[Seattle-editorial] SEAIMC Editorial needs more VOlunteers

Sun Apr 25 12:22:16 PDT 2004

Pirate,

SEAIMC is as transparent as we can make it. The Editorial list is
our workbench: we work here. When a Member makes a statement about
her/his opinion as to the sufficiency of an article, then we are
just doing our Jobs. We hold ourselves to the processes we have
developed to maintain our integrity and usefullness by doing so.

When deciding what to place in our center column, local content,
quality of writing, the amount of research and background work
involved in an article - and the ideological position of the piece,
if not the writer - is considered. I will, for instance, always
consider works about community based economies and police and
racial/class oppression. I will never work to advance a well written
and researched article supporting Nazism. That's just a part of my
bias.  

If we did not discuss what we do, we would not be doing anything of
substance. If we did all of our discussion in private, we would be
less effective. Your commentary is exactly what we look for when
conductiog our business in public. Feedback and the opportunity for
correction. 

Try sitting in on an Editorial meeting of the Times. This will not
occur in public, and they are perfectly within their rights to hold
secret meetings. We simply believe that the People are better
served
by our model.

We are not FOX. We are not fair and balanced. We are accurate when
we can possibly be, but we are advocay journalists. We work to
empower underserved communities to report on themselves to 'Be the
Media! We believe in a world that is not dominated by hierarchies,
profit, mysogeny, and we work for partipatory and democratic
solutions to earths problems.

As to what keeps folks from getting posted more often and more
quickly, blame Laury for that. Since she is the sole Member of our
collective doing any substantial amount of work at this time, it's
mostly her fault. 

I'm sure you or I could make things better by offering our time and
energy, but let's just see if one new person shows up at the next
Editorial meeting. I'd like to see a new person a month, but just
one new person as active as Laury would add 1/3 more energy to our
Collective.

Oh, by the way, Laury also gets the majority of credit for what we
do publish, so let's keep this in perspective: One person is doing
a
great job, trying to balance the needs of the community we serve
with our policies, limited resources, and all while receiving no
pay, and while actually living her own life. 

Again, everyone and every organization has it's media filter. We
try
to make ours transparent and participatory. Our decisions are based
upon thoughtful and open discussion on our public lists. And the
center column pieces do not default to showing up. A volunteer must
take the time and personal energy to find, discuss, and format these
works. I don't advance stuff often. it's not a conspiracy, it's my
need to make a living, have a family life, and to get my own work
out there.  

We at Editorial will teach folks how to make their own media-but we
wno't do it for them. At least I won't. CNN will, but not me.

Helping the People and working for other individuals are two sides
of the same piece of manure. I have a job, and I'll be glad to work
for money If the work is safe and honorabele. 

As for indymedia, we can only say

"BE THE MEDIA".

Speaking for myself, and as always in complete Solidarity,

Joseph

Quoting pirate press <piratepress at graffiti.net>:

> So why isn't this a feature? This is an article by a local
> writer, about a timely local event, and has political
> signifigance. How does this not qualify as independent media that
> should be featured and celebrated on this site? 
> 
> Is it ideological reasons preventing this from becoming a
> feature?  Or is it because it does not follow the AP style format
> to the T? If the reason is ideological, do we (the readers) need
> another bureaucratic media filter? and if it is something to do
> with style, that would explain why almost no articles from the
> newswire get featured. i'm afraid you would have to pay writers
> to write like that because it isn't fun. the site suffers, not
> becuase of the Ed group "pissing people off", but because local
> independent media like this article is not featured.  i hope what
> ever policy that prevents this article and others like it from
> being featured is changed, or more seattle imc readers will
> continue flocking to pdx imc where their writing is featured. 
> 
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: Joseph Eisenschmidt <relayer at riseup.net>
> Date: Sat, 24 Apr 2004 20:43:47 -0700
> To: sheelanagig at juno.com, webshiva at cablespeed.com
> Subject: Re: [Seattle-editorial] what I was referring to
> 
> > Laury, Kirsten; 
> > 
> > For two folks who would probably agree on a many decent
> articles
> > about the the ineffectiveness of the peace movement including
> SNOW,
> > and other stuff, you've gotten off to a terrible start. 
> > 
> > Can we back this up a few days, chalk up the anger to the times
> and
> > to the ineffectiveness of e-mail to be useful in solving
> problems?
> > 
> > Let's start with some consideration for our co-workers here. 
> > 
> > Laury needs to be able to discuss articles in any way she
> wishes
> > here without being attacked personally-I know kirsten
> understands
> > the need to be able to do that. 
> > 
> > Kirsten has very distinct views and as a writer can be expected
> to
> > be unbending when an issue has her craw. We at SEAIMC Editorial
> have
> > been effective in working with you, Kirsten.
> > 
> > Let's discuss amoungst ourselves, here, and get back to
> kirsten.
> > 
> > Kirsten, you have yourself admitted that editorial work is
> separate
> > from writing. That being true, let us discuss this and feel
> free to
> > bat any ideas around that may make some pissed off. 
> > 
> > We are a very few folks attempting to please many. If we make
> you
> > upset occasionally, great. I get pissed at us most often. 
> > 
> > That's our job at Editorial: Pissing folks off. You do a damn
> good
> > job of it Kirsten. Give us our due.
> > 
> > We (Editorial) have an online meeting soon. We'll get back to
> you,
> > K., and I'd personally like to collaboate with you on a SNOW
> piece,
> > if you'd like. We (SNOW) are a very important coalition, with
> our
> > heads firmly up our asses. Can we agree to do some good here?
> > 
> > Joseph
> > 
> > 
> > 
> >    
> > 
> > 
> > 
> > 
> >  Quoting sheelanagig at juno.com:
> > 
> > > If you go to
> > > http://www.seattle.indymedia.org/en/2004/04/240085.shtml
> > > you see exactly the kind of nasty comments I can expect when
> I
> > > post on
> > > seattle imc. It is bizarre. It is like the same people wait
> for
> > > me to
> > > post and then do this every post, saying I am insane, a
> criminal,
> > > on meds
> > > (none of which are true, by the way, and I find it very
> very
> > > offensive to
> > > have put on the end of my articles constantly), they are
> always
> > > saying
> > > something is wrong with me - for what, wanting police to obey
> the
> > > law at
> > > protests? The poster says -
> > > 
> > > "If it is therapy you need, get it. Take the meds. Just
> stop
> > > dragging us
> > > into the psychodrama you call your life. If you must
> instigate a
> > > street
> > > fight, organize it your self. Don't piggyback on other
> people's
> > > events." 
> > > 
> > > Hmmm...Yeah, that is the exclusionist SNOW attitude I was
> talking
> > > about,
> > > right there. If I do not do polite protester, I am
> "piggybacking"
> > > on
> > > THEIR event?...And I get WHAT benefit out of posting on
> Seattle
> > > IMC
> > > again? It is rare they talk about the subject without
> dragging
> > > my
> > > character through mud here. Weird. It looks like some
> nonbashing
> > > came
> > > down the wire, but this is certainly getting old.
> > > 
> > > Kirsten
> > > 
> > > 
> > > 
> > > 
> > >
> >
>
*************************************************************************
> > > ******************
> > > Read Kirsten Anderberg's articles at
> www.kirstenanderberg.com.
> > > 
> > > The recommended website of the month is www.sniggle.net!
> > > 
> > > 
> > >
> ________________________________________________________________
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> > > _______________________________________________
> > > Seattle-editorial mailing list
> > > Seattle-editorial at lists.indymedia.org
> > >
> http://lists.indymedia.org/mailman/listinfo/seattle-editorial
> > > 
> > 
> > 
> > Joseph
> > _______________________________________________
> > Seattle-editorial mailing list
> > Seattle-editorial at lists.indymedia.org
> > http://lists.indymedia.org/mailman/listinfo/seattle-editorial
> 
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Joseph