computer.  people  were
> >>>still writing comments and they would be posted later.  The media
> >>>production on the indymedia side didnt stop.  Becuase we are agile and
> >>>think on our feet, because we move with the happenings and work with  our
> >>>environment.
> >>>
> >>>Pacifica asked to interview someone from the imc becuase they had  heard
> >>>about the discontent and the action and the breakout caucus.  People
> >>>were talking about media.  People were making media, nd apparently  David
> >>>Martinez  was rocking out to Patti Smith behind the doors we were in
> >>>front of.  Eventually though we had to leave.  We had also planned a
> >>>networking party at CAMP for that night and indy folks were tired.
> >>>
> >>>We packed up, statement made, and went to CAMP.  At CAMP various
> >>>independant media folks from around the world, but mostly int he US  were
> >>>shortly milling about.  Maybe 60 or more folks showed up to relax and
> >>>talk network and have fun.  Some very serious conversations happened,
> >>>but mostly people were letting their hair down and Josh Breitbart
> >>>couldnt stop talking about how great indymedia is.
> >>>
> >>>Anyway, I think that is it in a nutshell.  Sadly, I didnt make it to
> >>>anything the next day.  Other folks, please fill in more or different,
> >>>make your own, whatever.  This is just from my eyes.  And, oh yeah,
> >>>there is documentation in video audio and photo of the indy action and
> >>>hopefully more reports of it from people that were there.
> >>>
> >>>--
> >>>"Having a feeling is not illegitemate, unprofessional etc. Being  
> >>>emotionally unbiased is living a life with no passion." --Laila  
> >>>Imc-Sweden
> >>>
> >>>_______________________________________________
> >>>IMC-US mailing list
> >>>IMC-US at lists.ucimc.org
> >>>http://lists.chambana.net/cgi-bin/listinfo/imc-us
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>_______________________________________________
> >>IMC-US mailing list
> >>IMC-US at lists.ucimc.org
> >>http://lists.chambana.net/cgi-bin/listinfo/imc-us
> >>
> >
> >_______________________________________________
> >IMC-US mailing list
> >IMC-US at lists.ucimc.org
> >http://lists.chambana.net/cgi-bin/listinfo/imc-us
> 
> _________________________________________________________________
> Express yourself instantly with MSN Messenger! Download today - it's FREE! 
> http://messenger.msn.click-url.com/go/onm00200471ave/direct/01/
> 
> _______________________________________________
> IMC-US mailing list
> IMC-US at lists.ucimc.org
> http://lists.chambana.net/cgi-bin/listinfo/imc-us