ay Life
„1
en Soapbox Aw. Bridges TV I Christian Parents Randi Rhodes & Air America iq Biogs I Defending our Wipfl
March/April 2005 • Issue
M
S-Ye.
Iss
ar
i-san
Uei
Amy G^dman, host of Tjemacracy Now!
BRIGHT EYE
2 NEW ALBUMS JANUARY 25
Digital Ash in a Digital Urn
I'm Wide Awake, It's Morning
"Layered over lovely country or electronic-tinged sounds. Conor's hopeful lyrics are small reminders of beauty for the existentially downtrodden of this world. I would listen to him. Not just his music, but him." — Jane, January 2005
"...[aj visionary artist who not only [has] the talent and drive to help set the creative agenda in pop today but also to influence musicians for years to come. Oberst. ..has an innocence and intelligence that enable him to see the world with fresh and fearless eyes. He weaves his findings into intimate songs whose melodies are as timeless as a hymnal and whose images are hauntingly poetic." — The Los Angeles Times, Robert Hilburn, October 2004
"...a raw portrait of a 20-something disenchanted with his city, his country and his life. Not sure how to evoke change, Oberst does one better — he evokes emotion." 5/5 — Alternative Press. February 2005
"Whatever you may have heard about Bright Eyes... well, just forget about it. Because I'm Wide Awake, It's Morning is not only the best record he's ever made, it's quite possibly one of the best folk records ever made. And it just may prove to be a classic." — Filter. Winter 2004
I'm Wide Awake, It's Morning - -kieieir-k Q Classic — Q Magazine
NOW AVAILABLE
BRIGHT EYES -TAKE IT EASY (LOVE NOTHING) CD SINGLE
BRIGHT EYES - LUA CD SINGLE
THE FAINT -WET FROM BIRTH CD/LP
SON.AMBULANCE - KEY CD
THE GOOD LIFE - ALBUM OF THE YEAR CD/LP
BEEP BEEP - BUSINESS CASUAL CD/LP
jmxim jl^ I
WWW.SADDLE-CREEK.COfi 1 INFOi.gSADDLE-CREEK.COM
The folks who bring you the quintessential lifestyle magazine for the progressive set introduce the online epicenter of independent arts and media.
"I had an abortion "t-shirt
$15
YaBasta! Ten Years of Zapatista Uprising
$26.95
ZlneWorld:A Reader's
GuidetotheUnderground
Press
$4
Make Art Not War! 12-PosterSet
$12
|
Stencil Pirates |
Instant City: |
|
$20 |
A Literary Exploration |
|
of San Francisco |
|
|
$8 |
Rooftop Films: Films for a New Democracy DVD
$15
The ZIne Yearbook Vol. 8
12
Recipes for Disaster (Crimethinc)
$12
Recipes for Disaster
• books, zines, CDs, DVDs, posters, gear, and much more
• secure online ordering
• fast shipping
• new titles weekly independent as fuck
just a few of the items available at: CldlTIOr
www.clamormagazine.org/infoSHOP
|
EDITORS/PUBLISHERS |
|
|
Jen Angel & |
|
|
Jason Kucsma |
|
|
CULTURE EDITOR |
UYOUT& DESIGN |
|
Eric Zassenhaus |
Jason Kucsma |
|
ECONOMICS EOITOR |
WEB DESIGN ; |
|
Arthur Sfamoulis |
Derek Hogue i |
|
MEDIA EDITOR |
VOLUNTEERS |
|
Catherine Komp |
Mike McHone |
|
Jake Whiteman |
|
|
PEOPLE EDITOR |
|
|
Keidra Chaney |
PROOFREADERS |
|
Mike McHone. Knsten |
|
|
SEX &6ENDER EDITOR |
Schmidt. Hal Hixson |
|
Brian Bergen-Aurand |
Elliot Adams |
|
POLITICS EDITORS |
COVER THIS ISSUE |
|
Madeleine Baran |
by Chet Gordon |
|
& Amanda Luker |
www chelgordon.com |
|
REVIEW EDITOR |
|
|
Keith McCrea |
|
|
TOOLS |
|
|
Thanks to a generous donation, Clamor is |
|
|
designed using licensed Adobe software. |
I
ADVERTISING
Rates and deadlines available upon request. Please call 419-243-4588 or visit www.clamormagazine.org/advertise
PRINTING
Westcan Printing Group Winnipeg. Manitoba, Canada Phone; 866-669-9914
Clamor is a bi-monthly magazine. Single copies are $4.50 ppd and 6 issue subscriptions are $18 ppd in the US (Outside of the US single issues are $6 and a 6-issue subscription is $25 in US Funds). Checks may be made payable to Become The Media.
BACK ISSUES
Available for $3.50 + postage.
Visit vww.clamormagazine.org for more info.
DISTRIBUTION
Clamor is distributed to stores and distributors
by Big Top Newsstand Services, 2729 Mission
Street Suite 201. San Francisco, CA 94110-3131
info@bigtoppubs.com
Clamor is also available through these fine distribution outlets: AK Press. Armadillo. Desert Moon, Ooormouse, Gordon & Gotch, Ingram, IPD. Kent News, Last Gasp. Media Solutions. Milligan. One Source. Small Changes, Stickfigure. Tower, and Ubiquity
Clamor (ISSN 1 5-34-9489) is published six times a year (Jan/Feb, Mar/Apr, May/Jun, Jul/Aug, Sept/ Oct. Nov/Dec) ©2005 in the US by : Become The Media Incorporated I PO Box 20128 Toledo, OH 43610 I Phone: 419.243.4688.
Postmaster Send address changes tO: Clamor Magazine PO Box 20128 Toledo. OH 43610
Periodicals postage paid at Toledo. OH
from your editors
After five years, you'd think this whole magazine puffin' out thing would get a little easier, right? You'd get into a groove, problems would be easier to negotiate, and the damn thing would practically start putting itself out after awhile. Maybe if we weren't always upping the ante here at Clamor that would be the case, but we're still busting our asses all year long. This year, we decided to move our Clamor offices out of the home we share with two dogs and a roommate into a space in downtown Toledo. The move ultimately allows us to expand the number of things we're able to carry in the Clamor online infoSHOP (www.clamormagazine. org/infoSHOP), but for the meantime the move put a huge roadblock in the production sched- ule. Happy birthday Clamor ... here's a shitload more work for y'all to do.
Before we let the griping spoil the birthday party, we have to say that we're pretty ecstatic about how this issue came together. We really put the section editors to the test by choosing a theme that is also one of the sections in the magazine. It challenged them to come up with different interpretations of the concept of media — a challenge that might cost us a couple section editors if we try to do it again. But Jen and I started Clamor because we had been en- ergized by the power of zine communities and we wanted to take that power and expand on it. It seemed to make sense then, that this anniversary issue would focus on media of all sorts. So we encouraged Catherine to take the media section and use it as a place for the first-ever "Clamor Golden Soapbox Awards" — special nods to people and projects that are chang- ing the media landscape. And Brian was able to focus the sex and gender section around Chicago's Pilot TV project — a natural fit for this issue and the section. Keidra chose to highlight artists remixing mainstream culture in the people section, and Eric invited Samira Yamin to discuss art as media and resistance in Palestine in the culture section. Madeleine and Amanda appropriately directed our attention to Iraq in the politics section with two pow- erful pieces on making media on the ground there — one from American journalist Christian Parenti and the other from Iraq blogger "Aunt Najma." Arthur keeps us well-informed of economic struggles surrounding ownership of wifi and cable in the economics section. And of course Keith separated the wheat from the chaff to deliver you the third installment of the new review section — consider it a consumer reports guide to an often-oversaturated independent media market.
So there you have it. Jen and I just sit around and wait for everyone else to do all the work at Clamor HQ. We didn't make it this far by working hard, people! Happy 5th birthday to you readers who have been here since day one. We've got a lot more in us as long as you'll have us. For those of you just joining Clamor, get your subscriptions in now so we can keep doing this for another five years!
That's all for now. Thanks for reading,
PS: Check out the newkections "uproar " (p. 8) and "HERE" (p. 74) to see how you can have your say in Clamor! We'd love to hear from you.
PPS; The "letters" section has been pre-empted for advertising this issue. Send your letters for the next issue to letters@clamormagazine.org.
jiiifliiik^iriiii
Clamor's mission is to provide a media outlet that reflects the reality of alternative politics and culture in a format that IS accessible to people from a variety of backgrounds. Clamor exists to fill the voids left by mainstream media. We recognize and celebrate the fact that each of us can and should participate in media, politics, and culture. We publish writing and art that exemplify the value we place on autonomy, creativity, exploration, and cooperation Clamor is an advocate of progressive social change through active creation of political and cultural alternatives
rQ
Number 31 1 March/April 2005
MEDIA
10 On the Air with Saint Randi by Catherine Komp
13 Clamor's Golden Soapbox Awards
1 7 How the News is Made by Catherine Komp, Jessica Azulay, and breakfast
POLITICS
20 A Star in Mosul compiled by Charu Gupta 24 Christian Parent! interview by Colhn Yeo 26 Video Killed the Football Star by Dan Gordon
ECONOMICS
30 Down to the Wire by Gwen Shaffer
33 Fixing Radio by Jonathan Lawson
36 Demanding More of Cable Monopolies by Barbara J. isenberg
38 In a Global Village, No One Can Hear You Scream by Norman Ball
CULTURE
40 The Art of Resistance by Samira Yamin 43 Walk With Me: Revolutionary Theater in Lockdown by Jeremy Smith 45 Through Their Own Eyes: Chiapas Media Project by Max Sussman 47 A Bridge Over Troubled Channels by Lisa A. Haamid
PEOPLE
50 Taking Power from the Past by Raizei Liebier
53 Programming Independence by Christina Hoheisel and Alex Kerfoot
55 Paper Street Space Monkeys by Ben Tanzer
56 Beyondmedia by Alison Parker
SEX AND GENDER
59 PILOT TV by Daniel Tucker and Emily Forman
60 Queer Media Timeline compiled by Raymond Johnson
61 Living Proof by James Monteleone
62 Featured Sex and Gender Media
64 Glass Toys by Laura Mintz
MURMURS
67 What We're Talking About...
HERE
74 Thomas Barnett of Strike Anywhere by Jason Kucsma g-
Ul
M
Ill
RliE^H
ART CARS WANTED® Come one, come all to "Rollie Toledo!" -- The Old West End Festival Parade. We are looking for all forms of rolling artwork - cars, bikes, floats... you name it. We will gather in Toledo, Ohio for the Historic Old West End FestivalWeekend, June 3-5. Parade will be held Saturday morning, June 4. For a prospectus, email dancinpigs@yahoo.com by May 13.
EMMA GOLDMAN REVISITED: The journal Social An- archism (publishing since 1981) presents a special supplement on Red Emma in its current issue. Also articles on Anarchism and Human Nature (Tom Mar- tin, Lucy Parsons Park (Kathryn Rosenfeld), a lost (1893) essay by Voltairine DeCleyre, reviews by Rich- ard Kostelanetz and Howard J. Ehrlich, poetry and book reviews. $6. Social Anarchism, 2743 Maryland Ave., Baltimore, MD 21218
Submit. Submit, Submit. 3rdfloor is a quarterly arts mag, a forum for radical art of all stripes (includ- ing performance, video, audio, and 3d), create culture, don't just consume it. all art, all the time, and from everyday folk, that's where you come in. www.3rdfloorpro)ect.org
The Rilindje Fara E Mire Library (RLP is a non-profit free reference library and meeting place for progres- sive individuals in Kosovo and Albania. The RLP is seeking donations of of second hand books, periodi- cals, videos, and CD's. Please send all donations to RLP c/o Postfach 256 CH-4142 Muenchenstein-2, Switzerland.
ON SALE NOW: the 2005 Freedom for Political Pris- oners & Prisoners of War wall calendar. All pro- ceeds benefit organizations struggling against the prison industrial complex, www.twelvemonths.org
The Born in Flames Conference will take place June 24-26th in Portland, Oregon in order to address sex- ual assault from a radical perspective. Our focus is on education, support and accountability. We want people from all over to come and share their ideas and experiences. Also, we are looking for volunteers, workshop facilitators and donations. Contact us: borninflamesconference@yahoo.com
The revolution won't be televised, but you can read about it. Books for a better world, by Mike Palacek, former federal prisoner, congressional candidate, newspaper reporter. Please visit: iowapeace.com.
SUBMIT NOW TO ROOFTOP FILMS! Rooftop Films is a non-profit film festival and production collective that supports, creates, promotes, and shows dar- ing short films worldwide and in a weekly summer rooftop film festival. ROOFTOP FILMS is currently accepting films for the 9th annual Rooftop Films Summer Series, Summer Series 2005. For more info; www.rooftopfilms.com/submit.html.
bitch
uf elated Imdm m. ' '
-KATHA POLITT, THE NATION
>rder toll-free 877-21-BITCH * www.bitchmagazine.com
sample issue $5 * four-issue sub $15
Looking for the perfect gift for the smart, sassy teenage girl in your life?
Order a one-year (three issues) gift subscription to Shameless for only $12.
Fill out the form below or subscribe online at 'Mrw^v.shamelessmag.coin.
Name:
Address:
City:
Pro v.:
Postal Code:
Telephone:
E-mail:
Subscription rates: Canada: $12 / United States: $22 / International: $37 Institutional rates: Canada: $20 / United States & International: $35
Method of payment:
D cheque or money order D well-concealed cash
Send with payment to: Shameless Magazine. P.O. Box 68548, 360A Bloor St.W., Toronto. Ontario. M5S 1X1. E-mail: subscribe^shamelessmag.com
Cheques payable to Shameless Magazine All figures In Canadian dollars.
5 years ain't easy.
subscribe now,
and challenge us to do it for another 5 years.
$18 for one year
at www.clamormagazine.org
or at PO Box 20128 1 Toledo. Ohio 43610
!^l m
OR USE THE ENCLOSED CARD FOR A SPECIAL 5-YEAR ANNIVERSARY SPECIAL!
this issue we asked:
Tell us about the first time you realized the beauty, power, or sheer ingenuity of independent media.
o o
I was reporting for KPFK, Pacifica's Los Angeles station, when I heard about the Independent Media Center organizing around the 2000 Demoeratie National Convention. This was a group of people truly dedicated to the idea of creating an alternative to mainstream, corporate-dominated news and willing to take on the almost im- possible task of organizing a full blown multimedia news outlet covering a major political event with little money and a complete- ly volunteer staff.
The budget was tiny — there were some donations and grants to help pay for rent and basics like phone lines, but most of the equip- ment was borrowed or donated.
The IMC managed to rent an entire floor in "Patriotic Hall," a building right across from the convention center where the DNC was held. The space was stuffed with an amazing array of equipment, in- cluding a makeshift television station set up in the main room and radio and print news centers in the smaller rooms.
Several hundred indy reporters arrived and from the very first day the action was nonstop. Bike messengers were dispatched to pick up audio and video from street reporters all over the city. Reporters faced rubber bullets, tear gas. and possible arrest and editors practi- cally lived there the whole week, catching cat naps in whatever space they could find.
I'm proud to sa> we ga>e the mainstream media a run for it's mone>, as tin\ and temporar> as we were. It was lrul> l)\\ at it's best. Laura /{anther. Los Anodes CA
Joy Noga planted a seed in my brain that led me to re\el the re\olu- tion of everyday life. Joy was my writing instructor at Pittsburg State University. Pittsburg. KS. She taught Introduction to Research Writ- ing and she brought energy, enthusiasm, and fresh ideas to the class- room. Joy was a thought instigator who posed challenging questions and protTered new (to me) and interesting resources for supporting our writing. Joy often made reference to independent media resourc- es, writings published outside the mainstream press, and one of these sources (and perhaps not so fringe) was Ulne Reader. Joy explained that Utne was a good place to start exploring alternative information resources, especially for the unmiiiated. I followed up her suggestion, and serendipity led me to pick up the issue that published i'tne's best of list, and from that list, I discovered Clamor. From then on, 1 made it a point to seek out resources representing these other voices, to reflect upon the ditVercnces. to embrace di\ersit\ of ideas. I'nlike mainstream media, my relationship with independent media is not one of mindless consumption nor passive recipient; neither is it merely a rcinforcer of beliefs I already hold. Instead independent media provokes and challenges me. it causes me to raise questions, to consider other \ icw- points. encourages me to act. to make connections with others, and most significantly, it values e\ cry one as a contributor. —Jenny Bruenger. Minneapolis MN
Long before 1 realized that what I was doing was being an independent loumalist. I wrote for my own website. I thought I was hot w ith 80 hits in (i months. Then. I created a web page about an under-reported is-
sue I investigate, military and corporate pro- grams utilizing aerosolized heavy metal par- ticulate, known on the net as "chemtrails." The page got picked up by a popular alter- native news website, Rense.com. Suddenly, thousands of people from all over the world were reading this page. I put a hit tracker on it and watched the results with amazement. Individuals, huge corporate and government agencies (some pretty intense), were read- ing the page. A few really got my attention, like the one from the Executive Office of the President of the United States. Immedi- ately, the emails started coming in. People, hundreds of them from around the globe, sharing information, expressing opinion, requesting additional information. The exchange was incredible. The connections through the page grew a grass roots effort, with thousands of members, that is still ac- tive today. I was in awe of the power of a single web page, floating out there in cy- berspace, to generate such interaction and communication between people who would otherwise have never known of each other I'm still in awe of it.
The moral of the story is...put it out there. Use the power of independent me- dia, YOUR power. Tell the story, the whole story. Ask the questions. Report the truth. Create the change. Be the media. — Lorie Kramer. Houston TX
well have been sexual frustration that lay be- hind my insomnia.
When 1 moved to the Knoxville area later that year, the unforgettable DJ Ashley Capps introduced me to John Coltrane's free jazz, which absolutely blew my mind. With his show "Unhinged," he introduced me to Laurie Anderson, Sun Ra, too many new mu- sical experiences to mention. Music of the Southern Mountains with Paul Campbell was a radio show that preserved the bluegrass Ap- palachian tradition. "Voices of Protest: Songs of Struggle and Discontent," played hours of Woodie Guthrie's tunes written to promote the Grand Coolie Dam. Alive After Five was a live broadcast of local jazz performances at the art museum. Unfortunately, the corporate- happy program director, Regina Dean, cut all this programming in favor of more NPR busi- ness news and PRl syndicated crap. 1 never bother listening to the radio any more.
If you care about the future of indepen- dent, diverse radio stations, please take a minute to write to the FCC (http://www.fcc. gov/) and let them know what a bad idea fur- ther consolidation is.
If you don't, you have no excuse to bitch about the homogenized crap radio has turned into, and the fact that your kids will never know the delicious rebellion of independent radio. — Erin McLean, Knoxville TN
My freshman year at Bowling Green State University was soaked in cheap beer and cigarette smoke, but I remember this clearly: I roomed with a skinny Floridian hipster with a serious jones for zines. Being an indie rock geek from Dayton and former high school yearbook nerd, 1 jumped at the chance to start one. My roommate turned me onto the dubi- ous pleasures of paper cuts, severe glue in- halation, and coffee-fueled, late-night layout sessions. Our first issue of Polly Your Ethane contained ill-advised poetry, political rage and a Six Finger Satellite interview. Subse- quent issues appeared randomly until the zine died and I started up another (Sponiczine. com. which has managed to survive for the last eight years).
What most thrills me about zines isn't their ability to attract free CDs and concert tickets, although that's occasionally nice, (in a principled way of course). It's more about the insane networking opportunities that a few well-chosen words and bit of design acumen can attract. I've met so many motivated, in- telligent, idea-soaked people over the years simply by putting my opinions down and paper and distributing them. If it weren't for independent publications 1 wouldn't know about most of my favorite music, books or documentaries of the last few years. And I'd probably have fewer good friends. — John Wenzel, Denver CO
I realized that there was such a thing as inde- pendent media only by web. The best discov- eries have been things like Clamor, Lip and the umpteen websites (eg ZNet) that provide independent news and analysis. Analysis of news and its history is in short supply here. The AbC (Ausfralian BC) and SBS, a TV station with some government funding, have some good offerings. I have even seen people like Robert Fisk, Norman Solomon, our own John Pilger, and Noam Chomsky on these channels (miracles do happen). Anyway, I am grateful for these alternatives. — Eugene Moreau, Hei-vey Bay, Australia
I remember in 1 99 1 when 1 was a miserable 14 year old, 1 discovered college radio and it opened up another world to me. My weird friends and I could call and request depress- ing songs by Leonard Cohen, Morrissey, and Nirvana that expressed our adolescent trou- bles, and the DJ would actually play them. I was introduced to the Replacements. Pix- ies, the Dead Kennedys, the Dead Milkmen, Siouxsie and the Banshees, and many other classic college radio bands whose awesome talent, ingenuity, and irreverence changed my worldview forever. I remember calling the late-night DJ with a request and a com- plaint of insomnia and being told (in an edu- cational, non-creepy way) that it may very
It's 1995. I'm seventeen, living with a punk- rock violin player and her huge dog in Alphabet City, eating lots of Cream of Wheat and pow- dered hot chocolate because that's about all my minimum-wage, indie-bookstore job allows (that is, after I pay way too much rent for my half of a tiny single). One of the perks of the bookstore job is that I get to borrow books for free, so one night I take home Hillary Carlip's Girl Power. Young Women Speak Out. Reading the Riot Grrrl section. I find myself staring, stunned, at all these lines that tell me I'm not alone, not crazj...that, in fact, 1 might be right in suspecting there's a larger social/cultural something that wants me to feel alone and crazy, and that I can resist it. And then I realize that all these lines were previously published in zines — handmade, inspired, urgent little bundles of words typed fast and stapled together and sent all over the world. 1 started sending notes to Riot Grrrl zinemakers right away, trading dollar bills for their zines and mix tapes and stickers. Within six months I had written, assembled, and distributed the one and only issue of my first, very personal zine. It was rather young, yes; also rather melodramatic and over-stylized and other embarrassing things. But it was complete- ly necessary — to get some stuff off my chest and to offer something back to the global com- munity of feminist zinemakers that had done so much, in those few months, for me. — Jessica Hojfmann, Los Angeles CA
I really got away from the underground for the longest time. It seemed like [it] had van- ished! I got married (twice!) and now we have two wonderful children. Then 1 read an article in the Progressive — they interviewed Noel Ignatiev. His profound ideas about abo- lition blew me away. Shortly thereafter, I sent for a copy of Fred Woodworth's The Match! Then I went nuts and ordered as many zines from around the world as I could get my hands on. I now also produce dozens of zines that 1 make, insanely, free to prisoners. — Anthony Rayson, Chicago IL
next issue:
For the "Break from Tradition" issue, tell us about the new traditions you've created for yourself and your friends.
Send your UPROAR stories (250 words or less) to uproar@clamormagazine.org by April 1,2005
o o
01
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO
For our 5th birthday, let us give you a gift! Subscribe now using this card, and get a year of clamor (6 issues) forjust $15. That's 45% off the cover price to get the quintessential lifestyle magazine for the progressive set delivered to your door!
Send my sub)
address
O Payment enclosed O Bill me later Your first issue will be mailed within 4-6 weeks International subscriptions are still $25US (surface mail) or $40US (air)
fJt^<■
"•••^"'f:-
:^y ' i*^:-
BUSINESS REPLY MAIL
FIRST-CLASS MAIL PERMIT NO 25 BOWLING GREEN OH
POSTAGE WILL BE PAID BY ADDRESSEE
BECOME THE MEDIA PO BOX 20128 TOLEDO OH 43610-9987
NO POSTAGE
NECESSARY
IF MAILED
IN THE
UNITED STATES
I.I. .lull. .11 nil.. .1.1. .1.1.. I. .1.1. ..I. .11, 1
'T^'-',"? V y<^J* '^,ti
on the air
with
cm
Saint Rdhdi
Influential, intefligent, quick-witted. Goddess, rock star, saint. Those are just a few of tiie words fans use to describe Randi Rhodes, the seasoned, sharp-tongued hberal talk radio host whose eponymous daily program went national last year with the launch of Air America Radio. The former Air Force member, waitress, truck driver, and radio DJ built a strong fol- lowing for her program in Palm Beach, Florida, consistently beating out Rush Limbaugh in the ratings. Returning to her native New York last year, Rhodes is now heard by millions and continues to attract one of the most diverse audiences in broadcasting. Even the vitriol of her detrac- tors — and there are many of those too — is an indication of Rhodes's growing presence on the airwaves and in the public discourse. The Randi Rhodes Show offers plenty of informed analysis and opinion, comple- mented by a healthy dose of playfulness and humor. But the program is clearly distinguished by Rhodes's passion for people, coupled with her strong convictions in holding everyone accountable for their words and actions — politicians, high profile guests, callers, progressives, and fel- low goddesses alike.
interview by Catherine Komp
Clamor: Why do you love radio?
Rhodes: 1 don't love radio. It's the only thing I know how to do. But it is very per- sonal, and 1 love that 1 get you all to my- self when you are listening.
You 've been on nulionally with Air Amer- ica for almost a year now. What do you think the Randi Rhodes Show has accom- plished?
I think we've made people feel sane. Half of the country hadn't heard their own views represented in media. I hear the "You make me feel sane" comment more than any other. 1 think we've also identified a new market place for the 2 1 st Century. A way to let the entrenched power know that someone was watching now. That the days of propaganda radio were coming to a close and you had better check your facts in the morning, not your talking points. I do love exposing all of their lies and hy- pocrisy. Their bumper sticker approach to the people of this country. No one able to speak truth to their power. I think they're feeling it already.
o o
ID
o o
You have such a captivating style and tone, that ranges dramatically throughout your four-hour show, from laughter and singing, to joking and impersonations, to despair and anger, to genuine empathy and love. I 've even heard you ciy on the air And unlike many hosts who have a carefully crafted "person- ality, " you seem to just be yourself. Do you think this is one of your strengths and why so many people tune in?
I don't know any other way, so I can't really say. There arc radio "actors" out there, and they are respected and loved, but for the life of me I don't understand it. Conservatives all do the same show every day. It's hard to tell who means what they say, and who is doing it because it is so easy to get your voice out there if you just became part of the Repub- lican echo chamber. I can't really say why people believe the unbelievable, but some do. Sometimes I think that people accept the conservative crap because if they agree that America is going down a bad road, they may have to actually DO something, and that cuts into their TV time. But I hope that people get that I really care about them and that I have very serious concerns about our country and the troops.
Describe one of your favorite interviews or callers.
Oliver North, lie was pure evil, and he lied. 1 caught him and called him out in under 10 minutes. It was scary because he is an effort- less liar. But he walked out in the middle of the segment screaming at me, "I got shot. Did you?" That's a real leader, don't ya think? I loved exposing him.
Do you have some radio idols or mentors?
Neil Rogers is a real talent. He's on in Miami. He's the Godfather of Entertainment Talk Radio. Also, I love Phil Hendrie. Completely unique and unbelievably funny. 1 learned a lot from Neil, and I listen to Phil whenever I can.
Clamor readers are well informed about the negative impact of media con.solidation on what most Americans read and hear What do you suggest is an effective course of media activism over the next few years?
Lobby the shit out of Congress. Call, write (keep it brief). Tell them you don't think that Corporate Ownership of the media — having all the power of the media in basically six people's hands is good for this country. .Also let the media know that you think they're loo chicken to write hard stories
Hlog. write, or call any show that w ill lei you on. Ask them where the news is. Where are the pictures of our troops' Where arc the
pictures of the happy Iraqis? Why is there no dialog between the U.S. and the people we "liberated?" Where is the money going? What happened to the stolen oil revenues? Why didn't we provide the Iraqis security, running water, and electricity? If we had done these things, would the Iraqis [have] supported this insurgency? Ask them if they are better otT today [than] they were before we attacked.
Then there's Afghanistan. Where is Osama Bin Laden? Show us the progress in Afghanistan. Do real hour-long news specials about these two wars we are in.
Otherwise, I guess we'll start making more movies. Some of the movies that got made like Fahrenheit 9/11 made real inroads with regard to showing people what's really going on. Some movies were made too quickly and didn't have the story telling quite down. But we'll get better at it and make more.
For my part, I must succeed in the rat- ings. If I do, there will be no denying me more and more access to markets.
What do you think the alternative media land- scape is missing?
Distribution! Original programming. Real moral passion and entertainment. That's my definition of art. Some people are very smart but you end up feeling like you're listening to your favorite history teacher. Others rely on guests to carry the day. I like to make people laugh first to let them know I'm an ok girl. It's all so hard, but you have to laugh about it and in doing the comedy I find some real solutions, too.
We are talking about life and death is- sues for people just hanging on by their fin- gernails. Life and death for our troops e\er>' day. I love to give at least one moment each hour that makes people hit themselves in the head and say, "Wow, that's so simple.. .Why didn't I think of that." Soon they will start thinking like that.
What do you think is the biggest threat to di- versity in media?
Deregulation. The fewer number of owners of the media, the less voices you will hear. American isn't a one-way street, you know.
Air America has .some strong female voices, including yourself. Laura Flanders. Janeane Garofalo, Liz: Winstead, and Katharine Lan- phur Additionally. I notice that many of your callers are women. Do ytni see the ainuives in general as a medium that's diversif}ing. and becoming more inclusive of women and people of color?
You know I was told at the beginning of m\ career that "You will NEVER get women to
listen to talk radio." When thev said "nc\er"
I thought, ok then, let's talk to women. The trick is to talk to women but never alienate men. Otherwise, you end up unmarried and alone, in NY, during the Holidays and (Oh... wait, 1 digress).
Seriously. I think Im the first political talk show host to attract women listeners. Women have been called every name in the book by conservatives. From murderers to Nazis. Why would they feel comfortable lis- tening to talk radio? 1 know women. My best friends are women, and they are the backbone of the American family. When the shit hits the fan. it's usually the woman who raises the kids, makes bills, and nurtures all. I've known lots of great men too. But you have to admit, there are more single moms than dads, and no one was talking to them, telling them. "I hear the baby, go breast feed."
I've let men know 1 adore them, and I do, but that women are just amazing crea- tures. We bring home the bacon, fr>' it up in the pan. and then wear it as pasties!
People of color have alw ays allied with me. Maybe because I was a minority voice or because they felt that I was being held back because I was liberal and a woman and thc_\ got it. I have a bond w ith my listeners that I can't explain but I know is real.
During the first few months of Air .America, many people were an.xious to talk about its imminent demise. A year later you ve grown rapidly and are on more than 40 affiliates. I have a Vwo-part question. First, what do you have to say to those doomsayers. and where do you think .Air America is going?
Knowing what they were saying even BE- FORE we launched, it was no surprise that they would talk us down. Now I think they see w hat you and 1 see. and I think they know their gravy train just ended. And ft^nkly, the only people w ho are in radio are people who can't do anything else. They are scared and vicious and that's a bad combination if you're an "Air American." We took all their liberal listeners and we attract a good chunk of their conser\ati\e listeners who know something is wrong w ith this president's leadership.
Here's your bonus question. If theiv was a Randi Rhodes Show trivia game, what would be the most difficult question to answer?
^ou know. I think people know every- thing about me. my fanuly. my friends, my dogs. (Actually. I'm down to one dog these days.) So. I'd go with:
Q. What's the name of Randi's fibroid? A. Bob -A-
l.isun It) RainU weekdays from 3pm-7pm EST on
Mr Aiiii-ricti RiiJio (.iinmicricurodio com)
(NJ
■||^l|^pVMP^ ^^B .i^fl^^^FV Working in independent media often
^^H^ ^Sm ^^^^^^^^ entails late nights, backaches, too
PmBi J^l^^^^^^ ^^^^ coffee, low or no pay, and the
^' ' l^^^^^^BH endless frustration of challenging the
corporate media monsters. Despite all this, countless alternative sources of media continue to persevere, and with the accessibility of new technology, many new ones are forming. To recog- nize the tireless, essential, and excep- .^^^_^^_ ^^^^ tional work of our allies in independent ^ ^Hj^^H^^^ ^^^1 media, Clamor is proud to present the Golden Soapbox Awards. Considering
^'' ^^^_ ^ ^^^^^^^ there, we could have filled an entire is-
sue with nominations. What follows are
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ some of the most outstanding people,
'« 1 1 1 1 1 1 r I ■^^^H^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^H projects, and organizations filling the
A ^% I ^\ f |k I ^ ^% A ^\ ^\ ^\ \M void in the media landscape. We give
1^ III III 111 ^ I I U Wi um I I A fhem our gratitude, praise, and sup-
UULULIl OUftrUUA port, and hope you do too.
awards
above: Democracy Now! host Amy Goodman interviews Haitian President Jean-Bertrand Aristide after he was forced from office into exile.
INTERNET NEWS, POLITICS, AND FUN ""
Best Independent News Site Best News Digest tirst trip there and is one of the few "unennbeds" re-
maining. In addition to his website, Jamail's articles
Common Dreams ■•■'% 'j?^''-- Buzzflash ^ji^^^ ^PP^^^ ^^ Newstandardnews.org and Antiwar.com,
commondreams.org tammoiA buzzflash.com /WimS' and he is regularly interviewed on Democracy Now!,
Progressive wire, news, and press •■.n,ea„i? Sometimes known as the "Un- mjjljjj^ Free Speech Radio News, and Air America, releases from around the world, •■■... ...••■ drudge Report," Buzzflash offers t^
all gathered in one site and updat- one of the most extensive digests ''■■ -■'' Al Jazeera
ed daily. Plus there's Russel Mokiber's of the day's news in addition to edi- english.aljazeera.net
"Scottie and Me " section (formerly An and I), a must torials, cartoonists, alerts, interviews, even an audio Anything provoking such ire from the Bush adminis-
read if you're in need of a laugh, and to get an idea section titled "GOP Hypocrite of the Week." tration has got to be worth checking out (Rumsfeld
of the absurdity of White House press briefings. has called it "Osama bin Laden's mouthpiece").
Grist With a focus on Iraq, Afghanistan, and the Middle
Indymedia grist.org East. Al Jazeera added an English-version web site
indymedia.org The informative, amusing online environmental a few years ago.
No surprises here. In five short years, open-pub- magazine also sends out a daily or weekly digest of
lishing Independent Media Centers have sprouted all the latest environmental news. Anti-War
in about 150 cities across the globe, expanded to antiwar.com
include print and broadcast, and are responsible for Cursor A project of the libertarian, non-interventionism
some of the most comprehensive, up-to-date cover- cursor.org Randolph Bourne Institute launched during the Clin-
age of mass demonstrations. Daily news summaries on national and international ton administration, Antiwarcom provides extensive
linking to original sources. Lots of other links to coverageof American foreign policy and imperialism
The New Standard blogs, online media, newspapers, media research, through original articles and commentary, syndicat-
newstandardnews.org maps, documents and memos, people, books, and ed pieces, and daily links to breaking news.
Just reaching its year anniversary, TNS has pub- humor.
lished more than 1200 original, progressive hard Honorable Mention: BzgMzi burning
news articles, with extensive coverage of Iraq, Civil Best News on Iraq riverbendblog.blogspot.com
Liberties, and the 2004 Election. And they've even --^^ Riverbend's blog isn't updated often (lack of daily
earned the distinction of being threatened by de- Dahr Jamail ..-i' "^^^ electricity doesn't make it easy to), but her posts
fense contractor CACI International for their cover- dahriamailiraq.com ^jft^^B vividly describe the chaos, frustration, and anger of
age of torture in Iraqi prisons. Fed up with the corporate me- ^^^^m day to day conditions for Iraqis under the US occu-
dia coverage of the War on Iraq, ^i^ pation - details of which are often left out of both
Jamail independently financed his the mainstream and independent press.
w
Best Political Blog
Dailykos
dailykos.com
While the site's been up since 2002, many people were turned on to it during Election 2004 for all the latest in voter suppression, electronic voting controversies, key state races, and GOTV campaigns. This is a favorite among both in- dependent and mainstream media consumers, and considered one of the best and most popular politi- cal blogs, period.
They Rule
theyrule.net
They Rule puts the US ruling class under a micro- scope, proving a forum, interact map and research- ing tools, databases, and links to help citizens understand the connections between powerful cor- porations, the people who run them, and their influ-
RADIO
Best Independent Radio Station
WORT
wort-fm.org
Madison, Wisconsin's listener- sponsored, community-powered radio station, broadcasting for nearly 30 years. Featuring locally produced public affairs programs like Third World View, Her Turn, and the Access Hour; and folk, punk, indie rock, blues, latino, and pan-African music shows, to name a few.
KFAI
kfai.org
Another community radio gem, shaking up the air- waves in the Twin Cities for 25 years. In the volun- teer-powered spirit, KFAI invites the public to learn the basics of making radio, providing a venue for those people and ideas ignored by the mainstream media.
ence on the economy. An indispensable resource for journalists and concerned citizens alike.
The Narcosphere
narcosphere narconews.com
The blog portion of Narco News and the School of
Authentic Journalism, this multi-lingual site focuses
on coverage of the drug war from Latin America, and
other facets of US foreign policy and imperialism.
Posts come from a diverse band of international
voices.
Best Progressive Entertainment Site
Bushflash aka Eric Blumrich
buzzflash.com and ericblumrich.com A veritable clearinghouse of anti-Bush videos, ani- mations, slideshows, and a community forum and gallery. Animations are also subtitled in ten lan- guages.
Mark Flore markfiore.com
Fiore takes political cartoons to another level with short, quippy flash animations - sometimes interac- tive ones - that provide a few laughs, while taking a critical look at US politics and the Bush admin- istration.
The Onion
theonion.com
More than just a free entertainment rag, the biting and unapologetic satire of The Onion provides timely commentary on currrent affairs to a nation-wide au- dience. Music and film reviews definitely cover the mainstream, but there are usually a few renegades in the mix too.
Pacifica
pacifica.org
The oldest progressive radio network in the U.S., Pa- cifica has gone through much turbulence in recent years. While the organization gradually recoups from the damage, the five Pacifica stations (KPFA. KPFK, KPF, WBAI, and WPFW) continue to provide some of the most critical and innovative news, public af- fairs, arts, and culture programming.
Best Progressive Radio Host
^
'^
Amy Goodman
Host, Demcracy Now! This unflagging journalist and independent media activist, may be the predictable winner for this category, and will likely earn similar titles for years to come. But Amy Goodman's recog- nition is well deserved, for her dedication to social justice issues, for continuing to ask tough ques- tions, and for exposing some of the most important, under-reported stories of the last two decades.
Randi Rhodes
Host. The Randi Rhodes Show Okay, so as a daily four-hour talk show on the com- mercial, progressive Air America network, this isn't technically "independent." But Rhodes is one of the most knowledgeable people on the radio, using facts, sources, and statistics to back up her com- mentary. Her program and personality are rather addicting, as the many daily callers pledging their love attest.
Deepa Fernandes
Host, Free Speech Radio News Another progressive voice heard daily on the air- waves, Fernandes is an accomplished, audio pro- ducer who's reported award-winning documentaries and reports on neglected communities and issues from across the globe, mcluding Cuba. Mexico. India and Australia.
o
o
S
Best Newspaper
The Guardian
guardian.co.uk ;
The Guardian could very well be v^ the longest-running independent '/. daily still in existence. It was found- ed in 1821, after the army turned its weapons on a peaceful rally in Manchester, and remains free of corporate and press-baron ownership through a trust that protects the paper's independence. If you don't have access to a newsstand that carries it, you can subscribe to The Guardian Weekly, or of course, access the website.
Indypendent
indypendent.org
The newspaper of the NYC Indymedia Center is pub- lished biweekly and distributed for free all over the five boroughs. Content is timely and insightful, and covers a range of domestic and international news. If you don't live in NYC. a full pdf download of the publication is available online.
Philly Independent
philadelphiaindependent.net The Monthly Journal of Urban Particulars is a pro- gressive paper offering coverage of news, culture, and the arts with an emphasis on the greater Phila- delphia region, (see review in murmurs section)
Best Magazine
LIP
lipmagazine.org
Beginning in 1996 as a zine. LiP has evolved into a solid magazine over the years, and both print and on- line versions have unique offerings. (Sign-up for the weekly media picks, a colorful and often surprising digest of web audio, articles, and cartoons) The print version gets accolades for the creative, eye- catching layout and. of course, the provocative con- tent and intelligent reporting.
EDUCATION AND ACTIVISM
Best Media Literacy/Activism Organiza- tion
Action Coalition for Media Education (ACME)
acmecoalition.org ACME may be fairly new to the block (the organization started in 2002), but they're growing steadily with chapters in New Mexico, Vermont, and Southern California and an up- coming ACME Summit in 2006. ACME formed in response to a demand for a media literacy organization that was free from corporate media funding and other profit-driven influences. In addi- tion to distributing curricula, ACME media activists promote independent media making and participate in local, state, and national media reform efforts.
Prometheusradio.org
prometheusradio.org
The founding members of this mircoradio power- house began their voyage "on the oceans of aether as pirates to protest media concentration and de- mand access to the airwaves." Projects include trainings, mentorships, legal advising, and the fa- mous barnraisings during which low-power stations are constructed from the ground-up. Prometheus Radio also won a landmark lawsuit against FCC last year, which prevented the commission from further relaxing radio, TV, and newspaper ownership rules.
Reclaim the Media
reclaimthemedia.org
Pacific NW independent journalists, activists, and community organizers promoting press freedom and community media access, while fighting FCC deregulation and lack of diversity in the media. Seattle-area cable subscribers can watch RTM TV, Thursdays at 11 PM. The website offers news, fo-
rums, audio, media justice resources, and lots of media activism links.
Best Media Watchdogs
FAIR
fair.org
One of the most visible media watchdogs, FAIR delivers timely and thorough critiques of bias and •••^j .v.-^-- censorship in the media, and pro- duces the bimonthly Extra! and weekly radio program, Counterspin. Subscribe to their email action alerts, and you can be a part of the growing grassroots media movement that won't let the cor- porate media get away with lies, distortion, and the reckless coverage that passes for journalism.
Project Censored
proiectcensored.org
Independent media coverage is difficult enough to distribute to a large audience, much less preserve after the publication dates. But Project Censored's yearly list of 25 top overlooked and under-reported stories insures further dissemination of these im- portant issues, and also serves as an archive for years to come. Don't forget to nominate for next year's edition!
Public Accuracy
accuracy.org
A media watchdog organization that throws its resources into getting alternative voices into the media - both progressive and mainstream. Each week, the IPA highlights key issues and provides a roster of experts from academia. public-interest groups, and grassroots organizations to give rapid responses about breaking stories. The work of the IPA has proved invaluable, in both helping reporters add progressive voices to their stories, and in broad- ening overall diversity and discourse in the media.
Best Progressive Agitprop
Pink Bloque
pinkbloque.org
Frustrated by the didactic and alienating tactics of '60s radical politics still being used at dem- onstrations, this group of Chicago activists began energizing protests with bright colors, catchy slogans, pop music, and radical booty shaking. The spirited actions break barriers between people (especially with bystanders and law enforcement), a perfect environment to get out the word about the wage gap, militarism, civil liberties, and violence against women.
©TMark
rtmark.org
This subversive, culture-jamming corporation has pulled off some pretty unbelievable feats. Back in 1993, there was the Barbie Liberation Organization project, which switched the voice boxes on hundreds of Barbie and Gl Joe Dolls, then returned them to stores. New projects and techniques have evolved tremendously, including Gatt.org and The Yes Men, and their continued successes in impersonating CEOs and world trade officials across the globe.
The People's Guide to the RNC 2004
Rncguide.com
The demonstrations in NYC for the 2004 Republican National Convention were some of the most orga- nized and technically advanced. The RNC Guide was a tremendous resource, laying out event locations, protest sites, bathrooms, affordable restaurants and lodging, bike shops, bail bondsmen, and WIFI locations. In addition to portable sizes, the map was also available in a super-size wall version for large scale organizing.
Yes!
yesmagazine.org
Agriculture, Science, Race, Art, Spirituality, Politics, and Youth are )ust some of the areas covered in the Bainbridge Island, WA-based Yes! magazine. The people behind this quarterly publication also have a sister organization, the Positive Futures Network, and both seek to raise awareness of and participa- tion in sustainable communities. Past articles in- clude an interview with former war correspondent Chris Hedges, a resource guide for healing and resistance, and- a prohle of the Colombian peace movement.
Colorlines
colorlines.com
A multi-racial quarterly publication covering politics, culture, art, the environment, gender, labor, organiz- ing, and the color lines that still exist in the 21" Cen- tury. There is also a new wire service feature on the
website, which distributes monthly updates on news and information exploring race and race relations.
Best Political Publication
Left Turn
leftturn.org
A magazine, book publisher, and network. Left Turn operates from cities coast to coast, exploring issues of anti-capitalism, anti-im- perialism, workers' rights, and social justice. Left Turn articles on the agri-food system, Brazilian President Lula da Silva and neo-liberalism, and the radical reconstruction of Iraq's economy all made Project Censored's top-25.
In These Times
inthesetimes.com
W\[h 28 years of history out of the Windy City, in
These Times produces some of the best investiga- tive reporting, progressive news and analysis, and arts and culture reviews. Contributors vary issue to issue, with regular staff contributions from Salim Muwakkil, Susan Douglas, and editor Joel Bleifuss in addition to guest contributors Arundhati Roy, Kurt Vonnegut, Clamor contributor Kari Lyndersen, and many others.
Bitch
bitchmagazine.com
Inspired by a love/hate relationship with pop cul- ture, a need to open a forum about gender in the media, and a desire to revitalize the voice of femi- nism, Bitcti has been a mainstay in alternative magazine publishing for the better part of the last decade. Sharp, surprising, and witty analysis of the (mis)representations of women in film, TV, videos, magazines, and on the web.
3 n a.
(fl
FILM AND VIDEO
Best Independent Movie Distributor
Women Make Movies wmm.com
This long-running multi-racial media arts organization has pro- duced, promoted, and distributed independent films by and about women since 1972. But their interna- tional distribution program is their primary focus, getting films (500 in their catalog) out to colleges, galleries, community centers, labor halls, even the US Army.
Third World Newsreel
twn.org
Another seasoned independent media arts organi- zation. Third World Newsreel has been around since 1967, with their first black and white films on the Black Panthers, the Young Lords, and the anti-war and civil rights movements. The organization also provides training, exhibitions, and technical sup- port.
Whispered Media
whisperedmedia.org
A video activist collective using media tools for so- cial, economic, and environmental justice, and to
strengthen grassroots organization. Founding mem- bers of the Video Activist Collective and Indymedia, Whisper Media is the distribution cell of these Bay Area media activists. Check out the website, where you can watch numerous clips and order videos.
Best Film and Video Training
Paper Tiger TV
papertiger.org
Since 1981 this New York-based volunteer video collective has made hundreds of programs air- ing on public access channels that challenge and offer an alternative to mainstream media. Democratizing the process of making TV is part of their mission, and PTTV offers video produc- tion training, media literacy workshops, community screenings, and grassroots activism for anybody that wants to get involved.
Third World Majority
cultureisaweapon.org
Based in San Francisco, TWM is run by a collective of young women of color, and focuses on developing media programming that works toward global jus- tice and social change through grassroots political organizing. Their focus project is a three-day com-
munity digital storytelling workshop, which teaches people to tell their stories by combining personal objects like letters, news clippings, photos, with digital media.
Alliance for Community Media Video Machete
videomachete.org
The Chicago-based intergenerational, multi-ethnic collective trains youth to document their stories through graphic design, digital video, audio pro- duction, and multi-media projects. With a mission to produce programming ignored or erased by the mainstream media, recent projects focus on immi- grant youth, LBT women, and media activism.
Did we miss your favorite independent media projects Put ttiem on our radar by emailing us at soapbox@clamormagazine. org
Are you tired of swatting at flies? Frustrated that we're not forward-leaning enough on our problems? Think it's time for a full-scale review? Then this year's Allied Media Conference is for you. We'll be discussing and presenting new solutions to old problems. For all the zinesters, filmmakers, radio pirates, journalists, MCs, and friends, this is the place to come together and remove those obstacles we all face individually but can only remove collectively. ,^
The AMC is the largest gathering of grassroots media makers from all across the country. The conference features hands- on workshops, film screenings, artist presentations, a large exhibition hall to share our work, facilitated discussions, and a series of workshops for educators on using independent media in the classroom. Set in a small, midwest town, it's also a space to strengthen our community and enjoy each other's company.
if?t
^ J
ra@M ©(o)DQi]GQ(o)[iD©
ALLIED MEDIA CONFERENCE 2005
June 17-19 in Bowling Green, Ohio iWww.aiiiedmediaconference.com
«
HOW THE NEWS IS MADE
Jessica Azulay and Catherine Komp
breakfast
oorJ
UM'EK. T^AT PA>^ /
SPRAWL MART WELCOMED BY JOYOUS COMMUNITY
\/
AT A 5P?-AVJUtAA«T 6rR?oviP -i-HoJSANDS tVW^P o^rr TO , AK^D LOW ?^\^s orre^P^^
E.V&IO SMALL. C«lLDRe.fJ
o o
|
A |
-V |
||
|
1/ Tl£^S iff?'' In ' |
^ A^ |
VCUU AS A HAN^OfuU |
|
|
I^B^^^^^ ^ |
|||
|
^^^y "^^ ^ |
w |
J |
The National
Conference
for Media Reform
May 13-15,2005
Millennium Hotel
St. Louis, Missouri
wwvv.freeDress.net/conference
Gathering. Momentum.
The war in Iraq.
The 2004 election.
Corporate media failed us on the most important issues of our time.
Now do something about it.
The National Conference for Media Reform will be a crucial forum to discuss visionary and practical solutions to the problems of our media.
Join thousands of activists, educators, journalists, artists, scholars and concerned citizens this May for three days of networking, strategizing and momentum-building.
The event will offer dozens of policy roundtable discussions, hands-on workshops, and a variety of sessions on media ownership and consolidation, grassroots organizing, globalization, media literacy, public broadcasting, intellectual property, commercialism, community Internet, and much more.
Join us
To register for the conference or for more information - including an up-to- date list of confirmed speakers and panelists, program outline, lodging options and scholarship information - visit www.freepress.net/conference.
Then explore the rest of the www.freepress.net Web site, where you can learn more about media reform, get the latest news from Washington and the grassroots, sign up to receive action alerts, and much more.
convened by
/•* convenea oy ^'^
treepress
Free Press is a non-profit organization working to involve the public in media policy-making and to craft policies for a more democratic media system.
The 2003 National Conference for Media Reform in Madison, Wise, brought together more than 1 ,700 people and invigorated the media reform movement. This year's event promises to be even better. Among those scheduled to attend:
Eric Alterman
/Author, What Liberal Media?
Bill Fletcher
TransAfrica Forum
Al Franken
Comedian
Amy Goodman
Democracy Now!
Juan Gonzalez
New York Daily News
Robert Greenwald
Director, Outfoxed
Arianna Huffington
Syndicated Columnist
Janine Jackson
FAIR
Naomi Klein
Author, No Logo
George Lakoff
Author, Don't Think of an Elephant
Robert McChesney
Founder, Free Press
John Nichols
The Nation
May 13-15,2005 • St. Louis
V
Life in Iraq, as told by 16-Year Old "Aunt Najma
MMOSUL
0">'cr the last decade, the Internet has become the international water cooler of our times. Every- body has a version of what happened yesterday and, now, everybody has a chance not only to tell but also to publish his or her story. This became doubly im- portant in Iraq, where war, insurgent bombs, civilian casualties, roadside attacks, U.S. tanks, and soldiers all create confusion and uncertainty in daily life.
As mainstream U.S. news outlets rely on embedded reporters to tell the stories, people are turning to a different source for on-the- ground reporting: blogs. The first of now more than 30 bloggers out of Iraq was Salam Pax (not his real name), who began posting letters to a friend in Jordan in Deceinber 2002. Hours before U.S. troops attacked. Pax wrote the now infamous words on March 2 1 , 2003: "2 more hours until! (sic) the B52"s get to Iraq."
The Iraqi bloggers write posts in varying levels of English, often intended for audiences outside Iraq. The writers include dentists, high school students, architects, and engineers. According to Rashid Kha- lidi, a professor of Arab Studies at Columbia University, electricity shortages keep most Iraqis from having regular access to the Internet.
Scattered throughout the blogs are readers' demands for the iden- tities of the Iraqi bloggers. It is a blogosphere idiosyncrasy that a ma- jority of bloggers, regardless of national boundaries, choose to write under pseudonyms. The responses to disclosure requests are usually variations on, "If you don't believe it, then don't read it." For some opposite: Abdullah's neice Aya set against a picture outside of Abdulah's school.
Charu Gupta
Iraqi bloggers, the answer tends to be "I don't want to get killed," or "I want to continue writing freely."
One thing is certain, however. On the many Iraqi blogs^ there is an immediacy, a visceral truth about what's happening in neighboring houses and streets. Whether their identities are known or not, bloggers connect with readers on an emotional level. And, given the lack of U.S. reporting on civilian casualties and injuries, many Iraqi blog- gers provide eyewitness accounts of things that cannot be otherwise known. Even if one of them may be untrue, they are a slice of real- ity, chosen by the writer, and filtered through their words and percep- tions.
A Star in Mosul is the blog of 16-year-old Najina Abdullah (a pseudonym - Najma is "star" in Arabic), who also calls herself "Aunt Najma" after recently welcoming her niece Aya into the world. Her father is a doctor and her mother is a civil engineer and university lecturer Abdullah is in an advanced high school for girls and is eager to attend a university, but her education is currently another casualty of war. Her words, however, are making history.
The next few pages feature an abridged version of Abdullah's blog
from November and December 2004. No spelling errors or typos have
been corrected.
Translations:
Eid. Eid al-hada; Muslim holiday known as "Feast of the Sacrifice"
Fiitoor. Meal taken at sunset to break fasting
Hijcih: Traditional Muslim woman's headscarf
Gargoor. Grover from Sesame Street
IN*
o
N
in
o o
Friday, November 12, 2004
CVn;/;g with no tears
Everything started the day before yesterday; they declared a curfew at Mosul TV from 4PM Wednesday, till 6AM on Friday. The Arabic media didn't mention anything and so half of the Iraqi people didn't know about it.
In the meanwhile my oldest sister was in our house, it has passed 4PM when we knew about it, so we decided to drop her at her house (Which is the same as her parents- in-law) in the morning next day.
The morning came, 1 was sleeping at my room upstairs, and a war of bullets started... I decided to move myself down when it started to be a heavy fighting and there were also ex- plosions and mom was shouting at me to get down... It was 10AM. My oldest sister was ready to go, but she can't go in such situation so she decided to wait till it clams down.
My brother-in-law was supposed to come before the Eid. We didn't know uhen exactly, because the hospital's phone is bro- ken... My oldest sister (Let's call her S now) was so worried that he'll come and get stuck in the other side of the city because of the curfew, so she tried to call him on a friend's mobile, it wasn't working but it did at about 1 1AM, she told her to tell him not to come because the situation is too bad and he won't make it till here.. The friend told her that he already started his way to Mosul an hour ago. Here S started to worry too much!! Till about 1 1 :30, her sister-in -law called and told her to call her husband on the mobile because she's Trying to and failing... She said also that her father-in-law got shot in his leg while trying to get back from the clinic, and he's in the hospital and that her husband should go with him since nobody in the neighborhood can move his head out of the door! The war was horribly improving.
S called her brother-in-law, and he told her that he is in the hospital and that his father has DIED...
I can't describe how 1 telt, I was crying and shaking and the tears wouldn't go out... I just held Aya who's just lost a grandpa and made sure she won't cry and make things worse. S was terribly SAD. confused, and WORRIED about everything. Mostly about her husband who's in his way to a big sur- prise and about her sister-in-law who's alone at home in the middle of the war. pregnant in her 9th month..
For 4 hours and a half, we were stuck at home, making sure dad won't get out of the house in this war, trying to clam Aya who was frightened at\er a loud explosion... Those were one of the most horrible moments in my life. People calling asking it what they've heard about S's father-in-law was true, my sister crying and worried (I've never seen her like that), y cars burning in the street, and then S's brother-in-law called and asked about the place
where they keep the cotton (They brought his father home, and they're trying to wash him like the Muslims do to their dead before bury- ing them), there were no enough cotton and they can't go out to buy some.
1 talked a lot till now so I'll try to shorten things. At 3PM, things calmed down... Dad drove S to her house, and there they were ready to get the body and burry it. Dad went with them since he was his friend, and came back after we've had futoor.
Till 5:30, my brother-in-law finally ar- rived! Thank God. He was stuck for 1:30 minutes with his luggage on the other side of the bridge, and he came on foot from the bridge to his house, eager to see his little daughter after a month of absence... And here he comes, to find his dad dead and buried!
Nobody knows who shoot him, but everybody knows that he's now in Heaven. He died in the night of power, fasting, and shaheed. At least he's seen his first grand- child who'll carry his name (Aya)... His son said that this was the death that he's always dreamt of
I had two eye doctors. Both are dead now!! Imagine! Both are killed now! This one was so kind and he was shy from me more that I was from him. Both men are great in everything and have the best man- ners and I'm not exaggerating.
Okay, it was a long day that I slept at 10 o'clock and I was so tired. 1 woke up at 2:30AM (The mosque was calling at that time, telling us to be careful and to guard the neighborhood because a bad group of robbers and destroyers has entered the city somehow!!) and started praying and reading Quran till 5:15AM. It's the night of power, we should pray a lot...
Then mom woke me up at 12AM, I was awake along time ago. but 1 knew there's noth- ing to happen, days arc looong these days, and the things that happen are rarely good.
Now, we can't even get near S's house. An American Stry ker is near the house shoot- ing every car coming near by. We wanted to get Aya here so that S can be more comfort- able but we couldn't.
Dad is trying to convince me that ev- erybody has his own day to die and that not allowing him to get out is not a solution!! That's how things are going on, the war is not over and I slept at the sound of bullets and explosions last night... Mom said that this war is the worst among all the others... The .Arabic media didnt mention anything!!
Tomorrow is Eid; this is the worse night of Eid I've ever been in. I wonder whether we'll wait for that song ^i J^ ^t^-^ ij,.^->:\5ji like always, or just forget about it.
I'll wake up tomorrow (If I'm alive of course) and put on my new clothes, and sec if we're going to get out...
PS: I made lots of mistakes in the brother-
in-law, sister-in-law thing since I don't know how you call them in English). posted hy Aunt S'ajma (a^ 1:1S P.\f
IMonday, November 15, 2004
What 's happening for two Ja\s'.'?
Okay, today is the first day of Eid.. 1 was mis- taken when I said it was yesterday, it's just confusing because the mosques did say that it was yesterday but then we had an announce- ment on TV that denies it, so we just fasted another day and started the Eid today.
It doesn't seem like we're going out of the house! Although I really w ish I will since I spent a lot of time fixing my hijab!! Mom and dad w ent and took Aya to spend the day here and then they'll drive her back to her mom before the curfew starts at 4 o'clock. They say that the Americans release \ iolent dogs in the streets at night so that people won't get out (I want some respect!! Dogs!). I remember when I used to get bored at night w hen people start leaving and the Eid ends, now I haven't even seen any of my uncles since dad came back from Egypt.
My bundle of joy (As someone once called her) came today with a toy from her dad. he calls it Gargoor. it's one of the char- acters of Semsimi street (Not sure of the spelling).. Mom gave her her gift of Eid from yesterday, it's that thing that spins o\er her head on her bed at night and sings. Her mom said that the emotions on her face when the toys started spinning and singing (Twinkle Twinkle little star!!) were unexplainable, she was totally surprised and excited. She's surely helped her father a lot these days, she's talking to him all the time.. She doesn't speak Arabic yet. just Irr. Orr. Arr and such words. posted by Aunt Sajma (a 2:03 PM
Thursday, November 18, 2004
Going out..!
Yeppy. I saw two more uncles today. It was calm in the morning, so we went out and \ is- ited two of my uncles, and then dropped b> my big sister's house and I saw m\ brother- in-law for the first time for a month, and he was alright as it seemed, a little angry at cry- ing Aya..
The weather w as nice and the sky was re- ally blue w ith w hite big nice clouds. The water is the street is reflecting the bluencss of the sky and all the other things were washed by the rain. I took some pictures that I'll try to post hea\.
We made an arrangement w ith my sister and her husband that we'll come tomorrow and take .Aya to stay with us till ihe curlew (At 4PM).
Nobody seems to be going lo school soon, and the parents aren't ready to send their kids there..
We also bought bread, we've been un- able to buy it for a week, now I can eat sand- witches as much as I want.. We bought falafel too, which is by the way my favourite meal.
There are no Police nor American sol- diers in the streets we went through, just peo- ple.. The gasoline stations were full, and there were also a long line of cars and the drivers were waiting to their turn to fill their cars.
We can see those black pieces of cloth that the Iraqis have used to write their dead people's names on, plenty of them were hanged along the road, most of them were killed by either the terrorists or the American soldiers.. I've called my friend yesterday who told me about her brother's friend who is in the medical school.. Robbers have tried to kill him and his 18-year-old brother for their car but for some reason didn't get the car, the 18-year-old one died and the other is in the hospital now.. In the same accident, a woman with her infant were crossing the street, the infant got a bullet and died in the hospital!!
As some Iraqis have used the walls to practice their free speech after the war, a wall of a school has a writing that says: "We'll kill everyone who'll participate in the elections", in Arabic. I was few days ago urging my parents to go participate in the elections, if we didn't vote, who will!! But, I guess I'll stop urging anyone now since it's a dangerous thing like everything else.. Let's just hope that the ones who'll vote will vote for the RIGHT person. posted hy Aunt Najma (a^ 5:54 PM
Friday, November 26, 2004
What s happening? (Updated)
Today, at 7PM, we had electricity for the first time in 35 hours!! We spent all this time on the generators. There was no problem except for water. Water is so cold in winter, the heat- ers only operate on electricity (Although we have non-electric heaters, but dad hoped that the electricity will come soon and he didn't turn them on), and with no heaters, we have very cold water!
At night yesterday, I brushed my teeth, the water was so cold that all my teeth started aching! I didn't dare to wash my face with such cold water although I needed to (I've declared a war against acne!).
Today, I heard one BIG explosion and few far shooting! Nothing close to us.
I'm having a difficulty with studying. Although we didn't go back to school, but we do need to study! Whenever I take a school- book to read, 1 lose any desire to study. Whenever I take a book (Any book but not a school-book), 1 start reading right away with
no laziness! We might go back to schools if things stayed that way, calm and stable com- pared to the past few days.
And now, dear bed, here I come :)
Good night everybody,
Najma
posted by Aunt Najma @ 1:00 AM
Tuesday, December 14, 2004
Bad news, funny news and good news..
Let's start with some bad news.. A neigh- bor got kidnapped today at about 7:30AM. I heard the shooting and some shouting in the morning but didn't know what happened, dad heard about the kidnapping in the mosque (That's where all the neighbors exchange their news). He was kidnapped from his BED.. The kidnappers called then asking for money (50,
000 US dollars!!)
I had a terrible mistake at the Chemis- try exam today, it can cost me from 5 to 20 marks. I almost cried but the students were admiring my courage and how 1 don't cry at such stuff so 1 just couldn't cry.. That's bet- ter.
A little bomb exploded infront of our car the day before yesterday on our way to school. There were strykers infront of us but the explosion was small and no body was hurt. 1 turned the mobile on right when the explosion occurred, mom called at once, and said that dad has jumped out of bed and he's looking for us outside! 1 felt so sorry for them,
1 can't imagine how they felt when they heard the explosion.
A funny news.. I gave inom the right to have my hair cut, for the first time. 1 didn't care if she messed it up or not, for two rea- sons, nobody will see it since we're not get- ting out of the house, and there's no way that I can't have it cut by a hair dresser, they close their shops early and we can't get out of the house.. 1 just kept praying that she won't mess it up, and kept laughing of the strange way she held the scissor. Well, the results aren't bad at all!
Now, some good news. Aya's cousin was born today, it's a girl, but we didn't know what they named her. My older sis- ter left Aya at our house and went with her husband to the hospital to take care of her sister-in-law, her husband was in Baghdad and couldn't attend the birth of his first child (Just like his brother).. Those men don't have luck to watch their children's birth.
And as usual, I'm sure there was some- thing else, but 1 have to go to sleep..
Good night..
Sleep tight..
Don't let the bed bugs bite..
posted by Aunt Najma @ 9:54 PM
Saturday, December 25, 2004
Meriy Christmas everyone
We went to school today, it was raining heavi- ly, and it didn't make me feel well. But, when we reached school, they sent us back to our houses. I don't know when will we be able to go back to school and start a stable year.
We're running out of bread, and the bakery shops aren't having enough gasoil (I can't distinguish between gasoline, gasoil or anything else), and this is a problem.. Some people are freezing in their houses from the cold weather and they have no gasoil to turn on their heaters (That's something else I'm not sure of its name, I don't think you even use it!). Plus, I was telling mom that I'll need to take a shower today when dad told me that I'll have to wait till Thursday; we're not getting enough electricity to heat the water, and we don't have enough gasoil to heat it on fire.
Yes, it looks like we're going back to the dark ages and mom will soon have to bake the bread by herself.
Some better news; mom and dad are plan- ning to buy us a video digital camera to take videos of the new changes in dear Aya's life. She discovered yesterday that she has feet and was so happy about it like her mother said..
So, Christmas is not promising here.. It looks so dark outside although it's 2PM.. We went out tomorrow for my cousin's birthday (Who became 7 years old) and people are talk- ing about how courageous we are to go out at 4PM! ! I felt sorry for this boy, he was so afraid the day before yesterday when plains were throwing rockets from the sky. But I don't blame him, mom was so scared too.
I feel like I'm getting more pessimistic everyday. But I'm more positive than I look like here..
Okay, Merry Christmas one more time, and
good bye.
posted by Aunt Najma @ 1:40 PM "A'
ed. note: the hospitalized brother later died.
Cham Gupta is a Cleveland-based freelance journalist. She writes about education, immi- gration and minority communities. Her work has appeared in The Progressive, Colorlines, Cleveland Scene, and Cleveland Magazine. She can be reached at charu@charugupta.net
"I'm having a difficulty with studying. Although we didn't go back to school, but we do need to study! Whenever I take a school-book to read, I lose any desire to study. Whenever I take a book (Any book but not a school-book), i start reading right away with no laziness! We might go back to schools if things stayed that way, calm and stable compared to the past few days."
o
o
N
making media in
^
Mili/i1;]4:i
in
o o
As an independent American journalist, covering the war in Iraq is a challenge, to say the least. Recogniz- ing that reporting news would nearly be impossible. Christian Parcnti, correspondent for The Nation, chose to focus on the culture of Iraq under occupa- tion. ''What 1 tried to cover is the texture, the cul- ture of the occupation, the texture of everyday life," Parcnti said in a recent interview in Brooklyn.
His writings from Iraq arc compiled in his latest book, 77?^ Freedom: Shadows and HaUiicinations in Occupied Iraq. In Iraq, Parcnti embedded with elite troops and reservists, and met with members of the Sunni and Shia resistance before the threat of kid- napping became too risky. He witnessed car bomb- ings, gunfights, and sweeps through the streets of Fallujah; he interviewed Iraqis held at Abu Ghraib and those just trying to live their lives in the midst of war.
Parcnti, a 35-year old writer, is the author of two other books. The Soft Cai^e and Lockdown America, and is a regular contributtir to The Nation and The Brooklyn Rail.
Interview h Collin Yeo
CIcimor: What is ihe higgesi difference between the .American public's perception of the situation in Iraq and tfiat of someone who has been there?
F'arcnti: The biggest difTerenee is that the level ofehaos in Iraq is inueh greater than most people here think. The situation in ecntral Iraq is re- ally out of control and I think it's headed towards a long-tenn melt- down. The war there is not going to stop for years and years, whether or not the U.S. slays or goes. I'm surprised people dont realize how out of control it is. It's gotten to the pomt now where journalists arc. for the most part, locked down in their hotels. It's \ery hard to move around: there are very few journalists doing anything uncmbedded.
Another major perception is just racism, that Iraqis are simple sheepherders who live in tents. That's not the case. Iraqis are \er> intellectual, very sophisticated.
As a freelance Joiinuili.si there, working on a much lower budget than a lot of the television Journalists had. what do you think were .\omc of the major differences between your experiences and tho.Kc of the television Journalists?
We lived in dilTerent conditions; we lived in different hotels. I had a difVercnt set of peers and. therefore, a dilTerent kind of ideological set of references or reinforcements. We stayed in budget hotels.
The last time I was there, it was me, David I-nders [editor ol Baghdad Hullclin]. and Dahr .lamail (independent journalist and cor- respoiulenl lor The New Standard |. We were all American lefties in this beat-up little hotel tr\ing to Ir Ic out What 1 wrote atniut more
in The Freedom was the longer period of time I spent in the Aga- deer, which was this budget hotel with mostly European and Eastern- European freelancers. Everybody was broke and people weren't as careerist. They probably did a lot more drugs than people did at the Palestine Hotel and we would have lively political debates.
WTien you hang out with the mainstream press, everybody is re- ally polite and often avoid political debates. They're just dull, polite Ivy-Leaguers. When you go freelance and low budget, you end up with freaks, which is a lot more fun.
We were all pretty clearly anti-occupation. There was no pretense of. '"Gee what's going here?" We were all pretty opposed to the war. I definitely feel that my reporting was what 1 would say was objective, true to the facts. I reported facts that disagreed with my political posi- tion, but I also didn't go there with some faux-open mind.
Yeah, there was sort of, like, an urban myth, or urban myths, that cir- culated among U.S. soldiers about Al Jazeera being in cahoots with the resistance. When we'd show up at some military operation and we'd say, "Hey, we're journalists. Can we talk to you and come inside the cordon search and check things out?" Often the soldiers would say, "As long as you're not Al Jazeera!"
But. with v\hatever big story there had been, they would have their prejudice. One time it was Time magazine, and the soldier said, "You're not with Time magazine, are you?" Time magazine had just profiled the resistance. I was just like, "Whatever, man, I'm NOT with Time magazine."
Did that prejudice extend to other Arab news organizations or was it mainlv directed at Al Jazeera?
Having that position, writing for The Nation, and being a free- lancer, did you find yourself being treated any differently by the U.S. military?
No. Everybody gets the run-around at the center of the circus, in the Green Zone at the press conferences. There's very little information available there. If you're a daily journalist and you need the quote im- mediately from the big guy about the event that day, you have to go to those things and get that.
1 went to those things mostly for color because there was no real information available. If you asked difficult questions, you would get the run-around. I saw Christopher Dickey of Newsweek, who is a real- ly good journalist, asking difficult questions and just getting the usual run-around. But when you deal with military on the ground, usually they are just really glad to see another American.
What is the largest misconception about the war that is being .spread by the mainstream media?
The largest misconception is that the American empire is beneficent and competent. That's the constant implied assumption . . . and it's not true. This is not a big mission of mercy. It never was and it won't ever be. You hear this again and again. Even some people on the left say. "Well, we can't cut and run; we have a responsibility." The subtext of what they're saying, which they don't even think about, is that the U.S. wants to do good, and secondly, is capable of doing good. The U.S. is in Iraq to control the Middle East for much less than charitable purposes. To control the region, because it is crucial to the economy of both Europe and Asia, and to be able to play the petroleum gendarme in that region would give the U.S. subtle but very important leverage over the two other poles of world capitalism.
Journalists often talk about the need to remain professional in war- zones under great stress. Can you think of a time where you wanted to perhaps do more, or where you lost objectivity?
There wasn't anytime I wanted to, like, pick up a gun or anything like that. But I constantly felt the inadequacy of my efforts, vis-a-vis the nature of the crisis there. That's sort of a constant, dull pain. You realize that one's contribution is pretty limited as a print journalist, given the momentum of the whole project and given the momentum of television. Television controls the political discourse of this country in a way that's so powerful you just inherently feel inadequate: if you don't feel inadequate, you just feel the disproportionate firepower that they have.
First of all, most soldiers couldn't even tell the difference between Al Jazeera and Reuters. The 82'"' Airborne (not the exact unit that I embedded with and wrote about, but guys in the same area) captured and badly beat a three-man crew from Reuters who were all Arab. So there was definitely an assumption that Arab journalists were all with Al Jazeera, nev er mind that Al Jazeera had been steadily toning down its politics, and that a lot of Iraqis were like, "Fuck Al Jazeera, they're sell-outs," and were following and listening much more to Al Arabiya and other channels.
There was a cognitive dissonance. The soldiers were, like, "Yeah, the press is unfair," but then they'd be glad to see you. Everybody kind of wants to be famous. They would get steely-eyed and thrust their jaws out whenever the cameras came out.
When you go freelance and low budget, you end up with freaks, which is a lot more fun.
You have mentioned how Americans, both the public and military, have conscious and subconsciously racist views towards Iraqis. Do you feel that this a major reason why this war has been such a catastrophe?
In a way, yes, but I would not want that answer to be construed as, "If the American military, the U.S. government, and the C.I.A. were just culturally sensitive in the way they went in and destroyed Iraq and humiliated everybody, the Iraqis would have accepted it." That's not what I'm saying. The root cause of the problem is the policy.
The secondary problem, which has exacerbated the core prob- lem, is that, yes, there is a lot of ignorance about how Iraqi culture works and a lot of racism, which serves to just inflame things. But that's not the problem; that's just a sort of ancillary feedback loop that's exacerbating the problem.
The problem is that the Bush administration thinks that it can control the planet with military power and that it has rolled the dice in that direction. That's not the problem. That they invaded Iraq is the problem, if
Collin Yeo is a freelance writer living in Brooklyn. .MY. He is 22.
You have spoken in previous interx'iews about Salah Hassan, the Al Jazeera reporter who was captured by the U.S. Militaty and put in Abu Ghraib. Do you know of many instances in which the U.S. militaty had a bias against foreign journalists, specifically Al Jazeera reporters?
o
N Ul
Video Killed tl
II
Everything I needed to know 1 learned playing The Or- egon Trail. Don't shoot more game than you can eat. Make friends with the indigenous population, and always heed their advice. What you can't buy. trade for. Caulking the wagon and floating it across is preferable to fording the river. Above all. v\hen you lose too many oxen, it's time to rethink your strategy.
These days, teenagers learn to kill the indigenous population, bomb their villages, drain the river, and build a highway across it. Video games are now taking us east, not west, pushing us into vast new frontiers we never thought imaginable in the golden years of Apple II.
Not content with dazzling us from our televisions, the war in Iraq has morphed into a computer game as well. Called America's Anny, the game was released in October of 2002, the first of a series of games that will be released by the military over the next eight years. The software is being distributed free online and has already generated as many as four million users in the past two years.
Described by gaming magazines as "intensely realis- tic," Americas Army allows players to hear the soothing chirping of birds as they reload their sniper rifles on the shooting range. Should the player feel lost or ambivalent about his purpose in securing the world's safety, he need only scroll back to the Soldier's Creed ("I am disciplined, physically and mentally tough, trained and proficient in my warrior tasks and drills") and review some positive affir- mations that would put Alcoholics Anonymous to shame. Should a soldier rebel and shoot his commanding officer, he is swiftly relegated to a tiny jail cell, filled with the lone- some drones of a hannonica.
As a recruitment tactic. America's Arniy and the swath of other militar^-themed video games (including "Conflict: Desert Stomi 11 Back to Baghdad." the Air Force's "USAF: Air Dominance." and "SOCOM 11: U.S. Navy Seals") appear to be a success. In 1999, recruitment numbers fell to a 30-year low, which the Defense Depan- ment chased with a S2.2 billion recruitment budget.
The army spent between S6 and 7 million (of tax dol- lars) developing the game and, now, numbers show recruit- ment is on the rise. In 2004, the army signed up 77,587 soldiers, compared to 74.132 in 2003.
But computer games are only a few of the targets in the military's carpet-bombing campaign of the .Xmerican me- dia. War-themed tele\ ision shows that ha\c emerged in the last few years include "JAG," "Military Diaries," and Fox News's "War Stories," a program hosted by former Iran- Contra conspirator Oliver North. At the same lime, shows with hosts seen as critical of the war in Iraq, such as Phil Donahue, arc being cancelled by their networks. The televi- sion waxes between promoting its own versions of war and downplaying the versions of those w ho arc li\ ing through it.
David Robb is a Los Angeles-ba.sed journalist and author of the book Opcraiion Hollywood: How the Pen- Uifion Shapes ami Censors ihe Movies. "Fil\y years of war
jbove ".cteen shots Uom ihe Taiga scenes olthe America s Aimy video game
Football Star
Dan Gordon with help from Am Johal
propaganda in American films has contributed to a change in the American character," he said. "We're definitely more warhke today as a result."
Robb has done extensive research into the relationship be- tween the film industry- and the military, including inten'iews with former soldiers who confessed that their decision to join the military was directed influenced by war-themed movies.
He adds that the relationship between the Pentagon and war-themed movies runs deeper than most people imagine. During the 1986 release of Top Gun, military recruiters set up booths in theaters to catch moviegoers as they left. These days, they have cut out the middleman by distributing cameras to sol- diers, allowing them to record the official, sanitized versions of events as they happen and market them for distribution.
Marketing for the military has become a growth industry in the last 20 years. Recruiters have funncled more resources into professional consultants, public relations firms, focus groups, and marketing advisors in an attempt to capture the steadily decreasing attention spans of today's teenagers.
Rick Jahnkow, co-founder of Project YANO (Youth and Non-Military Opportunities), says the military is using new media to attract not only tech-savvy teenagers, but also minority populations that have been otherwise ignored by traditional media. Last year, for example, the Army teamed up with The Source magazine to produce a "Take it to the Streets" campaign, featuring hip-hop street parties.
"The militai7 is particularly interested in recruiting La- tinos," Jahnkow said. "To them, they're the greatest poten- tial source of new bodies that exists. Latinos are seen as an exploitable resource." Latinos make up 9.5 percent of active forces (13 percent of the general population), and are dispro- portionately over-represented in the most dangerous combat jobs. Louis Caldera, former secretary of the army, argues that the military should increase their attempts to recruit Latinos. "Nearly half of all Hispanics fail to graduate. Yet they make great soldiers."
And so, in order to court the Latino recruit, the army has invested increasing amounts of money into Spanish-lan- guage media, including a website called "El Nav7." These ads arc often followed up with media events in Latino com- munities where a flame-embossed anny Humvee named "Yo Soy el Army" is brought in to shock and awe audiences. A system that has failed to accommodate the needs of Spanish- speakers while, at the same time, dangles the promise of citi- zenship to a select few, has made this population especially vulnerable to the seduction of recruiters' promises.
What the producers of these video games, TV shows, and websites all fail to mention is that in real life you can't use a parental control setting or a fast-forward button to blot out the violence of war. As the hours spent in front of the screen turn into years, the images young people consume may, in the end, come to consume them entirely, ii
Dan Gordon lives in South Minneapolis where he doubles as a student and an aspiring ninja. He also publishes Dulu- th's Dark Underbelly, a zine about the underground history of Duluth. which can be purchased by sending an email to dgordon(cv,umn. edu.
above: Soldiers teach civilians about military weapons at a conference for ttie America's Army video game
^nininr'^'" mmmmT^mmmmmmmnitmm^iitmm
a quarterly journal af anti-authoritarian
1965-2005
40 Years of Promoting Revolution Everywhere
Anniversary Eilillvn
Avail«M»Mm«ti2MS
only $10 for 1 year
PO Box 201016 Ferndale Ml 48220
http://fifthestate.org
fifthestate@pumpkinhollow.net
24i'^Jtb3|t^|UK39(2(( 29U|U§(3§(
Diverqent
Books
independent boolcs for independent minds
INDEPENDENTLY PUBLISHED BOOKS THAT PROMOTE ACTIVISM AND CONSCIOUS THOUGHT ■
WWW.DIVERGENTBOOKS.COM
clear]-
d char 1
-asureme 1
thoutSUC. _,,3j^
a lor o/ opinions counr
's. rof-'-
ear 2003. Itss.llv. of r-.-.. Y« people (human
feminism, rac
l^emiTrist philosoph
•n feminist philos<
^o give guidance wh
fid to others. Wh
■ should sto|
ibe
TPumtsner o^
journals that encourage you to.
\I CONi
'i^.
Owr diverse Journal topics include:
Gender Studies
Middle East Studies
Literature
Native Plants
Film Studies
Jewish Studies
Environmentalism
Philosophy
Religion
and more...
ND
INDIA.
"liversityl..
ma
Indiana University Press Journals
i&l^
'alfoes'myzippefjoistud'diMgurei-!
tanl me ♦ locW iplrt cd Micoptefl • SO
'big boyslulteMpttie brain gw/nomattef to* liKig'iriplj-fflistl-SlS
"big bim Wciie)) (wntagei ■ Mid
'black rapw'tisaKr'atlmperaionesl-SHJlO
'bumi8e'meii'tod(load)-S9/512
'budicollectoiJIJiStickfigufel-SS
'cotton inusaim'mppled sWi' lO'toatdi and sf I ■ :
'coulie('tool,coolef,coulief'c(il5tid(figuel-S8il)
'tetotef 'turn i yo faggot' Ip 'Mgoif) • S8
'eye,y3matakaSjoli(iaxii'nanraniirCd (tzadiW-$H
'giavetiliuia1)bcliboteiittie,..'12'|wa(pM8
1ioan'Wsiiiger'lp/cd(acW-Sl(
'mouth of the architect 'tme and withefing'cd (translation tel ■ SlO JO
'no*denia[the'viva,mattireate(iing'lp;cdii(0(ct«deafthpolic)/iabota9ei-
'atam "hello spifal'cd (active susperaonl-SH
'on! Ail! yb(ar^s/!lp (pretty actvityl-SKI
'pedesnianlossitiffl'I^lanticool-SJJO
'guantazele'coaitef'c!i{iDbv3nant)-Sl]
'seven days of amsa(a^cdiselreleasedl-S7iO
'si^tmgs'anvedingokflptadl-iJ
'submission liold'wtBtWds back the eiephant'lp/cd'g7welcoriingcoimiitteel-SlMl2
'sujjki,daTO/cul de sac'abhayamudia'icd (stwigesattractors audio house) -!IU1
lonmohhidafi'neaophonicon'cd (isolate) ■ S13
"va; 'demstMs in taesia' Ip in-mst)
'wKtjota ♦ Danel menche spl« cd Ihelicoptei) • iSiO
|
manifesto |
||
|
m^ |
1 |
|
|
THREE CLASSIC ESSAYS ON HOW TO CHANGE THE WORLD |
itif |
|
|
If you |
GSt |
|
|
are |
jt.^ |
|
|
curious |
^^^r:^ |
|
|
and open |
||
|
to the life |
2 3) z |
|
|
around you, |
^SP |
|
|
if you are |
X > C •^ 1— n |
|
|
troubled as to why, how and by whom political |
$ c rn ^- ^ fn |
|
|
power Is held and used, if you sense there |
° ^ - |
|
|
must be good intellectual reasons for |
m 2 o z 00 X |
|
|
your unease, if your curiosity |
O c m m T) ^ |
|
|
and openness drive you |
f- ri O |
|
|
toward wishing to act |
I V) m |
|
|
with others, to "do |
o" -n= f O S 3 |
> |
|
something," you already |
^ m c 2 -n J |
> |
|
have much in common |
2 O 0 C 3J |
0 |
|
with the writers |
- ^ f |
|
|
of the three |
H § |
J 1 |
|
essays in |
1 ^ |
> |
|
this book. |
1 5 k |
0 |
|
— Adrienne Rich, |
-n o - |
> |
|
Preface to Manifesto |
5 |
|
|
NOW AVAILABLE FROM OCEAN PRESS |
= 2 |
|
|
INFO@OCEANBOOKS.COM.AU / WWW.OCEANBOOKS.COM.AU |
in
o o
.■^^
O
Down
to the
Defending Community WiFi from Verizon and tlie Telecom Giants
Wire
Gwen Shaffer
Tom Pokinko
In an attempt to influence telecom regulations, phone and cable giants have hooked up federal lawmakers with nearly a half-billion dollars since 1998. Ve- rizon Communications alone contributed SI 02 million to elected officials who, frequently, pulled the plug on the competition. So it comes as no surprise to industry watchdogs that this former "Baby Bell" acted with megabit speed last year when Philadelphia Mayor John Street announced plans to provide affordable wireless Internet services to the entire city.
Philadelphia is rolling out a plan to build a $10 million wireless broadband network this summer, charging subscribers a fraction of the prices set by the region's dominant broadband service providers Com- cast and Verizon. A low-cost w ireless network run by the city threatens to topple the local duopoly — and apparently that's scary even for an international corporation like Verizon, which earned $67.8 billion in operating revenues during 2003.
The legislation signed by Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell in Novem- ber originally contained a provision that would bar local governments from providing telecommunications services for a fee. The language was buried in a complex 30-page bill drafted by industry lobbyists that gives telephone companies financial incentives to hasten the rollout of broadband networks (a deal that will net Verizon about $3 billion).
But just days before a scheduled state Senate vote, Philadelphia wireless advocates discovered the provision. They began lighting up switchboards in Harrisburg. Media justice activists had paid scant at- tention to the bill earlier because it wasn't poised to come up for a floor vote in 2004, says Hannah Sassaman, program director for Pro- metheus Radio in Philadelphia.
"It only started to move after Philadelphia officials made plans to create a WiFi network," she says. "Then legislators pushed the bill through during Thanksgiving, just before their recess, when they as- sumed no one was looking."
Both local organizations (such as Media Tank and the Pennsylva- nia Public Interest Research Group) and the national groups Common Cause and MoveOn engaged in lobbying efforts. They sent out email alerts to members asking them to urge Gov. Rendell to veto H.B. 30.
In response to the pressure, senators amended the bill to allow broadband services operating by Jan. 1 , 2006 to continue, which buys Philadelphia enough time to get its ambitious 135 square-mile WiFi project going. Some activists believe the compromise leaves every other municipality in the state high and dry, but Sassaman is confident.
"The governor didn't veto what is clearly a crappy bill," she con- cedes. "But by making tens of thousands of phone calls, we did have an influence." When signing the bill, Rendell promised to work with any municipality interested in establishing its own telecom network. "So it wasn't just a win for Philadelphia," Sassaman says.
Pennsylvania is the fifteenth state to bar or restrict municipali- ties from providing telecom services, and both Ohio and Nebraska arc considering similar laws. Nonetheless, the circumstances under which the legislation passed constitute "a watershed event," says Jef- frey Chester, executive director of the Center for Digital Democracy in Washington.
"Previously, telecom lobbyists trying to prevent communities from competing in broadband had fallen under the radar screen. Now people are asking; is the Internet a system to generate revenue for pri-
rvi
o o
U1
W
vate companies or is it a global information utility that is core to our democracy'.'"
Pennsylvania State Rep. William Adolph, Jr. chairs the House Committee on Environmental Resources and Energy. He says he sponsored six public hearings on H.B. 30 during a 20-month period, "wiihout hearing a peep of concern" from local officials in Philadel- phia or any other municipality.
it wasn't until activists fought the companion bill in the state Senate that Adolph realized they opposed restrictions being placed on municipalities, he says.
■■.'\i the last minute, 1 received a copy of the amendment that was worked out. Prior to that, I'd never even heard of the WiFi issue," Adolph says. "The over-riding goal of H.B. 30 is to accelerate the de- ployment of broadband. If the city of Philadelphia can deploy a WiFi network, I have no problem with it."
High-speed, wireless applications like the one planned for Phila- delphia have the potential to bridge the digital divide. They require minimal infrastructure investment and are comparatively inexpensive to operate. As WiFi — and soon WiMax — hotspots spread, the policy implications for both mass media access and freedom of speech could be huge.
Philadelphia, where an estimated 60 percent of residents cur- rently lack broadband Internet access, is a prime example. Even if Comcast and Verizon ofl'ered broadband in these underserved commu- nities, low-income residents couldn't afford to shell out $50 a month to pay for it.
Dianah Neff, Chief Information Officer for Philadelphia, says her goal is to keep monthly fees "below S20." She hopes to create a "blue- print" for tackling the information gap that other cities around the coun- tiy can emulate. "As CIO, my job is to watch emerging technologies and fuse them with the mayor's goals," Neff says. "Strong families and neighborhoods are key ingredients of the Street administration. So 1 be- gan thinking of a way to encourage economic development, overcome the digital divide and enhance quality of life for Philadelphians."
Other major U.S. cities including Atlanta, San Francisco, Seattle and Dayton have announced plans to develop their own city wide WiFi networks. Today, wireless networks carry the same cachet as swanky sports stadiums and convention centers. Cities are betting they will help attract tech-savvy businesses, encourage tourism and project a hip image capable of wooing young professionals.
Both Philadelphia and Atlanta plan to partner with private tele- com companies to manage day -to day operations of their WiFi net- works. And this prospect has some media reform proponents on edge. Activists in Philadelphia stress that they enthusiastically embrace all efforts to eliminate the digital divide. But they can't help worrying that once the city contracts out management of the initiative — Neff hopes to float a request for proposals this March — it will morph into simply another opportunity for corporate profits.
"Will users be forced to interface with ads or a corporate homep- age?" wonders Wendy Hyatt, director of the Philadelphia Cable Ac- cess Coalition. "We can all receive content. But how can we add con- tent to the Web? The city needs to provide training along with the technology."
Verizon, Comcast and Internet Service Providers in other states have tried to stonewall paid services offered by cities around the country on the grounds that governments have an unfair competitive advantage. Obviously, municipalities can tap into public funds and they don't have to pay taxes. Also, the telecoms grumble, public sector projects are subject to fewer regulations.
But James Bailer, a Washington, D.C. lawyer who represents local governments, says the industry argument "belies the facts." In reality, municipalities must compiv u ith the same state laws as private companies. Not to mention that private sector communications firms benelit from "billions of dollars of tax incentives," Bailer says.
In Pennsvlvania. this is ccrtainlv the case. In December, just
weeks after the state legislature passed the telecom bill, Philadelphia City Council members approved a S30 million grant for constmction of a downtown skyscraper that will sene as Comcast's headquarters.
Even if state or federal lawmakers succeed in barring municipali- ties from building w ireless mesh clouds over their cities, the telecom giants will have a harder time blocking residents from taking matters into their own hands — or, more precisely, their own monitors and keyboards. Tan Vu manages the Digital Inclusion Program in West Philly. That initiative has given away 150 computers to community members over the past year, and operates a WiFi network used by about 100 low income web users who pay just S5 per month.
"The state restrictions on competition are unfortunate," Vu says. "But at the same time, if individuals are determined to create com- munity networks, they can't be stopped." That's because — as scores of cash-strapped school districts, libraries, hospitals and non-profits around the country have already discovered — creating a WiFi net- work requires little more than a cast-off computer and a S25 satellite dish from Radio Shack.
The "open access" facet of WiFi is what makes community wire- less initiatives genuinely revolutionary. The Federal Communications Commission regulates TV and radio broadcast interference by issuing licenses. Similarly, cable and phone companies own the infrastructure used to carry voice and media content. By contrast. WiFi users finally have an opportunity to customize the technology to fit their specific needs.
"With WiFi, government and industry restrictions are no longer necessary. The principal here is non-discrimination." says Dr. Mark Cooper, director of research for the Consumer Federation of America. Cooper characterizes WiFi hotspots in public spaces as "the sewers and streets of the 2V Century" because they are available for use by every citizen.
Two years ago, a group of independent media activists began set- ting up a WiFi netw ork in Champaign Urbana, Illinois. "We knocked on doors and told residents we wanted to put an antenna on their roofs and give them free Internet access," says Ben Scott, a former Univer- sity of Illinois grad student. In June. Urbana council members chipped in SI 8,600 to fund expansion of the hotspots. The city now boasts a wireless Internet network that serves the entire downtown area for free, says Scott.
This story is not unique. And as the WiFi movement catches on, incumbent broadband prov iders are certain to fight back with ev en more muscle and moolah. It is easy to see why these players are nervous. WiFi constitutes more than another form of competition. It could, even- tually, eliminate the need for DSL and cable modems altogether.
"In the long-tenn. there's no reason consumers should fork over SI 00 a month for high-speed Internet." says Chester, of the Center for Digital Democracy. "The cable and phone giants want to control the broadband market, but that's got to change. ""A'
Gwen Shaffer is a staff writer for the Philadelphia Weekly, where she covers local politics. Her work has appeatvd in The New Republic. The Nation. Columbia Journalism Review a/;(iE The Environmental Maga- zine. Comments may he e-mailed to gwenlshaffeiia comcast.nei.
|
the revolution of everyday life ... delivered to your door subscnbe online at www.clamormagazine.org PC Box 20 1281 Toledo. OH 436 10 $18 for 6 issues |
||
|
clamdlr BORDERS^ |
||
|
^^^KT^kT^B |
FIXING RADIO
words Jonathan Lawson photos Josh Ayala
What's wrong with radio? Everyone seems to have an answer. The oldest fonn of electronic mass communication is still the most ubiquitous, found in homes, cars, and businesses across the country — not to mention fields, forests, and street corners. Amidst an expanding array of media net- works with national and international reach — now including satellite radio and Internet broadcasting as well as TV and cable networks — radio retains a lo- cal character which is its last unique asset.
At its theoretical best, the FCC promotes quahty radio broadcasting measured by the traditional standards of compe- tition, diversity, "locahsm," and accountability. Over two de- cades, however, large media owners and business associations have adeptly persuaded Congress and the FCC to sweep away many public protections, allowing large-scale private media owners to squeeze out local owners and wring millions in profits out of the public airwaves with minimal oversight or account- ability to local communities.
These changes have impacted all forms of media but have taken hold most dramatically in radio. FCC Commissioner Mi- chael Copps recently described radio as "a very sick canary in the coal mine." Musicians hoping to get their music played on commercial FM face insurmountable hurdles. Music fans are unable to hear local bands. Local citizens scan the commercial FM dial in vain for local voices providing quality news report- ing. Radio employees face layoffs, voice-tracking, anti-union management, and reduced creative control.
Still, many people within each of these groups care enough to ask whether radio can do a better job at serving local commu- nities with cultural and informational programming. Can radio be saved with better public policy?
Fixing Radio Forum
This question led an unusual coalition of music community ad- vocates, media reformers and local broadcasters in Seattle to hold a public forum focused entirely on Fixing Radio. The forum took place last February in Seattle's Experience Music Project, a building designed by Frank Gehry to resemble the carcass of a smashed guitar — a symbol, perhaps, of the train wreck radio has become in the eyes of many critical listeners and broadcast- ers alike. Organizers hoped, however, that the forum would be able to harness this criticism, drawing creative solutions — and policy proposals — out of popular discontent.
left: Rapper/Recording artist Sir Mix-A-Lot speaking on a panel at the Fixing Radio forum.
in
o o
tM
"There's a unique moment in historv' here in terms of the policy apparatus around radio, a broad consensus in Congress and at the FCC that radio consolidation has gone way too far," said Michael Bracy of the DC- based Future of Music Coalition, one of the Fixing Radio planners and a speaker on the first of two panels. "It now falls on us as citi- zens to go to policymakers, and say: "you've heard from the industry — Clear Channel, the National Association of Broadcasters — you"\e heard \\ hat they want from radio. This is what we want to happen with radio.'"
The discussion that emerged over a long afternoon ranged considerably, reflecting the diverse backgrounds of the participants. Pan- elists included representatives from each of the sponsoring organizations: the media ac- tivist group Reclaim the Media, the northwest regional chapter of the Recording Academy, the Future of Music Coalition, and noncom- mercial modem rock station KEXR Com- mercial radio was represented too — by Phil Manning, program director of highly-rated Fntercom station KNDD "The End," and Frank Barrow, operations manager for Se- attle's black-owned radio group. Two Clear Channel representatives — an on-air host from Seattle urban station KUBE and an ex- ecutive — were originally scheduled to take part, but got cold feet at the last minute. Other participants represented public, community, Low-Power FM and satellite radio operations, and labor unions representing musicians and radio employees.
Perhaps the most striking facet of the Fix- ing Radio discussion was the amount of shared frustration with contemporary commercial radio. Different panelists and constituencies saw different problems and different solutions — but all pointed to a single problem which overshadowed and fed into all others: the ste- roidal corporatism and massive consolidation w hich has transformed local radio.
Media Consolidation
The issue of ownership consolidation — and particularly its largest practitioner. Clear Channel — was the 80()-pound gorilla in the room throughout the forum. Deregulation of ownership caps allowed Clear Channel to rise from a 40-station regional chain to a 1300-station international titan in just a few years, turning the brand into a kind of nation- al shorthand for a whole range of problems introduced or exacerbated by consolidation: reductions in local accountability and local content; expansion of barely legal payola or "pay-for-play" schemes; deceptive "voice irackmg " attacks on the collective bargaining rights of employees; near-monopoly control of advertising; and concert re\enucs in urban and rural areas.
The removal of sensible ownership caps in l'W6 opened the door wide to these prob-
lems. In addition to restoring the caps, Da\ id Meinert, regional president of the Recording Academy, proposes the remedy used to deal with anti-consumer monopoly in the telecom business: corporate breakups. "I'm not scared to go to a legislator and say, look, you need to break up Clear Channel. And you not only need to break them up, you need to make sure that radio station owners can't own concert venues and can't own newspapers."
"I do not want to live in a world where Clear Channel ow ns all the radio stations in a city, the Seattle P-I [the local newspaper], and Channel 5 [television station]," Meinert con- tinued. "Already 50% of the people who get radio news get it from Clear Channel. Those are George Bush's friends — I'm not happy about that. You know, we're going to live in a really fucked up world if that happens, and we need to do something about it." This was months before Clear Channel announced that Fox News would become its official network- wide news provider — likely to further ex- pand both Clear Channel's news audience and the network's conservative slant.
W hat's Really Indecent?
All Fixing Radio panelists were instantly dismissive of the Congressional furor about broadcast indecency that has made a huge media splash since Janet Jackson's 2004 Su- per Bow 1 flash. "What's really indecent," said KBCS public affairs director Bruce Wirth, "is that we're focusing on [Howard Stem] and Janet Jackson's tit. when we should be focusing on more important problems... Clear Channel is coming out smelling like roses because they voluntarily pulled Stem from a handful of stations... These are the same sta- tions that were out there cheering the war that has wound up killing hundreds of Americans, not to mention Iraqi civilians."
For Ann Chaitowitz, director for sound recordings at the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (AFTR.'\). the flurry of calls to hike indecency fines brought up an additional set of concerns. Often, she said, radio companies like Clear Channel don't pay indecency fines themselves, in- stead passing them along to individual an- nouncers or even musicians. The practice is deeply ironic, as ratings-hungry commercial networks clearly place demands on hosts like Stem and Bubba the I.o\e Sponge to be as outrageous and olTensi\ e as possible, in their endless and craven pursuit of higher ratings and thus advertising revenue. Musicians, when producing their work, should not have to worr\ about the possibility of someda\ tacing censorship or fines if a DJ somewhere otTends a listener by playing their music.
Of course, that only becomes a concern if an artist's music makes it onto the air at all. That is an increasingly difficult challenge for local musicians when programming de-
cisions are made at distant corporate head- quarters, and the hurdles between artists and commercial airplay include controversial but widespread "tollbooth" practices involving the exchange of cash or services in exchange for a shot at airplay. For musicians and their advocates, such practices ought to be con- sidered basic ethical violations, as well as barriers to the normal development of our shared music culture. Meinert argues that, under current industry conditions, it would have been impossible for Nirvana and other Seattle bands to have broken nationally, be- cause local commercial rock stations no lon- ger have the freedom to build playlists based on ground-up trends, absent the backing of industry forces.
Holdinji Broadcasters Accountable
The airwaves, of course, belong to the pub- lic. Their use by commercial broadcasters, licensed, but free of charge, constitutes a tre- mendous public subsidy. In return for their use of the airwaves, each station is bound to serve the public interest in various ways. Each station must apply to the FCC every few years to renew their licenses. If the FCC de- termines that a station has failed to provide valuable public service to its local audience, it can lose its license. This, however, never happens — and station managers know it.
"My personal opinion is that the renewal process is a sham." said KEXP manager Tom Mara. " I don't think it's too much to ask for a radio station to connect w ith its local commu- nity. The general manager of a station should walk into a room and be able to make a case to local organizations and local citizens why they should get that license again. 1 think the FCC ought to plav an increased role in that — but that assessment also needs to be done locally, so it's not just a matter of sending a bunch of forms to Washington DC." Sev- eral participants agreed that license renewals should not onlv be tougher, but conducted lo- cally, with public hearings and mechanisms allowing for real discussion of what a station should be doing for its community.
Even some commercial broadcasters ex- pressed a wish for more articulate mechanisms for audience accountability. In commercial radio, profits are the ultimate bottom line. But for program directors it's the Arbitron ratings rather than profit loss statements that hang directly over their heads. KNDD program director Phil Manning used the Fixing Radio Fomm to do a little venting about what many see as a very flawed measure. "\\ hen half of mv damn listeners don't even fill out (the .Ar- bitron listener diaries] and be accountable for their airwaves, it disallows me from taking risks. It forces commercial radio to unfortu- nately be conservative. It forces us to have these silly-ass 22.^-song playlists." Manning pointed out that Arbitron s diarv system tends
J
above: David Meinert of Fuzed Music and Ann Chaitovitz from the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists engaged in a discussion at ttie FIxmg Radio forum.
not to poll young listeners; "this is why you don't have youth-focused programming."
"When you're ratings-driven," added KBCS's Bruce Wirth. "who gets left out? Where's the diversity in that system? There's only one African-American personality in Seattle FM radio today; that's crazy. 1 cant think of a Latino personality either"
Low-Power and Community Radio
True community broadcasting, where it ex- ists, offers the public direct ways to kick out the jams of mainstream. Wirth's KBCS is an excellent example — a college-licensed station with an independent operations staff committed both to fielding a diverse on-air staff of local volunteers and training an ex- panding pool of community journalists for the station's local public affairs programs. "Community radio moves beyond localism," said Wirth. "It's about training community members to make their own radio, getting their voices on the air, not censored by some production staff or program directors."
In some areas of the country, Low-Pow- er FM offers an opportunity for community groups, religious and civic organizations to launch their own noncominercial radio station with little cost. Unfortunately, full nation- wide availability of LPFM has been delayed for years by opposition from the commercial broadcasting lobby and from National Public Radio. Activist groups including the Future
of Music Coalition and Reclaim the Media are hopeful that legislation expanding LPFM will be reintroduced in Congress this spring.
More People's Hearings
The best ideas from the two-day Fixing Radio Forum were eventually distilled into a con- cise set of 32 policy recommendations, pub- lished as the Seattle Statement on Radio. The document has since been put to work in vari- ous ways — submitted to the FCC as part of a national inquirv' into localism, used as a tool for lobbying members of Congress, and serv- ing as a template for media codes of conduct and other statements of principles.
Organizers also hope that their idea of holding a forum like this won't stop in Seat- tle. "This should happen all over the country." exclaimed a young man from the audience at the end of the Fixing Radio discussion. Sev- eral forum panelists had also taken part in one of the previous year's FCC hearings on own- ership — but none of those formal hearings generated either the ranging, informal dia- logue or the creative planning that emerged from the Fixing Radio Forum.
While the Seattle fonmi took a hopeful look into radio's future, both the event and the resulting Seattle Statement left a whole range of important questions unexamined. When digital broadcasting dramatically increases the number of stations that can coexist on the radio dial, will local community groups and
entrepreneurs have the opportunity to launch new local radio stations, or will existing broadcasters simply control more channels? Should localized programming on national satellite radio be encouraged or prohibited? How should the public interest be protected as digital networks continue to transform electronic media?
These and many other questions point out the need for many more public conver- sations about fixing media — and more lo- cal manifestoes on progressive media policy. While 2005 will see the FCC and Congress hold more such hearings in DC and around the country, the Fixing Radio Foruin showed that there's no reason for a community to wait around for them to arrive. Reflecting on his experience organizing around the previous year's FCC hearing, band inanager-tumed- activist David Meinert laid it out simply: "Going into that event we were told by a lot of people that the regulations were just going to be lifted, and that we had no chance. We ignored all that, we thought we could make a difference, and we made a difference. We can make a difference." "ii
Jonathan Lawson is co-director of Reclaim the Media in Seattle and editor oj the Seattle Statement on Radio, which can he read in its entirely at reclaimthemedia.org/seattlestate- ment. For more information on the issues, see reclaimthemedia.org. fntureofmusic.org and musicforamerica.org.
o o
U1
W Ul
'i-^-f*^ :\^
Demanding More of Cable Monopolies
in o o
n
In 2002, Comcast said it would stop moni- toring and recording customers' use of the Internet — and then it started charging people for browsing the web "too much."
In 2003, Comcast said it would protect customers' Social Security numbers, credit histories, and phone numbers from other corporations it works with — but rather than change its business operations, it simply re- worded its privacy policy.
In 2004, Comcast said it would improve customer service and respond more quickly to complaints — but, according to market ana- lysts J.D. Power and Associates, its customer satisfaction levels were below the national industry standard for the third year in a row.
And now a contingent of media, labor, consumer, and social justice groups are in place to "demand more" of the "on demand" cable firm.
Comcast had humble beginnings. In 1963, three men bought a 1,200-subscriber cable system in Tupelo, Mississippi, calling it American Cable Systems. Through numer-
ous mergers and acquisitions, the company increased its subscriber base across the U.S. By 1969, the cable provider had set up its per- manent home in Philadelphia and changed its name to Comcast Corporation. Now a multi- million dollar industry establishment, Com- cast is the country's leading cable provider, boasting more than 68,000 employees and 21 million cable customers in 35 states. It is also the country's largest broadband service provider. This market power has allowed the company's rates to rise more than three times the rate of inflation.
In the City of Brotherly Love, 75 percent of all cable subscribers pay monthly bills to the hometown giant. These days, however, there is not a whole lot of "brotherly love" between Philly residents and the cable monopoly, due to complaints about the company's treatment of customers and employees. Fortunately for Comcast, its customers ha\e feu altemati\es. As a result of market agreements brokered with the city, Comcast is the only cable pro- vider available to its customers.
Important Media Ownership Rules: Past, Present, and Future
Newspaper/Broadcast Cross-Ownership Restriction: Enacted in 1975, this rule prohibits a single company from ownmg a newspaper and television station in the same market. The Bush administration is trying to repeal this rule for large- and medium-sized markets.
Radio/TV Cross-Ownership Restriction: The original 1970 rule prevented a single compa- ny from owning a radio and television station in the same market. That rule was weakened in 1996 to allow for a company to own one of each in small markets, and one television station and multiple radio stations in large markets.
National TV Ownership Rule: In 1941. this rule put numerical restrictions on the number of television stations a company could own. It has since been amended and now prevents a single company from owning enough television stations to reach more than 35 percent of the nation's homes. The Bush administration is trying to change the cap to 45 percent.
Local TV Multiple Ownership Rule: This rule prevents a single company from owning mul- tiple television stations in a single market, with some exceptions for very large markets. The Bush administration is trying to weaken this rule, allowing a single company to own up to three stations in many markets.
Dual Television Network Rule: Today, this rule prohibits one television network (such as ABC, CBS. NBC, or FOX) from buying up another. The Bush administration upheld this rule in a recent regulatory review.
Local Radio Ownership Rule: Companies had been limited to owning no more than 40 radio stations nationwide. This nationwide cap was lifted in 1996, and a company may now own up to eight radio stations in a single market. Viacom's Infinity Radio Network now owns 180 stations and Clear Channel Communications owns 1300 stations. It's hard to
tj Barbara J. Isenberg
Seeking to pressure Comcast to respond fairly to the complaints of its customers and employees. Media Tank, a local advocacy and media literacy organization, launched the Phil- adelphia Grassroots Cable Coalition ("the Co- alition") in June 2004. The Coalition started by seeking out organizations that not only had a bone to pick \\ ith Comcast, but the backbone to stand up to one of the largest businesses in the entire region. Today, the Coalition com- prises the Coalition of Labor Union Women, the Communications Workers of America. Jobs with Justice, the Kensington Welfare Rights Union, the Philadelphia Community' Access Coalition, and the Pennsylvania Public Inter- est Research Group (PennPIRG). Each group brings difTercnt constituents and mobilizing tools to the table, helping to work toward com- mon goals while retaining the individual focus of each organization.
"The goal of the Grassroots Cable Coali- tion is to educate the public and bring pres- sure to bear on Comcast," says Media Tank's executive director, Inja Coates. "We're trying to create a way for people to feel more em- powered in dealing with their cable compans. The ditTerent lenses of each group brings people in at ditTerent points of interest."
Beth McConnell, executive director of PennPIRG, says she thinks it is important for smaller groups to join in the battle to fight
Hatlif ip.iMis ,t[Hi oDsetveri nl liip r.iMy idLc the Clolhespin sculptuie m Ironl o( Comcast's headquarters across from Phdadelphias City Hall photo
courlesy Media Unk
''■'■My
T^
Inside the Philadelphia Grassroots Cable Coalition
Alec Meltzer. Media Tank board member, speaks Photo courtesy of Media Tank
such a large corporation. "We see this as an opportunity to hold Comcast account- able for its outrageous prices and shoddy customer service, and to hold city and state politicians accountable for giving Comcast tax breaks," McConnell says. "As a mo- nopoly, Comcast has an obligation to serve the public interest. We'd like to see the corporation immediately lower rates for all customers in Pennsylvania and improve their service."
The Coalition's first step was coming together to issue a "Code of Conduct" for Comcast, which it made public at a press conference outside the corporation's headquarters in October 2004. The document details the Coalition members" prob- lems with the company and suggests actions it should take to reform itself Calling on Comcast to show a "greater level of corporate responsibility," the code demands lower lates, respect for customers' privacy, recognition of union and labor concerns, support for public access television, customer choice of Internet scrv ice providers, and afTordablc access to information technology for all people.
"The main problem with Comcast is accountability," says Joy Butts of the Kensington Welfare Rights Union. The Philadelphia campaign's next steps include working with City Council to organize a public input committee to advise future ne- gotiations with the cable giant. The hope is that this type of activism will convince Comcast to deal with the Coalition demands and to start making real-world conces- sions.
Part of what makes Media Tank's work so unique is its focus on grassroots efforts. Instead of the majority of the "real" work happening in a large, centralized office with smaller duties being delegated to the grassroots, the Coalition is made up of numerous local organizations working together to set their own collective agenda. The Coalition then works in conjunction with similar localized efforts in other com- munities.
Currently, there are other grassroots cable projects underway in Seattle, San Francisco, Chicago, and elsewhere. The campaigns all network in a way that the experiences and expertise gained at the local level can be coordinated nationally.
"Each city's success is translatable to another's," says Coates, who adds, "Of course, because Philly is home to Comcast, we have an extra role being in the 'belly of the beast.' We are just at the beginning of what we're doing and where we can go with this." ir
Barbara J. Isenberg is an intern at Media Tank in Philadelphia. PA and is completing a journalism degree at Temple University. She can he reached at isenbeig@temple.edu.
Who Benefits from Media Ownership Rules?
Journalists: When there are competing news outlets in a given market, there are more jobs for reporters. Me- dia consoHdation allows owners to cut newsroom staff, having one reporter do the job of several. That adds uncompensated responsibilities and hassles for work- ing journalists, and is even worse for those looking for work.
Artists: When media companies merge, their negotiat- ing power over independent producers, freelance writ- ers, cartoonists, and others increases dramatically. The creative control and compensation that people in these creative positions can command is greatly reduced.
Other Media Workers: Much as with journalists, the technicians, printers, administrators, and other men and women who keep broadcast stations and news- papers running find their positions become increas- ingly "redundant" as their employers merge with one another.
Small Businesses: When there is a wide range of com- peting, local media outlets in a given market, small businesses can find easy access to affordable advertis- ing. With media consolidation, preference is given to transnational corporations that can purchase national advertising packages.
Political Candidates: Political candidates for local races will have an increasingly difficult time attracting unpaid news coverage as local outlets disappear due to consolidation. This is especially true for third party candidates.
Nonprofits and Activists: Advocates for the environ- ment, children, consumer justice, and other progressive causes will face more difficulties garnering local media coverage when there are fewer media outlets competing for a story.
Subscribers: The more concentrated media becomes, the more it is a seller's market. Prices for cable sub- scribers, newspaper subscribers, and Internet users will continue to rise.
Communities: As local newsrooms become smaller and smaller due to consolidation, and stations find synergy by piping in cheap "content" for their news shows, cov- erage of local issues will suffer That's bad whether you care about the corruption in city hall or just want to know the score of the local high school soccer game. -Arthur Stamoulis
•a E
Norman Ball illustratioi Brandon Bauer
IN A GLOBAL VILLAGE,
NO ONE CAN HEAR
YOU SCREAM.
Television broadcasting has been dying a protracted death for many years, it's just that nobody bothered to notice. The parent networks NBC, ABC. CBS, and FO.X will surely survi\e, albeit in a significantly diminished form. But the man\ small af- filiate stations that dot the country, some no more than mom and pop concerns, face uncertain futures. No longer gilded fortresses v\ ith licenses to print money, over-the-air broadcasters must face increased competition fVom many sources, most notably cable and direct broadcast satellite (DBS), like Rupert Murdoch's DirectTV. Quite simply, the affiliates have failed, over twenty years, to carve out a "post-broadcast" identity for themselves. Instead they have assented to being carried on non-broadcast cable and DBS feeds, inviting a sort of strategic euthanasia.
With the meteoric rise of cable and satellite television, it is conceivable that the Tiffany Network and the Glorious Peacock could one day command all the cache — and \ iewership — of, say. Food TV. But only if Peter Jennings can \s hip up a good souffle. And in case anyone hasn't noticed. Comcast, the largest cable sys- tem (and the largest content buyer) has been flexing its purchasing power of late, negotiating bruising deals with its providers. You see, content may be what draws the eyeballs to the T\' screen, but the pipe still wears the pants.
During its formative years, cable relied hca\il\ on broadcast network programming. Appropriately, the mdustry "s focus was on building out its cable infrastructure. Television content origination was a lu.xury reserv ed for the cash-rich broadcasters. For a cable system, the local network atViliate was the equivalent of the an- chor store at a mall. It prov ided a critical mass around which lesser venues could cluster. In time, those ""lesser venues " (Discovery, Animal Planet. The History Channel. HBO. etc.) grew up to com- mand brand name stature in their ow n right. The original consumer selling point was not cable programming, but improved reception of over-the-air stations via coaxial cable. Believe it or not, manv people liked their local programming, so much so that they were willing to pay a few bucks to get a better picture via cable.
But now the training wheels are off and it's the cable guv holding the remote. A content originator in its own right, cable is now makmg the networks prove their value — what a nide depar- ture from the days w hen cable begged pemiission to carrv the local network affiliates! While cable began life as a redundant delivery system, today it's the broadcasters who face possible death bv re- dundancv.
.\ mere 10 percent of today's TV watchers take their program- ming directly from a broadcasting source (as opposed to 80 percent in 1985). Most receive their "over-the-air" network content v ia ca- ble (80 percent) or DBS ( 10 percent). This represents a staggering decline. nt>t to mention a perilous end-run. for the broadcasters. Even though most people have abandoned free broadcast T\ for pay alternatives, simply hav ing the free T\ option lends some pnc- ing discipline to cable and satellite providers. Without broadca.st TV. pay T\' subscription rates w ill ceilainlv continue their upward trend, and at a redoubled rate
But aside from their role m controlling cable prices, why would anvone care about the poor atTiliate stations.' Well, they're
the last leg of the mainstream media land- scape with any "community service" impulse left. Affiliate stations' local TV news pro- grams are still most Americans' go-to source for regional events and news. Radio consoli- dation succeeded in killing community radio and enshrining Howard Stem. Newspapers' circulation numbers are on a fast sprint to oblivion. Think public access television is the ultimate solution? Ask anyone at your local cable company's public access channel what Viacom and Cox think of their "public duty" to carry those tacky little citizen shows. They hate it. and would lo\c nothing more than to commandeer the channel for Home Improve- ment: The Basement Network. Despite all the problems with local TV news shows, these programs are one of the only easily accessible sources of information on what's locally. Call me paranoid, but it almost seems like some- one doesn't want us to know what's going on in our own neighborhoods.
What with their exposes on last night's Survivor episode and their taking fifteen minutes to acknowledge that, yes, in fact, it is going to rain tomorrow, it may be tempt- ing to say good riddance to the local news- casts. The case that much of what is broad- cast on local television news is racist, sex- ist, classist, heterosexist, and of a generally poor quality is not too hard to make, but that
doesn't mean that local television doesn't provide some benefit.
Let's start with one example. The trag- edy of war becomes suddenly more "authen- tic" when we learn about the young guy in the neighboring town getting killed. Hey, he went to the same mall we did. By contrast, the faceless casualty numbers that flash across national media outlets have a disembodied, obligatory quality. I believe we're talking here about the abstracted nature of numbers versus "bringing it on home." Local news excels at putting a face on the larger event. Whereas globalism wants only faceless masses troll- ing the aisles of Walmart — the less we know about one another, the better.
When the big guys think about local- based programs they get retum-on-invest- mcnt indigestion; just think of all those mul- tiplicative production costs! Bean counters to the bone, they want to shove one program down the pipe. After all, why create numer- ous versions of crap when you can get away with one big monolithic piece of crap? And don't give me all that "global village" hooie. Like most Americans, my stomping grounds still consist of a 30-square mile patch — and 1 want to know something about it!
There is still some hope for the affiliates — if they can show some strategic gumption. The future, should they seek to have one, lies
in multicasting. Using the digital broadcast spectrum each current station has been as- signed as part of the high-definition television (HDTV) transition, a cluster of digital broad- cast channels could be offered regionally, in effect creating a localized "mini-cable" sys- tem in a crisp, clear digital broadcast format. The parent networks oppose multicast- ing and plan to feed the affiliates with a single HDTV signal, so the affiliates would be on their own to create this sort of service. But if they don't take advantage of the one real ben- efit they provide to viewers — localism — lo- cal TV stations will soon become one more of a long line of community-based resources that appears on the brink of extinction. It is up to the local broadcasters, and the local media advocates, to ensure that a significant space for localism is car\ed out in the brave new digital world, it
the revolution of everyday life ...
delivered to your door
subscribe online at www.clamormagazine.org PO Box 20128 I Toledo, OH 43610 $18 for 6 issues
The ladles of Del Cielo triumphantly return with their second full-length, Us vs. Them. A follow-up to 2001 's Wish and Walt, Us vs. Them is a collection of charged rock songs and contemplative ballads that alternately evoke passion, rawness, and a carefree outlook that are both refreshing and vital.
Compact Disc available on
© lovitb records
PO Box 100248
Arlington VA 22210
vvww.lovitt.com
FccdFcflht!
VEGAN GROCERY 'PORTIAMO, OR • ^ 503-233-3910
g^»-*f
.„i^. i,l^T. IB ,,^.^f„i^A^
■Stance
Nothing in my two weeks in the West Bank was as expected. The hor- rors were more horrific and the oppression more oppressive than I could have ever imagined. Hearing a mother whose son was shot dead while standing on a sidewalk; walking through the rubble of newly- demolished homes; seeing soldiers shoot at boys throwing stones at the Apartheid Wall; visiting the town of Jayyous where said wall separates residents from their farmland; or witnessing countless other atrocities that should not be imagined, let alone experienced — the struggle seemed hopeless. Yet amidst the horror, oppression, and inhumanity, a vibrant, revolutionary poster and public art movement endures, with the explicit goal of bringing an end to the Israeli occupation of a people and the land they still call Palestine.
Walking down Jerusalem's alleys, or the streets of the West Bank — whether in Ramallah, Hebron, Bethlehem, Nazareth, or wherever, it is certain: the art of resistance is everywhere. It's as I imagine the poster-adorned streets of Cuba looked in the '60s. or Chile's mural movement in the '70s. or even perhaps lagged New York subway trains flying by in the late '70s and early '80s. Whether calling for the release of political prisoners, an end to the construction of the Apartheid/Annexation Wall, or mourning another unnecessary death, these images give artists creative control over an ever-changing, asphyxiating landscape.
With the new, nine-meter high, concrete incarnation of the Apartheid Wall, symbols of Israeli occupation are increasingly visible across the landscape. The Wall snakes through hill- sides, sometimes encircling entire villages, separating sister cities, and in one instance even surrounding a single home on all sides. Emblematic of Israeli occupation, the Wall is more than an obtrusive- visual element; it represents an oppressive force that controls both people and land. While much of the wall has been landscaped on the Israeli side, the better to meld into the surrounding countryside, it has been left a stark, menacing reminder of occupation on the Palestinian side. But wherever the Wall goes up, so do images condemning it.
words and photos Samira Yamin
Representing the Everyday
Amongst the various public art forms, post- ers are by far the most prevalent, especially on the walls of high-traflfic streets in heavily populated cities. In Ramallah, posters liter- ally cover the streets and every conceivable surface, with messages ranging from memo- rializing the life of Edward Said, to advertis- ing a parade for Arun Gandhi to still others demanding the release of political prisoners. Some are worn and withered, their colors faded and their words illegible. But constant postering quickly replaces old cracked imag- es with fresh ones, adding to the palimpsest of messages that bolster the walls of virtually every building in Palestine.
Posters are the most visible public art form for a few pragmatic reasons. As opposed to murals or graffiti, they are cheap and easy to reproduce and distribute. Taken as a whole, they record and direct the energy of the street, preserving the minutiae of daily events, and thereby protecting against what Carol Wells of the Center for the Study of Political Graphics calls historical amnesia. "Posters," she says, "are the collective memory of the oppressed." Because the general population has no access to mainstream media, posters serve to empower and inform, as an alterna- tive outlet through which the surrogate voice of the people can reverberate throughout the streets.
Most common are shaheed, or martyr, posters, commemorating the lives of those
o o in
IT*
o o
killed while fighting, or as a result of military action. Generally, images of shouhiula serve a dual purpose of grieving and immortaliz- ing. Family members display framed photos of those lost during resistance in the home, and show them regularly during the storytell- ing process, connecting the narration to its human essence. This dual function manifests itself in posters as well, where a picture of the resistance fighter is accompanied by his name and a short description of his life story, or of his efforts at combating the occupation, along with how he died. Some posters depict children who were killed by the IDF, includ- ing a description of the events leading up to their deaths. Stenciled images of shonhaJci can also be found throughout the West Bank. Organizations also produce posters to spread news about their campaigns to docu- ment and bring an end lo human rights \ iola- tions. Al Haq, a Ramallah-based human rights organization, recently began a poster campaign promoting their documentary. The SpiJer's H'eh. These posters, printed on much higher quality paper with a restricted palate of black, white and red, illustrate the phrase "Collective Punishment is a Crime," and feature images of mass arrests, house demolitions, movement restriction, property damage and (he Apartheid Wall. The Jerusalem coalition, Palestinian Fn- vironmental NCiOs Network (PFNGON), cre- ated a similar poster series in conjunction with their campaign lo resist the Wall. These posters were made specifically tor PFNGON by inter- national artists and come in several languages. They depict the Wall and either its etTects on people and the land, or alternately, acts of re- sistance thai resuli in liic Wall's destruction.
rajj;;in<» the Icrrilories
Like posters, grafliti and stencils line high- iralTic streets, but are also found throughout less urban areas. Fspecially common is the
increasing amount of graffiti branding the Apartheid Wall with declarations of outrage at this symbol of occupation. The portion of the Wall which encircles the city of Qualqui- lya is a popular place for internationals to scrawl solidarity messages. On its ominous surface, one encounters declarations of out- rage and solidarity: "Retoumez la Terre au Palestiniens" ("Give the land back to Pal- estinians") or, more simply, "Shame." The spray-painted messages barely reach a third of the way up, further emphasizing the Wall's monstrous height. One of the most striking sites, along the portion of the Wall separat- ing the cities of Abou Deis and Fizaria from Jerusalem, bears a beautiful landscape image of Jerusalem as viewed through the bars of a prison window.
Palestinian grafliti, like its more high- profile European and American counterparts, functions as a sort of branding or reclaim- ing of physical space. Tagging, in itself an act of defiance, is further emphasized in the contentious context of military occupation. Unlike American and European graffiti art, it is highly nationalistic and places less im- portance on the aesthetics of script. Common are paragraphs of Arabic writing condemning the Wall, or occupation in general, covering entire sides of buildings. Crude paintings of Palestinian flags, illegal until Oslo, can also be found throughout Jerusalem and the West Bank. This branding is a simple act of recla- mation that goes hand in hand u ith continu- ing to call the entire land Palestine.
One ubiquitous Bethlehem troupe. Jesh, tags its name, intertuined wilh ihe Palestin- ian flag, throughout the city and suburbs. In addition to their grafliti, they also commonly use stencils. Various Palestinian heroes. Che Guevara or the shape of pre-l')48 Palestine, are stenciled onto city walls, accompanied by an image of llioir name as a way of signing the work.
.Murals: Building on the Founda- tion
Murals are the least common form of public art and serve a different purpose, tending to be collective projects as opposed to indi\ id- ual works, and monumental, in every sense of the word. They are commemorative and enduring, creating an air of permanence not found in posters, w hich tear and fade, or graf- fiti, which is often washed away or painted over. They are also removed from graffiti and postering campaigns in that that they arc not a fomi of guerrilla art. Thoroughly planned, te- diously executed, they tend to promote com- munity involvement and steadfast resistance rather than immediate action and indi\ idual dissent.
In Deheisha Refugee Camp, murals are especially prevalent, covering the walls near the entrance and in the cultural center's stairwell. These murals recall life before oc- cupation. One depicts the Palestinian flag as a piece of land, with the names of Deheisha residents' hometowns painted around it. In- side, other murals show cities from which residents were exiled upon the 1948 found- ing of Israel and subsequent wars, as well as activities such as glass-blow ing and farming, which displacement now prevents them from doing. These murals are somewhat nostalgic of life before occupation, keeping hope alive that Deheisha residents will one day return to the homes they loved and the activities the\ once enjoyed.
Especially powerful is a mural in Mas'ha painted on the Apartheid Wall sur- rounding the Hani Amer family home on all four sides. This was painted by the children of the house with help from the International Women's Peace Service (IWPS), depicting flowers, birds, children and lu.sh hillsides. In a profound act of creative resistance, these chil- dren turned an otherwise sobering svmbol of occupation into a can\ as to display w hat little innocence they struggle to hold on to.
The accumulation of images plastered throughout the West Bank transforms the en- \ ironment. acting as a reclamation of the land o\er w hich Palestinians are otherw ise power- less. Whereas the Apartheid Wall is an obtru- sive visual symbol of occupation throughout the already repressive landscape, public art returns creative control to Palestinian hands. When I returned to Los Angeles, a good friend told me that as long as there is resis- tance, there is hope, and that there will once again be a free Palestine. If art is any marker of the .strength of resistance. I would dare lo hope thai I w ill live to see that Palestine. "A-
Stiinira can he rvac/wJ m
bv JBrBfTIV Smith T^'*^^^' y°" ^'a\k into the front door of the lobby. You sign the visitor book. You put all of ±. your personal belongings into a locker. You join a small group that is escorted down a hallway that is sterile and bright. You reach a door. You hear a loud unlocking sound and the door opens from seemingly nowhere. Your group is escorted into a small room the size of a large elevator. The door locks behind you. For a split second you don't know if you are get- ting out. Then another door opens and you are allowed to leave. You enter into a larger room that reminds you of a middle school cafeteria, except for the small booths with phones on one side of the room. You are here to see a '"performance." There is a makeshift stage with props, a set. and lights. There arc scats for an audience, but you are in a jail. You are here to see a "play" performed by inmates, but not just any play. By the end of the evening, the realities and complexities of what is funneling young men and women into a cycle of poverty, violence, drug abuse, family dysfunction, emotional exile, and eventually, prison, will be revealed to a stunned audience of community members, prison ofTficials, and fellow prisoners, and it will be done in a way that is awe inspiring, beautiful, and revolutionary.
The Performance Project began in 2000 as collaboration between two artists, Aimee Dowling and Julie Lichtenberg, and eight men who were incarcerated at the minimum security Hampshire County Jail and House of Correction, located in Northampton, MA. Between 2000 and 2003 the Performance Project has produced four original works of theater and movement: Not So Veiy Far From Here, 59 Places, Works In Progress, and Counting the Minutes. The Performance Project is part of a larger program at the jail called Lifeskills, which also includes music, art, and mural making. "It was designed to establish and teach skills that would enhance someone's ability to live independently on the outside, hopefully in a crime-free environment," says Sheriff Robert Garvey.
The performances are a product of life stories, developed through improvisational ex- ercises held over the course of several weeks. Stories of addiction, abandonment, isolation, disappointment, anger, happiness, desperation, rage. The group then identifies common themes in their stories and develop scenes and choreography through the improvisations. The improvi- sations are then videotaped, transcribed, and shaped into a script. From there, the group reads
continued next page
o o ui
the scenes, critiques, and collectively re-works the script. Ultimately, the participants each communicate their story not as singular isolated experi- ences, but as stories woven together w ilh the experiences of other group members, and crafted into a whole. The finished piece is then performed over several nights inside and, more recently, outside the jail.
Part of what makes this experiment in prison therapy and art unique is that its content raises challenging questions for its audience and society at large, as the process of its production helps challenge, counsel, and heal many of those who participate. "What role does so- ciety play in all of this?" asks Pam Bardslcy, the first female meniber of the company. "Society absolutely plays a role. It played a role before, while, and after someone's incarcerated. I guess where I'm at today is that I've become accountable for me, now I want society to start becoming accountable for society. In this project we can bring out some messages about that."
What is also a unique trait of the project is its relationship to the audience. Be they fellow
m
o o
^ <
prisoners or members of the outside commu- nity, many of the issues central to these perfor- mances raise questions pertinent to individuals- at-risk, and the commu- nity of which they're a part — but on a highly personal level. "The work that we're doing right now is not asking people to look at issues and ideas," says artistic director Julie Lichten- berg, "it's asking audi- ence members to hear about people's life ex- periences and hopefully see connections in their own lives."
"It's allowing us a voice, it's shining a light on our darkness," says Felix Vasquez. a recent addition to the group. "As an audience mem- ber, I felt a voice where I thought there was no voice. A lot of it brought back some painful mem- ories, and at the same V ^
time it brought back a
sense of peace to know that it wasn't hidden... Here it is before my eyes, the same things I used to do." When he was ten years old, Felix's mother was a prostitute and drug user, while he sold drugs to put food on the table. When his pent-up frustration brought him to the depart- ment of Social Ser\ices & the Department of Youth Services looking for help, they turned him away, saying that they couldn't help him because he hadn't cominillcd a crime. "I was lost and I was crying out for help, nobody wanted to help me. and here I am with a gang, a group of people who by all standards is negative and this and that, but there is a unity that I didn't find at home. There's somebody who can hug me and say 'I love you.' even though he's gonna say, 'let's go do some drugs, let's go shoot at those people." But there was that righteous love. [In the Perfbnnance Project] we try to say 'you don't have to let it sit in you and softly kill you. you can let it out in the fonn of expressing yourself artistically'"
Walk with me
I dare you to. Walk with me?
I rather you run with the truth
It might just see you through Walk with me in this darkness Come! Walk with me in spite of
lack of light Keep walking, what's wrong when
Nothing is ever RIGHT Walk with me through these alleys at night
It's all right gunshots bring light
To the nights under streetlights Walk with me, or Keep Running
Some things will never be right Walk with me, feel my misery Run with me. I show you loyalty Run quickly and escape my tragedies Walk with me through these
murky waters I can see clearly my only memory Tragically is of Pain & Agony,
they got the best of me;
unfortunately the only people Who will always walk with me are my Dead friends & enemies (Pete Rock.
MigMoney. Miguel Fanu, Pocholo,
Joey M, jonny Blaze Sylvia. Mexicano.
Loose. Rest In Peace).
-Felix Vasquez 2004
The personal connection that the performers have with the mate- rial is central to understanding the impact that this work has on both the viewer and performer. "Ten years ago I would have seen this proj- ect as a way to merge my commitments to working for social justice with being an artist, but now the project is far more personal," says Lichtenberg. "I grew up with stories of sun i\al, family stories. Par- ticularly stories of my mother and grandmother who were in hiding and imprisoned during WWII in Nazi-occupied France. I realized that the personal connection in this work for me is (in understanding] how various forms of societal oppression contribute to difl'erent forms of incarceration or imprisonment — specifically racism."
The reaction from the local authorities has been positive. "The first time we put on a play here and invited the public in to view [it],
I thought it would be disastrous, but we'\e done it several times now and people look forward to it. The first time we had a play 1 sat in the audience, and I watched the parents of some of the inmates come in and the inmates themselves after the play was being almost like S* and 6"' grade kids after an elementary school performance." says SherifT Garvey. "They were so enthused and so proud of what they had done." Garvey also recognizes other benefits beyond personal satisfaction. "It encourages a connect with the outer community and the institution. We are a part of the community."
So w hat is next for the project'.' In Jul\ 2002. inmates interested in working together beyond the jail joined w ith other local artists to fonn a non-profit organization called The Performance Company. The goal is to take the work being done inside the jail and attempt to reach a larger audience outside of the pri.son population.
A mentoring program, run by current members of the Perfor- mance Company, has also been established to help new members fresh out of jail deal with the difficult issues of relapse, recidivism, and housing and job issues. Three of the members, including Felix, are focusing on working with youth at risk through various youth empow- erment organizations and DYS.
"(We want to) allow these kids, before it's too late, a way of ar- tistically show ing their anger, even if it's poetry, acting, or draw ing. or art. Allowing them the chance to create something beautiful out of the ugliness.... I see this as being a revolutionary movement, being a new way of theater, a new forum of art. I think this is going to go a long way. it might take us 2-3 years, whatever, but I'm in it for the long haul, I ain't turning back.""
The vehicle of theater and movement is a way to \ iscerally correct the often skewed perception Americans hav e of what prisons and the people who inhabit them are like. During a performance by The Perfor- mance Company, the inmates and artists ask us to feel their happiness, their pain, their slmggle. their rush. To not only passivelv watch, but to engage in the process, and to walk with them towards a better under- standing. tov\ ards a v erv' personal and far-reaching resolution.
II tears were words iinJ emotions eoiilil he heard It would lake a lifetime to hear what I have to say But even longer to understand.
-Felix Vasquez
For more information, contact The Performance Project at 413-586- 4960 or email julie.l(u comcasi.net "ti
Jeremv Smith is a video editor producer with the .Media Education Foundation in Sorthampton. .\/.-f and is a resident of the post-indus- trial playground o/Holvoke. MA. His political work includes mem- bership in the Flywheel .-irts Collective of Easthampton. AtA, the li'est- ern Mass Revolutionary Drum Core, as well as other activist gmups. His other passions aiv music, friends, and the undeniahlv delicious vegetarian cuisine of his lovely fiancee Maigarel. You can email him at youthelcctwnixifi'comcasl. net
Ill
I
I
I
the Chiapas Media Project
MaxSussman
The story is well known. In January 1994, just after President Clinton signed the NAFTA legislation, the Zapatista Army of National Liberation took a dramatical- ly different action regarding globalization. After organiz- ing in the indigenous communities of Chiapas for over 1 0 years, the Zapatistas broke onto the international scene as they took hold of five cities in Chiapas and declared war on the Mexican government. Accounts of their de- mands for autonomy for the indigenous communities of Chiapas spread around the world. Elements of the upris- ing have interested progressive and radical activists, both the mainstream and independent media, as well as an- thropologists, sociologists, and political scientists — all of whom have told and retold the story of the Zapatistas from their own perspectives.
But where was the story as told by the Zapatistas?
Alex Halkin asked iiersclf a similar question during a 1995 visit to Chiapas, while filming a documentarv' about a humanitarian campaign there. She recalls thinking, "Here's a group of people who arc ex- tremely organized, are interested in communication. . .and at this point are completely dependent on both the mass media and even the inde- pendent media to tell their story." Out of this idea rose the Chiapas Media Project (CMP). Rather than be yet another project document- ing the Zapatistas from the outside, the CMP strives to provide video
equipment and training to empower the indigenous communities of Chiapas to tell their own stories.
The Zapatistas' ability to communicate with a supportive interna- tional community is undoubtedly an important reason that the Mexi- can government quickly called a cease-fire and acquiesced to their demands for negotiations. But the idea that the Zapatistas had easy ac- cess to the Internet and a well-planned international media campaign is largely myth. For the most part, they were reliant on extensive support networks to mobilize the support needed to stop the Mexican government from immediately crushing the uprising.
The Zapatistas' dependence on outside support for representa- tion in the media was problematic. According to Paco Vasquez, a worker in the Chiapas office of the CMP, "We were not represented in the proper manner by the media. There was a lack of information about what indigenous people are, and what is their history. We don't feel represented in media; we don't feel represented in the his- tory books. There was a need for people to tell their own story."
This is exactly what the CMP hopes to address. Shortly after her visit, Halkin began talks with local authorities in the Chiapas munic- ipalities. She recalls discussions "about the idea of bringing video technology and training to the communities, and people were really interested in it." It took a few more years to raise the money to do it. At first, there was no plan for a long-tenn organization like the CMP. But after the initial workshops, it was clear to Halkin that this was something the communities in Chiapas were interested in. The CMP became official in early 1998.
"We started with very basic cameras in 1998." recalls Vasquez. After a few years, when money from international distribution and University presentations made it possible, digital equipment includ-
o o
Ul
in
o o
«0
ing cameras and editing suites were sent to Chiapas. Currently, grant money comprises about one-third of their budget.
From the outset, there was a strong focus on disseminating knowledge throughout the members of the communities in Chiapas. According to Vasquez, "The idea was not to concentrate on the abil- ity to train or the ability to produce but to pass as much to the people so they can be independent."
Only community leaders attended the early workshops, but the skill-sharing workshops are now include a much larger section of the communities. A regional video coordinator works in each of the ar- eas where the CMP operates, and this coordinator teaches most of the workshops.
The activities of the CMP and the experiences of those involved serve to deconstruct romanticized notions of indigenous communities. Halkin acknowledges the often-held belief that, "We're bringing in this technology from the West that's going to contaminate the pure indigenous people," but quickly goes on to discredit that idea. "These people have been contaminated for over 500 years by people from the 'outside.' Basically what they've told me is that they keep what's use- ful and they get rid of what's not useful."
Vasquez is a little more cau- tious. "To me," he says, "it's always a matter of whether communities have the right to decide" whether they want these tools in their communi- ties or not. Because, unlike typical nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), the CMP is fully accountable to the communities in which they work, they can be cer- tain that their work is defined by the needs of the commu- nities. As Halkin says, "the way to look at the project in Chiapas is that we work for the communities. They're the ones that call the shots."
Not surprisingly, Zapatista productions tend to reflect fundamen- tal differences in culture between the indigenous people of Chiapas and Western/Americanized culture. One noticeable difference is the lack of voice-over narration. Halkin attributes this to the fact that the members of the communities have always had others speak for them, and are therefore wary of third-person, omniscient narratives.
The Zapatistas also use video as a tool for collective critique. The latest production is about the role of women Zapatistas, and it will be a strong indictment of patriarchy within the movement. "There arc not many organizations that air their difficulties and problems out in public, and 1 think that's one thing that's really interesting about how the Zapatistas are using video now," Halkin says.
The filmmakers in Chiapas are for the most part fanners first, which largely accounts for the structural and organizational dilTer- ences in the way productions are made. Who is going to put in extra work on people's farms if they are busy working on a movie? Who is going to be involved in making the movie? When the production crew visits another village to film there, that v illage will have to find places for the crew to stay, feed ihem, and help with iranspoilation. The decision to make a movie alTects more than just those who are working on the production; it atTects the entire community and all the communities where it will occur. Does this afTect the length of time il lakes to proiluce a movie? "Yes!" Halkin says laughing. "1 can say that vMih absolute certainly."
The CMP is currently finishing work on a video called "Hyes on What's Inside" It focuses on the rape of two indigenous women by
members of the Mexican military in Guerrero, in the face of increased militarization of that region. Much of the CMP's work in Guerrero focuses on documentation of human rights abuses.
Where is the CMP heading now? They are nearing the comple- tion of establishing four regional media centers, all of which have sat- ellite Internet access and digital video and audio production capabili- ties. Two centers are up and running now, one is waiting for funds to buy equipment, and the fourth is under construction. It will be up to the communities to decide how the centers should be used.
Along with representing the political aims of the Zapatistas, these productions will likely promote the economic and commercial inter- ests of Chiapas residents. "It's not just whose hands get to go on the video equipment" that is important, says Halkin. Fair trade projects including farming co-ops, coffee, honey, and crafts all rely heavily on communication with vendors and distributors internationally, and these projects benefit the communities as a w hole rather than a certain individual. This is another ditTerence between the Zapatista model and what Halkin calls the "individualistic approach." "Everything is collectivized," she says, so it's not like any one person benefits more
than another from the use of the media centers. "You have to look at it in a differ- ent kind of way."
A project like the CMP essentially sets the terms for its own conclu- sion: once there is sufficient equipment and indigenous people trained to use it, the work of the CMP in Chi- apas is essentially done. .As \asquez puts it, the CMP is finished "when [the Zapatis- tas] decide that we're not needed, or necessarv for the continuation of this project." It's likely that the Chicago office will stay open to coor- dinate distribution and tour- ing presentations, which are two of the main sources of funds for the project. But the CMP was designed to render itself unnecessary in Chiapas.
The CMP productions are examples of what Halkin refers to as "in- digenous media." For years, independent and mainstream media have been telling the story of the Zapatistas. "The stor> that they want to tell is more important than the story that somebody from the outside wants to tell about them," says Halkin. With the means of producing film and video at their disposal, the outside world will get not only a better understanding of the concerns and indiv idual stories of the Zap- atistas, but a lesson in new ways of telling these stories as well.
For more infonnation, see the Chiapas Media Project website at vvvvw.promcdios.org.
Afax Suxsman is a conlrHniliii}; editor to Critical Moment (criiiculmo- ment.org). He is cunvntly working on a documentary film about wa- ter rights in the Detroit area (standingpoint.oig). You can ivach him at maxiiimichiganimc.oig.
A Bridge Over Troubled Channels
A New Muslim- American TV Network Connects East and West via Cable
b Lisa A. Haamid
The master control room of Bridges TV In Buffalo, NY.
"If we do not define ourselves, others will"
This is a theme that repeats throughout the press releases, statements, and website for Bridges TV. The fiedgMng network made its broadcast debut from Buffalo, New York in November. Billed as the first-ever American Muslim television network in English, the programming will "celebrate the American Muslim lifestyle and culture," deliver- ing news and entertainment to the approximately eight million Mus- liins in North Ainerica. Buffalo is home to a flourishing community of Muslim — AiTiericans, among them. Bridges TV founder and CEO, Muzzammil Hassan.
Why an English-language Muslim-American television network? Only 3 percent of all Muslims in the world are Arabic-speaking, and most Muslims in the United States are both English-proficient and have growing families with children whose first language is English. Bridges TV has been created to address and express the needs and concerns of this large and growing segment of American society.
"When I was growing up in Poughkeepsic. New York, in the late '70s, early "HOs, hardly anyone knew what a Muslim was," says Sam- ina Salahuddin, Director of Media Relations at Bridges TV. "Today, however, not only do most people know what a Muslim is, but they know about all the ethnicities and sects of Muslims! Unfortunately, the reason for this is because of all the media attention given to Mus- lim insurgents or terrorists."
Such bias without substance can easily create an environinent fertile for bigotry and hatred, as well as self-doubt and shame. Accord- ing to the San Francisco Chronicle, there was a 1 ,600 percent increase in reported hate crimes against Muslims in the first year after 9/1 1 . To what degree did the media influence these crimes? Deedra Abboud, Executive Director of the Council on American Islamic Relations (CAIR, an Islamic civil rights organization), observed, "As an activ- ist, 1 hear people of other faiths stating what Muslims believe. [These statements are] based almost exclusively on what they read and see on
American TV — Bridges TV will give Muslims in Ainerica the op- portunity to visually define themselves."
Getting off the Defensive
After 9/1 1, an environment of fear and misdirected anger made many Muslims feel on the defensive. Mosques held open-houses to bring about the understanding that Islam does not condone murder or what happened on September II, 2001, and the community spent much time condemning the attacks. Many now feel it's time to work for positive change in a constructive, proactive way. Bridges TV is not a political device. It is not being set up solely to counter what right-wing pundits are saying on the mainstreain TV. It proinotes no sect of Islam nor any political ideology. Its aim is to give Muslim viewers a place to turn where they can see their ideals respectfully expressed, and where they are less likely to hear the terms which have now become cliche, such as "extremist, radical, cleric," or "Islamic terrorist," etc. Instead, Bridges TV hopes to provide a place for the expression of a positive self-identity, much like what Telemundo has done for the Hispanic- American or what BET has done for African-Americans. Maryam Mir, an Irish-American Muslim living in Tucson, Arizona comments on the need for even greater visible diversity in the United States, "The his- tory of our nation has proven that when a variety of voices speak out — whether they are Chinese, Italian, Jewish, or Native Americans and now American Muslims — our country is stronger for it." Bridges TV is hoping to spark the interest of non- Muslim viewers as well. Bridg- ing the chasm of disinformation about Muslims is as vital a mission as providing specific prograinming for MusHms.
Samina Salahuddin comments, "The reason I became involved with Bridges TV is because I know that Muslims in America do not fail into the categories of "terrorist" or "insurgenf ... We are such a diverse community with so many stories and unique issues that would benefit greatly from a network like Bridges."
o
-J
,sthetxecut.eP.ocio;;^j-
__ TrRnn loionto. Canada, is ine ^, p^oducets
Capitalism, Democracy, and Islam, Live
Bridges' viewer base is as financially attractive, perhaps more so than other minority' and ethnic groups which ha\e established their own spaces among the channels. Muslims are, on average, more highly edu- cated and possess greater purchasing power than other demographics. According to Zogby International, they are expected to double in num- ber in the US o\ cr the next decade. W hilc this is good new s for any no\ - ice station, it also poses potential and familiar problems. When asked whether he was afraid of corrupting influences from sponsors, Hassan answered without hesitation that the subscribers are the primary base of influence, "Every month people are \oting for us u ith their wallets," he says. The network is entirely privately funded, and no foreign funding or foreign governments have a hand in sponsoring Bridges. He adds with a chuckle, "We're a 100 percent made-in-the-USA product."
The hub of Bridges TV nationwide programming is the WNED- TV studio, in Buffalo. From there the signal is broadcast through Glo- bccast World TV, a national satellite provider. Globecast has one mil- lion subscribers, a potential hedge for the fledgling Bridges network to gain exposure and increase its own subscription numbers. Bridges TV also has agreements v\ith Comcast Cable Company, the nation's largest cable operator, with more than 22 million potential \iewers. Sources for programming include independent producers working through community cable access televisions across the country, some imported programming from the BBC. and other programs developed specifically for Bridges TV. On their website, they invite independent programmers to submit samples of work for broadcast consideration.
in o o
CO
The responsibility of representing such a large segment of soci- ety poses potential problems as well. Visit any city with a substantial Muslim population and you're likely to see a spectrum of attitudes to both faith and lifestyle. When asked how he could represent such a broad variety of interpretations of Islam, Hassan restated his net- work's position of allowing viewers to access scenes of moderate Islamic life in America. It is not the mission of the network, he says, to give room to every Islamic voice out there. In fact, in discussing the criteria that programs would have to meet in order to be consid- ered for broadcast, Hassan said that they're interested in presenting the mainstream, temperate Muslim who works, raises a family, and pays taxes... just like any other American. The network will ac- tively screen out any submissions which they consider to be extrem- ist and inflammatory. That's not to say there won't be debates and lively discussions. But in all the myopic concentration on extreme interpretations of Islam over the last years. Bridges is looking to broaden the image.
When asked if there is any concern about pressure to rep- resent Muslims as particularly assimilated into American cul- ture. Hassan again deferred to the primary mission of the net- work, which is to be a platform lor other Muslims to present their own view. As the name implies, they're focusing on content which will establish and strengthen "bridges ol friendship and understandinu with America ■■
A New Expression of the American Mix.
As its name implies, Bridges TV is trying to link Muslim communities with other Muslim communities across the nation, as it tries to bridge the gap between Muslim and non-Muslim communities. A single bridge can only transport so much freight, and it w ill take a lot of hands to make this bndge strong. But if we are to change the uneven way Is- lam and Muslims are represented in mainstream media, Muslims must take pen in hand and write, edit, produce, and broadcast. The remedy to the current lop-sidedness will take time, \ ision. and a sustained elTort. Drawing on the combined voices of America's diverse Muslim popula- tions, and with a strong plan for its development. Bridges TV promises to add a new, and often overlooked, perspective to American media, ir For more information, see www.bridgestv.com
^asrya Zubair (/eft), >v„e of Bridges TV rrn M
*" IV CEO Muzzammil Hassan (rii.f.fi r^™.
I.. " '"k"''. came up wi h the kIm ni ,n a
::::-^enco.a.d.e..s;aroi:er::rr
Art...
thought
dialog
change
www.toledomuseum.org
THE GUILT IS
DON'T SUBSCRIBE TO OUR MAGAZINE
li
SEE IF WE CARE.
www.heebmagazine.com
/
Poiuer„
Th-epCI/l
remiK arli/l/ Creole po/ilive ollernoliye/ from cullurol du/lbin/
After Texan Brad Neely watched the first Harry Potter movie, he decided to DIY it into some- thing new, writing and performing an ahemate par- ody soundtrack that anyone can download and play while watching the movie. In his version, Wizard People, Dear Reader, Harry, Hermione, and Ron are alcoholics and Quidditch has homoerotic under- tones. His new version has been shown at the New York Underground Film Festival and the San Fran- cisco Indie Fest.
Using elements of others' works can lead to new art, but it can also be seen as a form of poaching someone else's creative output. Others believe that remixing culture is part of a vibrant new cultural movement. One of the strongest advocates for this movement is DJ/conceptual artist Paul Miller (aka DJ Spooky).
words Raizel Liebler lustrati: Zack Giallongo
Recently, DJ Spooky has been touring, presenting his video re- mix of D.W. Griffith's 1915 film The Birth of a Nation called "Rebirth of a Nation." DJ Spooky is part of a larger cultural context for remix culture. On his website (Djspooky.com), DJ Spooky explains that he created this new version to challenge the way people view the original film and history itself While the original film is disturbing and racist, used as a propaganda tool by the Ku Klux Klan, DJ Spooky does not veer away from the artistic intensity of the original film. "Repressing memory is not a good way to make sure that we learn fi-om the mis- takes of the past," he said in a phone inter\'iew.
"DJing helps people view collective memory, to help us under- stand how we create culture from digital memory. [Remixing culture helps us] to have tools to think of the present and to understand the past. The hardest part is for America to live up to its ideals. . .which is due to lack of awareness of history." In addition to remixing Birth of a Nation, DJ Spooky has remixed the Blue Series, an influential jazz release, into Celestial Mechanix. He also plans to continue to remix films — his next film-based project is a remix of Nazi-era propagan- dist Leni Riefenstahl's "Triumph of the Will."
Remixes aren't always done with artistic motivations, but can sometimes just serve as the results of a frustrated fan armed with video editing software. Many fans of the original Star Wars trilogy who had waited almost twenty years for more movies from George Lucas were disappointed with the new movies. One anonymous fan took action in 2001, by creating "The Phantom Edit" from the movie Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace, by re-editing the movie, eliminating the reviled Jar Jar Binks character and focusing on ac- tion sequences. While DJ Spooky is able to re-edit Birth of a Nation any way he wishes because the copyright has expired, those reinixing
o o ui
tn
m
o o
in
more contemporary work, such as the Phantom Fditor. face a host of legal entanglements.
Fan-created film remixes allow indi\ idiials to ha\ e control when previously they could only be passive participants in their fandom — now they can remix their fandom into "perfection." After all, what really makes film remixes different from adaptations — except that remixes are not always "authorized"?
Even more than video sampling, music sampling has become a ubiquitous part of our culture, but not without its own legal conse- quences. When the Beastie Boys' Paul's Boutique was released in 19X9. it was considered a masterpiece of sampling, including over an estimated 200 samples. However, it took the Beastie Boys twelve years after the release of Check Your Head in 1992 to clear a six- second three-note sample of jazz flutist James Newton's composition "Choir" used in "Pass the Mic.""
Once a composer of a song authorizes a recording, anyone can then record the same song — US copyright law does allow for "cover- ing" an entire song. This is how Orgy was able to cover New Order's "Blue Monday" in 1998. This is also why the profoundly creepy Kidz Bop CDs have all of your favorite adult-oriented and sexually sug- gestive songs sung by children, lyrics intact, such as Britney Spears' "Toxic." and Maroon 5's "This Love" ("I tried my best to feed her ap- petite/Keep her coming every night/So hard to keep her satisfied" and "My pressure on your hips/Sinking my fingertips Into every inch of you/Cause I know that's what you want me to do"). What this means is if Joe Blow's punk band records a whole album of MC5 covers, the music publisher is required to give them clearance as long as the band pays for it.
This leaves artists in the peculiar position of seeing their entire compositions redone by others without their permission, but still able to keep others from using small parts of the whole. While sampling has become accepted as a form of cultural remixing (if the right people arc paid), mash-ups have becoine controversial.
The latest form of sampling, mash-ups, layer or twine two dif- ferent songs, often of differing genres, together. Mash-ups are differ- ent from traditional sampling because they often layer two or more complete songs, rather than using small portions of a song. Most mash-ups are not legal; however, mash-ups are all over peer-to-peer networks and remix websites. Fans and DJs have created these new songs for a variety of reasons, but originally there was no commercial potential due to potential copyright issues.
Fear of lawsuits did not keep an unauthorized mash-up of Nelly's Work li and AC/DC's Back in Black from being played extensively on several radio stations. DJ Danger Mouse created a well-publicized mash-up. The Grey Alhum. from Jay-Z's The Black Album and the Beatles" White Alhum. In response to being threatened by the Beatles" record label, on February 24, 2004. (aka "Grey Tuesday") over four hundred websites hosted MP3s of The Grey Alhum.
There has recently been a wave of authorized mash-ups. with more mainstream artists finding the commercial \alue in using this new art fonn. At the Brit Awards 2002 (UK version of the Grammy Awards), Kylie Minoguc performed "Can't Get Blue Monday Out of My Head,"" combining the lyrics of her song "Can"t Get You Out of My Head" with the music to New Order's "Blue Monday."" After the positive reaction to this perfomiance by an artist loved by remixers, the music industry abandoned its resistance of this new musical fonn. On this side of the Atlantic, MTV recently announced the creation of a new show "MTV lljlimate Mash-up."" The first product of this show is a Jay-Z Linkin Park collaboration including a mash-up ol" Linkin Park's Numh and Jay-Z's .//^'j[;« What.
An art form that was originally created by fans and DJs can now be used by corporations who ha\e the money to clear any music that was used, but still leaves many of the non-corporate mash-ups in lim- bo. Like early jazz. rock, and rap artists, the innovators are not the ones who will be benefiting primarily from this new art form. While corporations will use the innovative artistic techniques and art forms created by others, when corporations own creati\e work, they are not as free with sharing.
Art is built on the past, but the present realities of copyright law of^en stand in the way of using the creative output of others in new ways. While music traditions including folk and gospel have allowed artists to copy and retell the songs of others, contemporary artists are expected to obscure how they use previous art to create their o\sn Directly using the work of another runs the risk of landing in court.
When a political parody web animation, JibJab, rewrote the lyr- ics and used the music the song, "This Land is Your Land,"" by Woody Guthrie, to poke fun at the presidential election, a company claimed ownership of the song's copyright.
While it turned out that the copyright had expired, the idea that "This Land is Your Land" could not be used for remixing is antitheti- cal to the way in which the song itself was created. "This Land is Your Land" was created within the folk music tradition where art- ists borrowed freely from each other and earlier artists, sampling and copying considered to be part of w hat makes music work. Accord- ing to the Electronic Freedom Foundation's website, which includes musical samples, "Woody Guthrie lifted the melody of 'This Land Is Your Land' essentially note-for-note from "When the World's on Fire," a song recorded by countrybluegrass legends the Carter Family ten years before Guthrie wrote his classic song."" It is difficult for the law
to fit situations like this where long-term collaboration leads to the production of music — and other creati\ e works. Based on the idea that new art is intrinsically linked to exist- ing art. in late 2002 and early 2003, Stay Free Magazine hosted a unique art exhibit, "Illegal Art." in New York and Chicago, composed of remixed culture. .\s stated in the exhibit's ma- terials. ""Borrow ing from another artwork — as jazz musicians did in the 1930s and Looney Tunes illustrators did in 194()s will now land you in court. If the curtent copyright laws had been in effect back in the day, whole genres such as collage, hip-hop, and Pop Art might have never have existed."" This exhibit shows the vitality of remixed art. not through direct copying, but through incorporating elements from previously created art.
Culture builds upon past culture regardless of cop> right law or threats of lawsuits. The latest examples of remix culture are part of a tradition that builds upon pre\ ious culture the same waN that folk mu- sic, gospel music, and storvtelling does. "Remixing is not destroying the original," says DJ Spooky. It is like Lego blocks, [allowing us] to build upon and reinterpret. ".Another world is possible, remixing helps us see it."' ^
Raizel Liehler i.\ a law librarian in CV/n <;<,'() .SVjc /i/()<.,'\ at the I.ihrarv- Law hlog. http://hlog.lihraiylaw.com
Fan-created film remixes allow individuals to have control when previously they could only be passive participants in their fandom — now they can remix their fandom into "perfection."
|
^^^^^H|^^^^^^^H |
^^^H |
''s^^ |
■ |
|
^^^^^^^^ |
w^-vjB y- ' |
||
|
1 |
|||
|
s:J |
|||
|
^^^1 iivTH i«ft 8 r |
wrii- |
!■ |
|
|
^^^1 CMJtCtTvgs |
^1 |
H |
|
|
1 1-355^ |
b |
||
|
usdiillil |
■l |
.^ |
1 |
|
^^^ |
Oj» |
||
|
BHHH |
talking video games with developer Seth Robinson
Christina Hoheisel and Alex Kerfoot
In a mere 35 years, video games have gone from a basement hobby to a muhi-billion dollar industry that reaches millions of people worldwide. De- spite their large appeal, mainstream media outlets still portray video games, in the best case, as mindless, valueless entertainment, and in the worst, a cause of violent behavior. In independent media, they are rarely discussed at all
Robinson Technologies, comprised of husband and wife team Seth and Akiko Robinson, have been developing independent games for the past fif- teen years. Their games, such as Teenage Lawnmower. often deal with seri- ous social issues like domestic violence and alcoholism, and are available for sale and for free from their website, www.rtsoft.com.
While attending the 2004 Independent Games Festival, a part of the larg- er Game Developers Conference, we were able to ask Seth a few questions about how an independent developer survives in an industry where large cor- porations are the norm and dominate the market, as well as the advantages of remaining an independent developer.
Akiko and Seth Robinson and screenshots of Robinson Technologies games Dink Smallwood, Funeral Quest. Tarzan. and Teenage Lawnmower
Clamor: Are you an independent game devel- oper by choice or are you here looking for a publisher for your game?
Seth: Definitely by choice. My independent games have been published before, such as Dink Smallwood. Most of my stuff isn't suitable for publishing so 1 don't even try, and that's fine. 1 like to sell it on my own or through affiliates, as we call them — other sites that take a percentage and sell it for you.
What do you mean by "not suitable "?
The content is not mainstream in many cases: it's too violent or socially unacceptable. With issues like pregnancy and violent domestic abuse, it's those things that I get a lot of email about. Although, most of it is actually posi- tive.
Obviously there is a lot of senseless violence in many mainstream games. So why is it a more serious issue when the violence in the game is part of a larger social issue, rather than the basis of the gameplay?
What I try to do is give the player more choic- es. In most games, you have to kill these 50 people to get to the next level. In my games, for instance, Dink Smallwood (a "Legend of Zelda"-type RPG game), there is an Aunt who you are staying with, and you come out of the bedroom and witness her husband hitting her,
and they have an argument. From there you have a choice. You can accept this and go along with it, don't cause any problems; or you can talk to the uncle, say '"Don't touch her, don't do this," and you can actually stop the abuse. Some people saw that and said, "I can't believe you show an animated character hitting a woman in a game and then have him force her to clean up the blood." It's pretty realistic. But other people said, "My family was like that and 1 thought it was reaUy inter- esting how 1 could stop that and correct the problem." It was really the player's choice. It's about choices. If you don't have choices, you're not playing a game; you're just read- ing a story. The more choices, the better.
Do you feel that being an independent develop- er grants you more freedom with your games?
It definitely does, but it depends on my mind- set at the time I am designing it; if I really want to make money or not. If I have enough money in the bank and I don't feel pressured about that, then I am one hundred percent free to do what I want, which is really a great feel- ing. But if I need cash, I will stay away fi-om controversial issues, because financially it's not good.
Are you able to make a decent living from them?
1 could live on them. In the past 1 have done iv* extremely well. About fifteen years ago, I had g
Ul
w
in
o o
CM
in
an independent hit game. Legend of the Red Dragon. Reeently I've been doing okay, but I'm definitely not getting rich on it, so it's a tough call. If I can just accept that level of income — which right now I can't because I'm trying to buy a house, so 1 am doing ex- tra work that isn't easy — I'd really love to just do what I want. I hope someday I can do that with no limits, but right now I do that in spurts.
How do you get the games that you have done published?
A publisher will come to me and say, "1 saw this game, and I'll give you this much up- front." There's a minimum that I need before I'll consider it, or it's not worth the time to figure out the contract. Usually it gets pub- lished in some Third World country. American publishers are not often interested in my stuff. The majority of money comes from affiliates, like the online portal Real Arcade. They have a huge customer base and my game Dungeon Scroll is on there. That's kind of like an on- line publisher. They own the "shelf of the Internet. There are four big ones. Microsoft, Yahoo, etc.; and Real is one of them. If you get on there, you instantly get 100,000 play- ers to download your game, so it's another version of publishing.
So even though the internet is available to ev- eryone, are the sales of online video games controlled by larger companies?
More and more everyday. It's sad because if you really want to be independent, you can't use these guys. They control the content, and you have to meet their standards. They'll tell you what to change, and they're not shy about that. If you can get your own customer base, you don't need them. I'm kind of in both ar- eas. I have customers, but I make such a va- riety of games that my customer base is con- fused. They think, "I bought this 3-D game, but I don't want to buy this casual word game. Why can't you just make another role- playing game like the one 1 liked'.'" I've done as much as possible to confuse and screw up all customer relations. Even though it's slow and painful to build your own customer base, in theory it's worth it. because then you own that mind share. When another portal does it. they don't give you the contact information for the people who bought your game and they won't even let you link your own web- site. They don't want the customer to know the individual developer; they want him to keep coming to their portal.
That's common even in mainstream store- bought games, where the game will have a big publisher logo on it, but not a logo of the small studio that developed it.
Exactly. Most of the games, especially the smaller ones, were developed by a company you have never even heard of I have devel- oped a ton of games that I barely get credit for. You have to look deep, "who was the real programmer?" It was me, but my name's surely not on the box.
Neil Young from Electronic Arts (the laig- est game software developer and publisher) claimed that in the future he thinks that in- novation in video games is going to be com- ing from larger publishers because they have money to spend on more risky projects. Do you agree with that.'
1 haven't seen that. No large publisher will spend money on risky projects. I guess it de- pends on the customers. If the customers stop buying the current crop of games and say "We want something new," then I think publishers will be a lot more interested in stealing ideas from small developers, which they already do. A really smart publisher is able to take in a new idea and figure out which ones \\ ill be successful and which ones won't, because a lot of experimental ideas will be financial disasters. Even though they are interesting and further the medium, you can't sell them at Toys R Us. It's just a stepping stone to the next thing. 1 wouldn't count on large publish- ers to do much except make money, which is what they have to do to sur\ ive.
What made you choose to become a game de- veloper?
When 1 was twelve 1 started writing text games, and I just loved the whole idea. I loved the concept of being able to create something once and duplicate it innumerable times. There is just something that's so great about that concept — to share your idea w ith an unlimited number of people, with so many people. 1 just never stopped. So regardless of whether I got paid or published. I'd probably still be making my own thing.
Do you feel that video games are a viable medium for .spreading information and ideas and addressing social and political issues?
1 tiiink so. 1 think we all do it. consciouslv or not. I don't know of anyone who specifically tries to put in his values and creates a game for the purpose of educating some social val- ue, but I guess it's certainly possible. I gucs> e\en I do that, mostly subconsciously. I'm just hoping it's a positive influence overall, but who knows. It all depends on the person If they play my game, they might choose to do everything evil, and then maybe it's a neg- ative influence on their life. Or maybe they get to work it out in their brain and see what
really happened. It's complicated, but I think so.
When you are giving them the choice, it 's not as if the game is in- fluencing them as much as they are influencing the outcome of the game.
Yeah, it just magnifies what they wanted to do.
But I think it 's also valuable in that it can give people experiences that they wouldn 't neces- sarily have in real life. Like if someone was too afraid to confront domestic violence.
That's true, and I think one of the points of gaming is to put yourself into a new situation that you would ne\er ha\e experienced nor- mally. Right now, it seems like all the situa- tions that you get put in when you buy games today are kind of similar. You've been there. you'\e done that. 1 think the more kinds of situations the better. I really like simulators, all kinds — train simulators, running a school simulators — because it's a new experience.
/ really like your idea of giving players experi- ences that they haven 't had. I see video games as a huge and prevalent industry: where chil- dren and adults and people of all ages and se.xcs play them. They are everywhere and I think it is interesting to integrate a social is- sue into something that is so mainstream in our society and reaches so many people.
Yeah, I agree and I reall> feel that is true as I get older and more mature. When I look back on my old stuff, I really see that as I change, my games change. I am hoping that in thirty years 1 will have real wisdom to put in my games, so that younger kids who play will learn something, w ithout meaning to. Maybe even about life.
/ think that s givat and I have always w<m- dered whether that is possible to do in a video game. You seem to have done that to .some degree.
Yeah, I have gotten reactions. I've gotten a lot of emails. To me. that is sort of success. If you can make an impact one wav or another that means you have spoken loudK. That's good enough for me. it
not a subscriber?
what are you waiting for?
subscribe to clamor online at www.clamormaga21ne.org or PC Box 20 128 I Toledo. OH 436 10 $18 for 6 issues
KH:i.^^:
'Mk
My plan seems simple enough at the time. I am working on a piece about MoveOn. org's "Bush in 30 Sec- onds" contest and I decide to interview some of the participants. One group calls them- selves the "Paper Street Space Monkeys." After some research 1 am able to locate them through their website www.20dissidents.com, where I learn that the "20 dissidents" moniker was derived from their desire to see Andrew Jackson removed from the 20-dollar bill.
1 will admit that I know little about American history and that I know even less about Jackson's presidency. I am intrigued, however, and read on. The Space Monkeys write, "We... believed that if enough peo- ple were made aware of Andrew Jackson's legacy of deceit and genocide, and those same people signed a petition to remove his face from the S20 bill, then the gov- ernment might consider our proposition."
I have no idea why Jackson's legacy might be considered one of "deceit and geno- cide," and so I write a note to myself to learn more about Jackson's time in office. Two weeks pass and Martin Luther King, Jr., day rolls around. That day. I read an op-ed piece from the San Francisco Chronicle entitled "Put King on the 20," and in it the authors discuss why they feel Jackson should be re- placed on the twenty-dollar bill with MLK Jr.
Jackson's presidency, they write, "is marked by the barbarous Indian Removal
The Paper Street Space Monkeys and the Search for Anger byBemanzer
Act... (which) led to the infamous Trail of Tears, where four thousand Chero- kee men, women, and children died in a forced march."
I have heard about the Trail of Tears, but have never connected it to Jackson or his policies. If these two groups have em- braced this issue, might not there be others? And if there are, why is this issue so impor- tant to them? 1 should know more about all of this, but I don't, and 1 am embarrassed about that. It's time to learn more.
I go to Google and type in "remove An- drew Jackson from the twenty dollar bill, and I am deluged with pages of links, every- thing from a petition calling for Jackson's removal to rants about the twenty-dollar bill on the blogs. Tliere are clearly a lot of peo- ple out there who have strong feelings about Jackson's presidency. I decide to pay some of them a visit.
Minister Gary Kowalski is a graduate of Har\'ard Divinity School and pastor at the First Unitiirian Universalist Society of Burlington, Vermont. In an October, 2003, "Pulpit Edito- rial" he writes: "Andrew Jackson's picture should be in the National Hall of Shame, not on the twenty dollar bill. And I like to imagine acts of grassroots resistance to his presence on our currency. What if people wrote the word 'genocide' across his face on every bill that passed through their hands? Or what if they simply refused to accept twenties. ..."
"The response has been overwhelmingly positive," he says in response to an e-mail inquiry. "Many people had been unaware of Jackson's crimes. Some dropped their twenties into the church collection plate that day — our receipts were much bigger than usual."
I also ask him whom he would suggest as Jackson's replacement. "Martin Luther King, Jr. Rosa Parks. Eleanor Roosevelt and Frank- lin Roosevelt. Benjamin Franklin. Thurgood Marshall." A short time later Minster Kowal- ski writes back to say, "Ben, Whoops, guess old Ben Franklin is already on the SIOO bill.
How about Frederick Douglass for the $20?"
As I digest Minister Kowalski's respons- es, I am reminded that there are people out there committed to righteous causes and that they have a vision for how things might be. They also have role models they admire who guide their actions and principles. I begin to wonder whether I aiti one of those people, and if not, what is it I can do to change this?
My next stop is a visit with John Knouse, who advocates for Jackson's removal from the twenty-dollar bill on his personal website www. jaknouse.athens.oh.us. He writes, "Join me in an eflbrt to have Andrew Jackson replaced by Eleanor Roosevelt on the US S20 Bill." And why should we do this he asks'.' Because among other things, while "Jackson was... responsible for creating an atmosphere of extreme political partisanship that has persisted until today," El- eanor Roosevelt "championed civil rights and other important issues even at frank risks to her own life." Knouse describes himself as "a middle-aged white male, living in southeastern Ohio (in one of the very few genuinely liberal areas of a right wing state)."
The response to Knouse 's essay has so far been "very sparse. In fact, you're perhaps the third person who's ever responded. One person was an extreme apologist for Andrew Jackson, saying that he needed to be judged 'in the context of his times.' What I know is that there were plenty of people in the United States at the time who were sensitive to the issue of Native American removal and killing and were horrified by it... Jackson's ignorance was no excuse."
I'm struck by a couple of things, the first of which is the use of the word "context." People like to talk about context, whether they are discussing Jackson then or Bush today. The President decides to invade Iraq and calls those unpatriotic who question the evidence presented to rationalize the inva- sion. We are told that we are at war, and it is within this context that the decisions made by the President should be judged, regardless
o o
ui
of how ultimately destructive his policies have been.
With this in mind, 1 turn back to the Pa- per Street Space Monkeys and back to where my journey first began. I ask a member of the Space Monkeys what has influenced their interest in such a cause. "There is nothing specific to our backgrounds that lent itself to our political or social views. Both of us have always been disposed to question authority. Every teenager does. 1 suppose, but a lot of us lose that inquisitive and rebellious nature as the realities of adulthood set in. For whatever reason, both of us still feel very strongly that change is crucial, and more importantly, pos- sible. We also believe that even if our move- ments ultimately fail on their face, the very
fact that people united for such a movement is a victory unto itself"
The Space Monkeys' response deeply resonates with me. 1 am angry, but discon- nected, and 1 am unsure what to do about it. Those calling for Jackson's removal from the twenty-dollar bill have reminded me that a righteous anger exists in the minds of ev- eryday people, and that the challenge is not whether 1 can find a means to connect with something larger then myself, but will I, and can I, and what more will it take to do so?
I prioritize everything but activism. I tell myself that there is work to go to, the baby's diapers to change, book readings to attend, and articles I want to write. I tell myself I'm too busy to do anything more than 1 do. I v\ ant
to believe this, but with four more years of the Bush administration ahead of us. the time to settle for anything less than taking action is long since past.
Ben is a social worker and writer who lives in Chicago with his wife and young son. Ben has had work published in a variety of magazines and journals including Midnight Mind. Rated Rookie. Punk Planet. Abroad View. Chicago Parent, Windy City Sports. and The Heartlands. Ben can he contacted at hendehmyles(arcn. com
When a Whisper Becomes a Shout: Beyondmedia Education
in
o o rsi
Media provides the threads of a web that interconnect a community. Stories are shared, opinions are heard, and people are given the chance to hear perspectives that they may otherwise never know about. Mak- ing alternative media is crucial when so many relevant stories are pushed into the ground. Beyondmedia Education allows some of those stories to emerge from the earth.
Filmmaker Salome ChasnofT founded the organization in 1996 af- ter producing a documentary about the 1995 United Nations Fourth World Conference on Women in Beijing. China. Chasnoff emerged from the conference inspired and equally frustrated at the lack of media control women had. "There was a really strong need for young women to have increased media access and media skills, and also to have a different kind of edu- cation," Chasnofl" says. "An education that not only deliv- ers skills, but also supports them as developing women."
Beyondmedia "sprograms provide in-depth groundwork for each participant to learn and grow from. "[We have]
year-long workshops in which girls and young women of diverse backgrounds learn to decipher the messages of dominant media and alternative media, and they create a wide range of their own media, including video, web design, digital imaging, audio recording, cre- ative writing, photography and performance. Then they develop and distribute a group project."
The girls select a topic to work v\ ith, one thai holds meaning and what they want to explore, many times rangmg from race to sexual orientation to class issues. Says Chasnoff; "We talk about the topic through the many months and develop ideas about who the