[New-imc] SF INDYMEDIA (internal decision deadline, Nov 21 -- 0700 GMT)

[Mike R]

Hi gekked,

Are these groups covering the same geographic area, or different parts
of the Bay area?

-Mike
Philly IMC

Tuesday, November 18, 2003, 2:44:13 AM, gekked said:

gbn> Hello,
gbn> The San Francisco Bay Area IMC has recently
gbn> participated in mediation sessions to help our group
gbn> expand and deal with internal conflicts. We have come
gbn> to the following resolution: There will now be two
gbn> autonomous IMCs in the SF Bay Area:

gbn> 1) San Francisco Bay Area IMC (which will be giving up
gbn> its old domain to the new San Francisco group, and
gbn> will start using sfbay.indymedia.org & indybay.org)

gbn> 2) and a new San Francisco IMC (sf.indymedia.org) The
gbn> San Francisco IMC's new IMC documents are attached.

gbn> Both IMCs will also have new entries in the contact
gbn> database. We all recognize the existence and
gbn> legitimacy of each other and hope that the New IMC
gbn> process can move along without any problems. We are
gbn> all very happy that we were able to solve our problems
gbn> and expand into two groups. We hope to continue
gbn> serving the SF Bay Area with the existence of two
gbn> independent indymedia collectives.

gbn> Sincerely,
gbn> San Francisco Bay Area IMC, sfbay.indymedia.org
gbn> San Francisco IMC, sf.indymedia.org

gbn> -----------------------------------------------------

gbn> Proposed IMC Name: San Francisco Indymedia / sf.indymedia.org
gbn> City: San Francisco
gbn> State: California
gbn> Country: USA

gbn> Contact Name: Ian McJones
gbn> Email: sf at indymedia.org
gbn> Phone: n/a

gbn> Tech Contact Name: gek
gbn> Email: gekked at indymedia.org
gbn> Phone: n/a

gbn> Supporting Groups: too numerous to name

gbn> Regional Focus

gbn> Server/bandwidth/technical resources:
gbn> We already contribute two full-time servers with volunteer sysadmin
gbn> labor, webspace and bandwidth to over 20 IMCs in South America, the
gbn> Middle East, and throughout the US/Canada. We are already hosting
gbn> ourselves and will continue to do so.

gbn> Outreach/diversity:
gbn> Our group is comprised of men and women from one of the most diverse
gbn> areas in the United States, and our active participants include white
gbn> and black people, citizens of Arab countries, single mothers, people
gbn> over 50 years old, people under 18 years old, communists, anarchists,
gbn> liberals, and many other representations of diverse populations.

gbn> Introductory statement:
gbn> We've been doing indymedia stuff locally and globally for over 3 years
gbn> now and we wish to expand the extremely successful work of the SF
gbn> Indymedia project. We hope that our work and our commitment to
gbn> independent journalism and activism speaks for itself.

gbn> We have all read and fully understand IMC Principles of Unity and
gbn> Membership Criteria. We have already operated in this capacity for 3
gbn> years.

gbn> Principles of Unity & Mission Statement
gbn> (same as we've used for a while now)

gbn> Principles of Unity: San Francisco Indymedia

gbn>    1. We strive to provide an information infrastructure for people
gbn> and opinions who do not have access to the airwaves, tools and
gbn> resources of corporate media. This includes audio, video, photography,
gbn> internet distribution and any other communication medium.
gbn>    2. We support local, regional and global struggles against
gbn> exploitation and oppression.
gbn>    3. We function as a non-commercial, non-corporate, anti-capitalist
gbn> collective.

gbn> San Francisco Indymedia involves volunteer participants and allied
gbn> collectives organized along anti-authoritarian principles of open and
gbn> transparent decision-making processes, including open public meetings;
gbn> a form of modified consensus; and the elimination of hierarchies.

gbn> San Francisco Indymedia participants shall not act in a manner that
gbn> endangers, intimidates, or physically harms any member of the group,
gbn> including by sexual harassment or acts of violence. Indymedia members
gbn> shall strive to act in a respectful manner to other members of the
gbn> collective as well as the public.
gbn> Mission Statement

gbn>     * To encourage a world where globalization is not about
gbn>       homogeneity and exploitation, but rather, about diversity and
gbn>       cooperation.
gbn>     * To cover local events that are ignored or poorly covered by
gbn>       corporate media.
gbn>     * To provide edited audio, video, and print stories of the above
gbn>       on the internet for independent media outlets and the general
gbn>       public.
gbn>     * To facilitate the networking and coordination for the coverage
gbn>       of local events as well as gather information about events to
gbn>       cover.
gbn>     * To provide links to alternative media, activist, and research
gbn>       groups.
gbn>     * To seek out and provide coverage underscoring the global nature
gbn>       of people's struggles for social, economic, and environmental
gbn>       justice directly from their perspective.
gbn>     * To offer community classes for training in internet and media
gbn>       skills.
gbn>     * To encourage, facilitate, and support the creation of
gbn>       independent news gathering and organizations.

gbn> Editorial Policy - Fundamentals
gbn> The newswire operates on the principle of Open Publishing, an
gbn> element essential to the Independent Media Centers (IMC) around the
gbn> world. Simply put, Open Publishing is to news and information what
gbn> open source code is to software. In practice, the Open Publishing
gbn> newswire allows anyone to instantaneously self-publish their work on
gbn> http://sf.indymedia.org, a web site accessible from around the world.

gbn> People are encouraged to "become the media," to use their own skills
gbn> and abilities of observation, writing, and creativity in posting text,
gbn> analysis, videos, audio clips, photos and artwork directly to the
gbn> website. The post is then viewable at the top of the Other/Breaking
gbn> newswire, and will move down the list as more people post news.

gbn> The use of, and belief in, Open Publishing rests on several central
gbn> assumptions:

gbn>     * People who post to the newswire will present their information
gbn>       in a thorough, honest, and accurate manner.
gbn>     * Readers are intelligent and aware, skeptical and inquisitive of
gbn>       the posts they read and videos they watch, and are able to
gbn>       distinguish for themselves what is content of value and what is
gbn>       not.

gbn> Editorial Policy - Administration/Categorizing
gbn> The editorial working group is reponsible for updating and maintaining
gbn> several sections of the site, including the center column of the front
gbn> page and various feature pages, and the newswire. While the center
gbn> columns are compiled and edited by the editorial working group, the
gbn> right-hand, open-publishing newswire is designated as an open space
gbn> for publication of news, media, and commentary by reporters,
gbn> participants, and readers.

gbn> The newswire is divided into five separate sections:

gbn>    1. Local News: This section contains posts that are primarily local
gbn> in nature, and reasonably resemble original and quality news items.
gbn>    2. Press Releases: This section contains posts that are clear
gbn> public statements or announcements from local individuals or groups
gbn> that the editorial group feels are appropriate for syndication.
gbn>    3. Opinion: This section contains posts that are most accurately
gbn> classified as coherent and intellegent opinion pieces that the
gbn> editorial group feels appropriate for syndication.
gbn>    4. Global News: This section contains posts that are not locally
gbn> focused, and that the editorial group believes to be original and
gbn> accurate news pieces fitted for syndication.
gbn>    5. Other/Breaking News (Open Publishing Newswire): This section is
gbn> where a post will appear immediately after being published. Items that
gbn> remain in this category will have been deemed unworthy of promotion to
gbn> any of the above wires. Items targeted to remain here include, but are
gbn> not limited to, factually inaccurate articles, postings of very poor
gbn> writing quality, repostings of corporate media articles, and bulletin
gbn> board type posts.

gbn> The process for the categorization of a posting is quite simple: Any
gbn> participant in the editorial working group may do so based upon
gbn> her/his understanding of the Principles of Unity and her/his
gbn> personal judgement. Editors should take care not to promote
gbn> (syndicate) articles which could undermine the newswire service; for
gbn> instance, articles containing (not reporting) hate speech, etc. A
gbn> categorization of a post is contestable and subject to review by any
gbn> participant of the editorial working group. Challenges must be based
gbn> on our Principles of Unity.

gbn> Editorial Process/Hiding
gbn> IMC is founded on the principle of open publishing. Reality
gbn> dictates that the editorial working group will at times decide to hide
gbn> posts and comments. This is not a decision that is taken lightly,
gbn> however, and the editorial working group does its best refrain from
gbn> hiding/editing. Our vision for the function of the newswire, and the
gbn> general framework in which all decisions to hide/edit will be made,
gbn> are as follows:

gbn>     * The newswire is intended to be a community media resource, a
gbn>       space free from spam and abuse in general
gbn>     * That space will not contribute to the oppression of
gbn>       traditionally oppressed and marginalized groups.

gbn> Members of the Editorial Collective are permitted to hide posts or
gbn> comments as long as that person's decision is based on at least one of
gbn> the following three points:

gbn>     * The post or comment constitutes abuse of the newswire (see note
gbn>       below);
gbn>     * The post or comment undermines the Principles of Unity of the
gbn>       IMC; e.g., hate speech; or
gbn>     * The post or comment constitutes a spam attack (see below) on the
gbn>       newswire.

gbn> [NEW:] Editors may make typographical, spelling or grammar corrections
gbn> and formatting improvements and remove extraneous, false, illegal
gbn> (threatening, libelous, etc.), or abusive (pornographic, etc.)
gbn> material and hate speech, and particularly with regards to syndicated
gbn> articles, are encouraged to do so. Explanation of any modification
gbn> should be inserted in brackets, as appropriate. Editors may remove
gbn> copyrighted material on request of the copyright owner. 

gbn> At any time another Editorial Collective member may dispute the
gbn> hiding/editing of a comment or post.

gbn> Comments, questions, and feedback regarding this policy are highly
gbn> encouraged. Please write us at imc-sf-editorial at lists.indymedia.org.

gbn> Upon hiding/editing a post, the member of the editorial working group
gbn> who did so may also add a comment explaining the basis upon which the
gbn> decision to edit/hide was made. This is time-consuming, so editorial
gbn> collective members will do so to the best of their ability.

gbn> In addition, all hidden posts will continue to remain publicly
gbn> accessible one click away from the front page on a page listing only
gbn> hidden posts. The link to view all hidden posts is located at the
gbn> bottom of the newswire. 

gbn> _______________________________________________
gbn> New-imc mailing list. Lista de correo New-imc
gbn> New-imc at lists.indymedia.org
gbn> http://lists.indymedia.org/mailman/listinfo/new-imc



-- 
Mike
mailto:micro.zen at verizon.net