Session 1
10:00 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.
Breaking the Chains: Building a Media Strategy for Juvenile Justice in America
Kamau Karl Franklin, Malcolm X Grassroots Movement; Kenyon Farrow, Critical Resistance; Malia Lazu, Racial Justice Campaign; Omowale Adewale, Grassroots Artists MovEment; Orlando Green, National HipHop Political Convention; Prince Serna, Prison Moratorium Project
The criminal injustice system continues to grow at alarming rates, now snaring juveniles, disproportionately of color, in skyrocketing numbers. In response, a national social justice movement fighting against the incarceration of youth has been emerging in the last decade. This workshop will be ideal for movement organizers and activists to discuss their work connecting the demands of juvenile justice to the criminalization of youth at the site of conflict - in the “mis-education complex,” what is now referred to as the “pipeline to prison.” The direction of the panel will be centered around, but not limited to, organizations' current or potential communications work concerning juvenile justice. The workshop seeks to reassess the role of innovative new communications and media strategies/tactics that are being utilized in campaigns and how these strategies can be shared and expanded upon to help develop movement-building capacities.
DIY Distribution: Strategies and Challenges
Shira Golding and Wendy Cohen, Arts Engine
If a social-issue film is made and nobody sees it, does it make an impact? Learn how to harness the power of partnerships to reach audiences and make change. This presentation will include an update on the latest advances in grassroots media distribution as well as an introduction to Fair Use and recent efforts by filmmakers to protect it.
A Fundraising Forum: Dialogue Between Grantmakers and Grantseekers
Representatives from local foundations supporting grassroots media;
Kathy Leichter, Mint Leaf Productions; Paper Tiger TV collective members
The goals of social justice organizations and charitable foundations are parallel: how to use limited resources to make the most impact towards
positive social change. But as much as these worlds are inexorably linked, the way both entities approach their missions can seem light years apart. How do foundations decide how much money to give or how to evaluate the effectiveness of their grantmaking? How do they sort through the hundreds of requests for money to decide which projects they will fund? How do organizations handle the strain of trying to appeal to funders? How can they make sure their proposals make it to the top of the pile? In an effort to help take the frustration out of fundraising, we are bringing both sides to the table to dialogue about what works, what doesn’t and how we can all work together to empower media activism efforts.
Microradio: Tactical Overview and Operations
John Anderson
Microradio has long been a useful tool for media activism. As a campaign of electronic civil disobedience, microradio has been instrumental in carving out policy-space for new community media. But today's stations are deployed for more tactical reasons, like breaking local media blockades on issues of importance to specific communities. This workshop will provide an overview of microradio station operations, featuring a working model for illustrative purposes. It will also cover tactics designed to maximize a station's public effectiveness while minimizing exposure risk in today’s enforcement environment. Examples of these tactics in action will be provided. It is hoped that workshop participants will leave with a fundamental grounding in the ways of radio and empowered by the realization of how simple it is to utilize the medium today.
Journalism for Youth: Writing, Editing and Publicizing
Karin Firoza and Razeen Zaman, CHUMZ; Emily Olfson and Janes Gregoire, Children’s Pressline; Abby Gross, Indy Kids
This multi-generational panel will look at how publications can be created to speak directly to issues facing young people. Learn about the writing, editing, and publicizing process from youth and youth allies.
NYC Blogging Caucus
Chris Anderson, NYC Indymedia
An information sharing and networking forum in which local progressive bloggers will meet to discuss strategies for collaboration.
Research Like a Librarian: Advanced Internet and Critical Evaluation of Websites, Plus FOIA, FOIL, and RSS
Jenna Freedman and Julie Tozer
Many people think they're pretty good Internet researchers, but we've got tips and tricks that will make your head spin with the possibilities. We'll
look at advanced features of various search engines, illuminate criteria for evaluating websites critically, and maybe throw in information on what the
government has to tell you and time-saving techniques that involve multi-definition acronyms and mysterious terms (e.g. RSS and feed aggregator).
Voces de Nuestra Tierra: A Community Radio Sister Project Between WBAI and Radio Payumat of Cauca Colombia
Mario A. Murillo, Wake Up Call; Amalia Cordova, Musuem of the American Indian; Tiokasin Ghosthorse, First Voices Radio; Jesus Avirama, Indigenous Regional Council of Cauca Colombia.
The indigenous movement in Colombia is at the forefront of the national
struggle for peace, social justice and human rights in the midst of an ever-expanding military conflict exacerbated by U.S. policies. Among the many tools they use in their mass mobilizing efforts is community radio and popular media. Perhaps the best example of this convergence of popular resistance and media activism is in Cauca, the birthplace of Colombia's indigenous movement. Since August, WBAI Radio and Radio Payumat have been collaborating on a sister-station project designed to build solidarity between Colombia's indigenous communities and activists in the tri-state area. This panel explores this relationship with a focus on the importance of indigenous media both in the north and the south. We will strategize on ways to expand the project throughout Colombia and in other parts of Latin America.