[New-imc] MILWAUKEE (personal introduction)

[Jay]

>From the Milwaukee IMC:

Milwaukee IMC began out of a collective of individuals who were familiar
with indymedia.org, and with some of those individuals already involved in
radical/left/progressive actions in Milwaukee, and with some of those
individuals also being involved with publishing in both main and
non-mainstream press.  

Some of us had had some familiarity with indymedia prior to organizing, and
some did not. Monte used indymedia as a link to the Seattle protests, and
as a source of coverage for a variety of other solidarity movements
worldwide that sprung from the Battle for Seattle. Brian, a journalist from
Milwaukee, had been writing at times for the Madison IMC, submitting
articles when he could, while writing for other publishing ops here in
Milwaukee. Drew has friends in the Twin Cities who work on the Mpls/St Paul
indymedia. Mileka, familiar with indymedia, also publishes her own African
American community newsletter. Shawn, our photographer, while not
extensively familiar with indymedia, has contacts who work in independent
media worldwide. Dana, who is one of the least left of the bunch, believes
in free speech. Chris, also one of the least left and also our tech, sees
this as a way to speak out against limitations on free speech put in place
now and in the future because of September 11. Ariane, our graphic artist,
believes in free speech and the indymedia philosophy. And me, I saw how
powerful a force this was in DC Sept. 29-30 at the
formerly-IMF/WB-turned-antiwar-protests, and how all of these independent
journalists could come together and use the force of grassroots press to
avoid the hassles and limitations of mainstream publishing while providing
what I believe to be the essential, fundamental goals of journalism: to
tell the WHOLE story, to inform the public. When I got back into Milwaukee,
and checked out the global indymedia site, and realized just how phenomenal
this whole thing was, I put out the word to everyone I could that I was
looking to start a Milwaukee IMC. Lucky for me, people bit. Lucky for us,
several people in the community have expressed to me, personally, and to
others, as well, that they are overjoyed Milwaukee will have an indymedia site.

Milwaukee desperately needs the power and presence of independent
journalism. Although Madison, our state capital and only 70 miles to our
northwest, operates its own IMC, there are fundamental differences between
these two largest cities in Wisconsin. In Milwaukee, we feel the effects of
both Madison politics and sometimes Chicago/Illinois policy-making. We are
a post-industrial blue collar town with a large progressive heart but a
larger conservative press. Madison is the heart of progressive action in
this state. That is undeniable. But Milwaukee is often the recipient of all
the progressive and conservative political decisions coming out of Madison
thanks to our state legislators. We have higher taxes than the rest of the
state; we have the largest population of minorities in the state; we have
the most environmental issues in the state; we feel the effects of the W2
policy, which helped mobilize "welfare reform" nationwide, more than any
other city in the state. Nationally, we are one of the least progressive
cities in terms of race; Milwaukee is commonly championed as being one of
the top-ranking cities of racial/econmic segregation. Labor struggles in
this city, which is moving toward a service economy and away from a
manufacturing/export economy, are a constant issue. And all of these
issues, issues that affect thousands of people in this city, go unreported.
Not under-reported. Unreported. And that's why we're here -- to give a
voice to those people being greatly disserviced by the forum that should
serve them most, by the forum that is their democratic bullhorn: the press.
We're here to serve and mobilize Milwaukee, and we believe indymedia
affiliation is the best way to do that. 

Tiffany
Indiemedia at aol.com
on behalf of Milwaukee IMC