The 2013 National Conference for Media Reform provided me with an invaluable learning experience. I would characterize the conference as an opportunity to learn social justice advocacy tools and grow social movements. While attending the Conference, I learned new community engagement/organizing strategies, engaged in strategic planning, and developed coalitions with key leaders in the media reform arena.
Winning is going to require both becoming better surfers and creating big new waves. Are we ready? I went to the New Media Reform Conference in Denver, Colorado to practice surfing. I came home both a better surfer and more resolved to learn how to create oceanic waves.
Martinez Street Women's Center is one of our newer MAG-Net anchors, holding down our San Antonio, Texas Chapter. MSWC has been around for 13 years plus, and their Community Health and GirlZone programs are helping to meet the needs of underserved Latina/o and African American communities in San Antonio. Andrea Figueroa, Program Director over the GirlZone program at MSWC took a few minutes to talk to us about their work, MAG-Net and why San Antonio is a treasure of cultural media makers.
I needed to be there. As I browsed through my computer this morning I ran across the Facebook page of La Asamblea de Derechos Civiles. Those that know me, know La Asamblea was an immigrant rights group I was a part of while living in Minneapolis. Founded by Pablo Tapia and Antonia Alvarez two leaders who for years exemplified "undocumented, unafraid" before it's more recent application, brought me into the organization to help develop other leaders for our board.
By Cindy and Duke Schempp-Gomez On March 9th, a group of curious community members got together for the first meeting sponsored by The People’s Press Project, and our partners at the Media Action Grassroots Network (MAG-Net). People from all walks of life and background were represented in the room and their diversity was also reflected in their different interests in Low Power FM (LPFM) radio.
Check out these panels, sessions and plenaries that feature Media Action Grassroots Network (MAG-Net) members, partners and allies.
by Scott Sanders Thousands of jubilant news professionals are tossing their hats into the air and their resumes into Al Jazeera’s inbox because Al Jazeera America, a new international cable news channel, is launching this summer. But while they celebrate, Tavis Smiley, Cornel West and Amy Goodman call for a democratic revolution to transform public media.
by Carlos Pareja The recent death of Venezuelan president Hugo Chávez, misrepresented by much of the American mainstream press as the end of a dictatorial strongman, should be a time to reflect, appraise, learn and advance the accomplishments of the Bolivarian Revolution and the social programs ignited after Chávez's election in 1998. producers with Petare Radio Collective In November 2011, I was invited by the Venezuelan Embassy in Washington to participate in a community media delegation that would travel to Caracas and visit different community media sites, communal councils and other government-supported programs throughout the city. Being a longtime media educator, activist and video-maker based in New York City and utilizing publicly available communications resources: public access television and community radio, I was excited to see firsthand what alternative, community media is in a country like Venezuela that provides a great deal of government support. entrance to community radio station, Radio Negro Primero Our small delegation visited the Colectivo Radiofónico de Petare (the Petare Radio Collective) and Radio Negro Primero, two community-run radio stations located in low-income neighborhoods of Caracas. Members of these stations spoke about their work, how they provided training and production resources to community members to tell stories that impact their lives. They highlighted the important role of community journalism and the inspiring work of collective production. Having worked for over 5 years at Brooklyn's public access media center, BRIC Community Media, these words hit close to home. At orientation sessions for new members, I tried to convey hopeful and encouraging words to excite Brooklyn residents to participate in community TV. This was their channel! Their programs could reflect what mattered to them and their communities. It was heartening to hear and see how this similar message resonated in the words and work of Petare Radio Collective and Radio Negro Primero. These stations were anchors, hubs and public commons for the various districts they represented, led and organized by people living in the community. It was a media that penetrated deeper than PEG access or listener-sponsored radio because of community inclusion in decision-making and overall station management. at Diego Ibarra News kiosk, a distribution center for alternative and community newspapers in downtown Caracas, with member of Radio Rebelde holding up a gift we brought from NYC. And during a time in the U.S when public access stations are closing, reducing services or reevaluating public mission and threats by lawmakers to slash federal funding for PBS and NPR continue their ongoing cycle, it's astonishing to be in a space where because of government subsidies you can finish your stint as a DJ with a stop at el mercado down the hall for groceries. Or attend a workshop about Afro-Venezuelan culture then head upstairs to broadcast what you've taken away from the experience to share, discuss, learn and build with others. Community media is but one facet in the socialist experiment of direct democracy and worker-control that Chávez promoted and the people of Venezuela will hopefully continue and advance. youth chorus from José Martí Bolivarian School, Sarria, Caracas, part of the National System of Youth and Children's Orchestras, or “El Sistema” a music education program a public playground in Catia, Caracas is converted into a voter registration site by the Consejo Nacional Electoral (National Electoral Council)
By Jessica Gonzalez (originally published on 3/1/2013) Today marks the first day of Women’s History Month and as a new mother I feel more inclined than ever to celebrate the important role that women have played and continue to play in shaping this country. Of course many of these amazing women never were and likely never will be in the public eye and will be celebrated only by those that surround them in their personal and professional lives. Others still, have contributed by serving this country in elected or appointed government positions, and those are the ladies that I will focus on today.
By: Andrea Quijada and Malkia Cyril At the Media Action Grassroots Network, we love movies! We write them, make them, and view them. And, yes we even critique them. We know how important movies are in the creation of culture, in teaching us how to view our selves, our communities, and the world around us. As cultural workers who hold art at the center of our revolution, we celebrate media when they uplift us and we hold media accountable when they fail us. It’s what we do—we challenge ourselves and our media to learn, grow, and change.