[New-imc] Springfield IMC's application for Network Acceptance part 1

[bconle at simons-rock.edu]

Hey folks, Springfield IMC has passed through the internal approval phase
with New-IMC. I'm sending them on to the process list for network approval
within 7 days, it is currently 8:30 PM on Thursday evening July 11, at
this time on July 18th they will be fully approved if there is no dissent
voiced.
They sent extensive organizing documents to the New-IMC list, I am
presenting first the required documents, membership criteria, principles
of unity, editorial policy, introduction here, in the second message i
will include the rest of their documents. The original documents can be
found in the new-imc at lists.indymedia.org archives.
Introduction:

 The Springfield Independent Media Center is a   grassroots organization
 committed to using media production and   distribution as a tool for
 promoting social and economic justice in   Springfield, Illinois and the
 Sangamon River Valley.. It is our goal to   further the
 self-determination of people under-represented in media   production and
 content, and to accurately illuminate and analyze local   and global
 issues that impact ecosystems, communities and individuals.   We seek to
 generate alternatives to the biases inherent in the corporate   media
 controlled by profit, and to identify and create positive models   for a
 sustainable and equitable society.   We wish to participate in the Indy
 Media Network in order to be able to   share our skills and efforts with
 those working toward similar goals   throughout the world. We also hope
 to draw upon the knowledge, skills   and energy of others in the network
 in order to help us achieve our   purpose and vision locally. Among the
 purpose of the Springfield IMC   are the following:  - Move beyond
 coverage of only activist news and work toward providing a   viable local
 alternative news source (i.e. covering local events that   are ignored or
 poorly covered by corporate media)  - Actively reach out to communities
 which are under-served and   under-represented in the Springfield area
 press and provide a forum for   their voices to be heard and welcome them
 to participate in the SIMC  - Facilitate the production and dissemination
 of audio, video, photo and   print stories by the general public  -
 Awaken critical thinking with regards to media, specifically the  
 corporate and state media systems - provide links to alternative media,  
 activist, and research groups  - Share Internet and technical media
 skills in workshops  - Utilize all forms of new and old technologies to
 achieve these goals   so as to reach communities in our region who may
 not have access to the   Internet   Individually, we also have our own
 purposes for promoting independent   media locally and in joining the
 global IMC network. Below are some of   the individuals in our collective
 and their own personal statements:
Joe Lanter  Hello, I\'m Joe Lanter. I am interested in being involved with
the IMC   because there is a crying need in Springfield for viewpoints
that are   progressive. IMC and The Space (a local organizing center with
which I   am also involved) are two avenues for this need to be fulfilled.
I hope   to bring some skill in organizing and a little content to the IMC
  banquet.
Marc Sanson  I've been involved in the Springfield Independent Media
Center since the   winter of 2000/2001, as well as other community and
progressive   interests in Springfield IL. It is through my interests in
peace,   social justice, political reform, community building, and local
control   over media that I came to the SIMC. It is my goal to utilize my
skills   in journalism, web design and organizing to help build a
grassroots   movement locally and contribute to the global IMC network in
any way I   can.
Sheila Nopper  After visiting with folks in Seattle who were organizing
the first   indymedia center to coordinate the media coverage of the
demonstrations   at the 1999 Festival of Resistance against the WTO, I
began to work   toward creating an IMC affiliate in Springfield, initially
by making it   the focus of my masterB9s project for my self-designed
degree in Media   & Cultural Activism. I was able to offer the SIMC skills
in organizing,   community building and alternative media which I
developed from years of   activism within TorontoB9s multicultural milieu,
as a programmer and   documentary producer at community radio station
CIUT, as a freelance   writer and from local projects developed by the
Media Activist Coalition   which I founded in Springfield in 1999. My
emphasis has always been to   provide a radical critique of the status
quo, and a place where the   marginalized voices silenced by corporate
media could be heard.  In collaboration with other Springfield-based
media, and peace and   justice activists, as well as some guidance from
UCIMC, SIMC has   developed a non-hierarchical and transparent
organizational structure   that is supported by a commitment to making
decisions by building   consensus. Though at times it has been a struggle
to accomplish this   task, I believe the resolve of the group members to
continue through the   sometimes-difficult process of building consensus
on these issues   demonstrates our determination to become an IMC
affiliate.  As someone who has always promoted the concept of integrating
a physical   space with the cyberspace component of indymedia---especially
here in   Springfield where access to a collectively operated community
center was   nonexistent---I am very pleased that the SIMC has decided to
utilize and   help financially sustain \"The Space,\" a small house that
was recently   rented by the new non-profit Springfield Community Network.
I think The   Space will stimulate more people to \"become the media\" as
well as help   to build a more diverse and integrated web of activist
projects in the   area.  As for myself, I will soon return to Canada where
I plan to continue to   participate in the indymedia network as a
freelance contributor to the  Vancouver and/or Victoria IMC.
Ron Sakolsky  I have been interested in starting an Independent Media
Center in  Springfield ever since returning from Seattle where I got to
visit the   just established IMC right before the Festival of Resistance
in 1999.   My ongoing interest has been to link Springfield up as a
participant in   the global network of IMC media activists and news
sources, and to have   a local IMC that can hopefully be a catalyst for
the community-building   process here in Springfield by offering an
opportunity for progressive   people to \"become the media\" and
collectively create a culture of   resistance. What I have brought to the
table is my skills at   organizing/activism, consensus decision-making and
grassroots   fundraising. While I personally will be leaving Springfield
to move to   Canada in August, I am increasingly impressed with the
SIMC\'s   accomplishments. We now have a website and have begun to cover
local   stories, are attracting new participants, and have been involved
in   creating a promising new physical space in the community in
conjunction   with the Heartland Peace!  e Center where grassroots
activists can meet, hold events, organize and   just plain hang out
together. Consequently, it seems that we have at   this point, after much
perseverance, established a solid foundation on   which to build an active
SIMC affiliate of which we can all be proud.
Bill Jarrico  Springfield is a flat and pious place. The ground isn't
steady because   of carelessly dug mines under the city. I haven't had the
exposure to   left culture here that I had before I came. I hope to write
and speak   for the SIMC and maybe there are other ways I can help. I've
been a   computer programmer since 1964 (in several different places) and
have   also worked as a lawyer. I am the moderator of a website for local 
 writers.
Lisa Hensley  I wish to bring my internet, computer and media production
skills to the   Springfield IMC in order to report on stories, groups and
activities   ignored or under reported by mainstream media and to teach
others these   skills in order to empower them to become the media
themselves. I am   also interested in event organizing in our physical
space in order to   promote SIMC\'s presence in the community and to
facilitate outreach to   the community as well.
Duane Whittingham  I've been involved also since around winter 200/2001. I
have been  interested in starting a IMC in Springfield and fully support
this  proposal to add Springfield IMC to the Global Network of IMCs. There
is  very little alternative media in central Illinois. SIMC will change
that.  I wish to help and support with my time and skills in computers,
the net  and radio broadcasting. I fully support Springfield IMC to
Global.
Principles of Unity

1. The Independent Media Center Network (IMCN) is based upon principles of
 equality, decentralization and local autonomy. The IMCN is not derived 
from a centralized bureaucratic process, but from the self-organization of
 autonomous collectives that recognize the importance in developing a
union  of networks.  The Springfield IMC agrees with and supports this
principle.
2. All IMC's consider open exchange of and open access to information a 
prerequisite to the building of a more free and just society.  The
Springfield IMC agrees with and supports this principle.
[3. All IMC's respect the right of activists who choose not to be 
photographed or filmed.]  The Springfield IMC agrees with and supports
this principle.
4. All IMC's, based upon the trust of their contributors and readers, 
shall utilize open web based publishing, allowing individuals, groups and 
organizations to express their views, anonymously if desired. **see 
appendix: Open Publishing document (still in proposal phase, at this 
address: 
<<http://lists.indymedia.org/mailman/public/imc-communication/2001-April/00
 170 7.html)  The Springfield IMC agrees with and supports this principle.
5. The IMC Network and all local IMC collectives shall be not-for-profit. 
The Springfield IMC agrees with and supports this principle.
6. All IMC's recognize the importance of process to social change and are
committed to the development of non-hierarchical and anti-authoritarian 
relationships, from interpersonal relationships to group dynamics. 
Therefore, shall organize themselves collectively and be committed to the 
principle of consensus decision making and the development of a [direct, 
participatory democratic process] that is transparent to its membership. 
The Springfield IMC agrees with and supports this principle.
7. [All IMC's recognize that a prerequisite for participation in the 
decision making process of each local group is the contribution of an 
individual's labor to the group.]  The Springfield IMC agrees with and
supports this principle.
8. All IMC's are committed to caring for one another and our respective 
communities both collectively and as individuals and will promote the 
sharing of resources including knowledge, skills and equipment.  The
Springfield IMC agrees with and supports this principle.
9. All IMC's shall be committed to the use of free source code, whenever 
possible, in order to develop the digital infrastructure, and to increase 
the independence of the network by not relying on proprietary software. 
The Springfield IMC agrees with and supports this principle.
10. All IMC's shall be committed to the principle of human equality, and 
shall not discriminate, including discrimination based upon race, gender, 
age, class or sexual orientation. Recognizing the vast cultural traditions
 within the network, we are committed to building [diversity] within our 
localities.  The Springfield IMC agrees with and supports this principle.
 IMC MEMBERSHIP CRITERIA - DRAFT  Each IMC and Global Working Group is
 expected to:
a. Agree in spirit to the NIMC Mission Statement and Principles of Unity, 
The Springfield IMC has agreed to the spirit of the NIMC Mission Statement
 and Principles of Unity
b. Have a committed membership substantial enough to sustain a functional 
IMC,  The Springfield IMC has about a dozen committed members who are
involved  in one of our 4 working groups, and about 30 supporting members.
c. Have open and public meetings (no one group can have exclusionary 
"ownership" of an IMC),  All Springfield IMC meetings, including spokes
council, working groups and  special events, are always free and open to
the public. The Springfield  IMC also has a physical space and resource
center that is open and  available for public use.
d. Work toward developing a local Mission Statement or Statement of 
Purpose. Network Mission Statement may be adopted or used on an interim 
basis,  The Springfield IMC has adopted it's own Mission Statement and
Statement  of Purpose (see previous post or visit 
<http://www.springfieldimc.org/imcspringfield/policy.htm )
e. Establish and publish an editorial policy which is developed and 
functions through democratic process, and with full transparency,  The
Springfield IMC has adopted and published an editorial policy (see 
previous post or visit 
<http://www.springfieldimc.org/imcspringfield/policy.htm )
f. Agree to the use of Open Publishing as described in the NIMC Editorial 
Policy [editorial collective comments: "We did agree that the term "Open 
Publishing" was one that is still being defined by the Global Network 
Collective, and we would wait and see what the results were before 
rewriting this criteria],  The Springfield IMC fully supports the use of
Open Publishing and is  working to upgrade it's website to an open
publishing system.
g. Adopt a decision-making policy that is in alignment with consensus 
principles which include open, transparent and egalitarian processes,  The
Springfield IMC has adopted a decision making policy that is detailed  in
our structure document (see previous post or visit 
<http://www.springfieldimc.org/imcspringfield/policy.htm ) We believe this
 policy is in alignment with consensus principles, and is open,
transparent  and egalitarian.
h. Have a spokesperson(s) willing and capable of participating in the 
global decision-making process and meetings as a rotating 
liaison/representative, with a clear understanding of the responsibilities
 that come with this role,  The Springfield IMC has selected Marc Sanson
(marc at msanson.com <../src/compose.php?send_tomarc%40msanson.com) to act as
 spokesperson, representative and liaison to the global IMC. Marc is both 
willing and capable to participate in the global decision-making process 
and has a clear understanding of his responsibilities in relation to this 
position.
i. Participate in the key IMC Network Communication Methods that pertain 
to the health and vitality of the Network and that contribute to the work 
of the IMC. Assure that at least one person from your local IMC 
participates at any given time on the IMC-Communications list,  The
Springfield IMC plans to fully participate in the IMC-Communications  list
j. (NOT FINALIZED): Have no official affiliation with any political 
party, state or candidate for office (comments: but individual producers 
have freedom to do whatever they like and local IMCs can "feature" stories
 about various political parties and initiatives),  The Springfield IMC
has no official affiliation with any political party,  state or candidate
for office
k. IMCs shall in no way engage in commercial for-profit enterprises. [We 
could add: The IMCN is committed to the decommercialization of information
 and will disassociate from any local IMC that decides to become a for 
profit media corporation.]  The Springfield IMC does not engage in any
form of commercial for-profit  enterprises
l. Display a ³local version² of the IMC ³i² logo on your website and 
literature. m. Include the IMC Network current ³Cities List² on your site,
 preferably on the front page.  The Springfield IMC has it's own version
of the IMC logo which it displays  on its website, brochure and any
printed material it disseminates. We  also currently display the current
Cities List on our site, which will  eventually be replaced by an include
from whichever open publishing system  we eventually adopt.
 NETWORK MEMBERSHIP

1. Network Membership is open to any group that accepts the above criteria
 for membership. In the case of several requests from the same city or 
region, we will encourage them to meet and work together.
2. Network Membership in the NIMC will be confirmed by the New IMC 
Working Group, which is accountable to IMC-Process and ultimately to the 
NIMC decision-making process.  The Springfield IMC accepts all the above
criteria and looks forward to  being approved for Network Membership
DEFINING OUR TERMS: For clarity and precision, we need to define our terms
 more carefully so there is less room for misunderstanding. Also explains 
how we as a culture (the IMC culture) use these terms.* NIMC  Network of Independent Media Centers
* Open  means that diverse people and groups are welcome to attend and 
that no attempt is made to exclude people based on their sex, race, 
gender, class, age, ability or religion.  * Official affiliation  still
being worked on* IMC Network Communication Methods  international email lists, IRC 
discussions and logs, phone calls and conference calls, and face-to-face 
meetings.* Local version  acknowledges the many variations of the name and the 
logo that will occur depending on the language and culture of the local 
IMC.  The Springfield IMC understands and accepts the above terms.
MISSION STATEMENT:  The Springfield Independent Media Center is a
grassroots organization  committed to using media production and
distribution as a tool for  promoting social and economic justice. It is
our goal to further the  self-determination of people under-represented in
media production and  content, and to accurately illuminate and analyze
local and global issues  that impact ecosystems, communities and
individuals. We seek to generate  alternatives to the biases inherent in
the corporate media controlled by  profit, and to identify and create
positive models for a sustainable and  equitable society.
STATEMENT OF PURPOSE:  The Springfield IMC will:  -move beyond coverage of
only activist news and work  toward providing a viable local alternative
news  source (i.e. covering local events that are ignored or  poorly
covered by corporate media).   - actively reach out to communities which
are  under-served and under-represented in the Springfield  area media and
provide a forum for their voices to be  heard and welcome them to
participate in the SIMC.   - facilitate the production and dissemination
of  audio, video, photo and print stories by the general  public.   -
awaken critical thinking with regards to media,  specifically the
corporate and state media systems.   - provide links to alternative media,
activist, and  research groups.   - share internet and technical media
skills in  workshops.   - utilize all forms of new and old technologies to
 achieve these goals so as to reach communities in our  region who may not
have access to the internet.
 SPRINGFIELD IMC EDITORIAL POLICY:  The Springfield IMC will establish an
 editorial collective with the  Spokes Council to serve as the editorial
 collective in the interim for a  period of no more than 3 months from the
 approval date of this document.
THE EDITORIAL COLLECTIVE:  The editorial collective is a group of
volunteers approved by the  Springfield IMC spokes council responsible for
overseeing the content of  the Springfield IMC website. Our responsibility
for the stewardship of the  newswire, and of the *website in general, is
expressed in these four  guiding principles, which for the basis of
Springfield IMC editorial  policy: 1. To provide an unmoderated, open-publishing newswire in accordance with
  established IMC policies and philosophy. 2. To maintain the newswire and website as a community space, and a safe 
 environment for users, especially members of disempowered or marginalized
  groups. 3. To acknowledge that speech has the power to cause injury, but that 
 instances of injurious speech should also be seen as opportunities for 
 insurrectionary response. 4. To preserve the quality of the website as a useful media resource.
 *Web site consists of features section and newswire section  Postings to
 the Springfield IMC newswire are unmoderated. Members of the  editorial
 collective regularly monitor the newswire, keeping our eyes open  for
 particularly significant, informative contributions to add to the  front
 page's center-column feature section.  While committed to maintaining the
 open nature of the newswire, as noted  above, in rare circumstances the
 editorial collective may reclassify  postings as news or opinion, or
 remove them from view. In most such cases,  postings are reclassified or
 hidden because they are empty or duplicate  posts, or because they
 consist of advertising or other inappropriate  content.  In accordance
 with the Springfield IMC's mission and guidelines,  Springfield IMC media
 efforts are designed to empower individuals to  become independent and
 civic journalists by providing a direct,  unmoderated forum for
 presenting media, including text articles, audio and  video recordings,
 and photographs, to the public via the Internet, print  and broadcast.
 Within that general framework, we specifically encourage  individuals to
 publish: a. Researched, timely articles;
 b. Eyewitness accounts of progressive actions and demonstrations;
 c. Coverage of Springfield and Sangamon Valley regional issues;
 d. Media analysis with particular regard to corporate media;
 e. Investigative reports exposing injustice;
 f. Stories on events affecting underrepresented groups;
 g. Media produced from within underrepresented groups;
 h. Local stories with national or global significance;
 i. Stories on people or projects working towards social and economic 
 justice The Springfield IMC Spokes Council will make final editorial decisions. 
 Our editors will:1) Edit postings and contributions to correct spelling, grammar or format 
problems, without consulting the author2) choose features based on what they believe to be an article's 
importance to Springfield, the solidity of the research and sources, and 
the quality of writing3) hide posts, without consulting the author, that in the editors opinion:
- Are duplicates (we will keep the oldest post)
- Are in an unreadable or unintelligible form
- Are boldly slanderous, libelous or personal
- Advocate criminal activity with a specific time, place and manner
- Advocate hatred toward or repression of any individual or group of  people
- Are not news related (spam, commercial posts - these will be deleted 
from the server as soon as they are noticed)4) Keep posts that, in the editors' opinions, are merely offensive or 
controversial in order to encourage open discussion and debate. The 
Springfield IMC acknowledge that speech has the power to cause injury, but
 that instances of injurious speech should also be seen as opportunities 
for insurrectionary response.PROCEDURE FOR HIDING POSTS:  Hiding articles is a drastic measure, and
editorial collective members  take such actions only rarely. Newswire
posts found to violate editorial  policy are here divided into two
categories: simple and complicated.  Important terms are defined in a
glossary.  Posted articles or media representing unambiguous violations of
policy,  which can usually be hidden from the newswire without extended
discussion,  fall into three categories:1. Posts containing no content, or consisting only of links to other  sites.
2. Duplicate posts.
3. Posts consisting of advertising or job descriptions.
When an active editor identifies such a post, he or she immediately hides 
it, and appends a signed comment to the hidden article explaining why it 
was hidden. If the author of the post has given an email address, the 
editor sends him or her an explanatory message and copies it to the 
editorial collective. Any additional email conversation is also copied to 
the collective.  Posted articles or other media not falling into the above
simple  categories may still be found to violate one or more of the four
core  principles of our editorial policy, as follows:1. To provide an unmoderated, open-publishing newswire in accordance with 
established IMC policies and philosophy.2. To maintain the newswire and website as a community space, and a safe 
environment for users, especially members of disempowered or marginalized 
groups.3. To acknowledge that speech has the power to cause injury, but that 
instances of injurious speech should also be seen as opportunities for 
insurrectionary response.4. To preserve the quality of the website as a useful media resource.
 Simply violating one of these principles does not in itself justify
 hiding  a post. Perceived violations must be weighed against the other
 principles  through mindful discussion. In relation to a particular post,
 one  principle may be found to conflict with another.  These principles
 provide the ethical framework for decision-making, even  as they
 inevitably complicate editorial discussions. Editorial collective 
 members are prevented from hiding articles rashly or without principled 
 discussion, and remain accountable to clear (though flexible) policy 
 guidelines.  When an active editor identifies a post he or she thinks
 should be hidden,  he or she alerts the editorial collective, either
 making a formal proposal  to hide the post or requesting conversation on
 the subject. Once an active  editor proposes hiding the article, the
 editorial collective begins a  focused discussion in accordance with its
 consensus process. If the  collective decides to hide the post, the
 editor who made the proposal  hides the post, and appends a signed
 comment to the posting explaining why  it was hidden. If the author of
 the post has given an email address, the  editor sends him or her an
 explanatory message and copies it to the  editorial collective. Any
 additional email conversation is also copied to  the collective.
More to come!