[Seattle-editorial] Editorial Collective membership criteria

[Jonathan Lawson]

It is deeply saddening to be obliged to defend my own membership in a
group which I helped found, for well over two years doing a
disproportionate amount of the work, always opening doors to others and
never challenging anyone else's participation, and who has in fact been
among the most, if not the most active news feature-writer for the past
month.

Ironic how the "core" has consistenly been pleading for more
participation, more participation, while at the same time attempting in
multiple ways to tighten the reins of membership, exclude and expel. It's
clear whose motivations here are personal rather than professional.

Here are the official membership criteria. It's not up to Gentry alone to
interpret them.

Editorial Collective Membership Criteria

The Editorial Collective consists of members of the Seattle IMC
collective who have identified their interest in editorial work,
familiarized themselves with the core values of the Seattle IMC editorial
policy, and participate in the work of the group as established in the
Editorial Collective Charter. Membership is based upon principles of
trust and personal familiarity.

New members:

1. are members of the IMC, sharing the responsibilities thus incurred;

2. undergo a necessary period of learning the contours and details of
the editorial policy and procedures;

3. gain the trust of the group, usually by attending meetings,
participating in online discussions, and so forth.

Once these criteria have been met, a new member's status is recognized
on his or her part through a committment to participate in the
collective's work, and on the group's part by giving him or her password
access to features/newswire administration.