Fwd: Re: [New-imc] SANTA BARBARA (internal decision deadline,
Nov. 17, 16:00 GMT)
Jay
jaypsand at yahoo.com
Fri Nov 14 13:32:11 PST 2003
Ginny and KT,
A short question about your information from Mike who is part of the
new-imc working group.
Jay
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>07:30:40 -0800
>Date: Fri, 14 Nov 2003 10:29:43 -0500
>From: Mike R <micro.zen at verizon.net>
>X-Mailer: The Bat! (v1.49) Personal
>To: Jay <jaypsand at yahoo.com>
>Subject: Re: [New-imc] SANTA BARBARA (internal decision deadline, Nov.
>17, 16:00 GMT)
>X-Authentication-Info: Submitted using SMTP AUTH at out005.verizon.net
>from [141.158.229.201] at Fri, 14 Nov 2003 09:30:38 -0600
>
>Hi Jay,
>
>do other IMCs hide unsigned material? Should SB also hide illegally
>reprinted copyrighted material?
>
>Friday, November 14, 2003, 10:17:07 AM, Jay said:
>
>J> Hi new-imc working group,
>
>J> This is from the aspiring Santa Barbara (U.S.). Take a look at it and
>J> respond, if you have any responses, by 16:00 GMT on November 17.
>
>J> Jay
>
>J> > At 10/28/2003, ginnybrowne at riseup.net wrote:
>J> >>IMC MEMBERSHIP CRITERIA - Santa Barbara IMC
>J> >>
>J> >>Each IMC and Global Working Group is expected to:
>J> >>a. Agree in spirit to the NIMC Mission Statement and Principles of
>Unity,
>J> >> We have consensed on them.
>J> >>
>J> >>b. Have a committed membership substantial enough to sustain a
>functional
>J> >>IMC,
>J> >> We currently have a core organizing group of about 20 members,
>J> >> with over
>J> >>50 people on our internal email lists, many of whom attend meetings
>J> >>sporadically.
>J> >>
>J> >>c. Have open and public meetings (no one group can have exclusionary
>J> >>"ownership" of an IMC),
>J> >> Our meetings are always open and announced publicly.
>J> >>
>J> >>d. Work toward developing a local Mission Statement or Statement of
>J> >> Purpose.
>J> >> Our MISSION STATEMENT is as follows:
>J> >>The Santa Barbara Independent Media Center is an autonomous,
>J> >>community-based collective committed to using media production and
>J> >>distribution as a tool for promoting social and economic justice. By
>J> >>providing the training and the channels, SB-IMC creates
>opportunities for
>J> >>individuals and groups who are misrepresented in the mainstream media to
>J> >>report on the issues they face within the community. Through our
>J> >>affiliation with the IMC network, we seek to draw connections between
>J> >>local and global struggles. We generate alternatives to the current
>J> >>profit-based and state-dominated media to contribute to the development
>J> >> of
>J> >>an equitable and sustainable society.
>J> >>
>J> >>Toward these goals, we aim,
>J> >>
>J> >>* To encourage, facilitate, and support the creation of independent news
>J> >>gathering and reporting.
>J> >>* To offer training in news reporting, internet and media skills.
>J> >>* To encourage all people to view themselves as news makers, and to look
>J> >>for news sources and inspiration within their daily lives.
>J> >>* To cover local events that are ignored or poorly covered by corporate
>J> >>media.
>J> >>* To provide edited audio, video, and print stories of the above on the
>J> >>internet for independent media outlets and the general public.
>J> >>* To facilitate networking and coordination for the coverage of local
>J> >>events as well as share information and announcements about events of
>J> >>interest to the Santa Barbara social justice community.
>J> >>* To build a more inclusive and representative community through
>J> >> bilingual
>J> >>Spanish/English communication
>J> >>* To provide links to alternative media, activist, and research groups.
>J> >>* To encourage a world where globalization is not about homogeneity and
>J> >>exploitation, but about diversity and cooperation.
>J> >>
>J> >>
>J> >>e. Establish and publish an editorial policy which is developed and
>J> >>functions through democratic process, and with full transparency,
>J> >> Our ED POLICY is as follows:
>J> >>SB-IMC is dedicated to open publishing [link] as a means of creating a
>J> >>transparent community forum for events and issues of social concern in
>J> >>Santa Barbara and around the tri-county region. Anyone can post an
>J> >>eyewitness or investigative report, news analysis, or video or audio
>J> >> clips
>J> >>of events to the newswire. The newswire is not edited for content, but
>J> >>SB-IMC will not tolerate messages of hate.
>J> >>
>J> >>SB-IMC is participating in a global experiment in free speech, in
>J> >>transparent, open structure, unconstrained by the pressures of
>J> >>advertising, corporations, or government. We recognize that no
>reporter,
>J> >>whether professional journalist or IMC contributor, speaks from a place
>J> >> of
>J> >>objectivity, and that all news takes shape through a series of choices
>J> >>informed by the unique perceptions and biases of its reporter. We
>J> >>therefore encourage all SB-IMC contributors to strive for fairness,
>J> >>breadth, and accuracy in their reporting, and to tap into their own
>J> >>experiences as sources of wisdom and knowledge. We support grassroots
>J> >>reporting and will not be restricted by the standards of commercial
>news.
>J> >> We believe that people communicating in their own voices about the
>J> >> issues
>J> >>that matter to them is the first step to creating a truly democratic
>J> >>society.
>J> >>
>J> >>The SB-IMC editorial group checks the newswire regularly for stories to
>J> >>feature on the website's main page. Features may be edited for
>spelling,
>J> >>format, and clarity. We expect all contributions to the SB-IMC newswire
>J> >>to meet one or more of the following guidelines, and will assess
>possible
>J> >>features according to them:
>J> >>
>J> >>timely stories on local issues
>J> >>stories with picture, video or audio
>J> >>well-researched pieces
>J> >>upcoming events
>J> >>stories not yet reported in other media
>J> >>stories offering opportunities for immediate response/action
>J> >>
>J> >>Occasionally, the editorial group will hide certain posts. (Hidden
>posts
>J> >>can be viewed on this page [link].) Posts meeting one or more of the
>J> >>following criteria may be hidden:
>J> >>
>J> >>duplicates
>J> >>spam
>J> >>hardcore porn with no news or cultural value
>J> >>details of illegal actions or plans
>J> >>advertisements
>J> >>slander or libel
>J> >>unsigned articles
>J> >>unreadable or corrupted material
>J> >>
>J> >>To post to the SB-IMC newswire, please click here.
>J> >>
>J> >>f. Agree to the use of Open Publishing as described in the NIMC
>Editorial
>J> >>Policy [editorial collective comments: "We did agree that the term "Open
>J> >>Publishing" was one that is still being defined by the Global Network
>J> >>Collective, and we would wait and see what the results were before
>J> >> rewriting
>J> >>this criteria],
>J> >> We definitely agree, as is hopefully shown by our editorial
>J> >> policy.
>J> >>
>J> >>g. Adopt a decision-making policy that is in alignment with consensus
>J> >>principles which include open, transparent and egalitarian processes,
>J> >> From the beginning, we have operated through formal consensus
>J> >> process.
>J> >>We are working with other local activist groups to make sure that open
>J> >>consensus facilitation trainings occur on a semi-regular basis to
>J> >>decentralize these skills within and among our organizations.
>J> >>
>J> >>h. Have a spokesperson(s) willing and capable of participating in the
>J> >>global decision-making process and meetings as a rotating
>J> >>liaison/representative, with a clear understanding of the
>J> >> responsibilities that come with this role,
>J> >> We have consensed on a global representative, Ginny Browne
>J> >>(ginnybrowne at riseup.net). Our tech representative is Bryan Brown
>J> >>(bryan.brown at kcsb.org). (As you will hopefully notice, no relation. :)
>J> >>
>J> >>i. Participate in the key IMC Network Communication Methods that pertain
>J> >> to
>J> >>the health and vitality of the Network and that contribute to the
>work of
>J> >>the IMC. Assure that at least one person from your local IMC
>participates
>J> >>at any given time on the IMC-Communications list,
>J> >> Our global representative and others from the group will
>J> >> participate on this list.
>J> >>
>J> >>j. (NOT FINALIZED): Have no official affiliation with any political
>J> >> party,
>J> >>state or candidate for office (comments: but individual producers have
>J> >>freedom to do whatever they like and local IMCs can "feature" stories
>J> >> about various political parties and initiatives),
>J> >> We have no such ties!
>J> >>
>J> >>k. IMCs shall in no way engage in commercial for-profit enterprises. [We
>J> >>could add: The IMCN is committed to the decommercialization of
>J> >> information
>J> >>and will disassociate from any local IMC that decides to become a for
>J> >>profit media corporation.]
>J> >> We passionately agree.
>J> >>
>J> >>l. Display a ³local version² of the IMC ³i² logo on your website and
>J> >>literature.
>J> >> The logo is already on our preliminary website design.
>J> >>
>J> >>m. Include the IMC Network current ³Cities List² on your site,
>preferably
>J> >>on the front page.
>J> >> Absolutely.
>J> >>
>J> >>We look forward to working with all of you!
>J> >>
>J> >>with thanks and solidarity,
>J> >>Ginny Browne
>J> >>SB-IMC-to-be
>
>J> Answers to some questions asked by Jay:
>
>J> From Ginny:
>J> "Jay and new-IMCistas,
>
>J> Thanks for the words of encouragement!
>J> Some answers...
>
>J> -- What kind of contact have you had with already-existing IMCs in your
>J> region, especially the Los Angeles IMC? (We've found that regional
>J> organizing is both important and a lot of fun.)
>
>J> *Oddly, we don't have contacts with LA IMC. However, over the past few
>J> months, members of our group have met in person with folks from San Diego
>J> IMC, NYC-IMC, Chappel Hill IMC, and Urbana-Champaign IMC. We have kept
>J> regular correspondence with some of these people, and they were all
>J> fabulously helpful in offering guidance and tips about various IMC issues.
>J> (UPDATE: The SB IMC group is sending people to an LA-IMC general
>meeting on
>J> November 22)
>
>J> -- do you have an e-mail list for discussions? Not that an IMC has to
>J> discuss everything on-line, but having an open e-mail list helps assure
>J> people access if they can't physically make it to meetings.
>
>J> *We have a general list, a process list, an editorial list, a web list,
>J> and a youth list, all on riseup.net.
>
>J> -- In your editorial policy you say the IMC won't tolerate messages of hate
>J> and also list a number of things that would cause a post to be hidden. Do
>J> have any sort of mechanism for how that would happen? Meaning, if a hate
>J> post comes onto the newswire, what's the process you're going to go through
>J> to decide to hide it. I don't think that's necessarily something you have
>J> to spell out fully in your editiorial policy, but it's something important
>J> to discuss.
>
>J> *Assuming by this question you mean what would be our process for coming
>J> to consensus on what needs to be hidden (as opposed to the standard
>J> logistics of editorial decision making), I think, first of all, we all
>J> recognize there will be instances where we don't have immediate agreement
>J> on hiding a post, and, in many of those cases, coming to consensus will
>J> not be simple. Throughout, we will use the our mission statement and IMC
>J> principles of unity as guides for what is not acceptable. (Please say so
>J> if we haven't full answered your question!) Are you suggesting we
>J> incorporate a larger discussion of this into the Ed policy itself?
>
>J> -- You mention you are in the process of doing outreach for racial
>J> diversity. How is that going, and do you feel comfortable joining the IMC
>J> network with that still being an active concern?
>
>J> We have begun to form relationships with folks in local Raza/Chican@, and
>J> Asian organizations, some of whom are planning to come to our next meeting
>J> and be the liasons for their orgs. Certainly, it's a balance between
>J> recognizing lack of racial diversity as a problem that needs to be dealt
>J> with immediately and making sure we do so through good process in order to
>J> build trust over time. This is a central focus for our group right now,
>J> and we are confident in our process to be comfortable with joining the IMC
>J> network at this point.
>
>J> -- (something we haven't been asking very often but something that seems
>J> important) Do have any sort of conflict resolution system built into your
>J> decision-making processes?
>
>J> Very important, yes, and no, we do not have a conflict resolution system
>J> built in to our decision-making process. This is definitely something we
>J> will be tackling soon."
>
>--
>Mike
>mailto:micro.zen at verizon.net
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