[IMC-US] personal reprtback for indy folks about theNationalCOnference on Media Reform.

[Sakura Saunders]

I just wanted to make one more additional point regarding my comments about 
how we could constructively critique the Media Reform movement, motivated by 
my comment about how Free Press could use their lobbying might. I think that 
having basing your lobbying strength in a bunch of high paid lobbyists with 
good ideas is a shallow. When Prometheus lobbies, they organize a bunch of 
real people who either already have or really want (and have the community 
support for) low power radio stations to go to Congress or the FCC. This 
provides an army of volunteer lobbyists who are far more effective than the 
paid suits, plus it further invests people in their media projects at home. 
With respect to press, good stories get far more attention than good ideas, 
which are lucky to get a quote and don't always appeal to those who aren't 
already interested in policy. Malkia's speech was the highlight for me at 
this last conference, and I believe that her opening up with a personal 
story is what made her speech so effective and well received. Perhaps we 
should point out this angle to emphasize the need to support media projects 
at the community level.
-sakura


On 5/18/05, Sakura Saunders <ssrecords at gmail.com> wrote:
> 
> Hi all,
> I agree with the critiques of the conference that have already been 
> voiced, so I will make my comments short. I think that a good way that we 
> could engage the media reform 'movement' is by making them aware of what our 
> media reform priorities are, from a media justice perspective. For example, 
> we could encourage them to use their resources to build community wireless 
> networks, as they did in Urbana-Champaign, or get them to sponser networking 
> amongst community radio stations, as they will at the Grassroots Radio 
> Conference this August. We could also emphasize that securing the 
> soon-to-be-vacated analogue tv spectrum for unlicensed use is a better use 
> of their lobbying might than fighting media ownership limits.
> I don't believe that Free Press can be reformed into a media justice 
> institution, but there are reforms that can foster greater access to media 
> production and localism, ideals that are supported by the Indymedia network. 
> Free Press has many resources, but, judging by their inability to see the 
> connection between a police oversight committee and media reform....they 
> don't have a clue.
> -Sakura
> SF Bay Area Indymedia volunteer
> 
> -- 
> "Believing that they possess consciousness, men have not exerted 
> themselves very much to acquire it." - Nietzsche, The Gay Science
> 
> 
> 


-- 
"Believing that they possess consciousness, men have not exerted themselves 
very much to acquire it." - Nietzsche, The Gay Science
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