[IMC-NYC] Fwd: Re:IndyMedia: Professionalism?

[Biodun Iginla]

Hello all:

I wanted to share Chuck's response (below) with you.



--- Chuck0 <chuck%20at%20tao.ca> wrote:
> Date: Fri, 03 Nov 2000 11:20:52 -0500
> From: Chuck0 <chuck%20at%20tao.ca>
> To: damn-org%20at%20lists.tao.ca
> CC: damn-org%20at%20tao.ca
> Subject: Re: DAMN-ORG: Red Pepper article
> Reply-to: damn-org%20at%20lists.tao.ca
> 
> A pretty good article, which accurately explains the
> roots of
> alternative media in the U.S. and the U.K.
> 
> I worry however, that if activist journalists start
> to heed the words of
> these critics and mainstream journalists, we will
> effectively co-opt
> ourselves into ineffectiveness. We don't need to be
> more "professional."
> We saw what professionalism did to NPR and Pacifica.
> Yes, we need to
> provide quality stories and reporting, but let's not
> fool ourselves that
> we are going to become professional journalists. We
> create alternative
> media and journalism because "professional
> journalists" just aren't
> covering the stories that are important. We also
> engage in DIY
> journalism because mainstream media is controlled by
> the corporations.
> 
> We have credibility outside of our circles. It's
> funny that professional
> journalists should bring this up, because most
> people don't believe what
> the mainstream journalists tell them.
> 
> The IMC network and alternative media face some
> serious challenges in
> the near future. We have to be careful of those in
> our ranks who aspire
> to be journalists or alternative media stars (you
> know who you are). We
> have to make sure that the IMC keep growing and that
> it remains a
> decntralized network. I find the recent discussions
> about the IMC
> exercizing broad editorial control to be quite
> frightening. I'll say it
> straight up: those people who think they can make
> that decision are
> making it without the sanction of the thousands of
> people who have
> contributed to the IMC project.
> 
> If it were up to me, I'd advocate that any
> decision-making about the IMC
> network be left to the techies. All we need are IMC
> websites that are up
> and functioning. We don't need some cadre of
> semi-professional IMC
> staffers to make decisions for those of us who
> contribute to the various
> IMC websites.
> 
> In other words, the IMC network has some serious
> problems with
> democratic process right now.
> 
> Chuck0
> 
> Diane wrote:
> > 
> > Hi damn.org people,
> > 
> > This recent article from Red Pepper offers some
> food for thought concerning
> > DAMN's future direction (editorial policy and
> "voice," and organization).
> > For the original article, follow the link from
> >  http://www.redpepper.org.uk/.
> > 
> > Diane
> >
>
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
> > ----
> > 
> >  Here come the media activists
> > 
> > 'They come armed with video cameras, laptops,
> microphones and mobiles. They
> > swarm in packs, shooting film after film,
> capturing action to feed down the
> > line onto the Web, onto desktops, into living
> rooms; footage too marginal
> > for the network news but footage to inspire and
> anger and empower...' US
> > journalist who examined independent press coverage
> of the demonstrations in
> > Seattle and Washington. Andrew Wasley reports on
> the media activists and
> > their influence
> > 
> > Visit any protest site or demonstration and you're
> guaranteed to encounter
> > the media activists, part of an independent media
> movement that has
> > mushroomed alongside the growing campaign against
> globalisation and
> > capitalism. Politically diverse and idealistic,
> these media activists form
> > part of a much larger pool of people now using
> media - journalism
> > specifically - as a campaigning tool: employing
> both the traditional
> > (newsprint, radio) and the hi-tech (the Internet)
> to champion social and
> > political change and challenge the notion that
> journalism should serve no
> > active function other than to 'impartially' inform
> the public.
> > 
> > Despite the apparently explosive growth in its
> scale and diversity, the rise
> > of the independent media (indymedia) scene has
> been dogged by controversy
> > and set backs, funding and image problems.
> Accusations of journalistic
> > unprofessionalism and inaccuracies have been rife
> and condemnation of
> > 'rabble rousing propaganda' widespread.
> > 
> > Danny Schechter, US journalist, media critic and
> co-founder of progressive
> > media web portal, Mediachannel, recently said,
> 'Although there are major
> > problems to be overcome, success will boil down to
> the loyalty of readers,
> > listeners and viewers.' Schechter's words vaguely
> echo those of one senior
> > BBC executive who, when asked at a recent
> conference what he thought of
> > media activists, replied: 'It's about time we
> recognised what these people
> > have to sayÉ realised that they are professional
> and dedicated in their own
> > wayÉ if we [ignore them] we risk letting a
> powerful journalistic trend pass
> > us by.'
> > 
> > Although the spread of media activism has been
> global, it is Britain and the
> > US which have witnessed the biggest proliferation.
> In the UK its inspiration
> > has roots in the anarchist publications of the
> 1970s and, more recently, in
> > the now seminal work of alternative video news
> organisations such as
> > Oxford-based Undercurrents.
> > 
> > Undercurrents' network of video activists shot and
> produced hundreds of mini
> > documentaries exploring ecological issues, direct
> action against road
> > building, hunt sabotage, media critiques, music
> videos and subverts
> > (modified commercial TV adverts). They were
> produced through 10
> > award-winning video magazines distributed globally
> and watched by an
> > estimated half a million viewers.
> > 
> > Mirroring this success, eco-journalists working
> for print publications such
> > as the independent Squall and Earth First's Do or
> Die spent their time
> > running out hundreds of dissenting newspapers and
> magazines - essential
> > reading for the growing number of activists living
> in or near the new wave
> > of protest camps. Pirate radio stations began
> switching attention away from
> > purely 'rave' channels and concentrated instead on
> broadcasting alternative
> > political discussions. In Brighton, the now
> infamous Radio 4A spoofed the
> > BBC's Radio 4 with 'Schnews news' on the hour and
> 'Deserted Island Disks'.
> > 
> > More recently, the explosion in access to cheap
> digital technology has meant
> > that many of the more traditional alternative news
> outfits have swapped
> > newsprint for web space. 'The Internet and e-mail
> have effectively enabled
> > activists and radical journalists to reach a level
> of worldwide distribution
> > previously only achievable with both large sums of
> money and the consent of
> > major distributors,' says Jim Carey, a
> London-based journalist, editor of
> > Red Pepper Investigations and co-founder of
> Squall, which has switched its
> > own emphasis to online publishing.
> > 
> > The low cost of Web publishing combined with the
> enviable lack of editorial
> > constraints has meant that material turned down
> for publication by
> > established titles has been allowed to flourish,
> often longer and in more
> > depth.
> > 
> > 'The roots of US Web-based news output go back to
> about 1996,' says Rachel
> > Rinaldo, a Chicago-based journalist and TV
> producer. 'During the Democratic
> > Convention [in Chicago], Countermedia [an
> alternative media umbrella group]
> > set about planning a strategy to cover political
> protests on the Web - ever
> > since then the tactic has soared.' Although
> initial attempts were dogged by
> > technical problems, a lack of finance and mixed
> public reception, the months
> > leading up to the anti-WTO protests in Seattle and
> Washington saw frantic
> > activity and the creation of the world's largest
> web-based independent media
> > news service, the Independent Media Center (IMC).
> > 
> > By the time the IMC officially launched, it had
> raised over $75,000, had two
> > offices, dozens of computers and video editing
> equipment, mobile phones, Web
> > servers and more. Much of the funding came from
> individual donors but
> > hi-tech companies provided some equipment and
> logistical support. Global IMC
> > bureaux followed, with the UK, Germany, Australia
> and Poland, among others,
> > now in operation. 'We wanted to make sure that
> whatever took place [at the
> > protests] was captured and disseminated to the
> rest of the world,' says Dan
> > Merkle, a Seattle attorney and IMC founder. 'With
> the mainstream
> > concentrating on the police build up and the
> possibility of rioting, we
> > wanted to provide a reliable - and truthful -
> antidote.'
> > 
> > With over 500 people involved in running the
> operation, the IMC site
> > received an estimated 1.5 million hits during the
> Seattle showdown with
> > nearly as many during Washington. 'It [Seattle]
> was so successful that we
> > had server meltdown and were being advertised by
> such big players as Yahoo,
> > OneWorld, the BBC, CNN and Reuters,' says Merkle.
> 'It was by no means easy
> > but it provided an indication of what was
> possible.'
> > 
> > A similar level of activity was seen in the UK
> during the May Day protests
> > against capitalism, with Undercurrents providing
> live broadcasts of the
> > event via the Web: 'We were providing footage to
> potentially as big an
> > audience as any of the major news networks -
> without the typical talk of
> > rioters and mindless thugs,' says Paul O'Connor,
> the organisation's linchpin
> > and producer.
> > 
> > May Day brought with it its crop of other problems
> for media activists
> > however; many being harassed, arrested or
> assaulted, or having their
> > equipment seized - fresh statistics to add to the
> growing list to fall foul
> > of the law whilst covering political activity.
> Police harassment of those
> > reporting on direct action and alternative
> politics, however disturbing, is
> > well documented globally (both the National Union
> of Journalists and
> > International Federation of Journalists recently
> admitted they were dealing
> > with an unprecedented number of cases) and
> represents only the tip of the
> > iceberg in the problems now facing the independent
> media movement.
> > 
> > The struggle to achieve and maintain a reasonable
> level of credibility
> > outside of activists' circles represents perhaps
> the biggest obstacle to
> > media activists, with many mainstream journalists
> still regarding
> > 'indymedia' as the preserve of activists posing as
> professional reporters.
> > According to producer Peter MacDonald: 'There's
> been a worrying trend in the
> > number of so-called journalists broadcasting or
> writing material which is
> > clearly not impartial - blatant attempts at
> hijacking the issues to suit
> > radical aims - if activists wish to distribute
> campaign material, fine; but
> > it should be indicated as such, in the same way as
> adverts are marked out in
> > newspapers, otherwise the credibility of
> professional reporters is thrown
> > further into doubt.'
> > 
> > Such views are received critically by many media
> activists and independent
> > reporters. 'Impartiality is an honourable notion
> in theory but its lack of
> > application in mainstream media deinvests it of
> any meaning,' says Jim
> > Carey. 'All mainstream media news has an agenda
> which is strictly adhered
> > to; the biggest factor being the reliance on
> commercial advertising for
> > survival, which itself compromises the
> impartiality claims.'
> > 
> > Hugh Warwick, an environmental journalist, says
> that with issues such as the
> > environment, journalists have a duty to expose
> what is going on regardless
> > of whether or not they are being accused of being
> professional or impartial.
> > 'Journalism should be about making people aware of
> what is happening and
> > encouraging them to take action.'
> > 
> > Aware that the level of professionalism in the
> reporting - whether spoken,
> > video, printed or online - needs to be
> accountable, many indymedia
> > journalists claim that they do strive to maintain
> a professional approach.
> > One told Red Pepper: 'We seek to make sure that
> the facts used in
> > investigations are accurate because the truth is
> more irrefutable than
> > opinion.'
> > 
> > Others are less convinced of the need for
> professional standards in
> > independent journalism: 'Alternative media is
> about challenging the
> > mainstream's way of operating,' says
> Undercurrent's Paul O'Connor. 'There's
> > no point in criticising the system then adopting
> the system's principles to
> > sell your work. Alternative media needs to operate
> in an alternative way -
> > rejecting supposed notions of accountability and
> impartiality - and directly
> > challenge the corporate media.'
> > 
> > Writer and commentator Denise Kirkpatrick believes
> the independent media
> > movement must explore ways of appealing to a wider
> audience and increasing
> > the number people involved: 'It needs to rethink
> its approach and improve
> > the quality and availability of its publications
> and the clarity of its
> > ideas and perspectives,' she says. 'By drawing
> from the success of the US
> > example [where independent media has traditionally
> maintained a credible
> > foothold] and building an effective fund raising
> and development body, and
> > creating a focal point to promote and harness the
> potential of alternative
> > current affairs, its effectiveness will be
> maximised and its alternative
> > opinion placed on a national (and international)
> platform powerful enough to
> > be taken seriously.'
> > 
> > For Danny Schechter however, it is too early for
> such critical theory to be
> > effectively taken on board: 'The independent media
> is only just building up
> > its essential infrastructure and network,' he
> says. 'Only [once this has
> > happened] can it begin to think more seriously
> about the direction of the
> > content to disseminate. For now, it's just got to
> rely on the loyalty,
> > determination and creativity of its pioneers.'
> > 
> > Andrew Wasley is Red Pepper's picture editor and a
> journalist specialising
> > in media and human rights.
> .
> tion of the
> > content to disseminate. For now, it's just got to
> rely on the loyalty,
> > determination and creativity of its pioneers.'
> > 
> > Andrew Wasley is Red Pepper's picture editor and a
> journalist specialising
> > in media and human rights.
> .
> 


=====
Biodun Iginla
Cultural and Political Journalist--244 Fifth Avenue, Suite H280, New York, NY 10001-7604
Affiliated Scholar-Feminist Studies, University of Minnesota
e-mail: biginla%20at%20email.com   biodun%20at%20tc.umn.edu  
Office Voice/Fax: 1-917-421-8774  Home Voice: 1-212-699-8174
Site:  http://biodun.homestead.com/biodun.html
       http://www.indymedia.org

__________________________________________________
Do You Yahoo!?
>From homework help to love advice, Yahoo! Experts has your answer.
http://experts.yahoo.com/