[Seattle-editorial] Where's the news?

Mon Aug 25 16:07:36 PDT 2003

Gentry and Joseph,

Thanks for your replies.  I've been to volunteer orientation, a couple of general meetings, sat at the front desk for three hours, read the manuals and website.  Just don't want you to think that I'm not versed in what's happening.

Gentry, I can't come to the IMC this Tuesday but I have it on my calendar for next Tuesday, Sept. 2.

Best wishes,

Judy
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Gentry Lange [mailto:g at art13.com]
> Sent: Monday, August 25, 2003 07:00 AM
> To: typist at speakeasy.net, seattle-editorial at lists.indymedia.org
> Subject: RE: [Seattle-editorial] Where's the news?
> 
> Judy:
> 
> I see your point regarding my representation of Jonathan and myself as the "main two writers" currently writing. You are more than correct that lots of people publish to the wire. And I acknowledge them as people contributers to the common goal of Indymedia, and hope everyone continues to write for Indymedia. 
> 
> I might be a little sensitive about it, but the fact is that Indymedia is none of our jobs. No one in at the Seattle IMC gets paid to work for Indymedia on a regular basis. The editors, the web people, we are all volunteers. And lately there haven't been many people stepping up to the plate to edit the features page. If you would like to learn how to edit the frontpage, and have the energy to kickstart the editorial group by becoming a new member, as Joseph suggests, I would try to attend any proposed meeting. Personally, I am at the IMC, 1415 3rd Ave, every Tues, running the space (as a volunteer space staffer) from 5-8pm. I'd be happy to show you the ropes and walk you through the editorial process as I know it so far. 
> 
> My sensitivity to complaints from the newswire stems from people complaining instead of stepping up. If you look at the frontpage of Seattle Indymedia, for the 1 year and 4 months I've been an active member, someone who comes to general meetings, etc., Jonathan has written, edited, composed, or collected like 92% of the stories on the front page. But Jonathan now works in Olympia and can no longer be our editorial work horse. Lately I've tried to start doing more of the editorial work myself, but again, as one person doing it voluntarily I can't do as much as would be necessary to make the Seattle site extremely active again.
> 
> Ideally that's why it is a "collective". We invite you to join the collective, we'll show you the ropes. It's your responsibility to simply introduce yourself to the List, make yourself known, and read up on procedures of the collective here:
> 
> http://seattle.indymedia.org/glossary#consensus
> 
> http://seattle.indymedia.org/newswire-hide.php3
> 
> http://seattle.indymedia.org/policy.php3
> 
> Please feel free to ask questions to the list in general. As I don't speak for the collective, I simply speak (or write, as is the case).
> 
> Regards,
> 
> Gentry
> 
> 
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: typist at speakeasy.net [mailto:typist at speakeasy.net]
> Sent: Sunday, August 24, 2003 8:39 AM
> To: g at art13.com; typist at speakeasy.net;
> seattle-editorial at lists.indymedia.org
> Subject: Re: [Seattle-editorial] Where's the news?
> 
> 
> Wait a sec.  Who are all the people writing for the newswire if they're not people writing for Indymedia?  Why not use their stuff?  It's way too much work to have to rewrite and compile everything off the newswire.  As a reader of the page I would expect the editors to be reading the newswire and pulling the best stories off of it for me to read down the center column.  As a reader, I will just not have the time to read everything on the newswire and sift through what is worth reading and what is junk. If I have to do that, I'll go somewhere else to get my news.
> 
> Please guys, I beg you to rethink how you're doing things.  I've been reading the wire and people are disgusted that Indymedia is not more on top of things--that it took so long to get a protest story up, and in general being too timid with the center column.  It's a website people want to use everyday to get local news; I think it's the editors job to screen what comes in for the readers and post what the editors think is worth a readers time to read.  It's a transparent process if readers want to know what's coming in, they too can review the wire; but it's a lot of work to stay on top of the wire and it will be even more work as the site becomes more popular and more stuff comes up.
> 
> Please, please, please use the wonderful stories on the wire for the center column.  They will get quickly lost in the slush if they're not featured.  This will encourage good writers to continue to submit stuff because they know they have a chance at being published.  And I call being published the center column -- the editors' picks.
> 
> I realize I may be jumping in and proposing something outside of what's been done in the past, at the same time what's been done in the past may not be working.  Hits to the site are going down.  People aren't donating because they don't see much being done here.  I feel the need to speak up for these reasons.  Believe me I wouldn't otherwise.  But I do care about the work Indymedia is doing as about the most important work there is to do right now.
> 
> So hang in there.  Could we meet personally as an editorial group?  I have newswriting and publishing experience.  I published a newspaper in Portland, Oregon.  I'm with you.
> 
> Judy
> 
> 
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: Gentry Lange [mailto:g at art13.com]
> > Sent: Saturday, August 23, 2003 09:36 PM
> > To: typist at speakeasy.net, seattle-editorial at lists.indymedia.org
> > Subject: RE: [Seattle-editorial] Where's the news?
> > 
> > Well, here's the thing-- Jonathan and I are the main two writers currently writing for Seattle's Indymedia. And unless we have the time, things don't get updated. My feelings are that if you want something posted, edited, etc.. the policy is clear... write it up as a propsal to the editorial collective. Then we can either approve or edit it, etc. But as this is an all volunteer organization, simply asking us to do it is really not the way to get something done. I don't mean to admonish you for taking the intiative of bringing up story ideas... but what I do mean to say is that you are just as capable as me or Jonathan for writing/editing something then submitting it.
> > 
> > As it is, I haven't had the time to do anything since yesterday, and am unsure of my ability to get on something today, but I'd be happy to comment on a proposal, and get it posted with editorial collective approval.
> > 
> > Regards,
> > 
> > Gentry
> > 
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: seattle-editorial-bounces at lists.indymedia.org
> > [mailto:seattle-editorial-bounces at lists.indymedia.org]On Behalf Of
> > typist at speakeasy.net
> > Sent: Saturday, August 23, 2003 9:02 AM
> > To: seattle-editorial at lists.indymedia.org
> > Subject: [Seattle-editorial] Where's the news?
> > 
> > 
> > Hi folks,
> > 
> > Can we get the feature column updated?  Get the old news off and some new news about the protests yesterday up?
> > 
> > There are several good pieces on the newswire that could use a little editing.  I don't think they have to be perfect; readers will know we're in a rush to bring the news...  But as the only source for any immediate alternative news, we need to get up what happened yesterday now!
> > 
> > Some articles off the newswire --first hand reports of what happened yesterday.  This is something people are hungry for.  Some good ones to feature right now:  "Crowd Erased, State Set, all cameras controlled" by Todd Boyle.  Let's get it up!
> > 
> > Other first hand accounts: under "Showdown with Bush Please Post News" IMC staffer gives account from our offices: "Quiet Day, relatively, no arrests, no confrontations"  Why not feature that?
> > 
> > Also under same newswires:  "Union Worker rally and protest in Bellevue"  that needs lots of edits but has good general tone and info.
> > 
> > Anyone?
> > 
> > Judy
> > 
> > 
> > 
> > 
> > _______________________________________________
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> > Seattle-editorial at lists.indymedia.org
> > http://lists.indymedia.org/mailman/listinfo/seattle-editorial
> > 
> > 
> 
> 
> 