[Imc-newsroom] Re: WORT visit

Wed Jan 30 00:58:50 CST 2002

You know, I have some practical concerns about the apparent planning of 
this endeavor.

While I think it's good and necessary to invite all of WEFT's volunteers, 
if there is going to be productive discussion about the realities of 
things--such as programming--then wouldn't it be a good idea to make 
specific invitations to those people at WEFT who have responsibilities in 
the specific areas of concern?

If there's a place where communication broke down, it would appear to be 
there.  If you're talking about the programming at WEFT, then I'd think 
maybe at least you'd want to extend a formal invitation to the WEFT 
Programming Committee.  It would probably be a good idea to extend that 
invitation to the WEFT Board of Directors and Station Manager, and perhaps 
other folks who've played a significant role there over the years. These 
are the people who have been chosen to take responsibility for things 
happening at WEFT or who have made things happen, so it would only seem 
logical that if one of the goals of this event is to spark action that you 
would want some of these folks in on it.  Minimally, you'd want to know 
what situations and constraints you're dealing with.  Ideally, you'd want 
their cooperation.

If you want to get the computers fixed or changed at the IMC you go to the 
Tech group directly, right?  If some other organization wanted to improve 
relations with the IMC, I'd sure as hell hope they invited those of us 
who've put in a hell of a lot of sweat equity into the place.

It's simply just impractical to expect word of mouth to effectively bridge 
groups and organizations, especially if you have any goal in mind.  Was 
WORT invited by word of mouth?  Or did somebody have to call Norm directly? 
Just because a few WEFTies out of 90 or so volunteers were aware of the 
event doesn't mean that it's been effectively communicated to the 
organization.  Somebody has to take responsibility for making those calls.

For what it's worth, I'm a pretty active member of the IMC and the IMC 
steering group, and the whole mission and agenda for this visit has never 
been particularly clear to me (and I have asked).  Somehow, I don't think 
that I'm alone in this.  But I haven't attended any AWARE meetings, where I 
understand all the planning has gone on.  So I'd like to point out that not 
all the IMC goes to AWARE meetings, either, and so probably could use to be 
clued in, too.

--Paul

At 01:59 PM 1/29/2002 -0600, Al Kagan wrote:
>Pauline,
>
>Many thanks for working on this.  You have it right.  However, WEFT should 
>have officially been asked to co-sponsor a long time ago.  So I think we 
>now have to be a bit careful in asking them to come on board.  The 
>workshop will hopefully help the IMC anyway, but we would like it to help 
>WEFT too.  There is an obvious danger of putting them off if we come on 
>too strong at this point.  I am not on the WEFT listserv. It would be much 
>better if someone who is involved with WEFT programing  to send out the 
>message.  The message should say that we invite their participation, 
>rather than just show up.
>
>At 2:45 PM -0500 1/29/02, Pauline Bartolone wrote:
>>ok. So this is what I am going to tell Mick tomorrow afternoon, correct 
>>me if I am wrong:
>>
>>The IMC is doing all the organizing of the the WORT visit, and we require 
>>no financial contribution from WEFT. The IMC is organizing a discussion 
>>about IMC/WEFT collaboration regarding public affairs programming that 
>>will take place during the afternoon, during which we request WEFTie 
>>presence. Co-sponsorship from WEFT only means that WEFTies will be present.
>>
>>Can I also tell mick that we will send out an email to the WEFTa list 
>>requesting WEFT people to show up for the WORT visit? Al will you do 
>>this? Will you also facilitate the discussion about improving public 
>>affairs production?
>>
>>Anything I left out?
>>
>>Pauline
>>
>>
>>>From: Al Kagan <akagan at uiuc.edu>
>>>To: "Pauline Bartolone" <paulinebartolone at hotmail.com>, 
>>>imc-newsroom at lists.groogroo.com
>>>CC: enslin at prairienet.org
>>>Subject: [Imc-newsroom] Re: WORT visit
>>>Date: Mon, 28 Jan 2002 21:42:50 -0600
>>>
>>>This is perplexing.  I know Mark raised this with at least some folks
>>>at WEFT.  It is a shame he is out of town.  Regarding co-sponsorship,
>>>there is no financial commitment involved.  The IMC will deal with
>>>all the expenses. The hope was that we could all have a fruitful
>>>discussion on how to do more and better news and public affairs.  As
>>>far as I know there are no specific proposals on how to accomplish
>>>better collaboration.  That would have to be discussed at the
>>>workshop or later on.
>>>
>>>Some of us have been discussing these ideas publicly for several
>>>months beginning at the first AWARE teach-in with Bob McChesney, and
>>>then at AWARE events and meetings.   Some WEFT people come to these
>>>meetings.  I have personally discussed this with Carl Estabrook, Paul
>>>Mueth, Peter Miller, Danielle, and Mark Enslin.  I don't know where
>>>the communications breakdown happened.
>>>
>>>Anyway, what we need to do now is see if people from WEFT want to
>>>participate and/or co-sponsor.  Mick needs a special invitation.
>>>
>>>
>>>At 6:32 PM -0500 1/28/02, Pauline Bartolone wrote:
>>>>Hey folks.
>>>>
>>>>I talked to Mick Wolf about the WORT visit on the 9th, and there is
>>>>confusion/miscommunication about what it means for WEFT to be a
>>>>"co-sponsor" of the WORT event. According to him, noone from WEFT
>>>>was notified about sponsorship or other participation.
>>>>
>>>>What kind of participation does the IMC request of WEFT to be
>>>>co-sponsor? What else do we request from them besides reading a PSA
>>>>on the air?
>>>>
>>>>On the flyer for the event that Al Kagan made, it mentions using the
>>>>event to strengthen collaboration between WEFT and the IMC. How
>>>>exactly is this going to happen? Is there going to be a panel of
>>>>reps from each organization? Or is there going to be some sort of
>>>>discussion about collaboration after the WORT workshops?
>>>>
>>>>I told Mick I'd tell him the scoop during the WEFT Courier on Wednesday.
>>>>
>>>>Can anyone enlighten me?
>>>>
>>>>Thanks, Pauline
>>>>
>>>>_________________________________________________________________
>>>>MSN Photos is the easiest way to share and print your photos:
>>>>http://photos.msn.com/support/worldwide.aspx
>>>
>>>--
>>>
>>>
>>>Al Kagan
>>>African Studies Bibliographer and Professor of Library Administration
>>>Africana Unit, Room 328
>>>University of Illinois Library
>>>1408 W. Gregory Drive
>>>Urbana, IL 61801, USA
>>>
>>>tel. 217-333-6519
>>>fax. 217-333-2214
>>>e-mail. akagan at uiuc.edu
>>>_______________________________________________
>>>Imc-newsroom mailing list
>>>Imc-newsroom at urbana.indymedia.org
>>>http://lists.cu.groogroo.com/cgi-bin/listinfo/imc-newsroom
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>_________________________________________________________________
>>Chat with friends online, try MSN Messenger: http://messenger.msn.com
>
>--
>
>
>Al Kagan
>African Studies Bibliographer and Professor of Library Administration
>Africana Unit, Room 328
>University of Illinois Library
>1408 W. Gregory Drive
>Urbana, IL 61801, USA
>
>tel. 217-333-6519
>fax. 217-333-2214
>e-mail. akagan at uiuc.edu
>_______________________________________________
>Imc-newsroom mailing list
>Imc-newsroom at urbana.indymedia.org
>http://lists.cu.groogroo.com/cgi-bin/listinfo/imc-newsroom