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News :: Miscellaneous |
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Regional IMC Gathering Draws Activists from Across Midwest |
Current rating: 0 |
by Peter Miller
Email: peterm (nospam) shout.net (unverified!)
Phone: 217-344-8820
Address: 218 W. Main St. Urbana, IL 61801 |
20 Oct 2001
Modified: 04:57:07 PM |
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Approximately 30 people came to the Urbana IMC to share ideas about how to build independent media. Discussions and action-oriented workshops are in progress through Sunday at noon. |
Independent media activists from Minnesota, Wisconsin, Missouri, Michigan and Illinois gathered at the Urbana, Illinois Independent Media Center for a regional IMC gathering. The participants came to learn how to make independent media flourish by learning new skills and building relationships with other media activists. Discussions currently underway range from fundraising to digital video editing and production.
After an opening meal on Friday night, the group discussed their desires for the gathering. People expressed interest in basic audio and video training, as well as advanced production topics such as tips for producing hour-long radio programs and "You've got two hours of footage for a ten minute piece. Now what???" Friday night closed with small groups, one of which talked about basic audio interviewing equipment and techniques.
During Saturday's lunch break, Avram Golden-Trist, a media activist from Champaign interviewed Tim Ream, producer of PickAxe, an independently-produced video about logging and Oregon activists' struggle against logging corporations. Golden-Trist conducted the interview for an hour-long IMC news program that will air on community radio station WEFT (90.1 FM) on Monday. The program will focus on the regional gathering and on the basic elements of news production--going from news stories to "consumable news items." Golden-Trist chose that subject, "so people realize that news isn't produced by an elite group of trained individuals, but can be made by anyone who can tell a story."
Finley Kipp is one of three people traveled from St. Louis. for the three-day event. Kipp writes, does web design and web updates for the St. Louis IMC, which publishes The Confluence, a seven year-old environmental and social justice newspaper, in addition to maintaining their website. St. Louis is also home to community radio station KDHX 88.1 FM. St. Louis IMC activist Heath Harris notes that no formal connection exists between the IMC and the radio station, but they're thinking about producing a weekly hour-long news program for the station.
Kipp says she's attending to meet people who are working on similar projects. "Its really nice to know there are other people out there who are just as dedicated. I'm here to share ideas about what works for IMC's and to help them grow. I also hope to learn the technical points since we don't have the knowledge or technology for a lot of it. It's fun!"
About the conference, Kipp noted that "it's been a little difficult to get things moving," but she doesn't fault anyone for it. "In the long run, it's better than telling everyone what they're going to do." A success of one of the large group meetings was the "problem jostle," a process used by Urbana's School for Designing a Society. "I thought it was really successful when we stated what we could do to improve areas. Just suggesting action rather than bringing up questions or discussing problems was a good way of getting the focus on the positive dynamics of the IMC."
The St. Louis IMC grew out of protests against the 2000 Bush-Gore presidential debate. Pro-democracy activists protested both the event and the main-stream media for excluding points of view from the forum. St. Louis IMC meetings are open to all, and a meeting schedule is posted on their website and in The Confluence.
Christopher Mitchell drove to Urbana with two others from the Twin Cities IMC. "I came down to network with people, get new ideas for how to deal with problems, both technical and interpersonal, get re-inspired, and to see where other IMC's are at." Mitchell is a techie who helps with the global IMC network, and he assists others working to get IMC's off the ground. He says he hoped to have more contact with technical workers in Urbana, but he's found the gathering to be highly valuable.
"It's been great!" commented Mitchell. Asked whether he'd recommend that more regional gatherings, he replied, "Absolutely! I think it's really important that they do it. The meeting is a good time to reach out to IMC's that are still trying to get started, like Springfield [IL], and the high school students who are here."
"It's also nice to have this going on without a big action going on so we don't have to be so worried about police," Mitchell added.
The Twin Cities IMC publishes a newspaper called the Free Press, they've produced one video segment for the IMC Newsreel (a national hour-long news program, compiled by IMC's), in addition to their website. Free Radio Twin Cities and community radio station KFAI (90.3 and 106.7 FM) are also nearby, but are not formally connected to the IMC.
The video PickAxe (http://www.pickaxe.org/) will be shown at the IMC this evening. The IMC Midwest Regional Gathering continues through Sunday at noon.
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Conference Pix |
by pm
(No verified email address) |
Current rating: 0
20 Oct 2001
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Street theatre in front of the IMC, and pictures of the gathering in the back room. |
