[Imc] Name?

[Paul Riismandel]

I think that it may be a good idea to stick with the "Independent Media 
Center" name since it helps people see this organization within a larger 
context of a movement that's now happening worldwide.  My experience at 
WEFT has shown me that it's hard enough to explain to people what 
"community radio" means, even though that, too, is part of a worldwide 
movement.  If  WEFT called itself something different, I think it would be 
even harder to communicate what it is.

As the IMC movement grows I think we'll see that people moving to town will 
look for an IMC as something either to get involved with or as an 
indication that having an IMC makes for a nice place to live.  Kind of how 
some people look for food co-ops, community radio stations and other 
organizations now.  Keeping with this name let's these folks instantly know 
what the organization is about.

I also want to bring up again the idea of the IMC having a bigger scope 
than just Urbana and Champaign.  The recent shutdown of Mbanna Kantako's 
Human Rights Radio in Springfield  is just one example of events happening 
elsewhere in Central Illinois that are important to us all, but that we 
would never find out about here in our local media.  There is a significant 
void there I think an IMC with centralized servers in Urbana, but 
"satellite offices" and contributors across downstate Illinois can serve.

Naming ourselves as just Urbana or Champaign I think can be a 
discouragement for folks in other Illinois cities from paying much 
attention.  But if we were to integrate a larger scope into the name, with 
something like "Central Illinois IMC," then we make clear the intent to 
link up the communities of this area, that are too often unaware of each 
other, and overshadowed by Chicago.  Remember, some of the countries 
biggest companies (and biggest labor exploiters) are here in Central 
Illinois: ADM, Staley and Caterpillar.  How much news about labor troubles 
in Decatur, like when strikers get attacked by police, actually gets 
reported fairly here?

Anyway, that's my ten cents.

Thanks,

Paul