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

max max at michiganimc.org
Tue May 17 09:52:31 CDT 2005 

i found this interesting:
http://anarchogeek.com/articles/2005/05/16/followup-on-the-national-conference-on-media-reform



Quoting inner_alchemy at Safe-mail.net:

> 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
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> > >>
> > >
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> >
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