[Seattle-editorial] Where's the news?

Mon Aug 25 14:37:17 PDT 2003

this may be a very dumb question but what type of stuff can we put up
there? does it 
have to be just things about local events or can it be anything that we
feel is 
important. i have some ideas but just checking.

cheers peoples!

Original Message:
-----------------
From:  typist at speakeasy.net
Date: Mon, 25 Aug 2003 15:07:36 +0000
To: g at art13.com, typist at speakeasy.net, seattle-editorial at lists.indymedia.org
Subject: Re:  [Seattle-editorial] Where's the news?

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
> > 
> > 
> > 
> > 
> > _______________________________________________
> > Seattle-editorial mailing list
> > Seattle-editorial at lists.indymedia.org
> > http://lists.indymedia.org/mailman/listinfo/seattle-editorial
> > 
> > 
> 
> 
> 

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