[Seattle-editorial] Open Letter from an IMC Editor to the community

[Joseph Eisenschmidt]

Friends, 

The upcoming community meeting regarding the SEAIMC is an important
event. Gaining input from the community is the first step in
understanding the media related needs of underserved constituencies.
This type of interaction is to be continued if we seek to grow in
the directions required by those most in need of honest, accurate
reporting in the press.

While some folks seek to extend the hiatus, that is seen by those of
us doing enormous amounts of work to be disrespectful of our
efforts. It also ignores the fact that huge numbers of folks want to
get involved with us, but are not allowed due to the suspension of
all volunteerism efforts.

The bottem line for me is that while the concept of membership is
somewhat nebulous at this time, I will not consider important votes
taken at the community meeting to be binding upon Members of the
SEAIMC who are actively working. 

We are 4 1/2 years old, and have had literally hundreds of Members,
all good folks with virtually no exceptions. The respect that I hold
for the many foks who have contributed over the years is
unimaginable. And I consider many of the original founders of the
IMC to be my heros. And I respect them. And I love them. 

To think that folks who have been putting hundreds of hours of
volunteer time into the Seattle Independent Media Center this year
and last, and who have done so consistantly, should have to answer
to past participants is unwise, irrational, and destructive to our
very founding principles. 

I joined the collective 3 years ago, and was happy to sweep the
floors because that is what was needed from me. I loved the Space,
as you all know, and was an incredible shepherd of our extraordinary
community asset if I do say so myself. And I do.

By sweeping, and answering phones, and interacting with our
vouluteers, and assisting enormous numbers of progressive community
leaders in using our resources, I learned the value of myself. 

I am an IMC Member because I do the work. As I did more, I gained
respect and consideration from the Membership, a feeling the likes
of which which I'd never felt before in any endevour except in
college perhaps. And I deserved it - because I did the work. My
hands were dirty, I was tired from the labor. It felt good. It still
does.

The community needs the IMC more than it realizes. Things are pretty
lousy now with regards to media responsibility - hey even the NY
Times did a page 10 story on the lousy job it did with regards to
the Iraq war. The nations newspaper of record totally blew the
biggest story of the year on an issue which led us to war on the
basis of lies and they put the retraction on page 10!

So, let's get together and tell the community what we know and do,
and listen for what the comunity needs and wants. But watch that
finger wagging. Having been a founder of the IMC does not get you a
golden finger for life. Having done enormous amounts of work in the
distant past (More than a year ago) doesn't either. 

To hold a formal meeting where votes will be taken that affect the
whole body without determining who is a voting Member is not
functional. The results of such an action if taken will result in
extreme animosity at best, and the loss of the small core of
existing hard working members once and for all at worst.

Also, while moving on is a great slogan, unless we recognize and
deal with our issues, and interpersonal conflict is the biggest by
far with the possible exception of non-existant or outdated
proceedural rules, we will be doing ourselves a disfavor.

Looking forward to making a report-back to the community with
regards to the fine and difficult work at Editorial, and listening
with my best ear to my friends and adversaries alike,

most sincerely, and just speaking for myself,  

Joseph