[New-imc] Global indymedia overview (updated June 7, 2002)

[Jay]

GLOBAL INDYMEDIA OVERVIEW
(updated June 7, 2002)

This document is a general introduction to the inner workings, or lack thereof,
of the global Indymedia network.  This document is especially intended for
people in local IMCs who are curious as to how they can become more a part of
international indymedia organizing, though individuals can also use the
information within to know how to get involved.  

WHAT IS GLOBAL INDYMEDIA?
That’s a good question.  In one sense, global Indymedia is a thriving
organization composed of hundreds of activists from around the world who
communicate regularly via e-mail to coordinate the forward development of an
international network of independent media projects and community-based media
centers.  In other ways, the whole idea of “global Indymedia” is a myth. 
People who are helping organize “global indymedia” do so primarily via the
internet, in virtual space, communicating via e-mail lists and meeting
sporadically on the “irc.indymedia.org” IRC chat server (type
http://irc.indymedia.org in your browser or find an IRC program at
http://www.mirc.com), often in the #indymedia channel.  Sometimes they get
together in the real world to help coordinate event-based IMCs, primarily
around anti-globalization events such as those in Seattle for the WTO protests
in ’99, Washington and Prague for the World Bank/IMF protests in 2000. 
Indymediacs also gather sometimes at independent media conventions and
sometimes  gasp!  they even visit each other just for fun.  In a very real
sense, global Indymedia is a loose organizing network of individual activists
who support each other and each other’s independent media activities.  In that
way, global Indymedia is a virtual entity, a network, a big ball of energy that
no one can quantify.

Over the last two years, individuals who are interested in harnessing the power
of Indymedia to produce inspiring, informative media, have come together to
work on a number of international Indymedia projects, such as the features in
the center column of the http://www.indymedia.org web site as well as
international print, audio and video productions.  You will find information
about how to get involved in these projects below.  

WHY SHOULD YOUR LOCAL IMC GET INVOLVED?
Indymedia is nothing if the real-life, local IMCs are not strong.  However, the
idea that each local IMC is part of a thriving international network helps
inspire local IMCs to do good work.  In turn, when people in local IMCs become
involved with global Indymedia projects they build strong bonds between the
local, real-life, community-based Indymedia organizing and the global
independent media “movement.”

HOW CAN YOUR LOCAL IMC GET INVOLVED? 
Recently global Indymedia has begun to have bimonthly meetings on the
“irc.indymedia.org” IRC server.  Each local IMC is strongly encouraged to have
a liaison attend the global meetings.  These meetings will be a place for
liaisons from local IMCs to discuss their local IMC’s reaction to issues that
effect the global Indymedia network. For information about how to be involved
in the meetings, contact imc-communication at indymedia.org.

On an ongoing basis, other than making an effort to visit people at local IMCs
when you travel, and/or trying to get to any regional independent media
gatherings or events an IMC is covering, the best way to get involved with
global Indymedia organizing is to participate in the global Indy e-mail lists. 
Some local IMCs are making an effort to have at least one member on each list. 
Below is a description of the global Indymedia lists.  All of the lists would
LOVE to have representation and involvement from all local IMCs.

INDYMEDIA E-MAIL LISTS:
You may sign up for the appropriate lists and view all list archives through
http://lists.indymedia.org.  Having someone from your IMC active on the lists
marked with an * are strongly, strongly suggested to keep in tune with what's
happening throughout the network.  

* Imc-communication at indymedia.org
The purpose of this list is to develop better communication between the local
IMCs and to initiate a global Indymedia communication structure.  Every IMC is
asked to have someone on this list.  The person from your IMC on this list will
bring issues being discussed throughout the network back into your local
meetings so you can discuss them there (and of course pass a summary of your
discussion back to the list).  This list is a  place for local/regional/global
IMC groups to communicate with each other, primarily through liasons each group
has chosen to be a gateway for local/regional/global information exchange.

* Imc-process at indymedia.org
People have used imc-process as a place to discuss the organizational structure
of Indymedia.  It has also been a list for individuals to raise any and every
issue they feel is important to the network.  Lately it has also been the list
that formally accepts new imcs into the network.  Your IMC should have at least
one person following conversations here.  People are also posting process
documents and having process discussions on the web at
http://global.indymedia.org.au and http://internal.indymedia.org.

* Imc-finance at indymedia.org 
An imc-finance list exists for people working on the financial aspects of the
global Indymedia project, including accepting, encouraging and organizing
donations, and figuring out how to spend what we raise.  So far almost all of
the donations to Indymedia have gone to local IMCs, but some people and
foundations have expressed interest in supporting the global Indymedia entity,
which in turn would support the local IMCs, especially formation of local IMCs
in the Global South.  We are asking each IMC to have a member participating on
this list.  

* Imc-proposals at indymedia.org
This list is primarily for proposals and communication that the imc-commwork
working group (described below) decide should go out to every IMC contact. Each
local IMC should have someone on this list, and when a proposal/issue appears
s/he should raise the issue in his/her local IMC.  We are moving toward
developing a place for focused discussion of these proposal, and to creating a
decision-making process for how to put these discussions into action.  

Imc-tech at indymedia.org
This is the list for people who are working on general indymedia technical
issues and programming concerns.  There is also a list for people working on
the web code that underlies the indymedia sites at webcoders at cat.org.au. 

Imc-print at indymedia.org
A global print team has developed through this list to work on network-wide
print projects such as the PDF project (a weekly printable page of IMC news
coverage).  The project has printed sporadically, and could always use a burst
of energy from new participants.  IMC-print team members often work on articles
together through the print.indymedia.org web site.

Imc-video at indymedia.org
This is a list for international communication about and coordination of IMC
video projects.

Imc-audio at indymedia.org
This is the place for discussions about IMC audio projects. 

Imc-editorial at indymedia.org
People on imc-editorial have been working on issues such as the editorial
policy for the www.indymedia.org news wire, and on broader issues related
to how
to present the content on the www.indy site.

www-features at indymedia.org
This is a list for people who are coordinating the features that appear on the
center column of the www.indymedia.org page.  Anyone can suggest a feature to
this working group by e-mailing the suggestion to the list.  If you have a
feature idea to suggest, or an upcoming event to have listed in the top right
corner of www.indymedia.org, post to this list.  

Imc-newswire at indymedia.org
This working group focuses on keeping the www.indymedia.org newswire healthy by
hiding posts that don't fit into Indymedia editorial policy.  

Imc-presentation at indymedia.org
This group coordinates the way the www.Indymedia site looks (fonts, type
colors,
etc.)

Imc-commwork at indymedia.org
This working group tries to improve network-wide IMC communication, most
recently by organizing bi-monthly global IRC meetings.  

Syndication at indymedia.org
Come here for discussions about all aspects of syndicating your center column
feature stories to the "features-wire" on the www.indymedia.org site, as
well as
other syndication issues.  

Translation at indymedia.org
This list is an organizing group for the Indymedia translation team.  People on
this list are developing the system by which translation team volunteers will
translate things like Indymedia process documents and www.indy center column
features. 

Imc-global at indymedia.org
The purpose of this list isn’t exactly clear, but people have been using it as
a place to discuss general issues that effect the whole network, such as what
to do with donations and what kind of general ideas people have for the future
of Indymedia.

Listwork at indymedia.org
People on this list are working to coordinate the creation and management of
the indymedia e-mail lists.  

General-discussion at indymedia.org
This list is for discussion of issues surrounding the variety of questions
people send to the general at indymedia.org e-mail box.  The people on this list
are using the helpdesk.indymedia.org system to answer those varied requests.   

New-imc at indymedia.org
The new-imc working group helps welcome aspiring IMCs into the network by
answering their questions about Indymedia and by working with them as they
advance through the new-imc process (described on
http://newimc.indymedia.org). 
The new-imc working group works to ensure that aspiring imc groups understand
the Indymedia Principles and Criteria of Membership and encourages the groups
to embody them before joining the IMC network. 

HOW DOES YOUR LOCAL IMC SHARE CONTENT WITH GLOBAL INDYMEDIA PROJECTS?

Text features: 
If you have a feature that you think has international relevance, send notice
about it (and the proposed text, which would be helpful), to the
www-features at indymedia.org list.  Features for the www.indy page should have
some kind of international relevance and should include links to articles on a
local IMC newswire or on the www.indy newswire.  

Photos:
Post interesting photos from your local IMC that you think have international
relevance to the www.indymedia.org newswire.  In the future, when the PDF
project is active, you may also suggest your best photos to the
imc-print at indymedia.org list for inclusion.  

Audio:
Please communicate with the imc-audio at indymedia.org list about your audio ideas
and adventures.  You may also find information about Indymedia audio at
http://radio.indymedia.org.  

Video:
Please communicate with the imc-video at indymedia.org list about your video
visions and accomplishments.  You may also find information about the Indymedia
newsREAL, a monthly compilation of Indymedia video being broadcast on Free
Speech TV (http://www.freespeech.org) at http://satellite.indymedia.org.  

Print: 
Communicate with the global IMC print group through the imc-print at indymedia.org
mailing list, and/or through the http://print.indymedia.org site, to see what
kind of global print projects are taking place at the moment.  

FOR MORE INFORMATION:
There is some information about how to organize an IMC at
http://process.indymedia.org.  While that site is quite out of date, there
are a
couple “blueprints” from event-based IMCs that give good advice about how to
put together local event-based coverage.  You can also get to a global
Indymedia “to do list’ at http://todo.indymedia.org, and find some imc-tech
information at http://tech.indymedia.org. If you have any general questions
about Indymedia or anything related, direct them to general at indymedia.org. 
Remember that the volunteers who answer those requests are quite overtaxed and
may take a few days to get back to you.  Of course you may send any questions
related to forming a new-imc to "new-imc at indymedia.org".  
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