[New-imc] Santa Barbara IMC membership criteria

[Jay]

Hi there, Santa Barbara IMC,

Thanks for responding so quickly to all those questions!  I apologize for 
taking a few days to reply.

At 11/4/2003, ginnybrowne at riseup.net wrote:
>Jay and new-IMCistas,
>
>Thanks for the words of encouragement!
>Some answers...
>
>-- What kind of contact have you had with already-existing IMCs in your
>region, especially the Los Angeles IMC?   (We've found that regional
>organizing is both important and a lot of fun.)
>
>*Oddly, we don't have contacts with LA IMC.  However, over the past few
>months, members of our group have met in person with folks from San Diego
>IMC, NYC-IMC, Chappel Hill IMC, and Urbana-Champaign IMC.  We have kept
>regular correspondence with some of these people, and they were all
>fabulously helpful in offering guidance and tips about various IMC issues.

I'm glad to hear people from your group have made so many contacts!  I 
would definitely suggest reaching out to the LA-IMC.  It's not a 
requirement of being part of the Indymedia network, but of course it would 
be a really nice thing.  They could help you in many ways, and I'm sure you 
could help them.

>-- do you have an e-mail list for discussions?  Not that an IMC has to
>discuss everything on-line, but having an open e-mail list helps assure
>people access if they can't physically make it to meetings.
>
>*We have a general list, a process list, an editorial list, a web list,
>and a youth list, all on riseup.net.

Great.


>-- In your editorial policy you say the IMC won't tolerate messages of hate
>and also list a number of things that would cause a post to be hidden.  Do
>have any sort of mechanism for how that would happen?  Meaning, if a hate
>post comes onto the newswire, what's the process you're going to go through
>to decide to hide it.  I don't think that's necessarily something you have
>to spell out fully in your editiorial policy, but it's something important
>to discuss.
>
>*Assuming by this question you mean what would be our process for coming
>to consensus on what needs to be hidden (as opposed to the standard
>logistics of editorial decision making), I think, first of all, we all
>recognize there will be instances where we don't have immediate agreement
>on hiding a post, and, in many of those cases, coming to consensus will
>not be simple. Throughout, we will use the our mission statement and IMC
>principles of unity as guides for what is not acceptable.  (Please say so
>if we haven't full answered your question!)  Are you suggesting we
>incorporate a larger discussion of this into the Ed policy itself?

Sometimes hiding a post gets to be a really complicated thing.  Often the 
people whose posts are hidden, for whatever reason, complain heartily, make 
public accusations, etc.  Having a very clear process for making editorial 
decisions will help you a lot, both internally and externally.  Internally, 
you'll feel as if you did all you could do in a very clear way to discuss a 
post and decide what to do.  Externally, you can point to your process and 
say, "Hey, this is what we said we do, we did it, and that's what 
happened.  So there."  I don't think you'd necessarily have to spell out 
all the details in your editorial policy, but you should probably work out 
the details sooner rather than later and indicate some of those details in 
your policy.  For example, you can say, "The SB-IMC editorial committee 
will have discussions about which posts to hide, and why, on their e-mail 
list, the archives of which are publicly accessible . . . ," or something 
like that.  Then people will know there is some transparent method in your 
madness. :)

>-- You mention you are in the process of doing outreach for racial
>diversity.  How is that going, and do you feel comfortable joining the IMC
>network with that still being an active concern?
>
>We have begun to form relationships with folks in local Raza/Chican@, and
>Asian organizations, some of whom are planning to come to our next meeting
>and be the liasons for their orgs.  Certainly, it's a balance between
>recognizing lack of racial diversity as a problem that needs to be dealt
>with immediately and making sure we do so through good process in order to
>build trust over time. This is a central focus for our group right now,
>and we are confident in our process to be comfortable with joining the IMC
>network at this point.
>
>-- (something we haven't been asking very often but something that seems
>important) Do have any sort of conflict resolution system built into your
>decision-making processes?
>
>Very important, yes, and no, we do not have a conflict resolution system
>built in to our decision-making process.  This is definitely something we
>will be tackling soon.
>

All this sounds good.  Seems as if your group is having really serious 
discussions about the issues that come up for IMCs in general.  Keep 
talking, especially about the above points.  Let me know when you feel 
you're ready to proceed and I'll put your information in front of the 
new-imc working group for the customary three day discussion period.  After 
that, it goes in front of imc-process and imc-communication for a 
week.  After that, the SB-IMC will be part of the network.

I would definitely suggest reaching out to the LA-IMC before going further, 
since having their support will really help if anyone in the network has 
any issues with the information you sent in.

Thanks!

Jay


> > Hi there Ginny and the SB IMC,
> >
> > This is Jay from IMC-Philly, and occasionally the new-imc working group,
> > getting back to you with some thoughts about all this great information
> > you
> > sent along to the new-imc list.
> >
> > First I want to say, Yay!  From the way things sound you have a very solid
> > core group, some good energy and great ideas and have done some good
> > organizing to forming an IMC.  As you definitely seem to understand, an
> > IMC
> > isn't just a web site, it is a group of people sharing ideas and
> > experiences, doing important (though often difficult) work to open
> > people's
> > minds to a truly democratic media.
> >
> > I have just a few questions which may help clarify some of your responses
> > for the new-imc group.  (New-imc group members, feel free to chime in
> > too.)  These are questions we've been asking of every aspiring IMC as of
> > late.   No one expects any new IMC to be perfect! :)  It's just that as
> > more and more IMCs join the network we've gotten a better sense of what
> > kind of organizing goes into a group that is going to ultimately become a
> > thriving, effective and sustainable IMC.
> >
> > So, some questions:
> > -- What kind of contact have you had with already-existing IMCs in your
> > region, especially the Los Angeles IMC?   (We've found that regional
> > organizing is both important and a lot of fun.)
> >
> > -- do you have an e-mail list for discussions?  Not that an IMC has to
> > discuss everything on-line, but having an open e-mail list helps assure
> > people access if they can't physically make it to meetings.
> >
> > -- In your editorial policy you say the IMC won't tolerate messages of
> > hate
> > and also list a number of things that would cause a post to be hidden.  Do
> > have any sort of mechanism for how that would happen?  Meaning, if a hate
> > post comes onto the newswire, what's the process you're going to go
> > through
> > to decide to hide it.  I don't think that's necessarily something you have
> > to spell out fully in your editiorial policy, but it's something important
> > to discuss.
> >
> > -- You mention you are in the process of doing outreach for racial
> > diversity.  How is that going, and do you feel comfortable joining the IMC
> > network with that still being an active concern?
> >
> > -- (something we haven't been asking very often but something that seems
> > important) Do have any sort of conflict resolution system built into your
> > decision-making processes?
> >
> > Sorry to pelt you with more questions after you already have done so much
> > work toward going through the other info.  We're just trying to raise some
> > issues that have caused big messes for other IMCs so you can plan ahead.
> >
> > Thanks!!!!!
> >
> > Jay
> >
> > At 10/28/2003, ginnybrowne at riseup.net wrote:
> >>IMC MEMBERSHIP CRITERIA - Santa Barbara IMC
> >>
> >>Each IMC and Global Working Group is expected to:
> >>a. Agree in spirit to the NIMC Mission Statement and Principles of Unity,
> >>         We have consensed on them.
> >>
> >>b. Have a committed membership substantial enough to sustain a functional
> >>IMC,
> >>         We currently have a core organizing group of about 20 members,
> >> with over
> >>50 people on our internal email lists, many of whom attend meetings
> >>sporadically.
> >>
> >>c. Have open and public meetings (no one group can have exclusionary
> >>"ownership" of an IMC),
> >>         Our meetings are always open and announced publicly.
> >>
> >>d. Work toward developing a local Mission Statement or Statement of
> >> Purpose.
> >>         Our MISSION STATEMENT is as follows:
> >>The Santa Barbara Independent Media Center is an autonomous,
> >>community-based collective committed to using media production and
> >>distribution as a tool for promoting social and economic justice.  By
> >>providing the training and the channels, SB-IMC creates opportunities for
> >>individuals and groups who are misrepresented in the mainstream media to
> >>report on the issues they face within the community.  Through our
> >>affiliation with the IMC network, we seek to draw connections between
> >>local and global struggles.  We generate alternatives to the current
> >>profit-based and state-dominated media to contribute to the development
> >> of
> >>an equitable and sustainable society.
> >>
> >>Toward these goals, we aim,
> >>
> >>* To encourage, facilitate, and support the creation of independent news
> >>gathering and reporting.
> >>* To offer training in news reporting, internet and media skills.
> >>* To encourage all people to view themselves as news makers, and to look
> >>for news sources and inspiration within their daily lives.
> >>* To cover local events that are ignored or poorly covered by corporate
> >>media.
> >>* To provide edited audio, video, and print stories of the above on the
> >>internet for independent media outlets and the general public.
> >>* To facilitate networking and coordination for the coverage of local
> >>events as well as share information and announcements about events of
> >>interest to the Santa Barbara social justice community.
> >>* To build a more inclusive and representative community through
> >> bilingual
> >>Spanish/English communication
> >>* To provide links to alternative media, activist, and research groups.
> >>* To encourage a world where globalization is not about homogeneity and
> >>exploitation, but about diversity and cooperation.
> >>
> >>
> >>e. Establish and publish an editorial policy which is developed and
> >>functions through democratic process, and with full transparency,
> >>         Our ED POLICY is as follows:
> >>SB-IMC is dedicated to open publishing [link] as a means of creating a
> >>transparent community forum for events and issues of social concern in
> >>Santa Barbara and around the tri-county region.  Anyone can post an
> >>eyewitness or investigative report, news analysis, or video or audio
> >> clips
> >>of events to the newswire.  The newswire is not edited for content, but
> >>SB-IMC will not tolerate messages of hate.
> >>
> >>SB-IMC is participating in a global experiment in free speech, in
> >>transparent, open structure, unconstrained by the pressures of
> >>advertising, corporations, or government.  We recognize that no reporter,
> >>whether professional journalist or IMC contributor, speaks from a place
> >> of
> >>objectivity, and that all news takes shape through a series of choices
> >>informed by the unique perceptions and biases of its reporter.  We
> >>therefore encourage all SB-IMC contributors to strive for fairness,
> >>breadth, and accuracy in their reporting, and to tap into their own
> >>experiences as sources of wisdom and knowledge. We support grassroots
> >>reporting and will not be restricted by the standards of commercial news.
> >>  We believe that people communicating in their own voices about the
> >> issues
> >>that matter to them is the first step to creating a truly democratic
> >>society.
> >>
> >>The SB-IMC editorial group checks the newswire regularly for stories to
> >>feature on the website's main page.  Features may be edited for spelling,
> >>format, and clarity.  We expect all contributions to the SB-IMC newswire
> >>to meet one or more of the following guidelines, and will assess possible
> >>features according to them:
> >>
> >>timely stories on local issues
> >>stories with picture, video or audio
> >>well-researched pieces
> >>upcoming events
> >>stories not yet reported in other media
> >>stories offering opportunities for immediate response/action
> >>
> >>Occasionally, the editorial group will hide certain posts.  (Hidden posts
> >>can be viewed on this page [link].)  Posts meeting one or more of the
> >>following criteria may be hidden:
> >>
> >>duplicates
> >>spam
> >>hardcore porn with no news or cultural value
> >>details of illegal actions or plans
> >>advertisements
> >>slander or libel
> >>unsigned articles
> >>unreadable or corrupted material
> >>
> >>To post to the SB-IMC newswire, please click here.
> >>
> >>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],
> >>         We definitely agree, as is hopefully shown by our editorial
> >> policy.
> >>
> >>g. Adopt a decision-making policy that is in alignment with consensus
> >>principles which include open, transparent and egalitarian processes,
> >>         From the beginning, we have operated through formal consensus
> >> process.
> >>We are working with other local activist groups to make sure that open
> >>consensus facilitation trainings occur on a semi-regular basis to
> >>decentralize these skills within and among our organizations.
> >>
> >>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,
> >>         We have consensed on a global representative, Ginny Browne
> >>(ginnybrowne at riseup.net).  Our tech representative is Bryan Brown
> >>(bryan.brown at kcsb.org).  (As you will hopefully notice, no relation. :)
> >>
> >>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,
> >>         Our global representative and others from the group will
> >> participate on
> >>this 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),
> >>         We have no such ties!
> >>
> >>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.]
> >>         We passionately agree.
> >>
> >>l. Display a ³local version² of the IMC ³i² logo on your website and
> >>literature.
> >>         The logo is already on our preliminary website design.
> >>
> >>m. Include the IMC Network current ³Cities List² on your site, preferably
> >>on the front page.
> >>         Absolutely.
> >>
> >>We look forward to working with all of you!
> >>
> >>with thanks and solidarity,
> >>Ginny Browne
> >>SB-IMC-to-be
> >>_______________________________________________
> >>New-imc mailing list. Lista de correo New-imc
> >>New-imc at lists.indymedia.org
> >>http://lists.indymedia.org/mailman/listinfo/new-imc
> >
> >
> >