[Imc] Fwd: RED ALERT: Misleading Contact Info Posted For Springfield IMC in the Works

[Paul Riismandel]

This is from the folks I know in Springfield, whom I mentioned at Sunday's 
meeting.

--Paul
>From: "Sakolsky, Ron" <Sakolsky.Ron at uis.edu>
>To: "'micah at riseup.net'" <micah at riseup.net>
>Cc: "'jay at tao.ca'" <jay at tao.ca>,
>    "'stefani at indymedia.org'"
>         <stefani at indymedia.org>,
>    "'blowingthewhistle at blowingthewhistle.org'"
>         <blowingthewhistle at blowingthewhistle.org>,
>    "'media_act at hotmail.com'"
>         <media_act at hotmail.com>,
>    "'leonardo at fgi.net'" <leonardo at fgi.net>,
>    "'p-riism at uiuc.edu'" <p-riism at uiuc.edu>
>Subject: RED ALERT:  Misleading Contact Info Posted For Springfield IMC in
>         the Works
>Date: Mon, 4 Dec 2000 17:07:45 -0600
>Importance: high
>X-Mailer: Internet Mail Service (5.5.2650.21)
>
>Hi Micah,
>
>         I am writing you as a member of the Media Activist Coalition in
>Springfield, Illinois to inform you that the contact information for
>"Springfield, Illinois, US" listed on your website under "New IMC's in the
>works" on the "imc process" page is somewhat confusing and problematic.
>
>         The Springfield Independent Media Center is known locally as a
>project of the Media Activist Coalition (MAC), not a project of Blowing The
>Whistle (BTW).  While MAC hopes to work with BTW and other relevant groups
>in the community in eventually establishing an IMC affiliate here, BTW is
>not authorized by us to unilaterally act in our name in relation to the IMC
>project.  MAC was only notified of the BTW listing now posted on your
>website after the fact.  No discussion of the email link to be used for a
>Springfield IMC has ever taken place at a MAC meeting for a consensus
>decision on this issue.  Instead BTW has arbitrarily associated itself with
>the creation of a local IMC on your website.  While privately denying that
>they are trying to take over our project, they have acted in a manner that
>is publicly misleading in this regard.
>
>         The original proposal to establish an IMC in Springfield, Illinois
>was first broached by Sheila Nopper in September and approved by MAC at a
>meeting held in October.  It was subsequently reported upon as a Media
>Activist Coalition project in the local alternative press, from zines like
>the November 1st issue of Je Ne Sais Quoi (in which Sheila wrote the article
>for MAC) to alternative newsweeklies like the November 22-29th issue of
>Illinois Times.  Neither publication mentioned Blowing The Whistle in
>connection with either the idea or the practice of establishing an IMC in
>Springfield.
>
>         Sheila is presently conducting an IMC feasibility study on MAC's
>behalf for the needed office space and equipment.  She also has been
>contacting potential organizational and individual participants.  She
>recently arranged for members of nearby imc-urbana-champaign to meet with us
>in Springfield so that we can collaborate together and perhaps eventually
>pool our resources on a website.
>
>         Given this new information, I trust that you will act accordingly in
>relation to your website listing and future contacts vis a vis the creation
>of an Indymedia Center in Springfield.
>
>For an independent media,
>
>Ron Sakolsky
>sakolsky at uis.edu
>217-498-8497
>
>
>PS  You can contact the Media Activist Coalition at <media_act at hotmail.com>