What’s GoinG on · What’s GoinG on in Community media Benton Foundation 1625 K Street, NW, 11th...
Transcript of What’s GoinG on · What’s GoinG on in Community media Benton Foundation 1625 K Street, NW, 11th...
Whatrsquos GoinG on
in Community media
Benton Foundation
1625 K Street NW 11th Floor
Washington DC 20006
Phone (202) 638-5770
wwwbentonorg
Whatrsquos GoinG on in Community media
ByFredJohnsonUniversityofMassachusettsBoston withKarenMenichelliBentonFoundation
Contents
Acknowledgmentsii
Introduction1WhatAreCommunityMedia3DefiningCharacteristics3TypesofMedia4EngagingCommunityWhatrsquosWorking 12Strategies 12CommunitySpotlight 14EnvisioningtheFutureEmergingPractices 19NewCommunicationSpacesCyberjournalism 19NewOrganizationalSpacesNetworkedClusters 21Conclusions25Challenges25ModelsfortheFuture27ThePromise28
AppendicesCommunityMediaEmpowermentStrategies29AggregatorsandAssociations30CommunityMediaPractitioners 31Bibliography32
ii
TheBentonFoundationwouldliketothanktheRobertWoodJohnsonFoundationforsupportoftheroundtablediscussionsthatinformedthisreportandforitsten-yearsupportofSound Partners for Community Healthwhichinspiredthisreport
ThisreportbenefitedsignificantlyfromthethoughtfulreviewsonearlierdraftsprovidedbyThomClarkpresidentofCommunityMediaWorkshopHelenDeMichielco-directoroftheNationalAllianceforMediaArtsandCultureAnthonyRiddleexecutivedirectoroftheAllianceforCommunityMediaandRichardSomerset-WardformerBentonseniorfellowandfrequentwriterondigitalandbroadbanddevelopmentsWearealsogratefultoroundtablediscussionparticipantsinBostonChicagoMinneapolis-StPaulandPortlandOregonfortheirvaluableinsights
Acknowledgments
TheBentonFoundationworkstoarticulateapublicinterestvision
forthedigitalageanddemonstratethevalueofcommunicationsfor
solvingsocialproblems
BentonFoundation
1625KStreetNW11thfloor
WashingtonDC20006
(202)638-5770
wwwbentonorg
copy2007BentonFoundation
AfreePDFversionofthispublicationisavailableonlinefor
downloadatwwwbentonorg
BoardofDirectorsCharlesBentonElizabethDaleyAdrianne
BentonFurnissTerryGoddardLeeLynchHenryRiveraMichael
SmithWoodwardWickham
TrusteesCharlesBentonAdrianneBentonFurnissLeonard
Schrager
ResearchassistanceDanielMartinProjectManagerUniversityofMassachusettsBostonVISTACTCVISTAProjectJasonPramasGraduateResearcherUniversityofMassachusettsBostonJohnWMcCormackGraduatePolicyStudiesTacticalMediaProjectCommunityMediaandTechnologyProgramUniversityofMassachusettsBostonCollegeofPublicandCommunityServiceMediaWorkingGroupandRobMcCauslandDirectorofInformationampOrganizingServicesAllianceforCommunityMedia
EditingJudithWoodburnDesignGalePetersen
ThemediarevolutionpromisedforthepastfortyyearshasarrivedndashagainTheUnitedStatesisnowexperi-encingthethirdmajortechnicalandeconomicshift
initsmediaenvironmentsincethemid-1970sFourdecadesagothedominanceofahandfuloftelevisionbroadcastnetworkswasshatteredbytheemergenceofsatellite-linkedcabletelevisionInthe1990stheInternetsenttextanddataflowingaroundtheworldNowadecadelaterphotosaudioandvideoarebecomingaseasilytransmit-tedastextTheeraofpersonalelectroniccommunicationandbroadbandnetworksisathandandeveryaspectofourmediacultureisundergoingchange
Asmightbeexpectedthesetechnologicalshiftsarepromptingeconomicandpoliticalshiftsandwiththemfundamentalshiftsinthenatureofaudiencesandprogram-mingitselfGovernmentderegulationandincreasedconcentrationofownershiphavecreatedapowerfuleconomicincentivetoignorelocalprogrammingneedsAtthesametimelargeheterogeneousaudiencesarebecom-ingathingofthepastincreasinglymediaaremarketingtosegmentedaudiencesdistinguishedbyideologyclassethnicityorraceTheseaudiencesrarelycomeintocontactwithoneanotherorwithdisagreeableopinionsInsuchafragmentedmediaworldisthereanelectronicplacewherepeoplecanconveneascitizensCanthenewmediacreateapublicsquarewherepeoplecanbeheardndashandheareachother
TheanswerisyesCommunitiesacrossthecountryaretakingcontrolofmediaadaptingnewtechnologiestothesocialeconomiceducationalculturalandinforma-tionneedsoftheirresidentsInConnecting Communitiesa2000reportbyseniorfellowRichardSomerset-WardtheBentonFoundationdocumentedcommunity-mediaalli-ancesthataredeliveringpublicserviceseffectivelyThereportenvisionedadigitalbroadbandinteractivemulti-mediacommunityplatformthatwouldtaketheseservicestonewlevelsThatvisioniscomingtopass
Thisreportshinesaspotlightonmediathatgobeyondthestandardnotionsofmediainthepublicinteresttoembracepracticesthatincreasecitizenpar-ticipationinmediaproductiongovernanceandpolicyThereportsummarizesthefindingsofanationwidescanofeffectiveandemergingcommunitymediapracticesconductedbytheBentonFoundationincollaborationwiththeCommunityMediaandTechnologyProgramoftheUniversityofMassachusettsBostonThescanincludedananalysisoftrendsandemergingpracticescomparativeresearchanonlinesurveyofcommunitymediapractitio-nersone-on-oneinterviewswithpractitionersfundersandpolicymakersandtheinformationgleanedfromaseriesofroundtablediscussionswithcommunitymediapractitionersinBostonChicagoMinneapolisStPaulandPortlandOregon
ThroughoutthiseffortBentonsoughtinputonkeyaspectsofcommunitymediapracticewiththegoalofunderstandinghowcommunitymediacanbesustainedstrengthenedandexpandedThescanresearchfocusedonfourkeyareasofinquirybullWhataretheuniquecharacteristicsthatdistinguish
communitymediabullWhatmakesmedia-communitycollaborationssuccessfulbullWhattypesofcommunitymediaorganizationsbestlever-
agenewtechnologiesbullHowmightcommunitymediaengageunderservedpopula-
tionsinprogrammingtailoredtotheirneedsThescangrewoutoftheBentonFoundationrsquos
experiencewithSoundPartnersforCommunityHealtharegrantingprogramsupportedbytheRobertWoodJohnsonFoundationFortenyearsSoundPartnersnurturedcol-laborationsbetweencommunityhealthagenciesandlocalpublicbroadcasterstoimprovelocalhealthcarepracticesanddecision-makingThesuccessofSoundPartnersdem-
introduction
Insuchafragmentedmedia
worldisthereanelectronic
placewherepeoplecanconvene
ascitizensCanthenewmedia
createapublicsquarewhere
peoplecanbeheardndashandhear
eachother
onstratedthepowerofcommunitymediaandinspiredthefoundationtotakeadeeperlookatcollaborationopportuni-tiesandthepotentialformediawhosemissionistoserveandtransformthecommunitieswithinwhichtheyoperateThegoalofthescanistoprovideinspirationanddirectionnotonlyforcommunitiesnationwidebutalsotoinformthenextphaseofSoundPartnersThisphasecalledNewRoutestoCommunityHealthisanchoredinlocalpartner-shipsandpoisedtoincreasethehealthofnewimmigrantsandrefugeesbyinvolvingabroadrangeoflocalmediaandcivicinstitutionsintacklingthiscommunityrsquoscomplexproblemsandgivingvoicetoitsvulnerablenewresidents
Acrossthecountrycommunitiesarepartneringwithpublicbroadcastersprovidingcommunityradioandestab-lishinglow-powerradiostationsorganizingoncableaccesschannelsjoiningcommunitybroadbandnetworksandproducingforsatellite-deliveredpublicinterestchannelsInthisreportweexplorethelessonslearnedfromtheseimportantmdashbutoftenisolatedmdashexperimentsincom-munity-drivenmediaWehopethisreportwillhelpconnectpresentandfutureinnovatorswithoneanotherandwithresourcesthatcangetthemstartedandorsustainthem
Simplyputcommunitymediaaremediacreatedtoallowindividualstotellthestoriesandhavetheconversationsnecessaryfortheirownself-directed
developmentascitizens(Howley2005Jankowski2003Rennie2006)ThefacesandvoicesinthesestoriesandconversationsmaynotbeseenorheardanywhereelseChicagoroundtableparticipantsdescribedthisexperi-encewiththepowerfulphraseldquofirstvoicerdquoOftenitisthefirsttimeindividualshavespokenpubliclyorsharedtheirstories
defining chArActeristicsFourcharacteristicsarecommontothecommunitymediadescribedinthisreportthoughnooneorganizationcanfulfillalltheseidealsallofthetime
LocalismCommunitymediaarecreatedprimarilywithandbyresidentsofaspecificgeographicplaceTheyexplorelocalissuesTheyhelpdefinetheplaceswhereweliveandhowwerelatetooneanotherTheyreflectlocalvaluesandcul-tureBydefinitionasoneroundtableparticipantinBostonnotedcommunitymedialdquocanrsquotbeoutsourcedrdquo
Inthecurrentregulatoryandcommercialenviron-mentofmostmediaplatformstheimportanceofthiskeycharacteristiccanrsquotbeoverstatedLocalradioprogram-mingisoftenpipedinfromothercommunitiesandgivenanautomatedwrapperthatsimulateslocalismLocalbroadcasttelevisionhasbeengivenalmostcompleteregulatoryrelieffromitsminimalobligationstoservetheneedsoflocalcommunitiesSimilarlythecableandtele-phoneindustriesarepressingintheregulatoryarenatoberelievedoflocalcommunityserviceobligationsclaimingtheInternethassoempoweredlocalcitizensthatitisnolongernecessarytorequireothermediatosupportciviclife(Atthesametimetheseindustriesareseekinglegisla-tiontobarcommunitiesfromowningandbuildingtheirownwirelessandbroadbandInternetconnections)
FacedwiththesechangescommunitiesarelefttowonderhowtheycandiscovercreativewaysofpluggingintotheemergingmediaandknowledgeculturesItisnowwidelyrecognizedthattheinabilitytogainaccesstoinformationnetworksandglobalflowsofmediaarecriticalfactorsincreatingsocialinequality(Castells2005Lash2002)Failuretoaddresstheseconcernsinanetworked
societyplacesgeographiccommunitiesatriskofbecom-ingldquodumbterminalsrdquoratherthancreativeeconomicandculturalactorsinthenetworksnowemergingThequestionofldquowherearecommunitymediardquoiscriticalhereItcanbeansweredintwowaysasageographicplacendashaneigh-borhoodtowncitycountyorregionndashandasanonlinevirtualcommunityndashasocialnetworkofcommonintereststhatisnotparticularlyassociatedwithageographicplaceFailuretokeepthisdistinctionintheforewhenconsider-ingcommunitymediaputsgeographiccommunitiesatriskofbeingdisconnectedandmarginalizedlsquooffthenetworkrsquo
Withoutthepresenceoflocalinstitutionscommit-tedtosupportingcommunitiesintheireffortstograpplewithaglobalmediacultureandcreatedigitalinclusionitisunlikelythatthedemocraticpotentialofnetworkcommunicationscanberealizedThisreportfocusesonmediathatservelocalgeographicplacesplaceswhereadiversityofpeopleliveandareinevitablyassociatedwitheachothergroundedinunavoidablerichandcomplexsocialrelationshipsthatarefarfromtransparentsimpleormeresimulationsofintimacyinavirtualcommunica-tionsnetwork
Diverse ParticipationCommunitymediaaremission-driveninservicetothebroadercommunityTheyinsistontheinclusionofdiversevoiceswithinthecommunityandtheirproductionanddistributionprocessesemphasizecommunityparticipationTheyseekrepresentationoftherangeofdemographicsofitscitizensndashsocialeconomicethnicculturalpoliticalagendashintheirprogrammingAndthatprogrammingisnotmerelyaboutthecommunityitiscreatedincollaborationwiththecommunityCommunitymediainstitutionsseethemselvesasaccountableandaccessibletothepeopletheyserveandtheyembracetheiraudiencesascitizensinademocracywhoareentitledbothtoFirstAmendmentfreedomsandtocontrolovercontentTheirdemocraticprinciplesareoftenreflectedinparticipatorymanagementandgovernancestructures
Storytelling and DeliberationAsbothprocessandcontentstorytellingiscentraltocom-munitymediaandcanjump-startadeliberativeprocessamongcommunitymembersItcombatsalienationandiso-lationbyallowingaudiencememberstoexpresstheirstory
WhAt Are community mediA
aswellasliveinsomeoneelsersquosshoesItallowspartici-pantsandviewerstoderivebroadermeaningfrompersonalexperienceandprovidesin-depthcoverageofissuesonanintimatelevel
ThestorytellingishumanfromtheheartandnotnecessarilyobjectiveItiscreativeandenablesboldrawrelevantanddiversecontentcriticalforcivicdiscussionAtitsbestitisnotmerelyldquopersonalrdquomediabutoftenstorytellinginservicetolargercivicconcerns
ToframethecommunityrsquosstoriesandexperienceforcivicdiscoursecommunitymediaofteninitiatepublicconversationanddeliberationonimportantandcomplextopicsInthiswaycommunitymediaorganizationsareassumingtheroleofconvenersandauthenticatorsofinfor-mationsharinganddialoguerolesincreasinglybeinglostlocallyinderegulatedcommercialmedia
EmpowermentOnegoalofcommunitymediaistochallengenotionscon-veyedinmainstreammediaAccomplishingthisrequiresputtingcommunicationtoolsinthehandsofindividualssharingaccesswithnonprofessionalsandsupportingself-expressionandcommunitybuildingCommunitymediainstitutionsengageinempowermentindifferentwaysManyoffertrainingprogramstobuildthecapacityofcom-munitymemberstousemediatechnologiesothersassistcommunitiesingrapplingwithamedia-saturatedculturethroughmedialiteracytrainingyetothersemphasizeeco-nomicandworkforcedevelopmentthroughskillstrainingandcontentproductionByenablingcitizenstomakeandunderstandmediacommunitymediabecomeatoolforper-sonalcommunityandethnicexpressionanddevelopmentTheymayeveninspireaudiencestotakeactionleadingtopoliticaltransformationTheyreachthoseoutsidethemainstreamandprovideavoiceforthevoicelessThisdynamicmakestheprocessofcreationasimportantastheproduct(SeeAppendix1)
types of mediAWheredocommunitymediafitinthebroadermedialand-scapeThelanguageweusetotalkaboutmediaculture
andprogramminghasevolvedtokeeppacewithchangingmediaformstechnologyandpracticesIncreasinglythetermpublic mediaisusedtodistinguishmediathataresupportedbythepublicandthatallowthepublictoengageinciviclifeandhaveavoiceintheirdevelopmentWithinthisbroadunderstandingofpublicmediaseveraltermsdescribemediapracticesthatfacilitatepeoplersquosparticipa-tionascitizensCommunity mediaasdefinedabovefitseasilywithinthiscategoryAlsofallingundertheumbrellaofpublicmediaaretermslikealternative media inde-pendent media participatory media citizen mediaanddevelopment mediatheseareoverlappingpracticesthatemphasizevaryingprioritiesbutallmayalsoqualifyascommunitymedia
Forthepurposesofthisreportitisusefultospe-cificallydistinguishcommunitymediafromlocalmediaHerewehavefocusedoncommunitymediathatarelocalgeographicallybutwehavealsodefinedcommunitymediaasmediathatemphasizeinclusivenessandhaveauniquesetofparticipatorypractices
Itisalsousefultonotethatthetermscitizen mediaandcitizenrsquos mediahavetakenontwodifferentandimpor-tantmeaningsinrecentyearsNeithertermreferstomediathatareexclusivelylocalThepossessiveformcitizenrsquos media isatermusedbyscholarClemenciaRodriguezandotherstorefertotheuseofmediathatallowpeopletoacteffectivelyascitizensacrossthespectrumofdailylife(Rodriguez2001)Theothertermcitizen mediaisnowbeingusedwithintheworldofonlinecollaborativemediatorefertodecentralizedpracticesinvolvingvideoandaudiobloggingsocialsoftwareapplicationsandothercollab-orativemediatoolsPractitionersofonlinecollaborativemediahaveadoptedthelanguageandpracticesofpartici-patorymediaThecurrentvisibilityoftheblogospherehascontributedtothemisconceptionthatcitizenmediaandcommunitymediahavejustemergedwiththeInternetandthatparticipatorymediaareafunctionoftechnologyratherthanofpeopleactingascitizensThisconfusionfailstorecognizesixtyyearsofgrassrootsmediaexperience
Storytellingiscentraltocommunitymediaandcanjump-startadeliberativeprocessamongcommunitymembers
Byenablingcitizenstomakeandunderstandmediacommunitymediabecomeatoolforpersonalcommunityandethnicexpressionanddevelopment
CommunitymediaarenotlimitedtoanyparticularvenuesortechnologiesTheyreflectalonghistoryofadaptingnewmediatechnologiesastheyemergeEarlyexperimentsincommunityradiobeganinthe1940sand1950sAbroadermovementfollowedinthe1960swiththeuseofsmall-for-matvideofilmsoundrecordingandtheexpandedFMradiospectrumItcontinuedthroughthe1970sand1980swiththediversificationoftelevisiondistributionnetworksandlocalpubliceducationalandgovernmentchannelsoncableTodaycommunitymediaareavitalfeatureoftheelectronicmediaenvironmentFollowingarebriefdescrip-tionsandhistoricaloverviewsofdifferentplatformswhichprovidecontextforthecommunitymediaprofilescontainedinthisreport
Community RadioGroundedinearliereffortstopreservespectrumspaceforeducationalusescommunityradiofirstappearedinSanFranciscointhe1940swiththecreationofthePacificaFoundationrsquosKPFAradiostationThestationpioneeredanapproachtoradiothatcombinedresponsivenesstolisten-ersthroughsubscriptionfundingandcommunityservicewiththecreationofanopenforumforculturaljournal-isticandsocialexpressionSincethencommunityradioinitiativeshavebeendevelopedinmorethan225communi-tiesintheUnitedStatesandincountlesscommunitiesaroundtheworld
In1975communityradiotookonanationalinsti-tutionalexpressionwiththeformationofthe National Federation of Community Broadcasters(NFCB)anorganizationdedicatedtopromotingcommunityradiodevelopmentintheUnitedStatesThefederationadvo-catedcommunitycontrolnoncommercialownershipandvoluntaryparticipationintheoperationandprogrammingofcommunityradiostationsespeciallybypopulationsandgroupsthathistoricallyhadbeendeniedexpressionintheUnitedStatesNFCBprovidedtraininganddevelopmentsupporttoitsmemberstationsandundertookFederalCommunicationsCommission(FCC)advocacyontheirbehalfWithinadecadeNFCBhadseventymembersta-tionsand120associatemembersnationwide(Engelman1996)
Ascommunityradiohasevolvedindifferentcom-munitiesinterpretationsofitsmissionhaveexpandedtoincludestationsdedicatedtominoritycommunitiesandownershipforeignlanguagestationsdedicatedtospecificlanguagecommunitiesinalocaleandvaryingcommit-mentstocommunityinvolvementvolunteerproductionandfundingstrategiesWiththisdiversificationhascome
ideologicaldebateovercreepingcommercializationandprofessionalizationofthefieldHoweverdespitedisagree-mentsoverphilosophyandpracticescommunityradiostationsremainvitalpartsoftheircommunitiessupport-ingcivicparticipationandeducationcommunitybuildingandcommunitiesrsquosenseofthemselvesasuniqueplaces
RadiostationKFAIinMinneapolis-StPaulisonesuchstationAvolunteer-basedcommunityradiostationthatbroadcastsinformationartsandentertain-mentprogrammingitoffersaneclecticmixofprogramsincludingmusiclocalnewspoetryspokenwordpoliticalforumsandinterviewsKFAIemphasizesempowermentthroughtrainingItprovidesboardcertificationtrainingandworkshopsonannouncinginterviewingandprogramdevelopmenttovolunteersCoursesaretaughtinEnglishbutbilingualvolunteershaveaccesstoanyoftheon-airprogrammersforassistanceintheirownlanguage
Low-Power FMCommunityradioreachedanotherstagewiththedevel-opmentoflow-powerFMradioorLPFMTheLPFMmovementwasapoliticalresponsetoincreasingconsoli-dationoflocalradioownershipafterthepassageofthe1996CommunicationsActandasenseamongthoseinthegrassrootsradiomovementthatcommunityradiowasfallingpreytopressurefromtheCorporationforPublicBroadcasting(CPB)tobecomemoreaudience-drivenhomogenizedinprogrammingandprofessionalizedthuslessinterestedincommunityparticipation(Cano2003)Tocounterthesetrendsmediaactivistsbegansettingupmicro-powerradiostationsincommunitiesusinglow-powerbroadcasttransmitterswithanapproximateservicerangeofthree-and-a-halfmilesanareaoftenassmallasasingleneighborhood
In1998thegrowthofLPFMspurredthecreationofthePrometheus Radio Projectfoundedbyactiviststoassistcommunitygroupsinacquiringlow-powerFMradio
Communityradiostationsremainvitalpartsoftheircommunitiessupportingcivicparticipationandeducationcommunitybuildingandcommunitiesrsquosenseofthem-selvesasuniqueplaces
TheURLsoforganizationssetinboldfaceareprovidedinApendices2(aggregatorsassociations)and3(practitioners)
broadcastlicensesfromtheFCCandingettingtheirsta-tionsupandrunningoncetheywerelicensedAsaresultofthisactivismtheFCCofficiallyacknowledgedlow-powerFMinUSbroadcastingpolicyin2000LPFMstationsarenowlicensedfornoncommercialeducationalbroadcastingonlyandaconstructionpermitisrequiredbeforeaLPFMstationcanbebuiltoroperatedThelowcostoflow-powerradiohasallowedmanyorganizationswithstrongcommit-mentstocommunitycontrolnoncommercialgrassrootsfundingandparticipatoryproductionandmanagementprocessestoenterthecommunityradiomovement
WCIW-LPisalow-powerFMstationinImmokaleeFloridaoperatedbythe2500-memberCoalitionofImmokaleeWorkersItishardtoimagineabetterexampleofcommunityempowermentingrassrootsLPFMthanWCIW-LPItfocusesonacommunitythatisbothacommunityofworkersandageographiccommunitythestationandtransmitterarelocatedinthesamelotwherethecoalitionrsquosmembersboardbusesboundforthetomatofieldsofFloridaLaunchedin2003withthehelpofthePrometheusRadioProjectWCIW-LPproducesnewsedu-cationalprogramsandmusicinSpanishHaitianCreoleandindigenouslanguagesofMexicoandGuatemalaThestationisaprimaryorganizingtoolforthecommunityinitsdefenseoftherightsofLatinoHaitianandMayanIndianmigrantandimmigrantfarmworkers
Public BroadcastingUnlikemanylocationsinEuropeandCanadatheUnitedStateshasnotdevelopedastrongcommunity-focusedbroadcastingsectorseparatefrompublicbroadcastingPublicbroadcastingintheUnitedStatesislargelysynony-mouswiththePublic Broadcasting ServiceandNational Public RadioinstitutionsthatcameintoexistencewiththepassageofthePublicBroadcastingActof1967Theactestablishedafederalsystemoftelevisionandradioheavilydependentonfederalandcorporatefunding
Thoughembattledfromitsinceptionandsaddledwithacumbersomedecentralizedstructurepublicbroad-castinghasmanagedtosurviveandfindanimportantroleinAmericanmediaNeithergovernmentalnorcommercialinitsorientationyetheavilydependentoneachitprovidesvaluablenoncommercialprogramming(Aufderheide2000b)PublicradioandtelevisionhavealsoledthewayintheUnitedStatesintheinnovativeuseofdigitalandsatellitetechnologyThePBSwebsiteisconsideredtobethemostfrequentlyvisitednonprofitsiteontheInternet(Starr2003)
YetpublictelevisionandradiofallshortofthevisiondescribedinitsfoundingdocumentsTheywere
envisionedasldquohellipaforumfordebateandcontroversyrdquoaspaceforexpressionldquohellipforgroupsinthecommunitythatmayotherwisebeunheardrdquo(CarnegieCommissiononEducationalTelevision1967)AsJeffChestermediacriticandreformadvocatewritesldquoWhilepublicradioatitsbestcomesmuchclosertothisidealpublictelevisionappearstohavebecomeavictimofitsownsuccessndashfullofartistryandprofessionalismtobesurebutrarelythesourceofthelocalismdiversityandrisktakingthatitsfoundersenvisionedrdquo(Chester2006)Stillitisarguablethatpublicbroadcastingwouldnothavesurvivedtothepresenthaditinsistedonlivinguptotheparticipatoryvisionsofitsfounders
ThePublicBroadcastingServiceNationalPublicRadioandtheirmemberstationscannotuniformlybechar-acterizedascommunitymediaTheirprogrammingandmanagementstructureshavereflectedthetop-downnatureoftheirfundingandtheyhavetendedovertheyearstoemphasisprofessionalismandstationmanagementpreroga-tivesoveracommitmenttodiverselocalparticipationandcommunitybuilding(Engelman1996)
Publicbroadcastingholdsmanyexamplesofexem-plarycommunityprogrammingbutfewerexamplesofrobustprogramschedulingwithcommunity-orientedcom-munity-drivenandcommunity-createdprogrammingForinstance ldquoBasic Blackrdquo from WGBH in BostonwhichhaschronicledtheconcernedandcultureofAfrican-Americanssince1968andthemulticulturalweeklytalkshowsthatareastapleofWYBE inPhiladelphiaarenoteworthyforhavingcreateduniquelocalmediaspacesthatdofunc-tionascommunitymediaInthe1990sthenationalldquoNittyGrittyCityGrouprdquoattemptedtomovepublicbroadcastingbeyondprogramexcellencetobeinganagentforsocialchangeandameansforcitizenempowerment(Larson1993)ItworkedwithgrassrootsgroupstobringattentionandaccesstothecitizensoftheircommunitiesWhilethegroupnolongerexistsitspassionforcommunityengage-mentisstillaliveinstationpersonnelaroundthecountry
ItcanbeseeninmanyoftheSound Partners for Community HealthexperimentsincollaborationsbetweenpublicbroadcastersandcommunityhealthorganizationsNewhopefulexperimentsareunderwayfromCPBanditscommunityengagementinitiativewiththeHarwoodInstituteBroaderstationsuccessesinengagingcommu-nitymembersarechronicledinRichardSomerset-WardrsquosConnecting Communities(2000)andhismorerecentBroadband Community Networks(2005)ForexamplethereistremendouspotentialattheintersectionofpublicbroadcastingandonlinecollaborativemediaWHYYhasextendeditson-airradioandtelevisionprogramming
throughaphysicalandvirtualldquocivicspacerdquoinPhiladelphiaand ideastreamthemergeroftwopublicbroadcast-ersinClevelandoffersitsmultimediadigitalfacilitiesandexpertisetoClevelandrsquoscommunityinstitutionsandcitizensRadioprojectslikethePublic Radio Exchange andMinnesota Public Radiorsquos Public Insight Journalismareprovidinginterestingglimpsesofthepotentialofcol-laborativemediaforpublicradioEachexamplesuggeststhatpublicbroadcastinghasgreatpotentialandtechnicalcapacitytomovebeyondsimplenotionsofldquolocalismrdquotoamorerobuststanceofcivicengagementandparticipation
Cable AccessPublicaccesstelevisionorPublicEducationalandGovernment(PEG)accesstelevisionreferstoacollectionofentitiesthatprovidelocalcontentoverdedicatedchan-nelsoncabletelevisionsystemsintheUnitedStatesPEGaccessisrootedintheactivismofthe1960sand1970satimewhenpublicaccessadvocatesenjoyedamutuallysup-portiverelationshipwithanemergingcableindustryeagertodemonstrateitspotentialtodiversifytelevision
In1969theFederalCommunicationsCommissionsawthepotentialofcabletelevisiontoopenuptelevisiontomorelocalprogrammingandbeganrequiringlargercablesystemstodeveloplocalprogrammingexperimentsTheFCCrsquosfirstcomprehensiverulingonthecableindustryin1972includedrequirementsthatcablesystemsinthe100largesttelevisionmarketsdedicateatleastthreechannelsforpubliceducationandgovernmentaccessTherulingsetoffaroundofoptimisticcommunitymediaexperimentsnationwideButthisinformalpartnershipbetweencom-munitymediaadvocatesandthecableindustrycametoanabrupthaltin1979whentheSupremeCourtruledthattheFCChadexceededitsregulatoryauthorityinmandatingthatchannelsbededicatedtoPEGaccessTherulingdidnotpreventCongressandlocalgovernmentsfromrequiringnegotiatedaccesschannelshoweverandby1979accessadvocatesweresufficientlyorganizedtomakePEGastan-dardofferingofcabletelevision
BythistimethecableindustryhadenteredwhatarereferredtoasldquothegoldrushyearsrdquoThesuccessofHBOrsquossatellite-deliveredcableprogrammingservicedemon-stratedthataudienceswithgoodfreebroadcastreceptionwouldpaytoreceiveuninterruptedmoviesandsportsCablecompaniesvigorouslycompetedforfranchisesinthecountryrsquosmostpopulousareasIfalocalcommunityrsquosfranchiseauthorityexpressedadesireforPEGaccesschannelsinitsrequestforproposalsoftenthecablecompanieswouldrespondfavorablyInadditiontochannel
set-asidesarequirementthatoperatorsprovidefundingforequipmentandpublicinterestchanneloperationsbecameuniversalThoughmanyPEGaccesscentershavediversi-fiedtheirfundingsourcesthebulkoffundingforPEGaccesschanneloperationsandprogrammingcomesfromcongressionallyandmunicipallymandatedfeesinreturnfortheuseofpublicrights-of-way
Intheirearlyyearsthemorethan2000accesschannelstheninoperationwereadministeredinvariouswaysAfewcablecompanieswereabletocompetentlyundertakecommunity-basedmanagementofthesechan-nelsbutgenerallythecableindustryhadlittleappetiteorcapacitytosuccessfullymanagetheselocalchannelsInsomecasesthefranchiseauthorityitselfmanagedthechannelsInothercasesitwasthelibrarytheuniversitycommunitycollegeorhighschoolHoweveritsoonbecameclearthatthelocalcommunityneededtomanagethisnewcommunicationcapacityseparatefromcablecompaniesandgovernmentifitspotentialtocreatecommunitymediawastoberealizedTheindependentnonprofitcorporationeventuallybecamethestandardmanagementmodelamongcommunitymediaadvocatesTodaymostsuccessfulaccesscentersaremanagedthroughnonprofitcommunitygroups(Olson2000)
BecausepublicaccesschannelscarryFirstAmendmentprotectionallowinganyoneinthecommu-nitytoplaceprogrammingonthechannelswithoutbeingsubjecttopriorrestraintsomeprogrammingonthesechannelscanseemexceedinglystrangetotheuninitiatedMuchoftheprogrammingonpublicchannelsismadebynonprofessionalsandreflectstheidiosyncraticinterestsofproducersInrecentyearshoweverpublicaccesscentershaveastutelyexpandedtheirmissionsbeyondindividu-allyfocusedprogrammingtoaddresstheneedsofwholecommunitiesthroughmorecomplexnotionsofempower-mentandcommunitybuildingThishasmeantdevelopingmoreprogramminginpartnershipwithassociationsandnonprofitscommunitygroupsagenciesandeducationalinstitutionsthathaveaclearrelationshiptothelifeoftheircommunities(Rennie2006)Significantnumbersofaccesscentershavealsomovedtoincorporateothermediabeyondvideoandtocarryoutalargerrangeofmediaeducationandmediaartsactivitiesbeyondcableprogramming
OverthecourseofcableaccessdevelopmenttheAlliance for Community Media(ACM)hasconsistentlyprovidedbothpoliticalandprofessionalleadershiptothefieldofcableaccessFormedastheNationalFederationofLocalCableProgrammersin1978ACMquicklygrewtooccupyapresenceinWashingtonDCpolicycircles
andhassteadfastlyprovidedavoicefortheinterestsofthe2000accesscenterintheUSCurrentlytheACMisleadingthefightalongwithcitiesinfightingthewaveofstatewidelsquovideofranchisingrsquolegislationthroughwhichthetelephonecompaniesandcablecompaniesareattemptingtogainnear-monopolycontroloflocaltelecommunicationsmarketswhichwouldeffectivelyendcableaccessinmanycommunities
Manhattan Neighborhood Network(MNN)whichprovidespublicaccesscableservicesinManhattanisoneofagrowingnumberofcableaccesscentersintheUnitedStatesthathaveembracedabroadermissionofmultime-diaeducationandtrainingBeyonditscablechannelstelevisionstudiosandelectronicfieldproductionandpost-productionfacilitiesMNNfunctionsasacommunitymeetingandartsspaceandoperatesagrantingprogramandasupportnetworktositesthroughoutManhattanInrecentyearsMNNhasprovidedarichselectionofitsvideotoInternetstreamingItalsofeaturesaYouth Channeloneofthefirsttelevisionchannelstofacilitatecreativityandsocialandpoliticalparticipationamongdisadvantagedlow-incomeandminorityyouthbyprovidingthemwithaccesstoadedicatedchannelmediaproductionresourcesandtraining
Media Arts OrganizationsMediaartsorganizationswereorganizedinNorthAmericainthe1960sand1970sinresponsetotheavailabilityofnewmoreaffordableandmoreportablemediatech-nologiessuchasfilmvideoandcomputersMediaartsorganizationssupportartthatmakesuseoffilmvideoaudiomultimediaandinteractivemediaIndividualcen-tersoftenfocusononeortwoelementsofthetotalmediaartsinfrastructureprovidingsomecombinationofaccesstomediatoolsproductionproductiontrainingdistribu-tionarchivingandexhibitionofmediaart
Overtheyearscentershaveengagedinanincred-iblerangeofartisticpracticesembracingavantgardeexperimentationinfilmandvideodocumentariesnar-rativeandstorytellingcomputerartandinstallationsusingallmediaThesepracticesintersectwithcommunitymediaintheiremphasisonparticipatoryprogrammingdevelopment
ThehistoryofmediaartsorganizationsiscloselyentwinedwiththetrendsandpoliticsofpublicfundinganddevelopingtechnologyintheUnitedStatesEarlycentersoftenreceivedfoundationfundingtoexperimentwithspecificemergingtechnologiesparticularlyvideoThisinitialphaseofdevelopmentwasgivensignificantsupport
bytheMacArthurFoundationanditsmediaartsprogramfollowedbythecreationoftheNationalEndowmentfortheArtswhichinturnbeganaprogramofconsistentsupportformediaartsorganizationsnationwideTheperiodwasmarkedbythelong-termsupportbyMacArthurFoundationrelativelystablegrowthandaheadyrangeofartisticprac-ticeandexperimentation
Inthepoliticallyconservativeclimateoftheearly1990sasfundersbecameincreasinglywaryofsupportingartthatmightprovecontroversialtheNationalEndowmentfortheArtsgraduallywithdrewmostfundingforthemediaartsBytheendofthedecadetheMacArthurFoundationoneofthemediaartsrsquomostconsistentfundersendeditsyearlysupportformediaartsorganizationsclosingtheeraandforcingaperiodofdevelopmentdiversificationandrestructuringformediaartsorganizations
ThefieldhasprovenextremelyresilientTodaythefieldofmediaartsismadeupofamorediverseandmaturearrayofnonprofitorganizationsandartspracticesAlthoughmediaartsorganizationsnowplacemoreempha-sisonearnedincomeanddiversefundingsourcestheycontinuetobevitalculturalcentersprovidingcommunitiesaccesstobothmediafacilitiesandafullrangeofmediaculturalexperiencesMediaartsorganizationslikeScribeinPhiladelphiaandAppalshopinWhitesburgKentuckyforexamplehavenavigatedthetechnologicalandfundingshiftsofthepastthreedecadeswithsurprisingcreativityandsavvy
TheScribe Video CenterinPhiladelphiawhichemergedin1982duringthemediaartsheydayperseveredthroughtheupsetsofthe1990stobecomeanextraordinaryexampleofwhatasocialassetamediaartscentercanbeforacommunityScribereachesouttocommunitiesincludingpeopleofcolorwomenseniorcitizensandteensthattraditionallyhavenothadaccesstovideotrainingorproductionfacilitiesandprovidesthemtoolsforstorytell-ingInadditiontoproductionandscriptwritingworkshopsScribeoffersartistsrsquoservicessuchasfiscalsponsorshipequipmentrentalandeditingfacilitiesOngoingprogramsincludeCommunityVisionsavideoproductionprogramforcommunityorganizationsStreetMoviesafreeoutdoorneighborhood-basedscreeningseriesandtheProducersrsquoForumscreeningandlectureseriesofvisitingartistsandmediaactivistsAdditionallyScribeproducestheDocumentaryHistoryProjectforYouthanannualproduc-tionworkshopformiddleandhighschoolstudents
AppalshopinWhitesburgKentuckyisoneoftheoldestmediaartsorganizationsintheUnitedStatesAsitswebsiteindicatesAppalshopwasfoundedin1969to
enablepeopletousemediatotelltheirownstoriesinordertoldquosolvetheirownproblemsrdquoIthasbecomeanationallyrecognizedmediacenterworkinginfilmvideoaudioandmusicrecordingsliteraturetheaterliveperformanceandradioallfocusedonAppalachiancultureItsworkdocumentstraditionalartsexploreshistoryandaddressessocialissuesthataffecttheAppalachianregiontodayAppalshopprovidesregionallyandnationallyfocusededu-cationandtrainingprogramsTwoofthemostnotablearetheAppalachianMediaInstituteayouthmediatraininginitiativeandCommunityMediaInstitutewhichworkswithgrassrootsgroupsandpublicinterestorganizationsfromtheregionandnationallytoaccomplishstrategiccom-municationplanningaroundsocialjusticeorganizing
TheNational Alliance for Media Arts and CulturehasconsistentlyprovidedthoughtfulleadershiptothemediaartsfieldthroughtechnicalassistanceprogramsandstrategicplanninginitiativesItsDeepFocusprojectin2004usedscenarioplanningtoenvisionthefutureofmediaarts(Blau2004)Asaresultofthiskindofworktheearlynetworkofmediaartsorganizationshasexpandedtoincludeover274mediaartsorganizationsThisrepre-sentsasignificantbroadeningofthefieldofmediaartsencompassingmanysmallermediaartsorganizationswithspecificartisticculturalorcommunityobjectivesThemediaartsfieldhasmostrecentlyseentheemergenceofmanyyouthmediaorganizationswiththecriticalmissionofcreatingmedialiteracysurvivalskillsforyoungpeopleastheynavigatethemediasaturatedsocialenvironmentofthetwenty-firstcentury
Ethnic MediaEthnicmediarepresentagrowingvitalsectorofAmericanelectronicmediathatintersectswithcommunitymediainanumberofimportantwaysHistoricallyethnicmediaout-letshavearisenontheperipheryofUSbroadcastingoftenwithoutnetworkaffiliationtoservepopulationsthatdonothaveaccesstomainstreammediaandpopularcultureThesehaveincludednewimmigrantgroupsnon-Englishlanguagegroupsthepoliticallyoppressedandpopulationsstrivingtomaintainculturaltraditionsandtiestotheirhomelandswhileadaptingtoanewsociety
ThatpatternhasrepeatedwaxedandwanedasdifferentpopulationshavecometotheUnitedStatesinthepastcenturyThekeyhistoricalintersectionbetweencommunitymediaandethnicmedialiesintheearlyyearsofcommunityradiofollowingWorldWarIIwhenawaveofBlackradiostationsandformatsfilledspacecreatedintheshiftingmedialandscapebytheintroductionoftelevision
ThisshiftbroughtawaveofBlackinvestmentandprogramexperimentationthatseriouslyinfluencedthekindsofcommunityradioprogrammingthatevolvedintheUnitedStatesToalargeextenttheimprovisationalradioformatscombiningmusicandpoliticaltalkcultureandcur-rentaffairswerefirstworkedoutinpost-warBlackradio(Barlow1988Lloyd2006)
Ethnicmediaencompassescommercialandnoncom-mercialmediahugemultinationalsandsmalllocallyownedoperationsEthnicandcommunitymediaoftenintersectgeographicallyEthnicgroupsoftenidentifywithaspecificplaceandusemediatoarticulateasenseofsolidarityinthoseplacesLikecommunitymediaethnicmediafrequentlyembodyparticipatoryapproachestopro-grammingandproductionandareoftenresponsestodeepdissatisfactionwiththeownershipstructuresandbiasesofthemainstreammedia
OneofthemostsignificantongoingsourcesforethnicmediahasbeentheCorporationforPublicBroadcastingthroughitsfundingofthefivemembersoftheNationalMinorityConsortiaNational Asian American Telecommunications Association National Black Programming Consortium Native American Public Telecommunications Pacific Islanders in Communications and Latino Public BroadcastingTheseethnicprogrammingnetworksandtheIndependent Television ServiceprovidemillionsofdollarseachyeartotheirnetworksofethnicandindependentprogrammakersforprogramstargetedtothePublicBroadcastingService
CurrentlyethnicmediaareundergoingexplosivegrowthacrosstheUnitedStatesconsistentwithdemo-graphicshiftsTherearesignificantincreasesintheproportionofnon-EnglishspeakersLatinosAsiansMiddleEasternersandPacificIslandersintheUSpopulationandcorrespondingincreasesinethnicmediaDuringthecommunitymediaroundtablesconductedforthisreportparticipantsrepeatedlyexpressedappreciationforthenumberofethnicmediaoutletsthatusedparticipatorystrategiesinsupportingtheimmigrationproteststhatoccurredthroughouttheUnitedStatesin2006
OneindicationofthegrowthandsophisticationofethnicmediaisNew America Media (NAM)thelargestnationalcollaborationofethnicnewsorganizationsintheUnitedStatesNAMldquoproducesandaggregateseditorialcontentfromandfortheethnicmediasectoranddevelopspioneeringmarketingservicesonbehalfofcorporationsfoundationsandnonprofitswhoaretargetingethnicmediaandethniccommunitiesrdquoNewAmericaMediaisanetworkedcommunitythatlinksthousandsofethnic
0
mediaorganizationsintheUnitedStatesItsrecentstudyldquoEthnicMediainAmericaTheGiantHiddeninPlainSightrdquosurveysHispanicAmericansAfricanAmericansAsianAmericansArabAmericansandNativeAmericans(NewAmericaMedia2005)NAMfoundthatmorethanaquarterofthenationrsquospopulationusesethnicmediainsomecapacity
NewonlinejournalismsitessuchastheTwin Cities Media AlliancersquosDaily PlanetprofiledinthisreportareemergingfromtherestructuringofthenewspaperindustryandtheuseofbloggingandsocialnetworkingsoftwareThe TC Daily Planetaggregatesincreasingnumbersofethnicimmigrantandnon-mainstreamjournalistsinMinneapolis-StPaulAnotherexamplementionedinthisreportRadio Arte (WRTE)maybetheonlybilingual(SpanishEnglish)youth-operatedurbancommunitystationinthecountryItoperateswithafocusonyouthinChicagorsquosPilsenLittleVillageneighborhoodsAninitiativeoftheMexicanFineArtsCenterMuseumthiseducationalradiostationhasayouthtrainingandproductiontrainingprogramandapowerfulwebpresenceinadditiontoitsurbanbroadcastfootprint
BothTC Daily PlanetandRadioArteunderscorethecommonalitiesbetweenethnicmediaandcommunitymediaInmanycircumstancesethnicmediaandcom-munitymediacanbevirtuallyindistinguishableThisconvergenceofvaluesgeographyandpoliticscouldeasilyserveasthefoundationforcollaborationandpartner-ingbetweencommunityandethnicmediainspecificcommunities
Civic JournalismBothcivicjournalismandpublicjournalismrefertoamovementwithinprofessionaljournalismthathonorsnewsorganizationsrsquoroleinconveningandfacilitatingpublicdeliberationanddebatesinwhichaudiencesaretreatedasactiveparticipantsratherthanpassiveconsumersThePew Center for Civic JournalismdefinescivicjournalismasldquobothaphilosophyandasetofvaluessupportedbysomeevolvingtechniquesAtitsheartisabeliefthatjournal-ismhasanobligationtopubliclifendashanobligationthatgoesbeyondjusttellingthenewsorunloadinglotsoffactsrdquo(PewCenter2007)Thisphilosophyemergesfromanunder-standingthatcitizensareincreasinglydisengagedinciviclifeandthatnewsorganizationscanreactivateanapatheticcitizenryNewsorganizationspracticingcivicjournal-ismaimtoestablishdeeperconversationswithbroadercross-sectionsoftheircommunitiesresultinginenhancedcredibilityimprovedcommunicationbetweenthemselves
andthecommunityandbettercoverageofissuesoflocalconcern
CommittedtosupportingjournalisticeffortstorevitalizecitizenshipwhileobjectivelyreportinghardtruthsthePewCenterestablishedtheBattenAwardforExcellenceinCivicJournalismin1995OneofthefirstawardswenttoThe Charlotte ObserverofCharlotteNorthCarolinaforanineteen-monthin-depthseriesoncrimeinnineneighborhoodsReportersspenttwoyearsincrime-riddenneighborhoodsencouragingresidentsinthoseneighborhoodstoreportontherootcausesofcrimeandtoparticipateinthesearchforsolutions
Community NetworkingWhilestillinitsearlytext-basedphasetheInternetwasbeingadoptedasacommunity-buildingtoolbyanumberofgeographicallybasedorganizationsManyoftheseearlycommunitynetworksevolvedfromldquofreenetsrdquoalliedthroughtheNational Public Telecomputing Network(NPTN)AtthattimeNPTNwasthefourthmostpopularpubliccom-puternetworkbehindCompuServeAmericaOnlineandProdigy(Schuler1995)
SomeoftheseearlycommunitynetworksweresimplyInternetdestinationswherecommunity-basedinformationwascollectedandpresentedOthersevolvedasadjunctstotheInternetconnectionsprovidedbylocalInternetserviceprovidersLikeothercommunitymediathepioneersofcommunitynetworkingweremotivatedtousethisnewcommunicationstechnologytostrengthentheircommunities
CommunitynetworkingwaschangedirrevocablywiththeadventoftheWorldWideWebandthesurgeindemandforInternetaccessTheWorldWideWebreplacedmostofthesoftwareapplicationsthatwerebeingusedatthattimetomakeinformationaccessibletopeoplethroughacommunitynetworkThisandthedemandsurgelow-eredthepriceofcommercialInternetaccesstothepointwheretherewaslittlemotivationtobecomeamemberofacommunitynetworkastheywerepracticedatthetimeAsaresultcommunitynetworkinghasbecomelessaboutInternetaccessandmoreabouttheculturalpracticeof
Newsorganizationspracticingcivicjournalismaimtoestablishdeeperconversationswithbroadercross-sectionsoftheircommunities
communitynetworkingwithafocusonsocialnetworkingsoftwaredevelopmentandutilizationCommunitynetwork-ershavealwaysenjoyedclosealignmentwithopensourcesoftwaredevelopersandnowareconcernedwithusingtheInternetintandemwithopensourcesocialnetworkingsoftwaretoaccomplishmanyofthegoalsofcommunitymedia(Schuler2004)
The Metropolitan Austin Interactive Network (MAIN)isanonprofitorganizationcommittedtoinfor-mationsharingandcommunicationamongpeopleandgovernmentaleducationalcommercialculturalreligiousandcivicorganizationsItoperatesacommunity-basedwebsitethatprovidesandaggregatesabroadarrayofinformationcriticaltoAustinresidentsfromemploymentinformationtoenvironmentalartsandculturalcontentMAINiscommittedtohelpingitscommunitymakeeffec-tiveuseoftheInternetandothernetworkcommunicationsstructuresbutdoesnotdirectlyprovidenetworkconnectiv-ityMAINprovidesfreewebhostingandwebdevelopmentassistancethroughabroaddigitalliteracyprogramthatincludestrainingingeneralcomputerandInternetusage
SatelliteWhilesatellitetelevisioncannotbeconsideredcommunitymediabecauseitisneitherlocalnorspecificallycom-munity-focuseditdeservesmentionherebecauseofitsexistingandpotentialcontributionstocommunitymediagoalsSatellitetelevisionisfocusedonnationalvideodistributionviacableanddirectbroadcastservicestohomesatellitedishesTofosterthepublicrsquosinterestindiverseprogrammingviasatellitetheFCCin1992imposedcertainpublicinterestobligationsonDirectBroadcastService(DBS)providersThecommissionruledthatDBSprovid-ersmustreservefourpercentoftheirchanneltranspondercapacityexclusivelyfornoncommercialprogrammingofaneducationalorinformationalnatureUnfortunatelytheFCCleftituptotheDBScompaniestodecidewhichprogram-merswouldbeselectedfromeligibleprogrammersManyfeelthepotentialofDBStoservethepublicinteresthasbeensignificantlycurtailedasaresult(Anderson2000)
Neverthelesssatellitehasbecomehometosomeprogrammersthatembodythevaluesandpracticesofcom-munitymediaNotablyDeepDishTVFreeSpeechTVLinkTVandasofApril2007StarfishTelevisionNetworkarealldistributedviasatelliteduetotheset-asiderulesadoptedbytheFCCEachoffersprogrammingthatembodiesvaluesofdiversityandempowermentwhiledemonstratingthenecessityofset-asidepoliciesfornoncommercialfrequency
andbandwidthatalllevelsofthemediainfrastructureifnoncommercialmediaistoflourishTheyconsistentlyrunprogramsproducedbycommunitymediaactivistsandindependentproducersandrepresentonepossiblewayforcommunitymediaorganizationstodevelopanationalprogrammingreachthatcouldfacilitateldquolocaltolocalrdquocommunicationswhiledevelopinganationalnetworkofprogressivecommunityprogramming
Deep Dish TVpioneeredtheuseofsatellitetoestablishacollaborativenetworkamongactivisttelevisionproducersandpublicaccesscablestationsin1986DrawingontheearlierexperimentsofthePublicInterestVideoNetworkDeepDishbegancreatingprograminstallmentsforsatellitedistributionVideoprogrammingselectedfromactivistandcommunitytapesaroundthecountrywerefedtosatellitetransponderswithanationalfootprintwheretheywerepickedupbyhundredsofcableaccessorganiza-tionsandcommunitymediacentersintheUnitedStates(Pierce2003)
DeepDishrsquos1991satellitebroadcastsoftheGulfCrisisTVProjectareconsideredbymanytobehistoricmomentsincommunitymediaandUScommunicationshistoryadirectinterventioninaninternationalcrisisbypublicaccesstelevisionandindependentmediaactivistsDeepDishTVassembledavideoanti-warteach-induringthefirstGulfWarandmadeitavailabletotheirnetworkviasatelliteThesuccessoftheGulfCrisisprojectexpandedDeepDishrsquosnetworktoincludeindependentpublictelevi-sionsitesanyonewithahomesatellitereceiverandothercommunitymediaandmediaartsorganizationsRalphEngelmanwritesthatDeepDishrsquosuseofsatelliteallowedcommunitymediaactiviststofulfilltwooftheircoreobjec-tivesldquograssrootsparticipationandthepresentationofdiversealternativeperspectivesrdquo(Engelman1996)
TheseearlysuccessesinnetworkingcommunitytelevisionviasatellitehavemorerecentlybeenextendedbyFree Speech TVandAmyGoodmanrsquosDemocracyNowprogrammingFreeSpeechTVextendedthetechnicalcapacitytonetworkwithcableaccessbyraisingfundstobuydirectsatellitereceiversforcableaccessfacilitiesinterestedincablecastingFreeSpeechTVprogram-mingThistechnicalnetworkthenbecameaprogressiveprogramnetworkcalledintoexistencealmostsingle-hand-edlybythehighlysought-afterprogressiveprogrammingofDemocracyNowInturnthepresenceofDemocracyNowprogrammingisconsistentlyservingtoincreasetheaudiencesandsupportforcableaccessincommunitiesthroughouttheUnitedStates
AttheirheartcommunitymediaareaboutmakingmediawithpeoplenotmerelyaboutorforpeopleIt
isasoneChicagoroundtableparticipantnotedlikeldquotheneighborhoodgoingouttodinnerrdquoButasanyonewhohaseverhostedalargedinnerpartyknowsthisisnotalwayseasilyaccomplishedInroundtablediscussionswithcommunitymediapractitionersthreestrategiesndashcollabo-ration across sectors and platforms training and outreach ndashemergedrepeatedlyaswaysofsuccessfullyengagingthebreadthanddiversityoftheircommunitiesInadditionafourthstrategyconnecting with immigrant populationsyieldedinsightsintosomeuniquechallengesandbenefits
strAtegies CollaborationMediainstitutionscanplaytheroleoffacilitatorsintheircommunitiesdemystifyingtheprocessofproductionpro-vidingpeoplewithaccesstotheresourcestheyneedandbuildingonthehistoryandgoalsofcivicjournalismThisrolerequiresmediainstitutionstorethinktraditionaljour-nalismandmayentailthere-balancingofeditorialpoliciesndashcommittingtodiversityembracingegalitarianvaluesandreassessingthevalueofeditorialneutralityInvitingcommunitymemberstohelpwithstoriesmakescover-agemorereflectiveofthecommunitymoreofatwo-wayconversationForinstanceTwin Cities Public Television(TPT)dedicatestimeononeofitsdigitalchannelstolocalandregionalprogrammingincludingprogramstargetedattheLatinoHmongHindiSomaliandVietnamesecommu-nitiesTocreateprogrammingfortheldquoMinnesotaChannelrdquothestationpartnerswithnonprofitorganizationswhopayTPTforproductionsupportandguaranteedbroadcastoftheprogramming
Sound Partners for Community HealthhasshownthatauthenticpartnershipsbetweenpublicbroadcastersandcommunityinstitutionsenableeachpartytoreachlargermorediverseandtargetedaudiencesonhealthissuesimportanttothecommunityCommunityinstitutionspromotedbroadcastsandpublicbroadcastersincreasedthevisibilityoftheirinstitutionalpartnerswhoofferedadditionalresourcesandreferralstoviewersandlistenersandhelpedtodisseminateprogrammingonCDsandDVDsInadditionbymarryingtheexpertiseofcommunity-basedhealthorganizationsandvoicesoflocalresidentswiththeproductionvaluesofhigh-qualityradioandtelevisionpro-grammingSoundPartnerspositionedcommunitymembersasproactiveplannersofandstakeholdersinmediainitia-tivesratherthanpassiverecipientsofmediaattention
Buttherewasinevitabletensioninseparatingjour-nalismfromadvocacywhichrequiredtrustonthepartofallparticipantstoresolveInthecaseoftheSoundPartnerscollaborationsincommunity-basedjournalismpublicbroadcastersneededtotrustthattheirnonprofitpartnerswouldnrsquotadvancetheirownorganizationalagendasattheexpenseoftruthandnonprofithealthorganizationsneededtotrustthattheirbroadcastpartnerswouldrespecttheirexpertise
TheSoundPartnersexperienceaffirmedwhatmanyroundtableparticipantspointedoutmdashtheneedtobuildbridgesacrossmediaaswellSoundPartnersfoundthatcommercialradiostationsandpublicaccesschannelswithcloselinkstoandinfluenceonthecommunityhelpedimplementstrongmediacampaignsincollaborationwithpublicbroadcastingRoundtableparticipantssawcommer-cialmediaoutletsasespeciallyimportantamongimmigrantgroups
Pointingtoanotheraspectofcollaborationround-tableparticipantsimploredmediainstitutionstobeopentosharinginfrastructuretoaccomplishtheirmissionsManynonprofitmediagroupsarestrugglingtosurvivebuthaveassetsthatcanbesharedorintegratedtobetterservetheircommunitiesinacoordinatedefficientwayCreatingcollaborativestructuresasbasicasco-locationoffacilitiesorascomplexasorganizationalmergerscanbeimportantfordisseminatingprogrammingsecuringfundingandprotectingpotentiallycontroversialissueprogrammingForexampleManhattan Neighborhood Networkhashistori-callyleverageditscablefranchise-securedcapitalfunding
engAging community WhAtrsquos Working
Invitingcommunitymemberstohelpwithstoriesmakescoveragemorereflectiveofthecommunitymoreofatwo-wayconversation
tobuildcapacityinothermediaorganizationssuchasastudioandpost-productionfacilitieswithDowntownCommunityTelevisioninChinatownAndinkeepingwiththesamenetwork-buildingapproachtofacilitatingpartici-pationMNNalsofeaturesaYouthChannelconsideredtobethefirstchannelcreatedforyouthbyyouthMNNhasbecomeoneofthecentralhubsinManhattanaroundwhichindependentandcommunitymediagatherforscreeningsadvancededucationalopportunitiesartisticandpoliticaldebatecommunitybuildingandsocialnetworkingcreat-inganexcitingdemocraticmediaculture
Manyparticipantsacknowledgedthatcollaborationishardexpensiveandtime-consumingItplacesdemandsonin-houseknowledgeandconfrontspartneringorganiza-tionsrsquodifferentgoalseditorialpoliciesandresourcesIftheyaretolastpartnershipsneedproperresearchonthefrontendandmulti-leveledsupportChangesinleader-shipcandisruptplanssopartneringcanrsquotbetiedtoonepersonrsquosrelationshiptoanotherpersonitrequiresanetworkofpeopleunderstandingandcontributingtothepartnershipMulti-yearprojectsareimportanttodevelopinfrastructureandsustainefforts
TrainingRoundtableparticipantssawcommunitymediainstitutionsasimportantsourcesbothforjobsandskillstrainingandforbuildingthecapacityoflocalnonprofitgroupsWhileacquiringmediaskillsmaybeacareerpathoutofpovertyironicallycommunitymediaworkisoftenunpaidandpoorpeoplemustprioritizepayingjobsoverparticipationincommunitymediamakingRoundtableparticipantsexpressedconcernthatthereisnotcurrentlyawaytoeconomicallysustaintheeffortsoflow-incomepeoplewhodovolunteerincommunitymedia
CableaccesscenterslikeChicagorsquos CAN-TVandManhattanNeighborhoodNetworkprovidegrantstrainingandequipmenttocommunitygroupswhothendevelopmultimediaproductsandshowcasethemindifferentvenuesThesecentersfacilitatetheexpressionofnon-technology-orientedcommunitymembersandprovidethemwithusefuljobskills
ThetrainingcomponentiscrucialfordevelopingauthenticvoicesinprogrammingBlessedwithadiversetechnology-savvycommunitythatincludesbothHarvard
andMITcampuspopulationsCambridge Community Television CCTVhasbroadeneditseducationalprogramstoincludeadvancedworkshopsandextendededucationalprogramsindocumentarymakingdigitalstorytellingwebsitedesignandstrategiccommunicationsplanningandimplementationCommunitymembersarealsoabletouseCCTVrsquoscomputertechnologycenterfortraininginavarietyofsoftwareapplicationsincludingphotoeditinganddesignandcomputernetworkingThecenterhasbroadeneditsdistributionofvideoprogrammingtoincludeweb-basedmediastreamingofpre-recordedprogrammingpodcastsaudiochannelsandldquoCambridgeCommunityRadiordquowherememberscansignupfortwo-hourblocksofliveradiotimeThecenterrsquosservicesaddresstheneedsofactivistsnonprofitcommunitygroupsmediaeducatorsandpeopleseekingjobskillsthatextendfarbeyondthoseneededtofillthepublicchannelswithvideoItsofferingsareexpand-ingtoincludeworkshopsinpodcastingdigitalaudioproductionvideobloggingandcyberjournalismCCTVtakesdigitalmediaconvergenceseriouslyunderstandingthatmediaproductiontrainingproductionanddistribu-tionarenowapplicableacrossanumberofplatformsandproductionskillsets
Bay Area Video Coalition(BAVC)isanotherorganizationthatmakesemergingvideotechnologyacces-sibletoindependentmediamakersIthasevolvedintoaninternationallyrenownedmediaartscenterthatleadsthefieldinitshigh-qualityproductionandprofessionaldevelopmentsupportfornoncommercialmediamakersThecenteralsoprovidesclassestolow-incomeyouthinmediaartsproductionaswellasworkshopsforcommunitygroupsandnonprofitsBAVChasconsistentlyoffereddevelopmentseminarsandtrainingprogramsthatbringcommercialpro-ducersandnoncommercialproducerstogetherinacommonsettingItoffersoneoftheregionrsquoskeycertifiedtrainingprogramsforcompanieslikeAppleAvidandDigidesignThroughagrantfromtheFordFoundationBAVChasundertakenanationalstudyonldquoDigitalWorkforceDevelopmentrdquoallowingtheorganizationtoestablishitselfasanationalandregionalleaderinprofessionaldevelop-ment(Most2002)Itsprofessionaldevelopmentprogramisasignificantforuminwhichcommercialandnoncom-mercialmediamakerscancometogetherforprofessionaldevelopmentactivitiesinsettingsthatrespectthepublicinterestandroleofmediainsocialdevelopment
OutreachOutreachakeytoolformediagroupsmovestherelation-shipbetweencommunityandmediabeyondconsumption
Collaborationishardexpensiveandtime-consuming
tosocialchangeItinvitespeopletointeractwithmediatobeaffectedbyitandtoaffectothersItaskspeoplewhattheyneedandinvitesthemtocometogethertomeetthoseneeds
Thekeytocreatingrelevantoutreachisresearch-ingwhatthecommunityneedsdetermininghowtoreachitmosteffectivelyandhiringstaffwhohaveoutreachskillsandarewellversedinthecultureandlanguageofthegroupsbeingtargetedAChicagofilmmakerrecountedhowtheseconsiderationsimpactedhisdocumentaryaboutworkersrsquorightsOutreachstaffconsideredthepotentialimpactontwoaudiencesalargeaudienceofPBSviewerssittingintheirlivingroomsandasmallerbutmoreengagedaudienceofsteelworkerswatchingthedocumentaryatalocalbarTheyconcludedthatthebarviewerswouldberivetedbecausetheinformationinthedocumentarywasgearedtothemSuccessfuloutreachasksWhatdogroupspayattentiontoWhomdotheytrustWhatplatformauthenticallyrepresentsthem
NationalprogrammingcanbeacatalystforlocaloutreachParticipantsinChicagoandMinneapolis-StPauldiscussedtheexampleofldquoTheNewAmericansrdquoanationalPBSseriesonimmigrantsproducedby Kartemquin Films Active VoiceanationalorganizationthatworkswithmediamakerstobringaboutpersonalandinstitutionalchangeworkedwithKartemquintopackageseriesfootagethatfocusedonnewarrivalstoMinnesotaTheresultwasalocalseriesldquoTheNewMinnesotansrdquoandapartnershipthatusedmediatoeducatethemainstreamcommunityaboutlocalimmigrantsandtodevelopdiscussionandactivityguidesforcommunityoutreach
Connecting with Immigrant PopulationsMinoritypopulationsandgroupsconcernedwithsupportingtheidentitiesofmarginalizedpopulationshaveincreasinglyturnedtocommunitymediaassourcesofinformationvali-dationofcultureandproductionsupportforthecreationoftheirowncontentCommunitymediahavehelpedcallattentiontothelivesandconcernsofimmigrantcommuni-tiesthatareotherwiseinvisibleoutsidetheirparticularcommunityBecausetheyoftenhavefoundinnovativewaystousecommunitymediafornetworkingandsocialchangeimmigrantpopulationsillustratethepowerofcommunity
mediaandpresentrichopportunitiesformakingcommu-nitymediaorganizationsmorediverseandparticipatoryRoundtableparticipantssharedlessonsinwhatworksandofferedspecificideasforframinganewcommunitymediaprogramaddressingtheneedsofimmigrantsandreceivingcommunitiescalledNew Routes to Community Health
Inreachingouttoimmigrantcommunitiesround-tableparticipantsnotedthatitiscriticaltoidentifyandworkwithexistingagenciesthatimmigrantstrustperhapsachurchorassociationforaparticularethnicgroupButthoughimmigrantgroupsarethemostappropriateconve-nersofsuchcollaborativestheymustalsohavethecapacitytoconvene
TheselectionofplatformalsodeservescarefulconsiderationRoundtableparticipantsnotedthatinadapt-ingtechnologiestotheirownpurposesspecificimmigrantgroupsoftenpreferoneplatformoveranotherForexampleChicagorsquosKorean-AmericancommunityhasbeensuccessfulinusingethnicprintmediatoaddresscommunityissuesThePersianstorytellingtraditionhasmadePersianahugeandgrowinglanguagesegmentonblogsPersianisnowthefourthmostwidelyusedlanguageonweblogs(Macintyre2004)A2000surveyofSomalianimmigrantsinMinnesotashowedthatoverfortypercenteventhenconsideredtheInternettheirmainnewssource(Aynte2006)
RadioinparticularhasshowntremendouspowerinthedevelopingworldpartlyasaresultoftheUnitedNationsrsquoemphasisonradioasthemediumsupportingthemostwidespreadpracticeofcommunitymediaintheworldBecausetheyarefamiliarwithradiobeforecomingtotheUnitedStatesimmigrantgroupsoftenquicklyembraceradiouponarrivalinthiscountryItisalsooneofthemostinexpensiveformsofmediaandthereforeoneofthemostaccessibleldquoIftheycomefromLatinAmericatheyknowthepowerofradiordquoChicagoparticipantsnotedenthusiasti-callyLocalcommercialSpanish-languageradiostationseffectivelyhelpedmobilizeturnoutforimmigrationprotestsinChicagoinMay2006
community spotlightManycommunitiesintheUnitedStatescanpointwithpridetotheachievementsoftheircommunitymediaorganizationsWhenattemptingtoidentifybestpracticesinthenetworkedmediaenvironmentsweseetodayhoweveritisusefultothinkintermsofinterconnectionandcol-laborationnottolooksimplyatindividualmediacentersorbroadcaststationsOftenthemostsuccessfulexamplesofcommunitymediaemergeoutofongoingalliancesandcollaborationsamonglocalcommunitymediagroupsThe
Thekeytocreatingrelevantoutreachisresearchingwhatthecommunityneeds
communitiesspotlightedbelowhavebegunincorporatingpartnershipsandcross-platformcollaborationintothepracticeofcommunitymediaandhavebeguntoreapthebenefitsofthatapproach
Portland OregonTheMetro Government Community Media InitiativeillustratesthepotentialpowerofcommunitiesworkingtogethertoproducetheirownmediaratherthanhavingtheirstoryframedbycommercialnewsorganizationsAlthoughtheprojecthasnowendeditisincludedherebecauseitprovidedsuchastrongmodelforfuturecommu-nitymediaeffortsTheinitiativewasrootedinaproposalbylocalindependentfilmmakerTomChamberlinthatlocalmediamakerscommunitymediaorganizationscommunitygroupsandgovernmentagenciescollaboratetoproducepublicaffairstelevisionprogramsonissuesofconcerntoOregoniansMetroauniqueregionalgovernmentprimarilyresponsibleforregionalland-useandtransportationplan-ningtookChamberlinrsquosideatoheartWithagrantfromtheFederalHighwayAdministrationMetroandanallianceofcommunityorganizationsandgovernmentagenciesdevel-opedldquoZigZagRealStoriesNewAnglesrdquoaprogrambylocalfilmmakersfeaturingpersonalstoriesfromadiversegroupofregionalresidentsastheygrappledwiththetransporta-tionchoicesaffectingtheirfamiliesneighborhoodsandcommunities
InadditiontothecenterpiecebroadcastonOregon Public BroadcastingtheprojectcreatedaninteractivewebsiteanddistributedaDVDoftheprogramtothearearsquoscableaccesschannelsElementsoftheprojectalsofoundtheirwayontoPortlandrsquoscommunityradiostationKBOOandpacketsincludingextensivesupportmaterialsandDVDsweremadeavailableforscreeninginneighborhoodcentersandindependentmediavenuesTherewasalsoaplanninganddeliberationprocesstostrategizeabouthowcitizensgovernmentsandmediamakerscancollaboratetocreatecommunitydialogueandsolvecivicproblems
Asurbanspaceisincreasinglydefinedbytelecom-municationsasmuchastransportationandlandusetheprojectalsoillustratesthepowerfuloutcomesthat
canresultwhenregionaltelecommunicationsplanningbecomesintegratedwithlanduseandtransportationplan-ningandwhencommunitymediaareintegratedintobothformalandinformalprocessesofplanninganddelibera-tionTheMetroCommunityMediaInitiativeresultedinasignificantandmeasurableriseinregionalawarenessofthetransportationplanningissuesaddressedbytheproj-ectViewershipandDVDusesofthemediaincommunitysettingsexceededexpectations(Metro2004)AlthoughtheprojectwasnotimmediatelyreplicatedPortlandnowenjoyscontinuingcollaborationsbetweenMetrogovern-mentanditsareacommunitymedia
ParticipationintheMetroGovernmentCommunityMediaInitiative isonlyoneofthemanywaysPortlandrsquosKBOOradiohasdemonstrateditsfullcommitmenttotheoriginaldemocraticintentionsofcommunityradiooverthecourseofitsforty-two-yearhistoryOlderthanNationalPublicRadioKBOOisamongthelongest-liv-ingcommunityradiostationsintheUnitedStatesOfthenoncommercialradiostationsinPortlandKBOOistheonlystationwhosemissioncontainsanexplicitcommit-menttominorityprogrammersandlisteners(SussmanandEstes2004)KBOOrsquoscommitmenttodemocraticpracticeextendstoaboardofdirectorselectedentirelyfromitsmembershipwhichisopentoanyoneandanaggressivetrainingprogramconsistentwiththestationrsquoscommitmenttovolunteer-producedprogrammingmdashallprogrammingisproducedbyvolunteerswithassistanceofpaidstaffTheparticipationofwomenandminoritiesfarexceedthecommunityrsquosracialdemographics(SussmanandEstes2004)
Portland Community Media (PCM)hasarichtwenty-three-yearhistoryinPortlandwhenitcomestousingmediatobuildcommunityPCMstartedoutasacabletelevisionaccesscenterandstillprovidestheadminis-trationandtrainingtoprogramPortlandrsquoscableaccesschannelsbuthasexpandeditsmissiontoembracetheuseofcommunitymediatobringaboutbroaderparticipationincivicandculturallifePCMrsquoswebsitedescribesthecenterldquowiththreewordsndashEducateCommunicateParticipaterdquoCurrentlyPCMhasanumberofcollaborativeprojectssup-portingmedialiteracyandmediaeducationinthepublicschoolsystemitregularlyprogramsmediaproductionsfromPortlandrsquosmediaartscentertheNorthwestFilmandVideoCenteranditisplanningtoexpanditscentertosupporteconomicdevelopmentofmicroenterprisesfornewmedia
The Mt Hood Cable Regulatory Commission(MHCRC)overseesacable-relatedtelecommunicationsdevelopmentforgreaterPortlandOregonServing
Oftenthemostsuccessfulexamplesofcommunitymediaemergeoutofongoingalliancesandcollaborationsamonglocalcommunitymediagroups
thecommunitiesresidentsandlocalgovernmentsofFairviewGreshamPortlandTroutdaleWoodVillageandMultnomahCountyOregonTheMtHoodCableRegulatoryCommissionnegotiatesandenforcescableservicefran-chiseandactsinthepublicinterestoncommunicationspolicyissuesatlocalstateandfederallevelsItwouldbehardtooverstatetheimportanceofMHCRCinfosteringthegrowthofcommunitymediaingreaterPortlandThroughclearandinsightfulregulationofthecablefranchiseithasassuredthatthenecessarynetworksandtelecommu-nicationsinfrastructureareavailabletoallowcommunitymediatogrow
MtHoodrsquosCommunityAccessCapitalGrantsProgramisparticularlynoteworthyTheCapitalGrantsprogramprovidescapitalfundingtocommunicationsprojectsthatsupportsocialjusticecommunityinvolve-mentandtheeffectivedeliveryofservicesthroughcostreductionTheprogramhasallowedscoresofcommunitygroupstoincreasetheircommunicationscapacitythroughtheacquisitionofskillsknowledgeandtechnologyInimplementingthisgrantprogramtheMtHoodCableRegulatoryCommissionhasbeenextremelystrategicinconveninggranteesandcreatingtheconditionsthatleadtopartnershipsandcollaborativerelationships
TheNorthwest Film and Video Centerisalong-standingregionalmediaartsorganizationservingtheNorthwestregionThecenterprovidesarichprogramnurturingmediaartscultureItfeaturesanactiveexhibi-tionprogramforexperimentalandindependentfilmsahighlyregardedfilmschoolandextensiveyouthmediaprogramsThecenterpresentsanumberofyearlyfilmfestivalsincludingthePortlandInternationalFilmFestivaltheNorthwestFilmandVideoFestivalandtheYoungPeoplersquosFilmampVideoFestivalThecenterrsquosproductionsoftenfindtheirwayontotothearearsquoscablechannelsThecenterisalsoatrustedsourceofequipmentaccessforareaindependentproducersactiveintherichmediacultureofPortlandaservicepartiallysupportedbytheMtHoodCableRegulatoryCommissionrsquosCapitalGrantsprogram
Minneapolis-St Paul MinnesotaTheSaint Paul Neighborhood Network(SPNN)isacableaccessstationservingStPaulresidentsThestationprovidesopportunitiestothepublictoproduceandairprogramsononeofitsfivechannelsdedicatedtomulti-faithpubliceducationcommunityandinternationalcontentrespectivelySPNNhasayoutheducationprogramandacommunityproductionsprogramwhichworkswithnonprofitorganizationstocreatepublicserviceadvertise-
mentsorprogrammingWorkshopsincludeproductiongrantproposalwritinglegalquestionsandlightingSPNNisparticularlyeffectiveasconvenerandcapacitybuilderinitscommunityItseducationandtrainingprogramsarefocusedoncommunitydevelopmentandonkeepingthetechnicaltrainingelementsofitsworkinasocialperspective
Minneapolis Television Network(MTN)isSPNNrsquossisteraccessstationservingMinneapoliswithasimilarcommitmenttoprovidingacommunitygatheringplaceOperatingthreepublicaccesschannelsMTNofferstelevi-siontrainingandmedialiteracyclassesandisespeciallyencouragingofyouthparticipationThechannelsserveasabridgeforimmigrantstouseinadaptingtotheirnewhomemanynewimmigrantsusethemtocommunicateintheirnativelanguageswiththeirSomaliEthiopianorVietnamesecompatriotsSomali-languageprogramsforinstanceoffereighthoursaweekofmusicentertainmentcommunitynewsandreligiousinstructiontooneofthelargestsettlementsofSomalipeopleoutsideSomaliaIntoutingSomalitelevisionasthebestpublicaccesscabletelevisionprogramintheTwinCitiesCity Pages saidldquoForsomepublicaccessisanearlyinspiringlessonindemocracyandfreemediardquo(CityPages2004)WantingtostrengthenthenonprofitcommunityrsquosInternetsavvyMTNcreatedandeventuallyspunofftheRiverProjecttoofferInternetdial-upaccessandwebhostingtononprofits
PublicbroadcastershavealsoofferedstrongmodelsofcommunitycollaborationintheTwinCities Twin Cities Public Television(TPT)isthepublictelevisionstationservingtheMinneapolisndashStPaulregionIn2004TPTbegandedicatingtimeononeofitsdigitalchan-nelstoMinnesota-relatedprogrammingAnumberoftheprogramsontheMinnesota Channel(someofwhicharethencablecastonpublicaccesstelevision)aretargetedatLatinoHmongHindiMiddleEasternChineseandVietnamesecommunitiesandproducedinpartnershipwithnonprofitorganizationsTPTisapartnerintheMinnesotaCommunityCampaignthatencouragesurbanandruralareasinandaroundtheTwinCitiestowelcomethetensofthousandsofimmigrantsandrefugeesthathavesettledthereinthepastseveraldecadesSeekingtoeffectpositivechangeonimmigrantissuesthroughartmediaeducationsocialserviceandpolicymakingthecampaignproducedtheldquoTheNewMinnesotansrdquoasixty-minuteprogramthatoriginallyairedonTPTbasedontheKartemquinseriesldquoTheNewAmericansrdquo
InadditiontocommunityradiostationKFAItheTwinCitiesishometoMinnesota Public Radio(MPR)
whichhaspioneeredafreshapproachtojournalismcalledpublicinsightjournalism(PIJ)PIJtapsintothecollectiveknowledgeofMPRrsquosdiverseaudiencetoenrichitsreport-ingCreatingaten-thousand-personPublicInsightNetworkviathewebthestationinvitesthepublictobesourcesofstoryideasreactionsandperspectivesandbrainstormingonpublicissues
TheindependentfilmandvideocommunityworkscollaborativelyintheTwinCitiestosupportandpromoteartistandcommunityperspectivesIFP Minnesota Center for Media Arts Intermedia ArtsandtheWalker Art Center areamongthemulti-disciplinaryvenuesfordiscus-sionandproduction
AndtheInternetishometoanewaggregationofcommunitymediasourcesAccordingtoitswebsitethe Twin Cities Daily PlanetaprojectoftheTwinCitiesMediaAllianceisldquoacommunitynewswireandsyndicationserviceshowcasingthebestworkoftheneighborhoodandcommunitypressaswellasworkbyTwinCitiesindepen-dentjournalistsandthevoicesofengagedcitizensThepremiseoftheTC Daily PlanetisthatnewtechnologiesaremakingitpossibleforthesecitizenstobecomemoreactiveandpowerfulparticipantsinthenewsproductionprocessrdquoModeledafterKorearsquosOhmyNewstheTC Daily Planetseekstoimprovethequalitydiversityandaccount-abilityofthelocalmediaandtoinvolvetherapidlygrowingimmigrantandethniccommunitiesItrecruitsandofferstrainingtocitizenjournalistsandhaspartnershipswithoverfortyneighborhoodandcommunitymedia
Chicago IllinoisChicago Access Network Television(CAN-TV)offersfivepublicaccesschannelstoChicagolandresidentsThispublicspaceprovidesChicagoansanopportunitytodiscussissuesoflocalconcernpromotehealtheducationalandeconomicresourcesinthecommunityandcelebratelocaltalentandinitiativesCAN-TVprovidesvideotrainingequipmentandfacilitiesforarearesidentsandnonprofitgroupsItvideotapesandcablecastspublicforumstownhallmeetingscommunityeventsandotheractivitiesoflocalinterestThroughthisservicethestationprovidesChicagoanswithaccesstoinformationtheymaynototh-erwisehavethroughcommercialtelevisionForinstanceCAN-TVworkedwitheighttotenAIDSagenciestodissemi-natebasiceducationaboutAIDSpreventionvialivecall-inprograms
CAN-TVsupportsChicagorsquosassociationsandnonprof-itsthroughserviceslikeliveldquohot-linerdquocall-inshowsfrom
automatedstudiosthatonepersoncanoperateproductionservicesthatgenerateprogrammingforcommunityeventsandstrategiccommunicationsplanningworkshopsCAN-TVhasrefusedtofollowasimplisticldquoneutralityrdquoprogram-mingphilosophyinwhichtheaccesscentertransmitsonlyprogrammingthatrandomlycomesfromthecommunityInsteadCAN-TVactivelycreatesprogrammingimportanttocommunitydevelopmentInadditiontoitsfocusonnonprofitsCAN-TVactivelycreatespartnershipswithcon-tent-richgroupssuchaslocalmuseumsandartsgroupsItalsopartnerswithlocalmediaactivistproductiongroupslikeVideoMacheteandStreetLevelYouthMedia(profiledbelow)SimilarlyCAN-TVaggressivelyengagesinprogram-mingforlocalelectionsatypicalelectionseasonwillgeneratearoundtwohundredhoursoforiginalprogram-mingeachmonthandnearlyallthecandidateswillbefeaturedoractuallycreatetheirownCAN-TVprogrammingtocarryouttheircampaigns
Street-Level Youth MediaprovidesopportunitiesforChicagorsquosurbanyouthtousemediaartsandemergingtechnologiesforself-expressioncommunicationandsocialchangeItsstaffprovidesinstructioninvideoandaudioproductioncomputerartandtheInternettohelpyouthaddresscommunityissuesaccessadvancedcommunica-tionstechnologyandgaininclusioninsocietyInoneprojectitcollaboratedwithtwoseventh-gradeteachersandanESLinstructortohelpstudentsresearchissuesaboutimmigrationinoneneighborhoodTheteachersweretrainedtousevideoandthentrainedotherteacherswhoguidedtheirstudentsinproducingvideosforscreeningattheschoolMorethanthirtyvideoswerecreatedandvideotrainingandusehasbeenincorporatedintotheschoolcurriculum
Radio Arte(WRTE)istheonlybilingual(Spanish-English)youth-operatedurbancommunitystationinthecountryItoperateswithafocusonyouthinChicagorsquosPilsenandLittleVillageneighborhoodsAninitiativeoftheNationalMuseumofMexicanArtthiseducationalradiostationhasservedChicagoformorethansixyearstrainingyouthwithapriorityondevelopingindividualandgroupcommunicationcompetenciesthatallowyoungpeopletoenterpubliclifewithconfidencethroughthebroadcastmediumProvidingaforumforyoungpeopletobecreativeandresponsibletothelargestMexicancommunityintheMidwestRadioArteiscommittedtotrainingyoungpeopleintheartofbroadcastingRadioArtersquosuniquetwo-yeartrainingprogramprovidesyouthwithspecialcoursesonwritingforradioandjournalismvoicetrainingand
FCCregulationsaswellasbasiccomputerskillsproduc-tionskillsandon-airtrainingParticipatingintwograntroundsofSoundPartnersforCommunityHealththestationrsquosldquoRadioVidardquoproducedprogrammingonsubstanceabuseandaddictionbyandforLatinoyouth
Casa Guatemala Media Projectisanonprofitcommunity-basedorganizationthatservestheGuatemalanandbroaderLatinAmericancommunityinChicagoandtheMidwestSinceitsfoundingin1986ithasusedmediaincludingwebprintTVandradiotoraiseconsciousnessaboutissuesaffectingcommunitiesfromLatinAmericaInparticularitworkswithCAN-TVtoprovidetheeducationalcomponentofself-authoredmediathatwillpositivelytrans-formcommunitiesthroughworkshopsontheproductionandalternativeusesofemergingtechnologies
Beyond Media EducationworkswithunderservedandunderrepresentedcommunitiesprimarilywomenandyouthtotelltheirstoriesandorganizeforsocialjusticethroughthecreationanddistributionofalternativemediaandartsInarecenteffortitworkedwithaChicagosheltertohelpstreetwalkerstelltheirownstoriesinanefforttoraisepublicawarenessandpromotestate-levelreformsTheorganizationorganizedasix-monthworkshopthatincludedteachingandpracticingstorytellingpublicspeak-ingandvideoproductionskillstooveradozenprostitutesTheirgroundbreakingvideogivesinsightsintoChicagorsquossextradeindustryandrecountsthetriumphofthepar-ticipantsoverhomelessnessviolenceanddiscriminationTheirlobbyinginthestatecapitolresultedinpassageofabilltodestigmatizeanddecriminalizesexworkers
Keepingtabsonandshowcasingmuchofthecom-munitymediaactivityfromajournalisticperspectiveistheCommunity Media Workshop (CMW) CMWservesasabridgebetweensocialactivistscommunitymediaprac-titionersandjournalistsIthostsanannualacademyforprogressiveorganizationsintheChicagoareathatbringsactivistsandjournaliststogethertoshareideasandatti-tudesProminentareatelevisionandnewspaperjournalistsarerecruitedtoserveonpanelsleadworkshopsandgenerallysharetheirideasofhowprogressivegroupscaneffectivelygaintheattentionofthepressThisapproach
leadstobuy-infromkeypersonnelinChicagorsquosmainstreammediawhocannowbetterunderstandthegrassrootsgroupsthatapproachthemandtheirissuesItalsogivescommunityparticipantsattheworkshopstheopportunitytodevelopmorepersonalrelationshipswithkeymembersofthemediaThisapproachalsoenablescommunitygroupstobetterunderstandwhatmotivateseditorsandreporters
ThesethreecommunitiesshowcommondevelopmentpatternsandfactorsCommunitymediaorganizationshavebeguntounderstandtheirmissionsintermsofasharedcultureofcommunitymedialookingbeyondtheirindivid-ualmissionstothecommonsocialandpoliticalvaluestheyhaveincommonThisapproachopensthewayforcommu-nityradiomediaartscenterscommunitymediacentersandcableaccesstocreatecommunity-wideprograminitiativesinwhichseveralmediaplatformsareengagedItcreatestheconditionsinwhichitispossibleforcommunitymediaorganizationstoactwithunifiedstancesinpoliticaladvocacyregardingmediaissuesandotherissuescriticaltotheircommunitiesThiskindofcross-platformnetworkingalsocreatesopportunitiesforcommunitymediatoreceivemorediversefundingandsupportfromthecommunityastheyextendthenetworkorcultureofcollaborationtocom-munitydevelopmentgroupsandofficialsintheirregions
Communitymediaorganizationshavebeguntounderstandtheirmissionsintermsofasharedcultureofcommunitymedialookingbeyondtheirindividualmissionstothecommonsocialandpoliticalvaluestheyhaveincommon
ldquoThe boldest experiments in public telecommunica-tions take place when technologies are new and their commercial potential not yet fully apparentrdquo mdash Ralph Engelman 1996
Acrosstheirmanyplatformsandmanycommunitiescommunitymediahavebecomecentralculturalinstitutionsinthecivicculturalandeconomiclife
ofourcommunitiesprovidinginvaluablemediaprogram-mingaccessandeducationTheycaninsuchinstancesenablecommunitiestodevelopinformedcitizensartistsandactivistswhopossesstheskillsandknowledgeneededtograpplewithcomplexmedialiteracyanddevelopmentissuesatthelocallevel
Fordecadescommunitymediaorganizationshaveaddressedtheurgentneedtocreatelocalinstitutionsthatfacilitatecitizenaccesstomedianetworksandeffectiveparticipationinmediacultureforbothcitizensandwork-ersTheyareprovingthemselvesvitaltothepoliticalandeconomiclifeoftheircommunitiesTheyplaymultiplerolessimultaneouslyascriticalculturalenhancementstothequalityofciviclifeasemployersandaseducationalsitesforworkforcedevelopment
difficultyNeworganizationalformsandnewmediaformatslikestreamingarchivingpodcastingandbloggingarebecomingthenormpartofldquoblendedrdquoproductionanddis-seminationpracticesincommunitymedia
neW communicAtion spAces cyberjournAlismTheincreaseinInternetbandwidthandtheavailabilityofonlinesocialnetworkingsoftwarehavequalitativelychangedtherelationshipofjournaliststotheiraudiencesNewwebdestinationslikeMySpaceShutterflyFriendsterFlikrEviteandGooglearedevelopingvirtualcommuni-tiesforsharingvideoattractingyoungeraudiencesandmakingcontentmorethanpassiveandone-directionalSocialnetworkingsoftwareenablespeopletorendezvousconnectorcollaboratethroughcomputer-mediatedcom-municationandformonlinecommunities(Spannerworks2007)PopularsocialnetworksoftwareapplicationslikeweblogsorblogsseemparticularlywellsuitedtoparticipatorycitizenjournalismallowingeasypublishingofinteractivetextphotoaudioandvideocontentTheneweasewithwhichvideoclipscanbepreparedforuseonthewebhasbroughtontheriseofldquovlogsrdquoandsitesthatfacilitatethesharingofvideoclipsandaccompanyingcontentAnenormousrangeofblogsandcyberjournalisticsiteshavesprungupontheWorldWideWebinthepastfiveyearswithanequallywiderangeofeditorialstandardsandpracticesTechnoraticomcurrentlytracksseventeenmillionblogssharingoneandahalfmillionhyperlinks(Rennie2006)APewCenterInternetstudyestimatesthatthenumberofregularblogreadersintheUnitedStatesisequivalenttoalmosthalftheentireradioaudiencewhichisaboutaquarteroftheUSnewspaperreadership(Rennie2006)
Combinedwithaffordablenewdigitalmediaproduc-tioncamerasandrecorderstheseweb-baseddisseminationtoolsmakeitpossibleforcitizensandconsumerstoparticipateactivelyinnewsgatheringNonprofessionalshavebeguntoplayamoreactiveroleintheprocessesofjournalismfromcollectinginformationandreportingtoanalysisanddisseminationJanSchafferwhodirectsJ-LabaUniversityofMarylandincubatorforinteractivejournalismprojectsexplainsthatmanypeoplearebecom-ingmoreactivecitizensthroughjournalisticactivitybutdonotnecessarilyaspiretobejournalistsThenewtechnical
envisioning the future of community mediA
Communitymediaorganizationsareprovingthemselvesvitaltothepoliticalandeconomiclifeoftheircommunities
Communitymediaarealsocontributingimportantvaluespracticesandorganizationalmethodologiestotheemergingcollaborativemediaenvironmentsoftheblogo-sphereWecanlooktothesecontributionsastechnologicalandorganizationalopportunitiesforstrengtheningandexpandingcommunitymediapracticeWiththeInternetamediacultureisemergingthatismoreconsistentwiththenoncommercialpracticesofcommunitymediaproductioncollaborationanddemocraticparticipationinmediamak-inganddistributionConsequentlymanycommunitymediaorganizationsareintegratingthecapacitiesoftheInternetandnewmediaintotheirpracticeswithoutmuchfanfareor
0
capacityforcommunicationsheobservesallowspeopletoldquoparticipateinnewsandinformationinvariouswaysmdashparticipateininteractingwithitquestioningittruth-squadingitandcreatingitAndnowthattheyhavethetechtoolsandthetechskillstodothattheappetitehasonlyincreasedrdquo(Schaffer2005b)
SuchconditionshavesetthestageforintensepopularinterestinwhathasbeenbrandedldquowemediardquoorldquoparticipatoryjournalismrdquoTodaynumerousonlinejournalisticexperimentsbringtogetherprofessionaljour-nalistswithcitizenmediaactivistsandthoseinvolvedineventsMoreandmoretheearliestimagesandinformationregardingbreakingnewsarecomingfromnon-journalistspresentatthemomentoftheeventAsaresultjournalistsarebeginningtoconceptualizethemselvesnotsomuchasgatekeepersofnewsbutasmoderatorsinaconversationwithlicenseandtimetospeakfrequentlyandhopefullyaccurately(BowmanandWillis2003)
Thiskindofcommunity-centeredcoveragemayentailthere-balancingofeditorialpoliciesndashcommittingtodiversityembracingegalitarianvaluesandreassessingthevalueofeditorialneutralityItputsintoquestiontheroleandsignificanceofofteninnovativeldquopersonalmediardquoexemplifiedbythemillionsofbloggingsitesontheWebIsthiskindofldquonewsrdquoservingapubliccivicpurposeofcommunityproblemsolvingorindividualprivateexpres-sionInaWashington PostopinionpieceonDecember212006GeorgeKWillvoicedskepticismoftheseriousnessofmuchofthewebrsquosamateurjournalisminresponsetoTimemagazinersquosnamingallofusPersonoftheYear
Itisdifficulttopredictthefutureofcyberjournal-ismandbloggingpreciselyintheseearlystagesbutthreeoutcomesseemlikelyFirstbloggingwillcontinueitsrapidintegrationintomainstreammediacontentSecondblog-gingandotherformsofsocialnetworkingsoftwarewillgiverisetonewmediaentitiesthatwillchallengemainstreammedialocallynationallyandglobally
ThethirdoutcomeistheonemostrelevanttoacommunitymediascanCyberjournalismandparticipatory
citizenjournalismseemparticularlywellsuitedtoaddressthecurrentUSmassmediarsquosdifficultyinprovidingcoverageoflocaleventsinsmallercommunitiessuburbanregionsandcommutercommunitiesthataredevelopingoutsideformalpoliticaljurisdictionsCommunity-basedonlinejournalismsiteshavesprungupinhundredsofcom-munitiesaroundtheUnitedStatesTheyaremanagedandorganizedinwidelydivergentways
AnexperimentincyberjournalismandcommunitynetworkingtheTwin Cities Daily PlanetaggregatessomeofthebestjournalismfromMinnesotarsquosTwinCitiesneighborhoodandcommunitypressandindependentjour-nalistsaswellasthevoicesofengagedcitizenspresentingthemtothepublicthroughaninteractivewebsiteandcommunitydatabaseByaggregatingcitizenandneighbor-hoodjournalisminonesiteitincreasesthecapacityofsmallneighborhoodmediatoreachbeyondtheirborderstoawiderregionalaudienceUsingRealSimpleSyndication(RSS)softwaretheTC Daily Planetcanpotentiallyreachaglobalaudience
AprojectoftheTwinCitiesMediaAlliancetheTC Daily PlanetisaverynewformofcommunitymediaemergingfromtherestructuringofthenewspaperindustryandtheuseofbloggingandsocialnetworkingsoftwareAlthoughearlyinitsdevelopmenttheTC Daily Planetisgivingvoicetoanincreasingnumberofethnicimmi-grantandnon-mainstreamjournalistswhilefocusingthecommunityrsquosattentiononafargreaterrangeofpublicationsandideas
TheearliestexpressionsofcyberjournalismaretheIndependent Media Centers (IMCs)orIndymediaIndymediacameintobeingaspartoftheprotestsanddemonstrationsaroundtheWorldTradeOrganizationtalksheldinSeattleWashingtonin1999ThisfirstIMCwasaconvergenceoftheemerginginteractivityoftheInternetwiththeintenseneedofprotesterstogetindependentinformationouttotheworldabouttheprotestsAnetworkofindependentcommunitymediamakersactivistsandjournalistsbandedtogethertopoolresourcesandinforma-tion(Howley2005)
TheIMCsforeshadowedthebloggingandvideodis-tributionthatwasshortlytoemergebyusingtheInternetandtheWorldWideWebinconjunctionwithvideoandaudiodistributiontocreateatrulyunprecedentedmulti-mediaenvironmentIntermsofbothqualityandquantitytheSeattleIMCwasanimpressiveperformancebyanynewsandcurrentaffairsstandardsOverthecourseofthefive-dayprotestsadailynewspaperanddailyradioprogramwerecreatedandcountlessprintstoriesweredisseminated
Journalistsarebeginningtoconceptualizethemselvesnotsomuchasgatekeepersofnewsbutasmoderatorsinaconversation
globallyalsovideofeedsweresentthroughtheInternettopublicaccessandcommunitychannelsaroundtheworldSixyearsaftertheSeattleproteststherewere149Indymediawebsitesinabout45countriesonsixcontinents(Whitney2005)
TheopenformofcommunicationpracticedbymostIMCsiteshasnotbeenwithoutproblemsandcontra-dictionsManysitesarenowclutteredwithideologicaldiatribesanduneditedcontent(Halleck2002Whitney2005)ButthereareanumberofIndymediasitesthatprovidealternativenewsandinformationregardingaglobalscopeofconcernsthatwouldbeverydifficulttoobtainanywhereelseinthemediaAnumberofsitesinplacessuchasNewYorkCityPortlandOregonandtheSanFranciscoBayareahaveestablishedthemselvesasstablepartsoftheircommunityrsquosmediaculture
companiesspecializedsuppliersserviceprovidersandassociatedinstitutionsinaparticularfieldthatarepresentinanationorregionrdquo(Porter2000)Thecompaniesinanindustryclusterhaveacomplexwebofmutuallysupportingrelationshipsthatencompassbothcompetitiveandcollab-orativerelationshipsTheylinkacrossprofitandnonprofitpracticesutilizecommoninfrastructuremakecommoncontributionstothedevelopmentofahighlyskilledwork-forcesharefundingandinsomecasestalentedstaff
Increasinglycommunitydevelopmentpractitionersandanalystsarecomingtounderstandindustryclustersaspowerfulstrategiesforbotheconomicandcommunitydevelopmentinthetwenty-firstcenturyThisisprovingdoublytruefornonprofitcommunitymediaorganizationswhoseroleitistobringpowerfultoolsandknowledgetoanycommunityrsquosdeliberationsaroundcommunityandeco-nomicdevelopmentBroadbandandwirelessnetworksareprovidingthepracticalmeansoflinkingcommunitymediaorganizationswithincommunitiesofferingakeystrategicadvantagebyenhancingtheeffectivenessofcollaborationandpartnershipbuilding
AstheexamplesinthepreviouschaptershowcommunitymediaorganizationsaretakingonnewrolesincludingcombiningproductionandtrainingtakingonworkforcedevelopmentfunctionsandbecomingtechnologycentersfordiffusionofnewmediaBeyondtheseexampleslongstandingsuccessfulcommunitymediaorganiza-tionsaremergingasnetworkclusterslinkingdifferentgroupsandorganizationswithincommunitiestocreateentirelynewcommunitymediaorganizationsorblurringtheboundariesbetweentheirorganizationsOthersarebringinghistoricallyseparatecommunitymediagroupswithinoneorganizationalstructureorunderonerooftosharebuildingsandcommunicationsinfrastructuresinacost-effectivemanner
TheorganizationsthatemergefromthisintegrationmaybesimilarinfunctionthoughtheirnamesremaindifferentAcommunity-basedsiteforcitizenmediaandcyberjournalismforexampleandacommunitynetworklikeMAINinAshevilleNorthCarolinaoracutting-edgecableaccesscenterlikeGrandRapidsCommunityTelevisionbegintolookverymuchalikeintermsof
Increasinglycommunitymediadevelopmentishappeningthroughnetworksoflocalnonprofitmediaorganizationsratherthanwithinsingleorganizations
neW orgAnizAtionAl spAces netWorked clusters Perhapsthemostpromisingtrendonthehorizonforcom-munitymediaistheemergenceofnewhighlyintegratedorganizationalstructuresandcollaborativeprocessesIncreasinglycommunitymediadevelopmentishappeningthroughnetworksoflocalnonprofitmediaorganizationsratherthanwithinsingleorganizations
Inmanywaysthesereorganizationsatthecom-munitylevelparalleltherestructuringtakingplaceintheprivatecorporatesectorTherecommunicationsnetworksarebeingusedtosupportcomplexpartnershipsandjointcompanyprojectdevelopmentinteractivenetworkseasetheaggregationoflargeorstrategiccapitalandemployeeskillsetsacrossgeographicandorganizationalboundariesforthepurposesofinnovationandmarketdevelopmentInthelanguageofcommunityandeconomicdevelop-mentthesecomplexpartnershipsareknownasldquocreativeclustersrdquoorldquoindustryclustersrdquoMichaelPorteraleadingtheoristandproponentoftheconceptofclustersdefinesthemasldquogeographicconcentrationsofinterconnected
Successfulcommunitymediaorganizationsaremergingasnetworkclusters
technologyprogrammingactivitiesandtheexperienceofcommunityaudiencesvolunteersandparticipantsEachorganizationreliesonnoncommercialaffordablebandwidtheachplayssomeroleinadvocatingforsupportivegovern-mentpoliciesandeachisexperimentingwiththepotentialofnewcollaborativemediatoolsOftencommittedtoengagingandtrainingvolunteersandcommunitymembersinsomemannertheymayoffertrainingandvolunteerpro-gramsthatrequiresimilarsharableonlinetutorialsandonlineoutreachandschedulemanagementtools
TheexamplesthatfollowdemonstratethewayscommunitymediacreativeclustersaremakinguniquecontributionstotheircommunitiesrsquoqualityoflifeandeconomicwellbeingTheyaredoingsointhreeimportantwaysbullfirstbyamplifyingtherolethatartsandculturalgroups
playinenhancingthequalityoflifeandattractingatalentedworkforceandcapitaltothecommunitymdasharolethatisgaininginsignificanceinthetwenty-firstcentury
bullsecondascontributorstocoreeconomicdevelopmentfunctionsinthecommunityincludingworkforcedevelop-mentandtrainingasmicro-enterpriseincubatorsandascreatorsofnewknowledgeandeducationalexperiencesand
bullthirdasfacilitatorsandcatalystsofcommunitydialoguecommittedtoembracingmarginalizedvoicesandallow-ingthecommunitytoundertakeitsowndevelopmentdemocratically
Lowell MassachusettsLowell Telecommunications Center(LTC)isapublicandgovernmentaccesschannelandmediaandtechnologycen-terItprovideseducationandtraininginmediacreationincludingwebdesigndigitalphotographyandtelevisionproductionLTCworksincollaborationwithotherlocalcommunity-basedorganizationsmunicipaldepartmentsandeducationalentitiestoproducediversemulticulturalprogrammingthatmeetsthecommunityrsquoscommunica-tionandinformationneedsLTChasbecomeaconvening
organizationforbuildingcapacityamongLowellrsquosnonprofitcommunity-basedorganizationsintheiruseofparticipatorymediaandcivicengagementstrategies
LTCismorefocusedthanothercommunitymediaorganizationsoncommunitybuildingandcommunicationtechnologyThecorporationisworkingtobuildanetworkforparticipatorymediaandcivicengagementthroughouttheMerrimacRiverValleyThroughaUSDepartmentofEducationgrantLTCacquiredfundingandstafftohelpitspartnerorganizationsbecomeInternet-capableassesstheirinformationtechnologyneedsacquiretechnologyupgradestoaddressthoseneedsandundertakethetrainingtousethetechnologyeffectively
RatherthanwaitingforgroupstocometoitscenterLTCcreatedacircuitridertrainingprogramthattookthetrainingprogramintothecommunityThroughLTCrsquosinformationtechnologycenterscoresofcommunitygroupshavereceivedtrainingdesignedandcreatedwebsitesanddevelopedstrategiccommunicationsplansforthefutureThosedevelopmentsincludeweb-basedhistoricalarchivesGISmappingsystemsmultimediamaterialsandInternetvideoTohelporganizationsacquirethesoftwaretheyneedtocarryouttheirmissionsLTCcreatedtheCommunitySoftwareLabwhichdevelopsuniquesoftwaretofittheneedsofareanonprofitsThelabhasbeenspunofftocreateaseparatenonprofitentityjoiningthegrowingnumberofindependentorganizationsthatnetworkthroughLTC
ThemostrecentLTCinitiativeisldquoDigitalBicyclerdquoapeer-to-peernetworkthatallowsmediacentersworldwidetodownloadandsharelocalcontentLTCstaffenvisionDigitalBicycleasanonlinecommunityforcableaccessmediaartsindependentmediaandothernoncommercialmedia
Grand Rapids MichiganldquoBuildingcommunitythroughmediardquoThissimplemissionstatementguidedtheGrand Rapids Community Media Center(GRCMC)asitevolvedfromatypicalcableaccessoperationtobecomeabroad-basedmultimediacenterandamodelforthedevelopmentofcommunitymultimediacentersintheUnitedStatesOverthepasttwentyyears
Communitymediacreativeclustersaremakinguniquecon-tributionstotheircommunitiesrsquoqualityoflifeandeconomicwellbeing
LTCisworkingtobuildanetworkforparticipatorymediaandcivicengagementthroughouttheMerrimacRiverValley
GRCMChaspulledthediversecommunitymediaactivitiesofGrandRapidsunderoneorganizationalumbrellaandtakentheleadinarticulatingthepotentialforaggregatingnoncommercialnetworkedcommunicationsthere
Theevolvingnetworkofmediaplatformsdis-ciplinesandculturalgroupsthatconvergetobecomeGRCMCnowincludesthefollowingcentersofpracticeGRTVacommunitytelevisioncenterthatprogramsmultiplecableaccesschannelsWYCEacommunityradiostationGrandnetacommunitytechnologyandnetworkcenterthatprovidescitizenandnonprofitaccesstotheInternetandtheGrandRapidsInstituteforInformationDemocracyacriticalmediaeducationandresearchcenterthattracksmediaandlocalpublicinterestissuesandpub-lishesinformationonmediaaccountabilityandreform
ButtheGrandRapidsCommunityMediaCenterismorethanthesumofitspartsThecomponentsofthecenterworktogetherinamutuallyreinforcingwholethatcreatesapowerfulcommunitymediapresenceinGrandRapidsandallowsthecentertoundertakefarmoreambitiousprojectsandprogrammingthanwouldbethecaseseparatelyOneexcellentexampleistheMobileOn-LineLearningLabforInformationEducationKnownasMOLLIEtheprogramprovidesskilledtrainersanddigitalvideoproductionequipmenttoschoolsandcommunityorganizationsforspecialprojectsOriginallyfundedbyafederalDepartmentofEducationgrantMOLLIEfillsintechnologygapsinGrandRapidseducationalinstitutionsandnonprofitsInthehandsofalessintegratedinstitutiontheMOLLIEprojectcouldeasilybeatechnicallyorientedequipmentloanandtrainingprogramInthehandsofthecenterMOLLIEhasbecomeasophisticatedmediaandtechnologyeducationalinitiativeprovidingatrainingprogramthataddressesmediaeducationfromtheperspec-tiveofallthecomponentsoftheGrandRapidsCommunityMediaCenter
Asheville North CarolinaOneofthemostarticulateeffortsmergingthecreativeclustersideawithparticipatorycommunicationhascomeaboutinAshevilleNorthCarolinaThroughapersistent
collaborationbetweenforwardlookingregionalgroupsandorganizationsndashinvolvingabroadnetworkofindi-vidualscommunitymediaandmediaartsgroupsintheAshevilleregionndashAshevillehaslaidthefoundationforacommunitymediadevelopmentcenterthatwillfunctionasacableaccesscentermediaartscenterandnewmediamicro-enterpriseincubatorAtthecenterofthiseffortisaninformalcoalitionoffourimportantgroupsinAshevilleMountainAreaInformationNetworkMediaArtsProjectBoncombeCountyEconomicDevelopmentCommissionandURTVThegroupsrepresentdistinctpointsofviewandconcernsaswellasconverginginterests
Eachgroupsharedtheinsightthatcivicparticipa-tionandeconomicsuccessinthetwenty-firstcenturyaredirectlyrelatedtohavingaccesstocommunicationstechnologyandknowledgeEachalsounderstoodthattherenegotiationofthecablefranchisesintheCityofAshevilleandsurroundingBoncombeCountywasastrategicmomenttocatalyzeandassociateanumberofcommunity-basedinformationandmediaartsactivitiesalreadyinplaceorplannedinAshevilleThegroupsusedthecablefranchisingprocesstocreateacommonorganizationalandfacilitiesinfrastructuresupportingtheuseofmediaforbothcivicandeconomicdevelopment
The Media Arts Project(MAP)isanetworkofmediaartiststhatcultivatesinnovativeartsandtechnol-ogyinwesternNorthCarolinaMAPworkedtirelesslytoframecableaccessasacommunitydevelopmentissuebridgingthemediaactivistcommunitiesandthemoreforward-thinkingfactionsamongeconomicdevelopmentprofessionalsintheregionWiththerecentopeningofURTV IncAshvillersquoscableaccessorganizationandfacilityMAPanditsnetworkofpartnersarenowturningtheirattentiontofundingthemediaartsandeconomicincubatorelementsofthevision
AshevillersquosinterestinsupportingcommunitymediaarisesfromthepresenceoftheMountain Area Information Network(MAIN)Inthetraditionoftheruralcooperativesthathelpedspreadthereachofelectricityinthe1930sMAINisanonprofitInternetserviceproviderofferingreliablelow-costInternetservicebothinwesternNorthCarolinaandnationwideItisauniquecommunitynetworkwithabroadvisionofitsroleinthecommunitythatencompassesmedialiteracyeconomicdevelopmentstrategiescommunitylow-powerradioacommunity-basedwebportalandtheprovisionofInternetconnectivitytoruralwesternNorthCarolinaMAINislargelyresponsiblefortheremarkableexpansionofInternetaccessibilityinwesternNorthCarolinaallowingthousandsofpeopleto
GRCMChaspulledthediversecommunitymediaactivitiesofGrandRapidsunderoneorganizationalumbrella
spendtheirInternetaccessdollarswithalocallycontrolledandaccountableorganizationMAINdemonstratesthevalueofthecommunitynetworkingconcepttoareasthatarelagginginconnectivityduetofailuresofthemarket
MAINhastakenaleadershiproleinbuildingacommunitymediacultureinAshevillethatdemonstratestheeasewithwhichdigitalmedialeapsorganizationalboundariesItscommunitynetworkrunstheBlueRidgeWebMarketwhichprovidesafreecustomizableInternetpresencetohundredsofsmallbusinessesthroughoutwesternNorthCarolinaItsLatinoDigitalLiteracyProjectofferstrainingtohelpthearearsquosgrowingLatinopopula-tionsaccesstheInternetMAINhasbeenoneofthekeypartnersinbringingacableaccesscentertoAshevilleandhasbeenthedrivingforcebehindWPVMWNCrsquoslow-powerFMradiostationbroadcastinglocalnewsviewsandmusicover-the-airintheAshevilleregion(andtheworldviawebcast)
Cleveland OhioPerhapsthemostrobustcommunity-basednonprofitnetworkintheUnitedStatesOne ClevelandprovideswhatitcallsldquoultrabroadbandnetworkingservicesrdquotoClevelandareaeducationgovernmentresearchartscultureandhealthcareorganizationsOneClevelandoperatesafibernetworkringthatcoversmuchofthecityofClevelandandmanyofitssurroundingsuburbsSubscriberstothenetworkconnectatgigabitspeeds
OneClevelandrepresentswhatcanhappenwhenpowerfulcommunitydevelopmentforcescometoaconsensusregardingtheircommunityrsquosneedforhigh-speedconnectivitytoglobaleconomiesandmediaItsfoundersareClevelandmainstreaminstitutionsCaseWesternReserveUniversityCuyahogaCommunityCollegeClevelandStateUniversityTheCityofClevelandGreaterClevelandRegionalTransitAuthorityideastreamCuyahogaCountyPublicLibraryandNorTechThenetworkhasformedrelationshipswithtechnologycompaniestomaintainup-to-dateapplicationsthatleveragethepotentialofsuchapowerfulnetwork
Oneofthenetworkrsquoskeypartners ideastream illustratesthesignificanceofworkingtogethertomakehigh-speedconnectivitypubliclyavailablethroughoutacommunityonitsowntermsBybuildingahigh-speednet-workOneClevelandhascreatedacivicnetworkspaceandinfrastructurethatallowsanewkindofmultimediapublicmediaorganizationtobecreatedIdeastreamresultedwhenWVIZPBSTelevisionand903WCPNRadiopublicbroad-castersmergedtoformanewnonprofitldquomultimediapublicserviceorganizationrdquoIdeastreamisabletoextenditsmediaexpertisebeyondbroadcastingtoonlinetechnologiesandapplicationsofalltypesmdashwhenyouareconnectingtothenetworkatthegigabitspeedsofOneClevelandrsquostherangeofapplicationsandtheirpotentialarehuge
MAINhastakenaleadershiproleinbuildingacommunitymediacultureinAshevillethatdemonstratestheeasewithwhichdigitalmedialeapsorganizationalboundaries
OneClevelandrepresentswhatcanhappenwhenpowerfulcommunitydevelopmentforcescometoaconsensusregardingtheircommunityrsquosneedforhigh-speedconnectivitytoglobaleconomiesandmedia
Inthecourseofpreparingthisreportndashpouringovertheliteratureandsynthesizinghoursofstructuredround-tableconversationsandone-on-oneinterviewswith
opinionleadersandsuccessfulpractitionersofcommunitymediandashonethingisextremelyclearThewayoursocietymakesandsharesinformationknowledgeandcultureisinaheightenedstateofchangeTheinteractivenatureoftheInternethasdemonstratedthatitispossibletoorganizecommunicationsinamuchmoredemocraticfashionSomehaveconcludedwearewitnessingthetransitionfromanindustrializedinformationenvironmenttoanetworkedinformationenvironmentTheoldindustrialmediastruc-turesbasedonexclusivehigh-costproductionprocessesarebeingchallengedbyanemergingmediasectorinwhichthecostofcreatinginformationknowledgeandculturehasbeenprofoundlyreducedandtheproductsareintercon-nectedwidelythroughnetworksliketheInternet(Benkler2006)IndeedthereisincreasingevidencethatthesenewmediaanddigitalnetworksareparticularlyconducivetononcommercialandnonprofitculturalproductionaswellasmoreparticipatoryandcollaborativemediapracticesInmanywaysthelong-standingvaluesandintentofcommu-nitymediaforeshadowthisnewmediaenvironment
ThescanresearchfocusedonfourkeyareasofinquiryWhataretheuniquecharacteristicsthatdistin-guishcommunitymediaWhatmakesmedia-communitycollaborationssuccessfulWhattypesofcommunitymediaorganizationsbestleveragenewtechnologiesHowmightcommunitymediaengageunderservedpopulationsinprogrammingtailoredtotheirneedsIneachinstancewefoundthatcommunitymediacombinedwithgreaterafford-ablebandwidthandopen-sourceapproachestoproductiondohavetremendouscommunitydevelopmentpotentialHowevernoneofthatpotentialwillcomeaboutmagicallyThecommunitymediasectorisfacingthechallengingtaskofmanagingextensivechangeandtransformation
chAllengesThesuccessdisappointmentsandsocialvalueofthepastsixtyyearsofcommunitymediainitiativesmustbejudgedinhistoricalcontextConsistentmisrepresentationinthemainstreammediaandlimitedunaccommodatingsocialpolicyhaveresultedininadequatevisibilityandfinancialsupportforcommunitymediaAnydiscussionofitssuccessesorfailuresmustincorporateanunderstand-
ingoftheseexternalconstraintsInthislighttheexistingexpressionsofcommunitymediaattheirbestarewildlysuccessfulsocialexperimentsgivingcauseforgreatoptimism
NeverthelesscommunitymediafacebothexternalandinternalchallengesTheinternalchallengesarisefromstructuraltensionsthatoccurinanyattempttocreateorganizationsandculturesthatembodydiversitydemocraticexpressionandequitableaccessRatherthanbeingexpressedasldquoweaknessesrdquoasissooftenthecaseinmainstreammediaandacademiatheseinternaltensionsaremoreproperlyunderstoodaspredictabledevelopmentalproblemsandopportunitiesthatpractitionersshouldbepreparedtograpplewithinanycommunitymediasetting
Balancing Free Expression and Audience Development CommunityradioandpublicaccesscablehavehistoricallyprivilegedtheinterestsofproducersbygrantingthemgreatpoliticalfreedominmakingdecisionsregardingwhatprogrammingtocreateandwhataestheticandformattingapproachestouseThetrade-offforacultureofactivistvolunteerismandfreeexpressionhasbeensmalleraudi-encesandlowerlevelsofproductionandprogramsupportProgramproducerscarryanintensecommitmenttoindi-vidualownershipoftheirprogramminginitiativesthatmaynottaketheaudiencersquosinterestsfullytoheart
Whiletheseapproachesinradioandcableaccesshaveresultedinadiversityofprogrammingandpoliticalviewpointstheyhavealsopreventedradiostationpro-grammersorcableaccessorganizationsfrombuildingaflowofprogramsthatcandefineandconstructanongoingaudienceinthecommunityEachprogramorscheduledprogramslotcarriesitsownmicroaudienceldquofragmentedpublicsrdquothatareoftennotpartofanintegratedflowofpro-grammingthatattractsanaudiencetothechannelsoverall(Higgins2002)
Freeexpressionandaudiencedevelopmentarenotmutuallyexclusivenordoparticipatorymanagementstructuresvolunteerinvolvementandproducertrain-ingprogramsneedtoimpedeaudiencedevelopmentThesuccessofAmyGoodmanandDemocracyNowsoundlydemonstratesthisInfactmanycommunitymediaorgani-zationshavecreatedprogramminginitiativesthatcombinesophisticatedmeasurementsofsocialoutcomeswith
conclusions
trainingandparticipatoryprogramplanningTheyhavenotonlyraisedthesocialvalueoftheirprogrammingtotheircommunitiestheyhavealsoincreasedthesizeandloyaltyoftheiraudiences(Aufderheide2003)Asinteractivemediabegintocreatetheconditionswherenicheprogram-mingcanbefarmoresuccessfulthetensionbetweenfreeexpressionandaudiencedevelopmentisnotonlyachal-lengebutalsoatremendousopportunity
Programming MetricsStillroundtableparticipantsrepeatedlynotedthatevenwhenprogrammingmeetscommunityneedscommunitymediaorganizationscanfinditdifficulttodocumentimpactTheyfeltthatfundershavegenerallynotyetaddressedtheroleofmediainpopularcultureorthepowerofpopularcultureinaddressingsocialproblemsInaddi-tionfundersfindithardtoestablishcost-benefitmeasuresofsocialimpactfortheirmediaexpenditures
ParticipantsaskedformodelsofaudiencefeedbackandoutcomesmeasurementthatgobeyondaudiencenumbersTheyacknowledgedthedifficultyofquantify-ingnotionsofsuccesswhichtendtobeverysubjectiveandofusingsuccessstoriesinthecommonprogrammingmetricsofthedayManyrecognizedskepticismamongfundersabouttheimportanceofcommunitymediaasuspicionaboutagendasandafearofthecostsinvolvedmakingcommunitymediaahardsellEventhoughafewgoodevaluationeffortswereacknowledgedtheircollectiveresultshavenotbeenincorporatedintothethinkingofthewiderfundingcommunity
FundingMulti-yearstablefundingsupportforcommunitymediainitiativesiscriticaltostabilityinnovationandgrowthRoundtableparticipantsdiscussednumerousinstancesinwhichprojectswithmulti-yearsupporthadpowerfulpositiveimpactsextendingbeyondtheinitialprojectgoalsMulti-yearfundingcreatesthestabilitytoundertakeproperstrategicplanningandpartnershipdevelopment
Thereissomeearlyevidencethatamultiple-plat-formnonprofit-orientednichemarketcouldemergeasasignificantopportunitytoprovideenhancedrevenueforthecommunityandnoncommercialmediasectorsTheinterac-tivecapacityofthenewnetworkssignificantlyincreasestherevenuepotentialforcooperativeandsubscription-styleprogrammingflowsHoweverstrongmarketsforcommer-ciallyfundedparticipatorycommunityexpressionhavenotyetemergedinthedigitaleraduetothelimitedsizeofpopulationsandavailableadvertisingsupportIfthereistobeavitalsectorofcommunity-basedmediasomeformofsignificantpublicfundingwillbenecessaryevenininstanceswherecommunitymediaorganizationsmightrealizesignificantrevenuefromnewmarketsInordertomakethemostefficientuseofpublicfundingcommuni-tiesmustevolvefundingandgovernancestructuresforcommunitymediathatcanfacilitatetheaggregationoffundscoordinatemultiple-organizationprojectsandactastrustedconvenersofprogramminganddevelopmentdiscus-sionsincommunities
Policy ThreatsWhiletheconvergenceoftechnologyandpracticescreatesincreasingpotentialsforaunifiedcommunitymediasectorthereisunfortunatelynocohesiveandunifiednationalpolicyframeworkforcommunitymediaThegovernmentpoliciesandregulationsthatexistforcommunitymediahavebeenretrofittedinthearenasofUSbroadcastingandtelephonypolicyWhiletheyrepresenthard-wonpoliticalvictoriesandstrategicinsighttheydonotaddresstheneedsofcommunitymediainaholisticway
Inthecurrentpoliticalclimatebroadcastmediaownershipcontrolandprogrammingwillcontinuetobecentralizedinfewercorporationsleavingcommunitieswithlessoptionsforcontrollingtheirlocalmediaenviron-mentsAtthesametimethetelephonecompanieswillenterthemarketforvideotelephonyandbroadbandbydeployinghigh-capacitydigitaltelevisionnetworksinmanycommunitiesintheUnitedStates
ThecurrenttrendofcentralizationinUStele-communicationspolicyisthreateningtheabilityoflocal
Freeexpressionandaudiencedevelopmentarenotmutuallyexclusivenordoparticipatorymanagementstructuresvolunteerinvolvementandproducertrainingprogramsneedtoimpedeaudiencedevelopment
Communitymediaorganizationscanfinditdifficulttodocumentimpact
governmentstomandatecommunity-basedcommunica-tionsnetworksandprogramminginitiativesasrentonthepublicrights-of-wayThesefundingmechanismscurrentlysupportPublicEducationandGovernment(PEG)accesscabletelevisioncentersmediaartscentersandmanymunicipalcommunicationnetworksWhilefarfromperfectregulatorymechanismstheyareoneofthemostsuccess-fulformsofpublicmediasupporttoariseinthelastthirtyyears
Overthenextfiveyearsthesesuccessfulfundingstrategieswillbeunderheavyattackbythetelephonecom-paniesandthecabletelevisionindustryinastrugglewithgovernmentsforcommunitycontrolofthepublicrights-of-wayThesamedynamicthreatensequitableInternetaccessIncreasinglybroadbandcommunitynetworksaremunicipallyownedormandatedWhilesomeofthesemunicipalbroadbandnetworksweredeployedforinternalmunicipalpurposestimehasshownthatsuchnetworkscanserveanumberofnon-governmentalcommunity-basedpurposesincludingwirelessISPconnectionsforresidentsbusinessesandvisitorsManycommunitiesareseeking(andsomehaveobtained)ldquoCommunityBenefitsAgreementsrdquowithproposedwirelessbroadbandvendorsthatsetasideasmallfranchisefeeongrossrevenuestosupportdigitalinclusionactivitiesfollowingtheexampleofcablecompaniessupportofPEGaccessHowevermunicipalbroadbandandmunicipalwirelessareunderattackbyindustriestryingtoreservethesedevelopmentrightsforthemselves
Theoutcomeofthedebatesaroundcontroloftherights-of-waywillhaveasignificantimpactonthefuturepathofcommunitymediadevelopmentThesedebateswillrangeacrosstheregulatoryspectrumtheyarenowbeingwagedinlocalstateandnationallegislativearenasandthecourtsTheresultingcommunicationsinfrastruc-tureandregulatoryframeworkwillbeabletorealizethepotentialsofcommunitymediaifandonlyifcommunitiesareabletotakeleadershipinprovidingsubstantialpublicaswellasprivatefundingAsanoldtruismnotesldquomoneyispolicyrdquo
Therearenopoliticalortechnicalguaranteesthatdigitalmedianetworkswillremainopenandparticipa-toryastheyevolveItisunlikelythatmarketforcesalone
willservetorealizethedemocraticpotentialoftodayrsquosparticipatorymediatechnologyBuildingarobustsectorofcommunity-baseddemocraticnewmediawillrequireeffectivecitizenactivismclearandresponsivegovern-mentpoliciesandeffectivepoliticalstrategiesCommunitymedianeedsseparaterecognitionandsupportwithinfed-eralstateandlocalcommunicationspolicyandregulatorystructuresinordertoensureequitableandstablefundinganddevelopment
models for the futureThegovernmentregulationsandsubsidiesthatunderpincommunitymediahaveevolvedinahodgepodgefashionoverthepastsixtyyearsItcanbearguedthatcommunitymediashouldbetreatedasaseparatesectorwithinte-gratedfundingstructuresconsistentinfrastructureandtaxandsubsidypoliciesthatareseparateanddistinctfromexistinglocalmediapoliciesandalsofromthepoliciesunderpinningpublicbroadcastingPossiblemodelsforamoreunifiedapproacharenumerousbuttwoappearpar-ticularlywellsuitedtocommunitymediarsquosdiverseformsorganizationsandprogrammingapproaches
Public Funding FindingappropriatemethodsofincreasingpublicfundingforcommunitymediainashiftingregulatoryenvironmentiscrucialCurrentlocalcablefranchisingregulationstosupportcableaccessandthecommunitybenefitsagree-mentsofmunicipalwirelessnetworksoffersuccessfulmodelsbutarenowbothunderattackThelawsrequiringcommercialcableproviderstosetasidebandwidthchan-nelcapacityforthepublicinadditiontooperatingfundingbasedonapercentageofcommercialrevenuescouldbeextendedtoincludevoicevideoanddataEssentiallythenanycommercialproviderusingthepublicrights-of-wayorthewirelessspectrumwouldberequiredtocontributeanequitablepercentageofbandwidthandrev-enuetosupportthecommunitycommunicationssector
Community Media DevelopmentAdequatelevelsoffundingareonlypartoftheequationWhilefundingshouldsupporttheoverallgrowthofthe
Thereisunfortunatelynocohesiveandunifiednationalpolicyframe-workforcommunitymedia
setasidebandwidthchannelcapacityforthepublicinadditiontooperatingfunding
communitymediasectorinasensiblefashionanyfundingsolutionmustaddressthedifficultynowexperiencedbyfundersindealingwithcommunitymediahowtoprovideoverallsupporttoasectormadeupofsmallindependentorganizationswithanextremelydiversesetoffundingsourcesandmissionsOneeconomicdevelopmentapproachseemsparticularlyusefulhereProgressivecommunityeconomicdevelopmentstrategieshaveevolvedtosupportthegrowthofadiversityofsmallenterpriseswithinacom-monsectorwhilerecognizingthattheseenterprisescanatdifferenttimesbecollaboratorspartnersorcompetitorsSimilarstrategiescanguidedevelopmentofthecommunitymediasector
Thereareatleasttwoshort-termstepsthatcouldassistinthedevelopmentofcommunitymediaorgani-zationsandsupporttheircitizensrsquoabilitytocopewithcommercialmediaandinformationsaturationOneisforcommunitiestobuildorsecureaffordablebroadbandandwirelessnetworkinfrastructurewithastrongcommu-nitybenefitsagreementinsupportofdigitalinclusionHundredsofcommunitiesacrossthecountryeitherhaveorarelaunchingsuchwirelesscommunitynetworksmanyincollaborationwithwirelessvendorswhoinordertowinaservicecontractwiththemunicipalityinquestionaresup-portingdigitalliteracytraininginexpensiverefurbishedcomputersandlocalcontentdevelopmentndashinshortprogramsofdigitalinclusionandexcellence
AsecondopportunityidentifiedbyroundtableparticipantsisthepotentialforanationalsupportnetworkforexistingcommunitymediaorganizationsAnationalsupportnetworklinkingcommunitiesandtheircommu-
nitymediapractitionersandinstitutionscouldfacilitatearangeofactivitiesincludinglocal-to-localcommunicationorexchangesofinformationandprogrammingbetweencommunitiesvirtualspaceforanationalnetworkofcommunitymediaorganizationstohelptoorganizeuni-fiedpolicyadvocacywiderdistributionofpastproductsformationofissue-responseteamstoadvanceinterestsofcommunitygroupsandtapintolocalresourcesandshareddirectoriesofpractitionerstrainersandfacilitiesConveningleadersfromtheaggregatorsandassociationsservingcommunitymediaintheirvariousforms(listedinAppendix2)mightbeagoodnextsteptoexplorethisopportunity
the promiseThepracticeofcommunitymediahasmanagedtogrowandevolveoverthepastsixtyyearsdespiteunevenandgenerallylowlevelsofsupportandinconsistentgovernmentpoliciesEllieRenniearesearchfellowattheInstituteforSocialResearchSwinburneUniversityofTechnologyhaswrittenthatcommunitymediaareoftendefinednegativelyforwhattheyareopposedtoratherthanpositivelyforwhattheyhaveachieved(Rennie2006)Weareawarethatcom-munitymediahaveoftenbeendismissedasmarginalandidiosyncraticbuttheexamplescitedinthisreportprovidepowerfulevidencetothecontraryItistimetodefinecommunitymediabywhattheyhaveachievedCommunitymediaattheirbesthaveconsistentlydemonstratedtheirpotentialtoempowercommunitiesandindividualstoparticipateascitizensincommunityandeconomicdevelop-mentartseducationcommunitydialogandpoliticaldebateInmanyinstancestheyhavebecomecentralcul-turalsurvivalinstitutionsasourcommunitiesdealwiththeimpactofcommercialmediasaturationandglobalization
Duringtheroundtablediscussionsthattookplaceaspartofthisscanitwasobviousthatthevalueofcom-munitymediatocommunitiestranscendsthemeasurableeffectsofcivicengagementandcommunitydevelopmentCommunitymediacanallowindividualsincommunitiestohaveprofoundexperiencesofactivelyexpressingthem-selvesthroughmediaForpeoplewhohaveseenthemselvesaspassivereceptorsatthebottomofacascadeofpackagedmediaexperiencesandmessagesactiverepresentationoftheirownlivesandcircumstanceshasatransformativeeffectthatgoesbeyondsimplephraseslikeldquocivicengage-mentrdquoThevalueofcommunitymediatoindividualsandthecommunitiestheyliveinisincalculable
hellipaffordablebroadbandandwirelessnetworkinfrastructurewithastrongcommunitybenefitsagreement
anationalsupportnetworkforexistingcommunitymediaorganizations
Appendix 1 Community media empowerment StrategieS
empoWerment Activity ApproAch infrAstructure or venue
AccessAccesstocommunicationsinfrastructureproductiontools
MakingavailablemediaproductiontoolscomputerstelevisionandradiodistributionInternetsoftwarecommunitycommunicationsinfrastructuremeetingspacewebservers
Democraticcitizenaccesstocommunicationstoolsanddisseminationinfrastructure
CablebroadbandmunicipaltelecomInternetWiFiWiMAXlocalandpublicservicebroadcasting
AlternativeContent CreationofvideoaudiofilmwebsitesInternet-basedcitizenmediaP2Pmediabloggingsocialnetworkingsoftwaredatabasesandprintproduction
Contentpositionedtocounterorsupplementmassmediacontentandinformationfrommainstreamsources
AllplatformswithanincreasingexpansionwithinIPNetworksandcross-platformproductionanddissemination
CompetencyLiteracyMedialiteracyinformationliteracydigitalliteracyandculturalliteracy
Mediaartsandaestheticeducationlearningtogainacivicvoiceinamediaculturearticulationofmediabiasesengaginginmediaandpoliticsunderstandingcommoditycultureparentinginamedia-saturatedhome
Interventioninthecomplexmanipulationofsymbolsandculture
Allmassmediaprintelectronic
CommunityBuilding Workforcetrainingandskillbuildingmicro-enterprisedevelopmentbusinessinfrastructuredevelopment
Communityorganizingparticipatoryplanningdemocraticeconomicdevelopmentworkforceandinfrastructuredevelopment
Localmediamunicipaltelecominfrastructurecomputerandtechnologyincubatorsandtechnologycenters
0
Itisdifficulttounderstandthefullscopeofcommu-nitymediaculturewithoutknowingofthefollowingorganizationswhichsupportcommunitymediaand
independentmediapracticesTheyplayanumberofrolesasnationalassociationsrepresentingnetworksofcommu-nitymediaorganizationsandmediaartsorganizationsasproducernetworksandstrategiccommunicationsplannerslinkingcommunityorganizationswithcommunitymediaorganizationsasorganizationsofcommunityactivistsandproducersworkingtomoreeffectivelysupportandusecommunitymediaandascollaboratorsandpartnersincommunitydevelopmenttrainingandeducation
ActiveVoicehttpwwwactivevoicenet
AllianceforCommunityMediahttpwwwalliancecmorg
AssociationforCommunityNetworking
httpwwwafcnorg
CommunityMediaWorkshophttpwwwnewstipsorg
CommunityTechnologyCentersrsquoNetwork
httpwwwctcnetorg
DeepDishTVhttpdeepdishtvorg
FreeSpeechTVhttpwwwfreespeechorg
IndependentTelevisionServicehttpwwwitvsorg
IndependentMediaCenterIndymedia
httpwwwindymediaorg
LatinoPublicBroadcastinghttpwwwlpbporg
LinkTVhttplinktvorg
LPFMDatabasecom
httpwwwangelfirecomnj2piratejimlpfmhtml
MediaTankhttpwwwmediatankorg
MediaWorkingGrouphttpwwwmwgorg
NationalAllianceforMediaArtsandCulture
httpwwwnamacorg
NationalAsianAmericanTelecommunicationsAssochttp
asianamericanmediaorgindexhtml
NativeAmericanPublicTelecommunications
httpasianamericanmediaorgindexhtml
NationalBlackProgrammingConsortium
httpwwwnbpctv
NationalFederationofCommunityBroadcasters
httpwwwnfcborg
NationalPublicRadiohttpwwwnpr
NationalPublicTelecomputingNetworkhttpwwwnptnorg
PaperTigerTelevisionhttpwwwpapertigerorg
PacificIslandersinCommunications
httpwwwpiccomorg
PewCenterforCivicJournalismhttpwwwpewcenterorg
PrometheusRadioProject
httpwwwprometheusradioorg
PublicBroadcastingServicehttpwwwpbsorg
PublicRadioExchangehttpwwwprxorg
ReclaimtheMediahttpwwwreclaimthemediaorg
StarfishTelevisionNetworkhttpwwwstarfishtvorg
WebsitesofUSPEGAccessChannels
httpwwwbevcamorgpeg
WorldAssociationofCommunityRadioBroadcasters
httpwwwamarcorg
Appendix 2 aggregatorS and aSSoCiationS
Appalshophttpwwwappalshoporg
BayAreaVideoCoalitionhttpwwwbavcorg
BeyondMediaEducationhttpwwwbeyondmediaorg
CambridgeCommunityTelevisionhttpwwwcctvcambridgeorg
CasaGuatemalaMediaProjecthttpwwwcasaguatemalaorg
CharlotteObserverhttpwwwcharlottecom
ChicagoAccessNetworkTelevisionhttpwwwcantvorg
GrandRapidsCommunityMediaCenterhttpgrcmcorg
GrandNethttpwwwgrcmcorgnposervicesitphp
GRTVhttpwwwgrcmcorgtv
ideastreamhttpwwwideastreamorg
IFPMinnesotaCenterforMediaArtshttpwwwifpnorthorgabouthtml
IntermediaArtshttpwwwintermediaartsorg
KartemquinFilmshttpwwwkartemquincom
KBOOhttpwwwkbooorg
KFAIhttpwwwkfaiorg
LowellTelecommunicationsCenterhttpltcorg
ManhattanNeighborhoodNetworkhttpmnnorg
MediaArtsProjecthttpwwwthemaporg
MetroGovernmentCommunityMediaInitiativehttpwwwmetro-regionorg
MetropolitanAustinInteractiveNetworkhttpwwwmainorg
MinneapolisTelevisionNetworkhttpwwwmtnorg
MinnesotaChannelhttpwwwtptorgmnchannelnew
MinnesotaPublicRadiohttpminnesotapublicradioorghttpminnesotapublicradioorgpublicinsightjournalism
MountainAreaInformationNetworkhttpmainncus
MtHoodCableRegulatoryCommissionhttpwwwmhcrcorg
NewAmericaMediahttpnewsnewamericamediaorgnews
NewRoutestoCommunityHealthhttpwwwnewroutesorg
NorthwestFilmandVideoCenterhttpwwwnwfilmorg
OneClevelandhttpwwwoneclevelandorg
OregonPublicBroadcastinghttpwwwopborg
PortlandCommunityMediahttpwwwpcmtvorg
RadioArtehttpwwwwrteorg
SaintPaulNeighborhoodNetworkhttpwwwspnnorg
ScribeVideoCenterhttpwwwscribeorg
SoundPartnersforCommunityHealthhttpwwwsoundpartnersorg
StreetLevelYouthMediahttpwwwstreet-levelorg
TwinCitiesDailyPlanethttpwwwtcdailyplanetnet
TwinCitiesMediaAlliancehttpwwwtcmediaallianceorg
TwinCitiesPublicTelevisionhttpwwwtptorg
URTVhttpwwwurtvorg
WalkerArtCenterhttpwwwwalkerartorgindexwac
WCIW-LPhttppacificanetworkorgradiocontentview17542httpwwwciw-onlineorg
WGBHhttpwwwwgbhorg
WHYYhttpwhyyorg
WPVMhttpwwwwpvmorg
WYBEhttpwwwwybeorg
WYCEhttpwwwgrcmcorgradio
YouthChannelhttpwwwyouthchannelorg
Appendix 3 Community media praCtitionerSWebsitesofthosepractitionersmentionedinthetext
AndersonRachelBenton Digital Beat Extra Noncommercial Networks on DBSWashingtonDCBentonFoundation2000
AufderheidePatricialdquoCableAccessTVandthePublicSphererdquoinThe Daily Planet A Critic on the Capitalist Culture BeatMinneapolisandLondonUniversityofMinnesotaPress2000a
AufderheidePatriciaIn The Battle for Reality Social Documentaries in the USWashingtonDCAmericanUniversityCenterforSocialMedia2003
AufderheidePatricialdquoTheWhatandHowofPublicBroadcastingrdquoinThe Daily Planet A Critic on the Capitalist Culture BeatMinneapolisandLondonUniversityofMinnesotaPress2000b
AynteAbdirahmanldquoSomaliWebsitesACompetitiveAlternativeMediaandaFarcetoReckonWithrdquoHiiraan Onlinehttpwwwhiiraancomnews2006aprsomali_websitesaspx
AzzouzBushraTomChamberlinandMarleneFarnumThe Community Media Project Building Community through Media(Aproposedmodelforafive-yearinitiativetoproducelocaltelevisionprogrammingthatbroadensthedialogueonissuesimportanttotheOregoncommunityandcreatesastrongsenseofplace)PortlandORMetroDecember2000
BarlowWilliamldquoCommunityRadiointheUSTheStruggleForADemocraticMediumrdquoinMedia Culture and SocietyVol10(1988)
BenklerYochaiThe Wealth of Networks How Social Production Transforms Markets and FreedomNewHavenYaleUniversityPress2006
BentonFoundationDigital Alliances Partners in Public
Service Models for CollaborationUniversityParkPAThePennsylvaniaStateUniversity2002
BlauAndrewDeep Focus A Report on the Future of Independent MediaSanFranciscoNationalAllianceforMediaArtsandCulture2004
BowmanShayneandChrisWillisWe Media How Audiences Are Shaping the Future of News and InformationEditedbyJDLasicaRestonVATheMediaCenteratTheAmericanPressInstitute2003httpwwwhypergenenetwemediadownloadwe_mediapdf
BurnettRonldquoFromCommunityMediatoInternationalNetworksrdquoCritical Approaches to Culture + Communications + HypermediaNovember182005httpwwweciadca~rburnettWeblogarchives200511from_communityhtml
CanoAndrealdquoMicroradioAToolforCommunityEmpowermentrdquoinPublic Broadcasting and the Public InterestEditedbyMichaelPMcCauleyEricEPetersonBLeeArtzandDeeDeeHalleckLondonMESharpe2003
CarnegieCommissiononEducationalTelevisionPublic Television A Program for ActionNewYorkBantam1967
CastellsManuelThe Rise of the Network Society The Information Age Economy Society and CultureVolumes12amp3MaldenMABlackwellPublishersInc2005
ChesterJeffBeyond Broadcast Expanding Public Media in the Digital AgeWashingtonDCCenterforDigitalDemocracyFebruary2006httpwwwdemocraticmediaorgBBBBfrontphp
ChristensenPaulNanMcIntyreandLynnPikholzldquoBridgingCommunityandEconomicDevelopmentAStrategyforUsingIndustryClusterstoLinkNeighborhoodsandtheRegionalEconomyrdquo(reportfundedbytheFordFoundation)ClevelandShorebankEnterpriseGroup2005
ldquoCitizenJournalismrdquoissueofNieman ReportsCambridgeMATheNiemanFoundationforJournalismatHarvardUniversityVol59No4Winter2005eMprintNewsbookhttpwwwniemanharvardedureports05-4NRwinterNR05W_Citizen_Journalismpdf
City PagesldquoBestPublicAccessCableTVProgramSomaliTVrdquoBestoftheTwinCities2004MNApril282004httpcitypagescombestof2004artsandentertainmentbestof2379asp
bibliogrAphy
CruzRossanaReguilloldquoTheOracleintheCityBeliefsPracticesandSymbolicGeographiesrdquoinGlobal Cities of the South (Social Text)EditedbyAshleyDawsonandBrentHayesEdwardsTranslatedbyBrentHayesEdwardsandNoraNicoliniDurhamNCDukeUniversityPress81(Volume22Number4)Winter2004
DeLasCasasLucywithSimonBurallJohnMorrisonDavidKaleteandJagadanandaldquoGlobalMediaReformandAccountabilityReportfromtheNationalMediaReformConferencerdquoStLouis2005httpwwwoneworldtrustorgpagesdownloadcfmdid=281
DevineRobertHldquoVideoAccessandAgencyrdquoConferencepresentationTheNationalFederationofLocalCableProgrammersStPaulMNJuly171992
DirlinMartyandCathyMelioldquoTheGrassrootsRadioMovementintheUnitedStatesrdquoinPublic Broadcasting and the Public InterestEditedbyMichaelPMcCauleyEricEPetersonBLeeArtzandDeeDeeHalleckLondonMESharpe2003
DowningJohnDHwithTamaraVillarealFordGeneveGilandLauraSteinRadical Media Rebellious Communication and Social MovementsThousandOaksCASagePublications2001
EgerJohnldquoCreativeClustersandtheUrbanEconomyrdquoGovernment and Technology(February62006)httpwwwgovtechnetnewsnewsphpid=98345
EgerJohnMThe Creative Community Forging The Links Between Art Culture Commerce amp CommunityTheCaliforniaInstituteforSmartCommunitiesSanDiegoStateUniversity2005httpwwwsmartcommunitiesorgcreativeCreativeCommBroFINALpdf
EngelmanRalphPublic Radio and Television in America A Political HistoryThousandOaksCASagePublications1996
GillespieGilbertPublic Access Television in the United States and CanadaNewYorkPraegerPublishers1975
GillmorDanWe the Media Grassroots Journalism by the People for the PeopleSebastopolCAOrsquoReillyMediaInc2006
GrahamStephenandSimonMarvinTelecommunications and the City Electronic Spaces Urban PlacesLondonandNewYorkRoutledge1996
HalleckDeeDeeHand-Held Visions The Impossible Possibilities of Community MediaNewYorkFordhamUniversityPress2002
HigginsJohnWldquoAlternativeMediaandtheCultofIndividualismExperiencesfromUSPublicAccessTVrdquoPaperpresentedattheldquoOurMediardquopre-conferenceoftheInternationalAssociationforMediaandCommunicationResearchCommunityCommunicationSectionBarcelonaSpainJuly202002httpwwwourmedianetorgpapersom2002Higginsom2002pdf
HowleyKevinCommunity Media People Places and Communication TechnologiesCambridgeCambridgeUniversityPress2005
HoynesWilliamldquoThePBSBrandandtheMerchandisingofthePublicServicerdquoinPublic Broadcasting and the Public InterestEditedbyMichaelPMcCauleyEricEPetersonBLeeArtzandDeeDeeHalleckLondonMESharpe2003
JankowskiNicholasWldquoCommunityMediaResearchAQuestforTheoreticallyGroundedModelsrdquoThePublicVol1015(2003)httpmokkbmehucentreconferencesreactivismFPfpNJ
JankowskiNicholasWandOlePrehnedsCommunity Media in the Information Age Perspectives and ProspectsCresskillNJHamptonPress2002
LashScottThe Critique of InformationLondonSagePublications2002
ListerMartinJonDoveySethGiddingsIainGrantandKieranKellyNew Media A critical IntroductionLondonandNewYorkRoutledge2003
LloydMarkldquoRadioandLocalismWhatWhenWrongrdquoinContext(publishedbytheCenterforCommunicationsandCommunityUCLA)IssueNo4(WinterSpring2006)
MacintyreBenldquoWelcometotheNewTomPainesrdquoTimesOnlineNovember132004httpwwwtimesonlinecouktolcommentarticle390484ece
MaherVincentTowards a Critical Media Studies Approach to the BlogosphereNewMediaLabPublicationSchoolofJournalismandMediaStudiesRhodesUniversitySouthAfrica2006
MetroCommunity Media Project Evaluation Report PortlandORMetroJuly2004
MostStephenldquoBAVCandTheBigPicturerdquoinA Closer Look Media Arts 2002EditedbyHelenDeMichielSanFranciscoNationalAllianceforMediaArtsandCulture2002
NewAmericaMedialdquoEthnicMediainAmericaTheGiantHiddeninPlainSightrdquoPollconductedbyBendixenampAssociates2005httpnewsnewamericamediaorgnewsview_articlehtmlarticle_id=0443821787ac0210cbecebe8b1f576a3
OlsonBillThe History of Public Access Television2000httpwwwgeocitiescomiconostarhistory-public-access-TVhtml200415
PewCenterforCivicJournalismldquoDoingCivicJournalismrdquo2007httpwwwpewcenterorgdoingcj
PierceSteveldquoDBSandthePublicInterestOpportunityinSatelliteTelevisionrdquoinPublic Broadcasting and the Public InterestEditedbyMichaelPMcCauleyEricEPetersonBLeeArtzandDeeDeeHalleckLondonMESharpe2003
PhilipsSusanldquoTrueCommunityTowardaCollaborativeEthosScribersquoslsquoTrueCommunityVisionrsquordquoinA Closer Look Media Arts 2002EditedbyHelenDeMichielSanFranciscoNationalAllianceforMediaArtsandCulture2002
PorterMichaelEldquoLocationCompetitionandEconomicDevelopmentLocalClustersinaGlobalEconomyrdquoEconomic Development Quarterly14no1(February2000)15-34
ProjectforExcellenceinJournalismldquoMajorTrendsrdquoinState of the News Media 2006 An Annual Report on American Journalismhttpwwwstateofthenewsmediaorg2006nar-rative_overview_eightaspcat=2ampmedia=1
PrometheusRadioProjectldquoOurFifthBarnraisingmdashWCIW-LPinImmokaleeFloridardquohttpprometheusradioorgcontentview48952006
RennieEllieCommunity Media A Global IntroductionLanhamMDRowmanandLittlefieldPublishers2006
RodriguezClemenciaFissures in the Mediascape An International Study of Citizenrsquos MediaCresskillNJHamptonPress2001
SchafferJanldquoCitizensMediaHasItReachedaTippingPointrdquoinldquoCitizenJournalismrdquoissueofNieman Reports CambridgeMATheNiemanFoundationforJournalismatHarvardUniversityVol59No4Winter2005aeMprintNewsbookhttpwwwniemanharvardedureports05-4NRwinterNR05W_Citizen_Journalismpdf
SchafferJanInterviewonThe NewsHour With Jim Lehrer PBSEveningNewsNovember162005b
SchulerDouglasldquoTheRiseofCommunityNetworksrdquoInternet WorldDecember1995
SchulerDougandPeterDayShaping the Network Society The New Role of Civil Society in CyberspaceCambridgeandLondonMITPress2004
ShirkyClayPower Laws Weblogs and Inequality EconomicsampCultureMediaampCommunityBlog2005OpenSourcehttpshirkycomwritingspowerlaw_webloghtml
ShirkyClaySocial Software and the Politics of GroupsEconomicsampCultureMediaampCommunityBlog2005OpenSourcehttpshirkycomwritingsgroup_politicshtml
Somerset-WardRichardBroadband Community Networks Building the Digital CommonsAreportfortheHaasCharitableTrustsPhiladelphia2005
Somerset-WardRichardConnecting Communities WashingtonDCBentonFoundation2000
Spannerworkse-bookWhat is Social MediaJanuary2007httpwwwspannerworkscomebooks
StarrJeroldMldquoPublicTelevisionintheDigitalAgeTownHallorCyberMallrdquoinPublic Broadcasting and the Public InterestEditedbyMichaelPMcCauleyEricEPetersonBLeeArtzandDeeDeeHalleckLondonMESharpe2003
SteinLauraldquoPublicAccessTelevisionandGrassrootsCommunicationintheUnitedStatesrdquoChapter20inRadical Media Rebellious Communication and Social MovmentsEditedbyJohnDowningThousandOaksCASagePublications2001
SussmanGeraldandJREstesldquoCommunityRadioinCommunityDevelopmentPortlandrsquosKBOORadiordquoinThe Portland Edge Challenges and Successes in Growing CommunitiesEditedbyConniePOzawaPortlandStateUniversityIslandPress2004
WhitneyJenniferldquoMakeMediaMakeRealTroubleWhatrsquosWrong(andRight)withIndymediardquoLiPMagazineJune212005httpwwwlipmagazine
orgarticlesfeatwhitney_indymedia_phtml
Whatrsquos GoinG on in Community media
ByFredJohnsonUniversityofMassachusettsBoston withKarenMenichelliBentonFoundation
Contents
Acknowledgmentsii
Introduction1WhatAreCommunityMedia3DefiningCharacteristics3TypesofMedia4EngagingCommunityWhatrsquosWorking 12Strategies 12CommunitySpotlight 14EnvisioningtheFutureEmergingPractices 19NewCommunicationSpacesCyberjournalism 19NewOrganizationalSpacesNetworkedClusters 21Conclusions25Challenges25ModelsfortheFuture27ThePromise28
AppendicesCommunityMediaEmpowermentStrategies29AggregatorsandAssociations30CommunityMediaPractitioners 31Bibliography32
ii
TheBentonFoundationwouldliketothanktheRobertWoodJohnsonFoundationforsupportoftheroundtablediscussionsthatinformedthisreportandforitsten-yearsupportofSound Partners for Community Healthwhichinspiredthisreport
ThisreportbenefitedsignificantlyfromthethoughtfulreviewsonearlierdraftsprovidedbyThomClarkpresidentofCommunityMediaWorkshopHelenDeMichielco-directoroftheNationalAllianceforMediaArtsandCultureAnthonyRiddleexecutivedirectoroftheAllianceforCommunityMediaandRichardSomerset-WardformerBentonseniorfellowandfrequentwriterondigitalandbroadbanddevelopmentsWearealsogratefultoroundtablediscussionparticipantsinBostonChicagoMinneapolis-StPaulandPortlandOregonfortheirvaluableinsights
Acknowledgments
TheBentonFoundationworkstoarticulateapublicinterestvision
forthedigitalageanddemonstratethevalueofcommunicationsfor
solvingsocialproblems
BentonFoundation
1625KStreetNW11thfloor
WashingtonDC20006
(202)638-5770
wwwbentonorg
copy2007BentonFoundation
AfreePDFversionofthispublicationisavailableonlinefor
downloadatwwwbentonorg
BoardofDirectorsCharlesBentonElizabethDaleyAdrianne
BentonFurnissTerryGoddardLeeLynchHenryRiveraMichael
SmithWoodwardWickham
TrusteesCharlesBentonAdrianneBentonFurnissLeonard
Schrager
ResearchassistanceDanielMartinProjectManagerUniversityofMassachusettsBostonVISTACTCVISTAProjectJasonPramasGraduateResearcherUniversityofMassachusettsBostonJohnWMcCormackGraduatePolicyStudiesTacticalMediaProjectCommunityMediaandTechnologyProgramUniversityofMassachusettsBostonCollegeofPublicandCommunityServiceMediaWorkingGroupandRobMcCauslandDirectorofInformationampOrganizingServicesAllianceforCommunityMedia
EditingJudithWoodburnDesignGalePetersen
ThemediarevolutionpromisedforthepastfortyyearshasarrivedndashagainTheUnitedStatesisnowexperi-encingthethirdmajortechnicalandeconomicshift
initsmediaenvironmentsincethemid-1970sFourdecadesagothedominanceofahandfuloftelevisionbroadcastnetworkswasshatteredbytheemergenceofsatellite-linkedcabletelevisionInthe1990stheInternetsenttextanddataflowingaroundtheworldNowadecadelaterphotosaudioandvideoarebecomingaseasilytransmit-tedastextTheeraofpersonalelectroniccommunicationandbroadbandnetworksisathandandeveryaspectofourmediacultureisundergoingchange
Asmightbeexpectedthesetechnologicalshiftsarepromptingeconomicandpoliticalshiftsandwiththemfundamentalshiftsinthenatureofaudiencesandprogram-mingitselfGovernmentderegulationandincreasedconcentrationofownershiphavecreatedapowerfuleconomicincentivetoignorelocalprogrammingneedsAtthesametimelargeheterogeneousaudiencesarebecom-ingathingofthepastincreasinglymediaaremarketingtosegmentedaudiencesdistinguishedbyideologyclassethnicityorraceTheseaudiencesrarelycomeintocontactwithoneanotherorwithdisagreeableopinionsInsuchafragmentedmediaworldisthereanelectronicplacewherepeoplecanconveneascitizensCanthenewmediacreateapublicsquarewherepeoplecanbeheardndashandheareachother
TheanswerisyesCommunitiesacrossthecountryaretakingcontrolofmediaadaptingnewtechnologiestothesocialeconomiceducationalculturalandinforma-tionneedsoftheirresidentsInConnecting Communitiesa2000reportbyseniorfellowRichardSomerset-WardtheBentonFoundationdocumentedcommunity-mediaalli-ancesthataredeliveringpublicserviceseffectivelyThereportenvisionedadigitalbroadbandinteractivemulti-mediacommunityplatformthatwouldtaketheseservicestonewlevelsThatvisioniscomingtopass
Thisreportshinesaspotlightonmediathatgobeyondthestandardnotionsofmediainthepublicinteresttoembracepracticesthatincreasecitizenpar-ticipationinmediaproductiongovernanceandpolicyThereportsummarizesthefindingsofanationwidescanofeffectiveandemergingcommunitymediapracticesconductedbytheBentonFoundationincollaborationwiththeCommunityMediaandTechnologyProgramoftheUniversityofMassachusettsBostonThescanincludedananalysisoftrendsandemergingpracticescomparativeresearchanonlinesurveyofcommunitymediapractitio-nersone-on-oneinterviewswithpractitionersfundersandpolicymakersandtheinformationgleanedfromaseriesofroundtablediscussionswithcommunitymediapractitionersinBostonChicagoMinneapolisStPaulandPortlandOregon
ThroughoutthiseffortBentonsoughtinputonkeyaspectsofcommunitymediapracticewiththegoalofunderstandinghowcommunitymediacanbesustainedstrengthenedandexpandedThescanresearchfocusedonfourkeyareasofinquirybullWhataretheuniquecharacteristicsthatdistinguish
communitymediabullWhatmakesmedia-communitycollaborationssuccessfulbullWhattypesofcommunitymediaorganizationsbestlever-
agenewtechnologiesbullHowmightcommunitymediaengageunderservedpopula-
tionsinprogrammingtailoredtotheirneedsThescangrewoutoftheBentonFoundationrsquos
experiencewithSoundPartnersforCommunityHealtharegrantingprogramsupportedbytheRobertWoodJohnsonFoundationFortenyearsSoundPartnersnurturedcol-laborationsbetweencommunityhealthagenciesandlocalpublicbroadcasterstoimprovelocalhealthcarepracticesanddecision-makingThesuccessofSoundPartnersdem-
introduction
Insuchafragmentedmedia
worldisthereanelectronic
placewherepeoplecanconvene
ascitizensCanthenewmedia
createapublicsquarewhere
peoplecanbeheardndashandhear
eachother
onstratedthepowerofcommunitymediaandinspiredthefoundationtotakeadeeperlookatcollaborationopportuni-tiesandthepotentialformediawhosemissionistoserveandtransformthecommunitieswithinwhichtheyoperateThegoalofthescanistoprovideinspirationanddirectionnotonlyforcommunitiesnationwidebutalsotoinformthenextphaseofSoundPartnersThisphasecalledNewRoutestoCommunityHealthisanchoredinlocalpartner-shipsandpoisedtoincreasethehealthofnewimmigrantsandrefugeesbyinvolvingabroadrangeoflocalmediaandcivicinstitutionsintacklingthiscommunityrsquoscomplexproblemsandgivingvoicetoitsvulnerablenewresidents
Acrossthecountrycommunitiesarepartneringwithpublicbroadcastersprovidingcommunityradioandestab-lishinglow-powerradiostationsorganizingoncableaccesschannelsjoiningcommunitybroadbandnetworksandproducingforsatellite-deliveredpublicinterestchannelsInthisreportweexplorethelessonslearnedfromtheseimportantmdashbutoftenisolatedmdashexperimentsincom-munity-drivenmediaWehopethisreportwillhelpconnectpresentandfutureinnovatorswithoneanotherandwithresourcesthatcangetthemstartedandorsustainthem
Simplyputcommunitymediaaremediacreatedtoallowindividualstotellthestoriesandhavetheconversationsnecessaryfortheirownself-directed
developmentascitizens(Howley2005Jankowski2003Rennie2006)ThefacesandvoicesinthesestoriesandconversationsmaynotbeseenorheardanywhereelseChicagoroundtableparticipantsdescribedthisexperi-encewiththepowerfulphraseldquofirstvoicerdquoOftenitisthefirsttimeindividualshavespokenpubliclyorsharedtheirstories
defining chArActeristicsFourcharacteristicsarecommontothecommunitymediadescribedinthisreportthoughnooneorganizationcanfulfillalltheseidealsallofthetime
LocalismCommunitymediaarecreatedprimarilywithandbyresidentsofaspecificgeographicplaceTheyexplorelocalissuesTheyhelpdefinetheplaceswhereweliveandhowwerelatetooneanotherTheyreflectlocalvaluesandcul-tureBydefinitionasoneroundtableparticipantinBostonnotedcommunitymedialdquocanrsquotbeoutsourcedrdquo
Inthecurrentregulatoryandcommercialenviron-mentofmostmediaplatformstheimportanceofthiskeycharacteristiccanrsquotbeoverstatedLocalradioprogram-mingisoftenpipedinfromothercommunitiesandgivenanautomatedwrapperthatsimulateslocalismLocalbroadcasttelevisionhasbeengivenalmostcompleteregulatoryrelieffromitsminimalobligationstoservetheneedsoflocalcommunitiesSimilarlythecableandtele-phoneindustriesarepressingintheregulatoryarenatoberelievedoflocalcommunityserviceobligationsclaimingtheInternethassoempoweredlocalcitizensthatitisnolongernecessarytorequireothermediatosupportciviclife(Atthesametimetheseindustriesareseekinglegisla-tiontobarcommunitiesfromowningandbuildingtheirownwirelessandbroadbandInternetconnections)
FacedwiththesechangescommunitiesarelefttowonderhowtheycandiscovercreativewaysofpluggingintotheemergingmediaandknowledgeculturesItisnowwidelyrecognizedthattheinabilitytogainaccesstoinformationnetworksandglobalflowsofmediaarecriticalfactorsincreatingsocialinequality(Castells2005Lash2002)Failuretoaddresstheseconcernsinanetworked
societyplacesgeographiccommunitiesatriskofbecom-ingldquodumbterminalsrdquoratherthancreativeeconomicandculturalactorsinthenetworksnowemergingThequestionofldquowherearecommunitymediardquoiscriticalhereItcanbeansweredintwowaysasageographicplacendashaneigh-borhoodtowncitycountyorregionndashandasanonlinevirtualcommunityndashasocialnetworkofcommonintereststhatisnotparticularlyassociatedwithageographicplaceFailuretokeepthisdistinctionintheforewhenconsider-ingcommunitymediaputsgeographiccommunitiesatriskofbeingdisconnectedandmarginalizedlsquooffthenetworkrsquo
Withoutthepresenceoflocalinstitutionscommit-tedtosupportingcommunitiesintheireffortstograpplewithaglobalmediacultureandcreatedigitalinclusionitisunlikelythatthedemocraticpotentialofnetworkcommunicationscanberealizedThisreportfocusesonmediathatservelocalgeographicplacesplaceswhereadiversityofpeopleliveandareinevitablyassociatedwitheachothergroundedinunavoidablerichandcomplexsocialrelationshipsthatarefarfromtransparentsimpleormeresimulationsofintimacyinavirtualcommunica-tionsnetwork
Diverse ParticipationCommunitymediaaremission-driveninservicetothebroadercommunityTheyinsistontheinclusionofdiversevoiceswithinthecommunityandtheirproductionanddistributionprocessesemphasizecommunityparticipationTheyseekrepresentationoftherangeofdemographicsofitscitizensndashsocialeconomicethnicculturalpoliticalagendashintheirprogrammingAndthatprogrammingisnotmerelyaboutthecommunityitiscreatedincollaborationwiththecommunityCommunitymediainstitutionsseethemselvesasaccountableandaccessibletothepeopletheyserveandtheyembracetheiraudiencesascitizensinademocracywhoareentitledbothtoFirstAmendmentfreedomsandtocontrolovercontentTheirdemocraticprinciplesareoftenreflectedinparticipatorymanagementandgovernancestructures
Storytelling and DeliberationAsbothprocessandcontentstorytellingiscentraltocom-munitymediaandcanjump-startadeliberativeprocessamongcommunitymembersItcombatsalienationandiso-lationbyallowingaudiencememberstoexpresstheirstory
WhAt Are community mediA
aswellasliveinsomeoneelsersquosshoesItallowspartici-pantsandviewerstoderivebroadermeaningfrompersonalexperienceandprovidesin-depthcoverageofissuesonanintimatelevel
ThestorytellingishumanfromtheheartandnotnecessarilyobjectiveItiscreativeandenablesboldrawrelevantanddiversecontentcriticalforcivicdiscussionAtitsbestitisnotmerelyldquopersonalrdquomediabutoftenstorytellinginservicetolargercivicconcerns
ToframethecommunityrsquosstoriesandexperienceforcivicdiscoursecommunitymediaofteninitiatepublicconversationanddeliberationonimportantandcomplextopicsInthiswaycommunitymediaorganizationsareassumingtheroleofconvenersandauthenticatorsofinfor-mationsharinganddialoguerolesincreasinglybeinglostlocallyinderegulatedcommercialmedia
EmpowermentOnegoalofcommunitymediaistochallengenotionscon-veyedinmainstreammediaAccomplishingthisrequiresputtingcommunicationtoolsinthehandsofindividualssharingaccesswithnonprofessionalsandsupportingself-expressionandcommunitybuildingCommunitymediainstitutionsengageinempowermentindifferentwaysManyoffertrainingprogramstobuildthecapacityofcom-munitymemberstousemediatechnologiesothersassistcommunitiesingrapplingwithamedia-saturatedculturethroughmedialiteracytrainingyetothersemphasizeeco-nomicandworkforcedevelopmentthroughskillstrainingandcontentproductionByenablingcitizenstomakeandunderstandmediacommunitymediabecomeatoolforper-sonalcommunityandethnicexpressionanddevelopmentTheymayeveninspireaudiencestotakeactionleadingtopoliticaltransformationTheyreachthoseoutsidethemainstreamandprovideavoiceforthevoicelessThisdynamicmakestheprocessofcreationasimportantastheproduct(SeeAppendix1)
types of mediAWheredocommunitymediafitinthebroadermedialand-scapeThelanguageweusetotalkaboutmediaculture
andprogramminghasevolvedtokeeppacewithchangingmediaformstechnologyandpracticesIncreasinglythetermpublic mediaisusedtodistinguishmediathataresupportedbythepublicandthatallowthepublictoengageinciviclifeandhaveavoiceintheirdevelopmentWithinthisbroadunderstandingofpublicmediaseveraltermsdescribemediapracticesthatfacilitatepeoplersquosparticipa-tionascitizensCommunity mediaasdefinedabovefitseasilywithinthiscategoryAlsofallingundertheumbrellaofpublicmediaaretermslikealternative media inde-pendent media participatory media citizen mediaanddevelopment mediatheseareoverlappingpracticesthatemphasizevaryingprioritiesbutallmayalsoqualifyascommunitymedia
Forthepurposesofthisreportitisusefultospe-cificallydistinguishcommunitymediafromlocalmediaHerewehavefocusedoncommunitymediathatarelocalgeographicallybutwehavealsodefinedcommunitymediaasmediathatemphasizeinclusivenessandhaveauniquesetofparticipatorypractices
Itisalsousefultonotethatthetermscitizen mediaandcitizenrsquos mediahavetakenontwodifferentandimpor-tantmeaningsinrecentyearsNeithertermreferstomediathatareexclusivelylocalThepossessiveformcitizenrsquos media isatermusedbyscholarClemenciaRodriguezandotherstorefertotheuseofmediathatallowpeopletoacteffectivelyascitizensacrossthespectrumofdailylife(Rodriguez2001)Theothertermcitizen mediaisnowbeingusedwithintheworldofonlinecollaborativemediatorefertodecentralizedpracticesinvolvingvideoandaudiobloggingsocialsoftwareapplicationsandothercollab-orativemediatoolsPractitionersofonlinecollaborativemediahaveadoptedthelanguageandpracticesofpartici-patorymediaThecurrentvisibilityoftheblogospherehascontributedtothemisconceptionthatcitizenmediaandcommunitymediahavejustemergedwiththeInternetandthatparticipatorymediaareafunctionoftechnologyratherthanofpeopleactingascitizensThisconfusionfailstorecognizesixtyyearsofgrassrootsmediaexperience
Storytellingiscentraltocommunitymediaandcanjump-startadeliberativeprocessamongcommunitymembers
Byenablingcitizenstomakeandunderstandmediacommunitymediabecomeatoolforpersonalcommunityandethnicexpressionanddevelopment
CommunitymediaarenotlimitedtoanyparticularvenuesortechnologiesTheyreflectalonghistoryofadaptingnewmediatechnologiesastheyemergeEarlyexperimentsincommunityradiobeganinthe1940sand1950sAbroadermovementfollowedinthe1960swiththeuseofsmall-for-matvideofilmsoundrecordingandtheexpandedFMradiospectrumItcontinuedthroughthe1970sand1980swiththediversificationoftelevisiondistributionnetworksandlocalpubliceducationalandgovernmentchannelsoncableTodaycommunitymediaareavitalfeatureoftheelectronicmediaenvironmentFollowingarebriefdescrip-tionsandhistoricaloverviewsofdifferentplatformswhichprovidecontextforthecommunitymediaprofilescontainedinthisreport
Community RadioGroundedinearliereffortstopreservespectrumspaceforeducationalusescommunityradiofirstappearedinSanFranciscointhe1940swiththecreationofthePacificaFoundationrsquosKPFAradiostationThestationpioneeredanapproachtoradiothatcombinedresponsivenesstolisten-ersthroughsubscriptionfundingandcommunityservicewiththecreationofanopenforumforculturaljournal-isticandsocialexpressionSincethencommunityradioinitiativeshavebeendevelopedinmorethan225communi-tiesintheUnitedStatesandincountlesscommunitiesaroundtheworld
In1975communityradiotookonanationalinsti-tutionalexpressionwiththeformationofthe National Federation of Community Broadcasters(NFCB)anorganizationdedicatedtopromotingcommunityradiodevelopmentintheUnitedStatesThefederationadvo-catedcommunitycontrolnoncommercialownershipandvoluntaryparticipationintheoperationandprogrammingofcommunityradiostationsespeciallybypopulationsandgroupsthathistoricallyhadbeendeniedexpressionintheUnitedStatesNFCBprovidedtraininganddevelopmentsupporttoitsmemberstationsandundertookFederalCommunicationsCommission(FCC)advocacyontheirbehalfWithinadecadeNFCBhadseventymembersta-tionsand120associatemembersnationwide(Engelman1996)
Ascommunityradiohasevolvedindifferentcom-munitiesinterpretationsofitsmissionhaveexpandedtoincludestationsdedicatedtominoritycommunitiesandownershipforeignlanguagestationsdedicatedtospecificlanguagecommunitiesinalocaleandvaryingcommit-mentstocommunityinvolvementvolunteerproductionandfundingstrategiesWiththisdiversificationhascome
ideologicaldebateovercreepingcommercializationandprofessionalizationofthefieldHoweverdespitedisagree-mentsoverphilosophyandpracticescommunityradiostationsremainvitalpartsoftheircommunitiessupport-ingcivicparticipationandeducationcommunitybuildingandcommunitiesrsquosenseofthemselvesasuniqueplaces
RadiostationKFAIinMinneapolis-StPaulisonesuchstationAvolunteer-basedcommunityradiostationthatbroadcastsinformationartsandentertain-mentprogrammingitoffersaneclecticmixofprogramsincludingmusiclocalnewspoetryspokenwordpoliticalforumsandinterviewsKFAIemphasizesempowermentthroughtrainingItprovidesboardcertificationtrainingandworkshopsonannouncinginterviewingandprogramdevelopmenttovolunteersCoursesaretaughtinEnglishbutbilingualvolunteershaveaccesstoanyoftheon-airprogrammersforassistanceintheirownlanguage
Low-Power FMCommunityradioreachedanotherstagewiththedevel-opmentoflow-powerFMradioorLPFMTheLPFMmovementwasapoliticalresponsetoincreasingconsoli-dationoflocalradioownershipafterthepassageofthe1996CommunicationsActandasenseamongthoseinthegrassrootsradiomovementthatcommunityradiowasfallingpreytopressurefromtheCorporationforPublicBroadcasting(CPB)tobecomemoreaudience-drivenhomogenizedinprogrammingandprofessionalizedthuslessinterestedincommunityparticipation(Cano2003)Tocounterthesetrendsmediaactivistsbegansettingupmicro-powerradiostationsincommunitiesusinglow-powerbroadcasttransmitterswithanapproximateservicerangeofthree-and-a-halfmilesanareaoftenassmallasasingleneighborhood
In1998thegrowthofLPFMspurredthecreationofthePrometheus Radio Projectfoundedbyactiviststoassistcommunitygroupsinacquiringlow-powerFMradio
Communityradiostationsremainvitalpartsoftheircommunitiessupportingcivicparticipationandeducationcommunitybuildingandcommunitiesrsquosenseofthem-selvesasuniqueplaces
TheURLsoforganizationssetinboldfaceareprovidedinApendices2(aggregatorsassociations)and3(practitioners)
broadcastlicensesfromtheFCCandingettingtheirsta-tionsupandrunningoncetheywerelicensedAsaresultofthisactivismtheFCCofficiallyacknowledgedlow-powerFMinUSbroadcastingpolicyin2000LPFMstationsarenowlicensedfornoncommercialeducationalbroadcastingonlyandaconstructionpermitisrequiredbeforeaLPFMstationcanbebuiltoroperatedThelowcostoflow-powerradiohasallowedmanyorganizationswithstrongcommit-mentstocommunitycontrolnoncommercialgrassrootsfundingandparticipatoryproductionandmanagementprocessestoenterthecommunityradiomovement
WCIW-LPisalow-powerFMstationinImmokaleeFloridaoperatedbythe2500-memberCoalitionofImmokaleeWorkersItishardtoimagineabetterexampleofcommunityempowermentingrassrootsLPFMthanWCIW-LPItfocusesonacommunitythatisbothacommunityofworkersandageographiccommunitythestationandtransmitterarelocatedinthesamelotwherethecoalitionrsquosmembersboardbusesboundforthetomatofieldsofFloridaLaunchedin2003withthehelpofthePrometheusRadioProjectWCIW-LPproducesnewsedu-cationalprogramsandmusicinSpanishHaitianCreoleandindigenouslanguagesofMexicoandGuatemalaThestationisaprimaryorganizingtoolforthecommunityinitsdefenseoftherightsofLatinoHaitianandMayanIndianmigrantandimmigrantfarmworkers
Public BroadcastingUnlikemanylocationsinEuropeandCanadatheUnitedStateshasnotdevelopedastrongcommunity-focusedbroadcastingsectorseparatefrompublicbroadcastingPublicbroadcastingintheUnitedStatesislargelysynony-mouswiththePublic Broadcasting ServiceandNational Public RadioinstitutionsthatcameintoexistencewiththepassageofthePublicBroadcastingActof1967Theactestablishedafederalsystemoftelevisionandradioheavilydependentonfederalandcorporatefunding
Thoughembattledfromitsinceptionandsaddledwithacumbersomedecentralizedstructurepublicbroad-castinghasmanagedtosurviveandfindanimportantroleinAmericanmediaNeithergovernmentalnorcommercialinitsorientationyetheavilydependentoneachitprovidesvaluablenoncommercialprogramming(Aufderheide2000b)PublicradioandtelevisionhavealsoledthewayintheUnitedStatesintheinnovativeuseofdigitalandsatellitetechnologyThePBSwebsiteisconsideredtobethemostfrequentlyvisitednonprofitsiteontheInternet(Starr2003)
YetpublictelevisionandradiofallshortofthevisiondescribedinitsfoundingdocumentsTheywere
envisionedasldquohellipaforumfordebateandcontroversyrdquoaspaceforexpressionldquohellipforgroupsinthecommunitythatmayotherwisebeunheardrdquo(CarnegieCommissiononEducationalTelevision1967)AsJeffChestermediacriticandreformadvocatewritesldquoWhilepublicradioatitsbestcomesmuchclosertothisidealpublictelevisionappearstohavebecomeavictimofitsownsuccessndashfullofartistryandprofessionalismtobesurebutrarelythesourceofthelocalismdiversityandrisktakingthatitsfoundersenvisionedrdquo(Chester2006)Stillitisarguablethatpublicbroadcastingwouldnothavesurvivedtothepresenthaditinsistedonlivinguptotheparticipatoryvisionsofitsfounders
ThePublicBroadcastingServiceNationalPublicRadioandtheirmemberstationscannotuniformlybechar-acterizedascommunitymediaTheirprogrammingandmanagementstructureshavereflectedthetop-downnatureoftheirfundingandtheyhavetendedovertheyearstoemphasisprofessionalismandstationmanagementpreroga-tivesoveracommitmenttodiverselocalparticipationandcommunitybuilding(Engelman1996)
Publicbroadcastingholdsmanyexamplesofexem-plarycommunityprogrammingbutfewerexamplesofrobustprogramschedulingwithcommunity-orientedcom-munity-drivenandcommunity-createdprogrammingForinstance ldquoBasic Blackrdquo from WGBH in BostonwhichhaschronicledtheconcernedandcultureofAfrican-Americanssince1968andthemulticulturalweeklytalkshowsthatareastapleofWYBE inPhiladelphiaarenoteworthyforhavingcreateduniquelocalmediaspacesthatdofunc-tionascommunitymediaInthe1990sthenationalldquoNittyGrittyCityGrouprdquoattemptedtomovepublicbroadcastingbeyondprogramexcellencetobeinganagentforsocialchangeandameansforcitizenempowerment(Larson1993)ItworkedwithgrassrootsgroupstobringattentionandaccesstothecitizensoftheircommunitiesWhilethegroupnolongerexistsitspassionforcommunityengage-mentisstillaliveinstationpersonnelaroundthecountry
ItcanbeseeninmanyoftheSound Partners for Community HealthexperimentsincollaborationsbetweenpublicbroadcastersandcommunityhealthorganizationsNewhopefulexperimentsareunderwayfromCPBanditscommunityengagementinitiativewiththeHarwoodInstituteBroaderstationsuccessesinengagingcommu-nitymembersarechronicledinRichardSomerset-WardrsquosConnecting Communities(2000)andhismorerecentBroadband Community Networks(2005)ForexamplethereistremendouspotentialattheintersectionofpublicbroadcastingandonlinecollaborativemediaWHYYhasextendeditson-airradioandtelevisionprogramming
throughaphysicalandvirtualldquocivicspacerdquoinPhiladelphiaand ideastreamthemergeroftwopublicbroadcast-ersinClevelandoffersitsmultimediadigitalfacilitiesandexpertisetoClevelandrsquoscommunityinstitutionsandcitizensRadioprojectslikethePublic Radio Exchange andMinnesota Public Radiorsquos Public Insight Journalismareprovidinginterestingglimpsesofthepotentialofcol-laborativemediaforpublicradioEachexamplesuggeststhatpublicbroadcastinghasgreatpotentialandtechnicalcapacitytomovebeyondsimplenotionsofldquolocalismrdquotoamorerobuststanceofcivicengagementandparticipation
Cable AccessPublicaccesstelevisionorPublicEducationalandGovernment(PEG)accesstelevisionreferstoacollectionofentitiesthatprovidelocalcontentoverdedicatedchan-nelsoncabletelevisionsystemsintheUnitedStatesPEGaccessisrootedintheactivismofthe1960sand1970satimewhenpublicaccessadvocatesenjoyedamutuallysup-portiverelationshipwithanemergingcableindustryeagertodemonstrateitspotentialtodiversifytelevision
In1969theFederalCommunicationsCommissionsawthepotentialofcabletelevisiontoopenuptelevisiontomorelocalprogrammingandbeganrequiringlargercablesystemstodeveloplocalprogrammingexperimentsTheFCCrsquosfirstcomprehensiverulingonthecableindustryin1972includedrequirementsthatcablesystemsinthe100largesttelevisionmarketsdedicateatleastthreechannelsforpubliceducationandgovernmentaccessTherulingsetoffaroundofoptimisticcommunitymediaexperimentsnationwideButthisinformalpartnershipbetweencom-munitymediaadvocatesandthecableindustrycametoanabrupthaltin1979whentheSupremeCourtruledthattheFCChadexceededitsregulatoryauthorityinmandatingthatchannelsbededicatedtoPEGaccessTherulingdidnotpreventCongressandlocalgovernmentsfromrequiringnegotiatedaccesschannelshoweverandby1979accessadvocatesweresufficientlyorganizedtomakePEGastan-dardofferingofcabletelevision
BythistimethecableindustryhadenteredwhatarereferredtoasldquothegoldrushyearsrdquoThesuccessofHBOrsquossatellite-deliveredcableprogrammingservicedemon-stratedthataudienceswithgoodfreebroadcastreceptionwouldpaytoreceiveuninterruptedmoviesandsportsCablecompaniesvigorouslycompetedforfranchisesinthecountryrsquosmostpopulousareasIfalocalcommunityrsquosfranchiseauthorityexpressedadesireforPEGaccesschannelsinitsrequestforproposalsoftenthecablecompanieswouldrespondfavorablyInadditiontochannel
set-asidesarequirementthatoperatorsprovidefundingforequipmentandpublicinterestchanneloperationsbecameuniversalThoughmanyPEGaccesscentershavediversi-fiedtheirfundingsourcesthebulkoffundingforPEGaccesschanneloperationsandprogrammingcomesfromcongressionallyandmunicipallymandatedfeesinreturnfortheuseofpublicrights-of-way
Intheirearlyyearsthemorethan2000accesschannelstheninoperationwereadministeredinvariouswaysAfewcablecompanieswereabletocompetentlyundertakecommunity-basedmanagementofthesechan-nelsbutgenerallythecableindustryhadlittleappetiteorcapacitytosuccessfullymanagetheselocalchannelsInsomecasesthefranchiseauthorityitselfmanagedthechannelsInothercasesitwasthelibrarytheuniversitycommunitycollegeorhighschoolHoweveritsoonbecameclearthatthelocalcommunityneededtomanagethisnewcommunicationcapacityseparatefromcablecompaniesandgovernmentifitspotentialtocreatecommunitymediawastoberealizedTheindependentnonprofitcorporationeventuallybecamethestandardmanagementmodelamongcommunitymediaadvocatesTodaymostsuccessfulaccesscentersaremanagedthroughnonprofitcommunitygroups(Olson2000)
BecausepublicaccesschannelscarryFirstAmendmentprotectionallowinganyoneinthecommu-nitytoplaceprogrammingonthechannelswithoutbeingsubjecttopriorrestraintsomeprogrammingonthesechannelscanseemexceedinglystrangetotheuninitiatedMuchoftheprogrammingonpublicchannelsismadebynonprofessionalsandreflectstheidiosyncraticinterestsofproducersInrecentyearshoweverpublicaccesscentershaveastutelyexpandedtheirmissionsbeyondindividu-allyfocusedprogrammingtoaddresstheneedsofwholecommunitiesthroughmorecomplexnotionsofempower-mentandcommunitybuildingThishasmeantdevelopingmoreprogramminginpartnershipwithassociationsandnonprofitscommunitygroupsagenciesandeducationalinstitutionsthathaveaclearrelationshiptothelifeoftheircommunities(Rennie2006)Significantnumbersofaccesscentershavealsomovedtoincorporateothermediabeyondvideoandtocarryoutalargerrangeofmediaeducationandmediaartsactivitiesbeyondcableprogramming
OverthecourseofcableaccessdevelopmenttheAlliance for Community Media(ACM)hasconsistentlyprovidedbothpoliticalandprofessionalleadershiptothefieldofcableaccessFormedastheNationalFederationofLocalCableProgrammersin1978ACMquicklygrewtooccupyapresenceinWashingtonDCpolicycircles
andhassteadfastlyprovidedavoicefortheinterestsofthe2000accesscenterintheUSCurrentlytheACMisleadingthefightalongwithcitiesinfightingthewaveofstatewidelsquovideofranchisingrsquolegislationthroughwhichthetelephonecompaniesandcablecompaniesareattemptingtogainnear-monopolycontroloflocaltelecommunicationsmarketswhichwouldeffectivelyendcableaccessinmanycommunities
Manhattan Neighborhood Network(MNN)whichprovidespublicaccesscableservicesinManhattanisoneofagrowingnumberofcableaccesscentersintheUnitedStatesthathaveembracedabroadermissionofmultime-diaeducationandtrainingBeyonditscablechannelstelevisionstudiosandelectronicfieldproductionandpost-productionfacilitiesMNNfunctionsasacommunitymeetingandartsspaceandoperatesagrantingprogramandasupportnetworktositesthroughoutManhattanInrecentyearsMNNhasprovidedarichselectionofitsvideotoInternetstreamingItalsofeaturesaYouth Channeloneofthefirsttelevisionchannelstofacilitatecreativityandsocialandpoliticalparticipationamongdisadvantagedlow-incomeandminorityyouthbyprovidingthemwithaccesstoadedicatedchannelmediaproductionresourcesandtraining
Media Arts OrganizationsMediaartsorganizationswereorganizedinNorthAmericainthe1960sand1970sinresponsetotheavailabilityofnewmoreaffordableandmoreportablemediatech-nologiessuchasfilmvideoandcomputersMediaartsorganizationssupportartthatmakesuseoffilmvideoaudiomultimediaandinteractivemediaIndividualcen-tersoftenfocusononeortwoelementsofthetotalmediaartsinfrastructureprovidingsomecombinationofaccesstomediatoolsproductionproductiontrainingdistribu-tionarchivingandexhibitionofmediaart
Overtheyearscentershaveengagedinanincred-iblerangeofartisticpracticesembracingavantgardeexperimentationinfilmandvideodocumentariesnar-rativeandstorytellingcomputerartandinstallationsusingallmediaThesepracticesintersectwithcommunitymediaintheiremphasisonparticipatoryprogrammingdevelopment
ThehistoryofmediaartsorganizationsiscloselyentwinedwiththetrendsandpoliticsofpublicfundinganddevelopingtechnologyintheUnitedStatesEarlycentersoftenreceivedfoundationfundingtoexperimentwithspecificemergingtechnologiesparticularlyvideoThisinitialphaseofdevelopmentwasgivensignificantsupport
bytheMacArthurFoundationanditsmediaartsprogramfollowedbythecreationoftheNationalEndowmentfortheArtswhichinturnbeganaprogramofconsistentsupportformediaartsorganizationsnationwideTheperiodwasmarkedbythelong-termsupportbyMacArthurFoundationrelativelystablegrowthandaheadyrangeofartisticprac-ticeandexperimentation
Inthepoliticallyconservativeclimateoftheearly1990sasfundersbecameincreasinglywaryofsupportingartthatmightprovecontroversialtheNationalEndowmentfortheArtsgraduallywithdrewmostfundingforthemediaartsBytheendofthedecadetheMacArthurFoundationoneofthemediaartsrsquomostconsistentfundersendeditsyearlysupportformediaartsorganizationsclosingtheeraandforcingaperiodofdevelopmentdiversificationandrestructuringformediaartsorganizations
ThefieldhasprovenextremelyresilientTodaythefieldofmediaartsismadeupofamorediverseandmaturearrayofnonprofitorganizationsandartspracticesAlthoughmediaartsorganizationsnowplacemoreempha-sisonearnedincomeanddiversefundingsourcestheycontinuetobevitalculturalcentersprovidingcommunitiesaccesstobothmediafacilitiesandafullrangeofmediaculturalexperiencesMediaartsorganizationslikeScribeinPhiladelphiaandAppalshopinWhitesburgKentuckyforexamplehavenavigatedthetechnologicalandfundingshiftsofthepastthreedecadeswithsurprisingcreativityandsavvy
TheScribe Video CenterinPhiladelphiawhichemergedin1982duringthemediaartsheydayperseveredthroughtheupsetsofthe1990stobecomeanextraordinaryexampleofwhatasocialassetamediaartscentercanbeforacommunityScribereachesouttocommunitiesincludingpeopleofcolorwomenseniorcitizensandteensthattraditionallyhavenothadaccesstovideotrainingorproductionfacilitiesandprovidesthemtoolsforstorytell-ingInadditiontoproductionandscriptwritingworkshopsScribeoffersartistsrsquoservicessuchasfiscalsponsorshipequipmentrentalandeditingfacilitiesOngoingprogramsincludeCommunityVisionsavideoproductionprogramforcommunityorganizationsStreetMoviesafreeoutdoorneighborhood-basedscreeningseriesandtheProducersrsquoForumscreeningandlectureseriesofvisitingartistsandmediaactivistsAdditionallyScribeproducestheDocumentaryHistoryProjectforYouthanannualproduc-tionworkshopformiddleandhighschoolstudents
AppalshopinWhitesburgKentuckyisoneoftheoldestmediaartsorganizationsintheUnitedStatesAsitswebsiteindicatesAppalshopwasfoundedin1969to
enablepeopletousemediatotelltheirownstoriesinordertoldquosolvetheirownproblemsrdquoIthasbecomeanationallyrecognizedmediacenterworkinginfilmvideoaudioandmusicrecordingsliteraturetheaterliveperformanceandradioallfocusedonAppalachiancultureItsworkdocumentstraditionalartsexploreshistoryandaddressessocialissuesthataffecttheAppalachianregiontodayAppalshopprovidesregionallyandnationallyfocusededu-cationandtrainingprogramsTwoofthemostnotablearetheAppalachianMediaInstituteayouthmediatraininginitiativeandCommunityMediaInstitutewhichworkswithgrassrootsgroupsandpublicinterestorganizationsfromtheregionandnationallytoaccomplishstrategiccom-municationplanningaroundsocialjusticeorganizing
TheNational Alliance for Media Arts and CulturehasconsistentlyprovidedthoughtfulleadershiptothemediaartsfieldthroughtechnicalassistanceprogramsandstrategicplanninginitiativesItsDeepFocusprojectin2004usedscenarioplanningtoenvisionthefutureofmediaarts(Blau2004)Asaresultofthiskindofworktheearlynetworkofmediaartsorganizationshasexpandedtoincludeover274mediaartsorganizationsThisrepre-sentsasignificantbroadeningofthefieldofmediaartsencompassingmanysmallermediaartsorganizationswithspecificartisticculturalorcommunityobjectivesThemediaartsfieldhasmostrecentlyseentheemergenceofmanyyouthmediaorganizationswiththecriticalmissionofcreatingmedialiteracysurvivalskillsforyoungpeopleastheynavigatethemediasaturatedsocialenvironmentofthetwenty-firstcentury
Ethnic MediaEthnicmediarepresentagrowingvitalsectorofAmericanelectronicmediathatintersectswithcommunitymediainanumberofimportantwaysHistoricallyethnicmediaout-letshavearisenontheperipheryofUSbroadcastingoftenwithoutnetworkaffiliationtoservepopulationsthatdonothaveaccesstomainstreammediaandpopularcultureThesehaveincludednewimmigrantgroupsnon-Englishlanguagegroupsthepoliticallyoppressedandpopulationsstrivingtomaintainculturaltraditionsandtiestotheirhomelandswhileadaptingtoanewsociety
ThatpatternhasrepeatedwaxedandwanedasdifferentpopulationshavecometotheUnitedStatesinthepastcenturyThekeyhistoricalintersectionbetweencommunitymediaandethnicmedialiesintheearlyyearsofcommunityradiofollowingWorldWarIIwhenawaveofBlackradiostationsandformatsfilledspacecreatedintheshiftingmedialandscapebytheintroductionoftelevision
ThisshiftbroughtawaveofBlackinvestmentandprogramexperimentationthatseriouslyinfluencedthekindsofcommunityradioprogrammingthatevolvedintheUnitedStatesToalargeextenttheimprovisationalradioformatscombiningmusicandpoliticaltalkcultureandcur-rentaffairswerefirstworkedoutinpost-warBlackradio(Barlow1988Lloyd2006)
Ethnicmediaencompassescommercialandnoncom-mercialmediahugemultinationalsandsmalllocallyownedoperationsEthnicandcommunitymediaoftenintersectgeographicallyEthnicgroupsoftenidentifywithaspecificplaceandusemediatoarticulateasenseofsolidarityinthoseplacesLikecommunitymediaethnicmediafrequentlyembodyparticipatoryapproachestopro-grammingandproductionandareoftenresponsestodeepdissatisfactionwiththeownershipstructuresandbiasesofthemainstreammedia
OneofthemostsignificantongoingsourcesforethnicmediahasbeentheCorporationforPublicBroadcastingthroughitsfundingofthefivemembersoftheNationalMinorityConsortiaNational Asian American Telecommunications Association National Black Programming Consortium Native American Public Telecommunications Pacific Islanders in Communications and Latino Public BroadcastingTheseethnicprogrammingnetworksandtheIndependent Television ServiceprovidemillionsofdollarseachyeartotheirnetworksofethnicandindependentprogrammakersforprogramstargetedtothePublicBroadcastingService
CurrentlyethnicmediaareundergoingexplosivegrowthacrosstheUnitedStatesconsistentwithdemo-graphicshiftsTherearesignificantincreasesintheproportionofnon-EnglishspeakersLatinosAsiansMiddleEasternersandPacificIslandersintheUSpopulationandcorrespondingincreasesinethnicmediaDuringthecommunitymediaroundtablesconductedforthisreportparticipantsrepeatedlyexpressedappreciationforthenumberofethnicmediaoutletsthatusedparticipatorystrategiesinsupportingtheimmigrationproteststhatoccurredthroughouttheUnitedStatesin2006
OneindicationofthegrowthandsophisticationofethnicmediaisNew America Media (NAM)thelargestnationalcollaborationofethnicnewsorganizationsintheUnitedStatesNAMldquoproducesandaggregateseditorialcontentfromandfortheethnicmediasectoranddevelopspioneeringmarketingservicesonbehalfofcorporationsfoundationsandnonprofitswhoaretargetingethnicmediaandethniccommunitiesrdquoNewAmericaMediaisanetworkedcommunitythatlinksthousandsofethnic
0
mediaorganizationsintheUnitedStatesItsrecentstudyldquoEthnicMediainAmericaTheGiantHiddeninPlainSightrdquosurveysHispanicAmericansAfricanAmericansAsianAmericansArabAmericansandNativeAmericans(NewAmericaMedia2005)NAMfoundthatmorethanaquarterofthenationrsquospopulationusesethnicmediainsomecapacity
NewonlinejournalismsitessuchastheTwin Cities Media AlliancersquosDaily PlanetprofiledinthisreportareemergingfromtherestructuringofthenewspaperindustryandtheuseofbloggingandsocialnetworkingsoftwareThe TC Daily Planetaggregatesincreasingnumbersofethnicimmigrantandnon-mainstreamjournalistsinMinneapolis-StPaulAnotherexamplementionedinthisreportRadio Arte (WRTE)maybetheonlybilingual(SpanishEnglish)youth-operatedurbancommunitystationinthecountryItoperateswithafocusonyouthinChicagorsquosPilsenLittleVillageneighborhoodsAninitiativeoftheMexicanFineArtsCenterMuseumthiseducationalradiostationhasayouthtrainingandproductiontrainingprogramandapowerfulwebpresenceinadditiontoitsurbanbroadcastfootprint
BothTC Daily PlanetandRadioArteunderscorethecommonalitiesbetweenethnicmediaandcommunitymediaInmanycircumstancesethnicmediaandcom-munitymediacanbevirtuallyindistinguishableThisconvergenceofvaluesgeographyandpoliticscouldeasilyserveasthefoundationforcollaborationandpartner-ingbetweencommunityandethnicmediainspecificcommunities
Civic JournalismBothcivicjournalismandpublicjournalismrefertoamovementwithinprofessionaljournalismthathonorsnewsorganizationsrsquoroleinconveningandfacilitatingpublicdeliberationanddebatesinwhichaudiencesaretreatedasactiveparticipantsratherthanpassiveconsumersThePew Center for Civic JournalismdefinescivicjournalismasldquobothaphilosophyandasetofvaluessupportedbysomeevolvingtechniquesAtitsheartisabeliefthatjournal-ismhasanobligationtopubliclifendashanobligationthatgoesbeyondjusttellingthenewsorunloadinglotsoffactsrdquo(PewCenter2007)Thisphilosophyemergesfromanunder-standingthatcitizensareincreasinglydisengagedinciviclifeandthatnewsorganizationscanreactivateanapatheticcitizenryNewsorganizationspracticingcivicjournal-ismaimtoestablishdeeperconversationswithbroadercross-sectionsoftheircommunitiesresultinginenhancedcredibilityimprovedcommunicationbetweenthemselves
andthecommunityandbettercoverageofissuesoflocalconcern
CommittedtosupportingjournalisticeffortstorevitalizecitizenshipwhileobjectivelyreportinghardtruthsthePewCenterestablishedtheBattenAwardforExcellenceinCivicJournalismin1995OneofthefirstawardswenttoThe Charlotte ObserverofCharlotteNorthCarolinaforanineteen-monthin-depthseriesoncrimeinnineneighborhoodsReportersspenttwoyearsincrime-riddenneighborhoodsencouragingresidentsinthoseneighborhoodstoreportontherootcausesofcrimeandtoparticipateinthesearchforsolutions
Community NetworkingWhilestillinitsearlytext-basedphasetheInternetwasbeingadoptedasacommunity-buildingtoolbyanumberofgeographicallybasedorganizationsManyoftheseearlycommunitynetworksevolvedfromldquofreenetsrdquoalliedthroughtheNational Public Telecomputing Network(NPTN)AtthattimeNPTNwasthefourthmostpopularpubliccom-puternetworkbehindCompuServeAmericaOnlineandProdigy(Schuler1995)
SomeoftheseearlycommunitynetworksweresimplyInternetdestinationswherecommunity-basedinformationwascollectedandpresentedOthersevolvedasadjunctstotheInternetconnectionsprovidedbylocalInternetserviceprovidersLikeothercommunitymediathepioneersofcommunitynetworkingweremotivatedtousethisnewcommunicationstechnologytostrengthentheircommunities
CommunitynetworkingwaschangedirrevocablywiththeadventoftheWorldWideWebandthesurgeindemandforInternetaccessTheWorldWideWebreplacedmostofthesoftwareapplicationsthatwerebeingusedatthattimetomakeinformationaccessibletopeoplethroughacommunitynetworkThisandthedemandsurgelow-eredthepriceofcommercialInternetaccesstothepointwheretherewaslittlemotivationtobecomeamemberofacommunitynetworkastheywerepracticedatthetimeAsaresultcommunitynetworkinghasbecomelessaboutInternetaccessandmoreabouttheculturalpracticeof
Newsorganizationspracticingcivicjournalismaimtoestablishdeeperconversationswithbroadercross-sectionsoftheircommunities
communitynetworkingwithafocusonsocialnetworkingsoftwaredevelopmentandutilizationCommunitynetwork-ershavealwaysenjoyedclosealignmentwithopensourcesoftwaredevelopersandnowareconcernedwithusingtheInternetintandemwithopensourcesocialnetworkingsoftwaretoaccomplishmanyofthegoalsofcommunitymedia(Schuler2004)
The Metropolitan Austin Interactive Network (MAIN)isanonprofitorganizationcommittedtoinfor-mationsharingandcommunicationamongpeopleandgovernmentaleducationalcommercialculturalreligiousandcivicorganizationsItoperatesacommunity-basedwebsitethatprovidesandaggregatesabroadarrayofinformationcriticaltoAustinresidentsfromemploymentinformationtoenvironmentalartsandculturalcontentMAINiscommittedtohelpingitscommunitymakeeffec-tiveuseoftheInternetandothernetworkcommunicationsstructuresbutdoesnotdirectlyprovidenetworkconnectiv-ityMAINprovidesfreewebhostingandwebdevelopmentassistancethroughabroaddigitalliteracyprogramthatincludestrainingingeneralcomputerandInternetusage
SatelliteWhilesatellitetelevisioncannotbeconsideredcommunitymediabecauseitisneitherlocalnorspecificallycom-munity-focuseditdeservesmentionherebecauseofitsexistingandpotentialcontributionstocommunitymediagoalsSatellitetelevisionisfocusedonnationalvideodistributionviacableanddirectbroadcastservicestohomesatellitedishesTofosterthepublicrsquosinterestindiverseprogrammingviasatellitetheFCCin1992imposedcertainpublicinterestobligationsonDirectBroadcastService(DBS)providersThecommissionruledthatDBSprovid-ersmustreservefourpercentoftheirchanneltranspondercapacityexclusivelyfornoncommercialprogrammingofaneducationalorinformationalnatureUnfortunatelytheFCCleftituptotheDBScompaniestodecidewhichprogram-merswouldbeselectedfromeligibleprogrammersManyfeelthepotentialofDBStoservethepublicinteresthasbeensignificantlycurtailedasaresult(Anderson2000)
Neverthelesssatellitehasbecomehometosomeprogrammersthatembodythevaluesandpracticesofcom-munitymediaNotablyDeepDishTVFreeSpeechTVLinkTVandasofApril2007StarfishTelevisionNetworkarealldistributedviasatelliteduetotheset-asiderulesadoptedbytheFCCEachoffersprogrammingthatembodiesvaluesofdiversityandempowermentwhiledemonstratingthenecessityofset-asidepoliciesfornoncommercialfrequency
andbandwidthatalllevelsofthemediainfrastructureifnoncommercialmediaistoflourishTheyconsistentlyrunprogramsproducedbycommunitymediaactivistsandindependentproducersandrepresentonepossiblewayforcommunitymediaorganizationstodevelopanationalprogrammingreachthatcouldfacilitateldquolocaltolocalrdquocommunicationswhiledevelopinganationalnetworkofprogressivecommunityprogramming
Deep Dish TVpioneeredtheuseofsatellitetoestablishacollaborativenetworkamongactivisttelevisionproducersandpublicaccesscablestationsin1986DrawingontheearlierexperimentsofthePublicInterestVideoNetworkDeepDishbegancreatingprograminstallmentsforsatellitedistributionVideoprogrammingselectedfromactivistandcommunitytapesaroundthecountrywerefedtosatellitetransponderswithanationalfootprintwheretheywerepickedupbyhundredsofcableaccessorganiza-tionsandcommunitymediacentersintheUnitedStates(Pierce2003)
DeepDishrsquos1991satellitebroadcastsoftheGulfCrisisTVProjectareconsideredbymanytobehistoricmomentsincommunitymediaandUScommunicationshistoryadirectinterventioninaninternationalcrisisbypublicaccesstelevisionandindependentmediaactivistsDeepDishTVassembledavideoanti-warteach-induringthefirstGulfWarandmadeitavailabletotheirnetworkviasatelliteThesuccessoftheGulfCrisisprojectexpandedDeepDishrsquosnetworktoincludeindependentpublictelevi-sionsitesanyonewithahomesatellitereceiverandothercommunitymediaandmediaartsorganizationsRalphEngelmanwritesthatDeepDishrsquosuseofsatelliteallowedcommunitymediaactiviststofulfilltwooftheircoreobjec-tivesldquograssrootsparticipationandthepresentationofdiversealternativeperspectivesrdquo(Engelman1996)
TheseearlysuccessesinnetworkingcommunitytelevisionviasatellitehavemorerecentlybeenextendedbyFree Speech TVandAmyGoodmanrsquosDemocracyNowprogrammingFreeSpeechTVextendedthetechnicalcapacitytonetworkwithcableaccessbyraisingfundstobuydirectsatellitereceiversforcableaccessfacilitiesinterestedincablecastingFreeSpeechTVprogram-mingThistechnicalnetworkthenbecameaprogressiveprogramnetworkcalledintoexistencealmostsingle-hand-edlybythehighlysought-afterprogressiveprogrammingofDemocracyNowInturnthepresenceofDemocracyNowprogrammingisconsistentlyservingtoincreasetheaudiencesandsupportforcableaccessincommunitiesthroughouttheUnitedStates
AttheirheartcommunitymediaareaboutmakingmediawithpeoplenotmerelyaboutorforpeopleIt
isasoneChicagoroundtableparticipantnotedlikeldquotheneighborhoodgoingouttodinnerrdquoButasanyonewhohaseverhostedalargedinnerpartyknowsthisisnotalwayseasilyaccomplishedInroundtablediscussionswithcommunitymediapractitionersthreestrategiesndashcollabo-ration across sectors and platforms training and outreach ndashemergedrepeatedlyaswaysofsuccessfullyengagingthebreadthanddiversityoftheircommunitiesInadditionafourthstrategyconnecting with immigrant populationsyieldedinsightsintosomeuniquechallengesandbenefits
strAtegies CollaborationMediainstitutionscanplaytheroleoffacilitatorsintheircommunitiesdemystifyingtheprocessofproductionpro-vidingpeoplewithaccesstotheresourcestheyneedandbuildingonthehistoryandgoalsofcivicjournalismThisrolerequiresmediainstitutionstorethinktraditionaljour-nalismandmayentailthere-balancingofeditorialpoliciesndashcommittingtodiversityembracingegalitarianvaluesandreassessingthevalueofeditorialneutralityInvitingcommunitymemberstohelpwithstoriesmakescover-agemorereflectiveofthecommunitymoreofatwo-wayconversationForinstanceTwin Cities Public Television(TPT)dedicatestimeononeofitsdigitalchannelstolocalandregionalprogrammingincludingprogramstargetedattheLatinoHmongHindiSomaliandVietnamesecommu-nitiesTocreateprogrammingfortheldquoMinnesotaChannelrdquothestationpartnerswithnonprofitorganizationswhopayTPTforproductionsupportandguaranteedbroadcastoftheprogramming
Sound Partners for Community HealthhasshownthatauthenticpartnershipsbetweenpublicbroadcastersandcommunityinstitutionsenableeachpartytoreachlargermorediverseandtargetedaudiencesonhealthissuesimportanttothecommunityCommunityinstitutionspromotedbroadcastsandpublicbroadcastersincreasedthevisibilityoftheirinstitutionalpartnerswhoofferedadditionalresourcesandreferralstoviewersandlistenersandhelpedtodisseminateprogrammingonCDsandDVDsInadditionbymarryingtheexpertiseofcommunity-basedhealthorganizationsandvoicesoflocalresidentswiththeproductionvaluesofhigh-qualityradioandtelevisionpro-grammingSoundPartnerspositionedcommunitymembersasproactiveplannersofandstakeholdersinmediainitia-tivesratherthanpassiverecipientsofmediaattention
Buttherewasinevitabletensioninseparatingjour-nalismfromadvocacywhichrequiredtrustonthepartofallparticipantstoresolveInthecaseoftheSoundPartnerscollaborationsincommunity-basedjournalismpublicbroadcastersneededtotrustthattheirnonprofitpartnerswouldnrsquotadvancetheirownorganizationalagendasattheexpenseoftruthandnonprofithealthorganizationsneededtotrustthattheirbroadcastpartnerswouldrespecttheirexpertise
TheSoundPartnersexperienceaffirmedwhatmanyroundtableparticipantspointedoutmdashtheneedtobuildbridgesacrossmediaaswellSoundPartnersfoundthatcommercialradiostationsandpublicaccesschannelswithcloselinkstoandinfluenceonthecommunityhelpedimplementstrongmediacampaignsincollaborationwithpublicbroadcastingRoundtableparticipantssawcommer-cialmediaoutletsasespeciallyimportantamongimmigrantgroups
Pointingtoanotheraspectofcollaborationround-tableparticipantsimploredmediainstitutionstobeopentosharinginfrastructuretoaccomplishtheirmissionsManynonprofitmediagroupsarestrugglingtosurvivebuthaveassetsthatcanbesharedorintegratedtobetterservetheircommunitiesinacoordinatedefficientwayCreatingcollaborativestructuresasbasicasco-locationoffacilitiesorascomplexasorganizationalmergerscanbeimportantfordisseminatingprogrammingsecuringfundingandprotectingpotentiallycontroversialissueprogrammingForexampleManhattan Neighborhood Networkhashistori-callyleverageditscablefranchise-securedcapitalfunding
engAging community WhAtrsquos Working
Invitingcommunitymemberstohelpwithstoriesmakescoveragemorereflectiveofthecommunitymoreofatwo-wayconversation
tobuildcapacityinothermediaorganizationssuchasastudioandpost-productionfacilitieswithDowntownCommunityTelevisioninChinatownAndinkeepingwiththesamenetwork-buildingapproachtofacilitatingpartici-pationMNNalsofeaturesaYouthChannelconsideredtobethefirstchannelcreatedforyouthbyyouthMNNhasbecomeoneofthecentralhubsinManhattanaroundwhichindependentandcommunitymediagatherforscreeningsadvancededucationalopportunitiesartisticandpoliticaldebatecommunitybuildingandsocialnetworkingcreat-inganexcitingdemocraticmediaculture
Manyparticipantsacknowledgedthatcollaborationishardexpensiveandtime-consumingItplacesdemandsonin-houseknowledgeandconfrontspartneringorganiza-tionsrsquodifferentgoalseditorialpoliciesandresourcesIftheyaretolastpartnershipsneedproperresearchonthefrontendandmulti-leveledsupportChangesinleader-shipcandisruptplanssopartneringcanrsquotbetiedtoonepersonrsquosrelationshiptoanotherpersonitrequiresanetworkofpeopleunderstandingandcontributingtothepartnershipMulti-yearprojectsareimportanttodevelopinfrastructureandsustainefforts
TrainingRoundtableparticipantssawcommunitymediainstitutionsasimportantsourcesbothforjobsandskillstrainingandforbuildingthecapacityoflocalnonprofitgroupsWhileacquiringmediaskillsmaybeacareerpathoutofpovertyironicallycommunitymediaworkisoftenunpaidandpoorpeoplemustprioritizepayingjobsoverparticipationincommunitymediamakingRoundtableparticipantsexpressedconcernthatthereisnotcurrentlyawaytoeconomicallysustaintheeffortsoflow-incomepeoplewhodovolunteerincommunitymedia
CableaccesscenterslikeChicagorsquos CAN-TVandManhattanNeighborhoodNetworkprovidegrantstrainingandequipmenttocommunitygroupswhothendevelopmultimediaproductsandshowcasethemindifferentvenuesThesecentersfacilitatetheexpressionofnon-technology-orientedcommunitymembersandprovidethemwithusefuljobskills
ThetrainingcomponentiscrucialfordevelopingauthenticvoicesinprogrammingBlessedwithadiversetechnology-savvycommunitythatincludesbothHarvard
andMITcampuspopulationsCambridge Community Television CCTVhasbroadeneditseducationalprogramstoincludeadvancedworkshopsandextendededucationalprogramsindocumentarymakingdigitalstorytellingwebsitedesignandstrategiccommunicationsplanningandimplementationCommunitymembersarealsoabletouseCCTVrsquoscomputertechnologycenterfortraininginavarietyofsoftwareapplicationsincludingphotoeditinganddesignandcomputernetworkingThecenterhasbroadeneditsdistributionofvideoprogrammingtoincludeweb-basedmediastreamingofpre-recordedprogrammingpodcastsaudiochannelsandldquoCambridgeCommunityRadiordquowherememberscansignupfortwo-hourblocksofliveradiotimeThecenterrsquosservicesaddresstheneedsofactivistsnonprofitcommunitygroupsmediaeducatorsandpeopleseekingjobskillsthatextendfarbeyondthoseneededtofillthepublicchannelswithvideoItsofferingsareexpand-ingtoincludeworkshopsinpodcastingdigitalaudioproductionvideobloggingandcyberjournalismCCTVtakesdigitalmediaconvergenceseriouslyunderstandingthatmediaproductiontrainingproductionanddistribu-tionarenowapplicableacrossanumberofplatformsandproductionskillsets
Bay Area Video Coalition(BAVC)isanotherorganizationthatmakesemergingvideotechnologyacces-sibletoindependentmediamakersIthasevolvedintoaninternationallyrenownedmediaartscenterthatleadsthefieldinitshigh-qualityproductionandprofessionaldevelopmentsupportfornoncommercialmediamakersThecenteralsoprovidesclassestolow-incomeyouthinmediaartsproductionaswellasworkshopsforcommunitygroupsandnonprofitsBAVChasconsistentlyoffereddevelopmentseminarsandtrainingprogramsthatbringcommercialpro-ducersandnoncommercialproducerstogetherinacommonsettingItoffersoneoftheregionrsquoskeycertifiedtrainingprogramsforcompanieslikeAppleAvidandDigidesignThroughagrantfromtheFordFoundationBAVChasundertakenanationalstudyonldquoDigitalWorkforceDevelopmentrdquoallowingtheorganizationtoestablishitselfasanationalandregionalleaderinprofessionaldevelop-ment(Most2002)Itsprofessionaldevelopmentprogramisasignificantforuminwhichcommercialandnoncom-mercialmediamakerscancometogetherforprofessionaldevelopmentactivitiesinsettingsthatrespectthepublicinterestandroleofmediainsocialdevelopment
OutreachOutreachakeytoolformediagroupsmovestherelation-shipbetweencommunityandmediabeyondconsumption
Collaborationishardexpensiveandtime-consuming
tosocialchangeItinvitespeopletointeractwithmediatobeaffectedbyitandtoaffectothersItaskspeoplewhattheyneedandinvitesthemtocometogethertomeetthoseneeds
Thekeytocreatingrelevantoutreachisresearch-ingwhatthecommunityneedsdetermininghowtoreachitmosteffectivelyandhiringstaffwhohaveoutreachskillsandarewellversedinthecultureandlanguageofthegroupsbeingtargetedAChicagofilmmakerrecountedhowtheseconsiderationsimpactedhisdocumentaryaboutworkersrsquorightsOutreachstaffconsideredthepotentialimpactontwoaudiencesalargeaudienceofPBSviewerssittingintheirlivingroomsandasmallerbutmoreengagedaudienceofsteelworkerswatchingthedocumentaryatalocalbarTheyconcludedthatthebarviewerswouldberivetedbecausetheinformationinthedocumentarywasgearedtothemSuccessfuloutreachasksWhatdogroupspayattentiontoWhomdotheytrustWhatplatformauthenticallyrepresentsthem
NationalprogrammingcanbeacatalystforlocaloutreachParticipantsinChicagoandMinneapolis-StPauldiscussedtheexampleofldquoTheNewAmericansrdquoanationalPBSseriesonimmigrantsproducedby Kartemquin Films Active VoiceanationalorganizationthatworkswithmediamakerstobringaboutpersonalandinstitutionalchangeworkedwithKartemquintopackageseriesfootagethatfocusedonnewarrivalstoMinnesotaTheresultwasalocalseriesldquoTheNewMinnesotansrdquoandapartnershipthatusedmediatoeducatethemainstreamcommunityaboutlocalimmigrantsandtodevelopdiscussionandactivityguidesforcommunityoutreach
Connecting with Immigrant PopulationsMinoritypopulationsandgroupsconcernedwithsupportingtheidentitiesofmarginalizedpopulationshaveincreasinglyturnedtocommunitymediaassourcesofinformationvali-dationofcultureandproductionsupportforthecreationoftheirowncontentCommunitymediahavehelpedcallattentiontothelivesandconcernsofimmigrantcommuni-tiesthatareotherwiseinvisibleoutsidetheirparticularcommunityBecausetheyoftenhavefoundinnovativewaystousecommunitymediafornetworkingandsocialchangeimmigrantpopulationsillustratethepowerofcommunity
mediaandpresentrichopportunitiesformakingcommu-nitymediaorganizationsmorediverseandparticipatoryRoundtableparticipantssharedlessonsinwhatworksandofferedspecificideasforframinganewcommunitymediaprogramaddressingtheneedsofimmigrantsandreceivingcommunitiescalledNew Routes to Community Health
Inreachingouttoimmigrantcommunitiesround-tableparticipantsnotedthatitiscriticaltoidentifyandworkwithexistingagenciesthatimmigrantstrustperhapsachurchorassociationforaparticularethnicgroupButthoughimmigrantgroupsarethemostappropriateconve-nersofsuchcollaborativestheymustalsohavethecapacitytoconvene
TheselectionofplatformalsodeservescarefulconsiderationRoundtableparticipantsnotedthatinadapt-ingtechnologiestotheirownpurposesspecificimmigrantgroupsoftenpreferoneplatformoveranotherForexampleChicagorsquosKorean-AmericancommunityhasbeensuccessfulinusingethnicprintmediatoaddresscommunityissuesThePersianstorytellingtraditionhasmadePersianahugeandgrowinglanguagesegmentonblogsPersianisnowthefourthmostwidelyusedlanguageonweblogs(Macintyre2004)A2000surveyofSomalianimmigrantsinMinnesotashowedthatoverfortypercenteventhenconsideredtheInternettheirmainnewssource(Aynte2006)
RadioinparticularhasshowntremendouspowerinthedevelopingworldpartlyasaresultoftheUnitedNationsrsquoemphasisonradioasthemediumsupportingthemostwidespreadpracticeofcommunitymediaintheworldBecausetheyarefamiliarwithradiobeforecomingtotheUnitedStatesimmigrantgroupsoftenquicklyembraceradiouponarrivalinthiscountryItisalsooneofthemostinexpensiveformsofmediaandthereforeoneofthemostaccessibleldquoIftheycomefromLatinAmericatheyknowthepowerofradiordquoChicagoparticipantsnotedenthusiasti-callyLocalcommercialSpanish-languageradiostationseffectivelyhelpedmobilizeturnoutforimmigrationprotestsinChicagoinMay2006
community spotlightManycommunitiesintheUnitedStatescanpointwithpridetotheachievementsoftheircommunitymediaorganizationsWhenattemptingtoidentifybestpracticesinthenetworkedmediaenvironmentsweseetodayhoweveritisusefultothinkintermsofinterconnectionandcol-laborationnottolooksimplyatindividualmediacentersorbroadcaststationsOftenthemostsuccessfulexamplesofcommunitymediaemergeoutofongoingalliancesandcollaborationsamonglocalcommunitymediagroupsThe
Thekeytocreatingrelevantoutreachisresearchingwhatthecommunityneeds
communitiesspotlightedbelowhavebegunincorporatingpartnershipsandcross-platformcollaborationintothepracticeofcommunitymediaandhavebeguntoreapthebenefitsofthatapproach
Portland OregonTheMetro Government Community Media InitiativeillustratesthepotentialpowerofcommunitiesworkingtogethertoproducetheirownmediaratherthanhavingtheirstoryframedbycommercialnewsorganizationsAlthoughtheprojecthasnowendeditisincludedherebecauseitprovidedsuchastrongmodelforfuturecommu-nitymediaeffortsTheinitiativewasrootedinaproposalbylocalindependentfilmmakerTomChamberlinthatlocalmediamakerscommunitymediaorganizationscommunitygroupsandgovernmentagenciescollaboratetoproducepublicaffairstelevisionprogramsonissuesofconcerntoOregoniansMetroauniqueregionalgovernmentprimarilyresponsibleforregionalland-useandtransportationplan-ningtookChamberlinrsquosideatoheartWithagrantfromtheFederalHighwayAdministrationMetroandanallianceofcommunityorganizationsandgovernmentagenciesdevel-opedldquoZigZagRealStoriesNewAnglesrdquoaprogrambylocalfilmmakersfeaturingpersonalstoriesfromadiversegroupofregionalresidentsastheygrappledwiththetransporta-tionchoicesaffectingtheirfamiliesneighborhoodsandcommunities
InadditiontothecenterpiecebroadcastonOregon Public BroadcastingtheprojectcreatedaninteractivewebsiteanddistributedaDVDoftheprogramtothearearsquoscableaccesschannelsElementsoftheprojectalsofoundtheirwayontoPortlandrsquoscommunityradiostationKBOOandpacketsincludingextensivesupportmaterialsandDVDsweremadeavailableforscreeninginneighborhoodcentersandindependentmediavenuesTherewasalsoaplanninganddeliberationprocesstostrategizeabouthowcitizensgovernmentsandmediamakerscancollaboratetocreatecommunitydialogueandsolvecivicproblems
Asurbanspaceisincreasinglydefinedbytelecom-municationsasmuchastransportationandlandusetheprojectalsoillustratesthepowerfuloutcomesthat
canresultwhenregionaltelecommunicationsplanningbecomesintegratedwithlanduseandtransportationplan-ningandwhencommunitymediaareintegratedintobothformalandinformalprocessesofplanninganddelibera-tionTheMetroCommunityMediaInitiativeresultedinasignificantandmeasurableriseinregionalawarenessofthetransportationplanningissuesaddressedbytheproj-ectViewershipandDVDusesofthemediaincommunitysettingsexceededexpectations(Metro2004)AlthoughtheprojectwasnotimmediatelyreplicatedPortlandnowenjoyscontinuingcollaborationsbetweenMetrogovern-mentanditsareacommunitymedia
ParticipationintheMetroGovernmentCommunityMediaInitiative isonlyoneofthemanywaysPortlandrsquosKBOOradiohasdemonstrateditsfullcommitmenttotheoriginaldemocraticintentionsofcommunityradiooverthecourseofitsforty-two-yearhistoryOlderthanNationalPublicRadioKBOOisamongthelongest-liv-ingcommunityradiostationsintheUnitedStatesOfthenoncommercialradiostationsinPortlandKBOOistheonlystationwhosemissioncontainsanexplicitcommit-menttominorityprogrammersandlisteners(SussmanandEstes2004)KBOOrsquoscommitmenttodemocraticpracticeextendstoaboardofdirectorselectedentirelyfromitsmembershipwhichisopentoanyoneandanaggressivetrainingprogramconsistentwiththestationrsquoscommitmenttovolunteer-producedprogrammingmdashallprogrammingisproducedbyvolunteerswithassistanceofpaidstaffTheparticipationofwomenandminoritiesfarexceedthecommunityrsquosracialdemographics(SussmanandEstes2004)
Portland Community Media (PCM)hasarichtwenty-three-yearhistoryinPortlandwhenitcomestousingmediatobuildcommunityPCMstartedoutasacabletelevisionaccesscenterandstillprovidestheadminis-trationandtrainingtoprogramPortlandrsquoscableaccesschannelsbuthasexpandeditsmissiontoembracetheuseofcommunitymediatobringaboutbroaderparticipationincivicandculturallifePCMrsquoswebsitedescribesthecenterldquowiththreewordsndashEducateCommunicateParticipaterdquoCurrentlyPCMhasanumberofcollaborativeprojectssup-portingmedialiteracyandmediaeducationinthepublicschoolsystemitregularlyprogramsmediaproductionsfromPortlandrsquosmediaartscentertheNorthwestFilmandVideoCenteranditisplanningtoexpanditscentertosupporteconomicdevelopmentofmicroenterprisesfornewmedia
The Mt Hood Cable Regulatory Commission(MHCRC)overseesacable-relatedtelecommunicationsdevelopmentforgreaterPortlandOregonServing
Oftenthemostsuccessfulexamplesofcommunitymediaemergeoutofongoingalliancesandcollaborationsamonglocalcommunitymediagroups
thecommunitiesresidentsandlocalgovernmentsofFairviewGreshamPortlandTroutdaleWoodVillageandMultnomahCountyOregonTheMtHoodCableRegulatoryCommissionnegotiatesandenforcescableservicefran-chiseandactsinthepublicinterestoncommunicationspolicyissuesatlocalstateandfederallevelsItwouldbehardtooverstatetheimportanceofMHCRCinfosteringthegrowthofcommunitymediaingreaterPortlandThroughclearandinsightfulregulationofthecablefranchiseithasassuredthatthenecessarynetworksandtelecommu-nicationsinfrastructureareavailabletoallowcommunitymediatogrow
MtHoodrsquosCommunityAccessCapitalGrantsProgramisparticularlynoteworthyTheCapitalGrantsprogramprovidescapitalfundingtocommunicationsprojectsthatsupportsocialjusticecommunityinvolve-mentandtheeffectivedeliveryofservicesthroughcostreductionTheprogramhasallowedscoresofcommunitygroupstoincreasetheircommunicationscapacitythroughtheacquisitionofskillsknowledgeandtechnologyInimplementingthisgrantprogramtheMtHoodCableRegulatoryCommissionhasbeenextremelystrategicinconveninggranteesandcreatingtheconditionsthatleadtopartnershipsandcollaborativerelationships
TheNorthwest Film and Video Centerisalong-standingregionalmediaartsorganizationservingtheNorthwestregionThecenterprovidesarichprogramnurturingmediaartscultureItfeaturesanactiveexhibi-tionprogramforexperimentalandindependentfilmsahighlyregardedfilmschoolandextensiveyouthmediaprogramsThecenterpresentsanumberofyearlyfilmfestivalsincludingthePortlandInternationalFilmFestivaltheNorthwestFilmandVideoFestivalandtheYoungPeoplersquosFilmampVideoFestivalThecenterrsquosproductionsoftenfindtheirwayontotothearearsquoscablechannelsThecenterisalsoatrustedsourceofequipmentaccessforareaindependentproducersactiveintherichmediacultureofPortlandaservicepartiallysupportedbytheMtHoodCableRegulatoryCommissionrsquosCapitalGrantsprogram
Minneapolis-St Paul MinnesotaTheSaint Paul Neighborhood Network(SPNN)isacableaccessstationservingStPaulresidentsThestationprovidesopportunitiestothepublictoproduceandairprogramsononeofitsfivechannelsdedicatedtomulti-faithpubliceducationcommunityandinternationalcontentrespectivelySPNNhasayoutheducationprogramandacommunityproductionsprogramwhichworkswithnonprofitorganizationstocreatepublicserviceadvertise-
mentsorprogrammingWorkshopsincludeproductiongrantproposalwritinglegalquestionsandlightingSPNNisparticularlyeffectiveasconvenerandcapacitybuilderinitscommunityItseducationandtrainingprogramsarefocusedoncommunitydevelopmentandonkeepingthetechnicaltrainingelementsofitsworkinasocialperspective
Minneapolis Television Network(MTN)isSPNNrsquossisteraccessstationservingMinneapoliswithasimilarcommitmenttoprovidingacommunitygatheringplaceOperatingthreepublicaccesschannelsMTNofferstelevi-siontrainingandmedialiteracyclassesandisespeciallyencouragingofyouthparticipationThechannelsserveasabridgeforimmigrantstouseinadaptingtotheirnewhomemanynewimmigrantsusethemtocommunicateintheirnativelanguageswiththeirSomaliEthiopianorVietnamesecompatriotsSomali-languageprogramsforinstanceoffereighthoursaweekofmusicentertainmentcommunitynewsandreligiousinstructiontooneofthelargestsettlementsofSomalipeopleoutsideSomaliaIntoutingSomalitelevisionasthebestpublicaccesscabletelevisionprogramintheTwinCitiesCity Pages saidldquoForsomepublicaccessisanearlyinspiringlessonindemocracyandfreemediardquo(CityPages2004)WantingtostrengthenthenonprofitcommunityrsquosInternetsavvyMTNcreatedandeventuallyspunofftheRiverProjecttoofferInternetdial-upaccessandwebhostingtononprofits
PublicbroadcastershavealsoofferedstrongmodelsofcommunitycollaborationintheTwinCities Twin Cities Public Television(TPT)isthepublictelevisionstationservingtheMinneapolisndashStPaulregionIn2004TPTbegandedicatingtimeononeofitsdigitalchan-nelstoMinnesota-relatedprogrammingAnumberoftheprogramsontheMinnesota Channel(someofwhicharethencablecastonpublicaccesstelevision)aretargetedatLatinoHmongHindiMiddleEasternChineseandVietnamesecommunitiesandproducedinpartnershipwithnonprofitorganizationsTPTisapartnerintheMinnesotaCommunityCampaignthatencouragesurbanandruralareasinandaroundtheTwinCitiestowelcomethetensofthousandsofimmigrantsandrefugeesthathavesettledthereinthepastseveraldecadesSeekingtoeffectpositivechangeonimmigrantissuesthroughartmediaeducationsocialserviceandpolicymakingthecampaignproducedtheldquoTheNewMinnesotansrdquoasixty-minuteprogramthatoriginallyairedonTPTbasedontheKartemquinseriesldquoTheNewAmericansrdquo
InadditiontocommunityradiostationKFAItheTwinCitiesishometoMinnesota Public Radio(MPR)
whichhaspioneeredafreshapproachtojournalismcalledpublicinsightjournalism(PIJ)PIJtapsintothecollectiveknowledgeofMPRrsquosdiverseaudiencetoenrichitsreport-ingCreatingaten-thousand-personPublicInsightNetworkviathewebthestationinvitesthepublictobesourcesofstoryideasreactionsandperspectivesandbrainstormingonpublicissues
TheindependentfilmandvideocommunityworkscollaborativelyintheTwinCitiestosupportandpromoteartistandcommunityperspectivesIFP Minnesota Center for Media Arts Intermedia ArtsandtheWalker Art Center areamongthemulti-disciplinaryvenuesfordiscus-sionandproduction
AndtheInternetishometoanewaggregationofcommunitymediasourcesAccordingtoitswebsitethe Twin Cities Daily PlanetaprojectoftheTwinCitiesMediaAllianceisldquoacommunitynewswireandsyndicationserviceshowcasingthebestworkoftheneighborhoodandcommunitypressaswellasworkbyTwinCitiesindepen-dentjournalistsandthevoicesofengagedcitizensThepremiseoftheTC Daily PlanetisthatnewtechnologiesaremakingitpossibleforthesecitizenstobecomemoreactiveandpowerfulparticipantsinthenewsproductionprocessrdquoModeledafterKorearsquosOhmyNewstheTC Daily Planetseekstoimprovethequalitydiversityandaccount-abilityofthelocalmediaandtoinvolvetherapidlygrowingimmigrantandethniccommunitiesItrecruitsandofferstrainingtocitizenjournalistsandhaspartnershipswithoverfortyneighborhoodandcommunitymedia
Chicago IllinoisChicago Access Network Television(CAN-TV)offersfivepublicaccesschannelstoChicagolandresidentsThispublicspaceprovidesChicagoansanopportunitytodiscussissuesoflocalconcernpromotehealtheducationalandeconomicresourcesinthecommunityandcelebratelocaltalentandinitiativesCAN-TVprovidesvideotrainingequipmentandfacilitiesforarearesidentsandnonprofitgroupsItvideotapesandcablecastspublicforumstownhallmeetingscommunityeventsandotheractivitiesoflocalinterestThroughthisservicethestationprovidesChicagoanswithaccesstoinformationtheymaynototh-erwisehavethroughcommercialtelevisionForinstanceCAN-TVworkedwitheighttotenAIDSagenciestodissemi-natebasiceducationaboutAIDSpreventionvialivecall-inprograms
CAN-TVsupportsChicagorsquosassociationsandnonprof-itsthroughserviceslikeliveldquohot-linerdquocall-inshowsfrom
automatedstudiosthatonepersoncanoperateproductionservicesthatgenerateprogrammingforcommunityeventsandstrategiccommunicationsplanningworkshopsCAN-TVhasrefusedtofollowasimplisticldquoneutralityrdquoprogram-mingphilosophyinwhichtheaccesscentertransmitsonlyprogrammingthatrandomlycomesfromthecommunityInsteadCAN-TVactivelycreatesprogrammingimportanttocommunitydevelopmentInadditiontoitsfocusonnonprofitsCAN-TVactivelycreatespartnershipswithcon-tent-richgroupssuchaslocalmuseumsandartsgroupsItalsopartnerswithlocalmediaactivistproductiongroupslikeVideoMacheteandStreetLevelYouthMedia(profiledbelow)SimilarlyCAN-TVaggressivelyengagesinprogram-mingforlocalelectionsatypicalelectionseasonwillgeneratearoundtwohundredhoursoforiginalprogram-mingeachmonthandnearlyallthecandidateswillbefeaturedoractuallycreatetheirownCAN-TVprogrammingtocarryouttheircampaigns
Street-Level Youth MediaprovidesopportunitiesforChicagorsquosurbanyouthtousemediaartsandemergingtechnologiesforself-expressioncommunicationandsocialchangeItsstaffprovidesinstructioninvideoandaudioproductioncomputerartandtheInternettohelpyouthaddresscommunityissuesaccessadvancedcommunica-tionstechnologyandgaininclusioninsocietyInoneprojectitcollaboratedwithtwoseventh-gradeteachersandanESLinstructortohelpstudentsresearchissuesaboutimmigrationinoneneighborhoodTheteachersweretrainedtousevideoandthentrainedotherteacherswhoguidedtheirstudentsinproducingvideosforscreeningattheschoolMorethanthirtyvideoswerecreatedandvideotrainingandusehasbeenincorporatedintotheschoolcurriculum
Radio Arte(WRTE)istheonlybilingual(Spanish-English)youth-operatedurbancommunitystationinthecountryItoperateswithafocusonyouthinChicagorsquosPilsenandLittleVillageneighborhoodsAninitiativeoftheNationalMuseumofMexicanArtthiseducationalradiostationhasservedChicagoformorethansixyearstrainingyouthwithapriorityondevelopingindividualandgroupcommunicationcompetenciesthatallowyoungpeopletoenterpubliclifewithconfidencethroughthebroadcastmediumProvidingaforumforyoungpeopletobecreativeandresponsibletothelargestMexicancommunityintheMidwestRadioArteiscommittedtotrainingyoungpeopleintheartofbroadcastingRadioArtersquosuniquetwo-yeartrainingprogramprovidesyouthwithspecialcoursesonwritingforradioandjournalismvoicetrainingand
FCCregulationsaswellasbasiccomputerskillsproduc-tionskillsandon-airtrainingParticipatingintwograntroundsofSoundPartnersforCommunityHealththestationrsquosldquoRadioVidardquoproducedprogrammingonsubstanceabuseandaddictionbyandforLatinoyouth
Casa Guatemala Media Projectisanonprofitcommunity-basedorganizationthatservestheGuatemalanandbroaderLatinAmericancommunityinChicagoandtheMidwestSinceitsfoundingin1986ithasusedmediaincludingwebprintTVandradiotoraiseconsciousnessaboutissuesaffectingcommunitiesfromLatinAmericaInparticularitworkswithCAN-TVtoprovidetheeducationalcomponentofself-authoredmediathatwillpositivelytrans-formcommunitiesthroughworkshopsontheproductionandalternativeusesofemergingtechnologies
Beyond Media EducationworkswithunderservedandunderrepresentedcommunitiesprimarilywomenandyouthtotelltheirstoriesandorganizeforsocialjusticethroughthecreationanddistributionofalternativemediaandartsInarecenteffortitworkedwithaChicagosheltertohelpstreetwalkerstelltheirownstoriesinanefforttoraisepublicawarenessandpromotestate-levelreformsTheorganizationorganizedasix-monthworkshopthatincludedteachingandpracticingstorytellingpublicspeak-ingandvideoproductionskillstooveradozenprostitutesTheirgroundbreakingvideogivesinsightsintoChicagorsquossextradeindustryandrecountsthetriumphofthepar-ticipantsoverhomelessnessviolenceanddiscriminationTheirlobbyinginthestatecapitolresultedinpassageofabilltodestigmatizeanddecriminalizesexworkers
Keepingtabsonandshowcasingmuchofthecom-munitymediaactivityfromajournalisticperspectiveistheCommunity Media Workshop (CMW) CMWservesasabridgebetweensocialactivistscommunitymediaprac-titionersandjournalistsIthostsanannualacademyforprogressiveorganizationsintheChicagoareathatbringsactivistsandjournaliststogethertoshareideasandatti-tudesProminentareatelevisionandnewspaperjournalistsarerecruitedtoserveonpanelsleadworkshopsandgenerallysharetheirideasofhowprogressivegroupscaneffectivelygaintheattentionofthepressThisapproach
leadstobuy-infromkeypersonnelinChicagorsquosmainstreammediawhocannowbetterunderstandthegrassrootsgroupsthatapproachthemandtheirissuesItalsogivescommunityparticipantsattheworkshopstheopportunitytodevelopmorepersonalrelationshipswithkeymembersofthemediaThisapproachalsoenablescommunitygroupstobetterunderstandwhatmotivateseditorsandreporters
ThesethreecommunitiesshowcommondevelopmentpatternsandfactorsCommunitymediaorganizationshavebeguntounderstandtheirmissionsintermsofasharedcultureofcommunitymedialookingbeyondtheirindivid-ualmissionstothecommonsocialandpoliticalvaluestheyhaveincommonThisapproachopensthewayforcommu-nityradiomediaartscenterscommunitymediacentersandcableaccesstocreatecommunity-wideprograminitiativesinwhichseveralmediaplatformsareengagedItcreatestheconditionsinwhichitispossibleforcommunitymediaorganizationstoactwithunifiedstancesinpoliticaladvocacyregardingmediaissuesandotherissuescriticaltotheircommunitiesThiskindofcross-platformnetworkingalsocreatesopportunitiesforcommunitymediatoreceivemorediversefundingandsupportfromthecommunityastheyextendthenetworkorcultureofcollaborationtocom-munitydevelopmentgroupsandofficialsintheirregions
Communitymediaorganizationshavebeguntounderstandtheirmissionsintermsofasharedcultureofcommunitymedialookingbeyondtheirindividualmissionstothecommonsocialandpoliticalvaluestheyhaveincommon
ldquoThe boldest experiments in public telecommunica-tions take place when technologies are new and their commercial potential not yet fully apparentrdquo mdash Ralph Engelman 1996
Acrosstheirmanyplatformsandmanycommunitiescommunitymediahavebecomecentralculturalinstitutionsinthecivicculturalandeconomiclife
ofourcommunitiesprovidinginvaluablemediaprogram-mingaccessandeducationTheycaninsuchinstancesenablecommunitiestodevelopinformedcitizensartistsandactivistswhopossesstheskillsandknowledgeneededtograpplewithcomplexmedialiteracyanddevelopmentissuesatthelocallevel
Fordecadescommunitymediaorganizationshaveaddressedtheurgentneedtocreatelocalinstitutionsthatfacilitatecitizenaccesstomedianetworksandeffectiveparticipationinmediacultureforbothcitizensandwork-ersTheyareprovingthemselvesvitaltothepoliticalandeconomiclifeoftheircommunitiesTheyplaymultiplerolessimultaneouslyascriticalculturalenhancementstothequalityofciviclifeasemployersandaseducationalsitesforworkforcedevelopment
difficultyNeworganizationalformsandnewmediaformatslikestreamingarchivingpodcastingandbloggingarebecomingthenormpartofldquoblendedrdquoproductionanddis-seminationpracticesincommunitymedia
neW communicAtion spAces cyberjournAlismTheincreaseinInternetbandwidthandtheavailabilityofonlinesocialnetworkingsoftwarehavequalitativelychangedtherelationshipofjournaliststotheiraudiencesNewwebdestinationslikeMySpaceShutterflyFriendsterFlikrEviteandGooglearedevelopingvirtualcommuni-tiesforsharingvideoattractingyoungeraudiencesandmakingcontentmorethanpassiveandone-directionalSocialnetworkingsoftwareenablespeopletorendezvousconnectorcollaboratethroughcomputer-mediatedcom-municationandformonlinecommunities(Spannerworks2007)PopularsocialnetworksoftwareapplicationslikeweblogsorblogsseemparticularlywellsuitedtoparticipatorycitizenjournalismallowingeasypublishingofinteractivetextphotoaudioandvideocontentTheneweasewithwhichvideoclipscanbepreparedforuseonthewebhasbroughtontheriseofldquovlogsrdquoandsitesthatfacilitatethesharingofvideoclipsandaccompanyingcontentAnenormousrangeofblogsandcyberjournalisticsiteshavesprungupontheWorldWideWebinthepastfiveyearswithanequallywiderangeofeditorialstandardsandpracticesTechnoraticomcurrentlytracksseventeenmillionblogssharingoneandahalfmillionhyperlinks(Rennie2006)APewCenterInternetstudyestimatesthatthenumberofregularblogreadersintheUnitedStatesisequivalenttoalmosthalftheentireradioaudiencewhichisaboutaquarteroftheUSnewspaperreadership(Rennie2006)
Combinedwithaffordablenewdigitalmediaproduc-tioncamerasandrecorderstheseweb-baseddisseminationtoolsmakeitpossibleforcitizensandconsumerstoparticipateactivelyinnewsgatheringNonprofessionalshavebeguntoplayamoreactiveroleintheprocessesofjournalismfromcollectinginformationandreportingtoanalysisanddisseminationJanSchafferwhodirectsJ-LabaUniversityofMarylandincubatorforinteractivejournalismprojectsexplainsthatmanypeoplearebecom-ingmoreactivecitizensthroughjournalisticactivitybutdonotnecessarilyaspiretobejournalistsThenewtechnical
envisioning the future of community mediA
Communitymediaorganizationsareprovingthemselvesvitaltothepoliticalandeconomiclifeoftheircommunities
Communitymediaarealsocontributingimportantvaluespracticesandorganizationalmethodologiestotheemergingcollaborativemediaenvironmentsoftheblogo-sphereWecanlooktothesecontributionsastechnologicalandorganizationalopportunitiesforstrengtheningandexpandingcommunitymediapracticeWiththeInternetamediacultureisemergingthatismoreconsistentwiththenoncommercialpracticesofcommunitymediaproductioncollaborationanddemocraticparticipationinmediamak-inganddistributionConsequentlymanycommunitymediaorganizationsareintegratingthecapacitiesoftheInternetandnewmediaintotheirpracticeswithoutmuchfanfareor
0
capacityforcommunicationsheobservesallowspeopletoldquoparticipateinnewsandinformationinvariouswaysmdashparticipateininteractingwithitquestioningittruth-squadingitandcreatingitAndnowthattheyhavethetechtoolsandthetechskillstodothattheappetitehasonlyincreasedrdquo(Schaffer2005b)
SuchconditionshavesetthestageforintensepopularinterestinwhathasbeenbrandedldquowemediardquoorldquoparticipatoryjournalismrdquoTodaynumerousonlinejournalisticexperimentsbringtogetherprofessionaljour-nalistswithcitizenmediaactivistsandthoseinvolvedineventsMoreandmoretheearliestimagesandinformationregardingbreakingnewsarecomingfromnon-journalistspresentatthemomentoftheeventAsaresultjournalistsarebeginningtoconceptualizethemselvesnotsomuchasgatekeepersofnewsbutasmoderatorsinaconversationwithlicenseandtimetospeakfrequentlyandhopefullyaccurately(BowmanandWillis2003)
Thiskindofcommunity-centeredcoveragemayentailthere-balancingofeditorialpoliciesndashcommittingtodiversityembracingegalitarianvaluesandreassessingthevalueofeditorialneutralityItputsintoquestiontheroleandsignificanceofofteninnovativeldquopersonalmediardquoexemplifiedbythemillionsofbloggingsitesontheWebIsthiskindofldquonewsrdquoservingapubliccivicpurposeofcommunityproblemsolvingorindividualprivateexpres-sionInaWashington PostopinionpieceonDecember212006GeorgeKWillvoicedskepticismoftheseriousnessofmuchofthewebrsquosamateurjournalisminresponsetoTimemagazinersquosnamingallofusPersonoftheYear
Itisdifficulttopredictthefutureofcyberjournal-ismandbloggingpreciselyintheseearlystagesbutthreeoutcomesseemlikelyFirstbloggingwillcontinueitsrapidintegrationintomainstreammediacontentSecondblog-gingandotherformsofsocialnetworkingsoftwarewillgiverisetonewmediaentitiesthatwillchallengemainstreammedialocallynationallyandglobally
ThethirdoutcomeistheonemostrelevanttoacommunitymediascanCyberjournalismandparticipatory
citizenjournalismseemparticularlywellsuitedtoaddressthecurrentUSmassmediarsquosdifficultyinprovidingcoverageoflocaleventsinsmallercommunitiessuburbanregionsandcommutercommunitiesthataredevelopingoutsideformalpoliticaljurisdictionsCommunity-basedonlinejournalismsiteshavesprungupinhundredsofcom-munitiesaroundtheUnitedStatesTheyaremanagedandorganizedinwidelydivergentways
AnexperimentincyberjournalismandcommunitynetworkingtheTwin Cities Daily PlanetaggregatessomeofthebestjournalismfromMinnesotarsquosTwinCitiesneighborhoodandcommunitypressandindependentjour-nalistsaswellasthevoicesofengagedcitizenspresentingthemtothepublicthroughaninteractivewebsiteandcommunitydatabaseByaggregatingcitizenandneighbor-hoodjournalisminonesiteitincreasesthecapacityofsmallneighborhoodmediatoreachbeyondtheirborderstoawiderregionalaudienceUsingRealSimpleSyndication(RSS)softwaretheTC Daily Planetcanpotentiallyreachaglobalaudience
AprojectoftheTwinCitiesMediaAlliancetheTC Daily PlanetisaverynewformofcommunitymediaemergingfromtherestructuringofthenewspaperindustryandtheuseofbloggingandsocialnetworkingsoftwareAlthoughearlyinitsdevelopmenttheTC Daily Planetisgivingvoicetoanincreasingnumberofethnicimmi-grantandnon-mainstreamjournalistswhilefocusingthecommunityrsquosattentiononafargreaterrangeofpublicationsandideas
TheearliestexpressionsofcyberjournalismaretheIndependent Media Centers (IMCs)orIndymediaIndymediacameintobeingaspartoftheprotestsanddemonstrationsaroundtheWorldTradeOrganizationtalksheldinSeattleWashingtonin1999ThisfirstIMCwasaconvergenceoftheemerginginteractivityoftheInternetwiththeintenseneedofprotesterstogetindependentinformationouttotheworldabouttheprotestsAnetworkofindependentcommunitymediamakersactivistsandjournalistsbandedtogethertopoolresourcesandinforma-tion(Howley2005)
TheIMCsforeshadowedthebloggingandvideodis-tributionthatwasshortlytoemergebyusingtheInternetandtheWorldWideWebinconjunctionwithvideoandaudiodistributiontocreateatrulyunprecedentedmulti-mediaenvironmentIntermsofbothqualityandquantitytheSeattleIMCwasanimpressiveperformancebyanynewsandcurrentaffairsstandardsOverthecourseofthefive-dayprotestsadailynewspaperanddailyradioprogramwerecreatedandcountlessprintstoriesweredisseminated
Journalistsarebeginningtoconceptualizethemselvesnotsomuchasgatekeepersofnewsbutasmoderatorsinaconversation
globallyalsovideofeedsweresentthroughtheInternettopublicaccessandcommunitychannelsaroundtheworldSixyearsaftertheSeattleproteststherewere149Indymediawebsitesinabout45countriesonsixcontinents(Whitney2005)
TheopenformofcommunicationpracticedbymostIMCsiteshasnotbeenwithoutproblemsandcontra-dictionsManysitesarenowclutteredwithideologicaldiatribesanduneditedcontent(Halleck2002Whitney2005)ButthereareanumberofIndymediasitesthatprovidealternativenewsandinformationregardingaglobalscopeofconcernsthatwouldbeverydifficulttoobtainanywhereelseinthemediaAnumberofsitesinplacessuchasNewYorkCityPortlandOregonandtheSanFranciscoBayareahaveestablishedthemselvesasstablepartsoftheircommunityrsquosmediaculture
companiesspecializedsuppliersserviceprovidersandassociatedinstitutionsinaparticularfieldthatarepresentinanationorregionrdquo(Porter2000)Thecompaniesinanindustryclusterhaveacomplexwebofmutuallysupportingrelationshipsthatencompassbothcompetitiveandcollab-orativerelationshipsTheylinkacrossprofitandnonprofitpracticesutilizecommoninfrastructuremakecommoncontributionstothedevelopmentofahighlyskilledwork-forcesharefundingandinsomecasestalentedstaff
Increasinglycommunitydevelopmentpractitionersandanalystsarecomingtounderstandindustryclustersaspowerfulstrategiesforbotheconomicandcommunitydevelopmentinthetwenty-firstcenturyThisisprovingdoublytruefornonprofitcommunitymediaorganizationswhoseroleitistobringpowerfultoolsandknowledgetoanycommunityrsquosdeliberationsaroundcommunityandeco-nomicdevelopmentBroadbandandwirelessnetworksareprovidingthepracticalmeansoflinkingcommunitymediaorganizationswithincommunitiesofferingakeystrategicadvantagebyenhancingtheeffectivenessofcollaborationandpartnershipbuilding
AstheexamplesinthepreviouschaptershowcommunitymediaorganizationsaretakingonnewrolesincludingcombiningproductionandtrainingtakingonworkforcedevelopmentfunctionsandbecomingtechnologycentersfordiffusionofnewmediaBeyondtheseexampleslongstandingsuccessfulcommunitymediaorganiza-tionsaremergingasnetworkclusterslinkingdifferentgroupsandorganizationswithincommunitiestocreateentirelynewcommunitymediaorganizationsorblurringtheboundariesbetweentheirorganizationsOthersarebringinghistoricallyseparatecommunitymediagroupswithinoneorganizationalstructureorunderonerooftosharebuildingsandcommunicationsinfrastructuresinacost-effectivemanner
TheorganizationsthatemergefromthisintegrationmaybesimilarinfunctionthoughtheirnamesremaindifferentAcommunity-basedsiteforcitizenmediaandcyberjournalismforexampleandacommunitynetworklikeMAINinAshevilleNorthCarolinaoracutting-edgecableaccesscenterlikeGrandRapidsCommunityTelevisionbegintolookverymuchalikeintermsof
Increasinglycommunitymediadevelopmentishappeningthroughnetworksoflocalnonprofitmediaorganizationsratherthanwithinsingleorganizations
neW orgAnizAtionAl spAces netWorked clusters Perhapsthemostpromisingtrendonthehorizonforcom-munitymediaistheemergenceofnewhighlyintegratedorganizationalstructuresandcollaborativeprocessesIncreasinglycommunitymediadevelopmentishappeningthroughnetworksoflocalnonprofitmediaorganizationsratherthanwithinsingleorganizations
Inmanywaysthesereorganizationsatthecom-munitylevelparalleltherestructuringtakingplaceintheprivatecorporatesectorTherecommunicationsnetworksarebeingusedtosupportcomplexpartnershipsandjointcompanyprojectdevelopmentinteractivenetworkseasetheaggregationoflargeorstrategiccapitalandemployeeskillsetsacrossgeographicandorganizationalboundariesforthepurposesofinnovationandmarketdevelopmentInthelanguageofcommunityandeconomicdevelop-mentthesecomplexpartnershipsareknownasldquocreativeclustersrdquoorldquoindustryclustersrdquoMichaelPorteraleadingtheoristandproponentoftheconceptofclustersdefinesthemasldquogeographicconcentrationsofinterconnected
Successfulcommunitymediaorganizationsaremergingasnetworkclusters
technologyprogrammingactivitiesandtheexperienceofcommunityaudiencesvolunteersandparticipantsEachorganizationreliesonnoncommercialaffordablebandwidtheachplayssomeroleinadvocatingforsupportivegovern-mentpoliciesandeachisexperimentingwiththepotentialofnewcollaborativemediatoolsOftencommittedtoengagingandtrainingvolunteersandcommunitymembersinsomemannertheymayoffertrainingandvolunteerpro-gramsthatrequiresimilarsharableonlinetutorialsandonlineoutreachandschedulemanagementtools
TheexamplesthatfollowdemonstratethewayscommunitymediacreativeclustersaremakinguniquecontributionstotheircommunitiesrsquoqualityoflifeandeconomicwellbeingTheyaredoingsointhreeimportantwaysbullfirstbyamplifyingtherolethatartsandculturalgroups
playinenhancingthequalityoflifeandattractingatalentedworkforceandcapitaltothecommunitymdasharolethatisgaininginsignificanceinthetwenty-firstcentury
bullsecondascontributorstocoreeconomicdevelopmentfunctionsinthecommunityincludingworkforcedevelop-mentandtrainingasmicro-enterpriseincubatorsandascreatorsofnewknowledgeandeducationalexperiencesand
bullthirdasfacilitatorsandcatalystsofcommunitydialoguecommittedtoembracingmarginalizedvoicesandallow-ingthecommunitytoundertakeitsowndevelopmentdemocratically
Lowell MassachusettsLowell Telecommunications Center(LTC)isapublicandgovernmentaccesschannelandmediaandtechnologycen-terItprovideseducationandtraininginmediacreationincludingwebdesigndigitalphotographyandtelevisionproductionLTCworksincollaborationwithotherlocalcommunity-basedorganizationsmunicipaldepartmentsandeducationalentitiestoproducediversemulticulturalprogrammingthatmeetsthecommunityrsquoscommunica-tionandinformationneedsLTChasbecomeaconvening
organizationforbuildingcapacityamongLowellrsquosnonprofitcommunity-basedorganizationsintheiruseofparticipatorymediaandcivicengagementstrategies
LTCismorefocusedthanothercommunitymediaorganizationsoncommunitybuildingandcommunicationtechnologyThecorporationisworkingtobuildanetworkforparticipatorymediaandcivicengagementthroughouttheMerrimacRiverValleyThroughaUSDepartmentofEducationgrantLTCacquiredfundingandstafftohelpitspartnerorganizationsbecomeInternet-capableassesstheirinformationtechnologyneedsacquiretechnologyupgradestoaddressthoseneedsandundertakethetrainingtousethetechnologyeffectively
RatherthanwaitingforgroupstocometoitscenterLTCcreatedacircuitridertrainingprogramthattookthetrainingprogramintothecommunityThroughLTCrsquosinformationtechnologycenterscoresofcommunitygroupshavereceivedtrainingdesignedandcreatedwebsitesanddevelopedstrategiccommunicationsplansforthefutureThosedevelopmentsincludeweb-basedhistoricalarchivesGISmappingsystemsmultimediamaterialsandInternetvideoTohelporganizationsacquirethesoftwaretheyneedtocarryouttheirmissionsLTCcreatedtheCommunitySoftwareLabwhichdevelopsuniquesoftwaretofittheneedsofareanonprofitsThelabhasbeenspunofftocreateaseparatenonprofitentityjoiningthegrowingnumberofindependentorganizationsthatnetworkthroughLTC
ThemostrecentLTCinitiativeisldquoDigitalBicyclerdquoapeer-to-peernetworkthatallowsmediacentersworldwidetodownloadandsharelocalcontentLTCstaffenvisionDigitalBicycleasanonlinecommunityforcableaccessmediaartsindependentmediaandothernoncommercialmedia
Grand Rapids MichiganldquoBuildingcommunitythroughmediardquoThissimplemissionstatementguidedtheGrand Rapids Community Media Center(GRCMC)asitevolvedfromatypicalcableaccessoperationtobecomeabroad-basedmultimediacenterandamodelforthedevelopmentofcommunitymultimediacentersintheUnitedStatesOverthepasttwentyyears
Communitymediacreativeclustersaremakinguniquecon-tributionstotheircommunitiesrsquoqualityoflifeandeconomicwellbeing
LTCisworkingtobuildanetworkforparticipatorymediaandcivicengagementthroughouttheMerrimacRiverValley
GRCMChaspulledthediversecommunitymediaactivitiesofGrandRapidsunderoneorganizationalumbrellaandtakentheleadinarticulatingthepotentialforaggregatingnoncommercialnetworkedcommunicationsthere
Theevolvingnetworkofmediaplatformsdis-ciplinesandculturalgroupsthatconvergetobecomeGRCMCnowincludesthefollowingcentersofpracticeGRTVacommunitytelevisioncenterthatprogramsmultiplecableaccesschannelsWYCEacommunityradiostationGrandnetacommunitytechnologyandnetworkcenterthatprovidescitizenandnonprofitaccesstotheInternetandtheGrandRapidsInstituteforInformationDemocracyacriticalmediaeducationandresearchcenterthattracksmediaandlocalpublicinterestissuesandpub-lishesinformationonmediaaccountabilityandreform
ButtheGrandRapidsCommunityMediaCenterismorethanthesumofitspartsThecomponentsofthecenterworktogetherinamutuallyreinforcingwholethatcreatesapowerfulcommunitymediapresenceinGrandRapidsandallowsthecentertoundertakefarmoreambitiousprojectsandprogrammingthanwouldbethecaseseparatelyOneexcellentexampleistheMobileOn-LineLearningLabforInformationEducationKnownasMOLLIEtheprogramprovidesskilledtrainersanddigitalvideoproductionequipmenttoschoolsandcommunityorganizationsforspecialprojectsOriginallyfundedbyafederalDepartmentofEducationgrantMOLLIEfillsintechnologygapsinGrandRapidseducationalinstitutionsandnonprofitsInthehandsofalessintegratedinstitutiontheMOLLIEprojectcouldeasilybeatechnicallyorientedequipmentloanandtrainingprogramInthehandsofthecenterMOLLIEhasbecomeasophisticatedmediaandtechnologyeducationalinitiativeprovidingatrainingprogramthataddressesmediaeducationfromtheperspec-tiveofallthecomponentsoftheGrandRapidsCommunityMediaCenter
Asheville North CarolinaOneofthemostarticulateeffortsmergingthecreativeclustersideawithparticipatorycommunicationhascomeaboutinAshevilleNorthCarolinaThroughapersistent
collaborationbetweenforwardlookingregionalgroupsandorganizationsndashinvolvingabroadnetworkofindi-vidualscommunitymediaandmediaartsgroupsintheAshevilleregionndashAshevillehaslaidthefoundationforacommunitymediadevelopmentcenterthatwillfunctionasacableaccesscentermediaartscenterandnewmediamicro-enterpriseincubatorAtthecenterofthiseffortisaninformalcoalitionoffourimportantgroupsinAshevilleMountainAreaInformationNetworkMediaArtsProjectBoncombeCountyEconomicDevelopmentCommissionandURTVThegroupsrepresentdistinctpointsofviewandconcernsaswellasconverginginterests
Eachgroupsharedtheinsightthatcivicparticipa-tionandeconomicsuccessinthetwenty-firstcenturyaredirectlyrelatedtohavingaccesstocommunicationstechnologyandknowledgeEachalsounderstoodthattherenegotiationofthecablefranchisesintheCityofAshevilleandsurroundingBoncombeCountywasastrategicmomenttocatalyzeandassociateanumberofcommunity-basedinformationandmediaartsactivitiesalreadyinplaceorplannedinAshevilleThegroupsusedthecablefranchisingprocesstocreateacommonorganizationalandfacilitiesinfrastructuresupportingtheuseofmediaforbothcivicandeconomicdevelopment
The Media Arts Project(MAP)isanetworkofmediaartiststhatcultivatesinnovativeartsandtechnol-ogyinwesternNorthCarolinaMAPworkedtirelesslytoframecableaccessasacommunitydevelopmentissuebridgingthemediaactivistcommunitiesandthemoreforward-thinkingfactionsamongeconomicdevelopmentprofessionalsintheregionWiththerecentopeningofURTV IncAshvillersquoscableaccessorganizationandfacilityMAPanditsnetworkofpartnersarenowturningtheirattentiontofundingthemediaartsandeconomicincubatorelementsofthevision
AshevillersquosinterestinsupportingcommunitymediaarisesfromthepresenceoftheMountain Area Information Network(MAIN)Inthetraditionoftheruralcooperativesthathelpedspreadthereachofelectricityinthe1930sMAINisanonprofitInternetserviceproviderofferingreliablelow-costInternetservicebothinwesternNorthCarolinaandnationwideItisauniquecommunitynetworkwithabroadvisionofitsroleinthecommunitythatencompassesmedialiteracyeconomicdevelopmentstrategiescommunitylow-powerradioacommunity-basedwebportalandtheprovisionofInternetconnectivitytoruralwesternNorthCarolinaMAINislargelyresponsiblefortheremarkableexpansionofInternetaccessibilityinwesternNorthCarolinaallowingthousandsofpeopleto
GRCMChaspulledthediversecommunitymediaactivitiesofGrandRapidsunderoneorganizationalumbrella
spendtheirInternetaccessdollarswithalocallycontrolledandaccountableorganizationMAINdemonstratesthevalueofthecommunitynetworkingconcepttoareasthatarelagginginconnectivityduetofailuresofthemarket
MAINhastakenaleadershiproleinbuildingacommunitymediacultureinAshevillethatdemonstratestheeasewithwhichdigitalmedialeapsorganizationalboundariesItscommunitynetworkrunstheBlueRidgeWebMarketwhichprovidesafreecustomizableInternetpresencetohundredsofsmallbusinessesthroughoutwesternNorthCarolinaItsLatinoDigitalLiteracyProjectofferstrainingtohelpthearearsquosgrowingLatinopopula-tionsaccesstheInternetMAINhasbeenoneofthekeypartnersinbringingacableaccesscentertoAshevilleandhasbeenthedrivingforcebehindWPVMWNCrsquoslow-powerFMradiostationbroadcastinglocalnewsviewsandmusicover-the-airintheAshevilleregion(andtheworldviawebcast)
Cleveland OhioPerhapsthemostrobustcommunity-basednonprofitnetworkintheUnitedStatesOne ClevelandprovideswhatitcallsldquoultrabroadbandnetworkingservicesrdquotoClevelandareaeducationgovernmentresearchartscultureandhealthcareorganizationsOneClevelandoperatesafibernetworkringthatcoversmuchofthecityofClevelandandmanyofitssurroundingsuburbsSubscriberstothenetworkconnectatgigabitspeeds
OneClevelandrepresentswhatcanhappenwhenpowerfulcommunitydevelopmentforcescometoaconsensusregardingtheircommunityrsquosneedforhigh-speedconnectivitytoglobaleconomiesandmediaItsfoundersareClevelandmainstreaminstitutionsCaseWesternReserveUniversityCuyahogaCommunityCollegeClevelandStateUniversityTheCityofClevelandGreaterClevelandRegionalTransitAuthorityideastreamCuyahogaCountyPublicLibraryandNorTechThenetworkhasformedrelationshipswithtechnologycompaniestomaintainup-to-dateapplicationsthatleveragethepotentialofsuchapowerfulnetwork
Oneofthenetworkrsquoskeypartners ideastream illustratesthesignificanceofworkingtogethertomakehigh-speedconnectivitypubliclyavailablethroughoutacommunityonitsowntermsBybuildingahigh-speednet-workOneClevelandhascreatedacivicnetworkspaceandinfrastructurethatallowsanewkindofmultimediapublicmediaorganizationtobecreatedIdeastreamresultedwhenWVIZPBSTelevisionand903WCPNRadiopublicbroad-castersmergedtoformanewnonprofitldquomultimediapublicserviceorganizationrdquoIdeastreamisabletoextenditsmediaexpertisebeyondbroadcastingtoonlinetechnologiesandapplicationsofalltypesmdashwhenyouareconnectingtothenetworkatthegigabitspeedsofOneClevelandrsquostherangeofapplicationsandtheirpotentialarehuge
MAINhastakenaleadershiproleinbuildingacommunitymediacultureinAshevillethatdemonstratestheeasewithwhichdigitalmedialeapsorganizationalboundaries
OneClevelandrepresentswhatcanhappenwhenpowerfulcommunitydevelopmentforcescometoaconsensusregardingtheircommunityrsquosneedforhigh-speedconnectivitytoglobaleconomiesandmedia
Inthecourseofpreparingthisreportndashpouringovertheliteratureandsynthesizinghoursofstructuredround-tableconversationsandone-on-oneinterviewswith
opinionleadersandsuccessfulpractitionersofcommunitymediandashonethingisextremelyclearThewayoursocietymakesandsharesinformationknowledgeandcultureisinaheightenedstateofchangeTheinteractivenatureoftheInternethasdemonstratedthatitispossibletoorganizecommunicationsinamuchmoredemocraticfashionSomehaveconcludedwearewitnessingthetransitionfromanindustrializedinformationenvironmenttoanetworkedinformationenvironmentTheoldindustrialmediastruc-turesbasedonexclusivehigh-costproductionprocessesarebeingchallengedbyanemergingmediasectorinwhichthecostofcreatinginformationknowledgeandculturehasbeenprofoundlyreducedandtheproductsareintercon-nectedwidelythroughnetworksliketheInternet(Benkler2006)IndeedthereisincreasingevidencethatthesenewmediaanddigitalnetworksareparticularlyconducivetononcommercialandnonprofitculturalproductionaswellasmoreparticipatoryandcollaborativemediapracticesInmanywaysthelong-standingvaluesandintentofcommu-nitymediaforeshadowthisnewmediaenvironment
ThescanresearchfocusedonfourkeyareasofinquiryWhataretheuniquecharacteristicsthatdistin-guishcommunitymediaWhatmakesmedia-communitycollaborationssuccessfulWhattypesofcommunitymediaorganizationsbestleveragenewtechnologiesHowmightcommunitymediaengageunderservedpopulationsinprogrammingtailoredtotheirneedsIneachinstancewefoundthatcommunitymediacombinedwithgreaterafford-ablebandwidthandopen-sourceapproachestoproductiondohavetremendouscommunitydevelopmentpotentialHowevernoneofthatpotentialwillcomeaboutmagicallyThecommunitymediasectorisfacingthechallengingtaskofmanagingextensivechangeandtransformation
chAllengesThesuccessdisappointmentsandsocialvalueofthepastsixtyyearsofcommunitymediainitiativesmustbejudgedinhistoricalcontextConsistentmisrepresentationinthemainstreammediaandlimitedunaccommodatingsocialpolicyhaveresultedininadequatevisibilityandfinancialsupportforcommunitymediaAnydiscussionofitssuccessesorfailuresmustincorporateanunderstand-
ingoftheseexternalconstraintsInthislighttheexistingexpressionsofcommunitymediaattheirbestarewildlysuccessfulsocialexperimentsgivingcauseforgreatoptimism
NeverthelesscommunitymediafacebothexternalandinternalchallengesTheinternalchallengesarisefromstructuraltensionsthatoccurinanyattempttocreateorganizationsandculturesthatembodydiversitydemocraticexpressionandequitableaccessRatherthanbeingexpressedasldquoweaknessesrdquoasissooftenthecaseinmainstreammediaandacademiatheseinternaltensionsaremoreproperlyunderstoodaspredictabledevelopmentalproblemsandopportunitiesthatpractitionersshouldbepreparedtograpplewithinanycommunitymediasetting
Balancing Free Expression and Audience Development CommunityradioandpublicaccesscablehavehistoricallyprivilegedtheinterestsofproducersbygrantingthemgreatpoliticalfreedominmakingdecisionsregardingwhatprogrammingtocreateandwhataestheticandformattingapproachestouseThetrade-offforacultureofactivistvolunteerismandfreeexpressionhasbeensmalleraudi-encesandlowerlevelsofproductionandprogramsupportProgramproducerscarryanintensecommitmenttoindi-vidualownershipoftheirprogramminginitiativesthatmaynottaketheaudiencersquosinterestsfullytoheart
Whiletheseapproachesinradioandcableaccesshaveresultedinadiversityofprogrammingandpoliticalviewpointstheyhavealsopreventedradiostationpro-grammersorcableaccessorganizationsfrombuildingaflowofprogramsthatcandefineandconstructanongoingaudienceinthecommunityEachprogramorscheduledprogramslotcarriesitsownmicroaudienceldquofragmentedpublicsrdquothatareoftennotpartofanintegratedflowofpro-grammingthatattractsanaudiencetothechannelsoverall(Higgins2002)
Freeexpressionandaudiencedevelopmentarenotmutuallyexclusivenordoparticipatorymanagementstructuresvolunteerinvolvementandproducertrain-ingprogramsneedtoimpedeaudiencedevelopmentThesuccessofAmyGoodmanandDemocracyNowsoundlydemonstratesthisInfactmanycommunitymediaorgani-zationshavecreatedprogramminginitiativesthatcombinesophisticatedmeasurementsofsocialoutcomeswith
conclusions
trainingandparticipatoryprogramplanningTheyhavenotonlyraisedthesocialvalueoftheirprogrammingtotheircommunitiestheyhavealsoincreasedthesizeandloyaltyoftheiraudiences(Aufderheide2003)Asinteractivemediabegintocreatetheconditionswherenicheprogram-mingcanbefarmoresuccessfulthetensionbetweenfreeexpressionandaudiencedevelopmentisnotonlyachal-lengebutalsoatremendousopportunity
Programming MetricsStillroundtableparticipantsrepeatedlynotedthatevenwhenprogrammingmeetscommunityneedscommunitymediaorganizationscanfinditdifficulttodocumentimpactTheyfeltthatfundershavegenerallynotyetaddressedtheroleofmediainpopularcultureorthepowerofpopularcultureinaddressingsocialproblemsInaddi-tionfundersfindithardtoestablishcost-benefitmeasuresofsocialimpactfortheirmediaexpenditures
ParticipantsaskedformodelsofaudiencefeedbackandoutcomesmeasurementthatgobeyondaudiencenumbersTheyacknowledgedthedifficultyofquantify-ingnotionsofsuccesswhichtendtobeverysubjectiveandofusingsuccessstoriesinthecommonprogrammingmetricsofthedayManyrecognizedskepticismamongfundersabouttheimportanceofcommunitymediaasuspicionaboutagendasandafearofthecostsinvolvedmakingcommunitymediaahardsellEventhoughafewgoodevaluationeffortswereacknowledgedtheircollectiveresultshavenotbeenincorporatedintothethinkingofthewiderfundingcommunity
FundingMulti-yearstablefundingsupportforcommunitymediainitiativesiscriticaltostabilityinnovationandgrowthRoundtableparticipantsdiscussednumerousinstancesinwhichprojectswithmulti-yearsupporthadpowerfulpositiveimpactsextendingbeyondtheinitialprojectgoalsMulti-yearfundingcreatesthestabilitytoundertakeproperstrategicplanningandpartnershipdevelopment
Thereissomeearlyevidencethatamultiple-plat-formnonprofit-orientednichemarketcouldemergeasasignificantopportunitytoprovideenhancedrevenueforthecommunityandnoncommercialmediasectorsTheinterac-tivecapacityofthenewnetworkssignificantlyincreasestherevenuepotentialforcooperativeandsubscription-styleprogrammingflowsHoweverstrongmarketsforcommer-ciallyfundedparticipatorycommunityexpressionhavenotyetemergedinthedigitaleraduetothelimitedsizeofpopulationsandavailableadvertisingsupportIfthereistobeavitalsectorofcommunity-basedmediasomeformofsignificantpublicfundingwillbenecessaryevenininstanceswherecommunitymediaorganizationsmightrealizesignificantrevenuefromnewmarketsInordertomakethemostefficientuseofpublicfundingcommuni-tiesmustevolvefundingandgovernancestructuresforcommunitymediathatcanfacilitatetheaggregationoffundscoordinatemultiple-organizationprojectsandactastrustedconvenersofprogramminganddevelopmentdiscus-sionsincommunities
Policy ThreatsWhiletheconvergenceoftechnologyandpracticescreatesincreasingpotentialsforaunifiedcommunitymediasectorthereisunfortunatelynocohesiveandunifiednationalpolicyframeworkforcommunitymediaThegovernmentpoliciesandregulationsthatexistforcommunitymediahavebeenretrofittedinthearenasofUSbroadcastingandtelephonypolicyWhiletheyrepresenthard-wonpoliticalvictoriesandstrategicinsighttheydonotaddresstheneedsofcommunitymediainaholisticway
Inthecurrentpoliticalclimatebroadcastmediaownershipcontrolandprogrammingwillcontinuetobecentralizedinfewercorporationsleavingcommunitieswithlessoptionsforcontrollingtheirlocalmediaenviron-mentsAtthesametimethetelephonecompanieswillenterthemarketforvideotelephonyandbroadbandbydeployinghigh-capacitydigitaltelevisionnetworksinmanycommunitiesintheUnitedStates
ThecurrenttrendofcentralizationinUStele-communicationspolicyisthreateningtheabilityoflocal
Freeexpressionandaudiencedevelopmentarenotmutuallyexclusivenordoparticipatorymanagementstructuresvolunteerinvolvementandproducertrainingprogramsneedtoimpedeaudiencedevelopment
Communitymediaorganizationscanfinditdifficulttodocumentimpact
governmentstomandatecommunity-basedcommunica-tionsnetworksandprogramminginitiativesasrentonthepublicrights-of-wayThesefundingmechanismscurrentlysupportPublicEducationandGovernment(PEG)accesscabletelevisioncentersmediaartscentersandmanymunicipalcommunicationnetworksWhilefarfromperfectregulatorymechanismstheyareoneofthemostsuccess-fulformsofpublicmediasupporttoariseinthelastthirtyyears
Overthenextfiveyearsthesesuccessfulfundingstrategieswillbeunderheavyattackbythetelephonecom-paniesandthecabletelevisionindustryinastrugglewithgovernmentsforcommunitycontrolofthepublicrights-of-wayThesamedynamicthreatensequitableInternetaccessIncreasinglybroadbandcommunitynetworksaremunicipallyownedormandatedWhilesomeofthesemunicipalbroadbandnetworksweredeployedforinternalmunicipalpurposestimehasshownthatsuchnetworkscanserveanumberofnon-governmentalcommunity-basedpurposesincludingwirelessISPconnectionsforresidentsbusinessesandvisitorsManycommunitiesareseeking(andsomehaveobtained)ldquoCommunityBenefitsAgreementsrdquowithproposedwirelessbroadbandvendorsthatsetasideasmallfranchisefeeongrossrevenuestosupportdigitalinclusionactivitiesfollowingtheexampleofcablecompaniessupportofPEGaccessHowevermunicipalbroadbandandmunicipalwirelessareunderattackbyindustriestryingtoreservethesedevelopmentrightsforthemselves
Theoutcomeofthedebatesaroundcontroloftherights-of-waywillhaveasignificantimpactonthefuturepathofcommunitymediadevelopmentThesedebateswillrangeacrosstheregulatoryspectrumtheyarenowbeingwagedinlocalstateandnationallegislativearenasandthecourtsTheresultingcommunicationsinfrastruc-tureandregulatoryframeworkwillbeabletorealizethepotentialsofcommunitymediaifandonlyifcommunitiesareabletotakeleadershipinprovidingsubstantialpublicaswellasprivatefundingAsanoldtruismnotesldquomoneyispolicyrdquo
Therearenopoliticalortechnicalguaranteesthatdigitalmedianetworkswillremainopenandparticipa-toryastheyevolveItisunlikelythatmarketforcesalone
willservetorealizethedemocraticpotentialoftodayrsquosparticipatorymediatechnologyBuildingarobustsectorofcommunity-baseddemocraticnewmediawillrequireeffectivecitizenactivismclearandresponsivegovern-mentpoliciesandeffectivepoliticalstrategiesCommunitymedianeedsseparaterecognitionandsupportwithinfed-eralstateandlocalcommunicationspolicyandregulatorystructuresinordertoensureequitableandstablefundinganddevelopment
models for the futureThegovernmentregulationsandsubsidiesthatunderpincommunitymediahaveevolvedinahodgepodgefashionoverthepastsixtyyearsItcanbearguedthatcommunitymediashouldbetreatedasaseparatesectorwithinte-gratedfundingstructuresconsistentinfrastructureandtaxandsubsidypoliciesthatareseparateanddistinctfromexistinglocalmediapoliciesandalsofromthepoliciesunderpinningpublicbroadcastingPossiblemodelsforamoreunifiedapproacharenumerousbuttwoappearpar-ticularlywellsuitedtocommunitymediarsquosdiverseformsorganizationsandprogrammingapproaches
Public Funding FindingappropriatemethodsofincreasingpublicfundingforcommunitymediainashiftingregulatoryenvironmentiscrucialCurrentlocalcablefranchisingregulationstosupportcableaccessandthecommunitybenefitsagree-mentsofmunicipalwirelessnetworksoffersuccessfulmodelsbutarenowbothunderattackThelawsrequiringcommercialcableproviderstosetasidebandwidthchan-nelcapacityforthepublicinadditiontooperatingfundingbasedonapercentageofcommercialrevenuescouldbeextendedtoincludevoicevideoanddataEssentiallythenanycommercialproviderusingthepublicrights-of-wayorthewirelessspectrumwouldberequiredtocontributeanequitablepercentageofbandwidthandrev-enuetosupportthecommunitycommunicationssector
Community Media DevelopmentAdequatelevelsoffundingareonlypartoftheequationWhilefundingshouldsupporttheoverallgrowthofthe
Thereisunfortunatelynocohesiveandunifiednationalpolicyframe-workforcommunitymedia
setasidebandwidthchannelcapacityforthepublicinadditiontooperatingfunding
communitymediasectorinasensiblefashionanyfundingsolutionmustaddressthedifficultynowexperiencedbyfundersindealingwithcommunitymediahowtoprovideoverallsupporttoasectormadeupofsmallindependentorganizationswithanextremelydiversesetoffundingsourcesandmissionsOneeconomicdevelopmentapproachseemsparticularlyusefulhereProgressivecommunityeconomicdevelopmentstrategieshaveevolvedtosupportthegrowthofadiversityofsmallenterpriseswithinacom-monsectorwhilerecognizingthattheseenterprisescanatdifferenttimesbecollaboratorspartnersorcompetitorsSimilarstrategiescanguidedevelopmentofthecommunitymediasector
Thereareatleasttwoshort-termstepsthatcouldassistinthedevelopmentofcommunitymediaorgani-zationsandsupporttheircitizensrsquoabilitytocopewithcommercialmediaandinformationsaturationOneisforcommunitiestobuildorsecureaffordablebroadbandandwirelessnetworkinfrastructurewithastrongcommu-nitybenefitsagreementinsupportofdigitalinclusionHundredsofcommunitiesacrossthecountryeitherhaveorarelaunchingsuchwirelesscommunitynetworksmanyincollaborationwithwirelessvendorswhoinordertowinaservicecontractwiththemunicipalityinquestionaresup-portingdigitalliteracytraininginexpensiverefurbishedcomputersandlocalcontentdevelopmentndashinshortprogramsofdigitalinclusionandexcellence
AsecondopportunityidentifiedbyroundtableparticipantsisthepotentialforanationalsupportnetworkforexistingcommunitymediaorganizationsAnationalsupportnetworklinkingcommunitiesandtheircommu-
nitymediapractitionersandinstitutionscouldfacilitatearangeofactivitiesincludinglocal-to-localcommunicationorexchangesofinformationandprogrammingbetweencommunitiesvirtualspaceforanationalnetworkofcommunitymediaorganizationstohelptoorganizeuni-fiedpolicyadvocacywiderdistributionofpastproductsformationofissue-responseteamstoadvanceinterestsofcommunitygroupsandtapintolocalresourcesandshareddirectoriesofpractitionerstrainersandfacilitiesConveningleadersfromtheaggregatorsandassociationsservingcommunitymediaintheirvariousforms(listedinAppendix2)mightbeagoodnextsteptoexplorethisopportunity
the promiseThepracticeofcommunitymediahasmanagedtogrowandevolveoverthepastsixtyyearsdespiteunevenandgenerallylowlevelsofsupportandinconsistentgovernmentpoliciesEllieRenniearesearchfellowattheInstituteforSocialResearchSwinburneUniversityofTechnologyhaswrittenthatcommunitymediaareoftendefinednegativelyforwhattheyareopposedtoratherthanpositivelyforwhattheyhaveachieved(Rennie2006)Weareawarethatcom-munitymediahaveoftenbeendismissedasmarginalandidiosyncraticbuttheexamplescitedinthisreportprovidepowerfulevidencetothecontraryItistimetodefinecommunitymediabywhattheyhaveachievedCommunitymediaattheirbesthaveconsistentlydemonstratedtheirpotentialtoempowercommunitiesandindividualstoparticipateascitizensincommunityandeconomicdevelop-mentartseducationcommunitydialogandpoliticaldebateInmanyinstancestheyhavebecomecentralcul-turalsurvivalinstitutionsasourcommunitiesdealwiththeimpactofcommercialmediasaturationandglobalization
Duringtheroundtablediscussionsthattookplaceaspartofthisscanitwasobviousthatthevalueofcom-munitymediatocommunitiestranscendsthemeasurableeffectsofcivicengagementandcommunitydevelopmentCommunitymediacanallowindividualsincommunitiestohaveprofoundexperiencesofactivelyexpressingthem-selvesthroughmediaForpeoplewhohaveseenthemselvesaspassivereceptorsatthebottomofacascadeofpackagedmediaexperiencesandmessagesactiverepresentationoftheirownlivesandcircumstanceshasatransformativeeffectthatgoesbeyondsimplephraseslikeldquocivicengage-mentrdquoThevalueofcommunitymediatoindividualsandthecommunitiestheyliveinisincalculable
hellipaffordablebroadbandandwirelessnetworkinfrastructurewithastrongcommunitybenefitsagreement
anationalsupportnetworkforexistingcommunitymediaorganizations
Appendix 1 Community media empowerment StrategieS
empoWerment Activity ApproAch infrAstructure or venue
AccessAccesstocommunicationsinfrastructureproductiontools
MakingavailablemediaproductiontoolscomputerstelevisionandradiodistributionInternetsoftwarecommunitycommunicationsinfrastructuremeetingspacewebservers
Democraticcitizenaccesstocommunicationstoolsanddisseminationinfrastructure
CablebroadbandmunicipaltelecomInternetWiFiWiMAXlocalandpublicservicebroadcasting
AlternativeContent CreationofvideoaudiofilmwebsitesInternet-basedcitizenmediaP2Pmediabloggingsocialnetworkingsoftwaredatabasesandprintproduction
Contentpositionedtocounterorsupplementmassmediacontentandinformationfrommainstreamsources
AllplatformswithanincreasingexpansionwithinIPNetworksandcross-platformproductionanddissemination
CompetencyLiteracyMedialiteracyinformationliteracydigitalliteracyandculturalliteracy
Mediaartsandaestheticeducationlearningtogainacivicvoiceinamediaculturearticulationofmediabiasesengaginginmediaandpoliticsunderstandingcommoditycultureparentinginamedia-saturatedhome
Interventioninthecomplexmanipulationofsymbolsandculture
Allmassmediaprintelectronic
CommunityBuilding Workforcetrainingandskillbuildingmicro-enterprisedevelopmentbusinessinfrastructuredevelopment
Communityorganizingparticipatoryplanningdemocraticeconomicdevelopmentworkforceandinfrastructuredevelopment
Localmediamunicipaltelecominfrastructurecomputerandtechnologyincubatorsandtechnologycenters
0
Itisdifficulttounderstandthefullscopeofcommu-nitymediaculturewithoutknowingofthefollowingorganizationswhichsupportcommunitymediaand
independentmediapracticesTheyplayanumberofrolesasnationalassociationsrepresentingnetworksofcommu-nitymediaorganizationsandmediaartsorganizationsasproducernetworksandstrategiccommunicationsplannerslinkingcommunityorganizationswithcommunitymediaorganizationsasorganizationsofcommunityactivistsandproducersworkingtomoreeffectivelysupportandusecommunitymediaandascollaboratorsandpartnersincommunitydevelopmenttrainingandeducation
ActiveVoicehttpwwwactivevoicenet
AllianceforCommunityMediahttpwwwalliancecmorg
AssociationforCommunityNetworking
httpwwwafcnorg
CommunityMediaWorkshophttpwwwnewstipsorg
CommunityTechnologyCentersrsquoNetwork
httpwwwctcnetorg
DeepDishTVhttpdeepdishtvorg
FreeSpeechTVhttpwwwfreespeechorg
IndependentTelevisionServicehttpwwwitvsorg
IndependentMediaCenterIndymedia
httpwwwindymediaorg
LatinoPublicBroadcastinghttpwwwlpbporg
LinkTVhttplinktvorg
LPFMDatabasecom
httpwwwangelfirecomnj2piratejimlpfmhtml
MediaTankhttpwwwmediatankorg
MediaWorkingGrouphttpwwwmwgorg
NationalAllianceforMediaArtsandCulture
httpwwwnamacorg
NationalAsianAmericanTelecommunicationsAssochttp
asianamericanmediaorgindexhtml
NativeAmericanPublicTelecommunications
httpasianamericanmediaorgindexhtml
NationalBlackProgrammingConsortium
httpwwwnbpctv
NationalFederationofCommunityBroadcasters
httpwwwnfcborg
NationalPublicRadiohttpwwwnpr
NationalPublicTelecomputingNetworkhttpwwwnptnorg
PaperTigerTelevisionhttpwwwpapertigerorg
PacificIslandersinCommunications
httpwwwpiccomorg
PewCenterforCivicJournalismhttpwwwpewcenterorg
PrometheusRadioProject
httpwwwprometheusradioorg
PublicBroadcastingServicehttpwwwpbsorg
PublicRadioExchangehttpwwwprxorg
ReclaimtheMediahttpwwwreclaimthemediaorg
StarfishTelevisionNetworkhttpwwwstarfishtvorg
WebsitesofUSPEGAccessChannels
httpwwwbevcamorgpeg
WorldAssociationofCommunityRadioBroadcasters
httpwwwamarcorg
Appendix 2 aggregatorS and aSSoCiationS
Appalshophttpwwwappalshoporg
BayAreaVideoCoalitionhttpwwwbavcorg
BeyondMediaEducationhttpwwwbeyondmediaorg
CambridgeCommunityTelevisionhttpwwwcctvcambridgeorg
CasaGuatemalaMediaProjecthttpwwwcasaguatemalaorg
CharlotteObserverhttpwwwcharlottecom
ChicagoAccessNetworkTelevisionhttpwwwcantvorg
GrandRapidsCommunityMediaCenterhttpgrcmcorg
GrandNethttpwwwgrcmcorgnposervicesitphp
GRTVhttpwwwgrcmcorgtv
ideastreamhttpwwwideastreamorg
IFPMinnesotaCenterforMediaArtshttpwwwifpnorthorgabouthtml
IntermediaArtshttpwwwintermediaartsorg
KartemquinFilmshttpwwwkartemquincom
KBOOhttpwwwkbooorg
KFAIhttpwwwkfaiorg
LowellTelecommunicationsCenterhttpltcorg
ManhattanNeighborhoodNetworkhttpmnnorg
MediaArtsProjecthttpwwwthemaporg
MetroGovernmentCommunityMediaInitiativehttpwwwmetro-regionorg
MetropolitanAustinInteractiveNetworkhttpwwwmainorg
MinneapolisTelevisionNetworkhttpwwwmtnorg
MinnesotaChannelhttpwwwtptorgmnchannelnew
MinnesotaPublicRadiohttpminnesotapublicradioorghttpminnesotapublicradioorgpublicinsightjournalism
MountainAreaInformationNetworkhttpmainncus
MtHoodCableRegulatoryCommissionhttpwwwmhcrcorg
NewAmericaMediahttpnewsnewamericamediaorgnews
NewRoutestoCommunityHealthhttpwwwnewroutesorg
NorthwestFilmandVideoCenterhttpwwwnwfilmorg
OneClevelandhttpwwwoneclevelandorg
OregonPublicBroadcastinghttpwwwopborg
PortlandCommunityMediahttpwwwpcmtvorg
RadioArtehttpwwwwrteorg
SaintPaulNeighborhoodNetworkhttpwwwspnnorg
ScribeVideoCenterhttpwwwscribeorg
SoundPartnersforCommunityHealthhttpwwwsoundpartnersorg
StreetLevelYouthMediahttpwwwstreet-levelorg
TwinCitiesDailyPlanethttpwwwtcdailyplanetnet
TwinCitiesMediaAlliancehttpwwwtcmediaallianceorg
TwinCitiesPublicTelevisionhttpwwwtptorg
URTVhttpwwwurtvorg
WalkerArtCenterhttpwwwwalkerartorgindexwac
WCIW-LPhttppacificanetworkorgradiocontentview17542httpwwwciw-onlineorg
WGBHhttpwwwwgbhorg
WHYYhttpwhyyorg
WPVMhttpwwwwpvmorg
WYBEhttpwwwwybeorg
WYCEhttpwwwgrcmcorgradio
YouthChannelhttpwwwyouthchannelorg
Appendix 3 Community media praCtitionerSWebsitesofthosepractitionersmentionedinthetext
AndersonRachelBenton Digital Beat Extra Noncommercial Networks on DBSWashingtonDCBentonFoundation2000
AufderheidePatricialdquoCableAccessTVandthePublicSphererdquoinThe Daily Planet A Critic on the Capitalist Culture BeatMinneapolisandLondonUniversityofMinnesotaPress2000a
AufderheidePatriciaIn The Battle for Reality Social Documentaries in the USWashingtonDCAmericanUniversityCenterforSocialMedia2003
AufderheidePatricialdquoTheWhatandHowofPublicBroadcastingrdquoinThe Daily Planet A Critic on the Capitalist Culture BeatMinneapolisandLondonUniversityofMinnesotaPress2000b
AynteAbdirahmanldquoSomaliWebsitesACompetitiveAlternativeMediaandaFarcetoReckonWithrdquoHiiraan Onlinehttpwwwhiiraancomnews2006aprsomali_websitesaspx
AzzouzBushraTomChamberlinandMarleneFarnumThe Community Media Project Building Community through Media(Aproposedmodelforafive-yearinitiativetoproducelocaltelevisionprogrammingthatbroadensthedialogueonissuesimportanttotheOregoncommunityandcreatesastrongsenseofplace)PortlandORMetroDecember2000
BarlowWilliamldquoCommunityRadiointheUSTheStruggleForADemocraticMediumrdquoinMedia Culture and SocietyVol10(1988)
BenklerYochaiThe Wealth of Networks How Social Production Transforms Markets and FreedomNewHavenYaleUniversityPress2006
BentonFoundationDigital Alliances Partners in Public
Service Models for CollaborationUniversityParkPAThePennsylvaniaStateUniversity2002
BlauAndrewDeep Focus A Report on the Future of Independent MediaSanFranciscoNationalAllianceforMediaArtsandCulture2004
BowmanShayneandChrisWillisWe Media How Audiences Are Shaping the Future of News and InformationEditedbyJDLasicaRestonVATheMediaCenteratTheAmericanPressInstitute2003httpwwwhypergenenetwemediadownloadwe_mediapdf
BurnettRonldquoFromCommunityMediatoInternationalNetworksrdquoCritical Approaches to Culture + Communications + HypermediaNovember182005httpwwweciadca~rburnettWeblogarchives200511from_communityhtml
CanoAndrealdquoMicroradioAToolforCommunityEmpowermentrdquoinPublic Broadcasting and the Public InterestEditedbyMichaelPMcCauleyEricEPetersonBLeeArtzandDeeDeeHalleckLondonMESharpe2003
CarnegieCommissiononEducationalTelevisionPublic Television A Program for ActionNewYorkBantam1967
CastellsManuelThe Rise of the Network Society The Information Age Economy Society and CultureVolumes12amp3MaldenMABlackwellPublishersInc2005
ChesterJeffBeyond Broadcast Expanding Public Media in the Digital AgeWashingtonDCCenterforDigitalDemocracyFebruary2006httpwwwdemocraticmediaorgBBBBfrontphp
ChristensenPaulNanMcIntyreandLynnPikholzldquoBridgingCommunityandEconomicDevelopmentAStrategyforUsingIndustryClusterstoLinkNeighborhoodsandtheRegionalEconomyrdquo(reportfundedbytheFordFoundation)ClevelandShorebankEnterpriseGroup2005
ldquoCitizenJournalismrdquoissueofNieman ReportsCambridgeMATheNiemanFoundationforJournalismatHarvardUniversityVol59No4Winter2005eMprintNewsbookhttpwwwniemanharvardedureports05-4NRwinterNR05W_Citizen_Journalismpdf
City PagesldquoBestPublicAccessCableTVProgramSomaliTVrdquoBestoftheTwinCities2004MNApril282004httpcitypagescombestof2004artsandentertainmentbestof2379asp
bibliogrAphy
CruzRossanaReguilloldquoTheOracleintheCityBeliefsPracticesandSymbolicGeographiesrdquoinGlobal Cities of the South (Social Text)EditedbyAshleyDawsonandBrentHayesEdwardsTranslatedbyBrentHayesEdwardsandNoraNicoliniDurhamNCDukeUniversityPress81(Volume22Number4)Winter2004
DeLasCasasLucywithSimonBurallJohnMorrisonDavidKaleteandJagadanandaldquoGlobalMediaReformandAccountabilityReportfromtheNationalMediaReformConferencerdquoStLouis2005httpwwwoneworldtrustorgpagesdownloadcfmdid=281
DevineRobertHldquoVideoAccessandAgencyrdquoConferencepresentationTheNationalFederationofLocalCableProgrammersStPaulMNJuly171992
DirlinMartyandCathyMelioldquoTheGrassrootsRadioMovementintheUnitedStatesrdquoinPublic Broadcasting and the Public InterestEditedbyMichaelPMcCauleyEricEPetersonBLeeArtzandDeeDeeHalleckLondonMESharpe2003
DowningJohnDHwithTamaraVillarealFordGeneveGilandLauraSteinRadical Media Rebellious Communication and Social MovementsThousandOaksCASagePublications2001
EgerJohnldquoCreativeClustersandtheUrbanEconomyrdquoGovernment and Technology(February62006)httpwwwgovtechnetnewsnewsphpid=98345
EgerJohnMThe Creative Community Forging The Links Between Art Culture Commerce amp CommunityTheCaliforniaInstituteforSmartCommunitiesSanDiegoStateUniversity2005httpwwwsmartcommunitiesorgcreativeCreativeCommBroFINALpdf
EngelmanRalphPublic Radio and Television in America A Political HistoryThousandOaksCASagePublications1996
GillespieGilbertPublic Access Television in the United States and CanadaNewYorkPraegerPublishers1975
GillmorDanWe the Media Grassroots Journalism by the People for the PeopleSebastopolCAOrsquoReillyMediaInc2006
GrahamStephenandSimonMarvinTelecommunications and the City Electronic Spaces Urban PlacesLondonandNewYorkRoutledge1996
HalleckDeeDeeHand-Held Visions The Impossible Possibilities of Community MediaNewYorkFordhamUniversityPress2002
HigginsJohnWldquoAlternativeMediaandtheCultofIndividualismExperiencesfromUSPublicAccessTVrdquoPaperpresentedattheldquoOurMediardquopre-conferenceoftheInternationalAssociationforMediaandCommunicationResearchCommunityCommunicationSectionBarcelonaSpainJuly202002httpwwwourmedianetorgpapersom2002Higginsom2002pdf
HowleyKevinCommunity Media People Places and Communication TechnologiesCambridgeCambridgeUniversityPress2005
HoynesWilliamldquoThePBSBrandandtheMerchandisingofthePublicServicerdquoinPublic Broadcasting and the Public InterestEditedbyMichaelPMcCauleyEricEPetersonBLeeArtzandDeeDeeHalleckLondonMESharpe2003
JankowskiNicholasWldquoCommunityMediaResearchAQuestforTheoreticallyGroundedModelsrdquoThePublicVol1015(2003)httpmokkbmehucentreconferencesreactivismFPfpNJ
JankowskiNicholasWandOlePrehnedsCommunity Media in the Information Age Perspectives and ProspectsCresskillNJHamptonPress2002
LashScottThe Critique of InformationLondonSagePublications2002
ListerMartinJonDoveySethGiddingsIainGrantandKieranKellyNew Media A critical IntroductionLondonandNewYorkRoutledge2003
LloydMarkldquoRadioandLocalismWhatWhenWrongrdquoinContext(publishedbytheCenterforCommunicationsandCommunityUCLA)IssueNo4(WinterSpring2006)
MacintyreBenldquoWelcometotheNewTomPainesrdquoTimesOnlineNovember132004httpwwwtimesonlinecouktolcommentarticle390484ece
MaherVincentTowards a Critical Media Studies Approach to the BlogosphereNewMediaLabPublicationSchoolofJournalismandMediaStudiesRhodesUniversitySouthAfrica2006
MetroCommunity Media Project Evaluation Report PortlandORMetroJuly2004
MostStephenldquoBAVCandTheBigPicturerdquoinA Closer Look Media Arts 2002EditedbyHelenDeMichielSanFranciscoNationalAllianceforMediaArtsandCulture2002
NewAmericaMedialdquoEthnicMediainAmericaTheGiantHiddeninPlainSightrdquoPollconductedbyBendixenampAssociates2005httpnewsnewamericamediaorgnewsview_articlehtmlarticle_id=0443821787ac0210cbecebe8b1f576a3
OlsonBillThe History of Public Access Television2000httpwwwgeocitiescomiconostarhistory-public-access-TVhtml200415
PewCenterforCivicJournalismldquoDoingCivicJournalismrdquo2007httpwwwpewcenterorgdoingcj
PierceSteveldquoDBSandthePublicInterestOpportunityinSatelliteTelevisionrdquoinPublic Broadcasting and the Public InterestEditedbyMichaelPMcCauleyEricEPetersonBLeeArtzandDeeDeeHalleckLondonMESharpe2003
PhilipsSusanldquoTrueCommunityTowardaCollaborativeEthosScribersquoslsquoTrueCommunityVisionrsquordquoinA Closer Look Media Arts 2002EditedbyHelenDeMichielSanFranciscoNationalAllianceforMediaArtsandCulture2002
PorterMichaelEldquoLocationCompetitionandEconomicDevelopmentLocalClustersinaGlobalEconomyrdquoEconomic Development Quarterly14no1(February2000)15-34
ProjectforExcellenceinJournalismldquoMajorTrendsrdquoinState of the News Media 2006 An Annual Report on American Journalismhttpwwwstateofthenewsmediaorg2006nar-rative_overview_eightaspcat=2ampmedia=1
PrometheusRadioProjectldquoOurFifthBarnraisingmdashWCIW-LPinImmokaleeFloridardquohttpprometheusradioorgcontentview48952006
RennieEllieCommunity Media A Global IntroductionLanhamMDRowmanandLittlefieldPublishers2006
RodriguezClemenciaFissures in the Mediascape An International Study of Citizenrsquos MediaCresskillNJHamptonPress2001
SchafferJanldquoCitizensMediaHasItReachedaTippingPointrdquoinldquoCitizenJournalismrdquoissueofNieman Reports CambridgeMATheNiemanFoundationforJournalismatHarvardUniversityVol59No4Winter2005aeMprintNewsbookhttpwwwniemanharvardedureports05-4NRwinterNR05W_Citizen_Journalismpdf
SchafferJanInterviewonThe NewsHour With Jim Lehrer PBSEveningNewsNovember162005b
SchulerDouglasldquoTheRiseofCommunityNetworksrdquoInternet WorldDecember1995
SchulerDougandPeterDayShaping the Network Society The New Role of Civil Society in CyberspaceCambridgeandLondonMITPress2004
ShirkyClayPower Laws Weblogs and Inequality EconomicsampCultureMediaampCommunityBlog2005OpenSourcehttpshirkycomwritingspowerlaw_webloghtml
ShirkyClaySocial Software and the Politics of GroupsEconomicsampCultureMediaampCommunityBlog2005OpenSourcehttpshirkycomwritingsgroup_politicshtml
Somerset-WardRichardBroadband Community Networks Building the Digital CommonsAreportfortheHaasCharitableTrustsPhiladelphia2005
Somerset-WardRichardConnecting Communities WashingtonDCBentonFoundation2000
Spannerworkse-bookWhat is Social MediaJanuary2007httpwwwspannerworkscomebooks
StarrJeroldMldquoPublicTelevisionintheDigitalAgeTownHallorCyberMallrdquoinPublic Broadcasting and the Public InterestEditedbyMichaelPMcCauleyEricEPetersonBLeeArtzandDeeDeeHalleckLondonMESharpe2003
SteinLauraldquoPublicAccessTelevisionandGrassrootsCommunicationintheUnitedStatesrdquoChapter20inRadical Media Rebellious Communication and Social MovmentsEditedbyJohnDowningThousandOaksCASagePublications2001
SussmanGeraldandJREstesldquoCommunityRadioinCommunityDevelopmentPortlandrsquosKBOORadiordquoinThe Portland Edge Challenges and Successes in Growing CommunitiesEditedbyConniePOzawaPortlandStateUniversityIslandPress2004
WhitneyJenniferldquoMakeMediaMakeRealTroubleWhatrsquosWrong(andRight)withIndymediardquoLiPMagazineJune212005httpwwwlipmagazine
orgarticlesfeatwhitney_indymedia_phtml
ii
TheBentonFoundationwouldliketothanktheRobertWoodJohnsonFoundationforsupportoftheroundtablediscussionsthatinformedthisreportandforitsten-yearsupportofSound Partners for Community Healthwhichinspiredthisreport
ThisreportbenefitedsignificantlyfromthethoughtfulreviewsonearlierdraftsprovidedbyThomClarkpresidentofCommunityMediaWorkshopHelenDeMichielco-directoroftheNationalAllianceforMediaArtsandCultureAnthonyRiddleexecutivedirectoroftheAllianceforCommunityMediaandRichardSomerset-WardformerBentonseniorfellowandfrequentwriterondigitalandbroadbanddevelopmentsWearealsogratefultoroundtablediscussionparticipantsinBostonChicagoMinneapolis-StPaulandPortlandOregonfortheirvaluableinsights
Acknowledgments
TheBentonFoundationworkstoarticulateapublicinterestvision
forthedigitalageanddemonstratethevalueofcommunicationsfor
solvingsocialproblems
BentonFoundation
1625KStreetNW11thfloor
WashingtonDC20006
(202)638-5770
wwwbentonorg
copy2007BentonFoundation
AfreePDFversionofthispublicationisavailableonlinefor
downloadatwwwbentonorg
BoardofDirectorsCharlesBentonElizabethDaleyAdrianne
BentonFurnissTerryGoddardLeeLynchHenryRiveraMichael
SmithWoodwardWickham
TrusteesCharlesBentonAdrianneBentonFurnissLeonard
Schrager
ResearchassistanceDanielMartinProjectManagerUniversityofMassachusettsBostonVISTACTCVISTAProjectJasonPramasGraduateResearcherUniversityofMassachusettsBostonJohnWMcCormackGraduatePolicyStudiesTacticalMediaProjectCommunityMediaandTechnologyProgramUniversityofMassachusettsBostonCollegeofPublicandCommunityServiceMediaWorkingGroupandRobMcCauslandDirectorofInformationampOrganizingServicesAllianceforCommunityMedia
EditingJudithWoodburnDesignGalePetersen
ThemediarevolutionpromisedforthepastfortyyearshasarrivedndashagainTheUnitedStatesisnowexperi-encingthethirdmajortechnicalandeconomicshift
initsmediaenvironmentsincethemid-1970sFourdecadesagothedominanceofahandfuloftelevisionbroadcastnetworkswasshatteredbytheemergenceofsatellite-linkedcabletelevisionInthe1990stheInternetsenttextanddataflowingaroundtheworldNowadecadelaterphotosaudioandvideoarebecomingaseasilytransmit-tedastextTheeraofpersonalelectroniccommunicationandbroadbandnetworksisathandandeveryaspectofourmediacultureisundergoingchange
Asmightbeexpectedthesetechnologicalshiftsarepromptingeconomicandpoliticalshiftsandwiththemfundamentalshiftsinthenatureofaudiencesandprogram-mingitselfGovernmentderegulationandincreasedconcentrationofownershiphavecreatedapowerfuleconomicincentivetoignorelocalprogrammingneedsAtthesametimelargeheterogeneousaudiencesarebecom-ingathingofthepastincreasinglymediaaremarketingtosegmentedaudiencesdistinguishedbyideologyclassethnicityorraceTheseaudiencesrarelycomeintocontactwithoneanotherorwithdisagreeableopinionsInsuchafragmentedmediaworldisthereanelectronicplacewherepeoplecanconveneascitizensCanthenewmediacreateapublicsquarewherepeoplecanbeheardndashandheareachother
TheanswerisyesCommunitiesacrossthecountryaretakingcontrolofmediaadaptingnewtechnologiestothesocialeconomiceducationalculturalandinforma-tionneedsoftheirresidentsInConnecting Communitiesa2000reportbyseniorfellowRichardSomerset-WardtheBentonFoundationdocumentedcommunity-mediaalli-ancesthataredeliveringpublicserviceseffectivelyThereportenvisionedadigitalbroadbandinteractivemulti-mediacommunityplatformthatwouldtaketheseservicestonewlevelsThatvisioniscomingtopass
Thisreportshinesaspotlightonmediathatgobeyondthestandardnotionsofmediainthepublicinteresttoembracepracticesthatincreasecitizenpar-ticipationinmediaproductiongovernanceandpolicyThereportsummarizesthefindingsofanationwidescanofeffectiveandemergingcommunitymediapracticesconductedbytheBentonFoundationincollaborationwiththeCommunityMediaandTechnologyProgramoftheUniversityofMassachusettsBostonThescanincludedananalysisoftrendsandemergingpracticescomparativeresearchanonlinesurveyofcommunitymediapractitio-nersone-on-oneinterviewswithpractitionersfundersandpolicymakersandtheinformationgleanedfromaseriesofroundtablediscussionswithcommunitymediapractitionersinBostonChicagoMinneapolisStPaulandPortlandOregon
ThroughoutthiseffortBentonsoughtinputonkeyaspectsofcommunitymediapracticewiththegoalofunderstandinghowcommunitymediacanbesustainedstrengthenedandexpandedThescanresearchfocusedonfourkeyareasofinquirybullWhataretheuniquecharacteristicsthatdistinguish
communitymediabullWhatmakesmedia-communitycollaborationssuccessfulbullWhattypesofcommunitymediaorganizationsbestlever-
agenewtechnologiesbullHowmightcommunitymediaengageunderservedpopula-
tionsinprogrammingtailoredtotheirneedsThescangrewoutoftheBentonFoundationrsquos
experiencewithSoundPartnersforCommunityHealtharegrantingprogramsupportedbytheRobertWoodJohnsonFoundationFortenyearsSoundPartnersnurturedcol-laborationsbetweencommunityhealthagenciesandlocalpublicbroadcasterstoimprovelocalhealthcarepracticesanddecision-makingThesuccessofSoundPartnersdem-
introduction
Insuchafragmentedmedia
worldisthereanelectronic
placewherepeoplecanconvene
ascitizensCanthenewmedia
createapublicsquarewhere
peoplecanbeheardndashandhear
eachother
onstratedthepowerofcommunitymediaandinspiredthefoundationtotakeadeeperlookatcollaborationopportuni-tiesandthepotentialformediawhosemissionistoserveandtransformthecommunitieswithinwhichtheyoperateThegoalofthescanistoprovideinspirationanddirectionnotonlyforcommunitiesnationwidebutalsotoinformthenextphaseofSoundPartnersThisphasecalledNewRoutestoCommunityHealthisanchoredinlocalpartner-shipsandpoisedtoincreasethehealthofnewimmigrantsandrefugeesbyinvolvingabroadrangeoflocalmediaandcivicinstitutionsintacklingthiscommunityrsquoscomplexproblemsandgivingvoicetoitsvulnerablenewresidents
Acrossthecountrycommunitiesarepartneringwithpublicbroadcastersprovidingcommunityradioandestab-lishinglow-powerradiostationsorganizingoncableaccesschannelsjoiningcommunitybroadbandnetworksandproducingforsatellite-deliveredpublicinterestchannelsInthisreportweexplorethelessonslearnedfromtheseimportantmdashbutoftenisolatedmdashexperimentsincom-munity-drivenmediaWehopethisreportwillhelpconnectpresentandfutureinnovatorswithoneanotherandwithresourcesthatcangetthemstartedandorsustainthem
Simplyputcommunitymediaaremediacreatedtoallowindividualstotellthestoriesandhavetheconversationsnecessaryfortheirownself-directed
developmentascitizens(Howley2005Jankowski2003Rennie2006)ThefacesandvoicesinthesestoriesandconversationsmaynotbeseenorheardanywhereelseChicagoroundtableparticipantsdescribedthisexperi-encewiththepowerfulphraseldquofirstvoicerdquoOftenitisthefirsttimeindividualshavespokenpubliclyorsharedtheirstories
defining chArActeristicsFourcharacteristicsarecommontothecommunitymediadescribedinthisreportthoughnooneorganizationcanfulfillalltheseidealsallofthetime
LocalismCommunitymediaarecreatedprimarilywithandbyresidentsofaspecificgeographicplaceTheyexplorelocalissuesTheyhelpdefinetheplaceswhereweliveandhowwerelatetooneanotherTheyreflectlocalvaluesandcul-tureBydefinitionasoneroundtableparticipantinBostonnotedcommunitymedialdquocanrsquotbeoutsourcedrdquo
Inthecurrentregulatoryandcommercialenviron-mentofmostmediaplatformstheimportanceofthiskeycharacteristiccanrsquotbeoverstatedLocalradioprogram-mingisoftenpipedinfromothercommunitiesandgivenanautomatedwrapperthatsimulateslocalismLocalbroadcasttelevisionhasbeengivenalmostcompleteregulatoryrelieffromitsminimalobligationstoservetheneedsoflocalcommunitiesSimilarlythecableandtele-phoneindustriesarepressingintheregulatoryarenatoberelievedoflocalcommunityserviceobligationsclaimingtheInternethassoempoweredlocalcitizensthatitisnolongernecessarytorequireothermediatosupportciviclife(Atthesametimetheseindustriesareseekinglegisla-tiontobarcommunitiesfromowningandbuildingtheirownwirelessandbroadbandInternetconnections)
FacedwiththesechangescommunitiesarelefttowonderhowtheycandiscovercreativewaysofpluggingintotheemergingmediaandknowledgeculturesItisnowwidelyrecognizedthattheinabilitytogainaccesstoinformationnetworksandglobalflowsofmediaarecriticalfactorsincreatingsocialinequality(Castells2005Lash2002)Failuretoaddresstheseconcernsinanetworked
societyplacesgeographiccommunitiesatriskofbecom-ingldquodumbterminalsrdquoratherthancreativeeconomicandculturalactorsinthenetworksnowemergingThequestionofldquowherearecommunitymediardquoiscriticalhereItcanbeansweredintwowaysasageographicplacendashaneigh-borhoodtowncitycountyorregionndashandasanonlinevirtualcommunityndashasocialnetworkofcommonintereststhatisnotparticularlyassociatedwithageographicplaceFailuretokeepthisdistinctionintheforewhenconsider-ingcommunitymediaputsgeographiccommunitiesatriskofbeingdisconnectedandmarginalizedlsquooffthenetworkrsquo
Withoutthepresenceoflocalinstitutionscommit-tedtosupportingcommunitiesintheireffortstograpplewithaglobalmediacultureandcreatedigitalinclusionitisunlikelythatthedemocraticpotentialofnetworkcommunicationscanberealizedThisreportfocusesonmediathatservelocalgeographicplacesplaceswhereadiversityofpeopleliveandareinevitablyassociatedwitheachothergroundedinunavoidablerichandcomplexsocialrelationshipsthatarefarfromtransparentsimpleormeresimulationsofintimacyinavirtualcommunica-tionsnetwork
Diverse ParticipationCommunitymediaaremission-driveninservicetothebroadercommunityTheyinsistontheinclusionofdiversevoiceswithinthecommunityandtheirproductionanddistributionprocessesemphasizecommunityparticipationTheyseekrepresentationoftherangeofdemographicsofitscitizensndashsocialeconomicethnicculturalpoliticalagendashintheirprogrammingAndthatprogrammingisnotmerelyaboutthecommunityitiscreatedincollaborationwiththecommunityCommunitymediainstitutionsseethemselvesasaccountableandaccessibletothepeopletheyserveandtheyembracetheiraudiencesascitizensinademocracywhoareentitledbothtoFirstAmendmentfreedomsandtocontrolovercontentTheirdemocraticprinciplesareoftenreflectedinparticipatorymanagementandgovernancestructures
Storytelling and DeliberationAsbothprocessandcontentstorytellingiscentraltocom-munitymediaandcanjump-startadeliberativeprocessamongcommunitymembersItcombatsalienationandiso-lationbyallowingaudiencememberstoexpresstheirstory
WhAt Are community mediA
aswellasliveinsomeoneelsersquosshoesItallowspartici-pantsandviewerstoderivebroadermeaningfrompersonalexperienceandprovidesin-depthcoverageofissuesonanintimatelevel
ThestorytellingishumanfromtheheartandnotnecessarilyobjectiveItiscreativeandenablesboldrawrelevantanddiversecontentcriticalforcivicdiscussionAtitsbestitisnotmerelyldquopersonalrdquomediabutoftenstorytellinginservicetolargercivicconcerns
ToframethecommunityrsquosstoriesandexperienceforcivicdiscoursecommunitymediaofteninitiatepublicconversationanddeliberationonimportantandcomplextopicsInthiswaycommunitymediaorganizationsareassumingtheroleofconvenersandauthenticatorsofinfor-mationsharinganddialoguerolesincreasinglybeinglostlocallyinderegulatedcommercialmedia
EmpowermentOnegoalofcommunitymediaistochallengenotionscon-veyedinmainstreammediaAccomplishingthisrequiresputtingcommunicationtoolsinthehandsofindividualssharingaccesswithnonprofessionalsandsupportingself-expressionandcommunitybuildingCommunitymediainstitutionsengageinempowermentindifferentwaysManyoffertrainingprogramstobuildthecapacityofcom-munitymemberstousemediatechnologiesothersassistcommunitiesingrapplingwithamedia-saturatedculturethroughmedialiteracytrainingyetothersemphasizeeco-nomicandworkforcedevelopmentthroughskillstrainingandcontentproductionByenablingcitizenstomakeandunderstandmediacommunitymediabecomeatoolforper-sonalcommunityandethnicexpressionanddevelopmentTheymayeveninspireaudiencestotakeactionleadingtopoliticaltransformationTheyreachthoseoutsidethemainstreamandprovideavoiceforthevoicelessThisdynamicmakestheprocessofcreationasimportantastheproduct(SeeAppendix1)
types of mediAWheredocommunitymediafitinthebroadermedialand-scapeThelanguageweusetotalkaboutmediaculture
andprogramminghasevolvedtokeeppacewithchangingmediaformstechnologyandpracticesIncreasinglythetermpublic mediaisusedtodistinguishmediathataresupportedbythepublicandthatallowthepublictoengageinciviclifeandhaveavoiceintheirdevelopmentWithinthisbroadunderstandingofpublicmediaseveraltermsdescribemediapracticesthatfacilitatepeoplersquosparticipa-tionascitizensCommunity mediaasdefinedabovefitseasilywithinthiscategoryAlsofallingundertheumbrellaofpublicmediaaretermslikealternative media inde-pendent media participatory media citizen mediaanddevelopment mediatheseareoverlappingpracticesthatemphasizevaryingprioritiesbutallmayalsoqualifyascommunitymedia
Forthepurposesofthisreportitisusefultospe-cificallydistinguishcommunitymediafromlocalmediaHerewehavefocusedoncommunitymediathatarelocalgeographicallybutwehavealsodefinedcommunitymediaasmediathatemphasizeinclusivenessandhaveauniquesetofparticipatorypractices
Itisalsousefultonotethatthetermscitizen mediaandcitizenrsquos mediahavetakenontwodifferentandimpor-tantmeaningsinrecentyearsNeithertermreferstomediathatareexclusivelylocalThepossessiveformcitizenrsquos media isatermusedbyscholarClemenciaRodriguezandotherstorefertotheuseofmediathatallowpeopletoacteffectivelyascitizensacrossthespectrumofdailylife(Rodriguez2001)Theothertermcitizen mediaisnowbeingusedwithintheworldofonlinecollaborativemediatorefertodecentralizedpracticesinvolvingvideoandaudiobloggingsocialsoftwareapplicationsandothercollab-orativemediatoolsPractitionersofonlinecollaborativemediahaveadoptedthelanguageandpracticesofpartici-patorymediaThecurrentvisibilityoftheblogospherehascontributedtothemisconceptionthatcitizenmediaandcommunitymediahavejustemergedwiththeInternetandthatparticipatorymediaareafunctionoftechnologyratherthanofpeopleactingascitizensThisconfusionfailstorecognizesixtyyearsofgrassrootsmediaexperience
Storytellingiscentraltocommunitymediaandcanjump-startadeliberativeprocessamongcommunitymembers
Byenablingcitizenstomakeandunderstandmediacommunitymediabecomeatoolforpersonalcommunityandethnicexpressionanddevelopment
CommunitymediaarenotlimitedtoanyparticularvenuesortechnologiesTheyreflectalonghistoryofadaptingnewmediatechnologiesastheyemergeEarlyexperimentsincommunityradiobeganinthe1940sand1950sAbroadermovementfollowedinthe1960swiththeuseofsmall-for-matvideofilmsoundrecordingandtheexpandedFMradiospectrumItcontinuedthroughthe1970sand1980swiththediversificationoftelevisiondistributionnetworksandlocalpubliceducationalandgovernmentchannelsoncableTodaycommunitymediaareavitalfeatureoftheelectronicmediaenvironmentFollowingarebriefdescrip-tionsandhistoricaloverviewsofdifferentplatformswhichprovidecontextforthecommunitymediaprofilescontainedinthisreport
Community RadioGroundedinearliereffortstopreservespectrumspaceforeducationalusescommunityradiofirstappearedinSanFranciscointhe1940swiththecreationofthePacificaFoundationrsquosKPFAradiostationThestationpioneeredanapproachtoradiothatcombinedresponsivenesstolisten-ersthroughsubscriptionfundingandcommunityservicewiththecreationofanopenforumforculturaljournal-isticandsocialexpressionSincethencommunityradioinitiativeshavebeendevelopedinmorethan225communi-tiesintheUnitedStatesandincountlesscommunitiesaroundtheworld
In1975communityradiotookonanationalinsti-tutionalexpressionwiththeformationofthe National Federation of Community Broadcasters(NFCB)anorganizationdedicatedtopromotingcommunityradiodevelopmentintheUnitedStatesThefederationadvo-catedcommunitycontrolnoncommercialownershipandvoluntaryparticipationintheoperationandprogrammingofcommunityradiostationsespeciallybypopulationsandgroupsthathistoricallyhadbeendeniedexpressionintheUnitedStatesNFCBprovidedtraininganddevelopmentsupporttoitsmemberstationsandundertookFederalCommunicationsCommission(FCC)advocacyontheirbehalfWithinadecadeNFCBhadseventymembersta-tionsand120associatemembersnationwide(Engelman1996)
Ascommunityradiohasevolvedindifferentcom-munitiesinterpretationsofitsmissionhaveexpandedtoincludestationsdedicatedtominoritycommunitiesandownershipforeignlanguagestationsdedicatedtospecificlanguagecommunitiesinalocaleandvaryingcommit-mentstocommunityinvolvementvolunteerproductionandfundingstrategiesWiththisdiversificationhascome
ideologicaldebateovercreepingcommercializationandprofessionalizationofthefieldHoweverdespitedisagree-mentsoverphilosophyandpracticescommunityradiostationsremainvitalpartsoftheircommunitiessupport-ingcivicparticipationandeducationcommunitybuildingandcommunitiesrsquosenseofthemselvesasuniqueplaces
RadiostationKFAIinMinneapolis-StPaulisonesuchstationAvolunteer-basedcommunityradiostationthatbroadcastsinformationartsandentertain-mentprogrammingitoffersaneclecticmixofprogramsincludingmusiclocalnewspoetryspokenwordpoliticalforumsandinterviewsKFAIemphasizesempowermentthroughtrainingItprovidesboardcertificationtrainingandworkshopsonannouncinginterviewingandprogramdevelopmenttovolunteersCoursesaretaughtinEnglishbutbilingualvolunteershaveaccesstoanyoftheon-airprogrammersforassistanceintheirownlanguage
Low-Power FMCommunityradioreachedanotherstagewiththedevel-opmentoflow-powerFMradioorLPFMTheLPFMmovementwasapoliticalresponsetoincreasingconsoli-dationoflocalradioownershipafterthepassageofthe1996CommunicationsActandasenseamongthoseinthegrassrootsradiomovementthatcommunityradiowasfallingpreytopressurefromtheCorporationforPublicBroadcasting(CPB)tobecomemoreaudience-drivenhomogenizedinprogrammingandprofessionalizedthuslessinterestedincommunityparticipation(Cano2003)Tocounterthesetrendsmediaactivistsbegansettingupmicro-powerradiostationsincommunitiesusinglow-powerbroadcasttransmitterswithanapproximateservicerangeofthree-and-a-halfmilesanareaoftenassmallasasingleneighborhood
In1998thegrowthofLPFMspurredthecreationofthePrometheus Radio Projectfoundedbyactiviststoassistcommunitygroupsinacquiringlow-powerFMradio
Communityradiostationsremainvitalpartsoftheircommunitiessupportingcivicparticipationandeducationcommunitybuildingandcommunitiesrsquosenseofthem-selvesasuniqueplaces
TheURLsoforganizationssetinboldfaceareprovidedinApendices2(aggregatorsassociations)and3(practitioners)
broadcastlicensesfromtheFCCandingettingtheirsta-tionsupandrunningoncetheywerelicensedAsaresultofthisactivismtheFCCofficiallyacknowledgedlow-powerFMinUSbroadcastingpolicyin2000LPFMstationsarenowlicensedfornoncommercialeducationalbroadcastingonlyandaconstructionpermitisrequiredbeforeaLPFMstationcanbebuiltoroperatedThelowcostoflow-powerradiohasallowedmanyorganizationswithstrongcommit-mentstocommunitycontrolnoncommercialgrassrootsfundingandparticipatoryproductionandmanagementprocessestoenterthecommunityradiomovement
WCIW-LPisalow-powerFMstationinImmokaleeFloridaoperatedbythe2500-memberCoalitionofImmokaleeWorkersItishardtoimagineabetterexampleofcommunityempowermentingrassrootsLPFMthanWCIW-LPItfocusesonacommunitythatisbothacommunityofworkersandageographiccommunitythestationandtransmitterarelocatedinthesamelotwherethecoalitionrsquosmembersboardbusesboundforthetomatofieldsofFloridaLaunchedin2003withthehelpofthePrometheusRadioProjectWCIW-LPproducesnewsedu-cationalprogramsandmusicinSpanishHaitianCreoleandindigenouslanguagesofMexicoandGuatemalaThestationisaprimaryorganizingtoolforthecommunityinitsdefenseoftherightsofLatinoHaitianandMayanIndianmigrantandimmigrantfarmworkers
Public BroadcastingUnlikemanylocationsinEuropeandCanadatheUnitedStateshasnotdevelopedastrongcommunity-focusedbroadcastingsectorseparatefrompublicbroadcastingPublicbroadcastingintheUnitedStatesislargelysynony-mouswiththePublic Broadcasting ServiceandNational Public RadioinstitutionsthatcameintoexistencewiththepassageofthePublicBroadcastingActof1967Theactestablishedafederalsystemoftelevisionandradioheavilydependentonfederalandcorporatefunding
Thoughembattledfromitsinceptionandsaddledwithacumbersomedecentralizedstructurepublicbroad-castinghasmanagedtosurviveandfindanimportantroleinAmericanmediaNeithergovernmentalnorcommercialinitsorientationyetheavilydependentoneachitprovidesvaluablenoncommercialprogramming(Aufderheide2000b)PublicradioandtelevisionhavealsoledthewayintheUnitedStatesintheinnovativeuseofdigitalandsatellitetechnologyThePBSwebsiteisconsideredtobethemostfrequentlyvisitednonprofitsiteontheInternet(Starr2003)
YetpublictelevisionandradiofallshortofthevisiondescribedinitsfoundingdocumentsTheywere
envisionedasldquohellipaforumfordebateandcontroversyrdquoaspaceforexpressionldquohellipforgroupsinthecommunitythatmayotherwisebeunheardrdquo(CarnegieCommissiononEducationalTelevision1967)AsJeffChestermediacriticandreformadvocatewritesldquoWhilepublicradioatitsbestcomesmuchclosertothisidealpublictelevisionappearstohavebecomeavictimofitsownsuccessndashfullofartistryandprofessionalismtobesurebutrarelythesourceofthelocalismdiversityandrisktakingthatitsfoundersenvisionedrdquo(Chester2006)Stillitisarguablethatpublicbroadcastingwouldnothavesurvivedtothepresenthaditinsistedonlivinguptotheparticipatoryvisionsofitsfounders
ThePublicBroadcastingServiceNationalPublicRadioandtheirmemberstationscannotuniformlybechar-acterizedascommunitymediaTheirprogrammingandmanagementstructureshavereflectedthetop-downnatureoftheirfundingandtheyhavetendedovertheyearstoemphasisprofessionalismandstationmanagementpreroga-tivesoveracommitmenttodiverselocalparticipationandcommunitybuilding(Engelman1996)
Publicbroadcastingholdsmanyexamplesofexem-plarycommunityprogrammingbutfewerexamplesofrobustprogramschedulingwithcommunity-orientedcom-munity-drivenandcommunity-createdprogrammingForinstance ldquoBasic Blackrdquo from WGBH in BostonwhichhaschronicledtheconcernedandcultureofAfrican-Americanssince1968andthemulticulturalweeklytalkshowsthatareastapleofWYBE inPhiladelphiaarenoteworthyforhavingcreateduniquelocalmediaspacesthatdofunc-tionascommunitymediaInthe1990sthenationalldquoNittyGrittyCityGrouprdquoattemptedtomovepublicbroadcastingbeyondprogramexcellencetobeinganagentforsocialchangeandameansforcitizenempowerment(Larson1993)ItworkedwithgrassrootsgroupstobringattentionandaccesstothecitizensoftheircommunitiesWhilethegroupnolongerexistsitspassionforcommunityengage-mentisstillaliveinstationpersonnelaroundthecountry
ItcanbeseeninmanyoftheSound Partners for Community HealthexperimentsincollaborationsbetweenpublicbroadcastersandcommunityhealthorganizationsNewhopefulexperimentsareunderwayfromCPBanditscommunityengagementinitiativewiththeHarwoodInstituteBroaderstationsuccessesinengagingcommu-nitymembersarechronicledinRichardSomerset-WardrsquosConnecting Communities(2000)andhismorerecentBroadband Community Networks(2005)ForexamplethereistremendouspotentialattheintersectionofpublicbroadcastingandonlinecollaborativemediaWHYYhasextendeditson-airradioandtelevisionprogramming
throughaphysicalandvirtualldquocivicspacerdquoinPhiladelphiaand ideastreamthemergeroftwopublicbroadcast-ersinClevelandoffersitsmultimediadigitalfacilitiesandexpertisetoClevelandrsquoscommunityinstitutionsandcitizensRadioprojectslikethePublic Radio Exchange andMinnesota Public Radiorsquos Public Insight Journalismareprovidinginterestingglimpsesofthepotentialofcol-laborativemediaforpublicradioEachexamplesuggeststhatpublicbroadcastinghasgreatpotentialandtechnicalcapacitytomovebeyondsimplenotionsofldquolocalismrdquotoamorerobuststanceofcivicengagementandparticipation
Cable AccessPublicaccesstelevisionorPublicEducationalandGovernment(PEG)accesstelevisionreferstoacollectionofentitiesthatprovidelocalcontentoverdedicatedchan-nelsoncabletelevisionsystemsintheUnitedStatesPEGaccessisrootedintheactivismofthe1960sand1970satimewhenpublicaccessadvocatesenjoyedamutuallysup-portiverelationshipwithanemergingcableindustryeagertodemonstrateitspotentialtodiversifytelevision
In1969theFederalCommunicationsCommissionsawthepotentialofcabletelevisiontoopenuptelevisiontomorelocalprogrammingandbeganrequiringlargercablesystemstodeveloplocalprogrammingexperimentsTheFCCrsquosfirstcomprehensiverulingonthecableindustryin1972includedrequirementsthatcablesystemsinthe100largesttelevisionmarketsdedicateatleastthreechannelsforpubliceducationandgovernmentaccessTherulingsetoffaroundofoptimisticcommunitymediaexperimentsnationwideButthisinformalpartnershipbetweencom-munitymediaadvocatesandthecableindustrycametoanabrupthaltin1979whentheSupremeCourtruledthattheFCChadexceededitsregulatoryauthorityinmandatingthatchannelsbededicatedtoPEGaccessTherulingdidnotpreventCongressandlocalgovernmentsfromrequiringnegotiatedaccesschannelshoweverandby1979accessadvocatesweresufficientlyorganizedtomakePEGastan-dardofferingofcabletelevision
BythistimethecableindustryhadenteredwhatarereferredtoasldquothegoldrushyearsrdquoThesuccessofHBOrsquossatellite-deliveredcableprogrammingservicedemon-stratedthataudienceswithgoodfreebroadcastreceptionwouldpaytoreceiveuninterruptedmoviesandsportsCablecompaniesvigorouslycompetedforfranchisesinthecountryrsquosmostpopulousareasIfalocalcommunityrsquosfranchiseauthorityexpressedadesireforPEGaccesschannelsinitsrequestforproposalsoftenthecablecompanieswouldrespondfavorablyInadditiontochannel
set-asidesarequirementthatoperatorsprovidefundingforequipmentandpublicinterestchanneloperationsbecameuniversalThoughmanyPEGaccesscentershavediversi-fiedtheirfundingsourcesthebulkoffundingforPEGaccesschanneloperationsandprogrammingcomesfromcongressionallyandmunicipallymandatedfeesinreturnfortheuseofpublicrights-of-way
Intheirearlyyearsthemorethan2000accesschannelstheninoperationwereadministeredinvariouswaysAfewcablecompanieswereabletocompetentlyundertakecommunity-basedmanagementofthesechan-nelsbutgenerallythecableindustryhadlittleappetiteorcapacitytosuccessfullymanagetheselocalchannelsInsomecasesthefranchiseauthorityitselfmanagedthechannelsInothercasesitwasthelibrarytheuniversitycommunitycollegeorhighschoolHoweveritsoonbecameclearthatthelocalcommunityneededtomanagethisnewcommunicationcapacityseparatefromcablecompaniesandgovernmentifitspotentialtocreatecommunitymediawastoberealizedTheindependentnonprofitcorporationeventuallybecamethestandardmanagementmodelamongcommunitymediaadvocatesTodaymostsuccessfulaccesscentersaremanagedthroughnonprofitcommunitygroups(Olson2000)
BecausepublicaccesschannelscarryFirstAmendmentprotectionallowinganyoneinthecommu-nitytoplaceprogrammingonthechannelswithoutbeingsubjecttopriorrestraintsomeprogrammingonthesechannelscanseemexceedinglystrangetotheuninitiatedMuchoftheprogrammingonpublicchannelsismadebynonprofessionalsandreflectstheidiosyncraticinterestsofproducersInrecentyearshoweverpublicaccesscentershaveastutelyexpandedtheirmissionsbeyondindividu-allyfocusedprogrammingtoaddresstheneedsofwholecommunitiesthroughmorecomplexnotionsofempower-mentandcommunitybuildingThishasmeantdevelopingmoreprogramminginpartnershipwithassociationsandnonprofitscommunitygroupsagenciesandeducationalinstitutionsthathaveaclearrelationshiptothelifeoftheircommunities(Rennie2006)Significantnumbersofaccesscentershavealsomovedtoincorporateothermediabeyondvideoandtocarryoutalargerrangeofmediaeducationandmediaartsactivitiesbeyondcableprogramming
OverthecourseofcableaccessdevelopmenttheAlliance for Community Media(ACM)hasconsistentlyprovidedbothpoliticalandprofessionalleadershiptothefieldofcableaccessFormedastheNationalFederationofLocalCableProgrammersin1978ACMquicklygrewtooccupyapresenceinWashingtonDCpolicycircles
andhassteadfastlyprovidedavoicefortheinterestsofthe2000accesscenterintheUSCurrentlytheACMisleadingthefightalongwithcitiesinfightingthewaveofstatewidelsquovideofranchisingrsquolegislationthroughwhichthetelephonecompaniesandcablecompaniesareattemptingtogainnear-monopolycontroloflocaltelecommunicationsmarketswhichwouldeffectivelyendcableaccessinmanycommunities
Manhattan Neighborhood Network(MNN)whichprovidespublicaccesscableservicesinManhattanisoneofagrowingnumberofcableaccesscentersintheUnitedStatesthathaveembracedabroadermissionofmultime-diaeducationandtrainingBeyonditscablechannelstelevisionstudiosandelectronicfieldproductionandpost-productionfacilitiesMNNfunctionsasacommunitymeetingandartsspaceandoperatesagrantingprogramandasupportnetworktositesthroughoutManhattanInrecentyearsMNNhasprovidedarichselectionofitsvideotoInternetstreamingItalsofeaturesaYouth Channeloneofthefirsttelevisionchannelstofacilitatecreativityandsocialandpoliticalparticipationamongdisadvantagedlow-incomeandminorityyouthbyprovidingthemwithaccesstoadedicatedchannelmediaproductionresourcesandtraining
Media Arts OrganizationsMediaartsorganizationswereorganizedinNorthAmericainthe1960sand1970sinresponsetotheavailabilityofnewmoreaffordableandmoreportablemediatech-nologiessuchasfilmvideoandcomputersMediaartsorganizationssupportartthatmakesuseoffilmvideoaudiomultimediaandinteractivemediaIndividualcen-tersoftenfocusononeortwoelementsofthetotalmediaartsinfrastructureprovidingsomecombinationofaccesstomediatoolsproductionproductiontrainingdistribu-tionarchivingandexhibitionofmediaart
Overtheyearscentershaveengagedinanincred-iblerangeofartisticpracticesembracingavantgardeexperimentationinfilmandvideodocumentariesnar-rativeandstorytellingcomputerartandinstallationsusingallmediaThesepracticesintersectwithcommunitymediaintheiremphasisonparticipatoryprogrammingdevelopment
ThehistoryofmediaartsorganizationsiscloselyentwinedwiththetrendsandpoliticsofpublicfundinganddevelopingtechnologyintheUnitedStatesEarlycentersoftenreceivedfoundationfundingtoexperimentwithspecificemergingtechnologiesparticularlyvideoThisinitialphaseofdevelopmentwasgivensignificantsupport
bytheMacArthurFoundationanditsmediaartsprogramfollowedbythecreationoftheNationalEndowmentfortheArtswhichinturnbeganaprogramofconsistentsupportformediaartsorganizationsnationwideTheperiodwasmarkedbythelong-termsupportbyMacArthurFoundationrelativelystablegrowthandaheadyrangeofartisticprac-ticeandexperimentation
Inthepoliticallyconservativeclimateoftheearly1990sasfundersbecameincreasinglywaryofsupportingartthatmightprovecontroversialtheNationalEndowmentfortheArtsgraduallywithdrewmostfundingforthemediaartsBytheendofthedecadetheMacArthurFoundationoneofthemediaartsrsquomostconsistentfundersendeditsyearlysupportformediaartsorganizationsclosingtheeraandforcingaperiodofdevelopmentdiversificationandrestructuringformediaartsorganizations
ThefieldhasprovenextremelyresilientTodaythefieldofmediaartsismadeupofamorediverseandmaturearrayofnonprofitorganizationsandartspracticesAlthoughmediaartsorganizationsnowplacemoreempha-sisonearnedincomeanddiversefundingsourcestheycontinuetobevitalculturalcentersprovidingcommunitiesaccesstobothmediafacilitiesandafullrangeofmediaculturalexperiencesMediaartsorganizationslikeScribeinPhiladelphiaandAppalshopinWhitesburgKentuckyforexamplehavenavigatedthetechnologicalandfundingshiftsofthepastthreedecadeswithsurprisingcreativityandsavvy
TheScribe Video CenterinPhiladelphiawhichemergedin1982duringthemediaartsheydayperseveredthroughtheupsetsofthe1990stobecomeanextraordinaryexampleofwhatasocialassetamediaartscentercanbeforacommunityScribereachesouttocommunitiesincludingpeopleofcolorwomenseniorcitizensandteensthattraditionallyhavenothadaccesstovideotrainingorproductionfacilitiesandprovidesthemtoolsforstorytell-ingInadditiontoproductionandscriptwritingworkshopsScribeoffersartistsrsquoservicessuchasfiscalsponsorshipequipmentrentalandeditingfacilitiesOngoingprogramsincludeCommunityVisionsavideoproductionprogramforcommunityorganizationsStreetMoviesafreeoutdoorneighborhood-basedscreeningseriesandtheProducersrsquoForumscreeningandlectureseriesofvisitingartistsandmediaactivistsAdditionallyScribeproducestheDocumentaryHistoryProjectforYouthanannualproduc-tionworkshopformiddleandhighschoolstudents
AppalshopinWhitesburgKentuckyisoneoftheoldestmediaartsorganizationsintheUnitedStatesAsitswebsiteindicatesAppalshopwasfoundedin1969to
enablepeopletousemediatotelltheirownstoriesinordertoldquosolvetheirownproblemsrdquoIthasbecomeanationallyrecognizedmediacenterworkinginfilmvideoaudioandmusicrecordingsliteraturetheaterliveperformanceandradioallfocusedonAppalachiancultureItsworkdocumentstraditionalartsexploreshistoryandaddressessocialissuesthataffecttheAppalachianregiontodayAppalshopprovidesregionallyandnationallyfocusededu-cationandtrainingprogramsTwoofthemostnotablearetheAppalachianMediaInstituteayouthmediatraininginitiativeandCommunityMediaInstitutewhichworkswithgrassrootsgroupsandpublicinterestorganizationsfromtheregionandnationallytoaccomplishstrategiccom-municationplanningaroundsocialjusticeorganizing
TheNational Alliance for Media Arts and CulturehasconsistentlyprovidedthoughtfulleadershiptothemediaartsfieldthroughtechnicalassistanceprogramsandstrategicplanninginitiativesItsDeepFocusprojectin2004usedscenarioplanningtoenvisionthefutureofmediaarts(Blau2004)Asaresultofthiskindofworktheearlynetworkofmediaartsorganizationshasexpandedtoincludeover274mediaartsorganizationsThisrepre-sentsasignificantbroadeningofthefieldofmediaartsencompassingmanysmallermediaartsorganizationswithspecificartisticculturalorcommunityobjectivesThemediaartsfieldhasmostrecentlyseentheemergenceofmanyyouthmediaorganizationswiththecriticalmissionofcreatingmedialiteracysurvivalskillsforyoungpeopleastheynavigatethemediasaturatedsocialenvironmentofthetwenty-firstcentury
Ethnic MediaEthnicmediarepresentagrowingvitalsectorofAmericanelectronicmediathatintersectswithcommunitymediainanumberofimportantwaysHistoricallyethnicmediaout-letshavearisenontheperipheryofUSbroadcastingoftenwithoutnetworkaffiliationtoservepopulationsthatdonothaveaccesstomainstreammediaandpopularcultureThesehaveincludednewimmigrantgroupsnon-Englishlanguagegroupsthepoliticallyoppressedandpopulationsstrivingtomaintainculturaltraditionsandtiestotheirhomelandswhileadaptingtoanewsociety
ThatpatternhasrepeatedwaxedandwanedasdifferentpopulationshavecometotheUnitedStatesinthepastcenturyThekeyhistoricalintersectionbetweencommunitymediaandethnicmedialiesintheearlyyearsofcommunityradiofollowingWorldWarIIwhenawaveofBlackradiostationsandformatsfilledspacecreatedintheshiftingmedialandscapebytheintroductionoftelevision
ThisshiftbroughtawaveofBlackinvestmentandprogramexperimentationthatseriouslyinfluencedthekindsofcommunityradioprogrammingthatevolvedintheUnitedStatesToalargeextenttheimprovisationalradioformatscombiningmusicandpoliticaltalkcultureandcur-rentaffairswerefirstworkedoutinpost-warBlackradio(Barlow1988Lloyd2006)
Ethnicmediaencompassescommercialandnoncom-mercialmediahugemultinationalsandsmalllocallyownedoperationsEthnicandcommunitymediaoftenintersectgeographicallyEthnicgroupsoftenidentifywithaspecificplaceandusemediatoarticulateasenseofsolidarityinthoseplacesLikecommunitymediaethnicmediafrequentlyembodyparticipatoryapproachestopro-grammingandproductionandareoftenresponsestodeepdissatisfactionwiththeownershipstructuresandbiasesofthemainstreammedia
OneofthemostsignificantongoingsourcesforethnicmediahasbeentheCorporationforPublicBroadcastingthroughitsfundingofthefivemembersoftheNationalMinorityConsortiaNational Asian American Telecommunications Association National Black Programming Consortium Native American Public Telecommunications Pacific Islanders in Communications and Latino Public BroadcastingTheseethnicprogrammingnetworksandtheIndependent Television ServiceprovidemillionsofdollarseachyeartotheirnetworksofethnicandindependentprogrammakersforprogramstargetedtothePublicBroadcastingService
CurrentlyethnicmediaareundergoingexplosivegrowthacrosstheUnitedStatesconsistentwithdemo-graphicshiftsTherearesignificantincreasesintheproportionofnon-EnglishspeakersLatinosAsiansMiddleEasternersandPacificIslandersintheUSpopulationandcorrespondingincreasesinethnicmediaDuringthecommunitymediaroundtablesconductedforthisreportparticipantsrepeatedlyexpressedappreciationforthenumberofethnicmediaoutletsthatusedparticipatorystrategiesinsupportingtheimmigrationproteststhatoccurredthroughouttheUnitedStatesin2006
OneindicationofthegrowthandsophisticationofethnicmediaisNew America Media (NAM)thelargestnationalcollaborationofethnicnewsorganizationsintheUnitedStatesNAMldquoproducesandaggregateseditorialcontentfromandfortheethnicmediasectoranddevelopspioneeringmarketingservicesonbehalfofcorporationsfoundationsandnonprofitswhoaretargetingethnicmediaandethniccommunitiesrdquoNewAmericaMediaisanetworkedcommunitythatlinksthousandsofethnic
0
mediaorganizationsintheUnitedStatesItsrecentstudyldquoEthnicMediainAmericaTheGiantHiddeninPlainSightrdquosurveysHispanicAmericansAfricanAmericansAsianAmericansArabAmericansandNativeAmericans(NewAmericaMedia2005)NAMfoundthatmorethanaquarterofthenationrsquospopulationusesethnicmediainsomecapacity
NewonlinejournalismsitessuchastheTwin Cities Media AlliancersquosDaily PlanetprofiledinthisreportareemergingfromtherestructuringofthenewspaperindustryandtheuseofbloggingandsocialnetworkingsoftwareThe TC Daily Planetaggregatesincreasingnumbersofethnicimmigrantandnon-mainstreamjournalistsinMinneapolis-StPaulAnotherexamplementionedinthisreportRadio Arte (WRTE)maybetheonlybilingual(SpanishEnglish)youth-operatedurbancommunitystationinthecountryItoperateswithafocusonyouthinChicagorsquosPilsenLittleVillageneighborhoodsAninitiativeoftheMexicanFineArtsCenterMuseumthiseducationalradiostationhasayouthtrainingandproductiontrainingprogramandapowerfulwebpresenceinadditiontoitsurbanbroadcastfootprint
BothTC Daily PlanetandRadioArteunderscorethecommonalitiesbetweenethnicmediaandcommunitymediaInmanycircumstancesethnicmediaandcom-munitymediacanbevirtuallyindistinguishableThisconvergenceofvaluesgeographyandpoliticscouldeasilyserveasthefoundationforcollaborationandpartner-ingbetweencommunityandethnicmediainspecificcommunities
Civic JournalismBothcivicjournalismandpublicjournalismrefertoamovementwithinprofessionaljournalismthathonorsnewsorganizationsrsquoroleinconveningandfacilitatingpublicdeliberationanddebatesinwhichaudiencesaretreatedasactiveparticipantsratherthanpassiveconsumersThePew Center for Civic JournalismdefinescivicjournalismasldquobothaphilosophyandasetofvaluessupportedbysomeevolvingtechniquesAtitsheartisabeliefthatjournal-ismhasanobligationtopubliclifendashanobligationthatgoesbeyondjusttellingthenewsorunloadinglotsoffactsrdquo(PewCenter2007)Thisphilosophyemergesfromanunder-standingthatcitizensareincreasinglydisengagedinciviclifeandthatnewsorganizationscanreactivateanapatheticcitizenryNewsorganizationspracticingcivicjournal-ismaimtoestablishdeeperconversationswithbroadercross-sectionsoftheircommunitiesresultinginenhancedcredibilityimprovedcommunicationbetweenthemselves
andthecommunityandbettercoverageofissuesoflocalconcern
CommittedtosupportingjournalisticeffortstorevitalizecitizenshipwhileobjectivelyreportinghardtruthsthePewCenterestablishedtheBattenAwardforExcellenceinCivicJournalismin1995OneofthefirstawardswenttoThe Charlotte ObserverofCharlotteNorthCarolinaforanineteen-monthin-depthseriesoncrimeinnineneighborhoodsReportersspenttwoyearsincrime-riddenneighborhoodsencouragingresidentsinthoseneighborhoodstoreportontherootcausesofcrimeandtoparticipateinthesearchforsolutions
Community NetworkingWhilestillinitsearlytext-basedphasetheInternetwasbeingadoptedasacommunity-buildingtoolbyanumberofgeographicallybasedorganizationsManyoftheseearlycommunitynetworksevolvedfromldquofreenetsrdquoalliedthroughtheNational Public Telecomputing Network(NPTN)AtthattimeNPTNwasthefourthmostpopularpubliccom-puternetworkbehindCompuServeAmericaOnlineandProdigy(Schuler1995)
SomeoftheseearlycommunitynetworksweresimplyInternetdestinationswherecommunity-basedinformationwascollectedandpresentedOthersevolvedasadjunctstotheInternetconnectionsprovidedbylocalInternetserviceprovidersLikeothercommunitymediathepioneersofcommunitynetworkingweremotivatedtousethisnewcommunicationstechnologytostrengthentheircommunities
CommunitynetworkingwaschangedirrevocablywiththeadventoftheWorldWideWebandthesurgeindemandforInternetaccessTheWorldWideWebreplacedmostofthesoftwareapplicationsthatwerebeingusedatthattimetomakeinformationaccessibletopeoplethroughacommunitynetworkThisandthedemandsurgelow-eredthepriceofcommercialInternetaccesstothepointwheretherewaslittlemotivationtobecomeamemberofacommunitynetworkastheywerepracticedatthetimeAsaresultcommunitynetworkinghasbecomelessaboutInternetaccessandmoreabouttheculturalpracticeof
Newsorganizationspracticingcivicjournalismaimtoestablishdeeperconversationswithbroadercross-sectionsoftheircommunities
communitynetworkingwithafocusonsocialnetworkingsoftwaredevelopmentandutilizationCommunitynetwork-ershavealwaysenjoyedclosealignmentwithopensourcesoftwaredevelopersandnowareconcernedwithusingtheInternetintandemwithopensourcesocialnetworkingsoftwaretoaccomplishmanyofthegoalsofcommunitymedia(Schuler2004)
The Metropolitan Austin Interactive Network (MAIN)isanonprofitorganizationcommittedtoinfor-mationsharingandcommunicationamongpeopleandgovernmentaleducationalcommercialculturalreligiousandcivicorganizationsItoperatesacommunity-basedwebsitethatprovidesandaggregatesabroadarrayofinformationcriticaltoAustinresidentsfromemploymentinformationtoenvironmentalartsandculturalcontentMAINiscommittedtohelpingitscommunitymakeeffec-tiveuseoftheInternetandothernetworkcommunicationsstructuresbutdoesnotdirectlyprovidenetworkconnectiv-ityMAINprovidesfreewebhostingandwebdevelopmentassistancethroughabroaddigitalliteracyprogramthatincludestrainingingeneralcomputerandInternetusage
SatelliteWhilesatellitetelevisioncannotbeconsideredcommunitymediabecauseitisneitherlocalnorspecificallycom-munity-focuseditdeservesmentionherebecauseofitsexistingandpotentialcontributionstocommunitymediagoalsSatellitetelevisionisfocusedonnationalvideodistributionviacableanddirectbroadcastservicestohomesatellitedishesTofosterthepublicrsquosinterestindiverseprogrammingviasatellitetheFCCin1992imposedcertainpublicinterestobligationsonDirectBroadcastService(DBS)providersThecommissionruledthatDBSprovid-ersmustreservefourpercentoftheirchanneltranspondercapacityexclusivelyfornoncommercialprogrammingofaneducationalorinformationalnatureUnfortunatelytheFCCleftituptotheDBScompaniestodecidewhichprogram-merswouldbeselectedfromeligibleprogrammersManyfeelthepotentialofDBStoservethepublicinteresthasbeensignificantlycurtailedasaresult(Anderson2000)
Neverthelesssatellitehasbecomehometosomeprogrammersthatembodythevaluesandpracticesofcom-munitymediaNotablyDeepDishTVFreeSpeechTVLinkTVandasofApril2007StarfishTelevisionNetworkarealldistributedviasatelliteduetotheset-asiderulesadoptedbytheFCCEachoffersprogrammingthatembodiesvaluesofdiversityandempowermentwhiledemonstratingthenecessityofset-asidepoliciesfornoncommercialfrequency
andbandwidthatalllevelsofthemediainfrastructureifnoncommercialmediaistoflourishTheyconsistentlyrunprogramsproducedbycommunitymediaactivistsandindependentproducersandrepresentonepossiblewayforcommunitymediaorganizationstodevelopanationalprogrammingreachthatcouldfacilitateldquolocaltolocalrdquocommunicationswhiledevelopinganationalnetworkofprogressivecommunityprogramming
Deep Dish TVpioneeredtheuseofsatellitetoestablishacollaborativenetworkamongactivisttelevisionproducersandpublicaccesscablestationsin1986DrawingontheearlierexperimentsofthePublicInterestVideoNetworkDeepDishbegancreatingprograminstallmentsforsatellitedistributionVideoprogrammingselectedfromactivistandcommunitytapesaroundthecountrywerefedtosatellitetransponderswithanationalfootprintwheretheywerepickedupbyhundredsofcableaccessorganiza-tionsandcommunitymediacentersintheUnitedStates(Pierce2003)
DeepDishrsquos1991satellitebroadcastsoftheGulfCrisisTVProjectareconsideredbymanytobehistoricmomentsincommunitymediaandUScommunicationshistoryadirectinterventioninaninternationalcrisisbypublicaccesstelevisionandindependentmediaactivistsDeepDishTVassembledavideoanti-warteach-induringthefirstGulfWarandmadeitavailabletotheirnetworkviasatelliteThesuccessoftheGulfCrisisprojectexpandedDeepDishrsquosnetworktoincludeindependentpublictelevi-sionsitesanyonewithahomesatellitereceiverandothercommunitymediaandmediaartsorganizationsRalphEngelmanwritesthatDeepDishrsquosuseofsatelliteallowedcommunitymediaactiviststofulfilltwooftheircoreobjec-tivesldquograssrootsparticipationandthepresentationofdiversealternativeperspectivesrdquo(Engelman1996)
TheseearlysuccessesinnetworkingcommunitytelevisionviasatellitehavemorerecentlybeenextendedbyFree Speech TVandAmyGoodmanrsquosDemocracyNowprogrammingFreeSpeechTVextendedthetechnicalcapacitytonetworkwithcableaccessbyraisingfundstobuydirectsatellitereceiversforcableaccessfacilitiesinterestedincablecastingFreeSpeechTVprogram-mingThistechnicalnetworkthenbecameaprogressiveprogramnetworkcalledintoexistencealmostsingle-hand-edlybythehighlysought-afterprogressiveprogrammingofDemocracyNowInturnthepresenceofDemocracyNowprogrammingisconsistentlyservingtoincreasetheaudiencesandsupportforcableaccessincommunitiesthroughouttheUnitedStates
AttheirheartcommunitymediaareaboutmakingmediawithpeoplenotmerelyaboutorforpeopleIt
isasoneChicagoroundtableparticipantnotedlikeldquotheneighborhoodgoingouttodinnerrdquoButasanyonewhohaseverhostedalargedinnerpartyknowsthisisnotalwayseasilyaccomplishedInroundtablediscussionswithcommunitymediapractitionersthreestrategiesndashcollabo-ration across sectors and platforms training and outreach ndashemergedrepeatedlyaswaysofsuccessfullyengagingthebreadthanddiversityoftheircommunitiesInadditionafourthstrategyconnecting with immigrant populationsyieldedinsightsintosomeuniquechallengesandbenefits
strAtegies CollaborationMediainstitutionscanplaytheroleoffacilitatorsintheircommunitiesdemystifyingtheprocessofproductionpro-vidingpeoplewithaccesstotheresourcestheyneedandbuildingonthehistoryandgoalsofcivicjournalismThisrolerequiresmediainstitutionstorethinktraditionaljour-nalismandmayentailthere-balancingofeditorialpoliciesndashcommittingtodiversityembracingegalitarianvaluesandreassessingthevalueofeditorialneutralityInvitingcommunitymemberstohelpwithstoriesmakescover-agemorereflectiveofthecommunitymoreofatwo-wayconversationForinstanceTwin Cities Public Television(TPT)dedicatestimeononeofitsdigitalchannelstolocalandregionalprogrammingincludingprogramstargetedattheLatinoHmongHindiSomaliandVietnamesecommu-nitiesTocreateprogrammingfortheldquoMinnesotaChannelrdquothestationpartnerswithnonprofitorganizationswhopayTPTforproductionsupportandguaranteedbroadcastoftheprogramming
Sound Partners for Community HealthhasshownthatauthenticpartnershipsbetweenpublicbroadcastersandcommunityinstitutionsenableeachpartytoreachlargermorediverseandtargetedaudiencesonhealthissuesimportanttothecommunityCommunityinstitutionspromotedbroadcastsandpublicbroadcastersincreasedthevisibilityoftheirinstitutionalpartnerswhoofferedadditionalresourcesandreferralstoviewersandlistenersandhelpedtodisseminateprogrammingonCDsandDVDsInadditionbymarryingtheexpertiseofcommunity-basedhealthorganizationsandvoicesoflocalresidentswiththeproductionvaluesofhigh-qualityradioandtelevisionpro-grammingSoundPartnerspositionedcommunitymembersasproactiveplannersofandstakeholdersinmediainitia-tivesratherthanpassiverecipientsofmediaattention
Buttherewasinevitabletensioninseparatingjour-nalismfromadvocacywhichrequiredtrustonthepartofallparticipantstoresolveInthecaseoftheSoundPartnerscollaborationsincommunity-basedjournalismpublicbroadcastersneededtotrustthattheirnonprofitpartnerswouldnrsquotadvancetheirownorganizationalagendasattheexpenseoftruthandnonprofithealthorganizationsneededtotrustthattheirbroadcastpartnerswouldrespecttheirexpertise
TheSoundPartnersexperienceaffirmedwhatmanyroundtableparticipantspointedoutmdashtheneedtobuildbridgesacrossmediaaswellSoundPartnersfoundthatcommercialradiostationsandpublicaccesschannelswithcloselinkstoandinfluenceonthecommunityhelpedimplementstrongmediacampaignsincollaborationwithpublicbroadcastingRoundtableparticipantssawcommer-cialmediaoutletsasespeciallyimportantamongimmigrantgroups
Pointingtoanotheraspectofcollaborationround-tableparticipantsimploredmediainstitutionstobeopentosharinginfrastructuretoaccomplishtheirmissionsManynonprofitmediagroupsarestrugglingtosurvivebuthaveassetsthatcanbesharedorintegratedtobetterservetheircommunitiesinacoordinatedefficientwayCreatingcollaborativestructuresasbasicasco-locationoffacilitiesorascomplexasorganizationalmergerscanbeimportantfordisseminatingprogrammingsecuringfundingandprotectingpotentiallycontroversialissueprogrammingForexampleManhattan Neighborhood Networkhashistori-callyleverageditscablefranchise-securedcapitalfunding
engAging community WhAtrsquos Working
Invitingcommunitymemberstohelpwithstoriesmakescoveragemorereflectiveofthecommunitymoreofatwo-wayconversation
tobuildcapacityinothermediaorganizationssuchasastudioandpost-productionfacilitieswithDowntownCommunityTelevisioninChinatownAndinkeepingwiththesamenetwork-buildingapproachtofacilitatingpartici-pationMNNalsofeaturesaYouthChannelconsideredtobethefirstchannelcreatedforyouthbyyouthMNNhasbecomeoneofthecentralhubsinManhattanaroundwhichindependentandcommunitymediagatherforscreeningsadvancededucationalopportunitiesartisticandpoliticaldebatecommunitybuildingandsocialnetworkingcreat-inganexcitingdemocraticmediaculture
Manyparticipantsacknowledgedthatcollaborationishardexpensiveandtime-consumingItplacesdemandsonin-houseknowledgeandconfrontspartneringorganiza-tionsrsquodifferentgoalseditorialpoliciesandresourcesIftheyaretolastpartnershipsneedproperresearchonthefrontendandmulti-leveledsupportChangesinleader-shipcandisruptplanssopartneringcanrsquotbetiedtoonepersonrsquosrelationshiptoanotherpersonitrequiresanetworkofpeopleunderstandingandcontributingtothepartnershipMulti-yearprojectsareimportanttodevelopinfrastructureandsustainefforts
TrainingRoundtableparticipantssawcommunitymediainstitutionsasimportantsourcesbothforjobsandskillstrainingandforbuildingthecapacityoflocalnonprofitgroupsWhileacquiringmediaskillsmaybeacareerpathoutofpovertyironicallycommunitymediaworkisoftenunpaidandpoorpeoplemustprioritizepayingjobsoverparticipationincommunitymediamakingRoundtableparticipantsexpressedconcernthatthereisnotcurrentlyawaytoeconomicallysustaintheeffortsoflow-incomepeoplewhodovolunteerincommunitymedia
CableaccesscenterslikeChicagorsquos CAN-TVandManhattanNeighborhoodNetworkprovidegrantstrainingandequipmenttocommunitygroupswhothendevelopmultimediaproductsandshowcasethemindifferentvenuesThesecentersfacilitatetheexpressionofnon-technology-orientedcommunitymembersandprovidethemwithusefuljobskills
ThetrainingcomponentiscrucialfordevelopingauthenticvoicesinprogrammingBlessedwithadiversetechnology-savvycommunitythatincludesbothHarvard
andMITcampuspopulationsCambridge Community Television CCTVhasbroadeneditseducationalprogramstoincludeadvancedworkshopsandextendededucationalprogramsindocumentarymakingdigitalstorytellingwebsitedesignandstrategiccommunicationsplanningandimplementationCommunitymembersarealsoabletouseCCTVrsquoscomputertechnologycenterfortraininginavarietyofsoftwareapplicationsincludingphotoeditinganddesignandcomputernetworkingThecenterhasbroadeneditsdistributionofvideoprogrammingtoincludeweb-basedmediastreamingofpre-recordedprogrammingpodcastsaudiochannelsandldquoCambridgeCommunityRadiordquowherememberscansignupfortwo-hourblocksofliveradiotimeThecenterrsquosservicesaddresstheneedsofactivistsnonprofitcommunitygroupsmediaeducatorsandpeopleseekingjobskillsthatextendfarbeyondthoseneededtofillthepublicchannelswithvideoItsofferingsareexpand-ingtoincludeworkshopsinpodcastingdigitalaudioproductionvideobloggingandcyberjournalismCCTVtakesdigitalmediaconvergenceseriouslyunderstandingthatmediaproductiontrainingproductionanddistribu-tionarenowapplicableacrossanumberofplatformsandproductionskillsets
Bay Area Video Coalition(BAVC)isanotherorganizationthatmakesemergingvideotechnologyacces-sibletoindependentmediamakersIthasevolvedintoaninternationallyrenownedmediaartscenterthatleadsthefieldinitshigh-qualityproductionandprofessionaldevelopmentsupportfornoncommercialmediamakersThecenteralsoprovidesclassestolow-incomeyouthinmediaartsproductionaswellasworkshopsforcommunitygroupsandnonprofitsBAVChasconsistentlyoffereddevelopmentseminarsandtrainingprogramsthatbringcommercialpro-ducersandnoncommercialproducerstogetherinacommonsettingItoffersoneoftheregionrsquoskeycertifiedtrainingprogramsforcompanieslikeAppleAvidandDigidesignThroughagrantfromtheFordFoundationBAVChasundertakenanationalstudyonldquoDigitalWorkforceDevelopmentrdquoallowingtheorganizationtoestablishitselfasanationalandregionalleaderinprofessionaldevelop-ment(Most2002)Itsprofessionaldevelopmentprogramisasignificantforuminwhichcommercialandnoncom-mercialmediamakerscancometogetherforprofessionaldevelopmentactivitiesinsettingsthatrespectthepublicinterestandroleofmediainsocialdevelopment
OutreachOutreachakeytoolformediagroupsmovestherelation-shipbetweencommunityandmediabeyondconsumption
Collaborationishardexpensiveandtime-consuming
tosocialchangeItinvitespeopletointeractwithmediatobeaffectedbyitandtoaffectothersItaskspeoplewhattheyneedandinvitesthemtocometogethertomeetthoseneeds
Thekeytocreatingrelevantoutreachisresearch-ingwhatthecommunityneedsdetermininghowtoreachitmosteffectivelyandhiringstaffwhohaveoutreachskillsandarewellversedinthecultureandlanguageofthegroupsbeingtargetedAChicagofilmmakerrecountedhowtheseconsiderationsimpactedhisdocumentaryaboutworkersrsquorightsOutreachstaffconsideredthepotentialimpactontwoaudiencesalargeaudienceofPBSviewerssittingintheirlivingroomsandasmallerbutmoreengagedaudienceofsteelworkerswatchingthedocumentaryatalocalbarTheyconcludedthatthebarviewerswouldberivetedbecausetheinformationinthedocumentarywasgearedtothemSuccessfuloutreachasksWhatdogroupspayattentiontoWhomdotheytrustWhatplatformauthenticallyrepresentsthem
NationalprogrammingcanbeacatalystforlocaloutreachParticipantsinChicagoandMinneapolis-StPauldiscussedtheexampleofldquoTheNewAmericansrdquoanationalPBSseriesonimmigrantsproducedby Kartemquin Films Active VoiceanationalorganizationthatworkswithmediamakerstobringaboutpersonalandinstitutionalchangeworkedwithKartemquintopackageseriesfootagethatfocusedonnewarrivalstoMinnesotaTheresultwasalocalseriesldquoTheNewMinnesotansrdquoandapartnershipthatusedmediatoeducatethemainstreamcommunityaboutlocalimmigrantsandtodevelopdiscussionandactivityguidesforcommunityoutreach
Connecting with Immigrant PopulationsMinoritypopulationsandgroupsconcernedwithsupportingtheidentitiesofmarginalizedpopulationshaveincreasinglyturnedtocommunitymediaassourcesofinformationvali-dationofcultureandproductionsupportforthecreationoftheirowncontentCommunitymediahavehelpedcallattentiontothelivesandconcernsofimmigrantcommuni-tiesthatareotherwiseinvisibleoutsidetheirparticularcommunityBecausetheyoftenhavefoundinnovativewaystousecommunitymediafornetworkingandsocialchangeimmigrantpopulationsillustratethepowerofcommunity
mediaandpresentrichopportunitiesformakingcommu-nitymediaorganizationsmorediverseandparticipatoryRoundtableparticipantssharedlessonsinwhatworksandofferedspecificideasforframinganewcommunitymediaprogramaddressingtheneedsofimmigrantsandreceivingcommunitiescalledNew Routes to Community Health
Inreachingouttoimmigrantcommunitiesround-tableparticipantsnotedthatitiscriticaltoidentifyandworkwithexistingagenciesthatimmigrantstrustperhapsachurchorassociationforaparticularethnicgroupButthoughimmigrantgroupsarethemostappropriateconve-nersofsuchcollaborativestheymustalsohavethecapacitytoconvene
TheselectionofplatformalsodeservescarefulconsiderationRoundtableparticipantsnotedthatinadapt-ingtechnologiestotheirownpurposesspecificimmigrantgroupsoftenpreferoneplatformoveranotherForexampleChicagorsquosKorean-AmericancommunityhasbeensuccessfulinusingethnicprintmediatoaddresscommunityissuesThePersianstorytellingtraditionhasmadePersianahugeandgrowinglanguagesegmentonblogsPersianisnowthefourthmostwidelyusedlanguageonweblogs(Macintyre2004)A2000surveyofSomalianimmigrantsinMinnesotashowedthatoverfortypercenteventhenconsideredtheInternettheirmainnewssource(Aynte2006)
RadioinparticularhasshowntremendouspowerinthedevelopingworldpartlyasaresultoftheUnitedNationsrsquoemphasisonradioasthemediumsupportingthemostwidespreadpracticeofcommunitymediaintheworldBecausetheyarefamiliarwithradiobeforecomingtotheUnitedStatesimmigrantgroupsoftenquicklyembraceradiouponarrivalinthiscountryItisalsooneofthemostinexpensiveformsofmediaandthereforeoneofthemostaccessibleldquoIftheycomefromLatinAmericatheyknowthepowerofradiordquoChicagoparticipantsnotedenthusiasti-callyLocalcommercialSpanish-languageradiostationseffectivelyhelpedmobilizeturnoutforimmigrationprotestsinChicagoinMay2006
community spotlightManycommunitiesintheUnitedStatescanpointwithpridetotheachievementsoftheircommunitymediaorganizationsWhenattemptingtoidentifybestpracticesinthenetworkedmediaenvironmentsweseetodayhoweveritisusefultothinkintermsofinterconnectionandcol-laborationnottolooksimplyatindividualmediacentersorbroadcaststationsOftenthemostsuccessfulexamplesofcommunitymediaemergeoutofongoingalliancesandcollaborationsamonglocalcommunitymediagroupsThe
Thekeytocreatingrelevantoutreachisresearchingwhatthecommunityneeds
communitiesspotlightedbelowhavebegunincorporatingpartnershipsandcross-platformcollaborationintothepracticeofcommunitymediaandhavebeguntoreapthebenefitsofthatapproach
Portland OregonTheMetro Government Community Media InitiativeillustratesthepotentialpowerofcommunitiesworkingtogethertoproducetheirownmediaratherthanhavingtheirstoryframedbycommercialnewsorganizationsAlthoughtheprojecthasnowendeditisincludedherebecauseitprovidedsuchastrongmodelforfuturecommu-nitymediaeffortsTheinitiativewasrootedinaproposalbylocalindependentfilmmakerTomChamberlinthatlocalmediamakerscommunitymediaorganizationscommunitygroupsandgovernmentagenciescollaboratetoproducepublicaffairstelevisionprogramsonissuesofconcerntoOregoniansMetroauniqueregionalgovernmentprimarilyresponsibleforregionalland-useandtransportationplan-ningtookChamberlinrsquosideatoheartWithagrantfromtheFederalHighwayAdministrationMetroandanallianceofcommunityorganizationsandgovernmentagenciesdevel-opedldquoZigZagRealStoriesNewAnglesrdquoaprogrambylocalfilmmakersfeaturingpersonalstoriesfromadiversegroupofregionalresidentsastheygrappledwiththetransporta-tionchoicesaffectingtheirfamiliesneighborhoodsandcommunities
InadditiontothecenterpiecebroadcastonOregon Public BroadcastingtheprojectcreatedaninteractivewebsiteanddistributedaDVDoftheprogramtothearearsquoscableaccesschannelsElementsoftheprojectalsofoundtheirwayontoPortlandrsquoscommunityradiostationKBOOandpacketsincludingextensivesupportmaterialsandDVDsweremadeavailableforscreeninginneighborhoodcentersandindependentmediavenuesTherewasalsoaplanninganddeliberationprocesstostrategizeabouthowcitizensgovernmentsandmediamakerscancollaboratetocreatecommunitydialogueandsolvecivicproblems
Asurbanspaceisincreasinglydefinedbytelecom-municationsasmuchastransportationandlandusetheprojectalsoillustratesthepowerfuloutcomesthat
canresultwhenregionaltelecommunicationsplanningbecomesintegratedwithlanduseandtransportationplan-ningandwhencommunitymediaareintegratedintobothformalandinformalprocessesofplanninganddelibera-tionTheMetroCommunityMediaInitiativeresultedinasignificantandmeasurableriseinregionalawarenessofthetransportationplanningissuesaddressedbytheproj-ectViewershipandDVDusesofthemediaincommunitysettingsexceededexpectations(Metro2004)AlthoughtheprojectwasnotimmediatelyreplicatedPortlandnowenjoyscontinuingcollaborationsbetweenMetrogovern-mentanditsareacommunitymedia
ParticipationintheMetroGovernmentCommunityMediaInitiative isonlyoneofthemanywaysPortlandrsquosKBOOradiohasdemonstrateditsfullcommitmenttotheoriginaldemocraticintentionsofcommunityradiooverthecourseofitsforty-two-yearhistoryOlderthanNationalPublicRadioKBOOisamongthelongest-liv-ingcommunityradiostationsintheUnitedStatesOfthenoncommercialradiostationsinPortlandKBOOistheonlystationwhosemissioncontainsanexplicitcommit-menttominorityprogrammersandlisteners(SussmanandEstes2004)KBOOrsquoscommitmenttodemocraticpracticeextendstoaboardofdirectorselectedentirelyfromitsmembershipwhichisopentoanyoneandanaggressivetrainingprogramconsistentwiththestationrsquoscommitmenttovolunteer-producedprogrammingmdashallprogrammingisproducedbyvolunteerswithassistanceofpaidstaffTheparticipationofwomenandminoritiesfarexceedthecommunityrsquosracialdemographics(SussmanandEstes2004)
Portland Community Media (PCM)hasarichtwenty-three-yearhistoryinPortlandwhenitcomestousingmediatobuildcommunityPCMstartedoutasacabletelevisionaccesscenterandstillprovidestheadminis-trationandtrainingtoprogramPortlandrsquoscableaccesschannelsbuthasexpandeditsmissiontoembracetheuseofcommunitymediatobringaboutbroaderparticipationincivicandculturallifePCMrsquoswebsitedescribesthecenterldquowiththreewordsndashEducateCommunicateParticipaterdquoCurrentlyPCMhasanumberofcollaborativeprojectssup-portingmedialiteracyandmediaeducationinthepublicschoolsystemitregularlyprogramsmediaproductionsfromPortlandrsquosmediaartscentertheNorthwestFilmandVideoCenteranditisplanningtoexpanditscentertosupporteconomicdevelopmentofmicroenterprisesfornewmedia
The Mt Hood Cable Regulatory Commission(MHCRC)overseesacable-relatedtelecommunicationsdevelopmentforgreaterPortlandOregonServing
Oftenthemostsuccessfulexamplesofcommunitymediaemergeoutofongoingalliancesandcollaborationsamonglocalcommunitymediagroups
thecommunitiesresidentsandlocalgovernmentsofFairviewGreshamPortlandTroutdaleWoodVillageandMultnomahCountyOregonTheMtHoodCableRegulatoryCommissionnegotiatesandenforcescableservicefran-chiseandactsinthepublicinterestoncommunicationspolicyissuesatlocalstateandfederallevelsItwouldbehardtooverstatetheimportanceofMHCRCinfosteringthegrowthofcommunitymediaingreaterPortlandThroughclearandinsightfulregulationofthecablefranchiseithasassuredthatthenecessarynetworksandtelecommu-nicationsinfrastructureareavailabletoallowcommunitymediatogrow
MtHoodrsquosCommunityAccessCapitalGrantsProgramisparticularlynoteworthyTheCapitalGrantsprogramprovidescapitalfundingtocommunicationsprojectsthatsupportsocialjusticecommunityinvolve-mentandtheeffectivedeliveryofservicesthroughcostreductionTheprogramhasallowedscoresofcommunitygroupstoincreasetheircommunicationscapacitythroughtheacquisitionofskillsknowledgeandtechnologyInimplementingthisgrantprogramtheMtHoodCableRegulatoryCommissionhasbeenextremelystrategicinconveninggranteesandcreatingtheconditionsthatleadtopartnershipsandcollaborativerelationships
TheNorthwest Film and Video Centerisalong-standingregionalmediaartsorganizationservingtheNorthwestregionThecenterprovidesarichprogramnurturingmediaartscultureItfeaturesanactiveexhibi-tionprogramforexperimentalandindependentfilmsahighlyregardedfilmschoolandextensiveyouthmediaprogramsThecenterpresentsanumberofyearlyfilmfestivalsincludingthePortlandInternationalFilmFestivaltheNorthwestFilmandVideoFestivalandtheYoungPeoplersquosFilmampVideoFestivalThecenterrsquosproductionsoftenfindtheirwayontotothearearsquoscablechannelsThecenterisalsoatrustedsourceofequipmentaccessforareaindependentproducersactiveintherichmediacultureofPortlandaservicepartiallysupportedbytheMtHoodCableRegulatoryCommissionrsquosCapitalGrantsprogram
Minneapolis-St Paul MinnesotaTheSaint Paul Neighborhood Network(SPNN)isacableaccessstationservingStPaulresidentsThestationprovidesopportunitiestothepublictoproduceandairprogramsononeofitsfivechannelsdedicatedtomulti-faithpubliceducationcommunityandinternationalcontentrespectivelySPNNhasayoutheducationprogramandacommunityproductionsprogramwhichworkswithnonprofitorganizationstocreatepublicserviceadvertise-
mentsorprogrammingWorkshopsincludeproductiongrantproposalwritinglegalquestionsandlightingSPNNisparticularlyeffectiveasconvenerandcapacitybuilderinitscommunityItseducationandtrainingprogramsarefocusedoncommunitydevelopmentandonkeepingthetechnicaltrainingelementsofitsworkinasocialperspective
Minneapolis Television Network(MTN)isSPNNrsquossisteraccessstationservingMinneapoliswithasimilarcommitmenttoprovidingacommunitygatheringplaceOperatingthreepublicaccesschannelsMTNofferstelevi-siontrainingandmedialiteracyclassesandisespeciallyencouragingofyouthparticipationThechannelsserveasabridgeforimmigrantstouseinadaptingtotheirnewhomemanynewimmigrantsusethemtocommunicateintheirnativelanguageswiththeirSomaliEthiopianorVietnamesecompatriotsSomali-languageprogramsforinstanceoffereighthoursaweekofmusicentertainmentcommunitynewsandreligiousinstructiontooneofthelargestsettlementsofSomalipeopleoutsideSomaliaIntoutingSomalitelevisionasthebestpublicaccesscabletelevisionprogramintheTwinCitiesCity Pages saidldquoForsomepublicaccessisanearlyinspiringlessonindemocracyandfreemediardquo(CityPages2004)WantingtostrengthenthenonprofitcommunityrsquosInternetsavvyMTNcreatedandeventuallyspunofftheRiverProjecttoofferInternetdial-upaccessandwebhostingtononprofits
PublicbroadcastershavealsoofferedstrongmodelsofcommunitycollaborationintheTwinCities Twin Cities Public Television(TPT)isthepublictelevisionstationservingtheMinneapolisndashStPaulregionIn2004TPTbegandedicatingtimeononeofitsdigitalchan-nelstoMinnesota-relatedprogrammingAnumberoftheprogramsontheMinnesota Channel(someofwhicharethencablecastonpublicaccesstelevision)aretargetedatLatinoHmongHindiMiddleEasternChineseandVietnamesecommunitiesandproducedinpartnershipwithnonprofitorganizationsTPTisapartnerintheMinnesotaCommunityCampaignthatencouragesurbanandruralareasinandaroundtheTwinCitiestowelcomethetensofthousandsofimmigrantsandrefugeesthathavesettledthereinthepastseveraldecadesSeekingtoeffectpositivechangeonimmigrantissuesthroughartmediaeducationsocialserviceandpolicymakingthecampaignproducedtheldquoTheNewMinnesotansrdquoasixty-minuteprogramthatoriginallyairedonTPTbasedontheKartemquinseriesldquoTheNewAmericansrdquo
InadditiontocommunityradiostationKFAItheTwinCitiesishometoMinnesota Public Radio(MPR)
whichhaspioneeredafreshapproachtojournalismcalledpublicinsightjournalism(PIJ)PIJtapsintothecollectiveknowledgeofMPRrsquosdiverseaudiencetoenrichitsreport-ingCreatingaten-thousand-personPublicInsightNetworkviathewebthestationinvitesthepublictobesourcesofstoryideasreactionsandperspectivesandbrainstormingonpublicissues
TheindependentfilmandvideocommunityworkscollaborativelyintheTwinCitiestosupportandpromoteartistandcommunityperspectivesIFP Minnesota Center for Media Arts Intermedia ArtsandtheWalker Art Center areamongthemulti-disciplinaryvenuesfordiscus-sionandproduction
AndtheInternetishometoanewaggregationofcommunitymediasourcesAccordingtoitswebsitethe Twin Cities Daily PlanetaprojectoftheTwinCitiesMediaAllianceisldquoacommunitynewswireandsyndicationserviceshowcasingthebestworkoftheneighborhoodandcommunitypressaswellasworkbyTwinCitiesindepen-dentjournalistsandthevoicesofengagedcitizensThepremiseoftheTC Daily PlanetisthatnewtechnologiesaremakingitpossibleforthesecitizenstobecomemoreactiveandpowerfulparticipantsinthenewsproductionprocessrdquoModeledafterKorearsquosOhmyNewstheTC Daily Planetseekstoimprovethequalitydiversityandaccount-abilityofthelocalmediaandtoinvolvetherapidlygrowingimmigrantandethniccommunitiesItrecruitsandofferstrainingtocitizenjournalistsandhaspartnershipswithoverfortyneighborhoodandcommunitymedia
Chicago IllinoisChicago Access Network Television(CAN-TV)offersfivepublicaccesschannelstoChicagolandresidentsThispublicspaceprovidesChicagoansanopportunitytodiscussissuesoflocalconcernpromotehealtheducationalandeconomicresourcesinthecommunityandcelebratelocaltalentandinitiativesCAN-TVprovidesvideotrainingequipmentandfacilitiesforarearesidentsandnonprofitgroupsItvideotapesandcablecastspublicforumstownhallmeetingscommunityeventsandotheractivitiesoflocalinterestThroughthisservicethestationprovidesChicagoanswithaccesstoinformationtheymaynototh-erwisehavethroughcommercialtelevisionForinstanceCAN-TVworkedwitheighttotenAIDSagenciestodissemi-natebasiceducationaboutAIDSpreventionvialivecall-inprograms
CAN-TVsupportsChicagorsquosassociationsandnonprof-itsthroughserviceslikeliveldquohot-linerdquocall-inshowsfrom
automatedstudiosthatonepersoncanoperateproductionservicesthatgenerateprogrammingforcommunityeventsandstrategiccommunicationsplanningworkshopsCAN-TVhasrefusedtofollowasimplisticldquoneutralityrdquoprogram-mingphilosophyinwhichtheaccesscentertransmitsonlyprogrammingthatrandomlycomesfromthecommunityInsteadCAN-TVactivelycreatesprogrammingimportanttocommunitydevelopmentInadditiontoitsfocusonnonprofitsCAN-TVactivelycreatespartnershipswithcon-tent-richgroupssuchaslocalmuseumsandartsgroupsItalsopartnerswithlocalmediaactivistproductiongroupslikeVideoMacheteandStreetLevelYouthMedia(profiledbelow)SimilarlyCAN-TVaggressivelyengagesinprogram-mingforlocalelectionsatypicalelectionseasonwillgeneratearoundtwohundredhoursoforiginalprogram-mingeachmonthandnearlyallthecandidateswillbefeaturedoractuallycreatetheirownCAN-TVprogrammingtocarryouttheircampaigns
Street-Level Youth MediaprovidesopportunitiesforChicagorsquosurbanyouthtousemediaartsandemergingtechnologiesforself-expressioncommunicationandsocialchangeItsstaffprovidesinstructioninvideoandaudioproductioncomputerartandtheInternettohelpyouthaddresscommunityissuesaccessadvancedcommunica-tionstechnologyandgaininclusioninsocietyInoneprojectitcollaboratedwithtwoseventh-gradeteachersandanESLinstructortohelpstudentsresearchissuesaboutimmigrationinoneneighborhoodTheteachersweretrainedtousevideoandthentrainedotherteacherswhoguidedtheirstudentsinproducingvideosforscreeningattheschoolMorethanthirtyvideoswerecreatedandvideotrainingandusehasbeenincorporatedintotheschoolcurriculum
Radio Arte(WRTE)istheonlybilingual(Spanish-English)youth-operatedurbancommunitystationinthecountryItoperateswithafocusonyouthinChicagorsquosPilsenandLittleVillageneighborhoodsAninitiativeoftheNationalMuseumofMexicanArtthiseducationalradiostationhasservedChicagoformorethansixyearstrainingyouthwithapriorityondevelopingindividualandgroupcommunicationcompetenciesthatallowyoungpeopletoenterpubliclifewithconfidencethroughthebroadcastmediumProvidingaforumforyoungpeopletobecreativeandresponsibletothelargestMexicancommunityintheMidwestRadioArteiscommittedtotrainingyoungpeopleintheartofbroadcastingRadioArtersquosuniquetwo-yeartrainingprogramprovidesyouthwithspecialcoursesonwritingforradioandjournalismvoicetrainingand
FCCregulationsaswellasbasiccomputerskillsproduc-tionskillsandon-airtrainingParticipatingintwograntroundsofSoundPartnersforCommunityHealththestationrsquosldquoRadioVidardquoproducedprogrammingonsubstanceabuseandaddictionbyandforLatinoyouth
Casa Guatemala Media Projectisanonprofitcommunity-basedorganizationthatservestheGuatemalanandbroaderLatinAmericancommunityinChicagoandtheMidwestSinceitsfoundingin1986ithasusedmediaincludingwebprintTVandradiotoraiseconsciousnessaboutissuesaffectingcommunitiesfromLatinAmericaInparticularitworkswithCAN-TVtoprovidetheeducationalcomponentofself-authoredmediathatwillpositivelytrans-formcommunitiesthroughworkshopsontheproductionandalternativeusesofemergingtechnologies
Beyond Media EducationworkswithunderservedandunderrepresentedcommunitiesprimarilywomenandyouthtotelltheirstoriesandorganizeforsocialjusticethroughthecreationanddistributionofalternativemediaandartsInarecenteffortitworkedwithaChicagosheltertohelpstreetwalkerstelltheirownstoriesinanefforttoraisepublicawarenessandpromotestate-levelreformsTheorganizationorganizedasix-monthworkshopthatincludedteachingandpracticingstorytellingpublicspeak-ingandvideoproductionskillstooveradozenprostitutesTheirgroundbreakingvideogivesinsightsintoChicagorsquossextradeindustryandrecountsthetriumphofthepar-ticipantsoverhomelessnessviolenceanddiscriminationTheirlobbyinginthestatecapitolresultedinpassageofabilltodestigmatizeanddecriminalizesexworkers
Keepingtabsonandshowcasingmuchofthecom-munitymediaactivityfromajournalisticperspectiveistheCommunity Media Workshop (CMW) CMWservesasabridgebetweensocialactivistscommunitymediaprac-titionersandjournalistsIthostsanannualacademyforprogressiveorganizationsintheChicagoareathatbringsactivistsandjournaliststogethertoshareideasandatti-tudesProminentareatelevisionandnewspaperjournalistsarerecruitedtoserveonpanelsleadworkshopsandgenerallysharetheirideasofhowprogressivegroupscaneffectivelygaintheattentionofthepressThisapproach
leadstobuy-infromkeypersonnelinChicagorsquosmainstreammediawhocannowbetterunderstandthegrassrootsgroupsthatapproachthemandtheirissuesItalsogivescommunityparticipantsattheworkshopstheopportunitytodevelopmorepersonalrelationshipswithkeymembersofthemediaThisapproachalsoenablescommunitygroupstobetterunderstandwhatmotivateseditorsandreporters
ThesethreecommunitiesshowcommondevelopmentpatternsandfactorsCommunitymediaorganizationshavebeguntounderstandtheirmissionsintermsofasharedcultureofcommunitymedialookingbeyondtheirindivid-ualmissionstothecommonsocialandpoliticalvaluestheyhaveincommonThisapproachopensthewayforcommu-nityradiomediaartscenterscommunitymediacentersandcableaccesstocreatecommunity-wideprograminitiativesinwhichseveralmediaplatformsareengagedItcreatestheconditionsinwhichitispossibleforcommunitymediaorganizationstoactwithunifiedstancesinpoliticaladvocacyregardingmediaissuesandotherissuescriticaltotheircommunitiesThiskindofcross-platformnetworkingalsocreatesopportunitiesforcommunitymediatoreceivemorediversefundingandsupportfromthecommunityastheyextendthenetworkorcultureofcollaborationtocom-munitydevelopmentgroupsandofficialsintheirregions
Communitymediaorganizationshavebeguntounderstandtheirmissionsintermsofasharedcultureofcommunitymedialookingbeyondtheirindividualmissionstothecommonsocialandpoliticalvaluestheyhaveincommon
ldquoThe boldest experiments in public telecommunica-tions take place when technologies are new and their commercial potential not yet fully apparentrdquo mdash Ralph Engelman 1996
Acrosstheirmanyplatformsandmanycommunitiescommunitymediahavebecomecentralculturalinstitutionsinthecivicculturalandeconomiclife
ofourcommunitiesprovidinginvaluablemediaprogram-mingaccessandeducationTheycaninsuchinstancesenablecommunitiestodevelopinformedcitizensartistsandactivistswhopossesstheskillsandknowledgeneededtograpplewithcomplexmedialiteracyanddevelopmentissuesatthelocallevel
Fordecadescommunitymediaorganizationshaveaddressedtheurgentneedtocreatelocalinstitutionsthatfacilitatecitizenaccesstomedianetworksandeffectiveparticipationinmediacultureforbothcitizensandwork-ersTheyareprovingthemselvesvitaltothepoliticalandeconomiclifeoftheircommunitiesTheyplaymultiplerolessimultaneouslyascriticalculturalenhancementstothequalityofciviclifeasemployersandaseducationalsitesforworkforcedevelopment
difficultyNeworganizationalformsandnewmediaformatslikestreamingarchivingpodcastingandbloggingarebecomingthenormpartofldquoblendedrdquoproductionanddis-seminationpracticesincommunitymedia
neW communicAtion spAces cyberjournAlismTheincreaseinInternetbandwidthandtheavailabilityofonlinesocialnetworkingsoftwarehavequalitativelychangedtherelationshipofjournaliststotheiraudiencesNewwebdestinationslikeMySpaceShutterflyFriendsterFlikrEviteandGooglearedevelopingvirtualcommuni-tiesforsharingvideoattractingyoungeraudiencesandmakingcontentmorethanpassiveandone-directionalSocialnetworkingsoftwareenablespeopletorendezvousconnectorcollaboratethroughcomputer-mediatedcom-municationandformonlinecommunities(Spannerworks2007)PopularsocialnetworksoftwareapplicationslikeweblogsorblogsseemparticularlywellsuitedtoparticipatorycitizenjournalismallowingeasypublishingofinteractivetextphotoaudioandvideocontentTheneweasewithwhichvideoclipscanbepreparedforuseonthewebhasbroughtontheriseofldquovlogsrdquoandsitesthatfacilitatethesharingofvideoclipsandaccompanyingcontentAnenormousrangeofblogsandcyberjournalisticsiteshavesprungupontheWorldWideWebinthepastfiveyearswithanequallywiderangeofeditorialstandardsandpracticesTechnoraticomcurrentlytracksseventeenmillionblogssharingoneandahalfmillionhyperlinks(Rennie2006)APewCenterInternetstudyestimatesthatthenumberofregularblogreadersintheUnitedStatesisequivalenttoalmosthalftheentireradioaudiencewhichisaboutaquarteroftheUSnewspaperreadership(Rennie2006)
Combinedwithaffordablenewdigitalmediaproduc-tioncamerasandrecorderstheseweb-baseddisseminationtoolsmakeitpossibleforcitizensandconsumerstoparticipateactivelyinnewsgatheringNonprofessionalshavebeguntoplayamoreactiveroleintheprocessesofjournalismfromcollectinginformationandreportingtoanalysisanddisseminationJanSchafferwhodirectsJ-LabaUniversityofMarylandincubatorforinteractivejournalismprojectsexplainsthatmanypeoplearebecom-ingmoreactivecitizensthroughjournalisticactivitybutdonotnecessarilyaspiretobejournalistsThenewtechnical
envisioning the future of community mediA
Communitymediaorganizationsareprovingthemselvesvitaltothepoliticalandeconomiclifeoftheircommunities
Communitymediaarealsocontributingimportantvaluespracticesandorganizationalmethodologiestotheemergingcollaborativemediaenvironmentsoftheblogo-sphereWecanlooktothesecontributionsastechnologicalandorganizationalopportunitiesforstrengtheningandexpandingcommunitymediapracticeWiththeInternetamediacultureisemergingthatismoreconsistentwiththenoncommercialpracticesofcommunitymediaproductioncollaborationanddemocraticparticipationinmediamak-inganddistributionConsequentlymanycommunitymediaorganizationsareintegratingthecapacitiesoftheInternetandnewmediaintotheirpracticeswithoutmuchfanfareor
0
capacityforcommunicationsheobservesallowspeopletoldquoparticipateinnewsandinformationinvariouswaysmdashparticipateininteractingwithitquestioningittruth-squadingitandcreatingitAndnowthattheyhavethetechtoolsandthetechskillstodothattheappetitehasonlyincreasedrdquo(Schaffer2005b)
SuchconditionshavesetthestageforintensepopularinterestinwhathasbeenbrandedldquowemediardquoorldquoparticipatoryjournalismrdquoTodaynumerousonlinejournalisticexperimentsbringtogetherprofessionaljour-nalistswithcitizenmediaactivistsandthoseinvolvedineventsMoreandmoretheearliestimagesandinformationregardingbreakingnewsarecomingfromnon-journalistspresentatthemomentoftheeventAsaresultjournalistsarebeginningtoconceptualizethemselvesnotsomuchasgatekeepersofnewsbutasmoderatorsinaconversationwithlicenseandtimetospeakfrequentlyandhopefullyaccurately(BowmanandWillis2003)
Thiskindofcommunity-centeredcoveragemayentailthere-balancingofeditorialpoliciesndashcommittingtodiversityembracingegalitarianvaluesandreassessingthevalueofeditorialneutralityItputsintoquestiontheroleandsignificanceofofteninnovativeldquopersonalmediardquoexemplifiedbythemillionsofbloggingsitesontheWebIsthiskindofldquonewsrdquoservingapubliccivicpurposeofcommunityproblemsolvingorindividualprivateexpres-sionInaWashington PostopinionpieceonDecember212006GeorgeKWillvoicedskepticismoftheseriousnessofmuchofthewebrsquosamateurjournalisminresponsetoTimemagazinersquosnamingallofusPersonoftheYear
Itisdifficulttopredictthefutureofcyberjournal-ismandbloggingpreciselyintheseearlystagesbutthreeoutcomesseemlikelyFirstbloggingwillcontinueitsrapidintegrationintomainstreammediacontentSecondblog-gingandotherformsofsocialnetworkingsoftwarewillgiverisetonewmediaentitiesthatwillchallengemainstreammedialocallynationallyandglobally
ThethirdoutcomeistheonemostrelevanttoacommunitymediascanCyberjournalismandparticipatory
citizenjournalismseemparticularlywellsuitedtoaddressthecurrentUSmassmediarsquosdifficultyinprovidingcoverageoflocaleventsinsmallercommunitiessuburbanregionsandcommutercommunitiesthataredevelopingoutsideformalpoliticaljurisdictionsCommunity-basedonlinejournalismsiteshavesprungupinhundredsofcom-munitiesaroundtheUnitedStatesTheyaremanagedandorganizedinwidelydivergentways
AnexperimentincyberjournalismandcommunitynetworkingtheTwin Cities Daily PlanetaggregatessomeofthebestjournalismfromMinnesotarsquosTwinCitiesneighborhoodandcommunitypressandindependentjour-nalistsaswellasthevoicesofengagedcitizenspresentingthemtothepublicthroughaninteractivewebsiteandcommunitydatabaseByaggregatingcitizenandneighbor-hoodjournalisminonesiteitincreasesthecapacityofsmallneighborhoodmediatoreachbeyondtheirborderstoawiderregionalaudienceUsingRealSimpleSyndication(RSS)softwaretheTC Daily Planetcanpotentiallyreachaglobalaudience
AprojectoftheTwinCitiesMediaAlliancetheTC Daily PlanetisaverynewformofcommunitymediaemergingfromtherestructuringofthenewspaperindustryandtheuseofbloggingandsocialnetworkingsoftwareAlthoughearlyinitsdevelopmenttheTC Daily Planetisgivingvoicetoanincreasingnumberofethnicimmi-grantandnon-mainstreamjournalistswhilefocusingthecommunityrsquosattentiononafargreaterrangeofpublicationsandideas
TheearliestexpressionsofcyberjournalismaretheIndependent Media Centers (IMCs)orIndymediaIndymediacameintobeingaspartoftheprotestsanddemonstrationsaroundtheWorldTradeOrganizationtalksheldinSeattleWashingtonin1999ThisfirstIMCwasaconvergenceoftheemerginginteractivityoftheInternetwiththeintenseneedofprotesterstogetindependentinformationouttotheworldabouttheprotestsAnetworkofindependentcommunitymediamakersactivistsandjournalistsbandedtogethertopoolresourcesandinforma-tion(Howley2005)
TheIMCsforeshadowedthebloggingandvideodis-tributionthatwasshortlytoemergebyusingtheInternetandtheWorldWideWebinconjunctionwithvideoandaudiodistributiontocreateatrulyunprecedentedmulti-mediaenvironmentIntermsofbothqualityandquantitytheSeattleIMCwasanimpressiveperformancebyanynewsandcurrentaffairsstandardsOverthecourseofthefive-dayprotestsadailynewspaperanddailyradioprogramwerecreatedandcountlessprintstoriesweredisseminated
Journalistsarebeginningtoconceptualizethemselvesnotsomuchasgatekeepersofnewsbutasmoderatorsinaconversation
globallyalsovideofeedsweresentthroughtheInternettopublicaccessandcommunitychannelsaroundtheworldSixyearsaftertheSeattleproteststherewere149Indymediawebsitesinabout45countriesonsixcontinents(Whitney2005)
TheopenformofcommunicationpracticedbymostIMCsiteshasnotbeenwithoutproblemsandcontra-dictionsManysitesarenowclutteredwithideologicaldiatribesanduneditedcontent(Halleck2002Whitney2005)ButthereareanumberofIndymediasitesthatprovidealternativenewsandinformationregardingaglobalscopeofconcernsthatwouldbeverydifficulttoobtainanywhereelseinthemediaAnumberofsitesinplacessuchasNewYorkCityPortlandOregonandtheSanFranciscoBayareahaveestablishedthemselvesasstablepartsoftheircommunityrsquosmediaculture
companiesspecializedsuppliersserviceprovidersandassociatedinstitutionsinaparticularfieldthatarepresentinanationorregionrdquo(Porter2000)Thecompaniesinanindustryclusterhaveacomplexwebofmutuallysupportingrelationshipsthatencompassbothcompetitiveandcollab-orativerelationshipsTheylinkacrossprofitandnonprofitpracticesutilizecommoninfrastructuremakecommoncontributionstothedevelopmentofahighlyskilledwork-forcesharefundingandinsomecasestalentedstaff
Increasinglycommunitydevelopmentpractitionersandanalystsarecomingtounderstandindustryclustersaspowerfulstrategiesforbotheconomicandcommunitydevelopmentinthetwenty-firstcenturyThisisprovingdoublytruefornonprofitcommunitymediaorganizationswhoseroleitistobringpowerfultoolsandknowledgetoanycommunityrsquosdeliberationsaroundcommunityandeco-nomicdevelopmentBroadbandandwirelessnetworksareprovidingthepracticalmeansoflinkingcommunitymediaorganizationswithincommunitiesofferingakeystrategicadvantagebyenhancingtheeffectivenessofcollaborationandpartnershipbuilding
AstheexamplesinthepreviouschaptershowcommunitymediaorganizationsaretakingonnewrolesincludingcombiningproductionandtrainingtakingonworkforcedevelopmentfunctionsandbecomingtechnologycentersfordiffusionofnewmediaBeyondtheseexampleslongstandingsuccessfulcommunitymediaorganiza-tionsaremergingasnetworkclusterslinkingdifferentgroupsandorganizationswithincommunitiestocreateentirelynewcommunitymediaorganizationsorblurringtheboundariesbetweentheirorganizationsOthersarebringinghistoricallyseparatecommunitymediagroupswithinoneorganizationalstructureorunderonerooftosharebuildingsandcommunicationsinfrastructuresinacost-effectivemanner
TheorganizationsthatemergefromthisintegrationmaybesimilarinfunctionthoughtheirnamesremaindifferentAcommunity-basedsiteforcitizenmediaandcyberjournalismforexampleandacommunitynetworklikeMAINinAshevilleNorthCarolinaoracutting-edgecableaccesscenterlikeGrandRapidsCommunityTelevisionbegintolookverymuchalikeintermsof
Increasinglycommunitymediadevelopmentishappeningthroughnetworksoflocalnonprofitmediaorganizationsratherthanwithinsingleorganizations
neW orgAnizAtionAl spAces netWorked clusters Perhapsthemostpromisingtrendonthehorizonforcom-munitymediaistheemergenceofnewhighlyintegratedorganizationalstructuresandcollaborativeprocessesIncreasinglycommunitymediadevelopmentishappeningthroughnetworksoflocalnonprofitmediaorganizationsratherthanwithinsingleorganizations
Inmanywaysthesereorganizationsatthecom-munitylevelparalleltherestructuringtakingplaceintheprivatecorporatesectorTherecommunicationsnetworksarebeingusedtosupportcomplexpartnershipsandjointcompanyprojectdevelopmentinteractivenetworkseasetheaggregationoflargeorstrategiccapitalandemployeeskillsetsacrossgeographicandorganizationalboundariesforthepurposesofinnovationandmarketdevelopmentInthelanguageofcommunityandeconomicdevelop-mentthesecomplexpartnershipsareknownasldquocreativeclustersrdquoorldquoindustryclustersrdquoMichaelPorteraleadingtheoristandproponentoftheconceptofclustersdefinesthemasldquogeographicconcentrationsofinterconnected
Successfulcommunitymediaorganizationsaremergingasnetworkclusters
technologyprogrammingactivitiesandtheexperienceofcommunityaudiencesvolunteersandparticipantsEachorganizationreliesonnoncommercialaffordablebandwidtheachplayssomeroleinadvocatingforsupportivegovern-mentpoliciesandeachisexperimentingwiththepotentialofnewcollaborativemediatoolsOftencommittedtoengagingandtrainingvolunteersandcommunitymembersinsomemannertheymayoffertrainingandvolunteerpro-gramsthatrequiresimilarsharableonlinetutorialsandonlineoutreachandschedulemanagementtools
TheexamplesthatfollowdemonstratethewayscommunitymediacreativeclustersaremakinguniquecontributionstotheircommunitiesrsquoqualityoflifeandeconomicwellbeingTheyaredoingsointhreeimportantwaysbullfirstbyamplifyingtherolethatartsandculturalgroups
playinenhancingthequalityoflifeandattractingatalentedworkforceandcapitaltothecommunitymdasharolethatisgaininginsignificanceinthetwenty-firstcentury
bullsecondascontributorstocoreeconomicdevelopmentfunctionsinthecommunityincludingworkforcedevelop-mentandtrainingasmicro-enterpriseincubatorsandascreatorsofnewknowledgeandeducationalexperiencesand
bullthirdasfacilitatorsandcatalystsofcommunitydialoguecommittedtoembracingmarginalizedvoicesandallow-ingthecommunitytoundertakeitsowndevelopmentdemocratically
Lowell MassachusettsLowell Telecommunications Center(LTC)isapublicandgovernmentaccesschannelandmediaandtechnologycen-terItprovideseducationandtraininginmediacreationincludingwebdesigndigitalphotographyandtelevisionproductionLTCworksincollaborationwithotherlocalcommunity-basedorganizationsmunicipaldepartmentsandeducationalentitiestoproducediversemulticulturalprogrammingthatmeetsthecommunityrsquoscommunica-tionandinformationneedsLTChasbecomeaconvening
organizationforbuildingcapacityamongLowellrsquosnonprofitcommunity-basedorganizationsintheiruseofparticipatorymediaandcivicengagementstrategies
LTCismorefocusedthanothercommunitymediaorganizationsoncommunitybuildingandcommunicationtechnologyThecorporationisworkingtobuildanetworkforparticipatorymediaandcivicengagementthroughouttheMerrimacRiverValleyThroughaUSDepartmentofEducationgrantLTCacquiredfundingandstafftohelpitspartnerorganizationsbecomeInternet-capableassesstheirinformationtechnologyneedsacquiretechnologyupgradestoaddressthoseneedsandundertakethetrainingtousethetechnologyeffectively
RatherthanwaitingforgroupstocometoitscenterLTCcreatedacircuitridertrainingprogramthattookthetrainingprogramintothecommunityThroughLTCrsquosinformationtechnologycenterscoresofcommunitygroupshavereceivedtrainingdesignedandcreatedwebsitesanddevelopedstrategiccommunicationsplansforthefutureThosedevelopmentsincludeweb-basedhistoricalarchivesGISmappingsystemsmultimediamaterialsandInternetvideoTohelporganizationsacquirethesoftwaretheyneedtocarryouttheirmissionsLTCcreatedtheCommunitySoftwareLabwhichdevelopsuniquesoftwaretofittheneedsofareanonprofitsThelabhasbeenspunofftocreateaseparatenonprofitentityjoiningthegrowingnumberofindependentorganizationsthatnetworkthroughLTC
ThemostrecentLTCinitiativeisldquoDigitalBicyclerdquoapeer-to-peernetworkthatallowsmediacentersworldwidetodownloadandsharelocalcontentLTCstaffenvisionDigitalBicycleasanonlinecommunityforcableaccessmediaartsindependentmediaandothernoncommercialmedia
Grand Rapids MichiganldquoBuildingcommunitythroughmediardquoThissimplemissionstatementguidedtheGrand Rapids Community Media Center(GRCMC)asitevolvedfromatypicalcableaccessoperationtobecomeabroad-basedmultimediacenterandamodelforthedevelopmentofcommunitymultimediacentersintheUnitedStatesOverthepasttwentyyears
Communitymediacreativeclustersaremakinguniquecon-tributionstotheircommunitiesrsquoqualityoflifeandeconomicwellbeing
LTCisworkingtobuildanetworkforparticipatorymediaandcivicengagementthroughouttheMerrimacRiverValley
GRCMChaspulledthediversecommunitymediaactivitiesofGrandRapidsunderoneorganizationalumbrellaandtakentheleadinarticulatingthepotentialforaggregatingnoncommercialnetworkedcommunicationsthere
Theevolvingnetworkofmediaplatformsdis-ciplinesandculturalgroupsthatconvergetobecomeGRCMCnowincludesthefollowingcentersofpracticeGRTVacommunitytelevisioncenterthatprogramsmultiplecableaccesschannelsWYCEacommunityradiostationGrandnetacommunitytechnologyandnetworkcenterthatprovidescitizenandnonprofitaccesstotheInternetandtheGrandRapidsInstituteforInformationDemocracyacriticalmediaeducationandresearchcenterthattracksmediaandlocalpublicinterestissuesandpub-lishesinformationonmediaaccountabilityandreform
ButtheGrandRapidsCommunityMediaCenterismorethanthesumofitspartsThecomponentsofthecenterworktogetherinamutuallyreinforcingwholethatcreatesapowerfulcommunitymediapresenceinGrandRapidsandallowsthecentertoundertakefarmoreambitiousprojectsandprogrammingthanwouldbethecaseseparatelyOneexcellentexampleistheMobileOn-LineLearningLabforInformationEducationKnownasMOLLIEtheprogramprovidesskilledtrainersanddigitalvideoproductionequipmenttoschoolsandcommunityorganizationsforspecialprojectsOriginallyfundedbyafederalDepartmentofEducationgrantMOLLIEfillsintechnologygapsinGrandRapidseducationalinstitutionsandnonprofitsInthehandsofalessintegratedinstitutiontheMOLLIEprojectcouldeasilybeatechnicallyorientedequipmentloanandtrainingprogramInthehandsofthecenterMOLLIEhasbecomeasophisticatedmediaandtechnologyeducationalinitiativeprovidingatrainingprogramthataddressesmediaeducationfromtheperspec-tiveofallthecomponentsoftheGrandRapidsCommunityMediaCenter
Asheville North CarolinaOneofthemostarticulateeffortsmergingthecreativeclustersideawithparticipatorycommunicationhascomeaboutinAshevilleNorthCarolinaThroughapersistent
collaborationbetweenforwardlookingregionalgroupsandorganizationsndashinvolvingabroadnetworkofindi-vidualscommunitymediaandmediaartsgroupsintheAshevilleregionndashAshevillehaslaidthefoundationforacommunitymediadevelopmentcenterthatwillfunctionasacableaccesscentermediaartscenterandnewmediamicro-enterpriseincubatorAtthecenterofthiseffortisaninformalcoalitionoffourimportantgroupsinAshevilleMountainAreaInformationNetworkMediaArtsProjectBoncombeCountyEconomicDevelopmentCommissionandURTVThegroupsrepresentdistinctpointsofviewandconcernsaswellasconverginginterests
Eachgroupsharedtheinsightthatcivicparticipa-tionandeconomicsuccessinthetwenty-firstcenturyaredirectlyrelatedtohavingaccesstocommunicationstechnologyandknowledgeEachalsounderstoodthattherenegotiationofthecablefranchisesintheCityofAshevilleandsurroundingBoncombeCountywasastrategicmomenttocatalyzeandassociateanumberofcommunity-basedinformationandmediaartsactivitiesalreadyinplaceorplannedinAshevilleThegroupsusedthecablefranchisingprocesstocreateacommonorganizationalandfacilitiesinfrastructuresupportingtheuseofmediaforbothcivicandeconomicdevelopment
The Media Arts Project(MAP)isanetworkofmediaartiststhatcultivatesinnovativeartsandtechnol-ogyinwesternNorthCarolinaMAPworkedtirelesslytoframecableaccessasacommunitydevelopmentissuebridgingthemediaactivistcommunitiesandthemoreforward-thinkingfactionsamongeconomicdevelopmentprofessionalsintheregionWiththerecentopeningofURTV IncAshvillersquoscableaccessorganizationandfacilityMAPanditsnetworkofpartnersarenowturningtheirattentiontofundingthemediaartsandeconomicincubatorelementsofthevision
AshevillersquosinterestinsupportingcommunitymediaarisesfromthepresenceoftheMountain Area Information Network(MAIN)Inthetraditionoftheruralcooperativesthathelpedspreadthereachofelectricityinthe1930sMAINisanonprofitInternetserviceproviderofferingreliablelow-costInternetservicebothinwesternNorthCarolinaandnationwideItisauniquecommunitynetworkwithabroadvisionofitsroleinthecommunitythatencompassesmedialiteracyeconomicdevelopmentstrategiescommunitylow-powerradioacommunity-basedwebportalandtheprovisionofInternetconnectivitytoruralwesternNorthCarolinaMAINislargelyresponsiblefortheremarkableexpansionofInternetaccessibilityinwesternNorthCarolinaallowingthousandsofpeopleto
GRCMChaspulledthediversecommunitymediaactivitiesofGrandRapidsunderoneorganizationalumbrella
spendtheirInternetaccessdollarswithalocallycontrolledandaccountableorganizationMAINdemonstratesthevalueofthecommunitynetworkingconcepttoareasthatarelagginginconnectivityduetofailuresofthemarket
MAINhastakenaleadershiproleinbuildingacommunitymediacultureinAshevillethatdemonstratestheeasewithwhichdigitalmedialeapsorganizationalboundariesItscommunitynetworkrunstheBlueRidgeWebMarketwhichprovidesafreecustomizableInternetpresencetohundredsofsmallbusinessesthroughoutwesternNorthCarolinaItsLatinoDigitalLiteracyProjectofferstrainingtohelpthearearsquosgrowingLatinopopula-tionsaccesstheInternetMAINhasbeenoneofthekeypartnersinbringingacableaccesscentertoAshevilleandhasbeenthedrivingforcebehindWPVMWNCrsquoslow-powerFMradiostationbroadcastinglocalnewsviewsandmusicover-the-airintheAshevilleregion(andtheworldviawebcast)
Cleveland OhioPerhapsthemostrobustcommunity-basednonprofitnetworkintheUnitedStatesOne ClevelandprovideswhatitcallsldquoultrabroadbandnetworkingservicesrdquotoClevelandareaeducationgovernmentresearchartscultureandhealthcareorganizationsOneClevelandoperatesafibernetworkringthatcoversmuchofthecityofClevelandandmanyofitssurroundingsuburbsSubscriberstothenetworkconnectatgigabitspeeds
OneClevelandrepresentswhatcanhappenwhenpowerfulcommunitydevelopmentforcescometoaconsensusregardingtheircommunityrsquosneedforhigh-speedconnectivitytoglobaleconomiesandmediaItsfoundersareClevelandmainstreaminstitutionsCaseWesternReserveUniversityCuyahogaCommunityCollegeClevelandStateUniversityTheCityofClevelandGreaterClevelandRegionalTransitAuthorityideastreamCuyahogaCountyPublicLibraryandNorTechThenetworkhasformedrelationshipswithtechnologycompaniestomaintainup-to-dateapplicationsthatleveragethepotentialofsuchapowerfulnetwork
Oneofthenetworkrsquoskeypartners ideastream illustratesthesignificanceofworkingtogethertomakehigh-speedconnectivitypubliclyavailablethroughoutacommunityonitsowntermsBybuildingahigh-speednet-workOneClevelandhascreatedacivicnetworkspaceandinfrastructurethatallowsanewkindofmultimediapublicmediaorganizationtobecreatedIdeastreamresultedwhenWVIZPBSTelevisionand903WCPNRadiopublicbroad-castersmergedtoformanewnonprofitldquomultimediapublicserviceorganizationrdquoIdeastreamisabletoextenditsmediaexpertisebeyondbroadcastingtoonlinetechnologiesandapplicationsofalltypesmdashwhenyouareconnectingtothenetworkatthegigabitspeedsofOneClevelandrsquostherangeofapplicationsandtheirpotentialarehuge
MAINhastakenaleadershiproleinbuildingacommunitymediacultureinAshevillethatdemonstratestheeasewithwhichdigitalmedialeapsorganizationalboundaries
OneClevelandrepresentswhatcanhappenwhenpowerfulcommunitydevelopmentforcescometoaconsensusregardingtheircommunityrsquosneedforhigh-speedconnectivitytoglobaleconomiesandmedia
Inthecourseofpreparingthisreportndashpouringovertheliteratureandsynthesizinghoursofstructuredround-tableconversationsandone-on-oneinterviewswith
opinionleadersandsuccessfulpractitionersofcommunitymediandashonethingisextremelyclearThewayoursocietymakesandsharesinformationknowledgeandcultureisinaheightenedstateofchangeTheinteractivenatureoftheInternethasdemonstratedthatitispossibletoorganizecommunicationsinamuchmoredemocraticfashionSomehaveconcludedwearewitnessingthetransitionfromanindustrializedinformationenvironmenttoanetworkedinformationenvironmentTheoldindustrialmediastruc-turesbasedonexclusivehigh-costproductionprocessesarebeingchallengedbyanemergingmediasectorinwhichthecostofcreatinginformationknowledgeandculturehasbeenprofoundlyreducedandtheproductsareintercon-nectedwidelythroughnetworksliketheInternet(Benkler2006)IndeedthereisincreasingevidencethatthesenewmediaanddigitalnetworksareparticularlyconducivetononcommercialandnonprofitculturalproductionaswellasmoreparticipatoryandcollaborativemediapracticesInmanywaysthelong-standingvaluesandintentofcommu-nitymediaforeshadowthisnewmediaenvironment
ThescanresearchfocusedonfourkeyareasofinquiryWhataretheuniquecharacteristicsthatdistin-guishcommunitymediaWhatmakesmedia-communitycollaborationssuccessfulWhattypesofcommunitymediaorganizationsbestleveragenewtechnologiesHowmightcommunitymediaengageunderservedpopulationsinprogrammingtailoredtotheirneedsIneachinstancewefoundthatcommunitymediacombinedwithgreaterafford-ablebandwidthandopen-sourceapproachestoproductiondohavetremendouscommunitydevelopmentpotentialHowevernoneofthatpotentialwillcomeaboutmagicallyThecommunitymediasectorisfacingthechallengingtaskofmanagingextensivechangeandtransformation
chAllengesThesuccessdisappointmentsandsocialvalueofthepastsixtyyearsofcommunitymediainitiativesmustbejudgedinhistoricalcontextConsistentmisrepresentationinthemainstreammediaandlimitedunaccommodatingsocialpolicyhaveresultedininadequatevisibilityandfinancialsupportforcommunitymediaAnydiscussionofitssuccessesorfailuresmustincorporateanunderstand-
ingoftheseexternalconstraintsInthislighttheexistingexpressionsofcommunitymediaattheirbestarewildlysuccessfulsocialexperimentsgivingcauseforgreatoptimism
NeverthelesscommunitymediafacebothexternalandinternalchallengesTheinternalchallengesarisefromstructuraltensionsthatoccurinanyattempttocreateorganizationsandculturesthatembodydiversitydemocraticexpressionandequitableaccessRatherthanbeingexpressedasldquoweaknessesrdquoasissooftenthecaseinmainstreammediaandacademiatheseinternaltensionsaremoreproperlyunderstoodaspredictabledevelopmentalproblemsandopportunitiesthatpractitionersshouldbepreparedtograpplewithinanycommunitymediasetting
Balancing Free Expression and Audience Development CommunityradioandpublicaccesscablehavehistoricallyprivilegedtheinterestsofproducersbygrantingthemgreatpoliticalfreedominmakingdecisionsregardingwhatprogrammingtocreateandwhataestheticandformattingapproachestouseThetrade-offforacultureofactivistvolunteerismandfreeexpressionhasbeensmalleraudi-encesandlowerlevelsofproductionandprogramsupportProgramproducerscarryanintensecommitmenttoindi-vidualownershipoftheirprogramminginitiativesthatmaynottaketheaudiencersquosinterestsfullytoheart
Whiletheseapproachesinradioandcableaccesshaveresultedinadiversityofprogrammingandpoliticalviewpointstheyhavealsopreventedradiostationpro-grammersorcableaccessorganizationsfrombuildingaflowofprogramsthatcandefineandconstructanongoingaudienceinthecommunityEachprogramorscheduledprogramslotcarriesitsownmicroaudienceldquofragmentedpublicsrdquothatareoftennotpartofanintegratedflowofpro-grammingthatattractsanaudiencetothechannelsoverall(Higgins2002)
Freeexpressionandaudiencedevelopmentarenotmutuallyexclusivenordoparticipatorymanagementstructuresvolunteerinvolvementandproducertrain-ingprogramsneedtoimpedeaudiencedevelopmentThesuccessofAmyGoodmanandDemocracyNowsoundlydemonstratesthisInfactmanycommunitymediaorgani-zationshavecreatedprogramminginitiativesthatcombinesophisticatedmeasurementsofsocialoutcomeswith
conclusions
trainingandparticipatoryprogramplanningTheyhavenotonlyraisedthesocialvalueoftheirprogrammingtotheircommunitiestheyhavealsoincreasedthesizeandloyaltyoftheiraudiences(Aufderheide2003)Asinteractivemediabegintocreatetheconditionswherenicheprogram-mingcanbefarmoresuccessfulthetensionbetweenfreeexpressionandaudiencedevelopmentisnotonlyachal-lengebutalsoatremendousopportunity
Programming MetricsStillroundtableparticipantsrepeatedlynotedthatevenwhenprogrammingmeetscommunityneedscommunitymediaorganizationscanfinditdifficulttodocumentimpactTheyfeltthatfundershavegenerallynotyetaddressedtheroleofmediainpopularcultureorthepowerofpopularcultureinaddressingsocialproblemsInaddi-tionfundersfindithardtoestablishcost-benefitmeasuresofsocialimpactfortheirmediaexpenditures
ParticipantsaskedformodelsofaudiencefeedbackandoutcomesmeasurementthatgobeyondaudiencenumbersTheyacknowledgedthedifficultyofquantify-ingnotionsofsuccesswhichtendtobeverysubjectiveandofusingsuccessstoriesinthecommonprogrammingmetricsofthedayManyrecognizedskepticismamongfundersabouttheimportanceofcommunitymediaasuspicionaboutagendasandafearofthecostsinvolvedmakingcommunitymediaahardsellEventhoughafewgoodevaluationeffortswereacknowledgedtheircollectiveresultshavenotbeenincorporatedintothethinkingofthewiderfundingcommunity
FundingMulti-yearstablefundingsupportforcommunitymediainitiativesiscriticaltostabilityinnovationandgrowthRoundtableparticipantsdiscussednumerousinstancesinwhichprojectswithmulti-yearsupporthadpowerfulpositiveimpactsextendingbeyondtheinitialprojectgoalsMulti-yearfundingcreatesthestabilitytoundertakeproperstrategicplanningandpartnershipdevelopment
Thereissomeearlyevidencethatamultiple-plat-formnonprofit-orientednichemarketcouldemergeasasignificantopportunitytoprovideenhancedrevenueforthecommunityandnoncommercialmediasectorsTheinterac-tivecapacityofthenewnetworkssignificantlyincreasestherevenuepotentialforcooperativeandsubscription-styleprogrammingflowsHoweverstrongmarketsforcommer-ciallyfundedparticipatorycommunityexpressionhavenotyetemergedinthedigitaleraduetothelimitedsizeofpopulationsandavailableadvertisingsupportIfthereistobeavitalsectorofcommunity-basedmediasomeformofsignificantpublicfundingwillbenecessaryevenininstanceswherecommunitymediaorganizationsmightrealizesignificantrevenuefromnewmarketsInordertomakethemostefficientuseofpublicfundingcommuni-tiesmustevolvefundingandgovernancestructuresforcommunitymediathatcanfacilitatetheaggregationoffundscoordinatemultiple-organizationprojectsandactastrustedconvenersofprogramminganddevelopmentdiscus-sionsincommunities
Policy ThreatsWhiletheconvergenceoftechnologyandpracticescreatesincreasingpotentialsforaunifiedcommunitymediasectorthereisunfortunatelynocohesiveandunifiednationalpolicyframeworkforcommunitymediaThegovernmentpoliciesandregulationsthatexistforcommunitymediahavebeenretrofittedinthearenasofUSbroadcastingandtelephonypolicyWhiletheyrepresenthard-wonpoliticalvictoriesandstrategicinsighttheydonotaddresstheneedsofcommunitymediainaholisticway
Inthecurrentpoliticalclimatebroadcastmediaownershipcontrolandprogrammingwillcontinuetobecentralizedinfewercorporationsleavingcommunitieswithlessoptionsforcontrollingtheirlocalmediaenviron-mentsAtthesametimethetelephonecompanieswillenterthemarketforvideotelephonyandbroadbandbydeployinghigh-capacitydigitaltelevisionnetworksinmanycommunitiesintheUnitedStates
ThecurrenttrendofcentralizationinUStele-communicationspolicyisthreateningtheabilityoflocal
Freeexpressionandaudiencedevelopmentarenotmutuallyexclusivenordoparticipatorymanagementstructuresvolunteerinvolvementandproducertrainingprogramsneedtoimpedeaudiencedevelopment
Communitymediaorganizationscanfinditdifficulttodocumentimpact
governmentstomandatecommunity-basedcommunica-tionsnetworksandprogramminginitiativesasrentonthepublicrights-of-wayThesefundingmechanismscurrentlysupportPublicEducationandGovernment(PEG)accesscabletelevisioncentersmediaartscentersandmanymunicipalcommunicationnetworksWhilefarfromperfectregulatorymechanismstheyareoneofthemostsuccess-fulformsofpublicmediasupporttoariseinthelastthirtyyears
Overthenextfiveyearsthesesuccessfulfundingstrategieswillbeunderheavyattackbythetelephonecom-paniesandthecabletelevisionindustryinastrugglewithgovernmentsforcommunitycontrolofthepublicrights-of-wayThesamedynamicthreatensequitableInternetaccessIncreasinglybroadbandcommunitynetworksaremunicipallyownedormandatedWhilesomeofthesemunicipalbroadbandnetworksweredeployedforinternalmunicipalpurposestimehasshownthatsuchnetworkscanserveanumberofnon-governmentalcommunity-basedpurposesincludingwirelessISPconnectionsforresidentsbusinessesandvisitorsManycommunitiesareseeking(andsomehaveobtained)ldquoCommunityBenefitsAgreementsrdquowithproposedwirelessbroadbandvendorsthatsetasideasmallfranchisefeeongrossrevenuestosupportdigitalinclusionactivitiesfollowingtheexampleofcablecompaniessupportofPEGaccessHowevermunicipalbroadbandandmunicipalwirelessareunderattackbyindustriestryingtoreservethesedevelopmentrightsforthemselves
Theoutcomeofthedebatesaroundcontroloftherights-of-waywillhaveasignificantimpactonthefuturepathofcommunitymediadevelopmentThesedebateswillrangeacrosstheregulatoryspectrumtheyarenowbeingwagedinlocalstateandnationallegislativearenasandthecourtsTheresultingcommunicationsinfrastruc-tureandregulatoryframeworkwillbeabletorealizethepotentialsofcommunitymediaifandonlyifcommunitiesareabletotakeleadershipinprovidingsubstantialpublicaswellasprivatefundingAsanoldtruismnotesldquomoneyispolicyrdquo
Therearenopoliticalortechnicalguaranteesthatdigitalmedianetworkswillremainopenandparticipa-toryastheyevolveItisunlikelythatmarketforcesalone
willservetorealizethedemocraticpotentialoftodayrsquosparticipatorymediatechnologyBuildingarobustsectorofcommunity-baseddemocraticnewmediawillrequireeffectivecitizenactivismclearandresponsivegovern-mentpoliciesandeffectivepoliticalstrategiesCommunitymedianeedsseparaterecognitionandsupportwithinfed-eralstateandlocalcommunicationspolicyandregulatorystructuresinordertoensureequitableandstablefundinganddevelopment
models for the futureThegovernmentregulationsandsubsidiesthatunderpincommunitymediahaveevolvedinahodgepodgefashionoverthepastsixtyyearsItcanbearguedthatcommunitymediashouldbetreatedasaseparatesectorwithinte-gratedfundingstructuresconsistentinfrastructureandtaxandsubsidypoliciesthatareseparateanddistinctfromexistinglocalmediapoliciesandalsofromthepoliciesunderpinningpublicbroadcastingPossiblemodelsforamoreunifiedapproacharenumerousbuttwoappearpar-ticularlywellsuitedtocommunitymediarsquosdiverseformsorganizationsandprogrammingapproaches
Public Funding FindingappropriatemethodsofincreasingpublicfundingforcommunitymediainashiftingregulatoryenvironmentiscrucialCurrentlocalcablefranchisingregulationstosupportcableaccessandthecommunitybenefitsagree-mentsofmunicipalwirelessnetworksoffersuccessfulmodelsbutarenowbothunderattackThelawsrequiringcommercialcableproviderstosetasidebandwidthchan-nelcapacityforthepublicinadditiontooperatingfundingbasedonapercentageofcommercialrevenuescouldbeextendedtoincludevoicevideoanddataEssentiallythenanycommercialproviderusingthepublicrights-of-wayorthewirelessspectrumwouldberequiredtocontributeanequitablepercentageofbandwidthandrev-enuetosupportthecommunitycommunicationssector
Community Media DevelopmentAdequatelevelsoffundingareonlypartoftheequationWhilefundingshouldsupporttheoverallgrowthofthe
Thereisunfortunatelynocohesiveandunifiednationalpolicyframe-workforcommunitymedia
setasidebandwidthchannelcapacityforthepublicinadditiontooperatingfunding
communitymediasectorinasensiblefashionanyfundingsolutionmustaddressthedifficultynowexperiencedbyfundersindealingwithcommunitymediahowtoprovideoverallsupporttoasectormadeupofsmallindependentorganizationswithanextremelydiversesetoffundingsourcesandmissionsOneeconomicdevelopmentapproachseemsparticularlyusefulhereProgressivecommunityeconomicdevelopmentstrategieshaveevolvedtosupportthegrowthofadiversityofsmallenterpriseswithinacom-monsectorwhilerecognizingthattheseenterprisescanatdifferenttimesbecollaboratorspartnersorcompetitorsSimilarstrategiescanguidedevelopmentofthecommunitymediasector
Thereareatleasttwoshort-termstepsthatcouldassistinthedevelopmentofcommunitymediaorgani-zationsandsupporttheircitizensrsquoabilitytocopewithcommercialmediaandinformationsaturationOneisforcommunitiestobuildorsecureaffordablebroadbandandwirelessnetworkinfrastructurewithastrongcommu-nitybenefitsagreementinsupportofdigitalinclusionHundredsofcommunitiesacrossthecountryeitherhaveorarelaunchingsuchwirelesscommunitynetworksmanyincollaborationwithwirelessvendorswhoinordertowinaservicecontractwiththemunicipalityinquestionaresup-portingdigitalliteracytraininginexpensiverefurbishedcomputersandlocalcontentdevelopmentndashinshortprogramsofdigitalinclusionandexcellence
AsecondopportunityidentifiedbyroundtableparticipantsisthepotentialforanationalsupportnetworkforexistingcommunitymediaorganizationsAnationalsupportnetworklinkingcommunitiesandtheircommu-
nitymediapractitionersandinstitutionscouldfacilitatearangeofactivitiesincludinglocal-to-localcommunicationorexchangesofinformationandprogrammingbetweencommunitiesvirtualspaceforanationalnetworkofcommunitymediaorganizationstohelptoorganizeuni-fiedpolicyadvocacywiderdistributionofpastproductsformationofissue-responseteamstoadvanceinterestsofcommunitygroupsandtapintolocalresourcesandshareddirectoriesofpractitionerstrainersandfacilitiesConveningleadersfromtheaggregatorsandassociationsservingcommunitymediaintheirvariousforms(listedinAppendix2)mightbeagoodnextsteptoexplorethisopportunity
the promiseThepracticeofcommunitymediahasmanagedtogrowandevolveoverthepastsixtyyearsdespiteunevenandgenerallylowlevelsofsupportandinconsistentgovernmentpoliciesEllieRenniearesearchfellowattheInstituteforSocialResearchSwinburneUniversityofTechnologyhaswrittenthatcommunitymediaareoftendefinednegativelyforwhattheyareopposedtoratherthanpositivelyforwhattheyhaveachieved(Rennie2006)Weareawarethatcom-munitymediahaveoftenbeendismissedasmarginalandidiosyncraticbuttheexamplescitedinthisreportprovidepowerfulevidencetothecontraryItistimetodefinecommunitymediabywhattheyhaveachievedCommunitymediaattheirbesthaveconsistentlydemonstratedtheirpotentialtoempowercommunitiesandindividualstoparticipateascitizensincommunityandeconomicdevelop-mentartseducationcommunitydialogandpoliticaldebateInmanyinstancestheyhavebecomecentralcul-turalsurvivalinstitutionsasourcommunitiesdealwiththeimpactofcommercialmediasaturationandglobalization
Duringtheroundtablediscussionsthattookplaceaspartofthisscanitwasobviousthatthevalueofcom-munitymediatocommunitiestranscendsthemeasurableeffectsofcivicengagementandcommunitydevelopmentCommunitymediacanallowindividualsincommunitiestohaveprofoundexperiencesofactivelyexpressingthem-selvesthroughmediaForpeoplewhohaveseenthemselvesaspassivereceptorsatthebottomofacascadeofpackagedmediaexperiencesandmessagesactiverepresentationoftheirownlivesandcircumstanceshasatransformativeeffectthatgoesbeyondsimplephraseslikeldquocivicengage-mentrdquoThevalueofcommunitymediatoindividualsandthecommunitiestheyliveinisincalculable
hellipaffordablebroadbandandwirelessnetworkinfrastructurewithastrongcommunitybenefitsagreement
anationalsupportnetworkforexistingcommunitymediaorganizations
Appendix 1 Community media empowerment StrategieS
empoWerment Activity ApproAch infrAstructure or venue
AccessAccesstocommunicationsinfrastructureproductiontools
MakingavailablemediaproductiontoolscomputerstelevisionandradiodistributionInternetsoftwarecommunitycommunicationsinfrastructuremeetingspacewebservers
Democraticcitizenaccesstocommunicationstoolsanddisseminationinfrastructure
CablebroadbandmunicipaltelecomInternetWiFiWiMAXlocalandpublicservicebroadcasting
AlternativeContent CreationofvideoaudiofilmwebsitesInternet-basedcitizenmediaP2Pmediabloggingsocialnetworkingsoftwaredatabasesandprintproduction
Contentpositionedtocounterorsupplementmassmediacontentandinformationfrommainstreamsources
AllplatformswithanincreasingexpansionwithinIPNetworksandcross-platformproductionanddissemination
CompetencyLiteracyMedialiteracyinformationliteracydigitalliteracyandculturalliteracy
Mediaartsandaestheticeducationlearningtogainacivicvoiceinamediaculturearticulationofmediabiasesengaginginmediaandpoliticsunderstandingcommoditycultureparentinginamedia-saturatedhome
Interventioninthecomplexmanipulationofsymbolsandculture
Allmassmediaprintelectronic
CommunityBuilding Workforcetrainingandskillbuildingmicro-enterprisedevelopmentbusinessinfrastructuredevelopment
Communityorganizingparticipatoryplanningdemocraticeconomicdevelopmentworkforceandinfrastructuredevelopment
Localmediamunicipaltelecominfrastructurecomputerandtechnologyincubatorsandtechnologycenters
0
Itisdifficulttounderstandthefullscopeofcommu-nitymediaculturewithoutknowingofthefollowingorganizationswhichsupportcommunitymediaand
independentmediapracticesTheyplayanumberofrolesasnationalassociationsrepresentingnetworksofcommu-nitymediaorganizationsandmediaartsorganizationsasproducernetworksandstrategiccommunicationsplannerslinkingcommunityorganizationswithcommunitymediaorganizationsasorganizationsofcommunityactivistsandproducersworkingtomoreeffectivelysupportandusecommunitymediaandascollaboratorsandpartnersincommunitydevelopmenttrainingandeducation
ActiveVoicehttpwwwactivevoicenet
AllianceforCommunityMediahttpwwwalliancecmorg
AssociationforCommunityNetworking
httpwwwafcnorg
CommunityMediaWorkshophttpwwwnewstipsorg
CommunityTechnologyCentersrsquoNetwork
httpwwwctcnetorg
DeepDishTVhttpdeepdishtvorg
FreeSpeechTVhttpwwwfreespeechorg
IndependentTelevisionServicehttpwwwitvsorg
IndependentMediaCenterIndymedia
httpwwwindymediaorg
LatinoPublicBroadcastinghttpwwwlpbporg
LinkTVhttplinktvorg
LPFMDatabasecom
httpwwwangelfirecomnj2piratejimlpfmhtml
MediaTankhttpwwwmediatankorg
MediaWorkingGrouphttpwwwmwgorg
NationalAllianceforMediaArtsandCulture
httpwwwnamacorg
NationalAsianAmericanTelecommunicationsAssochttp
asianamericanmediaorgindexhtml
NativeAmericanPublicTelecommunications
httpasianamericanmediaorgindexhtml
NationalBlackProgrammingConsortium
httpwwwnbpctv
NationalFederationofCommunityBroadcasters
httpwwwnfcborg
NationalPublicRadiohttpwwwnpr
NationalPublicTelecomputingNetworkhttpwwwnptnorg
PaperTigerTelevisionhttpwwwpapertigerorg
PacificIslandersinCommunications
httpwwwpiccomorg
PewCenterforCivicJournalismhttpwwwpewcenterorg
PrometheusRadioProject
httpwwwprometheusradioorg
PublicBroadcastingServicehttpwwwpbsorg
PublicRadioExchangehttpwwwprxorg
ReclaimtheMediahttpwwwreclaimthemediaorg
StarfishTelevisionNetworkhttpwwwstarfishtvorg
WebsitesofUSPEGAccessChannels
httpwwwbevcamorgpeg
WorldAssociationofCommunityRadioBroadcasters
httpwwwamarcorg
Appendix 2 aggregatorS and aSSoCiationS
Appalshophttpwwwappalshoporg
BayAreaVideoCoalitionhttpwwwbavcorg
BeyondMediaEducationhttpwwwbeyondmediaorg
CambridgeCommunityTelevisionhttpwwwcctvcambridgeorg
CasaGuatemalaMediaProjecthttpwwwcasaguatemalaorg
CharlotteObserverhttpwwwcharlottecom
ChicagoAccessNetworkTelevisionhttpwwwcantvorg
GrandRapidsCommunityMediaCenterhttpgrcmcorg
GrandNethttpwwwgrcmcorgnposervicesitphp
GRTVhttpwwwgrcmcorgtv
ideastreamhttpwwwideastreamorg
IFPMinnesotaCenterforMediaArtshttpwwwifpnorthorgabouthtml
IntermediaArtshttpwwwintermediaartsorg
KartemquinFilmshttpwwwkartemquincom
KBOOhttpwwwkbooorg
KFAIhttpwwwkfaiorg
LowellTelecommunicationsCenterhttpltcorg
ManhattanNeighborhoodNetworkhttpmnnorg
MediaArtsProjecthttpwwwthemaporg
MetroGovernmentCommunityMediaInitiativehttpwwwmetro-regionorg
MetropolitanAustinInteractiveNetworkhttpwwwmainorg
MinneapolisTelevisionNetworkhttpwwwmtnorg
MinnesotaChannelhttpwwwtptorgmnchannelnew
MinnesotaPublicRadiohttpminnesotapublicradioorghttpminnesotapublicradioorgpublicinsightjournalism
MountainAreaInformationNetworkhttpmainncus
MtHoodCableRegulatoryCommissionhttpwwwmhcrcorg
NewAmericaMediahttpnewsnewamericamediaorgnews
NewRoutestoCommunityHealthhttpwwwnewroutesorg
NorthwestFilmandVideoCenterhttpwwwnwfilmorg
OneClevelandhttpwwwoneclevelandorg
OregonPublicBroadcastinghttpwwwopborg
PortlandCommunityMediahttpwwwpcmtvorg
RadioArtehttpwwwwrteorg
SaintPaulNeighborhoodNetworkhttpwwwspnnorg
ScribeVideoCenterhttpwwwscribeorg
SoundPartnersforCommunityHealthhttpwwwsoundpartnersorg
StreetLevelYouthMediahttpwwwstreet-levelorg
TwinCitiesDailyPlanethttpwwwtcdailyplanetnet
TwinCitiesMediaAlliancehttpwwwtcmediaallianceorg
TwinCitiesPublicTelevisionhttpwwwtptorg
URTVhttpwwwurtvorg
WalkerArtCenterhttpwwwwalkerartorgindexwac
WCIW-LPhttppacificanetworkorgradiocontentview17542httpwwwciw-onlineorg
WGBHhttpwwwwgbhorg
WHYYhttpwhyyorg
WPVMhttpwwwwpvmorg
WYBEhttpwwwwybeorg
WYCEhttpwwwgrcmcorgradio
YouthChannelhttpwwwyouthchannelorg
Appendix 3 Community media praCtitionerSWebsitesofthosepractitionersmentionedinthetext
AndersonRachelBenton Digital Beat Extra Noncommercial Networks on DBSWashingtonDCBentonFoundation2000
AufderheidePatricialdquoCableAccessTVandthePublicSphererdquoinThe Daily Planet A Critic on the Capitalist Culture BeatMinneapolisandLondonUniversityofMinnesotaPress2000a
AufderheidePatriciaIn The Battle for Reality Social Documentaries in the USWashingtonDCAmericanUniversityCenterforSocialMedia2003
AufderheidePatricialdquoTheWhatandHowofPublicBroadcastingrdquoinThe Daily Planet A Critic on the Capitalist Culture BeatMinneapolisandLondonUniversityofMinnesotaPress2000b
AynteAbdirahmanldquoSomaliWebsitesACompetitiveAlternativeMediaandaFarcetoReckonWithrdquoHiiraan Onlinehttpwwwhiiraancomnews2006aprsomali_websitesaspx
AzzouzBushraTomChamberlinandMarleneFarnumThe Community Media Project Building Community through Media(Aproposedmodelforafive-yearinitiativetoproducelocaltelevisionprogrammingthatbroadensthedialogueonissuesimportanttotheOregoncommunityandcreatesastrongsenseofplace)PortlandORMetroDecember2000
BarlowWilliamldquoCommunityRadiointheUSTheStruggleForADemocraticMediumrdquoinMedia Culture and SocietyVol10(1988)
BenklerYochaiThe Wealth of Networks How Social Production Transforms Markets and FreedomNewHavenYaleUniversityPress2006
BentonFoundationDigital Alliances Partners in Public
Service Models for CollaborationUniversityParkPAThePennsylvaniaStateUniversity2002
BlauAndrewDeep Focus A Report on the Future of Independent MediaSanFranciscoNationalAllianceforMediaArtsandCulture2004
BowmanShayneandChrisWillisWe Media How Audiences Are Shaping the Future of News and InformationEditedbyJDLasicaRestonVATheMediaCenteratTheAmericanPressInstitute2003httpwwwhypergenenetwemediadownloadwe_mediapdf
BurnettRonldquoFromCommunityMediatoInternationalNetworksrdquoCritical Approaches to Culture + Communications + HypermediaNovember182005httpwwweciadca~rburnettWeblogarchives200511from_communityhtml
CanoAndrealdquoMicroradioAToolforCommunityEmpowermentrdquoinPublic Broadcasting and the Public InterestEditedbyMichaelPMcCauleyEricEPetersonBLeeArtzandDeeDeeHalleckLondonMESharpe2003
CarnegieCommissiononEducationalTelevisionPublic Television A Program for ActionNewYorkBantam1967
CastellsManuelThe Rise of the Network Society The Information Age Economy Society and CultureVolumes12amp3MaldenMABlackwellPublishersInc2005
ChesterJeffBeyond Broadcast Expanding Public Media in the Digital AgeWashingtonDCCenterforDigitalDemocracyFebruary2006httpwwwdemocraticmediaorgBBBBfrontphp
ChristensenPaulNanMcIntyreandLynnPikholzldquoBridgingCommunityandEconomicDevelopmentAStrategyforUsingIndustryClusterstoLinkNeighborhoodsandtheRegionalEconomyrdquo(reportfundedbytheFordFoundation)ClevelandShorebankEnterpriseGroup2005
ldquoCitizenJournalismrdquoissueofNieman ReportsCambridgeMATheNiemanFoundationforJournalismatHarvardUniversityVol59No4Winter2005eMprintNewsbookhttpwwwniemanharvardedureports05-4NRwinterNR05W_Citizen_Journalismpdf
City PagesldquoBestPublicAccessCableTVProgramSomaliTVrdquoBestoftheTwinCities2004MNApril282004httpcitypagescombestof2004artsandentertainmentbestof2379asp
bibliogrAphy
CruzRossanaReguilloldquoTheOracleintheCityBeliefsPracticesandSymbolicGeographiesrdquoinGlobal Cities of the South (Social Text)EditedbyAshleyDawsonandBrentHayesEdwardsTranslatedbyBrentHayesEdwardsandNoraNicoliniDurhamNCDukeUniversityPress81(Volume22Number4)Winter2004
DeLasCasasLucywithSimonBurallJohnMorrisonDavidKaleteandJagadanandaldquoGlobalMediaReformandAccountabilityReportfromtheNationalMediaReformConferencerdquoStLouis2005httpwwwoneworldtrustorgpagesdownloadcfmdid=281
DevineRobertHldquoVideoAccessandAgencyrdquoConferencepresentationTheNationalFederationofLocalCableProgrammersStPaulMNJuly171992
DirlinMartyandCathyMelioldquoTheGrassrootsRadioMovementintheUnitedStatesrdquoinPublic Broadcasting and the Public InterestEditedbyMichaelPMcCauleyEricEPetersonBLeeArtzandDeeDeeHalleckLondonMESharpe2003
DowningJohnDHwithTamaraVillarealFordGeneveGilandLauraSteinRadical Media Rebellious Communication and Social MovementsThousandOaksCASagePublications2001
EgerJohnldquoCreativeClustersandtheUrbanEconomyrdquoGovernment and Technology(February62006)httpwwwgovtechnetnewsnewsphpid=98345
EgerJohnMThe Creative Community Forging The Links Between Art Culture Commerce amp CommunityTheCaliforniaInstituteforSmartCommunitiesSanDiegoStateUniversity2005httpwwwsmartcommunitiesorgcreativeCreativeCommBroFINALpdf
EngelmanRalphPublic Radio and Television in America A Political HistoryThousandOaksCASagePublications1996
GillespieGilbertPublic Access Television in the United States and CanadaNewYorkPraegerPublishers1975
GillmorDanWe the Media Grassroots Journalism by the People for the PeopleSebastopolCAOrsquoReillyMediaInc2006
GrahamStephenandSimonMarvinTelecommunications and the City Electronic Spaces Urban PlacesLondonandNewYorkRoutledge1996
HalleckDeeDeeHand-Held Visions The Impossible Possibilities of Community MediaNewYorkFordhamUniversityPress2002
HigginsJohnWldquoAlternativeMediaandtheCultofIndividualismExperiencesfromUSPublicAccessTVrdquoPaperpresentedattheldquoOurMediardquopre-conferenceoftheInternationalAssociationforMediaandCommunicationResearchCommunityCommunicationSectionBarcelonaSpainJuly202002httpwwwourmedianetorgpapersom2002Higginsom2002pdf
HowleyKevinCommunity Media People Places and Communication TechnologiesCambridgeCambridgeUniversityPress2005
HoynesWilliamldquoThePBSBrandandtheMerchandisingofthePublicServicerdquoinPublic Broadcasting and the Public InterestEditedbyMichaelPMcCauleyEricEPetersonBLeeArtzandDeeDeeHalleckLondonMESharpe2003
JankowskiNicholasWldquoCommunityMediaResearchAQuestforTheoreticallyGroundedModelsrdquoThePublicVol1015(2003)httpmokkbmehucentreconferencesreactivismFPfpNJ
JankowskiNicholasWandOlePrehnedsCommunity Media in the Information Age Perspectives and ProspectsCresskillNJHamptonPress2002
LashScottThe Critique of InformationLondonSagePublications2002
ListerMartinJonDoveySethGiddingsIainGrantandKieranKellyNew Media A critical IntroductionLondonandNewYorkRoutledge2003
LloydMarkldquoRadioandLocalismWhatWhenWrongrdquoinContext(publishedbytheCenterforCommunicationsandCommunityUCLA)IssueNo4(WinterSpring2006)
MacintyreBenldquoWelcometotheNewTomPainesrdquoTimesOnlineNovember132004httpwwwtimesonlinecouktolcommentarticle390484ece
MaherVincentTowards a Critical Media Studies Approach to the BlogosphereNewMediaLabPublicationSchoolofJournalismandMediaStudiesRhodesUniversitySouthAfrica2006
MetroCommunity Media Project Evaluation Report PortlandORMetroJuly2004
MostStephenldquoBAVCandTheBigPicturerdquoinA Closer Look Media Arts 2002EditedbyHelenDeMichielSanFranciscoNationalAllianceforMediaArtsandCulture2002
NewAmericaMedialdquoEthnicMediainAmericaTheGiantHiddeninPlainSightrdquoPollconductedbyBendixenampAssociates2005httpnewsnewamericamediaorgnewsview_articlehtmlarticle_id=0443821787ac0210cbecebe8b1f576a3
OlsonBillThe History of Public Access Television2000httpwwwgeocitiescomiconostarhistory-public-access-TVhtml200415
PewCenterforCivicJournalismldquoDoingCivicJournalismrdquo2007httpwwwpewcenterorgdoingcj
PierceSteveldquoDBSandthePublicInterestOpportunityinSatelliteTelevisionrdquoinPublic Broadcasting and the Public InterestEditedbyMichaelPMcCauleyEricEPetersonBLeeArtzandDeeDeeHalleckLondonMESharpe2003
PhilipsSusanldquoTrueCommunityTowardaCollaborativeEthosScribersquoslsquoTrueCommunityVisionrsquordquoinA Closer Look Media Arts 2002EditedbyHelenDeMichielSanFranciscoNationalAllianceforMediaArtsandCulture2002
PorterMichaelEldquoLocationCompetitionandEconomicDevelopmentLocalClustersinaGlobalEconomyrdquoEconomic Development Quarterly14no1(February2000)15-34
ProjectforExcellenceinJournalismldquoMajorTrendsrdquoinState of the News Media 2006 An Annual Report on American Journalismhttpwwwstateofthenewsmediaorg2006nar-rative_overview_eightaspcat=2ampmedia=1
PrometheusRadioProjectldquoOurFifthBarnraisingmdashWCIW-LPinImmokaleeFloridardquohttpprometheusradioorgcontentview48952006
RennieEllieCommunity Media A Global IntroductionLanhamMDRowmanandLittlefieldPublishers2006
RodriguezClemenciaFissures in the Mediascape An International Study of Citizenrsquos MediaCresskillNJHamptonPress2001
SchafferJanldquoCitizensMediaHasItReachedaTippingPointrdquoinldquoCitizenJournalismrdquoissueofNieman Reports CambridgeMATheNiemanFoundationforJournalismatHarvardUniversityVol59No4Winter2005aeMprintNewsbookhttpwwwniemanharvardedureports05-4NRwinterNR05W_Citizen_Journalismpdf
SchafferJanInterviewonThe NewsHour With Jim Lehrer PBSEveningNewsNovember162005b
SchulerDouglasldquoTheRiseofCommunityNetworksrdquoInternet WorldDecember1995
SchulerDougandPeterDayShaping the Network Society The New Role of Civil Society in CyberspaceCambridgeandLondonMITPress2004
ShirkyClayPower Laws Weblogs and Inequality EconomicsampCultureMediaampCommunityBlog2005OpenSourcehttpshirkycomwritingspowerlaw_webloghtml
ShirkyClaySocial Software and the Politics of GroupsEconomicsampCultureMediaampCommunityBlog2005OpenSourcehttpshirkycomwritingsgroup_politicshtml
Somerset-WardRichardBroadband Community Networks Building the Digital CommonsAreportfortheHaasCharitableTrustsPhiladelphia2005
Somerset-WardRichardConnecting Communities WashingtonDCBentonFoundation2000
Spannerworkse-bookWhat is Social MediaJanuary2007httpwwwspannerworkscomebooks
StarrJeroldMldquoPublicTelevisionintheDigitalAgeTownHallorCyberMallrdquoinPublic Broadcasting and the Public InterestEditedbyMichaelPMcCauleyEricEPetersonBLeeArtzandDeeDeeHalleckLondonMESharpe2003
SteinLauraldquoPublicAccessTelevisionandGrassrootsCommunicationintheUnitedStatesrdquoChapter20inRadical Media Rebellious Communication and Social MovmentsEditedbyJohnDowningThousandOaksCASagePublications2001
SussmanGeraldandJREstesldquoCommunityRadioinCommunityDevelopmentPortlandrsquosKBOORadiordquoinThe Portland Edge Challenges and Successes in Growing CommunitiesEditedbyConniePOzawaPortlandStateUniversityIslandPress2004
WhitneyJenniferldquoMakeMediaMakeRealTroubleWhatrsquosWrong(andRight)withIndymediardquoLiPMagazineJune212005httpwwwlipmagazine
orgarticlesfeatwhitney_indymedia_phtml
ThemediarevolutionpromisedforthepastfortyyearshasarrivedndashagainTheUnitedStatesisnowexperi-encingthethirdmajortechnicalandeconomicshift
initsmediaenvironmentsincethemid-1970sFourdecadesagothedominanceofahandfuloftelevisionbroadcastnetworkswasshatteredbytheemergenceofsatellite-linkedcabletelevisionInthe1990stheInternetsenttextanddataflowingaroundtheworldNowadecadelaterphotosaudioandvideoarebecomingaseasilytransmit-tedastextTheeraofpersonalelectroniccommunicationandbroadbandnetworksisathandandeveryaspectofourmediacultureisundergoingchange
Asmightbeexpectedthesetechnologicalshiftsarepromptingeconomicandpoliticalshiftsandwiththemfundamentalshiftsinthenatureofaudiencesandprogram-mingitselfGovernmentderegulationandincreasedconcentrationofownershiphavecreatedapowerfuleconomicincentivetoignorelocalprogrammingneedsAtthesametimelargeheterogeneousaudiencesarebecom-ingathingofthepastincreasinglymediaaremarketingtosegmentedaudiencesdistinguishedbyideologyclassethnicityorraceTheseaudiencesrarelycomeintocontactwithoneanotherorwithdisagreeableopinionsInsuchafragmentedmediaworldisthereanelectronicplacewherepeoplecanconveneascitizensCanthenewmediacreateapublicsquarewherepeoplecanbeheardndashandheareachother
TheanswerisyesCommunitiesacrossthecountryaretakingcontrolofmediaadaptingnewtechnologiestothesocialeconomiceducationalculturalandinforma-tionneedsoftheirresidentsInConnecting Communitiesa2000reportbyseniorfellowRichardSomerset-WardtheBentonFoundationdocumentedcommunity-mediaalli-ancesthataredeliveringpublicserviceseffectivelyThereportenvisionedadigitalbroadbandinteractivemulti-mediacommunityplatformthatwouldtaketheseservicestonewlevelsThatvisioniscomingtopass
Thisreportshinesaspotlightonmediathatgobeyondthestandardnotionsofmediainthepublicinteresttoembracepracticesthatincreasecitizenpar-ticipationinmediaproductiongovernanceandpolicyThereportsummarizesthefindingsofanationwidescanofeffectiveandemergingcommunitymediapracticesconductedbytheBentonFoundationincollaborationwiththeCommunityMediaandTechnologyProgramoftheUniversityofMassachusettsBostonThescanincludedananalysisoftrendsandemergingpracticescomparativeresearchanonlinesurveyofcommunitymediapractitio-nersone-on-oneinterviewswithpractitionersfundersandpolicymakersandtheinformationgleanedfromaseriesofroundtablediscussionswithcommunitymediapractitionersinBostonChicagoMinneapolisStPaulandPortlandOregon
ThroughoutthiseffortBentonsoughtinputonkeyaspectsofcommunitymediapracticewiththegoalofunderstandinghowcommunitymediacanbesustainedstrengthenedandexpandedThescanresearchfocusedonfourkeyareasofinquirybullWhataretheuniquecharacteristicsthatdistinguish
communitymediabullWhatmakesmedia-communitycollaborationssuccessfulbullWhattypesofcommunitymediaorganizationsbestlever-
agenewtechnologiesbullHowmightcommunitymediaengageunderservedpopula-
tionsinprogrammingtailoredtotheirneedsThescangrewoutoftheBentonFoundationrsquos
experiencewithSoundPartnersforCommunityHealtharegrantingprogramsupportedbytheRobertWoodJohnsonFoundationFortenyearsSoundPartnersnurturedcol-laborationsbetweencommunityhealthagenciesandlocalpublicbroadcasterstoimprovelocalhealthcarepracticesanddecision-makingThesuccessofSoundPartnersdem-
introduction
Insuchafragmentedmedia
worldisthereanelectronic
placewherepeoplecanconvene
ascitizensCanthenewmedia
createapublicsquarewhere
peoplecanbeheardndashandhear
eachother
onstratedthepowerofcommunitymediaandinspiredthefoundationtotakeadeeperlookatcollaborationopportuni-tiesandthepotentialformediawhosemissionistoserveandtransformthecommunitieswithinwhichtheyoperateThegoalofthescanistoprovideinspirationanddirectionnotonlyforcommunitiesnationwidebutalsotoinformthenextphaseofSoundPartnersThisphasecalledNewRoutestoCommunityHealthisanchoredinlocalpartner-shipsandpoisedtoincreasethehealthofnewimmigrantsandrefugeesbyinvolvingabroadrangeoflocalmediaandcivicinstitutionsintacklingthiscommunityrsquoscomplexproblemsandgivingvoicetoitsvulnerablenewresidents
Acrossthecountrycommunitiesarepartneringwithpublicbroadcastersprovidingcommunityradioandestab-lishinglow-powerradiostationsorganizingoncableaccesschannelsjoiningcommunitybroadbandnetworksandproducingforsatellite-deliveredpublicinterestchannelsInthisreportweexplorethelessonslearnedfromtheseimportantmdashbutoftenisolatedmdashexperimentsincom-munity-drivenmediaWehopethisreportwillhelpconnectpresentandfutureinnovatorswithoneanotherandwithresourcesthatcangetthemstartedandorsustainthem
Simplyputcommunitymediaaremediacreatedtoallowindividualstotellthestoriesandhavetheconversationsnecessaryfortheirownself-directed
developmentascitizens(Howley2005Jankowski2003Rennie2006)ThefacesandvoicesinthesestoriesandconversationsmaynotbeseenorheardanywhereelseChicagoroundtableparticipantsdescribedthisexperi-encewiththepowerfulphraseldquofirstvoicerdquoOftenitisthefirsttimeindividualshavespokenpubliclyorsharedtheirstories
defining chArActeristicsFourcharacteristicsarecommontothecommunitymediadescribedinthisreportthoughnooneorganizationcanfulfillalltheseidealsallofthetime
LocalismCommunitymediaarecreatedprimarilywithandbyresidentsofaspecificgeographicplaceTheyexplorelocalissuesTheyhelpdefinetheplaceswhereweliveandhowwerelatetooneanotherTheyreflectlocalvaluesandcul-tureBydefinitionasoneroundtableparticipantinBostonnotedcommunitymedialdquocanrsquotbeoutsourcedrdquo
Inthecurrentregulatoryandcommercialenviron-mentofmostmediaplatformstheimportanceofthiskeycharacteristiccanrsquotbeoverstatedLocalradioprogram-mingisoftenpipedinfromothercommunitiesandgivenanautomatedwrapperthatsimulateslocalismLocalbroadcasttelevisionhasbeengivenalmostcompleteregulatoryrelieffromitsminimalobligationstoservetheneedsoflocalcommunitiesSimilarlythecableandtele-phoneindustriesarepressingintheregulatoryarenatoberelievedoflocalcommunityserviceobligationsclaimingtheInternethassoempoweredlocalcitizensthatitisnolongernecessarytorequireothermediatosupportciviclife(Atthesametimetheseindustriesareseekinglegisla-tiontobarcommunitiesfromowningandbuildingtheirownwirelessandbroadbandInternetconnections)
FacedwiththesechangescommunitiesarelefttowonderhowtheycandiscovercreativewaysofpluggingintotheemergingmediaandknowledgeculturesItisnowwidelyrecognizedthattheinabilitytogainaccesstoinformationnetworksandglobalflowsofmediaarecriticalfactorsincreatingsocialinequality(Castells2005Lash2002)Failuretoaddresstheseconcernsinanetworked
societyplacesgeographiccommunitiesatriskofbecom-ingldquodumbterminalsrdquoratherthancreativeeconomicandculturalactorsinthenetworksnowemergingThequestionofldquowherearecommunitymediardquoiscriticalhereItcanbeansweredintwowaysasageographicplacendashaneigh-borhoodtowncitycountyorregionndashandasanonlinevirtualcommunityndashasocialnetworkofcommonintereststhatisnotparticularlyassociatedwithageographicplaceFailuretokeepthisdistinctionintheforewhenconsider-ingcommunitymediaputsgeographiccommunitiesatriskofbeingdisconnectedandmarginalizedlsquooffthenetworkrsquo
Withoutthepresenceoflocalinstitutionscommit-tedtosupportingcommunitiesintheireffortstograpplewithaglobalmediacultureandcreatedigitalinclusionitisunlikelythatthedemocraticpotentialofnetworkcommunicationscanberealizedThisreportfocusesonmediathatservelocalgeographicplacesplaceswhereadiversityofpeopleliveandareinevitablyassociatedwitheachothergroundedinunavoidablerichandcomplexsocialrelationshipsthatarefarfromtransparentsimpleormeresimulationsofintimacyinavirtualcommunica-tionsnetwork
Diverse ParticipationCommunitymediaaremission-driveninservicetothebroadercommunityTheyinsistontheinclusionofdiversevoiceswithinthecommunityandtheirproductionanddistributionprocessesemphasizecommunityparticipationTheyseekrepresentationoftherangeofdemographicsofitscitizensndashsocialeconomicethnicculturalpoliticalagendashintheirprogrammingAndthatprogrammingisnotmerelyaboutthecommunityitiscreatedincollaborationwiththecommunityCommunitymediainstitutionsseethemselvesasaccountableandaccessibletothepeopletheyserveandtheyembracetheiraudiencesascitizensinademocracywhoareentitledbothtoFirstAmendmentfreedomsandtocontrolovercontentTheirdemocraticprinciplesareoftenreflectedinparticipatorymanagementandgovernancestructures
Storytelling and DeliberationAsbothprocessandcontentstorytellingiscentraltocom-munitymediaandcanjump-startadeliberativeprocessamongcommunitymembersItcombatsalienationandiso-lationbyallowingaudiencememberstoexpresstheirstory
WhAt Are community mediA
aswellasliveinsomeoneelsersquosshoesItallowspartici-pantsandviewerstoderivebroadermeaningfrompersonalexperienceandprovidesin-depthcoverageofissuesonanintimatelevel
ThestorytellingishumanfromtheheartandnotnecessarilyobjectiveItiscreativeandenablesboldrawrelevantanddiversecontentcriticalforcivicdiscussionAtitsbestitisnotmerelyldquopersonalrdquomediabutoftenstorytellinginservicetolargercivicconcerns
ToframethecommunityrsquosstoriesandexperienceforcivicdiscoursecommunitymediaofteninitiatepublicconversationanddeliberationonimportantandcomplextopicsInthiswaycommunitymediaorganizationsareassumingtheroleofconvenersandauthenticatorsofinfor-mationsharinganddialoguerolesincreasinglybeinglostlocallyinderegulatedcommercialmedia
EmpowermentOnegoalofcommunitymediaistochallengenotionscon-veyedinmainstreammediaAccomplishingthisrequiresputtingcommunicationtoolsinthehandsofindividualssharingaccesswithnonprofessionalsandsupportingself-expressionandcommunitybuildingCommunitymediainstitutionsengageinempowermentindifferentwaysManyoffertrainingprogramstobuildthecapacityofcom-munitymemberstousemediatechnologiesothersassistcommunitiesingrapplingwithamedia-saturatedculturethroughmedialiteracytrainingyetothersemphasizeeco-nomicandworkforcedevelopmentthroughskillstrainingandcontentproductionByenablingcitizenstomakeandunderstandmediacommunitymediabecomeatoolforper-sonalcommunityandethnicexpressionanddevelopmentTheymayeveninspireaudiencestotakeactionleadingtopoliticaltransformationTheyreachthoseoutsidethemainstreamandprovideavoiceforthevoicelessThisdynamicmakestheprocessofcreationasimportantastheproduct(SeeAppendix1)
types of mediAWheredocommunitymediafitinthebroadermedialand-scapeThelanguageweusetotalkaboutmediaculture
andprogramminghasevolvedtokeeppacewithchangingmediaformstechnologyandpracticesIncreasinglythetermpublic mediaisusedtodistinguishmediathataresupportedbythepublicandthatallowthepublictoengageinciviclifeandhaveavoiceintheirdevelopmentWithinthisbroadunderstandingofpublicmediaseveraltermsdescribemediapracticesthatfacilitatepeoplersquosparticipa-tionascitizensCommunity mediaasdefinedabovefitseasilywithinthiscategoryAlsofallingundertheumbrellaofpublicmediaaretermslikealternative media inde-pendent media participatory media citizen mediaanddevelopment mediatheseareoverlappingpracticesthatemphasizevaryingprioritiesbutallmayalsoqualifyascommunitymedia
Forthepurposesofthisreportitisusefultospe-cificallydistinguishcommunitymediafromlocalmediaHerewehavefocusedoncommunitymediathatarelocalgeographicallybutwehavealsodefinedcommunitymediaasmediathatemphasizeinclusivenessandhaveauniquesetofparticipatorypractices
Itisalsousefultonotethatthetermscitizen mediaandcitizenrsquos mediahavetakenontwodifferentandimpor-tantmeaningsinrecentyearsNeithertermreferstomediathatareexclusivelylocalThepossessiveformcitizenrsquos media isatermusedbyscholarClemenciaRodriguezandotherstorefertotheuseofmediathatallowpeopletoacteffectivelyascitizensacrossthespectrumofdailylife(Rodriguez2001)Theothertermcitizen mediaisnowbeingusedwithintheworldofonlinecollaborativemediatorefertodecentralizedpracticesinvolvingvideoandaudiobloggingsocialsoftwareapplicationsandothercollab-orativemediatoolsPractitionersofonlinecollaborativemediahaveadoptedthelanguageandpracticesofpartici-patorymediaThecurrentvisibilityoftheblogospherehascontributedtothemisconceptionthatcitizenmediaandcommunitymediahavejustemergedwiththeInternetandthatparticipatorymediaareafunctionoftechnologyratherthanofpeopleactingascitizensThisconfusionfailstorecognizesixtyyearsofgrassrootsmediaexperience
Storytellingiscentraltocommunitymediaandcanjump-startadeliberativeprocessamongcommunitymembers
Byenablingcitizenstomakeandunderstandmediacommunitymediabecomeatoolforpersonalcommunityandethnicexpressionanddevelopment
CommunitymediaarenotlimitedtoanyparticularvenuesortechnologiesTheyreflectalonghistoryofadaptingnewmediatechnologiesastheyemergeEarlyexperimentsincommunityradiobeganinthe1940sand1950sAbroadermovementfollowedinthe1960swiththeuseofsmall-for-matvideofilmsoundrecordingandtheexpandedFMradiospectrumItcontinuedthroughthe1970sand1980swiththediversificationoftelevisiondistributionnetworksandlocalpubliceducationalandgovernmentchannelsoncableTodaycommunitymediaareavitalfeatureoftheelectronicmediaenvironmentFollowingarebriefdescrip-tionsandhistoricaloverviewsofdifferentplatformswhichprovidecontextforthecommunitymediaprofilescontainedinthisreport
Community RadioGroundedinearliereffortstopreservespectrumspaceforeducationalusescommunityradiofirstappearedinSanFranciscointhe1940swiththecreationofthePacificaFoundationrsquosKPFAradiostationThestationpioneeredanapproachtoradiothatcombinedresponsivenesstolisten-ersthroughsubscriptionfundingandcommunityservicewiththecreationofanopenforumforculturaljournal-isticandsocialexpressionSincethencommunityradioinitiativeshavebeendevelopedinmorethan225communi-tiesintheUnitedStatesandincountlesscommunitiesaroundtheworld
In1975communityradiotookonanationalinsti-tutionalexpressionwiththeformationofthe National Federation of Community Broadcasters(NFCB)anorganizationdedicatedtopromotingcommunityradiodevelopmentintheUnitedStatesThefederationadvo-catedcommunitycontrolnoncommercialownershipandvoluntaryparticipationintheoperationandprogrammingofcommunityradiostationsespeciallybypopulationsandgroupsthathistoricallyhadbeendeniedexpressionintheUnitedStatesNFCBprovidedtraininganddevelopmentsupporttoitsmemberstationsandundertookFederalCommunicationsCommission(FCC)advocacyontheirbehalfWithinadecadeNFCBhadseventymembersta-tionsand120associatemembersnationwide(Engelman1996)
Ascommunityradiohasevolvedindifferentcom-munitiesinterpretationsofitsmissionhaveexpandedtoincludestationsdedicatedtominoritycommunitiesandownershipforeignlanguagestationsdedicatedtospecificlanguagecommunitiesinalocaleandvaryingcommit-mentstocommunityinvolvementvolunteerproductionandfundingstrategiesWiththisdiversificationhascome
ideologicaldebateovercreepingcommercializationandprofessionalizationofthefieldHoweverdespitedisagree-mentsoverphilosophyandpracticescommunityradiostationsremainvitalpartsoftheircommunitiessupport-ingcivicparticipationandeducationcommunitybuildingandcommunitiesrsquosenseofthemselvesasuniqueplaces
RadiostationKFAIinMinneapolis-StPaulisonesuchstationAvolunteer-basedcommunityradiostationthatbroadcastsinformationartsandentertain-mentprogrammingitoffersaneclecticmixofprogramsincludingmusiclocalnewspoetryspokenwordpoliticalforumsandinterviewsKFAIemphasizesempowermentthroughtrainingItprovidesboardcertificationtrainingandworkshopsonannouncinginterviewingandprogramdevelopmenttovolunteersCoursesaretaughtinEnglishbutbilingualvolunteershaveaccesstoanyoftheon-airprogrammersforassistanceintheirownlanguage
Low-Power FMCommunityradioreachedanotherstagewiththedevel-opmentoflow-powerFMradioorLPFMTheLPFMmovementwasapoliticalresponsetoincreasingconsoli-dationoflocalradioownershipafterthepassageofthe1996CommunicationsActandasenseamongthoseinthegrassrootsradiomovementthatcommunityradiowasfallingpreytopressurefromtheCorporationforPublicBroadcasting(CPB)tobecomemoreaudience-drivenhomogenizedinprogrammingandprofessionalizedthuslessinterestedincommunityparticipation(Cano2003)Tocounterthesetrendsmediaactivistsbegansettingupmicro-powerradiostationsincommunitiesusinglow-powerbroadcasttransmitterswithanapproximateservicerangeofthree-and-a-halfmilesanareaoftenassmallasasingleneighborhood
In1998thegrowthofLPFMspurredthecreationofthePrometheus Radio Projectfoundedbyactiviststoassistcommunitygroupsinacquiringlow-powerFMradio
Communityradiostationsremainvitalpartsoftheircommunitiessupportingcivicparticipationandeducationcommunitybuildingandcommunitiesrsquosenseofthem-selvesasuniqueplaces
TheURLsoforganizationssetinboldfaceareprovidedinApendices2(aggregatorsassociations)and3(practitioners)
broadcastlicensesfromtheFCCandingettingtheirsta-tionsupandrunningoncetheywerelicensedAsaresultofthisactivismtheFCCofficiallyacknowledgedlow-powerFMinUSbroadcastingpolicyin2000LPFMstationsarenowlicensedfornoncommercialeducationalbroadcastingonlyandaconstructionpermitisrequiredbeforeaLPFMstationcanbebuiltoroperatedThelowcostoflow-powerradiohasallowedmanyorganizationswithstrongcommit-mentstocommunitycontrolnoncommercialgrassrootsfundingandparticipatoryproductionandmanagementprocessestoenterthecommunityradiomovement
WCIW-LPisalow-powerFMstationinImmokaleeFloridaoperatedbythe2500-memberCoalitionofImmokaleeWorkersItishardtoimagineabetterexampleofcommunityempowermentingrassrootsLPFMthanWCIW-LPItfocusesonacommunitythatisbothacommunityofworkersandageographiccommunitythestationandtransmitterarelocatedinthesamelotwherethecoalitionrsquosmembersboardbusesboundforthetomatofieldsofFloridaLaunchedin2003withthehelpofthePrometheusRadioProjectWCIW-LPproducesnewsedu-cationalprogramsandmusicinSpanishHaitianCreoleandindigenouslanguagesofMexicoandGuatemalaThestationisaprimaryorganizingtoolforthecommunityinitsdefenseoftherightsofLatinoHaitianandMayanIndianmigrantandimmigrantfarmworkers
Public BroadcastingUnlikemanylocationsinEuropeandCanadatheUnitedStateshasnotdevelopedastrongcommunity-focusedbroadcastingsectorseparatefrompublicbroadcastingPublicbroadcastingintheUnitedStatesislargelysynony-mouswiththePublic Broadcasting ServiceandNational Public RadioinstitutionsthatcameintoexistencewiththepassageofthePublicBroadcastingActof1967Theactestablishedafederalsystemoftelevisionandradioheavilydependentonfederalandcorporatefunding
Thoughembattledfromitsinceptionandsaddledwithacumbersomedecentralizedstructurepublicbroad-castinghasmanagedtosurviveandfindanimportantroleinAmericanmediaNeithergovernmentalnorcommercialinitsorientationyetheavilydependentoneachitprovidesvaluablenoncommercialprogramming(Aufderheide2000b)PublicradioandtelevisionhavealsoledthewayintheUnitedStatesintheinnovativeuseofdigitalandsatellitetechnologyThePBSwebsiteisconsideredtobethemostfrequentlyvisitednonprofitsiteontheInternet(Starr2003)
YetpublictelevisionandradiofallshortofthevisiondescribedinitsfoundingdocumentsTheywere
envisionedasldquohellipaforumfordebateandcontroversyrdquoaspaceforexpressionldquohellipforgroupsinthecommunitythatmayotherwisebeunheardrdquo(CarnegieCommissiononEducationalTelevision1967)AsJeffChestermediacriticandreformadvocatewritesldquoWhilepublicradioatitsbestcomesmuchclosertothisidealpublictelevisionappearstohavebecomeavictimofitsownsuccessndashfullofartistryandprofessionalismtobesurebutrarelythesourceofthelocalismdiversityandrisktakingthatitsfoundersenvisionedrdquo(Chester2006)Stillitisarguablethatpublicbroadcastingwouldnothavesurvivedtothepresenthaditinsistedonlivinguptotheparticipatoryvisionsofitsfounders
ThePublicBroadcastingServiceNationalPublicRadioandtheirmemberstationscannotuniformlybechar-acterizedascommunitymediaTheirprogrammingandmanagementstructureshavereflectedthetop-downnatureoftheirfundingandtheyhavetendedovertheyearstoemphasisprofessionalismandstationmanagementpreroga-tivesoveracommitmenttodiverselocalparticipationandcommunitybuilding(Engelman1996)
Publicbroadcastingholdsmanyexamplesofexem-plarycommunityprogrammingbutfewerexamplesofrobustprogramschedulingwithcommunity-orientedcom-munity-drivenandcommunity-createdprogrammingForinstance ldquoBasic Blackrdquo from WGBH in BostonwhichhaschronicledtheconcernedandcultureofAfrican-Americanssince1968andthemulticulturalweeklytalkshowsthatareastapleofWYBE inPhiladelphiaarenoteworthyforhavingcreateduniquelocalmediaspacesthatdofunc-tionascommunitymediaInthe1990sthenationalldquoNittyGrittyCityGrouprdquoattemptedtomovepublicbroadcastingbeyondprogramexcellencetobeinganagentforsocialchangeandameansforcitizenempowerment(Larson1993)ItworkedwithgrassrootsgroupstobringattentionandaccesstothecitizensoftheircommunitiesWhilethegroupnolongerexistsitspassionforcommunityengage-mentisstillaliveinstationpersonnelaroundthecountry
ItcanbeseeninmanyoftheSound Partners for Community HealthexperimentsincollaborationsbetweenpublicbroadcastersandcommunityhealthorganizationsNewhopefulexperimentsareunderwayfromCPBanditscommunityengagementinitiativewiththeHarwoodInstituteBroaderstationsuccessesinengagingcommu-nitymembersarechronicledinRichardSomerset-WardrsquosConnecting Communities(2000)andhismorerecentBroadband Community Networks(2005)ForexamplethereistremendouspotentialattheintersectionofpublicbroadcastingandonlinecollaborativemediaWHYYhasextendeditson-airradioandtelevisionprogramming
throughaphysicalandvirtualldquocivicspacerdquoinPhiladelphiaand ideastreamthemergeroftwopublicbroadcast-ersinClevelandoffersitsmultimediadigitalfacilitiesandexpertisetoClevelandrsquoscommunityinstitutionsandcitizensRadioprojectslikethePublic Radio Exchange andMinnesota Public Radiorsquos Public Insight Journalismareprovidinginterestingglimpsesofthepotentialofcol-laborativemediaforpublicradioEachexamplesuggeststhatpublicbroadcastinghasgreatpotentialandtechnicalcapacitytomovebeyondsimplenotionsofldquolocalismrdquotoamorerobuststanceofcivicengagementandparticipation
Cable AccessPublicaccesstelevisionorPublicEducationalandGovernment(PEG)accesstelevisionreferstoacollectionofentitiesthatprovidelocalcontentoverdedicatedchan-nelsoncabletelevisionsystemsintheUnitedStatesPEGaccessisrootedintheactivismofthe1960sand1970satimewhenpublicaccessadvocatesenjoyedamutuallysup-portiverelationshipwithanemergingcableindustryeagertodemonstrateitspotentialtodiversifytelevision
In1969theFederalCommunicationsCommissionsawthepotentialofcabletelevisiontoopenuptelevisiontomorelocalprogrammingandbeganrequiringlargercablesystemstodeveloplocalprogrammingexperimentsTheFCCrsquosfirstcomprehensiverulingonthecableindustryin1972includedrequirementsthatcablesystemsinthe100largesttelevisionmarketsdedicateatleastthreechannelsforpubliceducationandgovernmentaccessTherulingsetoffaroundofoptimisticcommunitymediaexperimentsnationwideButthisinformalpartnershipbetweencom-munitymediaadvocatesandthecableindustrycametoanabrupthaltin1979whentheSupremeCourtruledthattheFCChadexceededitsregulatoryauthorityinmandatingthatchannelsbededicatedtoPEGaccessTherulingdidnotpreventCongressandlocalgovernmentsfromrequiringnegotiatedaccesschannelshoweverandby1979accessadvocatesweresufficientlyorganizedtomakePEGastan-dardofferingofcabletelevision
BythistimethecableindustryhadenteredwhatarereferredtoasldquothegoldrushyearsrdquoThesuccessofHBOrsquossatellite-deliveredcableprogrammingservicedemon-stratedthataudienceswithgoodfreebroadcastreceptionwouldpaytoreceiveuninterruptedmoviesandsportsCablecompaniesvigorouslycompetedforfranchisesinthecountryrsquosmostpopulousareasIfalocalcommunityrsquosfranchiseauthorityexpressedadesireforPEGaccesschannelsinitsrequestforproposalsoftenthecablecompanieswouldrespondfavorablyInadditiontochannel
set-asidesarequirementthatoperatorsprovidefundingforequipmentandpublicinterestchanneloperationsbecameuniversalThoughmanyPEGaccesscentershavediversi-fiedtheirfundingsourcesthebulkoffundingforPEGaccesschanneloperationsandprogrammingcomesfromcongressionallyandmunicipallymandatedfeesinreturnfortheuseofpublicrights-of-way
Intheirearlyyearsthemorethan2000accesschannelstheninoperationwereadministeredinvariouswaysAfewcablecompanieswereabletocompetentlyundertakecommunity-basedmanagementofthesechan-nelsbutgenerallythecableindustryhadlittleappetiteorcapacitytosuccessfullymanagetheselocalchannelsInsomecasesthefranchiseauthorityitselfmanagedthechannelsInothercasesitwasthelibrarytheuniversitycommunitycollegeorhighschoolHoweveritsoonbecameclearthatthelocalcommunityneededtomanagethisnewcommunicationcapacityseparatefromcablecompaniesandgovernmentifitspotentialtocreatecommunitymediawastoberealizedTheindependentnonprofitcorporationeventuallybecamethestandardmanagementmodelamongcommunitymediaadvocatesTodaymostsuccessfulaccesscentersaremanagedthroughnonprofitcommunitygroups(Olson2000)
BecausepublicaccesschannelscarryFirstAmendmentprotectionallowinganyoneinthecommu-nitytoplaceprogrammingonthechannelswithoutbeingsubjecttopriorrestraintsomeprogrammingonthesechannelscanseemexceedinglystrangetotheuninitiatedMuchoftheprogrammingonpublicchannelsismadebynonprofessionalsandreflectstheidiosyncraticinterestsofproducersInrecentyearshoweverpublicaccesscentershaveastutelyexpandedtheirmissionsbeyondindividu-allyfocusedprogrammingtoaddresstheneedsofwholecommunitiesthroughmorecomplexnotionsofempower-mentandcommunitybuildingThishasmeantdevelopingmoreprogramminginpartnershipwithassociationsandnonprofitscommunitygroupsagenciesandeducationalinstitutionsthathaveaclearrelationshiptothelifeoftheircommunities(Rennie2006)Significantnumbersofaccesscentershavealsomovedtoincorporateothermediabeyondvideoandtocarryoutalargerrangeofmediaeducationandmediaartsactivitiesbeyondcableprogramming
OverthecourseofcableaccessdevelopmenttheAlliance for Community Media(ACM)hasconsistentlyprovidedbothpoliticalandprofessionalleadershiptothefieldofcableaccessFormedastheNationalFederationofLocalCableProgrammersin1978ACMquicklygrewtooccupyapresenceinWashingtonDCpolicycircles
andhassteadfastlyprovidedavoicefortheinterestsofthe2000accesscenterintheUSCurrentlytheACMisleadingthefightalongwithcitiesinfightingthewaveofstatewidelsquovideofranchisingrsquolegislationthroughwhichthetelephonecompaniesandcablecompaniesareattemptingtogainnear-monopolycontroloflocaltelecommunicationsmarketswhichwouldeffectivelyendcableaccessinmanycommunities
Manhattan Neighborhood Network(MNN)whichprovidespublicaccesscableservicesinManhattanisoneofagrowingnumberofcableaccesscentersintheUnitedStatesthathaveembracedabroadermissionofmultime-diaeducationandtrainingBeyonditscablechannelstelevisionstudiosandelectronicfieldproductionandpost-productionfacilitiesMNNfunctionsasacommunitymeetingandartsspaceandoperatesagrantingprogramandasupportnetworktositesthroughoutManhattanInrecentyearsMNNhasprovidedarichselectionofitsvideotoInternetstreamingItalsofeaturesaYouth Channeloneofthefirsttelevisionchannelstofacilitatecreativityandsocialandpoliticalparticipationamongdisadvantagedlow-incomeandminorityyouthbyprovidingthemwithaccesstoadedicatedchannelmediaproductionresourcesandtraining
Media Arts OrganizationsMediaartsorganizationswereorganizedinNorthAmericainthe1960sand1970sinresponsetotheavailabilityofnewmoreaffordableandmoreportablemediatech-nologiessuchasfilmvideoandcomputersMediaartsorganizationssupportartthatmakesuseoffilmvideoaudiomultimediaandinteractivemediaIndividualcen-tersoftenfocusononeortwoelementsofthetotalmediaartsinfrastructureprovidingsomecombinationofaccesstomediatoolsproductionproductiontrainingdistribu-tionarchivingandexhibitionofmediaart
Overtheyearscentershaveengagedinanincred-iblerangeofartisticpracticesembracingavantgardeexperimentationinfilmandvideodocumentariesnar-rativeandstorytellingcomputerartandinstallationsusingallmediaThesepracticesintersectwithcommunitymediaintheiremphasisonparticipatoryprogrammingdevelopment
ThehistoryofmediaartsorganizationsiscloselyentwinedwiththetrendsandpoliticsofpublicfundinganddevelopingtechnologyintheUnitedStatesEarlycentersoftenreceivedfoundationfundingtoexperimentwithspecificemergingtechnologiesparticularlyvideoThisinitialphaseofdevelopmentwasgivensignificantsupport
bytheMacArthurFoundationanditsmediaartsprogramfollowedbythecreationoftheNationalEndowmentfortheArtswhichinturnbeganaprogramofconsistentsupportformediaartsorganizationsnationwideTheperiodwasmarkedbythelong-termsupportbyMacArthurFoundationrelativelystablegrowthandaheadyrangeofartisticprac-ticeandexperimentation
Inthepoliticallyconservativeclimateoftheearly1990sasfundersbecameincreasinglywaryofsupportingartthatmightprovecontroversialtheNationalEndowmentfortheArtsgraduallywithdrewmostfundingforthemediaartsBytheendofthedecadetheMacArthurFoundationoneofthemediaartsrsquomostconsistentfundersendeditsyearlysupportformediaartsorganizationsclosingtheeraandforcingaperiodofdevelopmentdiversificationandrestructuringformediaartsorganizations
ThefieldhasprovenextremelyresilientTodaythefieldofmediaartsismadeupofamorediverseandmaturearrayofnonprofitorganizationsandartspracticesAlthoughmediaartsorganizationsnowplacemoreempha-sisonearnedincomeanddiversefundingsourcestheycontinuetobevitalculturalcentersprovidingcommunitiesaccesstobothmediafacilitiesandafullrangeofmediaculturalexperiencesMediaartsorganizationslikeScribeinPhiladelphiaandAppalshopinWhitesburgKentuckyforexamplehavenavigatedthetechnologicalandfundingshiftsofthepastthreedecadeswithsurprisingcreativityandsavvy
TheScribe Video CenterinPhiladelphiawhichemergedin1982duringthemediaartsheydayperseveredthroughtheupsetsofthe1990stobecomeanextraordinaryexampleofwhatasocialassetamediaartscentercanbeforacommunityScribereachesouttocommunitiesincludingpeopleofcolorwomenseniorcitizensandteensthattraditionallyhavenothadaccesstovideotrainingorproductionfacilitiesandprovidesthemtoolsforstorytell-ingInadditiontoproductionandscriptwritingworkshopsScribeoffersartistsrsquoservicessuchasfiscalsponsorshipequipmentrentalandeditingfacilitiesOngoingprogramsincludeCommunityVisionsavideoproductionprogramforcommunityorganizationsStreetMoviesafreeoutdoorneighborhood-basedscreeningseriesandtheProducersrsquoForumscreeningandlectureseriesofvisitingartistsandmediaactivistsAdditionallyScribeproducestheDocumentaryHistoryProjectforYouthanannualproduc-tionworkshopformiddleandhighschoolstudents
AppalshopinWhitesburgKentuckyisoneoftheoldestmediaartsorganizationsintheUnitedStatesAsitswebsiteindicatesAppalshopwasfoundedin1969to
enablepeopletousemediatotelltheirownstoriesinordertoldquosolvetheirownproblemsrdquoIthasbecomeanationallyrecognizedmediacenterworkinginfilmvideoaudioandmusicrecordingsliteraturetheaterliveperformanceandradioallfocusedonAppalachiancultureItsworkdocumentstraditionalartsexploreshistoryandaddressessocialissuesthataffecttheAppalachianregiontodayAppalshopprovidesregionallyandnationallyfocusededu-cationandtrainingprogramsTwoofthemostnotablearetheAppalachianMediaInstituteayouthmediatraininginitiativeandCommunityMediaInstitutewhichworkswithgrassrootsgroupsandpublicinterestorganizationsfromtheregionandnationallytoaccomplishstrategiccom-municationplanningaroundsocialjusticeorganizing
TheNational Alliance for Media Arts and CulturehasconsistentlyprovidedthoughtfulleadershiptothemediaartsfieldthroughtechnicalassistanceprogramsandstrategicplanninginitiativesItsDeepFocusprojectin2004usedscenarioplanningtoenvisionthefutureofmediaarts(Blau2004)Asaresultofthiskindofworktheearlynetworkofmediaartsorganizationshasexpandedtoincludeover274mediaartsorganizationsThisrepre-sentsasignificantbroadeningofthefieldofmediaartsencompassingmanysmallermediaartsorganizationswithspecificartisticculturalorcommunityobjectivesThemediaartsfieldhasmostrecentlyseentheemergenceofmanyyouthmediaorganizationswiththecriticalmissionofcreatingmedialiteracysurvivalskillsforyoungpeopleastheynavigatethemediasaturatedsocialenvironmentofthetwenty-firstcentury
Ethnic MediaEthnicmediarepresentagrowingvitalsectorofAmericanelectronicmediathatintersectswithcommunitymediainanumberofimportantwaysHistoricallyethnicmediaout-letshavearisenontheperipheryofUSbroadcastingoftenwithoutnetworkaffiliationtoservepopulationsthatdonothaveaccesstomainstreammediaandpopularcultureThesehaveincludednewimmigrantgroupsnon-Englishlanguagegroupsthepoliticallyoppressedandpopulationsstrivingtomaintainculturaltraditionsandtiestotheirhomelandswhileadaptingtoanewsociety
ThatpatternhasrepeatedwaxedandwanedasdifferentpopulationshavecometotheUnitedStatesinthepastcenturyThekeyhistoricalintersectionbetweencommunitymediaandethnicmedialiesintheearlyyearsofcommunityradiofollowingWorldWarIIwhenawaveofBlackradiostationsandformatsfilledspacecreatedintheshiftingmedialandscapebytheintroductionoftelevision
ThisshiftbroughtawaveofBlackinvestmentandprogramexperimentationthatseriouslyinfluencedthekindsofcommunityradioprogrammingthatevolvedintheUnitedStatesToalargeextenttheimprovisationalradioformatscombiningmusicandpoliticaltalkcultureandcur-rentaffairswerefirstworkedoutinpost-warBlackradio(Barlow1988Lloyd2006)
Ethnicmediaencompassescommercialandnoncom-mercialmediahugemultinationalsandsmalllocallyownedoperationsEthnicandcommunitymediaoftenintersectgeographicallyEthnicgroupsoftenidentifywithaspecificplaceandusemediatoarticulateasenseofsolidarityinthoseplacesLikecommunitymediaethnicmediafrequentlyembodyparticipatoryapproachestopro-grammingandproductionandareoftenresponsestodeepdissatisfactionwiththeownershipstructuresandbiasesofthemainstreammedia
OneofthemostsignificantongoingsourcesforethnicmediahasbeentheCorporationforPublicBroadcastingthroughitsfundingofthefivemembersoftheNationalMinorityConsortiaNational Asian American Telecommunications Association National Black Programming Consortium Native American Public Telecommunications Pacific Islanders in Communications and Latino Public BroadcastingTheseethnicprogrammingnetworksandtheIndependent Television ServiceprovidemillionsofdollarseachyeartotheirnetworksofethnicandindependentprogrammakersforprogramstargetedtothePublicBroadcastingService
CurrentlyethnicmediaareundergoingexplosivegrowthacrosstheUnitedStatesconsistentwithdemo-graphicshiftsTherearesignificantincreasesintheproportionofnon-EnglishspeakersLatinosAsiansMiddleEasternersandPacificIslandersintheUSpopulationandcorrespondingincreasesinethnicmediaDuringthecommunitymediaroundtablesconductedforthisreportparticipantsrepeatedlyexpressedappreciationforthenumberofethnicmediaoutletsthatusedparticipatorystrategiesinsupportingtheimmigrationproteststhatoccurredthroughouttheUnitedStatesin2006
OneindicationofthegrowthandsophisticationofethnicmediaisNew America Media (NAM)thelargestnationalcollaborationofethnicnewsorganizationsintheUnitedStatesNAMldquoproducesandaggregateseditorialcontentfromandfortheethnicmediasectoranddevelopspioneeringmarketingservicesonbehalfofcorporationsfoundationsandnonprofitswhoaretargetingethnicmediaandethniccommunitiesrdquoNewAmericaMediaisanetworkedcommunitythatlinksthousandsofethnic
0
mediaorganizationsintheUnitedStatesItsrecentstudyldquoEthnicMediainAmericaTheGiantHiddeninPlainSightrdquosurveysHispanicAmericansAfricanAmericansAsianAmericansArabAmericansandNativeAmericans(NewAmericaMedia2005)NAMfoundthatmorethanaquarterofthenationrsquospopulationusesethnicmediainsomecapacity
NewonlinejournalismsitessuchastheTwin Cities Media AlliancersquosDaily PlanetprofiledinthisreportareemergingfromtherestructuringofthenewspaperindustryandtheuseofbloggingandsocialnetworkingsoftwareThe TC Daily Planetaggregatesincreasingnumbersofethnicimmigrantandnon-mainstreamjournalistsinMinneapolis-StPaulAnotherexamplementionedinthisreportRadio Arte (WRTE)maybetheonlybilingual(SpanishEnglish)youth-operatedurbancommunitystationinthecountryItoperateswithafocusonyouthinChicagorsquosPilsenLittleVillageneighborhoodsAninitiativeoftheMexicanFineArtsCenterMuseumthiseducationalradiostationhasayouthtrainingandproductiontrainingprogramandapowerfulwebpresenceinadditiontoitsurbanbroadcastfootprint
BothTC Daily PlanetandRadioArteunderscorethecommonalitiesbetweenethnicmediaandcommunitymediaInmanycircumstancesethnicmediaandcom-munitymediacanbevirtuallyindistinguishableThisconvergenceofvaluesgeographyandpoliticscouldeasilyserveasthefoundationforcollaborationandpartner-ingbetweencommunityandethnicmediainspecificcommunities
Civic JournalismBothcivicjournalismandpublicjournalismrefertoamovementwithinprofessionaljournalismthathonorsnewsorganizationsrsquoroleinconveningandfacilitatingpublicdeliberationanddebatesinwhichaudiencesaretreatedasactiveparticipantsratherthanpassiveconsumersThePew Center for Civic JournalismdefinescivicjournalismasldquobothaphilosophyandasetofvaluessupportedbysomeevolvingtechniquesAtitsheartisabeliefthatjournal-ismhasanobligationtopubliclifendashanobligationthatgoesbeyondjusttellingthenewsorunloadinglotsoffactsrdquo(PewCenter2007)Thisphilosophyemergesfromanunder-standingthatcitizensareincreasinglydisengagedinciviclifeandthatnewsorganizationscanreactivateanapatheticcitizenryNewsorganizationspracticingcivicjournal-ismaimtoestablishdeeperconversationswithbroadercross-sectionsoftheircommunitiesresultinginenhancedcredibilityimprovedcommunicationbetweenthemselves
andthecommunityandbettercoverageofissuesoflocalconcern
CommittedtosupportingjournalisticeffortstorevitalizecitizenshipwhileobjectivelyreportinghardtruthsthePewCenterestablishedtheBattenAwardforExcellenceinCivicJournalismin1995OneofthefirstawardswenttoThe Charlotte ObserverofCharlotteNorthCarolinaforanineteen-monthin-depthseriesoncrimeinnineneighborhoodsReportersspenttwoyearsincrime-riddenneighborhoodsencouragingresidentsinthoseneighborhoodstoreportontherootcausesofcrimeandtoparticipateinthesearchforsolutions
Community NetworkingWhilestillinitsearlytext-basedphasetheInternetwasbeingadoptedasacommunity-buildingtoolbyanumberofgeographicallybasedorganizationsManyoftheseearlycommunitynetworksevolvedfromldquofreenetsrdquoalliedthroughtheNational Public Telecomputing Network(NPTN)AtthattimeNPTNwasthefourthmostpopularpubliccom-puternetworkbehindCompuServeAmericaOnlineandProdigy(Schuler1995)
SomeoftheseearlycommunitynetworksweresimplyInternetdestinationswherecommunity-basedinformationwascollectedandpresentedOthersevolvedasadjunctstotheInternetconnectionsprovidedbylocalInternetserviceprovidersLikeothercommunitymediathepioneersofcommunitynetworkingweremotivatedtousethisnewcommunicationstechnologytostrengthentheircommunities
CommunitynetworkingwaschangedirrevocablywiththeadventoftheWorldWideWebandthesurgeindemandforInternetaccessTheWorldWideWebreplacedmostofthesoftwareapplicationsthatwerebeingusedatthattimetomakeinformationaccessibletopeoplethroughacommunitynetworkThisandthedemandsurgelow-eredthepriceofcommercialInternetaccesstothepointwheretherewaslittlemotivationtobecomeamemberofacommunitynetworkastheywerepracticedatthetimeAsaresultcommunitynetworkinghasbecomelessaboutInternetaccessandmoreabouttheculturalpracticeof
Newsorganizationspracticingcivicjournalismaimtoestablishdeeperconversationswithbroadercross-sectionsoftheircommunities
communitynetworkingwithafocusonsocialnetworkingsoftwaredevelopmentandutilizationCommunitynetwork-ershavealwaysenjoyedclosealignmentwithopensourcesoftwaredevelopersandnowareconcernedwithusingtheInternetintandemwithopensourcesocialnetworkingsoftwaretoaccomplishmanyofthegoalsofcommunitymedia(Schuler2004)
The Metropolitan Austin Interactive Network (MAIN)isanonprofitorganizationcommittedtoinfor-mationsharingandcommunicationamongpeopleandgovernmentaleducationalcommercialculturalreligiousandcivicorganizationsItoperatesacommunity-basedwebsitethatprovidesandaggregatesabroadarrayofinformationcriticaltoAustinresidentsfromemploymentinformationtoenvironmentalartsandculturalcontentMAINiscommittedtohelpingitscommunitymakeeffec-tiveuseoftheInternetandothernetworkcommunicationsstructuresbutdoesnotdirectlyprovidenetworkconnectiv-ityMAINprovidesfreewebhostingandwebdevelopmentassistancethroughabroaddigitalliteracyprogramthatincludestrainingingeneralcomputerandInternetusage
SatelliteWhilesatellitetelevisioncannotbeconsideredcommunitymediabecauseitisneitherlocalnorspecificallycom-munity-focuseditdeservesmentionherebecauseofitsexistingandpotentialcontributionstocommunitymediagoalsSatellitetelevisionisfocusedonnationalvideodistributionviacableanddirectbroadcastservicestohomesatellitedishesTofosterthepublicrsquosinterestindiverseprogrammingviasatellitetheFCCin1992imposedcertainpublicinterestobligationsonDirectBroadcastService(DBS)providersThecommissionruledthatDBSprovid-ersmustreservefourpercentoftheirchanneltranspondercapacityexclusivelyfornoncommercialprogrammingofaneducationalorinformationalnatureUnfortunatelytheFCCleftituptotheDBScompaniestodecidewhichprogram-merswouldbeselectedfromeligibleprogrammersManyfeelthepotentialofDBStoservethepublicinteresthasbeensignificantlycurtailedasaresult(Anderson2000)
Neverthelesssatellitehasbecomehometosomeprogrammersthatembodythevaluesandpracticesofcom-munitymediaNotablyDeepDishTVFreeSpeechTVLinkTVandasofApril2007StarfishTelevisionNetworkarealldistributedviasatelliteduetotheset-asiderulesadoptedbytheFCCEachoffersprogrammingthatembodiesvaluesofdiversityandempowermentwhiledemonstratingthenecessityofset-asidepoliciesfornoncommercialfrequency
andbandwidthatalllevelsofthemediainfrastructureifnoncommercialmediaistoflourishTheyconsistentlyrunprogramsproducedbycommunitymediaactivistsandindependentproducersandrepresentonepossiblewayforcommunitymediaorganizationstodevelopanationalprogrammingreachthatcouldfacilitateldquolocaltolocalrdquocommunicationswhiledevelopinganationalnetworkofprogressivecommunityprogramming
Deep Dish TVpioneeredtheuseofsatellitetoestablishacollaborativenetworkamongactivisttelevisionproducersandpublicaccesscablestationsin1986DrawingontheearlierexperimentsofthePublicInterestVideoNetworkDeepDishbegancreatingprograminstallmentsforsatellitedistributionVideoprogrammingselectedfromactivistandcommunitytapesaroundthecountrywerefedtosatellitetransponderswithanationalfootprintwheretheywerepickedupbyhundredsofcableaccessorganiza-tionsandcommunitymediacentersintheUnitedStates(Pierce2003)
DeepDishrsquos1991satellitebroadcastsoftheGulfCrisisTVProjectareconsideredbymanytobehistoricmomentsincommunitymediaandUScommunicationshistoryadirectinterventioninaninternationalcrisisbypublicaccesstelevisionandindependentmediaactivistsDeepDishTVassembledavideoanti-warteach-induringthefirstGulfWarandmadeitavailabletotheirnetworkviasatelliteThesuccessoftheGulfCrisisprojectexpandedDeepDishrsquosnetworktoincludeindependentpublictelevi-sionsitesanyonewithahomesatellitereceiverandothercommunitymediaandmediaartsorganizationsRalphEngelmanwritesthatDeepDishrsquosuseofsatelliteallowedcommunitymediaactiviststofulfilltwooftheircoreobjec-tivesldquograssrootsparticipationandthepresentationofdiversealternativeperspectivesrdquo(Engelman1996)
TheseearlysuccessesinnetworkingcommunitytelevisionviasatellitehavemorerecentlybeenextendedbyFree Speech TVandAmyGoodmanrsquosDemocracyNowprogrammingFreeSpeechTVextendedthetechnicalcapacitytonetworkwithcableaccessbyraisingfundstobuydirectsatellitereceiversforcableaccessfacilitiesinterestedincablecastingFreeSpeechTVprogram-mingThistechnicalnetworkthenbecameaprogressiveprogramnetworkcalledintoexistencealmostsingle-hand-edlybythehighlysought-afterprogressiveprogrammingofDemocracyNowInturnthepresenceofDemocracyNowprogrammingisconsistentlyservingtoincreasetheaudiencesandsupportforcableaccessincommunitiesthroughouttheUnitedStates
AttheirheartcommunitymediaareaboutmakingmediawithpeoplenotmerelyaboutorforpeopleIt
isasoneChicagoroundtableparticipantnotedlikeldquotheneighborhoodgoingouttodinnerrdquoButasanyonewhohaseverhostedalargedinnerpartyknowsthisisnotalwayseasilyaccomplishedInroundtablediscussionswithcommunitymediapractitionersthreestrategiesndashcollabo-ration across sectors and platforms training and outreach ndashemergedrepeatedlyaswaysofsuccessfullyengagingthebreadthanddiversityoftheircommunitiesInadditionafourthstrategyconnecting with immigrant populationsyieldedinsightsintosomeuniquechallengesandbenefits
strAtegies CollaborationMediainstitutionscanplaytheroleoffacilitatorsintheircommunitiesdemystifyingtheprocessofproductionpro-vidingpeoplewithaccesstotheresourcestheyneedandbuildingonthehistoryandgoalsofcivicjournalismThisrolerequiresmediainstitutionstorethinktraditionaljour-nalismandmayentailthere-balancingofeditorialpoliciesndashcommittingtodiversityembracingegalitarianvaluesandreassessingthevalueofeditorialneutralityInvitingcommunitymemberstohelpwithstoriesmakescover-agemorereflectiveofthecommunitymoreofatwo-wayconversationForinstanceTwin Cities Public Television(TPT)dedicatestimeononeofitsdigitalchannelstolocalandregionalprogrammingincludingprogramstargetedattheLatinoHmongHindiSomaliandVietnamesecommu-nitiesTocreateprogrammingfortheldquoMinnesotaChannelrdquothestationpartnerswithnonprofitorganizationswhopayTPTforproductionsupportandguaranteedbroadcastoftheprogramming
Sound Partners for Community HealthhasshownthatauthenticpartnershipsbetweenpublicbroadcastersandcommunityinstitutionsenableeachpartytoreachlargermorediverseandtargetedaudiencesonhealthissuesimportanttothecommunityCommunityinstitutionspromotedbroadcastsandpublicbroadcastersincreasedthevisibilityoftheirinstitutionalpartnerswhoofferedadditionalresourcesandreferralstoviewersandlistenersandhelpedtodisseminateprogrammingonCDsandDVDsInadditionbymarryingtheexpertiseofcommunity-basedhealthorganizationsandvoicesoflocalresidentswiththeproductionvaluesofhigh-qualityradioandtelevisionpro-grammingSoundPartnerspositionedcommunitymembersasproactiveplannersofandstakeholdersinmediainitia-tivesratherthanpassiverecipientsofmediaattention
Buttherewasinevitabletensioninseparatingjour-nalismfromadvocacywhichrequiredtrustonthepartofallparticipantstoresolveInthecaseoftheSoundPartnerscollaborationsincommunity-basedjournalismpublicbroadcastersneededtotrustthattheirnonprofitpartnerswouldnrsquotadvancetheirownorganizationalagendasattheexpenseoftruthandnonprofithealthorganizationsneededtotrustthattheirbroadcastpartnerswouldrespecttheirexpertise
TheSoundPartnersexperienceaffirmedwhatmanyroundtableparticipantspointedoutmdashtheneedtobuildbridgesacrossmediaaswellSoundPartnersfoundthatcommercialradiostationsandpublicaccesschannelswithcloselinkstoandinfluenceonthecommunityhelpedimplementstrongmediacampaignsincollaborationwithpublicbroadcastingRoundtableparticipantssawcommer-cialmediaoutletsasespeciallyimportantamongimmigrantgroups
Pointingtoanotheraspectofcollaborationround-tableparticipantsimploredmediainstitutionstobeopentosharinginfrastructuretoaccomplishtheirmissionsManynonprofitmediagroupsarestrugglingtosurvivebuthaveassetsthatcanbesharedorintegratedtobetterservetheircommunitiesinacoordinatedefficientwayCreatingcollaborativestructuresasbasicasco-locationoffacilitiesorascomplexasorganizationalmergerscanbeimportantfordisseminatingprogrammingsecuringfundingandprotectingpotentiallycontroversialissueprogrammingForexampleManhattan Neighborhood Networkhashistori-callyleverageditscablefranchise-securedcapitalfunding
engAging community WhAtrsquos Working
Invitingcommunitymemberstohelpwithstoriesmakescoveragemorereflectiveofthecommunitymoreofatwo-wayconversation
tobuildcapacityinothermediaorganizationssuchasastudioandpost-productionfacilitieswithDowntownCommunityTelevisioninChinatownAndinkeepingwiththesamenetwork-buildingapproachtofacilitatingpartici-pationMNNalsofeaturesaYouthChannelconsideredtobethefirstchannelcreatedforyouthbyyouthMNNhasbecomeoneofthecentralhubsinManhattanaroundwhichindependentandcommunitymediagatherforscreeningsadvancededucationalopportunitiesartisticandpoliticaldebatecommunitybuildingandsocialnetworkingcreat-inganexcitingdemocraticmediaculture
Manyparticipantsacknowledgedthatcollaborationishardexpensiveandtime-consumingItplacesdemandsonin-houseknowledgeandconfrontspartneringorganiza-tionsrsquodifferentgoalseditorialpoliciesandresourcesIftheyaretolastpartnershipsneedproperresearchonthefrontendandmulti-leveledsupportChangesinleader-shipcandisruptplanssopartneringcanrsquotbetiedtoonepersonrsquosrelationshiptoanotherpersonitrequiresanetworkofpeopleunderstandingandcontributingtothepartnershipMulti-yearprojectsareimportanttodevelopinfrastructureandsustainefforts
TrainingRoundtableparticipantssawcommunitymediainstitutionsasimportantsourcesbothforjobsandskillstrainingandforbuildingthecapacityoflocalnonprofitgroupsWhileacquiringmediaskillsmaybeacareerpathoutofpovertyironicallycommunitymediaworkisoftenunpaidandpoorpeoplemustprioritizepayingjobsoverparticipationincommunitymediamakingRoundtableparticipantsexpressedconcernthatthereisnotcurrentlyawaytoeconomicallysustaintheeffortsoflow-incomepeoplewhodovolunteerincommunitymedia
CableaccesscenterslikeChicagorsquos CAN-TVandManhattanNeighborhoodNetworkprovidegrantstrainingandequipmenttocommunitygroupswhothendevelopmultimediaproductsandshowcasethemindifferentvenuesThesecentersfacilitatetheexpressionofnon-technology-orientedcommunitymembersandprovidethemwithusefuljobskills
ThetrainingcomponentiscrucialfordevelopingauthenticvoicesinprogrammingBlessedwithadiversetechnology-savvycommunitythatincludesbothHarvard
andMITcampuspopulationsCambridge Community Television CCTVhasbroadeneditseducationalprogramstoincludeadvancedworkshopsandextendededucationalprogramsindocumentarymakingdigitalstorytellingwebsitedesignandstrategiccommunicationsplanningandimplementationCommunitymembersarealsoabletouseCCTVrsquoscomputertechnologycenterfortraininginavarietyofsoftwareapplicationsincludingphotoeditinganddesignandcomputernetworkingThecenterhasbroadeneditsdistributionofvideoprogrammingtoincludeweb-basedmediastreamingofpre-recordedprogrammingpodcastsaudiochannelsandldquoCambridgeCommunityRadiordquowherememberscansignupfortwo-hourblocksofliveradiotimeThecenterrsquosservicesaddresstheneedsofactivistsnonprofitcommunitygroupsmediaeducatorsandpeopleseekingjobskillsthatextendfarbeyondthoseneededtofillthepublicchannelswithvideoItsofferingsareexpand-ingtoincludeworkshopsinpodcastingdigitalaudioproductionvideobloggingandcyberjournalismCCTVtakesdigitalmediaconvergenceseriouslyunderstandingthatmediaproductiontrainingproductionanddistribu-tionarenowapplicableacrossanumberofplatformsandproductionskillsets
Bay Area Video Coalition(BAVC)isanotherorganizationthatmakesemergingvideotechnologyacces-sibletoindependentmediamakersIthasevolvedintoaninternationallyrenownedmediaartscenterthatleadsthefieldinitshigh-qualityproductionandprofessionaldevelopmentsupportfornoncommercialmediamakersThecenteralsoprovidesclassestolow-incomeyouthinmediaartsproductionaswellasworkshopsforcommunitygroupsandnonprofitsBAVChasconsistentlyoffereddevelopmentseminarsandtrainingprogramsthatbringcommercialpro-ducersandnoncommercialproducerstogetherinacommonsettingItoffersoneoftheregionrsquoskeycertifiedtrainingprogramsforcompanieslikeAppleAvidandDigidesignThroughagrantfromtheFordFoundationBAVChasundertakenanationalstudyonldquoDigitalWorkforceDevelopmentrdquoallowingtheorganizationtoestablishitselfasanationalandregionalleaderinprofessionaldevelop-ment(Most2002)Itsprofessionaldevelopmentprogramisasignificantforuminwhichcommercialandnoncom-mercialmediamakerscancometogetherforprofessionaldevelopmentactivitiesinsettingsthatrespectthepublicinterestandroleofmediainsocialdevelopment
OutreachOutreachakeytoolformediagroupsmovestherelation-shipbetweencommunityandmediabeyondconsumption
Collaborationishardexpensiveandtime-consuming
tosocialchangeItinvitespeopletointeractwithmediatobeaffectedbyitandtoaffectothersItaskspeoplewhattheyneedandinvitesthemtocometogethertomeetthoseneeds
Thekeytocreatingrelevantoutreachisresearch-ingwhatthecommunityneedsdetermininghowtoreachitmosteffectivelyandhiringstaffwhohaveoutreachskillsandarewellversedinthecultureandlanguageofthegroupsbeingtargetedAChicagofilmmakerrecountedhowtheseconsiderationsimpactedhisdocumentaryaboutworkersrsquorightsOutreachstaffconsideredthepotentialimpactontwoaudiencesalargeaudienceofPBSviewerssittingintheirlivingroomsandasmallerbutmoreengagedaudienceofsteelworkerswatchingthedocumentaryatalocalbarTheyconcludedthatthebarviewerswouldberivetedbecausetheinformationinthedocumentarywasgearedtothemSuccessfuloutreachasksWhatdogroupspayattentiontoWhomdotheytrustWhatplatformauthenticallyrepresentsthem
NationalprogrammingcanbeacatalystforlocaloutreachParticipantsinChicagoandMinneapolis-StPauldiscussedtheexampleofldquoTheNewAmericansrdquoanationalPBSseriesonimmigrantsproducedby Kartemquin Films Active VoiceanationalorganizationthatworkswithmediamakerstobringaboutpersonalandinstitutionalchangeworkedwithKartemquintopackageseriesfootagethatfocusedonnewarrivalstoMinnesotaTheresultwasalocalseriesldquoTheNewMinnesotansrdquoandapartnershipthatusedmediatoeducatethemainstreamcommunityaboutlocalimmigrantsandtodevelopdiscussionandactivityguidesforcommunityoutreach
Connecting with Immigrant PopulationsMinoritypopulationsandgroupsconcernedwithsupportingtheidentitiesofmarginalizedpopulationshaveincreasinglyturnedtocommunitymediaassourcesofinformationvali-dationofcultureandproductionsupportforthecreationoftheirowncontentCommunitymediahavehelpedcallattentiontothelivesandconcernsofimmigrantcommuni-tiesthatareotherwiseinvisibleoutsidetheirparticularcommunityBecausetheyoftenhavefoundinnovativewaystousecommunitymediafornetworkingandsocialchangeimmigrantpopulationsillustratethepowerofcommunity
mediaandpresentrichopportunitiesformakingcommu-nitymediaorganizationsmorediverseandparticipatoryRoundtableparticipantssharedlessonsinwhatworksandofferedspecificideasforframinganewcommunitymediaprogramaddressingtheneedsofimmigrantsandreceivingcommunitiescalledNew Routes to Community Health
Inreachingouttoimmigrantcommunitiesround-tableparticipantsnotedthatitiscriticaltoidentifyandworkwithexistingagenciesthatimmigrantstrustperhapsachurchorassociationforaparticularethnicgroupButthoughimmigrantgroupsarethemostappropriateconve-nersofsuchcollaborativestheymustalsohavethecapacitytoconvene
TheselectionofplatformalsodeservescarefulconsiderationRoundtableparticipantsnotedthatinadapt-ingtechnologiestotheirownpurposesspecificimmigrantgroupsoftenpreferoneplatformoveranotherForexampleChicagorsquosKorean-AmericancommunityhasbeensuccessfulinusingethnicprintmediatoaddresscommunityissuesThePersianstorytellingtraditionhasmadePersianahugeandgrowinglanguagesegmentonblogsPersianisnowthefourthmostwidelyusedlanguageonweblogs(Macintyre2004)A2000surveyofSomalianimmigrantsinMinnesotashowedthatoverfortypercenteventhenconsideredtheInternettheirmainnewssource(Aynte2006)
RadioinparticularhasshowntremendouspowerinthedevelopingworldpartlyasaresultoftheUnitedNationsrsquoemphasisonradioasthemediumsupportingthemostwidespreadpracticeofcommunitymediaintheworldBecausetheyarefamiliarwithradiobeforecomingtotheUnitedStatesimmigrantgroupsoftenquicklyembraceradiouponarrivalinthiscountryItisalsooneofthemostinexpensiveformsofmediaandthereforeoneofthemostaccessibleldquoIftheycomefromLatinAmericatheyknowthepowerofradiordquoChicagoparticipantsnotedenthusiasti-callyLocalcommercialSpanish-languageradiostationseffectivelyhelpedmobilizeturnoutforimmigrationprotestsinChicagoinMay2006
community spotlightManycommunitiesintheUnitedStatescanpointwithpridetotheachievementsoftheircommunitymediaorganizationsWhenattemptingtoidentifybestpracticesinthenetworkedmediaenvironmentsweseetodayhoweveritisusefultothinkintermsofinterconnectionandcol-laborationnottolooksimplyatindividualmediacentersorbroadcaststationsOftenthemostsuccessfulexamplesofcommunitymediaemergeoutofongoingalliancesandcollaborationsamonglocalcommunitymediagroupsThe
Thekeytocreatingrelevantoutreachisresearchingwhatthecommunityneeds
communitiesspotlightedbelowhavebegunincorporatingpartnershipsandcross-platformcollaborationintothepracticeofcommunitymediaandhavebeguntoreapthebenefitsofthatapproach
Portland OregonTheMetro Government Community Media InitiativeillustratesthepotentialpowerofcommunitiesworkingtogethertoproducetheirownmediaratherthanhavingtheirstoryframedbycommercialnewsorganizationsAlthoughtheprojecthasnowendeditisincludedherebecauseitprovidedsuchastrongmodelforfuturecommu-nitymediaeffortsTheinitiativewasrootedinaproposalbylocalindependentfilmmakerTomChamberlinthatlocalmediamakerscommunitymediaorganizationscommunitygroupsandgovernmentagenciescollaboratetoproducepublicaffairstelevisionprogramsonissuesofconcerntoOregoniansMetroauniqueregionalgovernmentprimarilyresponsibleforregionalland-useandtransportationplan-ningtookChamberlinrsquosideatoheartWithagrantfromtheFederalHighwayAdministrationMetroandanallianceofcommunityorganizationsandgovernmentagenciesdevel-opedldquoZigZagRealStoriesNewAnglesrdquoaprogrambylocalfilmmakersfeaturingpersonalstoriesfromadiversegroupofregionalresidentsastheygrappledwiththetransporta-tionchoicesaffectingtheirfamiliesneighborhoodsandcommunities
InadditiontothecenterpiecebroadcastonOregon Public BroadcastingtheprojectcreatedaninteractivewebsiteanddistributedaDVDoftheprogramtothearearsquoscableaccesschannelsElementsoftheprojectalsofoundtheirwayontoPortlandrsquoscommunityradiostationKBOOandpacketsincludingextensivesupportmaterialsandDVDsweremadeavailableforscreeninginneighborhoodcentersandindependentmediavenuesTherewasalsoaplanninganddeliberationprocesstostrategizeabouthowcitizensgovernmentsandmediamakerscancollaboratetocreatecommunitydialogueandsolvecivicproblems
Asurbanspaceisincreasinglydefinedbytelecom-municationsasmuchastransportationandlandusetheprojectalsoillustratesthepowerfuloutcomesthat
canresultwhenregionaltelecommunicationsplanningbecomesintegratedwithlanduseandtransportationplan-ningandwhencommunitymediaareintegratedintobothformalandinformalprocessesofplanninganddelibera-tionTheMetroCommunityMediaInitiativeresultedinasignificantandmeasurableriseinregionalawarenessofthetransportationplanningissuesaddressedbytheproj-ectViewershipandDVDusesofthemediaincommunitysettingsexceededexpectations(Metro2004)AlthoughtheprojectwasnotimmediatelyreplicatedPortlandnowenjoyscontinuingcollaborationsbetweenMetrogovern-mentanditsareacommunitymedia
ParticipationintheMetroGovernmentCommunityMediaInitiative isonlyoneofthemanywaysPortlandrsquosKBOOradiohasdemonstrateditsfullcommitmenttotheoriginaldemocraticintentionsofcommunityradiooverthecourseofitsforty-two-yearhistoryOlderthanNationalPublicRadioKBOOisamongthelongest-liv-ingcommunityradiostationsintheUnitedStatesOfthenoncommercialradiostationsinPortlandKBOOistheonlystationwhosemissioncontainsanexplicitcommit-menttominorityprogrammersandlisteners(SussmanandEstes2004)KBOOrsquoscommitmenttodemocraticpracticeextendstoaboardofdirectorselectedentirelyfromitsmembershipwhichisopentoanyoneandanaggressivetrainingprogramconsistentwiththestationrsquoscommitmenttovolunteer-producedprogrammingmdashallprogrammingisproducedbyvolunteerswithassistanceofpaidstaffTheparticipationofwomenandminoritiesfarexceedthecommunityrsquosracialdemographics(SussmanandEstes2004)
Portland Community Media (PCM)hasarichtwenty-three-yearhistoryinPortlandwhenitcomestousingmediatobuildcommunityPCMstartedoutasacabletelevisionaccesscenterandstillprovidestheadminis-trationandtrainingtoprogramPortlandrsquoscableaccesschannelsbuthasexpandeditsmissiontoembracetheuseofcommunitymediatobringaboutbroaderparticipationincivicandculturallifePCMrsquoswebsitedescribesthecenterldquowiththreewordsndashEducateCommunicateParticipaterdquoCurrentlyPCMhasanumberofcollaborativeprojectssup-portingmedialiteracyandmediaeducationinthepublicschoolsystemitregularlyprogramsmediaproductionsfromPortlandrsquosmediaartscentertheNorthwestFilmandVideoCenteranditisplanningtoexpanditscentertosupporteconomicdevelopmentofmicroenterprisesfornewmedia
The Mt Hood Cable Regulatory Commission(MHCRC)overseesacable-relatedtelecommunicationsdevelopmentforgreaterPortlandOregonServing
Oftenthemostsuccessfulexamplesofcommunitymediaemergeoutofongoingalliancesandcollaborationsamonglocalcommunitymediagroups
thecommunitiesresidentsandlocalgovernmentsofFairviewGreshamPortlandTroutdaleWoodVillageandMultnomahCountyOregonTheMtHoodCableRegulatoryCommissionnegotiatesandenforcescableservicefran-chiseandactsinthepublicinterestoncommunicationspolicyissuesatlocalstateandfederallevelsItwouldbehardtooverstatetheimportanceofMHCRCinfosteringthegrowthofcommunitymediaingreaterPortlandThroughclearandinsightfulregulationofthecablefranchiseithasassuredthatthenecessarynetworksandtelecommu-nicationsinfrastructureareavailabletoallowcommunitymediatogrow
MtHoodrsquosCommunityAccessCapitalGrantsProgramisparticularlynoteworthyTheCapitalGrantsprogramprovidescapitalfundingtocommunicationsprojectsthatsupportsocialjusticecommunityinvolve-mentandtheeffectivedeliveryofservicesthroughcostreductionTheprogramhasallowedscoresofcommunitygroupstoincreasetheircommunicationscapacitythroughtheacquisitionofskillsknowledgeandtechnologyInimplementingthisgrantprogramtheMtHoodCableRegulatoryCommissionhasbeenextremelystrategicinconveninggranteesandcreatingtheconditionsthatleadtopartnershipsandcollaborativerelationships
TheNorthwest Film and Video Centerisalong-standingregionalmediaartsorganizationservingtheNorthwestregionThecenterprovidesarichprogramnurturingmediaartscultureItfeaturesanactiveexhibi-tionprogramforexperimentalandindependentfilmsahighlyregardedfilmschoolandextensiveyouthmediaprogramsThecenterpresentsanumberofyearlyfilmfestivalsincludingthePortlandInternationalFilmFestivaltheNorthwestFilmandVideoFestivalandtheYoungPeoplersquosFilmampVideoFestivalThecenterrsquosproductionsoftenfindtheirwayontotothearearsquoscablechannelsThecenterisalsoatrustedsourceofequipmentaccessforareaindependentproducersactiveintherichmediacultureofPortlandaservicepartiallysupportedbytheMtHoodCableRegulatoryCommissionrsquosCapitalGrantsprogram
Minneapolis-St Paul MinnesotaTheSaint Paul Neighborhood Network(SPNN)isacableaccessstationservingStPaulresidentsThestationprovidesopportunitiestothepublictoproduceandairprogramsononeofitsfivechannelsdedicatedtomulti-faithpubliceducationcommunityandinternationalcontentrespectivelySPNNhasayoutheducationprogramandacommunityproductionsprogramwhichworkswithnonprofitorganizationstocreatepublicserviceadvertise-
mentsorprogrammingWorkshopsincludeproductiongrantproposalwritinglegalquestionsandlightingSPNNisparticularlyeffectiveasconvenerandcapacitybuilderinitscommunityItseducationandtrainingprogramsarefocusedoncommunitydevelopmentandonkeepingthetechnicaltrainingelementsofitsworkinasocialperspective
Minneapolis Television Network(MTN)isSPNNrsquossisteraccessstationservingMinneapoliswithasimilarcommitmenttoprovidingacommunitygatheringplaceOperatingthreepublicaccesschannelsMTNofferstelevi-siontrainingandmedialiteracyclassesandisespeciallyencouragingofyouthparticipationThechannelsserveasabridgeforimmigrantstouseinadaptingtotheirnewhomemanynewimmigrantsusethemtocommunicateintheirnativelanguageswiththeirSomaliEthiopianorVietnamesecompatriotsSomali-languageprogramsforinstanceoffereighthoursaweekofmusicentertainmentcommunitynewsandreligiousinstructiontooneofthelargestsettlementsofSomalipeopleoutsideSomaliaIntoutingSomalitelevisionasthebestpublicaccesscabletelevisionprogramintheTwinCitiesCity Pages saidldquoForsomepublicaccessisanearlyinspiringlessonindemocracyandfreemediardquo(CityPages2004)WantingtostrengthenthenonprofitcommunityrsquosInternetsavvyMTNcreatedandeventuallyspunofftheRiverProjecttoofferInternetdial-upaccessandwebhostingtononprofits
PublicbroadcastershavealsoofferedstrongmodelsofcommunitycollaborationintheTwinCities Twin Cities Public Television(TPT)isthepublictelevisionstationservingtheMinneapolisndashStPaulregionIn2004TPTbegandedicatingtimeononeofitsdigitalchan-nelstoMinnesota-relatedprogrammingAnumberoftheprogramsontheMinnesota Channel(someofwhicharethencablecastonpublicaccesstelevision)aretargetedatLatinoHmongHindiMiddleEasternChineseandVietnamesecommunitiesandproducedinpartnershipwithnonprofitorganizationsTPTisapartnerintheMinnesotaCommunityCampaignthatencouragesurbanandruralareasinandaroundtheTwinCitiestowelcomethetensofthousandsofimmigrantsandrefugeesthathavesettledthereinthepastseveraldecadesSeekingtoeffectpositivechangeonimmigrantissuesthroughartmediaeducationsocialserviceandpolicymakingthecampaignproducedtheldquoTheNewMinnesotansrdquoasixty-minuteprogramthatoriginallyairedonTPTbasedontheKartemquinseriesldquoTheNewAmericansrdquo
InadditiontocommunityradiostationKFAItheTwinCitiesishometoMinnesota Public Radio(MPR)
whichhaspioneeredafreshapproachtojournalismcalledpublicinsightjournalism(PIJ)PIJtapsintothecollectiveknowledgeofMPRrsquosdiverseaudiencetoenrichitsreport-ingCreatingaten-thousand-personPublicInsightNetworkviathewebthestationinvitesthepublictobesourcesofstoryideasreactionsandperspectivesandbrainstormingonpublicissues
TheindependentfilmandvideocommunityworkscollaborativelyintheTwinCitiestosupportandpromoteartistandcommunityperspectivesIFP Minnesota Center for Media Arts Intermedia ArtsandtheWalker Art Center areamongthemulti-disciplinaryvenuesfordiscus-sionandproduction
AndtheInternetishometoanewaggregationofcommunitymediasourcesAccordingtoitswebsitethe Twin Cities Daily PlanetaprojectoftheTwinCitiesMediaAllianceisldquoacommunitynewswireandsyndicationserviceshowcasingthebestworkoftheneighborhoodandcommunitypressaswellasworkbyTwinCitiesindepen-dentjournalistsandthevoicesofengagedcitizensThepremiseoftheTC Daily PlanetisthatnewtechnologiesaremakingitpossibleforthesecitizenstobecomemoreactiveandpowerfulparticipantsinthenewsproductionprocessrdquoModeledafterKorearsquosOhmyNewstheTC Daily Planetseekstoimprovethequalitydiversityandaccount-abilityofthelocalmediaandtoinvolvetherapidlygrowingimmigrantandethniccommunitiesItrecruitsandofferstrainingtocitizenjournalistsandhaspartnershipswithoverfortyneighborhoodandcommunitymedia
Chicago IllinoisChicago Access Network Television(CAN-TV)offersfivepublicaccesschannelstoChicagolandresidentsThispublicspaceprovidesChicagoansanopportunitytodiscussissuesoflocalconcernpromotehealtheducationalandeconomicresourcesinthecommunityandcelebratelocaltalentandinitiativesCAN-TVprovidesvideotrainingequipmentandfacilitiesforarearesidentsandnonprofitgroupsItvideotapesandcablecastspublicforumstownhallmeetingscommunityeventsandotheractivitiesoflocalinterestThroughthisservicethestationprovidesChicagoanswithaccesstoinformationtheymaynototh-erwisehavethroughcommercialtelevisionForinstanceCAN-TVworkedwitheighttotenAIDSagenciestodissemi-natebasiceducationaboutAIDSpreventionvialivecall-inprograms
CAN-TVsupportsChicagorsquosassociationsandnonprof-itsthroughserviceslikeliveldquohot-linerdquocall-inshowsfrom
automatedstudiosthatonepersoncanoperateproductionservicesthatgenerateprogrammingforcommunityeventsandstrategiccommunicationsplanningworkshopsCAN-TVhasrefusedtofollowasimplisticldquoneutralityrdquoprogram-mingphilosophyinwhichtheaccesscentertransmitsonlyprogrammingthatrandomlycomesfromthecommunityInsteadCAN-TVactivelycreatesprogrammingimportanttocommunitydevelopmentInadditiontoitsfocusonnonprofitsCAN-TVactivelycreatespartnershipswithcon-tent-richgroupssuchaslocalmuseumsandartsgroupsItalsopartnerswithlocalmediaactivistproductiongroupslikeVideoMacheteandStreetLevelYouthMedia(profiledbelow)SimilarlyCAN-TVaggressivelyengagesinprogram-mingforlocalelectionsatypicalelectionseasonwillgeneratearoundtwohundredhoursoforiginalprogram-mingeachmonthandnearlyallthecandidateswillbefeaturedoractuallycreatetheirownCAN-TVprogrammingtocarryouttheircampaigns
Street-Level Youth MediaprovidesopportunitiesforChicagorsquosurbanyouthtousemediaartsandemergingtechnologiesforself-expressioncommunicationandsocialchangeItsstaffprovidesinstructioninvideoandaudioproductioncomputerartandtheInternettohelpyouthaddresscommunityissuesaccessadvancedcommunica-tionstechnologyandgaininclusioninsocietyInoneprojectitcollaboratedwithtwoseventh-gradeteachersandanESLinstructortohelpstudentsresearchissuesaboutimmigrationinoneneighborhoodTheteachersweretrainedtousevideoandthentrainedotherteacherswhoguidedtheirstudentsinproducingvideosforscreeningattheschoolMorethanthirtyvideoswerecreatedandvideotrainingandusehasbeenincorporatedintotheschoolcurriculum
Radio Arte(WRTE)istheonlybilingual(Spanish-English)youth-operatedurbancommunitystationinthecountryItoperateswithafocusonyouthinChicagorsquosPilsenandLittleVillageneighborhoodsAninitiativeoftheNationalMuseumofMexicanArtthiseducationalradiostationhasservedChicagoformorethansixyearstrainingyouthwithapriorityondevelopingindividualandgroupcommunicationcompetenciesthatallowyoungpeopletoenterpubliclifewithconfidencethroughthebroadcastmediumProvidingaforumforyoungpeopletobecreativeandresponsibletothelargestMexicancommunityintheMidwestRadioArteiscommittedtotrainingyoungpeopleintheartofbroadcastingRadioArtersquosuniquetwo-yeartrainingprogramprovidesyouthwithspecialcoursesonwritingforradioandjournalismvoicetrainingand
FCCregulationsaswellasbasiccomputerskillsproduc-tionskillsandon-airtrainingParticipatingintwograntroundsofSoundPartnersforCommunityHealththestationrsquosldquoRadioVidardquoproducedprogrammingonsubstanceabuseandaddictionbyandforLatinoyouth
Casa Guatemala Media Projectisanonprofitcommunity-basedorganizationthatservestheGuatemalanandbroaderLatinAmericancommunityinChicagoandtheMidwestSinceitsfoundingin1986ithasusedmediaincludingwebprintTVandradiotoraiseconsciousnessaboutissuesaffectingcommunitiesfromLatinAmericaInparticularitworkswithCAN-TVtoprovidetheeducationalcomponentofself-authoredmediathatwillpositivelytrans-formcommunitiesthroughworkshopsontheproductionandalternativeusesofemergingtechnologies
Beyond Media EducationworkswithunderservedandunderrepresentedcommunitiesprimarilywomenandyouthtotelltheirstoriesandorganizeforsocialjusticethroughthecreationanddistributionofalternativemediaandartsInarecenteffortitworkedwithaChicagosheltertohelpstreetwalkerstelltheirownstoriesinanefforttoraisepublicawarenessandpromotestate-levelreformsTheorganizationorganizedasix-monthworkshopthatincludedteachingandpracticingstorytellingpublicspeak-ingandvideoproductionskillstooveradozenprostitutesTheirgroundbreakingvideogivesinsightsintoChicagorsquossextradeindustryandrecountsthetriumphofthepar-ticipantsoverhomelessnessviolenceanddiscriminationTheirlobbyinginthestatecapitolresultedinpassageofabilltodestigmatizeanddecriminalizesexworkers
Keepingtabsonandshowcasingmuchofthecom-munitymediaactivityfromajournalisticperspectiveistheCommunity Media Workshop (CMW) CMWservesasabridgebetweensocialactivistscommunitymediaprac-titionersandjournalistsIthostsanannualacademyforprogressiveorganizationsintheChicagoareathatbringsactivistsandjournaliststogethertoshareideasandatti-tudesProminentareatelevisionandnewspaperjournalistsarerecruitedtoserveonpanelsleadworkshopsandgenerallysharetheirideasofhowprogressivegroupscaneffectivelygaintheattentionofthepressThisapproach
leadstobuy-infromkeypersonnelinChicagorsquosmainstreammediawhocannowbetterunderstandthegrassrootsgroupsthatapproachthemandtheirissuesItalsogivescommunityparticipantsattheworkshopstheopportunitytodevelopmorepersonalrelationshipswithkeymembersofthemediaThisapproachalsoenablescommunitygroupstobetterunderstandwhatmotivateseditorsandreporters
ThesethreecommunitiesshowcommondevelopmentpatternsandfactorsCommunitymediaorganizationshavebeguntounderstandtheirmissionsintermsofasharedcultureofcommunitymedialookingbeyondtheirindivid-ualmissionstothecommonsocialandpoliticalvaluestheyhaveincommonThisapproachopensthewayforcommu-nityradiomediaartscenterscommunitymediacentersandcableaccesstocreatecommunity-wideprograminitiativesinwhichseveralmediaplatformsareengagedItcreatestheconditionsinwhichitispossibleforcommunitymediaorganizationstoactwithunifiedstancesinpoliticaladvocacyregardingmediaissuesandotherissuescriticaltotheircommunitiesThiskindofcross-platformnetworkingalsocreatesopportunitiesforcommunitymediatoreceivemorediversefundingandsupportfromthecommunityastheyextendthenetworkorcultureofcollaborationtocom-munitydevelopmentgroupsandofficialsintheirregions
Communitymediaorganizationshavebeguntounderstandtheirmissionsintermsofasharedcultureofcommunitymedialookingbeyondtheirindividualmissionstothecommonsocialandpoliticalvaluestheyhaveincommon
ldquoThe boldest experiments in public telecommunica-tions take place when technologies are new and their commercial potential not yet fully apparentrdquo mdash Ralph Engelman 1996
Acrosstheirmanyplatformsandmanycommunitiescommunitymediahavebecomecentralculturalinstitutionsinthecivicculturalandeconomiclife
ofourcommunitiesprovidinginvaluablemediaprogram-mingaccessandeducationTheycaninsuchinstancesenablecommunitiestodevelopinformedcitizensartistsandactivistswhopossesstheskillsandknowledgeneededtograpplewithcomplexmedialiteracyanddevelopmentissuesatthelocallevel
Fordecadescommunitymediaorganizationshaveaddressedtheurgentneedtocreatelocalinstitutionsthatfacilitatecitizenaccesstomedianetworksandeffectiveparticipationinmediacultureforbothcitizensandwork-ersTheyareprovingthemselvesvitaltothepoliticalandeconomiclifeoftheircommunitiesTheyplaymultiplerolessimultaneouslyascriticalculturalenhancementstothequalityofciviclifeasemployersandaseducationalsitesforworkforcedevelopment
difficultyNeworganizationalformsandnewmediaformatslikestreamingarchivingpodcastingandbloggingarebecomingthenormpartofldquoblendedrdquoproductionanddis-seminationpracticesincommunitymedia
neW communicAtion spAces cyberjournAlismTheincreaseinInternetbandwidthandtheavailabilityofonlinesocialnetworkingsoftwarehavequalitativelychangedtherelationshipofjournaliststotheiraudiencesNewwebdestinationslikeMySpaceShutterflyFriendsterFlikrEviteandGooglearedevelopingvirtualcommuni-tiesforsharingvideoattractingyoungeraudiencesandmakingcontentmorethanpassiveandone-directionalSocialnetworkingsoftwareenablespeopletorendezvousconnectorcollaboratethroughcomputer-mediatedcom-municationandformonlinecommunities(Spannerworks2007)PopularsocialnetworksoftwareapplicationslikeweblogsorblogsseemparticularlywellsuitedtoparticipatorycitizenjournalismallowingeasypublishingofinteractivetextphotoaudioandvideocontentTheneweasewithwhichvideoclipscanbepreparedforuseonthewebhasbroughtontheriseofldquovlogsrdquoandsitesthatfacilitatethesharingofvideoclipsandaccompanyingcontentAnenormousrangeofblogsandcyberjournalisticsiteshavesprungupontheWorldWideWebinthepastfiveyearswithanequallywiderangeofeditorialstandardsandpracticesTechnoraticomcurrentlytracksseventeenmillionblogssharingoneandahalfmillionhyperlinks(Rennie2006)APewCenterInternetstudyestimatesthatthenumberofregularblogreadersintheUnitedStatesisequivalenttoalmosthalftheentireradioaudiencewhichisaboutaquarteroftheUSnewspaperreadership(Rennie2006)
Combinedwithaffordablenewdigitalmediaproduc-tioncamerasandrecorderstheseweb-baseddisseminationtoolsmakeitpossibleforcitizensandconsumerstoparticipateactivelyinnewsgatheringNonprofessionalshavebeguntoplayamoreactiveroleintheprocessesofjournalismfromcollectinginformationandreportingtoanalysisanddisseminationJanSchafferwhodirectsJ-LabaUniversityofMarylandincubatorforinteractivejournalismprojectsexplainsthatmanypeoplearebecom-ingmoreactivecitizensthroughjournalisticactivitybutdonotnecessarilyaspiretobejournalistsThenewtechnical
envisioning the future of community mediA
Communitymediaorganizationsareprovingthemselvesvitaltothepoliticalandeconomiclifeoftheircommunities
Communitymediaarealsocontributingimportantvaluespracticesandorganizationalmethodologiestotheemergingcollaborativemediaenvironmentsoftheblogo-sphereWecanlooktothesecontributionsastechnologicalandorganizationalopportunitiesforstrengtheningandexpandingcommunitymediapracticeWiththeInternetamediacultureisemergingthatismoreconsistentwiththenoncommercialpracticesofcommunitymediaproductioncollaborationanddemocraticparticipationinmediamak-inganddistributionConsequentlymanycommunitymediaorganizationsareintegratingthecapacitiesoftheInternetandnewmediaintotheirpracticeswithoutmuchfanfareor
0
capacityforcommunicationsheobservesallowspeopletoldquoparticipateinnewsandinformationinvariouswaysmdashparticipateininteractingwithitquestioningittruth-squadingitandcreatingitAndnowthattheyhavethetechtoolsandthetechskillstodothattheappetitehasonlyincreasedrdquo(Schaffer2005b)
SuchconditionshavesetthestageforintensepopularinterestinwhathasbeenbrandedldquowemediardquoorldquoparticipatoryjournalismrdquoTodaynumerousonlinejournalisticexperimentsbringtogetherprofessionaljour-nalistswithcitizenmediaactivistsandthoseinvolvedineventsMoreandmoretheearliestimagesandinformationregardingbreakingnewsarecomingfromnon-journalistspresentatthemomentoftheeventAsaresultjournalistsarebeginningtoconceptualizethemselvesnotsomuchasgatekeepersofnewsbutasmoderatorsinaconversationwithlicenseandtimetospeakfrequentlyandhopefullyaccurately(BowmanandWillis2003)
Thiskindofcommunity-centeredcoveragemayentailthere-balancingofeditorialpoliciesndashcommittingtodiversityembracingegalitarianvaluesandreassessingthevalueofeditorialneutralityItputsintoquestiontheroleandsignificanceofofteninnovativeldquopersonalmediardquoexemplifiedbythemillionsofbloggingsitesontheWebIsthiskindofldquonewsrdquoservingapubliccivicpurposeofcommunityproblemsolvingorindividualprivateexpres-sionInaWashington PostopinionpieceonDecember212006GeorgeKWillvoicedskepticismoftheseriousnessofmuchofthewebrsquosamateurjournalisminresponsetoTimemagazinersquosnamingallofusPersonoftheYear
Itisdifficulttopredictthefutureofcyberjournal-ismandbloggingpreciselyintheseearlystagesbutthreeoutcomesseemlikelyFirstbloggingwillcontinueitsrapidintegrationintomainstreammediacontentSecondblog-gingandotherformsofsocialnetworkingsoftwarewillgiverisetonewmediaentitiesthatwillchallengemainstreammedialocallynationallyandglobally
ThethirdoutcomeistheonemostrelevanttoacommunitymediascanCyberjournalismandparticipatory
citizenjournalismseemparticularlywellsuitedtoaddressthecurrentUSmassmediarsquosdifficultyinprovidingcoverageoflocaleventsinsmallercommunitiessuburbanregionsandcommutercommunitiesthataredevelopingoutsideformalpoliticaljurisdictionsCommunity-basedonlinejournalismsiteshavesprungupinhundredsofcom-munitiesaroundtheUnitedStatesTheyaremanagedandorganizedinwidelydivergentways
AnexperimentincyberjournalismandcommunitynetworkingtheTwin Cities Daily PlanetaggregatessomeofthebestjournalismfromMinnesotarsquosTwinCitiesneighborhoodandcommunitypressandindependentjour-nalistsaswellasthevoicesofengagedcitizenspresentingthemtothepublicthroughaninteractivewebsiteandcommunitydatabaseByaggregatingcitizenandneighbor-hoodjournalisminonesiteitincreasesthecapacityofsmallneighborhoodmediatoreachbeyondtheirborderstoawiderregionalaudienceUsingRealSimpleSyndication(RSS)softwaretheTC Daily Planetcanpotentiallyreachaglobalaudience
AprojectoftheTwinCitiesMediaAlliancetheTC Daily PlanetisaverynewformofcommunitymediaemergingfromtherestructuringofthenewspaperindustryandtheuseofbloggingandsocialnetworkingsoftwareAlthoughearlyinitsdevelopmenttheTC Daily Planetisgivingvoicetoanincreasingnumberofethnicimmi-grantandnon-mainstreamjournalistswhilefocusingthecommunityrsquosattentiononafargreaterrangeofpublicationsandideas
TheearliestexpressionsofcyberjournalismaretheIndependent Media Centers (IMCs)orIndymediaIndymediacameintobeingaspartoftheprotestsanddemonstrationsaroundtheWorldTradeOrganizationtalksheldinSeattleWashingtonin1999ThisfirstIMCwasaconvergenceoftheemerginginteractivityoftheInternetwiththeintenseneedofprotesterstogetindependentinformationouttotheworldabouttheprotestsAnetworkofindependentcommunitymediamakersactivistsandjournalistsbandedtogethertopoolresourcesandinforma-tion(Howley2005)
TheIMCsforeshadowedthebloggingandvideodis-tributionthatwasshortlytoemergebyusingtheInternetandtheWorldWideWebinconjunctionwithvideoandaudiodistributiontocreateatrulyunprecedentedmulti-mediaenvironmentIntermsofbothqualityandquantitytheSeattleIMCwasanimpressiveperformancebyanynewsandcurrentaffairsstandardsOverthecourseofthefive-dayprotestsadailynewspaperanddailyradioprogramwerecreatedandcountlessprintstoriesweredisseminated
Journalistsarebeginningtoconceptualizethemselvesnotsomuchasgatekeepersofnewsbutasmoderatorsinaconversation
globallyalsovideofeedsweresentthroughtheInternettopublicaccessandcommunitychannelsaroundtheworldSixyearsaftertheSeattleproteststherewere149Indymediawebsitesinabout45countriesonsixcontinents(Whitney2005)
TheopenformofcommunicationpracticedbymostIMCsiteshasnotbeenwithoutproblemsandcontra-dictionsManysitesarenowclutteredwithideologicaldiatribesanduneditedcontent(Halleck2002Whitney2005)ButthereareanumberofIndymediasitesthatprovidealternativenewsandinformationregardingaglobalscopeofconcernsthatwouldbeverydifficulttoobtainanywhereelseinthemediaAnumberofsitesinplacessuchasNewYorkCityPortlandOregonandtheSanFranciscoBayareahaveestablishedthemselvesasstablepartsoftheircommunityrsquosmediaculture
companiesspecializedsuppliersserviceprovidersandassociatedinstitutionsinaparticularfieldthatarepresentinanationorregionrdquo(Porter2000)Thecompaniesinanindustryclusterhaveacomplexwebofmutuallysupportingrelationshipsthatencompassbothcompetitiveandcollab-orativerelationshipsTheylinkacrossprofitandnonprofitpracticesutilizecommoninfrastructuremakecommoncontributionstothedevelopmentofahighlyskilledwork-forcesharefundingandinsomecasestalentedstaff
Increasinglycommunitydevelopmentpractitionersandanalystsarecomingtounderstandindustryclustersaspowerfulstrategiesforbotheconomicandcommunitydevelopmentinthetwenty-firstcenturyThisisprovingdoublytruefornonprofitcommunitymediaorganizationswhoseroleitistobringpowerfultoolsandknowledgetoanycommunityrsquosdeliberationsaroundcommunityandeco-nomicdevelopmentBroadbandandwirelessnetworksareprovidingthepracticalmeansoflinkingcommunitymediaorganizationswithincommunitiesofferingakeystrategicadvantagebyenhancingtheeffectivenessofcollaborationandpartnershipbuilding
AstheexamplesinthepreviouschaptershowcommunitymediaorganizationsaretakingonnewrolesincludingcombiningproductionandtrainingtakingonworkforcedevelopmentfunctionsandbecomingtechnologycentersfordiffusionofnewmediaBeyondtheseexampleslongstandingsuccessfulcommunitymediaorganiza-tionsaremergingasnetworkclusterslinkingdifferentgroupsandorganizationswithincommunitiestocreateentirelynewcommunitymediaorganizationsorblurringtheboundariesbetweentheirorganizationsOthersarebringinghistoricallyseparatecommunitymediagroupswithinoneorganizationalstructureorunderonerooftosharebuildingsandcommunicationsinfrastructuresinacost-effectivemanner
TheorganizationsthatemergefromthisintegrationmaybesimilarinfunctionthoughtheirnamesremaindifferentAcommunity-basedsiteforcitizenmediaandcyberjournalismforexampleandacommunitynetworklikeMAINinAshevilleNorthCarolinaoracutting-edgecableaccesscenterlikeGrandRapidsCommunityTelevisionbegintolookverymuchalikeintermsof
Increasinglycommunitymediadevelopmentishappeningthroughnetworksoflocalnonprofitmediaorganizationsratherthanwithinsingleorganizations
neW orgAnizAtionAl spAces netWorked clusters Perhapsthemostpromisingtrendonthehorizonforcom-munitymediaistheemergenceofnewhighlyintegratedorganizationalstructuresandcollaborativeprocessesIncreasinglycommunitymediadevelopmentishappeningthroughnetworksoflocalnonprofitmediaorganizationsratherthanwithinsingleorganizations
Inmanywaysthesereorganizationsatthecom-munitylevelparalleltherestructuringtakingplaceintheprivatecorporatesectorTherecommunicationsnetworksarebeingusedtosupportcomplexpartnershipsandjointcompanyprojectdevelopmentinteractivenetworkseasetheaggregationoflargeorstrategiccapitalandemployeeskillsetsacrossgeographicandorganizationalboundariesforthepurposesofinnovationandmarketdevelopmentInthelanguageofcommunityandeconomicdevelop-mentthesecomplexpartnershipsareknownasldquocreativeclustersrdquoorldquoindustryclustersrdquoMichaelPorteraleadingtheoristandproponentoftheconceptofclustersdefinesthemasldquogeographicconcentrationsofinterconnected
Successfulcommunitymediaorganizationsaremergingasnetworkclusters
technologyprogrammingactivitiesandtheexperienceofcommunityaudiencesvolunteersandparticipantsEachorganizationreliesonnoncommercialaffordablebandwidtheachplayssomeroleinadvocatingforsupportivegovern-mentpoliciesandeachisexperimentingwiththepotentialofnewcollaborativemediatoolsOftencommittedtoengagingandtrainingvolunteersandcommunitymembersinsomemannertheymayoffertrainingandvolunteerpro-gramsthatrequiresimilarsharableonlinetutorialsandonlineoutreachandschedulemanagementtools
TheexamplesthatfollowdemonstratethewayscommunitymediacreativeclustersaremakinguniquecontributionstotheircommunitiesrsquoqualityoflifeandeconomicwellbeingTheyaredoingsointhreeimportantwaysbullfirstbyamplifyingtherolethatartsandculturalgroups
playinenhancingthequalityoflifeandattractingatalentedworkforceandcapitaltothecommunitymdasharolethatisgaininginsignificanceinthetwenty-firstcentury
bullsecondascontributorstocoreeconomicdevelopmentfunctionsinthecommunityincludingworkforcedevelop-mentandtrainingasmicro-enterpriseincubatorsandascreatorsofnewknowledgeandeducationalexperiencesand
bullthirdasfacilitatorsandcatalystsofcommunitydialoguecommittedtoembracingmarginalizedvoicesandallow-ingthecommunitytoundertakeitsowndevelopmentdemocratically
Lowell MassachusettsLowell Telecommunications Center(LTC)isapublicandgovernmentaccesschannelandmediaandtechnologycen-terItprovideseducationandtraininginmediacreationincludingwebdesigndigitalphotographyandtelevisionproductionLTCworksincollaborationwithotherlocalcommunity-basedorganizationsmunicipaldepartmentsandeducationalentitiestoproducediversemulticulturalprogrammingthatmeetsthecommunityrsquoscommunica-tionandinformationneedsLTChasbecomeaconvening
organizationforbuildingcapacityamongLowellrsquosnonprofitcommunity-basedorganizationsintheiruseofparticipatorymediaandcivicengagementstrategies
LTCismorefocusedthanothercommunitymediaorganizationsoncommunitybuildingandcommunicationtechnologyThecorporationisworkingtobuildanetworkforparticipatorymediaandcivicengagementthroughouttheMerrimacRiverValleyThroughaUSDepartmentofEducationgrantLTCacquiredfundingandstafftohelpitspartnerorganizationsbecomeInternet-capableassesstheirinformationtechnologyneedsacquiretechnologyupgradestoaddressthoseneedsandundertakethetrainingtousethetechnologyeffectively
RatherthanwaitingforgroupstocometoitscenterLTCcreatedacircuitridertrainingprogramthattookthetrainingprogramintothecommunityThroughLTCrsquosinformationtechnologycenterscoresofcommunitygroupshavereceivedtrainingdesignedandcreatedwebsitesanddevelopedstrategiccommunicationsplansforthefutureThosedevelopmentsincludeweb-basedhistoricalarchivesGISmappingsystemsmultimediamaterialsandInternetvideoTohelporganizationsacquirethesoftwaretheyneedtocarryouttheirmissionsLTCcreatedtheCommunitySoftwareLabwhichdevelopsuniquesoftwaretofittheneedsofareanonprofitsThelabhasbeenspunofftocreateaseparatenonprofitentityjoiningthegrowingnumberofindependentorganizationsthatnetworkthroughLTC
ThemostrecentLTCinitiativeisldquoDigitalBicyclerdquoapeer-to-peernetworkthatallowsmediacentersworldwidetodownloadandsharelocalcontentLTCstaffenvisionDigitalBicycleasanonlinecommunityforcableaccessmediaartsindependentmediaandothernoncommercialmedia
Grand Rapids MichiganldquoBuildingcommunitythroughmediardquoThissimplemissionstatementguidedtheGrand Rapids Community Media Center(GRCMC)asitevolvedfromatypicalcableaccessoperationtobecomeabroad-basedmultimediacenterandamodelforthedevelopmentofcommunitymultimediacentersintheUnitedStatesOverthepasttwentyyears
Communitymediacreativeclustersaremakinguniquecon-tributionstotheircommunitiesrsquoqualityoflifeandeconomicwellbeing
LTCisworkingtobuildanetworkforparticipatorymediaandcivicengagementthroughouttheMerrimacRiverValley
GRCMChaspulledthediversecommunitymediaactivitiesofGrandRapidsunderoneorganizationalumbrellaandtakentheleadinarticulatingthepotentialforaggregatingnoncommercialnetworkedcommunicationsthere
Theevolvingnetworkofmediaplatformsdis-ciplinesandculturalgroupsthatconvergetobecomeGRCMCnowincludesthefollowingcentersofpracticeGRTVacommunitytelevisioncenterthatprogramsmultiplecableaccesschannelsWYCEacommunityradiostationGrandnetacommunitytechnologyandnetworkcenterthatprovidescitizenandnonprofitaccesstotheInternetandtheGrandRapidsInstituteforInformationDemocracyacriticalmediaeducationandresearchcenterthattracksmediaandlocalpublicinterestissuesandpub-lishesinformationonmediaaccountabilityandreform
ButtheGrandRapidsCommunityMediaCenterismorethanthesumofitspartsThecomponentsofthecenterworktogetherinamutuallyreinforcingwholethatcreatesapowerfulcommunitymediapresenceinGrandRapidsandallowsthecentertoundertakefarmoreambitiousprojectsandprogrammingthanwouldbethecaseseparatelyOneexcellentexampleistheMobileOn-LineLearningLabforInformationEducationKnownasMOLLIEtheprogramprovidesskilledtrainersanddigitalvideoproductionequipmenttoschoolsandcommunityorganizationsforspecialprojectsOriginallyfundedbyafederalDepartmentofEducationgrantMOLLIEfillsintechnologygapsinGrandRapidseducationalinstitutionsandnonprofitsInthehandsofalessintegratedinstitutiontheMOLLIEprojectcouldeasilybeatechnicallyorientedequipmentloanandtrainingprogramInthehandsofthecenterMOLLIEhasbecomeasophisticatedmediaandtechnologyeducationalinitiativeprovidingatrainingprogramthataddressesmediaeducationfromtheperspec-tiveofallthecomponentsoftheGrandRapidsCommunityMediaCenter
Asheville North CarolinaOneofthemostarticulateeffortsmergingthecreativeclustersideawithparticipatorycommunicationhascomeaboutinAshevilleNorthCarolinaThroughapersistent
collaborationbetweenforwardlookingregionalgroupsandorganizationsndashinvolvingabroadnetworkofindi-vidualscommunitymediaandmediaartsgroupsintheAshevilleregionndashAshevillehaslaidthefoundationforacommunitymediadevelopmentcenterthatwillfunctionasacableaccesscentermediaartscenterandnewmediamicro-enterpriseincubatorAtthecenterofthiseffortisaninformalcoalitionoffourimportantgroupsinAshevilleMountainAreaInformationNetworkMediaArtsProjectBoncombeCountyEconomicDevelopmentCommissionandURTVThegroupsrepresentdistinctpointsofviewandconcernsaswellasconverginginterests
Eachgroupsharedtheinsightthatcivicparticipa-tionandeconomicsuccessinthetwenty-firstcenturyaredirectlyrelatedtohavingaccesstocommunicationstechnologyandknowledgeEachalsounderstoodthattherenegotiationofthecablefranchisesintheCityofAshevilleandsurroundingBoncombeCountywasastrategicmomenttocatalyzeandassociateanumberofcommunity-basedinformationandmediaartsactivitiesalreadyinplaceorplannedinAshevilleThegroupsusedthecablefranchisingprocesstocreateacommonorganizationalandfacilitiesinfrastructuresupportingtheuseofmediaforbothcivicandeconomicdevelopment
The Media Arts Project(MAP)isanetworkofmediaartiststhatcultivatesinnovativeartsandtechnol-ogyinwesternNorthCarolinaMAPworkedtirelesslytoframecableaccessasacommunitydevelopmentissuebridgingthemediaactivistcommunitiesandthemoreforward-thinkingfactionsamongeconomicdevelopmentprofessionalsintheregionWiththerecentopeningofURTV IncAshvillersquoscableaccessorganizationandfacilityMAPanditsnetworkofpartnersarenowturningtheirattentiontofundingthemediaartsandeconomicincubatorelementsofthevision
AshevillersquosinterestinsupportingcommunitymediaarisesfromthepresenceoftheMountain Area Information Network(MAIN)Inthetraditionoftheruralcooperativesthathelpedspreadthereachofelectricityinthe1930sMAINisanonprofitInternetserviceproviderofferingreliablelow-costInternetservicebothinwesternNorthCarolinaandnationwideItisauniquecommunitynetworkwithabroadvisionofitsroleinthecommunitythatencompassesmedialiteracyeconomicdevelopmentstrategiescommunitylow-powerradioacommunity-basedwebportalandtheprovisionofInternetconnectivitytoruralwesternNorthCarolinaMAINislargelyresponsiblefortheremarkableexpansionofInternetaccessibilityinwesternNorthCarolinaallowingthousandsofpeopleto
GRCMChaspulledthediversecommunitymediaactivitiesofGrandRapidsunderoneorganizationalumbrella
spendtheirInternetaccessdollarswithalocallycontrolledandaccountableorganizationMAINdemonstratesthevalueofthecommunitynetworkingconcepttoareasthatarelagginginconnectivityduetofailuresofthemarket
MAINhastakenaleadershiproleinbuildingacommunitymediacultureinAshevillethatdemonstratestheeasewithwhichdigitalmedialeapsorganizationalboundariesItscommunitynetworkrunstheBlueRidgeWebMarketwhichprovidesafreecustomizableInternetpresencetohundredsofsmallbusinessesthroughoutwesternNorthCarolinaItsLatinoDigitalLiteracyProjectofferstrainingtohelpthearearsquosgrowingLatinopopula-tionsaccesstheInternetMAINhasbeenoneofthekeypartnersinbringingacableaccesscentertoAshevilleandhasbeenthedrivingforcebehindWPVMWNCrsquoslow-powerFMradiostationbroadcastinglocalnewsviewsandmusicover-the-airintheAshevilleregion(andtheworldviawebcast)
Cleveland OhioPerhapsthemostrobustcommunity-basednonprofitnetworkintheUnitedStatesOne ClevelandprovideswhatitcallsldquoultrabroadbandnetworkingservicesrdquotoClevelandareaeducationgovernmentresearchartscultureandhealthcareorganizationsOneClevelandoperatesafibernetworkringthatcoversmuchofthecityofClevelandandmanyofitssurroundingsuburbsSubscriberstothenetworkconnectatgigabitspeeds
OneClevelandrepresentswhatcanhappenwhenpowerfulcommunitydevelopmentforcescometoaconsensusregardingtheircommunityrsquosneedforhigh-speedconnectivitytoglobaleconomiesandmediaItsfoundersareClevelandmainstreaminstitutionsCaseWesternReserveUniversityCuyahogaCommunityCollegeClevelandStateUniversityTheCityofClevelandGreaterClevelandRegionalTransitAuthorityideastreamCuyahogaCountyPublicLibraryandNorTechThenetworkhasformedrelationshipswithtechnologycompaniestomaintainup-to-dateapplicationsthatleveragethepotentialofsuchapowerfulnetwork
Oneofthenetworkrsquoskeypartners ideastream illustratesthesignificanceofworkingtogethertomakehigh-speedconnectivitypubliclyavailablethroughoutacommunityonitsowntermsBybuildingahigh-speednet-workOneClevelandhascreatedacivicnetworkspaceandinfrastructurethatallowsanewkindofmultimediapublicmediaorganizationtobecreatedIdeastreamresultedwhenWVIZPBSTelevisionand903WCPNRadiopublicbroad-castersmergedtoformanewnonprofitldquomultimediapublicserviceorganizationrdquoIdeastreamisabletoextenditsmediaexpertisebeyondbroadcastingtoonlinetechnologiesandapplicationsofalltypesmdashwhenyouareconnectingtothenetworkatthegigabitspeedsofOneClevelandrsquostherangeofapplicationsandtheirpotentialarehuge
MAINhastakenaleadershiproleinbuildingacommunitymediacultureinAshevillethatdemonstratestheeasewithwhichdigitalmedialeapsorganizationalboundaries
OneClevelandrepresentswhatcanhappenwhenpowerfulcommunitydevelopmentforcescometoaconsensusregardingtheircommunityrsquosneedforhigh-speedconnectivitytoglobaleconomiesandmedia
Inthecourseofpreparingthisreportndashpouringovertheliteratureandsynthesizinghoursofstructuredround-tableconversationsandone-on-oneinterviewswith
opinionleadersandsuccessfulpractitionersofcommunitymediandashonethingisextremelyclearThewayoursocietymakesandsharesinformationknowledgeandcultureisinaheightenedstateofchangeTheinteractivenatureoftheInternethasdemonstratedthatitispossibletoorganizecommunicationsinamuchmoredemocraticfashionSomehaveconcludedwearewitnessingthetransitionfromanindustrializedinformationenvironmenttoanetworkedinformationenvironmentTheoldindustrialmediastruc-turesbasedonexclusivehigh-costproductionprocessesarebeingchallengedbyanemergingmediasectorinwhichthecostofcreatinginformationknowledgeandculturehasbeenprofoundlyreducedandtheproductsareintercon-nectedwidelythroughnetworksliketheInternet(Benkler2006)IndeedthereisincreasingevidencethatthesenewmediaanddigitalnetworksareparticularlyconducivetononcommercialandnonprofitculturalproductionaswellasmoreparticipatoryandcollaborativemediapracticesInmanywaysthelong-standingvaluesandintentofcommu-nitymediaforeshadowthisnewmediaenvironment
ThescanresearchfocusedonfourkeyareasofinquiryWhataretheuniquecharacteristicsthatdistin-guishcommunitymediaWhatmakesmedia-communitycollaborationssuccessfulWhattypesofcommunitymediaorganizationsbestleveragenewtechnologiesHowmightcommunitymediaengageunderservedpopulationsinprogrammingtailoredtotheirneedsIneachinstancewefoundthatcommunitymediacombinedwithgreaterafford-ablebandwidthandopen-sourceapproachestoproductiondohavetremendouscommunitydevelopmentpotentialHowevernoneofthatpotentialwillcomeaboutmagicallyThecommunitymediasectorisfacingthechallengingtaskofmanagingextensivechangeandtransformation
chAllengesThesuccessdisappointmentsandsocialvalueofthepastsixtyyearsofcommunitymediainitiativesmustbejudgedinhistoricalcontextConsistentmisrepresentationinthemainstreammediaandlimitedunaccommodatingsocialpolicyhaveresultedininadequatevisibilityandfinancialsupportforcommunitymediaAnydiscussionofitssuccessesorfailuresmustincorporateanunderstand-
ingoftheseexternalconstraintsInthislighttheexistingexpressionsofcommunitymediaattheirbestarewildlysuccessfulsocialexperimentsgivingcauseforgreatoptimism
NeverthelesscommunitymediafacebothexternalandinternalchallengesTheinternalchallengesarisefromstructuraltensionsthatoccurinanyattempttocreateorganizationsandculturesthatembodydiversitydemocraticexpressionandequitableaccessRatherthanbeingexpressedasldquoweaknessesrdquoasissooftenthecaseinmainstreammediaandacademiatheseinternaltensionsaremoreproperlyunderstoodaspredictabledevelopmentalproblemsandopportunitiesthatpractitionersshouldbepreparedtograpplewithinanycommunitymediasetting
Balancing Free Expression and Audience Development CommunityradioandpublicaccesscablehavehistoricallyprivilegedtheinterestsofproducersbygrantingthemgreatpoliticalfreedominmakingdecisionsregardingwhatprogrammingtocreateandwhataestheticandformattingapproachestouseThetrade-offforacultureofactivistvolunteerismandfreeexpressionhasbeensmalleraudi-encesandlowerlevelsofproductionandprogramsupportProgramproducerscarryanintensecommitmenttoindi-vidualownershipoftheirprogramminginitiativesthatmaynottaketheaudiencersquosinterestsfullytoheart
Whiletheseapproachesinradioandcableaccesshaveresultedinadiversityofprogrammingandpoliticalviewpointstheyhavealsopreventedradiostationpro-grammersorcableaccessorganizationsfrombuildingaflowofprogramsthatcandefineandconstructanongoingaudienceinthecommunityEachprogramorscheduledprogramslotcarriesitsownmicroaudienceldquofragmentedpublicsrdquothatareoftennotpartofanintegratedflowofpro-grammingthatattractsanaudiencetothechannelsoverall(Higgins2002)
Freeexpressionandaudiencedevelopmentarenotmutuallyexclusivenordoparticipatorymanagementstructuresvolunteerinvolvementandproducertrain-ingprogramsneedtoimpedeaudiencedevelopmentThesuccessofAmyGoodmanandDemocracyNowsoundlydemonstratesthisInfactmanycommunitymediaorgani-zationshavecreatedprogramminginitiativesthatcombinesophisticatedmeasurementsofsocialoutcomeswith
conclusions
trainingandparticipatoryprogramplanningTheyhavenotonlyraisedthesocialvalueoftheirprogrammingtotheircommunitiestheyhavealsoincreasedthesizeandloyaltyoftheiraudiences(Aufderheide2003)Asinteractivemediabegintocreatetheconditionswherenicheprogram-mingcanbefarmoresuccessfulthetensionbetweenfreeexpressionandaudiencedevelopmentisnotonlyachal-lengebutalsoatremendousopportunity
Programming MetricsStillroundtableparticipantsrepeatedlynotedthatevenwhenprogrammingmeetscommunityneedscommunitymediaorganizationscanfinditdifficulttodocumentimpactTheyfeltthatfundershavegenerallynotyetaddressedtheroleofmediainpopularcultureorthepowerofpopularcultureinaddressingsocialproblemsInaddi-tionfundersfindithardtoestablishcost-benefitmeasuresofsocialimpactfortheirmediaexpenditures
ParticipantsaskedformodelsofaudiencefeedbackandoutcomesmeasurementthatgobeyondaudiencenumbersTheyacknowledgedthedifficultyofquantify-ingnotionsofsuccesswhichtendtobeverysubjectiveandofusingsuccessstoriesinthecommonprogrammingmetricsofthedayManyrecognizedskepticismamongfundersabouttheimportanceofcommunitymediaasuspicionaboutagendasandafearofthecostsinvolvedmakingcommunitymediaahardsellEventhoughafewgoodevaluationeffortswereacknowledgedtheircollectiveresultshavenotbeenincorporatedintothethinkingofthewiderfundingcommunity
FundingMulti-yearstablefundingsupportforcommunitymediainitiativesiscriticaltostabilityinnovationandgrowthRoundtableparticipantsdiscussednumerousinstancesinwhichprojectswithmulti-yearsupporthadpowerfulpositiveimpactsextendingbeyondtheinitialprojectgoalsMulti-yearfundingcreatesthestabilitytoundertakeproperstrategicplanningandpartnershipdevelopment
Thereissomeearlyevidencethatamultiple-plat-formnonprofit-orientednichemarketcouldemergeasasignificantopportunitytoprovideenhancedrevenueforthecommunityandnoncommercialmediasectorsTheinterac-tivecapacityofthenewnetworkssignificantlyincreasestherevenuepotentialforcooperativeandsubscription-styleprogrammingflowsHoweverstrongmarketsforcommer-ciallyfundedparticipatorycommunityexpressionhavenotyetemergedinthedigitaleraduetothelimitedsizeofpopulationsandavailableadvertisingsupportIfthereistobeavitalsectorofcommunity-basedmediasomeformofsignificantpublicfundingwillbenecessaryevenininstanceswherecommunitymediaorganizationsmightrealizesignificantrevenuefromnewmarketsInordertomakethemostefficientuseofpublicfundingcommuni-tiesmustevolvefundingandgovernancestructuresforcommunitymediathatcanfacilitatetheaggregationoffundscoordinatemultiple-organizationprojectsandactastrustedconvenersofprogramminganddevelopmentdiscus-sionsincommunities
Policy ThreatsWhiletheconvergenceoftechnologyandpracticescreatesincreasingpotentialsforaunifiedcommunitymediasectorthereisunfortunatelynocohesiveandunifiednationalpolicyframeworkforcommunitymediaThegovernmentpoliciesandregulationsthatexistforcommunitymediahavebeenretrofittedinthearenasofUSbroadcastingandtelephonypolicyWhiletheyrepresenthard-wonpoliticalvictoriesandstrategicinsighttheydonotaddresstheneedsofcommunitymediainaholisticway
Inthecurrentpoliticalclimatebroadcastmediaownershipcontrolandprogrammingwillcontinuetobecentralizedinfewercorporationsleavingcommunitieswithlessoptionsforcontrollingtheirlocalmediaenviron-mentsAtthesametimethetelephonecompanieswillenterthemarketforvideotelephonyandbroadbandbydeployinghigh-capacitydigitaltelevisionnetworksinmanycommunitiesintheUnitedStates
ThecurrenttrendofcentralizationinUStele-communicationspolicyisthreateningtheabilityoflocal
Freeexpressionandaudiencedevelopmentarenotmutuallyexclusivenordoparticipatorymanagementstructuresvolunteerinvolvementandproducertrainingprogramsneedtoimpedeaudiencedevelopment
Communitymediaorganizationscanfinditdifficulttodocumentimpact
governmentstomandatecommunity-basedcommunica-tionsnetworksandprogramminginitiativesasrentonthepublicrights-of-wayThesefundingmechanismscurrentlysupportPublicEducationandGovernment(PEG)accesscabletelevisioncentersmediaartscentersandmanymunicipalcommunicationnetworksWhilefarfromperfectregulatorymechanismstheyareoneofthemostsuccess-fulformsofpublicmediasupporttoariseinthelastthirtyyears
Overthenextfiveyearsthesesuccessfulfundingstrategieswillbeunderheavyattackbythetelephonecom-paniesandthecabletelevisionindustryinastrugglewithgovernmentsforcommunitycontrolofthepublicrights-of-wayThesamedynamicthreatensequitableInternetaccessIncreasinglybroadbandcommunitynetworksaremunicipallyownedormandatedWhilesomeofthesemunicipalbroadbandnetworksweredeployedforinternalmunicipalpurposestimehasshownthatsuchnetworkscanserveanumberofnon-governmentalcommunity-basedpurposesincludingwirelessISPconnectionsforresidentsbusinessesandvisitorsManycommunitiesareseeking(andsomehaveobtained)ldquoCommunityBenefitsAgreementsrdquowithproposedwirelessbroadbandvendorsthatsetasideasmallfranchisefeeongrossrevenuestosupportdigitalinclusionactivitiesfollowingtheexampleofcablecompaniessupportofPEGaccessHowevermunicipalbroadbandandmunicipalwirelessareunderattackbyindustriestryingtoreservethesedevelopmentrightsforthemselves
Theoutcomeofthedebatesaroundcontroloftherights-of-waywillhaveasignificantimpactonthefuturepathofcommunitymediadevelopmentThesedebateswillrangeacrosstheregulatoryspectrumtheyarenowbeingwagedinlocalstateandnationallegislativearenasandthecourtsTheresultingcommunicationsinfrastruc-tureandregulatoryframeworkwillbeabletorealizethepotentialsofcommunitymediaifandonlyifcommunitiesareabletotakeleadershipinprovidingsubstantialpublicaswellasprivatefundingAsanoldtruismnotesldquomoneyispolicyrdquo
Therearenopoliticalortechnicalguaranteesthatdigitalmedianetworkswillremainopenandparticipa-toryastheyevolveItisunlikelythatmarketforcesalone
willservetorealizethedemocraticpotentialoftodayrsquosparticipatorymediatechnologyBuildingarobustsectorofcommunity-baseddemocraticnewmediawillrequireeffectivecitizenactivismclearandresponsivegovern-mentpoliciesandeffectivepoliticalstrategiesCommunitymedianeedsseparaterecognitionandsupportwithinfed-eralstateandlocalcommunicationspolicyandregulatorystructuresinordertoensureequitableandstablefundinganddevelopment
models for the futureThegovernmentregulationsandsubsidiesthatunderpincommunitymediahaveevolvedinahodgepodgefashionoverthepastsixtyyearsItcanbearguedthatcommunitymediashouldbetreatedasaseparatesectorwithinte-gratedfundingstructuresconsistentinfrastructureandtaxandsubsidypoliciesthatareseparateanddistinctfromexistinglocalmediapoliciesandalsofromthepoliciesunderpinningpublicbroadcastingPossiblemodelsforamoreunifiedapproacharenumerousbuttwoappearpar-ticularlywellsuitedtocommunitymediarsquosdiverseformsorganizationsandprogrammingapproaches
Public Funding FindingappropriatemethodsofincreasingpublicfundingforcommunitymediainashiftingregulatoryenvironmentiscrucialCurrentlocalcablefranchisingregulationstosupportcableaccessandthecommunitybenefitsagree-mentsofmunicipalwirelessnetworksoffersuccessfulmodelsbutarenowbothunderattackThelawsrequiringcommercialcableproviderstosetasidebandwidthchan-nelcapacityforthepublicinadditiontooperatingfundingbasedonapercentageofcommercialrevenuescouldbeextendedtoincludevoicevideoanddataEssentiallythenanycommercialproviderusingthepublicrights-of-wayorthewirelessspectrumwouldberequiredtocontributeanequitablepercentageofbandwidthandrev-enuetosupportthecommunitycommunicationssector
Community Media DevelopmentAdequatelevelsoffundingareonlypartoftheequationWhilefundingshouldsupporttheoverallgrowthofthe
Thereisunfortunatelynocohesiveandunifiednationalpolicyframe-workforcommunitymedia
setasidebandwidthchannelcapacityforthepublicinadditiontooperatingfunding
communitymediasectorinasensiblefashionanyfundingsolutionmustaddressthedifficultynowexperiencedbyfundersindealingwithcommunitymediahowtoprovideoverallsupporttoasectormadeupofsmallindependentorganizationswithanextremelydiversesetoffundingsourcesandmissionsOneeconomicdevelopmentapproachseemsparticularlyusefulhereProgressivecommunityeconomicdevelopmentstrategieshaveevolvedtosupportthegrowthofadiversityofsmallenterpriseswithinacom-monsectorwhilerecognizingthattheseenterprisescanatdifferenttimesbecollaboratorspartnersorcompetitorsSimilarstrategiescanguidedevelopmentofthecommunitymediasector
Thereareatleasttwoshort-termstepsthatcouldassistinthedevelopmentofcommunitymediaorgani-zationsandsupporttheircitizensrsquoabilitytocopewithcommercialmediaandinformationsaturationOneisforcommunitiestobuildorsecureaffordablebroadbandandwirelessnetworkinfrastructurewithastrongcommu-nitybenefitsagreementinsupportofdigitalinclusionHundredsofcommunitiesacrossthecountryeitherhaveorarelaunchingsuchwirelesscommunitynetworksmanyincollaborationwithwirelessvendorswhoinordertowinaservicecontractwiththemunicipalityinquestionaresup-portingdigitalliteracytraininginexpensiverefurbishedcomputersandlocalcontentdevelopmentndashinshortprogramsofdigitalinclusionandexcellence
AsecondopportunityidentifiedbyroundtableparticipantsisthepotentialforanationalsupportnetworkforexistingcommunitymediaorganizationsAnationalsupportnetworklinkingcommunitiesandtheircommu-
nitymediapractitionersandinstitutionscouldfacilitatearangeofactivitiesincludinglocal-to-localcommunicationorexchangesofinformationandprogrammingbetweencommunitiesvirtualspaceforanationalnetworkofcommunitymediaorganizationstohelptoorganizeuni-fiedpolicyadvocacywiderdistributionofpastproductsformationofissue-responseteamstoadvanceinterestsofcommunitygroupsandtapintolocalresourcesandshareddirectoriesofpractitionerstrainersandfacilitiesConveningleadersfromtheaggregatorsandassociationsservingcommunitymediaintheirvariousforms(listedinAppendix2)mightbeagoodnextsteptoexplorethisopportunity
the promiseThepracticeofcommunitymediahasmanagedtogrowandevolveoverthepastsixtyyearsdespiteunevenandgenerallylowlevelsofsupportandinconsistentgovernmentpoliciesEllieRenniearesearchfellowattheInstituteforSocialResearchSwinburneUniversityofTechnologyhaswrittenthatcommunitymediaareoftendefinednegativelyforwhattheyareopposedtoratherthanpositivelyforwhattheyhaveachieved(Rennie2006)Weareawarethatcom-munitymediahaveoftenbeendismissedasmarginalandidiosyncraticbuttheexamplescitedinthisreportprovidepowerfulevidencetothecontraryItistimetodefinecommunitymediabywhattheyhaveachievedCommunitymediaattheirbesthaveconsistentlydemonstratedtheirpotentialtoempowercommunitiesandindividualstoparticipateascitizensincommunityandeconomicdevelop-mentartseducationcommunitydialogandpoliticaldebateInmanyinstancestheyhavebecomecentralcul-turalsurvivalinstitutionsasourcommunitiesdealwiththeimpactofcommercialmediasaturationandglobalization
Duringtheroundtablediscussionsthattookplaceaspartofthisscanitwasobviousthatthevalueofcom-munitymediatocommunitiestranscendsthemeasurableeffectsofcivicengagementandcommunitydevelopmentCommunitymediacanallowindividualsincommunitiestohaveprofoundexperiencesofactivelyexpressingthem-selvesthroughmediaForpeoplewhohaveseenthemselvesaspassivereceptorsatthebottomofacascadeofpackagedmediaexperiencesandmessagesactiverepresentationoftheirownlivesandcircumstanceshasatransformativeeffectthatgoesbeyondsimplephraseslikeldquocivicengage-mentrdquoThevalueofcommunitymediatoindividualsandthecommunitiestheyliveinisincalculable
hellipaffordablebroadbandandwirelessnetworkinfrastructurewithastrongcommunitybenefitsagreement
anationalsupportnetworkforexistingcommunitymediaorganizations
Appendix 1 Community media empowerment StrategieS
empoWerment Activity ApproAch infrAstructure or venue
AccessAccesstocommunicationsinfrastructureproductiontools
MakingavailablemediaproductiontoolscomputerstelevisionandradiodistributionInternetsoftwarecommunitycommunicationsinfrastructuremeetingspacewebservers
Democraticcitizenaccesstocommunicationstoolsanddisseminationinfrastructure
CablebroadbandmunicipaltelecomInternetWiFiWiMAXlocalandpublicservicebroadcasting
AlternativeContent CreationofvideoaudiofilmwebsitesInternet-basedcitizenmediaP2Pmediabloggingsocialnetworkingsoftwaredatabasesandprintproduction
Contentpositionedtocounterorsupplementmassmediacontentandinformationfrommainstreamsources
AllplatformswithanincreasingexpansionwithinIPNetworksandcross-platformproductionanddissemination
CompetencyLiteracyMedialiteracyinformationliteracydigitalliteracyandculturalliteracy
Mediaartsandaestheticeducationlearningtogainacivicvoiceinamediaculturearticulationofmediabiasesengaginginmediaandpoliticsunderstandingcommoditycultureparentinginamedia-saturatedhome
Interventioninthecomplexmanipulationofsymbolsandculture
Allmassmediaprintelectronic
CommunityBuilding Workforcetrainingandskillbuildingmicro-enterprisedevelopmentbusinessinfrastructuredevelopment
Communityorganizingparticipatoryplanningdemocraticeconomicdevelopmentworkforceandinfrastructuredevelopment
Localmediamunicipaltelecominfrastructurecomputerandtechnologyincubatorsandtechnologycenters
0
Itisdifficulttounderstandthefullscopeofcommu-nitymediaculturewithoutknowingofthefollowingorganizationswhichsupportcommunitymediaand
independentmediapracticesTheyplayanumberofrolesasnationalassociationsrepresentingnetworksofcommu-nitymediaorganizationsandmediaartsorganizationsasproducernetworksandstrategiccommunicationsplannerslinkingcommunityorganizationswithcommunitymediaorganizationsasorganizationsofcommunityactivistsandproducersworkingtomoreeffectivelysupportandusecommunitymediaandascollaboratorsandpartnersincommunitydevelopmenttrainingandeducation
ActiveVoicehttpwwwactivevoicenet
AllianceforCommunityMediahttpwwwalliancecmorg
AssociationforCommunityNetworking
httpwwwafcnorg
CommunityMediaWorkshophttpwwwnewstipsorg
CommunityTechnologyCentersrsquoNetwork
httpwwwctcnetorg
DeepDishTVhttpdeepdishtvorg
FreeSpeechTVhttpwwwfreespeechorg
IndependentTelevisionServicehttpwwwitvsorg
IndependentMediaCenterIndymedia
httpwwwindymediaorg
LatinoPublicBroadcastinghttpwwwlpbporg
LinkTVhttplinktvorg
LPFMDatabasecom
httpwwwangelfirecomnj2piratejimlpfmhtml
MediaTankhttpwwwmediatankorg
MediaWorkingGrouphttpwwwmwgorg
NationalAllianceforMediaArtsandCulture
httpwwwnamacorg
NationalAsianAmericanTelecommunicationsAssochttp
asianamericanmediaorgindexhtml
NativeAmericanPublicTelecommunications
httpasianamericanmediaorgindexhtml
NationalBlackProgrammingConsortium
httpwwwnbpctv
NationalFederationofCommunityBroadcasters
httpwwwnfcborg
NationalPublicRadiohttpwwwnpr
NationalPublicTelecomputingNetworkhttpwwwnptnorg
PaperTigerTelevisionhttpwwwpapertigerorg
PacificIslandersinCommunications
httpwwwpiccomorg
PewCenterforCivicJournalismhttpwwwpewcenterorg
PrometheusRadioProject
httpwwwprometheusradioorg
PublicBroadcastingServicehttpwwwpbsorg
PublicRadioExchangehttpwwwprxorg
ReclaimtheMediahttpwwwreclaimthemediaorg
StarfishTelevisionNetworkhttpwwwstarfishtvorg
WebsitesofUSPEGAccessChannels
httpwwwbevcamorgpeg
WorldAssociationofCommunityRadioBroadcasters
httpwwwamarcorg
Appendix 2 aggregatorS and aSSoCiationS
Appalshophttpwwwappalshoporg
BayAreaVideoCoalitionhttpwwwbavcorg
BeyondMediaEducationhttpwwwbeyondmediaorg
CambridgeCommunityTelevisionhttpwwwcctvcambridgeorg
CasaGuatemalaMediaProjecthttpwwwcasaguatemalaorg
CharlotteObserverhttpwwwcharlottecom
ChicagoAccessNetworkTelevisionhttpwwwcantvorg
GrandRapidsCommunityMediaCenterhttpgrcmcorg
GrandNethttpwwwgrcmcorgnposervicesitphp
GRTVhttpwwwgrcmcorgtv
ideastreamhttpwwwideastreamorg
IFPMinnesotaCenterforMediaArtshttpwwwifpnorthorgabouthtml
IntermediaArtshttpwwwintermediaartsorg
KartemquinFilmshttpwwwkartemquincom
KBOOhttpwwwkbooorg
KFAIhttpwwwkfaiorg
LowellTelecommunicationsCenterhttpltcorg
ManhattanNeighborhoodNetworkhttpmnnorg
MediaArtsProjecthttpwwwthemaporg
MetroGovernmentCommunityMediaInitiativehttpwwwmetro-regionorg
MetropolitanAustinInteractiveNetworkhttpwwwmainorg
MinneapolisTelevisionNetworkhttpwwwmtnorg
MinnesotaChannelhttpwwwtptorgmnchannelnew
MinnesotaPublicRadiohttpminnesotapublicradioorghttpminnesotapublicradioorgpublicinsightjournalism
MountainAreaInformationNetworkhttpmainncus
MtHoodCableRegulatoryCommissionhttpwwwmhcrcorg
NewAmericaMediahttpnewsnewamericamediaorgnews
NewRoutestoCommunityHealthhttpwwwnewroutesorg
NorthwestFilmandVideoCenterhttpwwwnwfilmorg
OneClevelandhttpwwwoneclevelandorg
OregonPublicBroadcastinghttpwwwopborg
PortlandCommunityMediahttpwwwpcmtvorg
RadioArtehttpwwwwrteorg
SaintPaulNeighborhoodNetworkhttpwwwspnnorg
ScribeVideoCenterhttpwwwscribeorg
SoundPartnersforCommunityHealthhttpwwwsoundpartnersorg
StreetLevelYouthMediahttpwwwstreet-levelorg
TwinCitiesDailyPlanethttpwwwtcdailyplanetnet
TwinCitiesMediaAlliancehttpwwwtcmediaallianceorg
TwinCitiesPublicTelevisionhttpwwwtptorg
URTVhttpwwwurtvorg
WalkerArtCenterhttpwwwwalkerartorgindexwac
WCIW-LPhttppacificanetworkorgradiocontentview17542httpwwwciw-onlineorg
WGBHhttpwwwwgbhorg
WHYYhttpwhyyorg
WPVMhttpwwwwpvmorg
WYBEhttpwwwwybeorg
WYCEhttpwwwgrcmcorgradio
YouthChannelhttpwwwyouthchannelorg
Appendix 3 Community media praCtitionerSWebsitesofthosepractitionersmentionedinthetext
AndersonRachelBenton Digital Beat Extra Noncommercial Networks on DBSWashingtonDCBentonFoundation2000
AufderheidePatricialdquoCableAccessTVandthePublicSphererdquoinThe Daily Planet A Critic on the Capitalist Culture BeatMinneapolisandLondonUniversityofMinnesotaPress2000a
AufderheidePatriciaIn The Battle for Reality Social Documentaries in the USWashingtonDCAmericanUniversityCenterforSocialMedia2003
AufderheidePatricialdquoTheWhatandHowofPublicBroadcastingrdquoinThe Daily Planet A Critic on the Capitalist Culture BeatMinneapolisandLondonUniversityofMinnesotaPress2000b
AynteAbdirahmanldquoSomaliWebsitesACompetitiveAlternativeMediaandaFarcetoReckonWithrdquoHiiraan Onlinehttpwwwhiiraancomnews2006aprsomali_websitesaspx
AzzouzBushraTomChamberlinandMarleneFarnumThe Community Media Project Building Community through Media(Aproposedmodelforafive-yearinitiativetoproducelocaltelevisionprogrammingthatbroadensthedialogueonissuesimportanttotheOregoncommunityandcreatesastrongsenseofplace)PortlandORMetroDecember2000
BarlowWilliamldquoCommunityRadiointheUSTheStruggleForADemocraticMediumrdquoinMedia Culture and SocietyVol10(1988)
BenklerYochaiThe Wealth of Networks How Social Production Transforms Markets and FreedomNewHavenYaleUniversityPress2006
BentonFoundationDigital Alliances Partners in Public
Service Models for CollaborationUniversityParkPAThePennsylvaniaStateUniversity2002
BlauAndrewDeep Focus A Report on the Future of Independent MediaSanFranciscoNationalAllianceforMediaArtsandCulture2004
BowmanShayneandChrisWillisWe Media How Audiences Are Shaping the Future of News and InformationEditedbyJDLasicaRestonVATheMediaCenteratTheAmericanPressInstitute2003httpwwwhypergenenetwemediadownloadwe_mediapdf
BurnettRonldquoFromCommunityMediatoInternationalNetworksrdquoCritical Approaches to Culture + Communications + HypermediaNovember182005httpwwweciadca~rburnettWeblogarchives200511from_communityhtml
CanoAndrealdquoMicroradioAToolforCommunityEmpowermentrdquoinPublic Broadcasting and the Public InterestEditedbyMichaelPMcCauleyEricEPetersonBLeeArtzandDeeDeeHalleckLondonMESharpe2003
CarnegieCommissiononEducationalTelevisionPublic Television A Program for ActionNewYorkBantam1967
CastellsManuelThe Rise of the Network Society The Information Age Economy Society and CultureVolumes12amp3MaldenMABlackwellPublishersInc2005
ChesterJeffBeyond Broadcast Expanding Public Media in the Digital AgeWashingtonDCCenterforDigitalDemocracyFebruary2006httpwwwdemocraticmediaorgBBBBfrontphp
ChristensenPaulNanMcIntyreandLynnPikholzldquoBridgingCommunityandEconomicDevelopmentAStrategyforUsingIndustryClusterstoLinkNeighborhoodsandtheRegionalEconomyrdquo(reportfundedbytheFordFoundation)ClevelandShorebankEnterpriseGroup2005
ldquoCitizenJournalismrdquoissueofNieman ReportsCambridgeMATheNiemanFoundationforJournalismatHarvardUniversityVol59No4Winter2005eMprintNewsbookhttpwwwniemanharvardedureports05-4NRwinterNR05W_Citizen_Journalismpdf
City PagesldquoBestPublicAccessCableTVProgramSomaliTVrdquoBestoftheTwinCities2004MNApril282004httpcitypagescombestof2004artsandentertainmentbestof2379asp
bibliogrAphy
CruzRossanaReguilloldquoTheOracleintheCityBeliefsPracticesandSymbolicGeographiesrdquoinGlobal Cities of the South (Social Text)EditedbyAshleyDawsonandBrentHayesEdwardsTranslatedbyBrentHayesEdwardsandNoraNicoliniDurhamNCDukeUniversityPress81(Volume22Number4)Winter2004
DeLasCasasLucywithSimonBurallJohnMorrisonDavidKaleteandJagadanandaldquoGlobalMediaReformandAccountabilityReportfromtheNationalMediaReformConferencerdquoStLouis2005httpwwwoneworldtrustorgpagesdownloadcfmdid=281
DevineRobertHldquoVideoAccessandAgencyrdquoConferencepresentationTheNationalFederationofLocalCableProgrammersStPaulMNJuly171992
DirlinMartyandCathyMelioldquoTheGrassrootsRadioMovementintheUnitedStatesrdquoinPublic Broadcasting and the Public InterestEditedbyMichaelPMcCauleyEricEPetersonBLeeArtzandDeeDeeHalleckLondonMESharpe2003
DowningJohnDHwithTamaraVillarealFordGeneveGilandLauraSteinRadical Media Rebellious Communication and Social MovementsThousandOaksCASagePublications2001
EgerJohnldquoCreativeClustersandtheUrbanEconomyrdquoGovernment and Technology(February62006)httpwwwgovtechnetnewsnewsphpid=98345
EgerJohnMThe Creative Community Forging The Links Between Art Culture Commerce amp CommunityTheCaliforniaInstituteforSmartCommunitiesSanDiegoStateUniversity2005httpwwwsmartcommunitiesorgcreativeCreativeCommBroFINALpdf
EngelmanRalphPublic Radio and Television in America A Political HistoryThousandOaksCASagePublications1996
GillespieGilbertPublic Access Television in the United States and CanadaNewYorkPraegerPublishers1975
GillmorDanWe the Media Grassroots Journalism by the People for the PeopleSebastopolCAOrsquoReillyMediaInc2006
GrahamStephenandSimonMarvinTelecommunications and the City Electronic Spaces Urban PlacesLondonandNewYorkRoutledge1996
HalleckDeeDeeHand-Held Visions The Impossible Possibilities of Community MediaNewYorkFordhamUniversityPress2002
HigginsJohnWldquoAlternativeMediaandtheCultofIndividualismExperiencesfromUSPublicAccessTVrdquoPaperpresentedattheldquoOurMediardquopre-conferenceoftheInternationalAssociationforMediaandCommunicationResearchCommunityCommunicationSectionBarcelonaSpainJuly202002httpwwwourmedianetorgpapersom2002Higginsom2002pdf
HowleyKevinCommunity Media People Places and Communication TechnologiesCambridgeCambridgeUniversityPress2005
HoynesWilliamldquoThePBSBrandandtheMerchandisingofthePublicServicerdquoinPublic Broadcasting and the Public InterestEditedbyMichaelPMcCauleyEricEPetersonBLeeArtzandDeeDeeHalleckLondonMESharpe2003
JankowskiNicholasWldquoCommunityMediaResearchAQuestforTheoreticallyGroundedModelsrdquoThePublicVol1015(2003)httpmokkbmehucentreconferencesreactivismFPfpNJ
JankowskiNicholasWandOlePrehnedsCommunity Media in the Information Age Perspectives and ProspectsCresskillNJHamptonPress2002
LashScottThe Critique of InformationLondonSagePublications2002
ListerMartinJonDoveySethGiddingsIainGrantandKieranKellyNew Media A critical IntroductionLondonandNewYorkRoutledge2003
LloydMarkldquoRadioandLocalismWhatWhenWrongrdquoinContext(publishedbytheCenterforCommunicationsandCommunityUCLA)IssueNo4(WinterSpring2006)
MacintyreBenldquoWelcometotheNewTomPainesrdquoTimesOnlineNovember132004httpwwwtimesonlinecouktolcommentarticle390484ece
MaherVincentTowards a Critical Media Studies Approach to the BlogosphereNewMediaLabPublicationSchoolofJournalismandMediaStudiesRhodesUniversitySouthAfrica2006
MetroCommunity Media Project Evaluation Report PortlandORMetroJuly2004
MostStephenldquoBAVCandTheBigPicturerdquoinA Closer Look Media Arts 2002EditedbyHelenDeMichielSanFranciscoNationalAllianceforMediaArtsandCulture2002
NewAmericaMedialdquoEthnicMediainAmericaTheGiantHiddeninPlainSightrdquoPollconductedbyBendixenampAssociates2005httpnewsnewamericamediaorgnewsview_articlehtmlarticle_id=0443821787ac0210cbecebe8b1f576a3
OlsonBillThe History of Public Access Television2000httpwwwgeocitiescomiconostarhistory-public-access-TVhtml200415
PewCenterforCivicJournalismldquoDoingCivicJournalismrdquo2007httpwwwpewcenterorgdoingcj
PierceSteveldquoDBSandthePublicInterestOpportunityinSatelliteTelevisionrdquoinPublic Broadcasting and the Public InterestEditedbyMichaelPMcCauleyEricEPetersonBLeeArtzandDeeDeeHalleckLondonMESharpe2003
PhilipsSusanldquoTrueCommunityTowardaCollaborativeEthosScribersquoslsquoTrueCommunityVisionrsquordquoinA Closer Look Media Arts 2002EditedbyHelenDeMichielSanFranciscoNationalAllianceforMediaArtsandCulture2002
PorterMichaelEldquoLocationCompetitionandEconomicDevelopmentLocalClustersinaGlobalEconomyrdquoEconomic Development Quarterly14no1(February2000)15-34
ProjectforExcellenceinJournalismldquoMajorTrendsrdquoinState of the News Media 2006 An Annual Report on American Journalismhttpwwwstateofthenewsmediaorg2006nar-rative_overview_eightaspcat=2ampmedia=1
PrometheusRadioProjectldquoOurFifthBarnraisingmdashWCIW-LPinImmokaleeFloridardquohttpprometheusradioorgcontentview48952006
RennieEllieCommunity Media A Global IntroductionLanhamMDRowmanandLittlefieldPublishers2006
RodriguezClemenciaFissures in the Mediascape An International Study of Citizenrsquos MediaCresskillNJHamptonPress2001
SchafferJanldquoCitizensMediaHasItReachedaTippingPointrdquoinldquoCitizenJournalismrdquoissueofNieman Reports CambridgeMATheNiemanFoundationforJournalismatHarvardUniversityVol59No4Winter2005aeMprintNewsbookhttpwwwniemanharvardedureports05-4NRwinterNR05W_Citizen_Journalismpdf
SchafferJanInterviewonThe NewsHour With Jim Lehrer PBSEveningNewsNovember162005b
SchulerDouglasldquoTheRiseofCommunityNetworksrdquoInternet WorldDecember1995
SchulerDougandPeterDayShaping the Network Society The New Role of Civil Society in CyberspaceCambridgeandLondonMITPress2004
ShirkyClayPower Laws Weblogs and Inequality EconomicsampCultureMediaampCommunityBlog2005OpenSourcehttpshirkycomwritingspowerlaw_webloghtml
ShirkyClaySocial Software and the Politics of GroupsEconomicsampCultureMediaampCommunityBlog2005OpenSourcehttpshirkycomwritingsgroup_politicshtml
Somerset-WardRichardBroadband Community Networks Building the Digital CommonsAreportfortheHaasCharitableTrustsPhiladelphia2005
Somerset-WardRichardConnecting Communities WashingtonDCBentonFoundation2000
Spannerworkse-bookWhat is Social MediaJanuary2007httpwwwspannerworkscomebooks
StarrJeroldMldquoPublicTelevisionintheDigitalAgeTownHallorCyberMallrdquoinPublic Broadcasting and the Public InterestEditedbyMichaelPMcCauleyEricEPetersonBLeeArtzandDeeDeeHalleckLondonMESharpe2003
SteinLauraldquoPublicAccessTelevisionandGrassrootsCommunicationintheUnitedStatesrdquoChapter20inRadical Media Rebellious Communication and Social MovmentsEditedbyJohnDowningThousandOaksCASagePublications2001
SussmanGeraldandJREstesldquoCommunityRadioinCommunityDevelopmentPortlandrsquosKBOORadiordquoinThe Portland Edge Challenges and Successes in Growing CommunitiesEditedbyConniePOzawaPortlandStateUniversityIslandPress2004
WhitneyJenniferldquoMakeMediaMakeRealTroubleWhatrsquosWrong(andRight)withIndymediardquoLiPMagazineJune212005httpwwwlipmagazine
orgarticlesfeatwhitney_indymedia_phtml
onstratedthepowerofcommunitymediaandinspiredthefoundationtotakeadeeperlookatcollaborationopportuni-tiesandthepotentialformediawhosemissionistoserveandtransformthecommunitieswithinwhichtheyoperateThegoalofthescanistoprovideinspirationanddirectionnotonlyforcommunitiesnationwidebutalsotoinformthenextphaseofSoundPartnersThisphasecalledNewRoutestoCommunityHealthisanchoredinlocalpartner-shipsandpoisedtoincreasethehealthofnewimmigrantsandrefugeesbyinvolvingabroadrangeoflocalmediaandcivicinstitutionsintacklingthiscommunityrsquoscomplexproblemsandgivingvoicetoitsvulnerablenewresidents
Acrossthecountrycommunitiesarepartneringwithpublicbroadcastersprovidingcommunityradioandestab-lishinglow-powerradiostationsorganizingoncableaccesschannelsjoiningcommunitybroadbandnetworksandproducingforsatellite-deliveredpublicinterestchannelsInthisreportweexplorethelessonslearnedfromtheseimportantmdashbutoftenisolatedmdashexperimentsincom-munity-drivenmediaWehopethisreportwillhelpconnectpresentandfutureinnovatorswithoneanotherandwithresourcesthatcangetthemstartedandorsustainthem
Simplyputcommunitymediaaremediacreatedtoallowindividualstotellthestoriesandhavetheconversationsnecessaryfortheirownself-directed
developmentascitizens(Howley2005Jankowski2003Rennie2006)ThefacesandvoicesinthesestoriesandconversationsmaynotbeseenorheardanywhereelseChicagoroundtableparticipantsdescribedthisexperi-encewiththepowerfulphraseldquofirstvoicerdquoOftenitisthefirsttimeindividualshavespokenpubliclyorsharedtheirstories
defining chArActeristicsFourcharacteristicsarecommontothecommunitymediadescribedinthisreportthoughnooneorganizationcanfulfillalltheseidealsallofthetime
LocalismCommunitymediaarecreatedprimarilywithandbyresidentsofaspecificgeographicplaceTheyexplorelocalissuesTheyhelpdefinetheplaceswhereweliveandhowwerelatetooneanotherTheyreflectlocalvaluesandcul-tureBydefinitionasoneroundtableparticipantinBostonnotedcommunitymedialdquocanrsquotbeoutsourcedrdquo
Inthecurrentregulatoryandcommercialenviron-mentofmostmediaplatformstheimportanceofthiskeycharacteristiccanrsquotbeoverstatedLocalradioprogram-mingisoftenpipedinfromothercommunitiesandgivenanautomatedwrapperthatsimulateslocalismLocalbroadcasttelevisionhasbeengivenalmostcompleteregulatoryrelieffromitsminimalobligationstoservetheneedsoflocalcommunitiesSimilarlythecableandtele-phoneindustriesarepressingintheregulatoryarenatoberelievedoflocalcommunityserviceobligationsclaimingtheInternethassoempoweredlocalcitizensthatitisnolongernecessarytorequireothermediatosupportciviclife(Atthesametimetheseindustriesareseekinglegisla-tiontobarcommunitiesfromowningandbuildingtheirownwirelessandbroadbandInternetconnections)
FacedwiththesechangescommunitiesarelefttowonderhowtheycandiscovercreativewaysofpluggingintotheemergingmediaandknowledgeculturesItisnowwidelyrecognizedthattheinabilitytogainaccesstoinformationnetworksandglobalflowsofmediaarecriticalfactorsincreatingsocialinequality(Castells2005Lash2002)Failuretoaddresstheseconcernsinanetworked
societyplacesgeographiccommunitiesatriskofbecom-ingldquodumbterminalsrdquoratherthancreativeeconomicandculturalactorsinthenetworksnowemergingThequestionofldquowherearecommunitymediardquoiscriticalhereItcanbeansweredintwowaysasageographicplacendashaneigh-borhoodtowncitycountyorregionndashandasanonlinevirtualcommunityndashasocialnetworkofcommonintereststhatisnotparticularlyassociatedwithageographicplaceFailuretokeepthisdistinctionintheforewhenconsider-ingcommunitymediaputsgeographiccommunitiesatriskofbeingdisconnectedandmarginalizedlsquooffthenetworkrsquo
Withoutthepresenceoflocalinstitutionscommit-tedtosupportingcommunitiesintheireffortstograpplewithaglobalmediacultureandcreatedigitalinclusionitisunlikelythatthedemocraticpotentialofnetworkcommunicationscanberealizedThisreportfocusesonmediathatservelocalgeographicplacesplaceswhereadiversityofpeopleliveandareinevitablyassociatedwitheachothergroundedinunavoidablerichandcomplexsocialrelationshipsthatarefarfromtransparentsimpleormeresimulationsofintimacyinavirtualcommunica-tionsnetwork
Diverse ParticipationCommunitymediaaremission-driveninservicetothebroadercommunityTheyinsistontheinclusionofdiversevoiceswithinthecommunityandtheirproductionanddistributionprocessesemphasizecommunityparticipationTheyseekrepresentationoftherangeofdemographicsofitscitizensndashsocialeconomicethnicculturalpoliticalagendashintheirprogrammingAndthatprogrammingisnotmerelyaboutthecommunityitiscreatedincollaborationwiththecommunityCommunitymediainstitutionsseethemselvesasaccountableandaccessibletothepeopletheyserveandtheyembracetheiraudiencesascitizensinademocracywhoareentitledbothtoFirstAmendmentfreedomsandtocontrolovercontentTheirdemocraticprinciplesareoftenreflectedinparticipatorymanagementandgovernancestructures
Storytelling and DeliberationAsbothprocessandcontentstorytellingiscentraltocom-munitymediaandcanjump-startadeliberativeprocessamongcommunitymembersItcombatsalienationandiso-lationbyallowingaudiencememberstoexpresstheirstory
WhAt Are community mediA
aswellasliveinsomeoneelsersquosshoesItallowspartici-pantsandviewerstoderivebroadermeaningfrompersonalexperienceandprovidesin-depthcoverageofissuesonanintimatelevel
ThestorytellingishumanfromtheheartandnotnecessarilyobjectiveItiscreativeandenablesboldrawrelevantanddiversecontentcriticalforcivicdiscussionAtitsbestitisnotmerelyldquopersonalrdquomediabutoftenstorytellinginservicetolargercivicconcerns
ToframethecommunityrsquosstoriesandexperienceforcivicdiscoursecommunitymediaofteninitiatepublicconversationanddeliberationonimportantandcomplextopicsInthiswaycommunitymediaorganizationsareassumingtheroleofconvenersandauthenticatorsofinfor-mationsharinganddialoguerolesincreasinglybeinglostlocallyinderegulatedcommercialmedia
EmpowermentOnegoalofcommunitymediaistochallengenotionscon-veyedinmainstreammediaAccomplishingthisrequiresputtingcommunicationtoolsinthehandsofindividualssharingaccesswithnonprofessionalsandsupportingself-expressionandcommunitybuildingCommunitymediainstitutionsengageinempowermentindifferentwaysManyoffertrainingprogramstobuildthecapacityofcom-munitymemberstousemediatechnologiesothersassistcommunitiesingrapplingwithamedia-saturatedculturethroughmedialiteracytrainingyetothersemphasizeeco-nomicandworkforcedevelopmentthroughskillstrainingandcontentproductionByenablingcitizenstomakeandunderstandmediacommunitymediabecomeatoolforper-sonalcommunityandethnicexpressionanddevelopmentTheymayeveninspireaudiencestotakeactionleadingtopoliticaltransformationTheyreachthoseoutsidethemainstreamandprovideavoiceforthevoicelessThisdynamicmakestheprocessofcreationasimportantastheproduct(SeeAppendix1)
types of mediAWheredocommunitymediafitinthebroadermedialand-scapeThelanguageweusetotalkaboutmediaculture
andprogramminghasevolvedtokeeppacewithchangingmediaformstechnologyandpracticesIncreasinglythetermpublic mediaisusedtodistinguishmediathataresupportedbythepublicandthatallowthepublictoengageinciviclifeandhaveavoiceintheirdevelopmentWithinthisbroadunderstandingofpublicmediaseveraltermsdescribemediapracticesthatfacilitatepeoplersquosparticipa-tionascitizensCommunity mediaasdefinedabovefitseasilywithinthiscategoryAlsofallingundertheumbrellaofpublicmediaaretermslikealternative media inde-pendent media participatory media citizen mediaanddevelopment mediatheseareoverlappingpracticesthatemphasizevaryingprioritiesbutallmayalsoqualifyascommunitymedia
Forthepurposesofthisreportitisusefultospe-cificallydistinguishcommunitymediafromlocalmediaHerewehavefocusedoncommunitymediathatarelocalgeographicallybutwehavealsodefinedcommunitymediaasmediathatemphasizeinclusivenessandhaveauniquesetofparticipatorypractices
Itisalsousefultonotethatthetermscitizen mediaandcitizenrsquos mediahavetakenontwodifferentandimpor-tantmeaningsinrecentyearsNeithertermreferstomediathatareexclusivelylocalThepossessiveformcitizenrsquos media isatermusedbyscholarClemenciaRodriguezandotherstorefertotheuseofmediathatallowpeopletoacteffectivelyascitizensacrossthespectrumofdailylife(Rodriguez2001)Theothertermcitizen mediaisnowbeingusedwithintheworldofonlinecollaborativemediatorefertodecentralizedpracticesinvolvingvideoandaudiobloggingsocialsoftwareapplicationsandothercollab-orativemediatoolsPractitionersofonlinecollaborativemediahaveadoptedthelanguageandpracticesofpartici-patorymediaThecurrentvisibilityoftheblogospherehascontributedtothemisconceptionthatcitizenmediaandcommunitymediahavejustemergedwiththeInternetandthatparticipatorymediaareafunctionoftechnologyratherthanofpeopleactingascitizensThisconfusionfailstorecognizesixtyyearsofgrassrootsmediaexperience
Storytellingiscentraltocommunitymediaandcanjump-startadeliberativeprocessamongcommunitymembers
Byenablingcitizenstomakeandunderstandmediacommunitymediabecomeatoolforpersonalcommunityandethnicexpressionanddevelopment
CommunitymediaarenotlimitedtoanyparticularvenuesortechnologiesTheyreflectalonghistoryofadaptingnewmediatechnologiesastheyemergeEarlyexperimentsincommunityradiobeganinthe1940sand1950sAbroadermovementfollowedinthe1960swiththeuseofsmall-for-matvideofilmsoundrecordingandtheexpandedFMradiospectrumItcontinuedthroughthe1970sand1980swiththediversificationoftelevisiondistributionnetworksandlocalpubliceducationalandgovernmentchannelsoncableTodaycommunitymediaareavitalfeatureoftheelectronicmediaenvironmentFollowingarebriefdescrip-tionsandhistoricaloverviewsofdifferentplatformswhichprovidecontextforthecommunitymediaprofilescontainedinthisreport
Community RadioGroundedinearliereffortstopreservespectrumspaceforeducationalusescommunityradiofirstappearedinSanFranciscointhe1940swiththecreationofthePacificaFoundationrsquosKPFAradiostationThestationpioneeredanapproachtoradiothatcombinedresponsivenesstolisten-ersthroughsubscriptionfundingandcommunityservicewiththecreationofanopenforumforculturaljournal-isticandsocialexpressionSincethencommunityradioinitiativeshavebeendevelopedinmorethan225communi-tiesintheUnitedStatesandincountlesscommunitiesaroundtheworld
In1975communityradiotookonanationalinsti-tutionalexpressionwiththeformationofthe National Federation of Community Broadcasters(NFCB)anorganizationdedicatedtopromotingcommunityradiodevelopmentintheUnitedStatesThefederationadvo-catedcommunitycontrolnoncommercialownershipandvoluntaryparticipationintheoperationandprogrammingofcommunityradiostationsespeciallybypopulationsandgroupsthathistoricallyhadbeendeniedexpressionintheUnitedStatesNFCBprovidedtraininganddevelopmentsupporttoitsmemberstationsandundertookFederalCommunicationsCommission(FCC)advocacyontheirbehalfWithinadecadeNFCBhadseventymembersta-tionsand120associatemembersnationwide(Engelman1996)
Ascommunityradiohasevolvedindifferentcom-munitiesinterpretationsofitsmissionhaveexpandedtoincludestationsdedicatedtominoritycommunitiesandownershipforeignlanguagestationsdedicatedtospecificlanguagecommunitiesinalocaleandvaryingcommit-mentstocommunityinvolvementvolunteerproductionandfundingstrategiesWiththisdiversificationhascome
ideologicaldebateovercreepingcommercializationandprofessionalizationofthefieldHoweverdespitedisagree-mentsoverphilosophyandpracticescommunityradiostationsremainvitalpartsoftheircommunitiessupport-ingcivicparticipationandeducationcommunitybuildingandcommunitiesrsquosenseofthemselvesasuniqueplaces
RadiostationKFAIinMinneapolis-StPaulisonesuchstationAvolunteer-basedcommunityradiostationthatbroadcastsinformationartsandentertain-mentprogrammingitoffersaneclecticmixofprogramsincludingmusiclocalnewspoetryspokenwordpoliticalforumsandinterviewsKFAIemphasizesempowermentthroughtrainingItprovidesboardcertificationtrainingandworkshopsonannouncinginterviewingandprogramdevelopmenttovolunteersCoursesaretaughtinEnglishbutbilingualvolunteershaveaccesstoanyoftheon-airprogrammersforassistanceintheirownlanguage
Low-Power FMCommunityradioreachedanotherstagewiththedevel-opmentoflow-powerFMradioorLPFMTheLPFMmovementwasapoliticalresponsetoincreasingconsoli-dationoflocalradioownershipafterthepassageofthe1996CommunicationsActandasenseamongthoseinthegrassrootsradiomovementthatcommunityradiowasfallingpreytopressurefromtheCorporationforPublicBroadcasting(CPB)tobecomemoreaudience-drivenhomogenizedinprogrammingandprofessionalizedthuslessinterestedincommunityparticipation(Cano2003)Tocounterthesetrendsmediaactivistsbegansettingupmicro-powerradiostationsincommunitiesusinglow-powerbroadcasttransmitterswithanapproximateservicerangeofthree-and-a-halfmilesanareaoftenassmallasasingleneighborhood
In1998thegrowthofLPFMspurredthecreationofthePrometheus Radio Projectfoundedbyactiviststoassistcommunitygroupsinacquiringlow-powerFMradio
Communityradiostationsremainvitalpartsoftheircommunitiessupportingcivicparticipationandeducationcommunitybuildingandcommunitiesrsquosenseofthem-selvesasuniqueplaces
TheURLsoforganizationssetinboldfaceareprovidedinApendices2(aggregatorsassociations)and3(practitioners)
broadcastlicensesfromtheFCCandingettingtheirsta-tionsupandrunningoncetheywerelicensedAsaresultofthisactivismtheFCCofficiallyacknowledgedlow-powerFMinUSbroadcastingpolicyin2000LPFMstationsarenowlicensedfornoncommercialeducationalbroadcastingonlyandaconstructionpermitisrequiredbeforeaLPFMstationcanbebuiltoroperatedThelowcostoflow-powerradiohasallowedmanyorganizationswithstrongcommit-mentstocommunitycontrolnoncommercialgrassrootsfundingandparticipatoryproductionandmanagementprocessestoenterthecommunityradiomovement
WCIW-LPisalow-powerFMstationinImmokaleeFloridaoperatedbythe2500-memberCoalitionofImmokaleeWorkersItishardtoimagineabetterexampleofcommunityempowermentingrassrootsLPFMthanWCIW-LPItfocusesonacommunitythatisbothacommunityofworkersandageographiccommunitythestationandtransmitterarelocatedinthesamelotwherethecoalitionrsquosmembersboardbusesboundforthetomatofieldsofFloridaLaunchedin2003withthehelpofthePrometheusRadioProjectWCIW-LPproducesnewsedu-cationalprogramsandmusicinSpanishHaitianCreoleandindigenouslanguagesofMexicoandGuatemalaThestationisaprimaryorganizingtoolforthecommunityinitsdefenseoftherightsofLatinoHaitianandMayanIndianmigrantandimmigrantfarmworkers
Public BroadcastingUnlikemanylocationsinEuropeandCanadatheUnitedStateshasnotdevelopedastrongcommunity-focusedbroadcastingsectorseparatefrompublicbroadcastingPublicbroadcastingintheUnitedStatesislargelysynony-mouswiththePublic Broadcasting ServiceandNational Public RadioinstitutionsthatcameintoexistencewiththepassageofthePublicBroadcastingActof1967Theactestablishedafederalsystemoftelevisionandradioheavilydependentonfederalandcorporatefunding
Thoughembattledfromitsinceptionandsaddledwithacumbersomedecentralizedstructurepublicbroad-castinghasmanagedtosurviveandfindanimportantroleinAmericanmediaNeithergovernmentalnorcommercialinitsorientationyetheavilydependentoneachitprovidesvaluablenoncommercialprogramming(Aufderheide2000b)PublicradioandtelevisionhavealsoledthewayintheUnitedStatesintheinnovativeuseofdigitalandsatellitetechnologyThePBSwebsiteisconsideredtobethemostfrequentlyvisitednonprofitsiteontheInternet(Starr2003)
YetpublictelevisionandradiofallshortofthevisiondescribedinitsfoundingdocumentsTheywere
envisionedasldquohellipaforumfordebateandcontroversyrdquoaspaceforexpressionldquohellipforgroupsinthecommunitythatmayotherwisebeunheardrdquo(CarnegieCommissiononEducationalTelevision1967)AsJeffChestermediacriticandreformadvocatewritesldquoWhilepublicradioatitsbestcomesmuchclosertothisidealpublictelevisionappearstohavebecomeavictimofitsownsuccessndashfullofartistryandprofessionalismtobesurebutrarelythesourceofthelocalismdiversityandrisktakingthatitsfoundersenvisionedrdquo(Chester2006)Stillitisarguablethatpublicbroadcastingwouldnothavesurvivedtothepresenthaditinsistedonlivinguptotheparticipatoryvisionsofitsfounders
ThePublicBroadcastingServiceNationalPublicRadioandtheirmemberstationscannotuniformlybechar-acterizedascommunitymediaTheirprogrammingandmanagementstructureshavereflectedthetop-downnatureoftheirfundingandtheyhavetendedovertheyearstoemphasisprofessionalismandstationmanagementpreroga-tivesoveracommitmenttodiverselocalparticipationandcommunitybuilding(Engelman1996)
Publicbroadcastingholdsmanyexamplesofexem-plarycommunityprogrammingbutfewerexamplesofrobustprogramschedulingwithcommunity-orientedcom-munity-drivenandcommunity-createdprogrammingForinstance ldquoBasic Blackrdquo from WGBH in BostonwhichhaschronicledtheconcernedandcultureofAfrican-Americanssince1968andthemulticulturalweeklytalkshowsthatareastapleofWYBE inPhiladelphiaarenoteworthyforhavingcreateduniquelocalmediaspacesthatdofunc-tionascommunitymediaInthe1990sthenationalldquoNittyGrittyCityGrouprdquoattemptedtomovepublicbroadcastingbeyondprogramexcellencetobeinganagentforsocialchangeandameansforcitizenempowerment(Larson1993)ItworkedwithgrassrootsgroupstobringattentionandaccesstothecitizensoftheircommunitiesWhilethegroupnolongerexistsitspassionforcommunityengage-mentisstillaliveinstationpersonnelaroundthecountry
ItcanbeseeninmanyoftheSound Partners for Community HealthexperimentsincollaborationsbetweenpublicbroadcastersandcommunityhealthorganizationsNewhopefulexperimentsareunderwayfromCPBanditscommunityengagementinitiativewiththeHarwoodInstituteBroaderstationsuccessesinengagingcommu-nitymembersarechronicledinRichardSomerset-WardrsquosConnecting Communities(2000)andhismorerecentBroadband Community Networks(2005)ForexamplethereistremendouspotentialattheintersectionofpublicbroadcastingandonlinecollaborativemediaWHYYhasextendeditson-airradioandtelevisionprogramming
throughaphysicalandvirtualldquocivicspacerdquoinPhiladelphiaand ideastreamthemergeroftwopublicbroadcast-ersinClevelandoffersitsmultimediadigitalfacilitiesandexpertisetoClevelandrsquoscommunityinstitutionsandcitizensRadioprojectslikethePublic Radio Exchange andMinnesota Public Radiorsquos Public Insight Journalismareprovidinginterestingglimpsesofthepotentialofcol-laborativemediaforpublicradioEachexamplesuggeststhatpublicbroadcastinghasgreatpotentialandtechnicalcapacitytomovebeyondsimplenotionsofldquolocalismrdquotoamorerobuststanceofcivicengagementandparticipation
Cable AccessPublicaccesstelevisionorPublicEducationalandGovernment(PEG)accesstelevisionreferstoacollectionofentitiesthatprovidelocalcontentoverdedicatedchan-nelsoncabletelevisionsystemsintheUnitedStatesPEGaccessisrootedintheactivismofthe1960sand1970satimewhenpublicaccessadvocatesenjoyedamutuallysup-portiverelationshipwithanemergingcableindustryeagertodemonstrateitspotentialtodiversifytelevision
In1969theFederalCommunicationsCommissionsawthepotentialofcabletelevisiontoopenuptelevisiontomorelocalprogrammingandbeganrequiringlargercablesystemstodeveloplocalprogrammingexperimentsTheFCCrsquosfirstcomprehensiverulingonthecableindustryin1972includedrequirementsthatcablesystemsinthe100largesttelevisionmarketsdedicateatleastthreechannelsforpubliceducationandgovernmentaccessTherulingsetoffaroundofoptimisticcommunitymediaexperimentsnationwideButthisinformalpartnershipbetweencom-munitymediaadvocatesandthecableindustrycametoanabrupthaltin1979whentheSupremeCourtruledthattheFCChadexceededitsregulatoryauthorityinmandatingthatchannelsbededicatedtoPEGaccessTherulingdidnotpreventCongressandlocalgovernmentsfromrequiringnegotiatedaccesschannelshoweverandby1979accessadvocatesweresufficientlyorganizedtomakePEGastan-dardofferingofcabletelevision
BythistimethecableindustryhadenteredwhatarereferredtoasldquothegoldrushyearsrdquoThesuccessofHBOrsquossatellite-deliveredcableprogrammingservicedemon-stratedthataudienceswithgoodfreebroadcastreceptionwouldpaytoreceiveuninterruptedmoviesandsportsCablecompaniesvigorouslycompetedforfranchisesinthecountryrsquosmostpopulousareasIfalocalcommunityrsquosfranchiseauthorityexpressedadesireforPEGaccesschannelsinitsrequestforproposalsoftenthecablecompanieswouldrespondfavorablyInadditiontochannel
set-asidesarequirementthatoperatorsprovidefundingforequipmentandpublicinterestchanneloperationsbecameuniversalThoughmanyPEGaccesscentershavediversi-fiedtheirfundingsourcesthebulkoffundingforPEGaccesschanneloperationsandprogrammingcomesfromcongressionallyandmunicipallymandatedfeesinreturnfortheuseofpublicrights-of-way
Intheirearlyyearsthemorethan2000accesschannelstheninoperationwereadministeredinvariouswaysAfewcablecompanieswereabletocompetentlyundertakecommunity-basedmanagementofthesechan-nelsbutgenerallythecableindustryhadlittleappetiteorcapacitytosuccessfullymanagetheselocalchannelsInsomecasesthefranchiseauthorityitselfmanagedthechannelsInothercasesitwasthelibrarytheuniversitycommunitycollegeorhighschoolHoweveritsoonbecameclearthatthelocalcommunityneededtomanagethisnewcommunicationcapacityseparatefromcablecompaniesandgovernmentifitspotentialtocreatecommunitymediawastoberealizedTheindependentnonprofitcorporationeventuallybecamethestandardmanagementmodelamongcommunitymediaadvocatesTodaymostsuccessfulaccesscentersaremanagedthroughnonprofitcommunitygroups(Olson2000)
BecausepublicaccesschannelscarryFirstAmendmentprotectionallowinganyoneinthecommu-nitytoplaceprogrammingonthechannelswithoutbeingsubjecttopriorrestraintsomeprogrammingonthesechannelscanseemexceedinglystrangetotheuninitiatedMuchoftheprogrammingonpublicchannelsismadebynonprofessionalsandreflectstheidiosyncraticinterestsofproducersInrecentyearshoweverpublicaccesscentershaveastutelyexpandedtheirmissionsbeyondindividu-allyfocusedprogrammingtoaddresstheneedsofwholecommunitiesthroughmorecomplexnotionsofempower-mentandcommunitybuildingThishasmeantdevelopingmoreprogramminginpartnershipwithassociationsandnonprofitscommunitygroupsagenciesandeducationalinstitutionsthathaveaclearrelationshiptothelifeoftheircommunities(Rennie2006)Significantnumbersofaccesscentershavealsomovedtoincorporateothermediabeyondvideoandtocarryoutalargerrangeofmediaeducationandmediaartsactivitiesbeyondcableprogramming
OverthecourseofcableaccessdevelopmenttheAlliance for Community Media(ACM)hasconsistentlyprovidedbothpoliticalandprofessionalleadershiptothefieldofcableaccessFormedastheNationalFederationofLocalCableProgrammersin1978ACMquicklygrewtooccupyapresenceinWashingtonDCpolicycircles
andhassteadfastlyprovidedavoicefortheinterestsofthe2000accesscenterintheUSCurrentlytheACMisleadingthefightalongwithcitiesinfightingthewaveofstatewidelsquovideofranchisingrsquolegislationthroughwhichthetelephonecompaniesandcablecompaniesareattemptingtogainnear-monopolycontroloflocaltelecommunicationsmarketswhichwouldeffectivelyendcableaccessinmanycommunities
Manhattan Neighborhood Network(MNN)whichprovidespublicaccesscableservicesinManhattanisoneofagrowingnumberofcableaccesscentersintheUnitedStatesthathaveembracedabroadermissionofmultime-diaeducationandtrainingBeyonditscablechannelstelevisionstudiosandelectronicfieldproductionandpost-productionfacilitiesMNNfunctionsasacommunitymeetingandartsspaceandoperatesagrantingprogramandasupportnetworktositesthroughoutManhattanInrecentyearsMNNhasprovidedarichselectionofitsvideotoInternetstreamingItalsofeaturesaYouth Channeloneofthefirsttelevisionchannelstofacilitatecreativityandsocialandpoliticalparticipationamongdisadvantagedlow-incomeandminorityyouthbyprovidingthemwithaccesstoadedicatedchannelmediaproductionresourcesandtraining
Media Arts OrganizationsMediaartsorganizationswereorganizedinNorthAmericainthe1960sand1970sinresponsetotheavailabilityofnewmoreaffordableandmoreportablemediatech-nologiessuchasfilmvideoandcomputersMediaartsorganizationssupportartthatmakesuseoffilmvideoaudiomultimediaandinteractivemediaIndividualcen-tersoftenfocusononeortwoelementsofthetotalmediaartsinfrastructureprovidingsomecombinationofaccesstomediatoolsproductionproductiontrainingdistribu-tionarchivingandexhibitionofmediaart
Overtheyearscentershaveengagedinanincred-iblerangeofartisticpracticesembracingavantgardeexperimentationinfilmandvideodocumentariesnar-rativeandstorytellingcomputerartandinstallationsusingallmediaThesepracticesintersectwithcommunitymediaintheiremphasisonparticipatoryprogrammingdevelopment
ThehistoryofmediaartsorganizationsiscloselyentwinedwiththetrendsandpoliticsofpublicfundinganddevelopingtechnologyintheUnitedStatesEarlycentersoftenreceivedfoundationfundingtoexperimentwithspecificemergingtechnologiesparticularlyvideoThisinitialphaseofdevelopmentwasgivensignificantsupport
bytheMacArthurFoundationanditsmediaartsprogramfollowedbythecreationoftheNationalEndowmentfortheArtswhichinturnbeganaprogramofconsistentsupportformediaartsorganizationsnationwideTheperiodwasmarkedbythelong-termsupportbyMacArthurFoundationrelativelystablegrowthandaheadyrangeofartisticprac-ticeandexperimentation
Inthepoliticallyconservativeclimateoftheearly1990sasfundersbecameincreasinglywaryofsupportingartthatmightprovecontroversialtheNationalEndowmentfortheArtsgraduallywithdrewmostfundingforthemediaartsBytheendofthedecadetheMacArthurFoundationoneofthemediaartsrsquomostconsistentfundersendeditsyearlysupportformediaartsorganizationsclosingtheeraandforcingaperiodofdevelopmentdiversificationandrestructuringformediaartsorganizations
ThefieldhasprovenextremelyresilientTodaythefieldofmediaartsismadeupofamorediverseandmaturearrayofnonprofitorganizationsandartspracticesAlthoughmediaartsorganizationsnowplacemoreempha-sisonearnedincomeanddiversefundingsourcestheycontinuetobevitalculturalcentersprovidingcommunitiesaccesstobothmediafacilitiesandafullrangeofmediaculturalexperiencesMediaartsorganizationslikeScribeinPhiladelphiaandAppalshopinWhitesburgKentuckyforexamplehavenavigatedthetechnologicalandfundingshiftsofthepastthreedecadeswithsurprisingcreativityandsavvy
TheScribe Video CenterinPhiladelphiawhichemergedin1982duringthemediaartsheydayperseveredthroughtheupsetsofthe1990stobecomeanextraordinaryexampleofwhatasocialassetamediaartscentercanbeforacommunityScribereachesouttocommunitiesincludingpeopleofcolorwomenseniorcitizensandteensthattraditionallyhavenothadaccesstovideotrainingorproductionfacilitiesandprovidesthemtoolsforstorytell-ingInadditiontoproductionandscriptwritingworkshopsScribeoffersartistsrsquoservicessuchasfiscalsponsorshipequipmentrentalandeditingfacilitiesOngoingprogramsincludeCommunityVisionsavideoproductionprogramforcommunityorganizationsStreetMoviesafreeoutdoorneighborhood-basedscreeningseriesandtheProducersrsquoForumscreeningandlectureseriesofvisitingartistsandmediaactivistsAdditionallyScribeproducestheDocumentaryHistoryProjectforYouthanannualproduc-tionworkshopformiddleandhighschoolstudents
AppalshopinWhitesburgKentuckyisoneoftheoldestmediaartsorganizationsintheUnitedStatesAsitswebsiteindicatesAppalshopwasfoundedin1969to
enablepeopletousemediatotelltheirownstoriesinordertoldquosolvetheirownproblemsrdquoIthasbecomeanationallyrecognizedmediacenterworkinginfilmvideoaudioandmusicrecordingsliteraturetheaterliveperformanceandradioallfocusedonAppalachiancultureItsworkdocumentstraditionalartsexploreshistoryandaddressessocialissuesthataffecttheAppalachianregiontodayAppalshopprovidesregionallyandnationallyfocusededu-cationandtrainingprogramsTwoofthemostnotablearetheAppalachianMediaInstituteayouthmediatraininginitiativeandCommunityMediaInstitutewhichworkswithgrassrootsgroupsandpublicinterestorganizationsfromtheregionandnationallytoaccomplishstrategiccom-municationplanningaroundsocialjusticeorganizing
TheNational Alliance for Media Arts and CulturehasconsistentlyprovidedthoughtfulleadershiptothemediaartsfieldthroughtechnicalassistanceprogramsandstrategicplanninginitiativesItsDeepFocusprojectin2004usedscenarioplanningtoenvisionthefutureofmediaarts(Blau2004)Asaresultofthiskindofworktheearlynetworkofmediaartsorganizationshasexpandedtoincludeover274mediaartsorganizationsThisrepre-sentsasignificantbroadeningofthefieldofmediaartsencompassingmanysmallermediaartsorganizationswithspecificartisticculturalorcommunityobjectivesThemediaartsfieldhasmostrecentlyseentheemergenceofmanyyouthmediaorganizationswiththecriticalmissionofcreatingmedialiteracysurvivalskillsforyoungpeopleastheynavigatethemediasaturatedsocialenvironmentofthetwenty-firstcentury
Ethnic MediaEthnicmediarepresentagrowingvitalsectorofAmericanelectronicmediathatintersectswithcommunitymediainanumberofimportantwaysHistoricallyethnicmediaout-letshavearisenontheperipheryofUSbroadcastingoftenwithoutnetworkaffiliationtoservepopulationsthatdonothaveaccesstomainstreammediaandpopularcultureThesehaveincludednewimmigrantgroupsnon-Englishlanguagegroupsthepoliticallyoppressedandpopulationsstrivingtomaintainculturaltraditionsandtiestotheirhomelandswhileadaptingtoanewsociety
ThatpatternhasrepeatedwaxedandwanedasdifferentpopulationshavecometotheUnitedStatesinthepastcenturyThekeyhistoricalintersectionbetweencommunitymediaandethnicmedialiesintheearlyyearsofcommunityradiofollowingWorldWarIIwhenawaveofBlackradiostationsandformatsfilledspacecreatedintheshiftingmedialandscapebytheintroductionoftelevision
ThisshiftbroughtawaveofBlackinvestmentandprogramexperimentationthatseriouslyinfluencedthekindsofcommunityradioprogrammingthatevolvedintheUnitedStatesToalargeextenttheimprovisationalradioformatscombiningmusicandpoliticaltalkcultureandcur-rentaffairswerefirstworkedoutinpost-warBlackradio(Barlow1988Lloyd2006)
Ethnicmediaencompassescommercialandnoncom-mercialmediahugemultinationalsandsmalllocallyownedoperationsEthnicandcommunitymediaoftenintersectgeographicallyEthnicgroupsoftenidentifywithaspecificplaceandusemediatoarticulateasenseofsolidarityinthoseplacesLikecommunitymediaethnicmediafrequentlyembodyparticipatoryapproachestopro-grammingandproductionandareoftenresponsestodeepdissatisfactionwiththeownershipstructuresandbiasesofthemainstreammedia
OneofthemostsignificantongoingsourcesforethnicmediahasbeentheCorporationforPublicBroadcastingthroughitsfundingofthefivemembersoftheNationalMinorityConsortiaNational Asian American Telecommunications Association National Black Programming Consortium Native American Public Telecommunications Pacific Islanders in Communications and Latino Public BroadcastingTheseethnicprogrammingnetworksandtheIndependent Television ServiceprovidemillionsofdollarseachyeartotheirnetworksofethnicandindependentprogrammakersforprogramstargetedtothePublicBroadcastingService
CurrentlyethnicmediaareundergoingexplosivegrowthacrosstheUnitedStatesconsistentwithdemo-graphicshiftsTherearesignificantincreasesintheproportionofnon-EnglishspeakersLatinosAsiansMiddleEasternersandPacificIslandersintheUSpopulationandcorrespondingincreasesinethnicmediaDuringthecommunitymediaroundtablesconductedforthisreportparticipantsrepeatedlyexpressedappreciationforthenumberofethnicmediaoutletsthatusedparticipatorystrategiesinsupportingtheimmigrationproteststhatoccurredthroughouttheUnitedStatesin2006
OneindicationofthegrowthandsophisticationofethnicmediaisNew America Media (NAM)thelargestnationalcollaborationofethnicnewsorganizationsintheUnitedStatesNAMldquoproducesandaggregateseditorialcontentfromandfortheethnicmediasectoranddevelopspioneeringmarketingservicesonbehalfofcorporationsfoundationsandnonprofitswhoaretargetingethnicmediaandethniccommunitiesrdquoNewAmericaMediaisanetworkedcommunitythatlinksthousandsofethnic
0
mediaorganizationsintheUnitedStatesItsrecentstudyldquoEthnicMediainAmericaTheGiantHiddeninPlainSightrdquosurveysHispanicAmericansAfricanAmericansAsianAmericansArabAmericansandNativeAmericans(NewAmericaMedia2005)NAMfoundthatmorethanaquarterofthenationrsquospopulationusesethnicmediainsomecapacity
NewonlinejournalismsitessuchastheTwin Cities Media AlliancersquosDaily PlanetprofiledinthisreportareemergingfromtherestructuringofthenewspaperindustryandtheuseofbloggingandsocialnetworkingsoftwareThe TC Daily Planetaggregatesincreasingnumbersofethnicimmigrantandnon-mainstreamjournalistsinMinneapolis-StPaulAnotherexamplementionedinthisreportRadio Arte (WRTE)maybetheonlybilingual(SpanishEnglish)youth-operatedurbancommunitystationinthecountryItoperateswithafocusonyouthinChicagorsquosPilsenLittleVillageneighborhoodsAninitiativeoftheMexicanFineArtsCenterMuseumthiseducationalradiostationhasayouthtrainingandproductiontrainingprogramandapowerfulwebpresenceinadditiontoitsurbanbroadcastfootprint
BothTC Daily PlanetandRadioArteunderscorethecommonalitiesbetweenethnicmediaandcommunitymediaInmanycircumstancesethnicmediaandcom-munitymediacanbevirtuallyindistinguishableThisconvergenceofvaluesgeographyandpoliticscouldeasilyserveasthefoundationforcollaborationandpartner-ingbetweencommunityandethnicmediainspecificcommunities
Civic JournalismBothcivicjournalismandpublicjournalismrefertoamovementwithinprofessionaljournalismthathonorsnewsorganizationsrsquoroleinconveningandfacilitatingpublicdeliberationanddebatesinwhichaudiencesaretreatedasactiveparticipantsratherthanpassiveconsumersThePew Center for Civic JournalismdefinescivicjournalismasldquobothaphilosophyandasetofvaluessupportedbysomeevolvingtechniquesAtitsheartisabeliefthatjournal-ismhasanobligationtopubliclifendashanobligationthatgoesbeyondjusttellingthenewsorunloadinglotsoffactsrdquo(PewCenter2007)Thisphilosophyemergesfromanunder-standingthatcitizensareincreasinglydisengagedinciviclifeandthatnewsorganizationscanreactivateanapatheticcitizenryNewsorganizationspracticingcivicjournal-ismaimtoestablishdeeperconversationswithbroadercross-sectionsoftheircommunitiesresultinginenhancedcredibilityimprovedcommunicationbetweenthemselves
andthecommunityandbettercoverageofissuesoflocalconcern
CommittedtosupportingjournalisticeffortstorevitalizecitizenshipwhileobjectivelyreportinghardtruthsthePewCenterestablishedtheBattenAwardforExcellenceinCivicJournalismin1995OneofthefirstawardswenttoThe Charlotte ObserverofCharlotteNorthCarolinaforanineteen-monthin-depthseriesoncrimeinnineneighborhoodsReportersspenttwoyearsincrime-riddenneighborhoodsencouragingresidentsinthoseneighborhoodstoreportontherootcausesofcrimeandtoparticipateinthesearchforsolutions
Community NetworkingWhilestillinitsearlytext-basedphasetheInternetwasbeingadoptedasacommunity-buildingtoolbyanumberofgeographicallybasedorganizationsManyoftheseearlycommunitynetworksevolvedfromldquofreenetsrdquoalliedthroughtheNational Public Telecomputing Network(NPTN)AtthattimeNPTNwasthefourthmostpopularpubliccom-puternetworkbehindCompuServeAmericaOnlineandProdigy(Schuler1995)
SomeoftheseearlycommunitynetworksweresimplyInternetdestinationswherecommunity-basedinformationwascollectedandpresentedOthersevolvedasadjunctstotheInternetconnectionsprovidedbylocalInternetserviceprovidersLikeothercommunitymediathepioneersofcommunitynetworkingweremotivatedtousethisnewcommunicationstechnologytostrengthentheircommunities
CommunitynetworkingwaschangedirrevocablywiththeadventoftheWorldWideWebandthesurgeindemandforInternetaccessTheWorldWideWebreplacedmostofthesoftwareapplicationsthatwerebeingusedatthattimetomakeinformationaccessibletopeoplethroughacommunitynetworkThisandthedemandsurgelow-eredthepriceofcommercialInternetaccesstothepointwheretherewaslittlemotivationtobecomeamemberofacommunitynetworkastheywerepracticedatthetimeAsaresultcommunitynetworkinghasbecomelessaboutInternetaccessandmoreabouttheculturalpracticeof
Newsorganizationspracticingcivicjournalismaimtoestablishdeeperconversationswithbroadercross-sectionsoftheircommunities
communitynetworkingwithafocusonsocialnetworkingsoftwaredevelopmentandutilizationCommunitynetwork-ershavealwaysenjoyedclosealignmentwithopensourcesoftwaredevelopersandnowareconcernedwithusingtheInternetintandemwithopensourcesocialnetworkingsoftwaretoaccomplishmanyofthegoalsofcommunitymedia(Schuler2004)
The Metropolitan Austin Interactive Network (MAIN)isanonprofitorganizationcommittedtoinfor-mationsharingandcommunicationamongpeopleandgovernmentaleducationalcommercialculturalreligiousandcivicorganizationsItoperatesacommunity-basedwebsitethatprovidesandaggregatesabroadarrayofinformationcriticaltoAustinresidentsfromemploymentinformationtoenvironmentalartsandculturalcontentMAINiscommittedtohelpingitscommunitymakeeffec-tiveuseoftheInternetandothernetworkcommunicationsstructuresbutdoesnotdirectlyprovidenetworkconnectiv-ityMAINprovidesfreewebhostingandwebdevelopmentassistancethroughabroaddigitalliteracyprogramthatincludestrainingingeneralcomputerandInternetusage
SatelliteWhilesatellitetelevisioncannotbeconsideredcommunitymediabecauseitisneitherlocalnorspecificallycom-munity-focuseditdeservesmentionherebecauseofitsexistingandpotentialcontributionstocommunitymediagoalsSatellitetelevisionisfocusedonnationalvideodistributionviacableanddirectbroadcastservicestohomesatellitedishesTofosterthepublicrsquosinterestindiverseprogrammingviasatellitetheFCCin1992imposedcertainpublicinterestobligationsonDirectBroadcastService(DBS)providersThecommissionruledthatDBSprovid-ersmustreservefourpercentoftheirchanneltranspondercapacityexclusivelyfornoncommercialprogrammingofaneducationalorinformationalnatureUnfortunatelytheFCCleftituptotheDBScompaniestodecidewhichprogram-merswouldbeselectedfromeligibleprogrammersManyfeelthepotentialofDBStoservethepublicinteresthasbeensignificantlycurtailedasaresult(Anderson2000)
Neverthelesssatellitehasbecomehometosomeprogrammersthatembodythevaluesandpracticesofcom-munitymediaNotablyDeepDishTVFreeSpeechTVLinkTVandasofApril2007StarfishTelevisionNetworkarealldistributedviasatelliteduetotheset-asiderulesadoptedbytheFCCEachoffersprogrammingthatembodiesvaluesofdiversityandempowermentwhiledemonstratingthenecessityofset-asidepoliciesfornoncommercialfrequency
andbandwidthatalllevelsofthemediainfrastructureifnoncommercialmediaistoflourishTheyconsistentlyrunprogramsproducedbycommunitymediaactivistsandindependentproducersandrepresentonepossiblewayforcommunitymediaorganizationstodevelopanationalprogrammingreachthatcouldfacilitateldquolocaltolocalrdquocommunicationswhiledevelopinganationalnetworkofprogressivecommunityprogramming
Deep Dish TVpioneeredtheuseofsatellitetoestablishacollaborativenetworkamongactivisttelevisionproducersandpublicaccesscablestationsin1986DrawingontheearlierexperimentsofthePublicInterestVideoNetworkDeepDishbegancreatingprograminstallmentsforsatellitedistributionVideoprogrammingselectedfromactivistandcommunitytapesaroundthecountrywerefedtosatellitetransponderswithanationalfootprintwheretheywerepickedupbyhundredsofcableaccessorganiza-tionsandcommunitymediacentersintheUnitedStates(Pierce2003)
DeepDishrsquos1991satellitebroadcastsoftheGulfCrisisTVProjectareconsideredbymanytobehistoricmomentsincommunitymediaandUScommunicationshistoryadirectinterventioninaninternationalcrisisbypublicaccesstelevisionandindependentmediaactivistsDeepDishTVassembledavideoanti-warteach-induringthefirstGulfWarandmadeitavailabletotheirnetworkviasatelliteThesuccessoftheGulfCrisisprojectexpandedDeepDishrsquosnetworktoincludeindependentpublictelevi-sionsitesanyonewithahomesatellitereceiverandothercommunitymediaandmediaartsorganizationsRalphEngelmanwritesthatDeepDishrsquosuseofsatelliteallowedcommunitymediaactiviststofulfilltwooftheircoreobjec-tivesldquograssrootsparticipationandthepresentationofdiversealternativeperspectivesrdquo(Engelman1996)
TheseearlysuccessesinnetworkingcommunitytelevisionviasatellitehavemorerecentlybeenextendedbyFree Speech TVandAmyGoodmanrsquosDemocracyNowprogrammingFreeSpeechTVextendedthetechnicalcapacitytonetworkwithcableaccessbyraisingfundstobuydirectsatellitereceiversforcableaccessfacilitiesinterestedincablecastingFreeSpeechTVprogram-mingThistechnicalnetworkthenbecameaprogressiveprogramnetworkcalledintoexistencealmostsingle-hand-edlybythehighlysought-afterprogressiveprogrammingofDemocracyNowInturnthepresenceofDemocracyNowprogrammingisconsistentlyservingtoincreasetheaudiencesandsupportforcableaccessincommunitiesthroughouttheUnitedStates
AttheirheartcommunitymediaareaboutmakingmediawithpeoplenotmerelyaboutorforpeopleIt
isasoneChicagoroundtableparticipantnotedlikeldquotheneighborhoodgoingouttodinnerrdquoButasanyonewhohaseverhostedalargedinnerpartyknowsthisisnotalwayseasilyaccomplishedInroundtablediscussionswithcommunitymediapractitionersthreestrategiesndashcollabo-ration across sectors and platforms training and outreach ndashemergedrepeatedlyaswaysofsuccessfullyengagingthebreadthanddiversityoftheircommunitiesInadditionafourthstrategyconnecting with immigrant populationsyieldedinsightsintosomeuniquechallengesandbenefits
strAtegies CollaborationMediainstitutionscanplaytheroleoffacilitatorsintheircommunitiesdemystifyingtheprocessofproductionpro-vidingpeoplewithaccesstotheresourcestheyneedandbuildingonthehistoryandgoalsofcivicjournalismThisrolerequiresmediainstitutionstorethinktraditionaljour-nalismandmayentailthere-balancingofeditorialpoliciesndashcommittingtodiversityembracingegalitarianvaluesandreassessingthevalueofeditorialneutralityInvitingcommunitymemberstohelpwithstoriesmakescover-agemorereflectiveofthecommunitymoreofatwo-wayconversationForinstanceTwin Cities Public Television(TPT)dedicatestimeononeofitsdigitalchannelstolocalandregionalprogrammingincludingprogramstargetedattheLatinoHmongHindiSomaliandVietnamesecommu-nitiesTocreateprogrammingfortheldquoMinnesotaChannelrdquothestationpartnerswithnonprofitorganizationswhopayTPTforproductionsupportandguaranteedbroadcastoftheprogramming
Sound Partners for Community HealthhasshownthatauthenticpartnershipsbetweenpublicbroadcastersandcommunityinstitutionsenableeachpartytoreachlargermorediverseandtargetedaudiencesonhealthissuesimportanttothecommunityCommunityinstitutionspromotedbroadcastsandpublicbroadcastersincreasedthevisibilityoftheirinstitutionalpartnerswhoofferedadditionalresourcesandreferralstoviewersandlistenersandhelpedtodisseminateprogrammingonCDsandDVDsInadditionbymarryingtheexpertiseofcommunity-basedhealthorganizationsandvoicesoflocalresidentswiththeproductionvaluesofhigh-qualityradioandtelevisionpro-grammingSoundPartnerspositionedcommunitymembersasproactiveplannersofandstakeholdersinmediainitia-tivesratherthanpassiverecipientsofmediaattention
Buttherewasinevitabletensioninseparatingjour-nalismfromadvocacywhichrequiredtrustonthepartofallparticipantstoresolveInthecaseoftheSoundPartnerscollaborationsincommunity-basedjournalismpublicbroadcastersneededtotrustthattheirnonprofitpartnerswouldnrsquotadvancetheirownorganizationalagendasattheexpenseoftruthandnonprofithealthorganizationsneededtotrustthattheirbroadcastpartnerswouldrespecttheirexpertise
TheSoundPartnersexperienceaffirmedwhatmanyroundtableparticipantspointedoutmdashtheneedtobuildbridgesacrossmediaaswellSoundPartnersfoundthatcommercialradiostationsandpublicaccesschannelswithcloselinkstoandinfluenceonthecommunityhelpedimplementstrongmediacampaignsincollaborationwithpublicbroadcastingRoundtableparticipantssawcommer-cialmediaoutletsasespeciallyimportantamongimmigrantgroups
Pointingtoanotheraspectofcollaborationround-tableparticipantsimploredmediainstitutionstobeopentosharinginfrastructuretoaccomplishtheirmissionsManynonprofitmediagroupsarestrugglingtosurvivebuthaveassetsthatcanbesharedorintegratedtobetterservetheircommunitiesinacoordinatedefficientwayCreatingcollaborativestructuresasbasicasco-locationoffacilitiesorascomplexasorganizationalmergerscanbeimportantfordisseminatingprogrammingsecuringfundingandprotectingpotentiallycontroversialissueprogrammingForexampleManhattan Neighborhood Networkhashistori-callyleverageditscablefranchise-securedcapitalfunding
engAging community WhAtrsquos Working
Invitingcommunitymemberstohelpwithstoriesmakescoveragemorereflectiveofthecommunitymoreofatwo-wayconversation
tobuildcapacityinothermediaorganizationssuchasastudioandpost-productionfacilitieswithDowntownCommunityTelevisioninChinatownAndinkeepingwiththesamenetwork-buildingapproachtofacilitatingpartici-pationMNNalsofeaturesaYouthChannelconsideredtobethefirstchannelcreatedforyouthbyyouthMNNhasbecomeoneofthecentralhubsinManhattanaroundwhichindependentandcommunitymediagatherforscreeningsadvancededucationalopportunitiesartisticandpoliticaldebatecommunitybuildingandsocialnetworkingcreat-inganexcitingdemocraticmediaculture
Manyparticipantsacknowledgedthatcollaborationishardexpensiveandtime-consumingItplacesdemandsonin-houseknowledgeandconfrontspartneringorganiza-tionsrsquodifferentgoalseditorialpoliciesandresourcesIftheyaretolastpartnershipsneedproperresearchonthefrontendandmulti-leveledsupportChangesinleader-shipcandisruptplanssopartneringcanrsquotbetiedtoonepersonrsquosrelationshiptoanotherpersonitrequiresanetworkofpeopleunderstandingandcontributingtothepartnershipMulti-yearprojectsareimportanttodevelopinfrastructureandsustainefforts
TrainingRoundtableparticipantssawcommunitymediainstitutionsasimportantsourcesbothforjobsandskillstrainingandforbuildingthecapacityoflocalnonprofitgroupsWhileacquiringmediaskillsmaybeacareerpathoutofpovertyironicallycommunitymediaworkisoftenunpaidandpoorpeoplemustprioritizepayingjobsoverparticipationincommunitymediamakingRoundtableparticipantsexpressedconcernthatthereisnotcurrentlyawaytoeconomicallysustaintheeffortsoflow-incomepeoplewhodovolunteerincommunitymedia
CableaccesscenterslikeChicagorsquos CAN-TVandManhattanNeighborhoodNetworkprovidegrantstrainingandequipmenttocommunitygroupswhothendevelopmultimediaproductsandshowcasethemindifferentvenuesThesecentersfacilitatetheexpressionofnon-technology-orientedcommunitymembersandprovidethemwithusefuljobskills
ThetrainingcomponentiscrucialfordevelopingauthenticvoicesinprogrammingBlessedwithadiversetechnology-savvycommunitythatincludesbothHarvard
andMITcampuspopulationsCambridge Community Television CCTVhasbroadeneditseducationalprogramstoincludeadvancedworkshopsandextendededucationalprogramsindocumentarymakingdigitalstorytellingwebsitedesignandstrategiccommunicationsplanningandimplementationCommunitymembersarealsoabletouseCCTVrsquoscomputertechnologycenterfortraininginavarietyofsoftwareapplicationsincludingphotoeditinganddesignandcomputernetworkingThecenterhasbroadeneditsdistributionofvideoprogrammingtoincludeweb-basedmediastreamingofpre-recordedprogrammingpodcastsaudiochannelsandldquoCambridgeCommunityRadiordquowherememberscansignupfortwo-hourblocksofliveradiotimeThecenterrsquosservicesaddresstheneedsofactivistsnonprofitcommunitygroupsmediaeducatorsandpeopleseekingjobskillsthatextendfarbeyondthoseneededtofillthepublicchannelswithvideoItsofferingsareexpand-ingtoincludeworkshopsinpodcastingdigitalaudioproductionvideobloggingandcyberjournalismCCTVtakesdigitalmediaconvergenceseriouslyunderstandingthatmediaproductiontrainingproductionanddistribu-tionarenowapplicableacrossanumberofplatformsandproductionskillsets
Bay Area Video Coalition(BAVC)isanotherorganizationthatmakesemergingvideotechnologyacces-sibletoindependentmediamakersIthasevolvedintoaninternationallyrenownedmediaartscenterthatleadsthefieldinitshigh-qualityproductionandprofessionaldevelopmentsupportfornoncommercialmediamakersThecenteralsoprovidesclassestolow-incomeyouthinmediaartsproductionaswellasworkshopsforcommunitygroupsandnonprofitsBAVChasconsistentlyoffereddevelopmentseminarsandtrainingprogramsthatbringcommercialpro-ducersandnoncommercialproducerstogetherinacommonsettingItoffersoneoftheregionrsquoskeycertifiedtrainingprogramsforcompanieslikeAppleAvidandDigidesignThroughagrantfromtheFordFoundationBAVChasundertakenanationalstudyonldquoDigitalWorkforceDevelopmentrdquoallowingtheorganizationtoestablishitselfasanationalandregionalleaderinprofessionaldevelop-ment(Most2002)Itsprofessionaldevelopmentprogramisasignificantforuminwhichcommercialandnoncom-mercialmediamakerscancometogetherforprofessionaldevelopmentactivitiesinsettingsthatrespectthepublicinterestandroleofmediainsocialdevelopment
OutreachOutreachakeytoolformediagroupsmovestherelation-shipbetweencommunityandmediabeyondconsumption
Collaborationishardexpensiveandtime-consuming
tosocialchangeItinvitespeopletointeractwithmediatobeaffectedbyitandtoaffectothersItaskspeoplewhattheyneedandinvitesthemtocometogethertomeetthoseneeds
Thekeytocreatingrelevantoutreachisresearch-ingwhatthecommunityneedsdetermininghowtoreachitmosteffectivelyandhiringstaffwhohaveoutreachskillsandarewellversedinthecultureandlanguageofthegroupsbeingtargetedAChicagofilmmakerrecountedhowtheseconsiderationsimpactedhisdocumentaryaboutworkersrsquorightsOutreachstaffconsideredthepotentialimpactontwoaudiencesalargeaudienceofPBSviewerssittingintheirlivingroomsandasmallerbutmoreengagedaudienceofsteelworkerswatchingthedocumentaryatalocalbarTheyconcludedthatthebarviewerswouldberivetedbecausetheinformationinthedocumentarywasgearedtothemSuccessfuloutreachasksWhatdogroupspayattentiontoWhomdotheytrustWhatplatformauthenticallyrepresentsthem
NationalprogrammingcanbeacatalystforlocaloutreachParticipantsinChicagoandMinneapolis-StPauldiscussedtheexampleofldquoTheNewAmericansrdquoanationalPBSseriesonimmigrantsproducedby Kartemquin Films Active VoiceanationalorganizationthatworkswithmediamakerstobringaboutpersonalandinstitutionalchangeworkedwithKartemquintopackageseriesfootagethatfocusedonnewarrivalstoMinnesotaTheresultwasalocalseriesldquoTheNewMinnesotansrdquoandapartnershipthatusedmediatoeducatethemainstreamcommunityaboutlocalimmigrantsandtodevelopdiscussionandactivityguidesforcommunityoutreach
Connecting with Immigrant PopulationsMinoritypopulationsandgroupsconcernedwithsupportingtheidentitiesofmarginalizedpopulationshaveincreasinglyturnedtocommunitymediaassourcesofinformationvali-dationofcultureandproductionsupportforthecreationoftheirowncontentCommunitymediahavehelpedcallattentiontothelivesandconcernsofimmigrantcommuni-tiesthatareotherwiseinvisibleoutsidetheirparticularcommunityBecausetheyoftenhavefoundinnovativewaystousecommunitymediafornetworkingandsocialchangeimmigrantpopulationsillustratethepowerofcommunity
mediaandpresentrichopportunitiesformakingcommu-nitymediaorganizationsmorediverseandparticipatoryRoundtableparticipantssharedlessonsinwhatworksandofferedspecificideasforframinganewcommunitymediaprogramaddressingtheneedsofimmigrantsandreceivingcommunitiescalledNew Routes to Community Health
Inreachingouttoimmigrantcommunitiesround-tableparticipantsnotedthatitiscriticaltoidentifyandworkwithexistingagenciesthatimmigrantstrustperhapsachurchorassociationforaparticularethnicgroupButthoughimmigrantgroupsarethemostappropriateconve-nersofsuchcollaborativestheymustalsohavethecapacitytoconvene
TheselectionofplatformalsodeservescarefulconsiderationRoundtableparticipantsnotedthatinadapt-ingtechnologiestotheirownpurposesspecificimmigrantgroupsoftenpreferoneplatformoveranotherForexampleChicagorsquosKorean-AmericancommunityhasbeensuccessfulinusingethnicprintmediatoaddresscommunityissuesThePersianstorytellingtraditionhasmadePersianahugeandgrowinglanguagesegmentonblogsPersianisnowthefourthmostwidelyusedlanguageonweblogs(Macintyre2004)A2000surveyofSomalianimmigrantsinMinnesotashowedthatoverfortypercenteventhenconsideredtheInternettheirmainnewssource(Aynte2006)
RadioinparticularhasshowntremendouspowerinthedevelopingworldpartlyasaresultoftheUnitedNationsrsquoemphasisonradioasthemediumsupportingthemostwidespreadpracticeofcommunitymediaintheworldBecausetheyarefamiliarwithradiobeforecomingtotheUnitedStatesimmigrantgroupsoftenquicklyembraceradiouponarrivalinthiscountryItisalsooneofthemostinexpensiveformsofmediaandthereforeoneofthemostaccessibleldquoIftheycomefromLatinAmericatheyknowthepowerofradiordquoChicagoparticipantsnotedenthusiasti-callyLocalcommercialSpanish-languageradiostationseffectivelyhelpedmobilizeturnoutforimmigrationprotestsinChicagoinMay2006
community spotlightManycommunitiesintheUnitedStatescanpointwithpridetotheachievementsoftheircommunitymediaorganizationsWhenattemptingtoidentifybestpracticesinthenetworkedmediaenvironmentsweseetodayhoweveritisusefultothinkintermsofinterconnectionandcol-laborationnottolooksimplyatindividualmediacentersorbroadcaststationsOftenthemostsuccessfulexamplesofcommunitymediaemergeoutofongoingalliancesandcollaborationsamonglocalcommunitymediagroupsThe
Thekeytocreatingrelevantoutreachisresearchingwhatthecommunityneeds
communitiesspotlightedbelowhavebegunincorporatingpartnershipsandcross-platformcollaborationintothepracticeofcommunitymediaandhavebeguntoreapthebenefitsofthatapproach
Portland OregonTheMetro Government Community Media InitiativeillustratesthepotentialpowerofcommunitiesworkingtogethertoproducetheirownmediaratherthanhavingtheirstoryframedbycommercialnewsorganizationsAlthoughtheprojecthasnowendeditisincludedherebecauseitprovidedsuchastrongmodelforfuturecommu-nitymediaeffortsTheinitiativewasrootedinaproposalbylocalindependentfilmmakerTomChamberlinthatlocalmediamakerscommunitymediaorganizationscommunitygroupsandgovernmentagenciescollaboratetoproducepublicaffairstelevisionprogramsonissuesofconcerntoOregoniansMetroauniqueregionalgovernmentprimarilyresponsibleforregionalland-useandtransportationplan-ningtookChamberlinrsquosideatoheartWithagrantfromtheFederalHighwayAdministrationMetroandanallianceofcommunityorganizationsandgovernmentagenciesdevel-opedldquoZigZagRealStoriesNewAnglesrdquoaprogrambylocalfilmmakersfeaturingpersonalstoriesfromadiversegroupofregionalresidentsastheygrappledwiththetransporta-tionchoicesaffectingtheirfamiliesneighborhoodsandcommunities
InadditiontothecenterpiecebroadcastonOregon Public BroadcastingtheprojectcreatedaninteractivewebsiteanddistributedaDVDoftheprogramtothearearsquoscableaccesschannelsElementsoftheprojectalsofoundtheirwayontoPortlandrsquoscommunityradiostationKBOOandpacketsincludingextensivesupportmaterialsandDVDsweremadeavailableforscreeninginneighborhoodcentersandindependentmediavenuesTherewasalsoaplanninganddeliberationprocesstostrategizeabouthowcitizensgovernmentsandmediamakerscancollaboratetocreatecommunitydialogueandsolvecivicproblems
Asurbanspaceisincreasinglydefinedbytelecom-municationsasmuchastransportationandlandusetheprojectalsoillustratesthepowerfuloutcomesthat
canresultwhenregionaltelecommunicationsplanningbecomesintegratedwithlanduseandtransportationplan-ningandwhencommunitymediaareintegratedintobothformalandinformalprocessesofplanninganddelibera-tionTheMetroCommunityMediaInitiativeresultedinasignificantandmeasurableriseinregionalawarenessofthetransportationplanningissuesaddressedbytheproj-ectViewershipandDVDusesofthemediaincommunitysettingsexceededexpectations(Metro2004)AlthoughtheprojectwasnotimmediatelyreplicatedPortlandnowenjoyscontinuingcollaborationsbetweenMetrogovern-mentanditsareacommunitymedia
ParticipationintheMetroGovernmentCommunityMediaInitiative isonlyoneofthemanywaysPortlandrsquosKBOOradiohasdemonstrateditsfullcommitmenttotheoriginaldemocraticintentionsofcommunityradiooverthecourseofitsforty-two-yearhistoryOlderthanNationalPublicRadioKBOOisamongthelongest-liv-ingcommunityradiostationsintheUnitedStatesOfthenoncommercialradiostationsinPortlandKBOOistheonlystationwhosemissioncontainsanexplicitcommit-menttominorityprogrammersandlisteners(SussmanandEstes2004)KBOOrsquoscommitmenttodemocraticpracticeextendstoaboardofdirectorselectedentirelyfromitsmembershipwhichisopentoanyoneandanaggressivetrainingprogramconsistentwiththestationrsquoscommitmenttovolunteer-producedprogrammingmdashallprogrammingisproducedbyvolunteerswithassistanceofpaidstaffTheparticipationofwomenandminoritiesfarexceedthecommunityrsquosracialdemographics(SussmanandEstes2004)
Portland Community Media (PCM)hasarichtwenty-three-yearhistoryinPortlandwhenitcomestousingmediatobuildcommunityPCMstartedoutasacabletelevisionaccesscenterandstillprovidestheadminis-trationandtrainingtoprogramPortlandrsquoscableaccesschannelsbuthasexpandeditsmissiontoembracetheuseofcommunitymediatobringaboutbroaderparticipationincivicandculturallifePCMrsquoswebsitedescribesthecenterldquowiththreewordsndashEducateCommunicateParticipaterdquoCurrentlyPCMhasanumberofcollaborativeprojectssup-portingmedialiteracyandmediaeducationinthepublicschoolsystemitregularlyprogramsmediaproductionsfromPortlandrsquosmediaartscentertheNorthwestFilmandVideoCenteranditisplanningtoexpanditscentertosupporteconomicdevelopmentofmicroenterprisesfornewmedia
The Mt Hood Cable Regulatory Commission(MHCRC)overseesacable-relatedtelecommunicationsdevelopmentforgreaterPortlandOregonServing
Oftenthemostsuccessfulexamplesofcommunitymediaemergeoutofongoingalliancesandcollaborationsamonglocalcommunitymediagroups
thecommunitiesresidentsandlocalgovernmentsofFairviewGreshamPortlandTroutdaleWoodVillageandMultnomahCountyOregonTheMtHoodCableRegulatoryCommissionnegotiatesandenforcescableservicefran-chiseandactsinthepublicinterestoncommunicationspolicyissuesatlocalstateandfederallevelsItwouldbehardtooverstatetheimportanceofMHCRCinfosteringthegrowthofcommunitymediaingreaterPortlandThroughclearandinsightfulregulationofthecablefranchiseithasassuredthatthenecessarynetworksandtelecommu-nicationsinfrastructureareavailabletoallowcommunitymediatogrow
MtHoodrsquosCommunityAccessCapitalGrantsProgramisparticularlynoteworthyTheCapitalGrantsprogramprovidescapitalfundingtocommunicationsprojectsthatsupportsocialjusticecommunityinvolve-mentandtheeffectivedeliveryofservicesthroughcostreductionTheprogramhasallowedscoresofcommunitygroupstoincreasetheircommunicationscapacitythroughtheacquisitionofskillsknowledgeandtechnologyInimplementingthisgrantprogramtheMtHoodCableRegulatoryCommissionhasbeenextremelystrategicinconveninggranteesandcreatingtheconditionsthatleadtopartnershipsandcollaborativerelationships
TheNorthwest Film and Video Centerisalong-standingregionalmediaartsorganizationservingtheNorthwestregionThecenterprovidesarichprogramnurturingmediaartscultureItfeaturesanactiveexhibi-tionprogramforexperimentalandindependentfilmsahighlyregardedfilmschoolandextensiveyouthmediaprogramsThecenterpresentsanumberofyearlyfilmfestivalsincludingthePortlandInternationalFilmFestivaltheNorthwestFilmandVideoFestivalandtheYoungPeoplersquosFilmampVideoFestivalThecenterrsquosproductionsoftenfindtheirwayontotothearearsquoscablechannelsThecenterisalsoatrustedsourceofequipmentaccessforareaindependentproducersactiveintherichmediacultureofPortlandaservicepartiallysupportedbytheMtHoodCableRegulatoryCommissionrsquosCapitalGrantsprogram
Minneapolis-St Paul MinnesotaTheSaint Paul Neighborhood Network(SPNN)isacableaccessstationservingStPaulresidentsThestationprovidesopportunitiestothepublictoproduceandairprogramsononeofitsfivechannelsdedicatedtomulti-faithpubliceducationcommunityandinternationalcontentrespectivelySPNNhasayoutheducationprogramandacommunityproductionsprogramwhichworkswithnonprofitorganizationstocreatepublicserviceadvertise-
mentsorprogrammingWorkshopsincludeproductiongrantproposalwritinglegalquestionsandlightingSPNNisparticularlyeffectiveasconvenerandcapacitybuilderinitscommunityItseducationandtrainingprogramsarefocusedoncommunitydevelopmentandonkeepingthetechnicaltrainingelementsofitsworkinasocialperspective
Minneapolis Television Network(MTN)isSPNNrsquossisteraccessstationservingMinneapoliswithasimilarcommitmenttoprovidingacommunitygatheringplaceOperatingthreepublicaccesschannelsMTNofferstelevi-siontrainingandmedialiteracyclassesandisespeciallyencouragingofyouthparticipationThechannelsserveasabridgeforimmigrantstouseinadaptingtotheirnewhomemanynewimmigrantsusethemtocommunicateintheirnativelanguageswiththeirSomaliEthiopianorVietnamesecompatriotsSomali-languageprogramsforinstanceoffereighthoursaweekofmusicentertainmentcommunitynewsandreligiousinstructiontooneofthelargestsettlementsofSomalipeopleoutsideSomaliaIntoutingSomalitelevisionasthebestpublicaccesscabletelevisionprogramintheTwinCitiesCity Pages saidldquoForsomepublicaccessisanearlyinspiringlessonindemocracyandfreemediardquo(CityPages2004)WantingtostrengthenthenonprofitcommunityrsquosInternetsavvyMTNcreatedandeventuallyspunofftheRiverProjecttoofferInternetdial-upaccessandwebhostingtononprofits
PublicbroadcastershavealsoofferedstrongmodelsofcommunitycollaborationintheTwinCities Twin Cities Public Television(TPT)isthepublictelevisionstationservingtheMinneapolisndashStPaulregionIn2004TPTbegandedicatingtimeononeofitsdigitalchan-nelstoMinnesota-relatedprogrammingAnumberoftheprogramsontheMinnesota Channel(someofwhicharethencablecastonpublicaccesstelevision)aretargetedatLatinoHmongHindiMiddleEasternChineseandVietnamesecommunitiesandproducedinpartnershipwithnonprofitorganizationsTPTisapartnerintheMinnesotaCommunityCampaignthatencouragesurbanandruralareasinandaroundtheTwinCitiestowelcomethetensofthousandsofimmigrantsandrefugeesthathavesettledthereinthepastseveraldecadesSeekingtoeffectpositivechangeonimmigrantissuesthroughartmediaeducationsocialserviceandpolicymakingthecampaignproducedtheldquoTheNewMinnesotansrdquoasixty-minuteprogramthatoriginallyairedonTPTbasedontheKartemquinseriesldquoTheNewAmericansrdquo
InadditiontocommunityradiostationKFAItheTwinCitiesishometoMinnesota Public Radio(MPR)
whichhaspioneeredafreshapproachtojournalismcalledpublicinsightjournalism(PIJ)PIJtapsintothecollectiveknowledgeofMPRrsquosdiverseaudiencetoenrichitsreport-ingCreatingaten-thousand-personPublicInsightNetworkviathewebthestationinvitesthepublictobesourcesofstoryideasreactionsandperspectivesandbrainstormingonpublicissues
TheindependentfilmandvideocommunityworkscollaborativelyintheTwinCitiestosupportandpromoteartistandcommunityperspectivesIFP Minnesota Center for Media Arts Intermedia ArtsandtheWalker Art Center areamongthemulti-disciplinaryvenuesfordiscus-sionandproduction
AndtheInternetishometoanewaggregationofcommunitymediasourcesAccordingtoitswebsitethe Twin Cities Daily PlanetaprojectoftheTwinCitiesMediaAllianceisldquoacommunitynewswireandsyndicationserviceshowcasingthebestworkoftheneighborhoodandcommunitypressaswellasworkbyTwinCitiesindepen-dentjournalistsandthevoicesofengagedcitizensThepremiseoftheTC Daily PlanetisthatnewtechnologiesaremakingitpossibleforthesecitizenstobecomemoreactiveandpowerfulparticipantsinthenewsproductionprocessrdquoModeledafterKorearsquosOhmyNewstheTC Daily Planetseekstoimprovethequalitydiversityandaccount-abilityofthelocalmediaandtoinvolvetherapidlygrowingimmigrantandethniccommunitiesItrecruitsandofferstrainingtocitizenjournalistsandhaspartnershipswithoverfortyneighborhoodandcommunitymedia
Chicago IllinoisChicago Access Network Television(CAN-TV)offersfivepublicaccesschannelstoChicagolandresidentsThispublicspaceprovidesChicagoansanopportunitytodiscussissuesoflocalconcernpromotehealtheducationalandeconomicresourcesinthecommunityandcelebratelocaltalentandinitiativesCAN-TVprovidesvideotrainingequipmentandfacilitiesforarearesidentsandnonprofitgroupsItvideotapesandcablecastspublicforumstownhallmeetingscommunityeventsandotheractivitiesoflocalinterestThroughthisservicethestationprovidesChicagoanswithaccesstoinformationtheymaynototh-erwisehavethroughcommercialtelevisionForinstanceCAN-TVworkedwitheighttotenAIDSagenciestodissemi-natebasiceducationaboutAIDSpreventionvialivecall-inprograms
CAN-TVsupportsChicagorsquosassociationsandnonprof-itsthroughserviceslikeliveldquohot-linerdquocall-inshowsfrom
automatedstudiosthatonepersoncanoperateproductionservicesthatgenerateprogrammingforcommunityeventsandstrategiccommunicationsplanningworkshopsCAN-TVhasrefusedtofollowasimplisticldquoneutralityrdquoprogram-mingphilosophyinwhichtheaccesscentertransmitsonlyprogrammingthatrandomlycomesfromthecommunityInsteadCAN-TVactivelycreatesprogrammingimportanttocommunitydevelopmentInadditiontoitsfocusonnonprofitsCAN-TVactivelycreatespartnershipswithcon-tent-richgroupssuchaslocalmuseumsandartsgroupsItalsopartnerswithlocalmediaactivistproductiongroupslikeVideoMacheteandStreetLevelYouthMedia(profiledbelow)SimilarlyCAN-TVaggressivelyengagesinprogram-mingforlocalelectionsatypicalelectionseasonwillgeneratearoundtwohundredhoursoforiginalprogram-mingeachmonthandnearlyallthecandidateswillbefeaturedoractuallycreatetheirownCAN-TVprogrammingtocarryouttheircampaigns
Street-Level Youth MediaprovidesopportunitiesforChicagorsquosurbanyouthtousemediaartsandemergingtechnologiesforself-expressioncommunicationandsocialchangeItsstaffprovidesinstructioninvideoandaudioproductioncomputerartandtheInternettohelpyouthaddresscommunityissuesaccessadvancedcommunica-tionstechnologyandgaininclusioninsocietyInoneprojectitcollaboratedwithtwoseventh-gradeteachersandanESLinstructortohelpstudentsresearchissuesaboutimmigrationinoneneighborhoodTheteachersweretrainedtousevideoandthentrainedotherteacherswhoguidedtheirstudentsinproducingvideosforscreeningattheschoolMorethanthirtyvideoswerecreatedandvideotrainingandusehasbeenincorporatedintotheschoolcurriculum
Radio Arte(WRTE)istheonlybilingual(Spanish-English)youth-operatedurbancommunitystationinthecountryItoperateswithafocusonyouthinChicagorsquosPilsenandLittleVillageneighborhoodsAninitiativeoftheNationalMuseumofMexicanArtthiseducationalradiostationhasservedChicagoformorethansixyearstrainingyouthwithapriorityondevelopingindividualandgroupcommunicationcompetenciesthatallowyoungpeopletoenterpubliclifewithconfidencethroughthebroadcastmediumProvidingaforumforyoungpeopletobecreativeandresponsibletothelargestMexicancommunityintheMidwestRadioArteiscommittedtotrainingyoungpeopleintheartofbroadcastingRadioArtersquosuniquetwo-yeartrainingprogramprovidesyouthwithspecialcoursesonwritingforradioandjournalismvoicetrainingand
FCCregulationsaswellasbasiccomputerskillsproduc-tionskillsandon-airtrainingParticipatingintwograntroundsofSoundPartnersforCommunityHealththestationrsquosldquoRadioVidardquoproducedprogrammingonsubstanceabuseandaddictionbyandforLatinoyouth
Casa Guatemala Media Projectisanonprofitcommunity-basedorganizationthatservestheGuatemalanandbroaderLatinAmericancommunityinChicagoandtheMidwestSinceitsfoundingin1986ithasusedmediaincludingwebprintTVandradiotoraiseconsciousnessaboutissuesaffectingcommunitiesfromLatinAmericaInparticularitworkswithCAN-TVtoprovidetheeducationalcomponentofself-authoredmediathatwillpositivelytrans-formcommunitiesthroughworkshopsontheproductionandalternativeusesofemergingtechnologies
Beyond Media EducationworkswithunderservedandunderrepresentedcommunitiesprimarilywomenandyouthtotelltheirstoriesandorganizeforsocialjusticethroughthecreationanddistributionofalternativemediaandartsInarecenteffortitworkedwithaChicagosheltertohelpstreetwalkerstelltheirownstoriesinanefforttoraisepublicawarenessandpromotestate-levelreformsTheorganizationorganizedasix-monthworkshopthatincludedteachingandpracticingstorytellingpublicspeak-ingandvideoproductionskillstooveradozenprostitutesTheirgroundbreakingvideogivesinsightsintoChicagorsquossextradeindustryandrecountsthetriumphofthepar-ticipantsoverhomelessnessviolenceanddiscriminationTheirlobbyinginthestatecapitolresultedinpassageofabilltodestigmatizeanddecriminalizesexworkers
Keepingtabsonandshowcasingmuchofthecom-munitymediaactivityfromajournalisticperspectiveistheCommunity Media Workshop (CMW) CMWservesasabridgebetweensocialactivistscommunitymediaprac-titionersandjournalistsIthostsanannualacademyforprogressiveorganizationsintheChicagoareathatbringsactivistsandjournaliststogethertoshareideasandatti-tudesProminentareatelevisionandnewspaperjournalistsarerecruitedtoserveonpanelsleadworkshopsandgenerallysharetheirideasofhowprogressivegroupscaneffectivelygaintheattentionofthepressThisapproach
leadstobuy-infromkeypersonnelinChicagorsquosmainstreammediawhocannowbetterunderstandthegrassrootsgroupsthatapproachthemandtheirissuesItalsogivescommunityparticipantsattheworkshopstheopportunitytodevelopmorepersonalrelationshipswithkeymembersofthemediaThisapproachalsoenablescommunitygroupstobetterunderstandwhatmotivateseditorsandreporters
ThesethreecommunitiesshowcommondevelopmentpatternsandfactorsCommunitymediaorganizationshavebeguntounderstandtheirmissionsintermsofasharedcultureofcommunitymedialookingbeyondtheirindivid-ualmissionstothecommonsocialandpoliticalvaluestheyhaveincommonThisapproachopensthewayforcommu-nityradiomediaartscenterscommunitymediacentersandcableaccesstocreatecommunity-wideprograminitiativesinwhichseveralmediaplatformsareengagedItcreatestheconditionsinwhichitispossibleforcommunitymediaorganizationstoactwithunifiedstancesinpoliticaladvocacyregardingmediaissuesandotherissuescriticaltotheircommunitiesThiskindofcross-platformnetworkingalsocreatesopportunitiesforcommunitymediatoreceivemorediversefundingandsupportfromthecommunityastheyextendthenetworkorcultureofcollaborationtocom-munitydevelopmentgroupsandofficialsintheirregions
Communitymediaorganizationshavebeguntounderstandtheirmissionsintermsofasharedcultureofcommunitymedialookingbeyondtheirindividualmissionstothecommonsocialandpoliticalvaluestheyhaveincommon
ldquoThe boldest experiments in public telecommunica-tions take place when technologies are new and their commercial potential not yet fully apparentrdquo mdash Ralph Engelman 1996
Acrosstheirmanyplatformsandmanycommunitiescommunitymediahavebecomecentralculturalinstitutionsinthecivicculturalandeconomiclife
ofourcommunitiesprovidinginvaluablemediaprogram-mingaccessandeducationTheycaninsuchinstancesenablecommunitiestodevelopinformedcitizensartistsandactivistswhopossesstheskillsandknowledgeneededtograpplewithcomplexmedialiteracyanddevelopmentissuesatthelocallevel
Fordecadescommunitymediaorganizationshaveaddressedtheurgentneedtocreatelocalinstitutionsthatfacilitatecitizenaccesstomedianetworksandeffectiveparticipationinmediacultureforbothcitizensandwork-ersTheyareprovingthemselvesvitaltothepoliticalandeconomiclifeoftheircommunitiesTheyplaymultiplerolessimultaneouslyascriticalculturalenhancementstothequalityofciviclifeasemployersandaseducationalsitesforworkforcedevelopment
difficultyNeworganizationalformsandnewmediaformatslikestreamingarchivingpodcastingandbloggingarebecomingthenormpartofldquoblendedrdquoproductionanddis-seminationpracticesincommunitymedia
neW communicAtion spAces cyberjournAlismTheincreaseinInternetbandwidthandtheavailabilityofonlinesocialnetworkingsoftwarehavequalitativelychangedtherelationshipofjournaliststotheiraudiencesNewwebdestinationslikeMySpaceShutterflyFriendsterFlikrEviteandGooglearedevelopingvirtualcommuni-tiesforsharingvideoattractingyoungeraudiencesandmakingcontentmorethanpassiveandone-directionalSocialnetworkingsoftwareenablespeopletorendezvousconnectorcollaboratethroughcomputer-mediatedcom-municationandformonlinecommunities(Spannerworks2007)PopularsocialnetworksoftwareapplicationslikeweblogsorblogsseemparticularlywellsuitedtoparticipatorycitizenjournalismallowingeasypublishingofinteractivetextphotoaudioandvideocontentTheneweasewithwhichvideoclipscanbepreparedforuseonthewebhasbroughtontheriseofldquovlogsrdquoandsitesthatfacilitatethesharingofvideoclipsandaccompanyingcontentAnenormousrangeofblogsandcyberjournalisticsiteshavesprungupontheWorldWideWebinthepastfiveyearswithanequallywiderangeofeditorialstandardsandpracticesTechnoraticomcurrentlytracksseventeenmillionblogssharingoneandahalfmillionhyperlinks(Rennie2006)APewCenterInternetstudyestimatesthatthenumberofregularblogreadersintheUnitedStatesisequivalenttoalmosthalftheentireradioaudiencewhichisaboutaquarteroftheUSnewspaperreadership(Rennie2006)
Combinedwithaffordablenewdigitalmediaproduc-tioncamerasandrecorderstheseweb-baseddisseminationtoolsmakeitpossibleforcitizensandconsumerstoparticipateactivelyinnewsgatheringNonprofessionalshavebeguntoplayamoreactiveroleintheprocessesofjournalismfromcollectinginformationandreportingtoanalysisanddisseminationJanSchafferwhodirectsJ-LabaUniversityofMarylandincubatorforinteractivejournalismprojectsexplainsthatmanypeoplearebecom-ingmoreactivecitizensthroughjournalisticactivitybutdonotnecessarilyaspiretobejournalistsThenewtechnical
envisioning the future of community mediA
Communitymediaorganizationsareprovingthemselvesvitaltothepoliticalandeconomiclifeoftheircommunities
Communitymediaarealsocontributingimportantvaluespracticesandorganizationalmethodologiestotheemergingcollaborativemediaenvironmentsoftheblogo-sphereWecanlooktothesecontributionsastechnologicalandorganizationalopportunitiesforstrengtheningandexpandingcommunitymediapracticeWiththeInternetamediacultureisemergingthatismoreconsistentwiththenoncommercialpracticesofcommunitymediaproductioncollaborationanddemocraticparticipationinmediamak-inganddistributionConsequentlymanycommunitymediaorganizationsareintegratingthecapacitiesoftheInternetandnewmediaintotheirpracticeswithoutmuchfanfareor
0
capacityforcommunicationsheobservesallowspeopletoldquoparticipateinnewsandinformationinvariouswaysmdashparticipateininteractingwithitquestioningittruth-squadingitandcreatingitAndnowthattheyhavethetechtoolsandthetechskillstodothattheappetitehasonlyincreasedrdquo(Schaffer2005b)
SuchconditionshavesetthestageforintensepopularinterestinwhathasbeenbrandedldquowemediardquoorldquoparticipatoryjournalismrdquoTodaynumerousonlinejournalisticexperimentsbringtogetherprofessionaljour-nalistswithcitizenmediaactivistsandthoseinvolvedineventsMoreandmoretheearliestimagesandinformationregardingbreakingnewsarecomingfromnon-journalistspresentatthemomentoftheeventAsaresultjournalistsarebeginningtoconceptualizethemselvesnotsomuchasgatekeepersofnewsbutasmoderatorsinaconversationwithlicenseandtimetospeakfrequentlyandhopefullyaccurately(BowmanandWillis2003)
Thiskindofcommunity-centeredcoveragemayentailthere-balancingofeditorialpoliciesndashcommittingtodiversityembracingegalitarianvaluesandreassessingthevalueofeditorialneutralityItputsintoquestiontheroleandsignificanceofofteninnovativeldquopersonalmediardquoexemplifiedbythemillionsofbloggingsitesontheWebIsthiskindofldquonewsrdquoservingapubliccivicpurposeofcommunityproblemsolvingorindividualprivateexpres-sionInaWashington PostopinionpieceonDecember212006GeorgeKWillvoicedskepticismoftheseriousnessofmuchofthewebrsquosamateurjournalisminresponsetoTimemagazinersquosnamingallofusPersonoftheYear
Itisdifficulttopredictthefutureofcyberjournal-ismandbloggingpreciselyintheseearlystagesbutthreeoutcomesseemlikelyFirstbloggingwillcontinueitsrapidintegrationintomainstreammediacontentSecondblog-gingandotherformsofsocialnetworkingsoftwarewillgiverisetonewmediaentitiesthatwillchallengemainstreammedialocallynationallyandglobally
ThethirdoutcomeistheonemostrelevanttoacommunitymediascanCyberjournalismandparticipatory
citizenjournalismseemparticularlywellsuitedtoaddressthecurrentUSmassmediarsquosdifficultyinprovidingcoverageoflocaleventsinsmallercommunitiessuburbanregionsandcommutercommunitiesthataredevelopingoutsideformalpoliticaljurisdictionsCommunity-basedonlinejournalismsiteshavesprungupinhundredsofcom-munitiesaroundtheUnitedStatesTheyaremanagedandorganizedinwidelydivergentways
AnexperimentincyberjournalismandcommunitynetworkingtheTwin Cities Daily PlanetaggregatessomeofthebestjournalismfromMinnesotarsquosTwinCitiesneighborhoodandcommunitypressandindependentjour-nalistsaswellasthevoicesofengagedcitizenspresentingthemtothepublicthroughaninteractivewebsiteandcommunitydatabaseByaggregatingcitizenandneighbor-hoodjournalisminonesiteitincreasesthecapacityofsmallneighborhoodmediatoreachbeyondtheirborderstoawiderregionalaudienceUsingRealSimpleSyndication(RSS)softwaretheTC Daily Planetcanpotentiallyreachaglobalaudience
AprojectoftheTwinCitiesMediaAlliancetheTC Daily PlanetisaverynewformofcommunitymediaemergingfromtherestructuringofthenewspaperindustryandtheuseofbloggingandsocialnetworkingsoftwareAlthoughearlyinitsdevelopmenttheTC Daily Planetisgivingvoicetoanincreasingnumberofethnicimmi-grantandnon-mainstreamjournalistswhilefocusingthecommunityrsquosattentiononafargreaterrangeofpublicationsandideas
TheearliestexpressionsofcyberjournalismaretheIndependent Media Centers (IMCs)orIndymediaIndymediacameintobeingaspartoftheprotestsanddemonstrationsaroundtheWorldTradeOrganizationtalksheldinSeattleWashingtonin1999ThisfirstIMCwasaconvergenceoftheemerginginteractivityoftheInternetwiththeintenseneedofprotesterstogetindependentinformationouttotheworldabouttheprotestsAnetworkofindependentcommunitymediamakersactivistsandjournalistsbandedtogethertopoolresourcesandinforma-tion(Howley2005)
TheIMCsforeshadowedthebloggingandvideodis-tributionthatwasshortlytoemergebyusingtheInternetandtheWorldWideWebinconjunctionwithvideoandaudiodistributiontocreateatrulyunprecedentedmulti-mediaenvironmentIntermsofbothqualityandquantitytheSeattleIMCwasanimpressiveperformancebyanynewsandcurrentaffairsstandardsOverthecourseofthefive-dayprotestsadailynewspaperanddailyradioprogramwerecreatedandcountlessprintstoriesweredisseminated
Journalistsarebeginningtoconceptualizethemselvesnotsomuchasgatekeepersofnewsbutasmoderatorsinaconversation
globallyalsovideofeedsweresentthroughtheInternettopublicaccessandcommunitychannelsaroundtheworldSixyearsaftertheSeattleproteststherewere149Indymediawebsitesinabout45countriesonsixcontinents(Whitney2005)
TheopenformofcommunicationpracticedbymostIMCsiteshasnotbeenwithoutproblemsandcontra-dictionsManysitesarenowclutteredwithideologicaldiatribesanduneditedcontent(Halleck2002Whitney2005)ButthereareanumberofIndymediasitesthatprovidealternativenewsandinformationregardingaglobalscopeofconcernsthatwouldbeverydifficulttoobtainanywhereelseinthemediaAnumberofsitesinplacessuchasNewYorkCityPortlandOregonandtheSanFranciscoBayareahaveestablishedthemselvesasstablepartsoftheircommunityrsquosmediaculture
companiesspecializedsuppliersserviceprovidersandassociatedinstitutionsinaparticularfieldthatarepresentinanationorregionrdquo(Porter2000)Thecompaniesinanindustryclusterhaveacomplexwebofmutuallysupportingrelationshipsthatencompassbothcompetitiveandcollab-orativerelationshipsTheylinkacrossprofitandnonprofitpracticesutilizecommoninfrastructuremakecommoncontributionstothedevelopmentofahighlyskilledwork-forcesharefundingandinsomecasestalentedstaff
Increasinglycommunitydevelopmentpractitionersandanalystsarecomingtounderstandindustryclustersaspowerfulstrategiesforbotheconomicandcommunitydevelopmentinthetwenty-firstcenturyThisisprovingdoublytruefornonprofitcommunitymediaorganizationswhoseroleitistobringpowerfultoolsandknowledgetoanycommunityrsquosdeliberationsaroundcommunityandeco-nomicdevelopmentBroadbandandwirelessnetworksareprovidingthepracticalmeansoflinkingcommunitymediaorganizationswithincommunitiesofferingakeystrategicadvantagebyenhancingtheeffectivenessofcollaborationandpartnershipbuilding
AstheexamplesinthepreviouschaptershowcommunitymediaorganizationsaretakingonnewrolesincludingcombiningproductionandtrainingtakingonworkforcedevelopmentfunctionsandbecomingtechnologycentersfordiffusionofnewmediaBeyondtheseexampleslongstandingsuccessfulcommunitymediaorganiza-tionsaremergingasnetworkclusterslinkingdifferentgroupsandorganizationswithincommunitiestocreateentirelynewcommunitymediaorganizationsorblurringtheboundariesbetweentheirorganizationsOthersarebringinghistoricallyseparatecommunitymediagroupswithinoneorganizationalstructureorunderonerooftosharebuildingsandcommunicationsinfrastructuresinacost-effectivemanner
TheorganizationsthatemergefromthisintegrationmaybesimilarinfunctionthoughtheirnamesremaindifferentAcommunity-basedsiteforcitizenmediaandcyberjournalismforexampleandacommunitynetworklikeMAINinAshevilleNorthCarolinaoracutting-edgecableaccesscenterlikeGrandRapidsCommunityTelevisionbegintolookverymuchalikeintermsof
Increasinglycommunitymediadevelopmentishappeningthroughnetworksoflocalnonprofitmediaorganizationsratherthanwithinsingleorganizations
neW orgAnizAtionAl spAces netWorked clusters Perhapsthemostpromisingtrendonthehorizonforcom-munitymediaistheemergenceofnewhighlyintegratedorganizationalstructuresandcollaborativeprocessesIncreasinglycommunitymediadevelopmentishappeningthroughnetworksoflocalnonprofitmediaorganizationsratherthanwithinsingleorganizations
Inmanywaysthesereorganizationsatthecom-munitylevelparalleltherestructuringtakingplaceintheprivatecorporatesectorTherecommunicationsnetworksarebeingusedtosupportcomplexpartnershipsandjointcompanyprojectdevelopmentinteractivenetworkseasetheaggregationoflargeorstrategiccapitalandemployeeskillsetsacrossgeographicandorganizationalboundariesforthepurposesofinnovationandmarketdevelopmentInthelanguageofcommunityandeconomicdevelop-mentthesecomplexpartnershipsareknownasldquocreativeclustersrdquoorldquoindustryclustersrdquoMichaelPorteraleadingtheoristandproponentoftheconceptofclustersdefinesthemasldquogeographicconcentrationsofinterconnected
Successfulcommunitymediaorganizationsaremergingasnetworkclusters
technologyprogrammingactivitiesandtheexperienceofcommunityaudiencesvolunteersandparticipantsEachorganizationreliesonnoncommercialaffordablebandwidtheachplayssomeroleinadvocatingforsupportivegovern-mentpoliciesandeachisexperimentingwiththepotentialofnewcollaborativemediatoolsOftencommittedtoengagingandtrainingvolunteersandcommunitymembersinsomemannertheymayoffertrainingandvolunteerpro-gramsthatrequiresimilarsharableonlinetutorialsandonlineoutreachandschedulemanagementtools
TheexamplesthatfollowdemonstratethewayscommunitymediacreativeclustersaremakinguniquecontributionstotheircommunitiesrsquoqualityoflifeandeconomicwellbeingTheyaredoingsointhreeimportantwaysbullfirstbyamplifyingtherolethatartsandculturalgroups
playinenhancingthequalityoflifeandattractingatalentedworkforceandcapitaltothecommunitymdasharolethatisgaininginsignificanceinthetwenty-firstcentury
bullsecondascontributorstocoreeconomicdevelopmentfunctionsinthecommunityincludingworkforcedevelop-mentandtrainingasmicro-enterpriseincubatorsandascreatorsofnewknowledgeandeducationalexperiencesand
bullthirdasfacilitatorsandcatalystsofcommunitydialoguecommittedtoembracingmarginalizedvoicesandallow-ingthecommunitytoundertakeitsowndevelopmentdemocratically
Lowell MassachusettsLowell Telecommunications Center(LTC)isapublicandgovernmentaccesschannelandmediaandtechnologycen-terItprovideseducationandtraininginmediacreationincludingwebdesigndigitalphotographyandtelevisionproductionLTCworksincollaborationwithotherlocalcommunity-basedorganizationsmunicipaldepartmentsandeducationalentitiestoproducediversemulticulturalprogrammingthatmeetsthecommunityrsquoscommunica-tionandinformationneedsLTChasbecomeaconvening
organizationforbuildingcapacityamongLowellrsquosnonprofitcommunity-basedorganizationsintheiruseofparticipatorymediaandcivicengagementstrategies
LTCismorefocusedthanothercommunitymediaorganizationsoncommunitybuildingandcommunicationtechnologyThecorporationisworkingtobuildanetworkforparticipatorymediaandcivicengagementthroughouttheMerrimacRiverValleyThroughaUSDepartmentofEducationgrantLTCacquiredfundingandstafftohelpitspartnerorganizationsbecomeInternet-capableassesstheirinformationtechnologyneedsacquiretechnologyupgradestoaddressthoseneedsandundertakethetrainingtousethetechnologyeffectively
RatherthanwaitingforgroupstocometoitscenterLTCcreatedacircuitridertrainingprogramthattookthetrainingprogramintothecommunityThroughLTCrsquosinformationtechnologycenterscoresofcommunitygroupshavereceivedtrainingdesignedandcreatedwebsitesanddevelopedstrategiccommunicationsplansforthefutureThosedevelopmentsincludeweb-basedhistoricalarchivesGISmappingsystemsmultimediamaterialsandInternetvideoTohelporganizationsacquirethesoftwaretheyneedtocarryouttheirmissionsLTCcreatedtheCommunitySoftwareLabwhichdevelopsuniquesoftwaretofittheneedsofareanonprofitsThelabhasbeenspunofftocreateaseparatenonprofitentityjoiningthegrowingnumberofindependentorganizationsthatnetworkthroughLTC
ThemostrecentLTCinitiativeisldquoDigitalBicyclerdquoapeer-to-peernetworkthatallowsmediacentersworldwidetodownloadandsharelocalcontentLTCstaffenvisionDigitalBicycleasanonlinecommunityforcableaccessmediaartsindependentmediaandothernoncommercialmedia
Grand Rapids MichiganldquoBuildingcommunitythroughmediardquoThissimplemissionstatementguidedtheGrand Rapids Community Media Center(GRCMC)asitevolvedfromatypicalcableaccessoperationtobecomeabroad-basedmultimediacenterandamodelforthedevelopmentofcommunitymultimediacentersintheUnitedStatesOverthepasttwentyyears
Communitymediacreativeclustersaremakinguniquecon-tributionstotheircommunitiesrsquoqualityoflifeandeconomicwellbeing
LTCisworkingtobuildanetworkforparticipatorymediaandcivicengagementthroughouttheMerrimacRiverValley
GRCMChaspulledthediversecommunitymediaactivitiesofGrandRapidsunderoneorganizationalumbrellaandtakentheleadinarticulatingthepotentialforaggregatingnoncommercialnetworkedcommunicationsthere
Theevolvingnetworkofmediaplatformsdis-ciplinesandculturalgroupsthatconvergetobecomeGRCMCnowincludesthefollowingcentersofpracticeGRTVacommunitytelevisioncenterthatprogramsmultiplecableaccesschannelsWYCEacommunityradiostationGrandnetacommunitytechnologyandnetworkcenterthatprovidescitizenandnonprofitaccesstotheInternetandtheGrandRapidsInstituteforInformationDemocracyacriticalmediaeducationandresearchcenterthattracksmediaandlocalpublicinterestissuesandpub-lishesinformationonmediaaccountabilityandreform
ButtheGrandRapidsCommunityMediaCenterismorethanthesumofitspartsThecomponentsofthecenterworktogetherinamutuallyreinforcingwholethatcreatesapowerfulcommunitymediapresenceinGrandRapidsandallowsthecentertoundertakefarmoreambitiousprojectsandprogrammingthanwouldbethecaseseparatelyOneexcellentexampleistheMobileOn-LineLearningLabforInformationEducationKnownasMOLLIEtheprogramprovidesskilledtrainersanddigitalvideoproductionequipmenttoschoolsandcommunityorganizationsforspecialprojectsOriginallyfundedbyafederalDepartmentofEducationgrantMOLLIEfillsintechnologygapsinGrandRapidseducationalinstitutionsandnonprofitsInthehandsofalessintegratedinstitutiontheMOLLIEprojectcouldeasilybeatechnicallyorientedequipmentloanandtrainingprogramInthehandsofthecenterMOLLIEhasbecomeasophisticatedmediaandtechnologyeducationalinitiativeprovidingatrainingprogramthataddressesmediaeducationfromtheperspec-tiveofallthecomponentsoftheGrandRapidsCommunityMediaCenter
Asheville North CarolinaOneofthemostarticulateeffortsmergingthecreativeclustersideawithparticipatorycommunicationhascomeaboutinAshevilleNorthCarolinaThroughapersistent
collaborationbetweenforwardlookingregionalgroupsandorganizationsndashinvolvingabroadnetworkofindi-vidualscommunitymediaandmediaartsgroupsintheAshevilleregionndashAshevillehaslaidthefoundationforacommunitymediadevelopmentcenterthatwillfunctionasacableaccesscentermediaartscenterandnewmediamicro-enterpriseincubatorAtthecenterofthiseffortisaninformalcoalitionoffourimportantgroupsinAshevilleMountainAreaInformationNetworkMediaArtsProjectBoncombeCountyEconomicDevelopmentCommissionandURTVThegroupsrepresentdistinctpointsofviewandconcernsaswellasconverginginterests
Eachgroupsharedtheinsightthatcivicparticipa-tionandeconomicsuccessinthetwenty-firstcenturyaredirectlyrelatedtohavingaccesstocommunicationstechnologyandknowledgeEachalsounderstoodthattherenegotiationofthecablefranchisesintheCityofAshevilleandsurroundingBoncombeCountywasastrategicmomenttocatalyzeandassociateanumberofcommunity-basedinformationandmediaartsactivitiesalreadyinplaceorplannedinAshevilleThegroupsusedthecablefranchisingprocesstocreateacommonorganizationalandfacilitiesinfrastructuresupportingtheuseofmediaforbothcivicandeconomicdevelopment
The Media Arts Project(MAP)isanetworkofmediaartiststhatcultivatesinnovativeartsandtechnol-ogyinwesternNorthCarolinaMAPworkedtirelesslytoframecableaccessasacommunitydevelopmentissuebridgingthemediaactivistcommunitiesandthemoreforward-thinkingfactionsamongeconomicdevelopmentprofessionalsintheregionWiththerecentopeningofURTV IncAshvillersquoscableaccessorganizationandfacilityMAPanditsnetworkofpartnersarenowturningtheirattentiontofundingthemediaartsandeconomicincubatorelementsofthevision
AshevillersquosinterestinsupportingcommunitymediaarisesfromthepresenceoftheMountain Area Information Network(MAIN)Inthetraditionoftheruralcooperativesthathelpedspreadthereachofelectricityinthe1930sMAINisanonprofitInternetserviceproviderofferingreliablelow-costInternetservicebothinwesternNorthCarolinaandnationwideItisauniquecommunitynetworkwithabroadvisionofitsroleinthecommunitythatencompassesmedialiteracyeconomicdevelopmentstrategiescommunitylow-powerradioacommunity-basedwebportalandtheprovisionofInternetconnectivitytoruralwesternNorthCarolinaMAINislargelyresponsiblefortheremarkableexpansionofInternetaccessibilityinwesternNorthCarolinaallowingthousandsofpeopleto
GRCMChaspulledthediversecommunitymediaactivitiesofGrandRapidsunderoneorganizationalumbrella
spendtheirInternetaccessdollarswithalocallycontrolledandaccountableorganizationMAINdemonstratesthevalueofthecommunitynetworkingconcepttoareasthatarelagginginconnectivityduetofailuresofthemarket
MAINhastakenaleadershiproleinbuildingacommunitymediacultureinAshevillethatdemonstratestheeasewithwhichdigitalmedialeapsorganizationalboundariesItscommunitynetworkrunstheBlueRidgeWebMarketwhichprovidesafreecustomizableInternetpresencetohundredsofsmallbusinessesthroughoutwesternNorthCarolinaItsLatinoDigitalLiteracyProjectofferstrainingtohelpthearearsquosgrowingLatinopopula-tionsaccesstheInternetMAINhasbeenoneofthekeypartnersinbringingacableaccesscentertoAshevilleandhasbeenthedrivingforcebehindWPVMWNCrsquoslow-powerFMradiostationbroadcastinglocalnewsviewsandmusicover-the-airintheAshevilleregion(andtheworldviawebcast)
Cleveland OhioPerhapsthemostrobustcommunity-basednonprofitnetworkintheUnitedStatesOne ClevelandprovideswhatitcallsldquoultrabroadbandnetworkingservicesrdquotoClevelandareaeducationgovernmentresearchartscultureandhealthcareorganizationsOneClevelandoperatesafibernetworkringthatcoversmuchofthecityofClevelandandmanyofitssurroundingsuburbsSubscriberstothenetworkconnectatgigabitspeeds
OneClevelandrepresentswhatcanhappenwhenpowerfulcommunitydevelopmentforcescometoaconsensusregardingtheircommunityrsquosneedforhigh-speedconnectivitytoglobaleconomiesandmediaItsfoundersareClevelandmainstreaminstitutionsCaseWesternReserveUniversityCuyahogaCommunityCollegeClevelandStateUniversityTheCityofClevelandGreaterClevelandRegionalTransitAuthorityideastreamCuyahogaCountyPublicLibraryandNorTechThenetworkhasformedrelationshipswithtechnologycompaniestomaintainup-to-dateapplicationsthatleveragethepotentialofsuchapowerfulnetwork
Oneofthenetworkrsquoskeypartners ideastream illustratesthesignificanceofworkingtogethertomakehigh-speedconnectivitypubliclyavailablethroughoutacommunityonitsowntermsBybuildingahigh-speednet-workOneClevelandhascreatedacivicnetworkspaceandinfrastructurethatallowsanewkindofmultimediapublicmediaorganizationtobecreatedIdeastreamresultedwhenWVIZPBSTelevisionand903WCPNRadiopublicbroad-castersmergedtoformanewnonprofitldquomultimediapublicserviceorganizationrdquoIdeastreamisabletoextenditsmediaexpertisebeyondbroadcastingtoonlinetechnologiesandapplicationsofalltypesmdashwhenyouareconnectingtothenetworkatthegigabitspeedsofOneClevelandrsquostherangeofapplicationsandtheirpotentialarehuge
MAINhastakenaleadershiproleinbuildingacommunitymediacultureinAshevillethatdemonstratestheeasewithwhichdigitalmedialeapsorganizationalboundaries
OneClevelandrepresentswhatcanhappenwhenpowerfulcommunitydevelopmentforcescometoaconsensusregardingtheircommunityrsquosneedforhigh-speedconnectivitytoglobaleconomiesandmedia
Inthecourseofpreparingthisreportndashpouringovertheliteratureandsynthesizinghoursofstructuredround-tableconversationsandone-on-oneinterviewswith
opinionleadersandsuccessfulpractitionersofcommunitymediandashonethingisextremelyclearThewayoursocietymakesandsharesinformationknowledgeandcultureisinaheightenedstateofchangeTheinteractivenatureoftheInternethasdemonstratedthatitispossibletoorganizecommunicationsinamuchmoredemocraticfashionSomehaveconcludedwearewitnessingthetransitionfromanindustrializedinformationenvironmenttoanetworkedinformationenvironmentTheoldindustrialmediastruc-turesbasedonexclusivehigh-costproductionprocessesarebeingchallengedbyanemergingmediasectorinwhichthecostofcreatinginformationknowledgeandculturehasbeenprofoundlyreducedandtheproductsareintercon-nectedwidelythroughnetworksliketheInternet(Benkler2006)IndeedthereisincreasingevidencethatthesenewmediaanddigitalnetworksareparticularlyconducivetononcommercialandnonprofitculturalproductionaswellasmoreparticipatoryandcollaborativemediapracticesInmanywaysthelong-standingvaluesandintentofcommu-nitymediaforeshadowthisnewmediaenvironment
ThescanresearchfocusedonfourkeyareasofinquiryWhataretheuniquecharacteristicsthatdistin-guishcommunitymediaWhatmakesmedia-communitycollaborationssuccessfulWhattypesofcommunitymediaorganizationsbestleveragenewtechnologiesHowmightcommunitymediaengageunderservedpopulationsinprogrammingtailoredtotheirneedsIneachinstancewefoundthatcommunitymediacombinedwithgreaterafford-ablebandwidthandopen-sourceapproachestoproductiondohavetremendouscommunitydevelopmentpotentialHowevernoneofthatpotentialwillcomeaboutmagicallyThecommunitymediasectorisfacingthechallengingtaskofmanagingextensivechangeandtransformation
chAllengesThesuccessdisappointmentsandsocialvalueofthepastsixtyyearsofcommunitymediainitiativesmustbejudgedinhistoricalcontextConsistentmisrepresentationinthemainstreammediaandlimitedunaccommodatingsocialpolicyhaveresultedininadequatevisibilityandfinancialsupportforcommunitymediaAnydiscussionofitssuccessesorfailuresmustincorporateanunderstand-
ingoftheseexternalconstraintsInthislighttheexistingexpressionsofcommunitymediaattheirbestarewildlysuccessfulsocialexperimentsgivingcauseforgreatoptimism
NeverthelesscommunitymediafacebothexternalandinternalchallengesTheinternalchallengesarisefromstructuraltensionsthatoccurinanyattempttocreateorganizationsandculturesthatembodydiversitydemocraticexpressionandequitableaccessRatherthanbeingexpressedasldquoweaknessesrdquoasissooftenthecaseinmainstreammediaandacademiatheseinternaltensionsaremoreproperlyunderstoodaspredictabledevelopmentalproblemsandopportunitiesthatpractitionersshouldbepreparedtograpplewithinanycommunitymediasetting
Balancing Free Expression and Audience Development CommunityradioandpublicaccesscablehavehistoricallyprivilegedtheinterestsofproducersbygrantingthemgreatpoliticalfreedominmakingdecisionsregardingwhatprogrammingtocreateandwhataestheticandformattingapproachestouseThetrade-offforacultureofactivistvolunteerismandfreeexpressionhasbeensmalleraudi-encesandlowerlevelsofproductionandprogramsupportProgramproducerscarryanintensecommitmenttoindi-vidualownershipoftheirprogramminginitiativesthatmaynottaketheaudiencersquosinterestsfullytoheart
Whiletheseapproachesinradioandcableaccesshaveresultedinadiversityofprogrammingandpoliticalviewpointstheyhavealsopreventedradiostationpro-grammersorcableaccessorganizationsfrombuildingaflowofprogramsthatcandefineandconstructanongoingaudienceinthecommunityEachprogramorscheduledprogramslotcarriesitsownmicroaudienceldquofragmentedpublicsrdquothatareoftennotpartofanintegratedflowofpro-grammingthatattractsanaudiencetothechannelsoverall(Higgins2002)
Freeexpressionandaudiencedevelopmentarenotmutuallyexclusivenordoparticipatorymanagementstructuresvolunteerinvolvementandproducertrain-ingprogramsneedtoimpedeaudiencedevelopmentThesuccessofAmyGoodmanandDemocracyNowsoundlydemonstratesthisInfactmanycommunitymediaorgani-zationshavecreatedprogramminginitiativesthatcombinesophisticatedmeasurementsofsocialoutcomeswith
conclusions
trainingandparticipatoryprogramplanningTheyhavenotonlyraisedthesocialvalueoftheirprogrammingtotheircommunitiestheyhavealsoincreasedthesizeandloyaltyoftheiraudiences(Aufderheide2003)Asinteractivemediabegintocreatetheconditionswherenicheprogram-mingcanbefarmoresuccessfulthetensionbetweenfreeexpressionandaudiencedevelopmentisnotonlyachal-lengebutalsoatremendousopportunity
Programming MetricsStillroundtableparticipantsrepeatedlynotedthatevenwhenprogrammingmeetscommunityneedscommunitymediaorganizationscanfinditdifficulttodocumentimpactTheyfeltthatfundershavegenerallynotyetaddressedtheroleofmediainpopularcultureorthepowerofpopularcultureinaddressingsocialproblemsInaddi-tionfundersfindithardtoestablishcost-benefitmeasuresofsocialimpactfortheirmediaexpenditures
ParticipantsaskedformodelsofaudiencefeedbackandoutcomesmeasurementthatgobeyondaudiencenumbersTheyacknowledgedthedifficultyofquantify-ingnotionsofsuccesswhichtendtobeverysubjectiveandofusingsuccessstoriesinthecommonprogrammingmetricsofthedayManyrecognizedskepticismamongfundersabouttheimportanceofcommunitymediaasuspicionaboutagendasandafearofthecostsinvolvedmakingcommunitymediaahardsellEventhoughafewgoodevaluationeffortswereacknowledgedtheircollectiveresultshavenotbeenincorporatedintothethinkingofthewiderfundingcommunity
FundingMulti-yearstablefundingsupportforcommunitymediainitiativesiscriticaltostabilityinnovationandgrowthRoundtableparticipantsdiscussednumerousinstancesinwhichprojectswithmulti-yearsupporthadpowerfulpositiveimpactsextendingbeyondtheinitialprojectgoalsMulti-yearfundingcreatesthestabilitytoundertakeproperstrategicplanningandpartnershipdevelopment
Thereissomeearlyevidencethatamultiple-plat-formnonprofit-orientednichemarketcouldemergeasasignificantopportunitytoprovideenhancedrevenueforthecommunityandnoncommercialmediasectorsTheinterac-tivecapacityofthenewnetworkssignificantlyincreasestherevenuepotentialforcooperativeandsubscription-styleprogrammingflowsHoweverstrongmarketsforcommer-ciallyfundedparticipatorycommunityexpressionhavenotyetemergedinthedigitaleraduetothelimitedsizeofpopulationsandavailableadvertisingsupportIfthereistobeavitalsectorofcommunity-basedmediasomeformofsignificantpublicfundingwillbenecessaryevenininstanceswherecommunitymediaorganizationsmightrealizesignificantrevenuefromnewmarketsInordertomakethemostefficientuseofpublicfundingcommuni-tiesmustevolvefundingandgovernancestructuresforcommunitymediathatcanfacilitatetheaggregationoffundscoordinatemultiple-organizationprojectsandactastrustedconvenersofprogramminganddevelopmentdiscus-sionsincommunities
Policy ThreatsWhiletheconvergenceoftechnologyandpracticescreatesincreasingpotentialsforaunifiedcommunitymediasectorthereisunfortunatelynocohesiveandunifiednationalpolicyframeworkforcommunitymediaThegovernmentpoliciesandregulationsthatexistforcommunitymediahavebeenretrofittedinthearenasofUSbroadcastingandtelephonypolicyWhiletheyrepresenthard-wonpoliticalvictoriesandstrategicinsighttheydonotaddresstheneedsofcommunitymediainaholisticway
Inthecurrentpoliticalclimatebroadcastmediaownershipcontrolandprogrammingwillcontinuetobecentralizedinfewercorporationsleavingcommunitieswithlessoptionsforcontrollingtheirlocalmediaenviron-mentsAtthesametimethetelephonecompanieswillenterthemarketforvideotelephonyandbroadbandbydeployinghigh-capacitydigitaltelevisionnetworksinmanycommunitiesintheUnitedStates
ThecurrenttrendofcentralizationinUStele-communicationspolicyisthreateningtheabilityoflocal
Freeexpressionandaudiencedevelopmentarenotmutuallyexclusivenordoparticipatorymanagementstructuresvolunteerinvolvementandproducertrainingprogramsneedtoimpedeaudiencedevelopment
Communitymediaorganizationscanfinditdifficulttodocumentimpact
governmentstomandatecommunity-basedcommunica-tionsnetworksandprogramminginitiativesasrentonthepublicrights-of-wayThesefundingmechanismscurrentlysupportPublicEducationandGovernment(PEG)accesscabletelevisioncentersmediaartscentersandmanymunicipalcommunicationnetworksWhilefarfromperfectregulatorymechanismstheyareoneofthemostsuccess-fulformsofpublicmediasupporttoariseinthelastthirtyyears
Overthenextfiveyearsthesesuccessfulfundingstrategieswillbeunderheavyattackbythetelephonecom-paniesandthecabletelevisionindustryinastrugglewithgovernmentsforcommunitycontrolofthepublicrights-of-wayThesamedynamicthreatensequitableInternetaccessIncreasinglybroadbandcommunitynetworksaremunicipallyownedormandatedWhilesomeofthesemunicipalbroadbandnetworksweredeployedforinternalmunicipalpurposestimehasshownthatsuchnetworkscanserveanumberofnon-governmentalcommunity-basedpurposesincludingwirelessISPconnectionsforresidentsbusinessesandvisitorsManycommunitiesareseeking(andsomehaveobtained)ldquoCommunityBenefitsAgreementsrdquowithproposedwirelessbroadbandvendorsthatsetasideasmallfranchisefeeongrossrevenuestosupportdigitalinclusionactivitiesfollowingtheexampleofcablecompaniessupportofPEGaccessHowevermunicipalbroadbandandmunicipalwirelessareunderattackbyindustriestryingtoreservethesedevelopmentrightsforthemselves
Theoutcomeofthedebatesaroundcontroloftherights-of-waywillhaveasignificantimpactonthefuturepathofcommunitymediadevelopmentThesedebateswillrangeacrosstheregulatoryspectrumtheyarenowbeingwagedinlocalstateandnationallegislativearenasandthecourtsTheresultingcommunicationsinfrastruc-tureandregulatoryframeworkwillbeabletorealizethepotentialsofcommunitymediaifandonlyifcommunitiesareabletotakeleadershipinprovidingsubstantialpublicaswellasprivatefundingAsanoldtruismnotesldquomoneyispolicyrdquo
Therearenopoliticalortechnicalguaranteesthatdigitalmedianetworkswillremainopenandparticipa-toryastheyevolveItisunlikelythatmarketforcesalone
willservetorealizethedemocraticpotentialoftodayrsquosparticipatorymediatechnologyBuildingarobustsectorofcommunity-baseddemocraticnewmediawillrequireeffectivecitizenactivismclearandresponsivegovern-mentpoliciesandeffectivepoliticalstrategiesCommunitymedianeedsseparaterecognitionandsupportwithinfed-eralstateandlocalcommunicationspolicyandregulatorystructuresinordertoensureequitableandstablefundinganddevelopment
models for the futureThegovernmentregulationsandsubsidiesthatunderpincommunitymediahaveevolvedinahodgepodgefashionoverthepastsixtyyearsItcanbearguedthatcommunitymediashouldbetreatedasaseparatesectorwithinte-gratedfundingstructuresconsistentinfrastructureandtaxandsubsidypoliciesthatareseparateanddistinctfromexistinglocalmediapoliciesandalsofromthepoliciesunderpinningpublicbroadcastingPossiblemodelsforamoreunifiedapproacharenumerousbuttwoappearpar-ticularlywellsuitedtocommunitymediarsquosdiverseformsorganizationsandprogrammingapproaches
Public Funding FindingappropriatemethodsofincreasingpublicfundingforcommunitymediainashiftingregulatoryenvironmentiscrucialCurrentlocalcablefranchisingregulationstosupportcableaccessandthecommunitybenefitsagree-mentsofmunicipalwirelessnetworksoffersuccessfulmodelsbutarenowbothunderattackThelawsrequiringcommercialcableproviderstosetasidebandwidthchan-nelcapacityforthepublicinadditiontooperatingfundingbasedonapercentageofcommercialrevenuescouldbeextendedtoincludevoicevideoanddataEssentiallythenanycommercialproviderusingthepublicrights-of-wayorthewirelessspectrumwouldberequiredtocontributeanequitablepercentageofbandwidthandrev-enuetosupportthecommunitycommunicationssector
Community Media DevelopmentAdequatelevelsoffundingareonlypartoftheequationWhilefundingshouldsupporttheoverallgrowthofthe
Thereisunfortunatelynocohesiveandunifiednationalpolicyframe-workforcommunitymedia
setasidebandwidthchannelcapacityforthepublicinadditiontooperatingfunding
communitymediasectorinasensiblefashionanyfundingsolutionmustaddressthedifficultynowexperiencedbyfundersindealingwithcommunitymediahowtoprovideoverallsupporttoasectormadeupofsmallindependentorganizationswithanextremelydiversesetoffundingsourcesandmissionsOneeconomicdevelopmentapproachseemsparticularlyusefulhereProgressivecommunityeconomicdevelopmentstrategieshaveevolvedtosupportthegrowthofadiversityofsmallenterpriseswithinacom-monsectorwhilerecognizingthattheseenterprisescanatdifferenttimesbecollaboratorspartnersorcompetitorsSimilarstrategiescanguidedevelopmentofthecommunitymediasector
Thereareatleasttwoshort-termstepsthatcouldassistinthedevelopmentofcommunitymediaorgani-zationsandsupporttheircitizensrsquoabilitytocopewithcommercialmediaandinformationsaturationOneisforcommunitiestobuildorsecureaffordablebroadbandandwirelessnetworkinfrastructurewithastrongcommu-nitybenefitsagreementinsupportofdigitalinclusionHundredsofcommunitiesacrossthecountryeitherhaveorarelaunchingsuchwirelesscommunitynetworksmanyincollaborationwithwirelessvendorswhoinordertowinaservicecontractwiththemunicipalityinquestionaresup-portingdigitalliteracytraininginexpensiverefurbishedcomputersandlocalcontentdevelopmentndashinshortprogramsofdigitalinclusionandexcellence
AsecondopportunityidentifiedbyroundtableparticipantsisthepotentialforanationalsupportnetworkforexistingcommunitymediaorganizationsAnationalsupportnetworklinkingcommunitiesandtheircommu-
nitymediapractitionersandinstitutionscouldfacilitatearangeofactivitiesincludinglocal-to-localcommunicationorexchangesofinformationandprogrammingbetweencommunitiesvirtualspaceforanationalnetworkofcommunitymediaorganizationstohelptoorganizeuni-fiedpolicyadvocacywiderdistributionofpastproductsformationofissue-responseteamstoadvanceinterestsofcommunitygroupsandtapintolocalresourcesandshareddirectoriesofpractitionerstrainersandfacilitiesConveningleadersfromtheaggregatorsandassociationsservingcommunitymediaintheirvariousforms(listedinAppendix2)mightbeagoodnextsteptoexplorethisopportunity
the promiseThepracticeofcommunitymediahasmanagedtogrowandevolveoverthepastsixtyyearsdespiteunevenandgenerallylowlevelsofsupportandinconsistentgovernmentpoliciesEllieRenniearesearchfellowattheInstituteforSocialResearchSwinburneUniversityofTechnologyhaswrittenthatcommunitymediaareoftendefinednegativelyforwhattheyareopposedtoratherthanpositivelyforwhattheyhaveachieved(Rennie2006)Weareawarethatcom-munitymediahaveoftenbeendismissedasmarginalandidiosyncraticbuttheexamplescitedinthisreportprovidepowerfulevidencetothecontraryItistimetodefinecommunitymediabywhattheyhaveachievedCommunitymediaattheirbesthaveconsistentlydemonstratedtheirpotentialtoempowercommunitiesandindividualstoparticipateascitizensincommunityandeconomicdevelop-mentartseducationcommunitydialogandpoliticaldebateInmanyinstancestheyhavebecomecentralcul-turalsurvivalinstitutionsasourcommunitiesdealwiththeimpactofcommercialmediasaturationandglobalization
Duringtheroundtablediscussionsthattookplaceaspartofthisscanitwasobviousthatthevalueofcom-munitymediatocommunitiestranscendsthemeasurableeffectsofcivicengagementandcommunitydevelopmentCommunitymediacanallowindividualsincommunitiestohaveprofoundexperiencesofactivelyexpressingthem-selvesthroughmediaForpeoplewhohaveseenthemselvesaspassivereceptorsatthebottomofacascadeofpackagedmediaexperiencesandmessagesactiverepresentationoftheirownlivesandcircumstanceshasatransformativeeffectthatgoesbeyondsimplephraseslikeldquocivicengage-mentrdquoThevalueofcommunitymediatoindividualsandthecommunitiestheyliveinisincalculable
hellipaffordablebroadbandandwirelessnetworkinfrastructurewithastrongcommunitybenefitsagreement
anationalsupportnetworkforexistingcommunitymediaorganizations
Appendix 1 Community media empowerment StrategieS
empoWerment Activity ApproAch infrAstructure or venue
AccessAccesstocommunicationsinfrastructureproductiontools
MakingavailablemediaproductiontoolscomputerstelevisionandradiodistributionInternetsoftwarecommunitycommunicationsinfrastructuremeetingspacewebservers
Democraticcitizenaccesstocommunicationstoolsanddisseminationinfrastructure
CablebroadbandmunicipaltelecomInternetWiFiWiMAXlocalandpublicservicebroadcasting
AlternativeContent CreationofvideoaudiofilmwebsitesInternet-basedcitizenmediaP2Pmediabloggingsocialnetworkingsoftwaredatabasesandprintproduction
Contentpositionedtocounterorsupplementmassmediacontentandinformationfrommainstreamsources
AllplatformswithanincreasingexpansionwithinIPNetworksandcross-platformproductionanddissemination
CompetencyLiteracyMedialiteracyinformationliteracydigitalliteracyandculturalliteracy
Mediaartsandaestheticeducationlearningtogainacivicvoiceinamediaculturearticulationofmediabiasesengaginginmediaandpoliticsunderstandingcommoditycultureparentinginamedia-saturatedhome
Interventioninthecomplexmanipulationofsymbolsandculture
Allmassmediaprintelectronic
CommunityBuilding Workforcetrainingandskillbuildingmicro-enterprisedevelopmentbusinessinfrastructuredevelopment
Communityorganizingparticipatoryplanningdemocraticeconomicdevelopmentworkforceandinfrastructuredevelopment
Localmediamunicipaltelecominfrastructurecomputerandtechnologyincubatorsandtechnologycenters
0
Itisdifficulttounderstandthefullscopeofcommu-nitymediaculturewithoutknowingofthefollowingorganizationswhichsupportcommunitymediaand
independentmediapracticesTheyplayanumberofrolesasnationalassociationsrepresentingnetworksofcommu-nitymediaorganizationsandmediaartsorganizationsasproducernetworksandstrategiccommunicationsplannerslinkingcommunityorganizationswithcommunitymediaorganizationsasorganizationsofcommunityactivistsandproducersworkingtomoreeffectivelysupportandusecommunitymediaandascollaboratorsandpartnersincommunitydevelopmenttrainingandeducation
ActiveVoicehttpwwwactivevoicenet
AllianceforCommunityMediahttpwwwalliancecmorg
AssociationforCommunityNetworking
httpwwwafcnorg
CommunityMediaWorkshophttpwwwnewstipsorg
CommunityTechnologyCentersrsquoNetwork
httpwwwctcnetorg
DeepDishTVhttpdeepdishtvorg
FreeSpeechTVhttpwwwfreespeechorg
IndependentTelevisionServicehttpwwwitvsorg
IndependentMediaCenterIndymedia
httpwwwindymediaorg
LatinoPublicBroadcastinghttpwwwlpbporg
LinkTVhttplinktvorg
LPFMDatabasecom
httpwwwangelfirecomnj2piratejimlpfmhtml
MediaTankhttpwwwmediatankorg
MediaWorkingGrouphttpwwwmwgorg
NationalAllianceforMediaArtsandCulture
httpwwwnamacorg
NationalAsianAmericanTelecommunicationsAssochttp
asianamericanmediaorgindexhtml
NativeAmericanPublicTelecommunications
httpasianamericanmediaorgindexhtml
NationalBlackProgrammingConsortium
httpwwwnbpctv
NationalFederationofCommunityBroadcasters
httpwwwnfcborg
NationalPublicRadiohttpwwwnpr
NationalPublicTelecomputingNetworkhttpwwwnptnorg
PaperTigerTelevisionhttpwwwpapertigerorg
PacificIslandersinCommunications
httpwwwpiccomorg
PewCenterforCivicJournalismhttpwwwpewcenterorg
PrometheusRadioProject
httpwwwprometheusradioorg
PublicBroadcastingServicehttpwwwpbsorg
PublicRadioExchangehttpwwwprxorg
ReclaimtheMediahttpwwwreclaimthemediaorg
StarfishTelevisionNetworkhttpwwwstarfishtvorg
WebsitesofUSPEGAccessChannels
httpwwwbevcamorgpeg
WorldAssociationofCommunityRadioBroadcasters
httpwwwamarcorg
Appendix 2 aggregatorS and aSSoCiationS
Appalshophttpwwwappalshoporg
BayAreaVideoCoalitionhttpwwwbavcorg
BeyondMediaEducationhttpwwwbeyondmediaorg
CambridgeCommunityTelevisionhttpwwwcctvcambridgeorg
CasaGuatemalaMediaProjecthttpwwwcasaguatemalaorg
CharlotteObserverhttpwwwcharlottecom
ChicagoAccessNetworkTelevisionhttpwwwcantvorg
GrandRapidsCommunityMediaCenterhttpgrcmcorg
GrandNethttpwwwgrcmcorgnposervicesitphp
GRTVhttpwwwgrcmcorgtv
ideastreamhttpwwwideastreamorg
IFPMinnesotaCenterforMediaArtshttpwwwifpnorthorgabouthtml
IntermediaArtshttpwwwintermediaartsorg
KartemquinFilmshttpwwwkartemquincom
KBOOhttpwwwkbooorg
KFAIhttpwwwkfaiorg
LowellTelecommunicationsCenterhttpltcorg
ManhattanNeighborhoodNetworkhttpmnnorg
MediaArtsProjecthttpwwwthemaporg
MetroGovernmentCommunityMediaInitiativehttpwwwmetro-regionorg
MetropolitanAustinInteractiveNetworkhttpwwwmainorg
MinneapolisTelevisionNetworkhttpwwwmtnorg
MinnesotaChannelhttpwwwtptorgmnchannelnew
MinnesotaPublicRadiohttpminnesotapublicradioorghttpminnesotapublicradioorgpublicinsightjournalism
MountainAreaInformationNetworkhttpmainncus
MtHoodCableRegulatoryCommissionhttpwwwmhcrcorg
NewAmericaMediahttpnewsnewamericamediaorgnews
NewRoutestoCommunityHealthhttpwwwnewroutesorg
NorthwestFilmandVideoCenterhttpwwwnwfilmorg
OneClevelandhttpwwwoneclevelandorg
OregonPublicBroadcastinghttpwwwopborg
PortlandCommunityMediahttpwwwpcmtvorg
RadioArtehttpwwwwrteorg
SaintPaulNeighborhoodNetworkhttpwwwspnnorg
ScribeVideoCenterhttpwwwscribeorg
SoundPartnersforCommunityHealthhttpwwwsoundpartnersorg
StreetLevelYouthMediahttpwwwstreet-levelorg
TwinCitiesDailyPlanethttpwwwtcdailyplanetnet
TwinCitiesMediaAlliancehttpwwwtcmediaallianceorg
TwinCitiesPublicTelevisionhttpwwwtptorg
URTVhttpwwwurtvorg
WalkerArtCenterhttpwwwwalkerartorgindexwac
WCIW-LPhttppacificanetworkorgradiocontentview17542httpwwwciw-onlineorg
WGBHhttpwwwwgbhorg
WHYYhttpwhyyorg
WPVMhttpwwwwpvmorg
WYBEhttpwwwwybeorg
WYCEhttpwwwgrcmcorgradio
YouthChannelhttpwwwyouthchannelorg
Appendix 3 Community media praCtitionerSWebsitesofthosepractitionersmentionedinthetext
AndersonRachelBenton Digital Beat Extra Noncommercial Networks on DBSWashingtonDCBentonFoundation2000
AufderheidePatricialdquoCableAccessTVandthePublicSphererdquoinThe Daily Planet A Critic on the Capitalist Culture BeatMinneapolisandLondonUniversityofMinnesotaPress2000a
AufderheidePatriciaIn The Battle for Reality Social Documentaries in the USWashingtonDCAmericanUniversityCenterforSocialMedia2003
AufderheidePatricialdquoTheWhatandHowofPublicBroadcastingrdquoinThe Daily Planet A Critic on the Capitalist Culture BeatMinneapolisandLondonUniversityofMinnesotaPress2000b
AynteAbdirahmanldquoSomaliWebsitesACompetitiveAlternativeMediaandaFarcetoReckonWithrdquoHiiraan Onlinehttpwwwhiiraancomnews2006aprsomali_websitesaspx
AzzouzBushraTomChamberlinandMarleneFarnumThe Community Media Project Building Community through Media(Aproposedmodelforafive-yearinitiativetoproducelocaltelevisionprogrammingthatbroadensthedialogueonissuesimportanttotheOregoncommunityandcreatesastrongsenseofplace)PortlandORMetroDecember2000
BarlowWilliamldquoCommunityRadiointheUSTheStruggleForADemocraticMediumrdquoinMedia Culture and SocietyVol10(1988)
BenklerYochaiThe Wealth of Networks How Social Production Transforms Markets and FreedomNewHavenYaleUniversityPress2006
BentonFoundationDigital Alliances Partners in Public
Service Models for CollaborationUniversityParkPAThePennsylvaniaStateUniversity2002
BlauAndrewDeep Focus A Report on the Future of Independent MediaSanFranciscoNationalAllianceforMediaArtsandCulture2004
BowmanShayneandChrisWillisWe Media How Audiences Are Shaping the Future of News and InformationEditedbyJDLasicaRestonVATheMediaCenteratTheAmericanPressInstitute2003httpwwwhypergenenetwemediadownloadwe_mediapdf
BurnettRonldquoFromCommunityMediatoInternationalNetworksrdquoCritical Approaches to Culture + Communications + HypermediaNovember182005httpwwweciadca~rburnettWeblogarchives200511from_communityhtml
CanoAndrealdquoMicroradioAToolforCommunityEmpowermentrdquoinPublic Broadcasting and the Public InterestEditedbyMichaelPMcCauleyEricEPetersonBLeeArtzandDeeDeeHalleckLondonMESharpe2003
CarnegieCommissiononEducationalTelevisionPublic Television A Program for ActionNewYorkBantam1967
CastellsManuelThe Rise of the Network Society The Information Age Economy Society and CultureVolumes12amp3MaldenMABlackwellPublishersInc2005
ChesterJeffBeyond Broadcast Expanding Public Media in the Digital AgeWashingtonDCCenterforDigitalDemocracyFebruary2006httpwwwdemocraticmediaorgBBBBfrontphp
ChristensenPaulNanMcIntyreandLynnPikholzldquoBridgingCommunityandEconomicDevelopmentAStrategyforUsingIndustryClusterstoLinkNeighborhoodsandtheRegionalEconomyrdquo(reportfundedbytheFordFoundation)ClevelandShorebankEnterpriseGroup2005
ldquoCitizenJournalismrdquoissueofNieman ReportsCambridgeMATheNiemanFoundationforJournalismatHarvardUniversityVol59No4Winter2005eMprintNewsbookhttpwwwniemanharvardedureports05-4NRwinterNR05W_Citizen_Journalismpdf
City PagesldquoBestPublicAccessCableTVProgramSomaliTVrdquoBestoftheTwinCities2004MNApril282004httpcitypagescombestof2004artsandentertainmentbestof2379asp
bibliogrAphy
CruzRossanaReguilloldquoTheOracleintheCityBeliefsPracticesandSymbolicGeographiesrdquoinGlobal Cities of the South (Social Text)EditedbyAshleyDawsonandBrentHayesEdwardsTranslatedbyBrentHayesEdwardsandNoraNicoliniDurhamNCDukeUniversityPress81(Volume22Number4)Winter2004
DeLasCasasLucywithSimonBurallJohnMorrisonDavidKaleteandJagadanandaldquoGlobalMediaReformandAccountabilityReportfromtheNationalMediaReformConferencerdquoStLouis2005httpwwwoneworldtrustorgpagesdownloadcfmdid=281
DevineRobertHldquoVideoAccessandAgencyrdquoConferencepresentationTheNationalFederationofLocalCableProgrammersStPaulMNJuly171992
DirlinMartyandCathyMelioldquoTheGrassrootsRadioMovementintheUnitedStatesrdquoinPublic Broadcasting and the Public InterestEditedbyMichaelPMcCauleyEricEPetersonBLeeArtzandDeeDeeHalleckLondonMESharpe2003
DowningJohnDHwithTamaraVillarealFordGeneveGilandLauraSteinRadical Media Rebellious Communication and Social MovementsThousandOaksCASagePublications2001
EgerJohnldquoCreativeClustersandtheUrbanEconomyrdquoGovernment and Technology(February62006)httpwwwgovtechnetnewsnewsphpid=98345
EgerJohnMThe Creative Community Forging The Links Between Art Culture Commerce amp CommunityTheCaliforniaInstituteforSmartCommunitiesSanDiegoStateUniversity2005httpwwwsmartcommunitiesorgcreativeCreativeCommBroFINALpdf
EngelmanRalphPublic Radio and Television in America A Political HistoryThousandOaksCASagePublications1996
GillespieGilbertPublic Access Television in the United States and CanadaNewYorkPraegerPublishers1975
GillmorDanWe the Media Grassroots Journalism by the People for the PeopleSebastopolCAOrsquoReillyMediaInc2006
GrahamStephenandSimonMarvinTelecommunications and the City Electronic Spaces Urban PlacesLondonandNewYorkRoutledge1996
HalleckDeeDeeHand-Held Visions The Impossible Possibilities of Community MediaNewYorkFordhamUniversityPress2002
HigginsJohnWldquoAlternativeMediaandtheCultofIndividualismExperiencesfromUSPublicAccessTVrdquoPaperpresentedattheldquoOurMediardquopre-conferenceoftheInternationalAssociationforMediaandCommunicationResearchCommunityCommunicationSectionBarcelonaSpainJuly202002httpwwwourmedianetorgpapersom2002Higginsom2002pdf
HowleyKevinCommunity Media People Places and Communication TechnologiesCambridgeCambridgeUniversityPress2005
HoynesWilliamldquoThePBSBrandandtheMerchandisingofthePublicServicerdquoinPublic Broadcasting and the Public InterestEditedbyMichaelPMcCauleyEricEPetersonBLeeArtzandDeeDeeHalleckLondonMESharpe2003
JankowskiNicholasWldquoCommunityMediaResearchAQuestforTheoreticallyGroundedModelsrdquoThePublicVol1015(2003)httpmokkbmehucentreconferencesreactivismFPfpNJ
JankowskiNicholasWandOlePrehnedsCommunity Media in the Information Age Perspectives and ProspectsCresskillNJHamptonPress2002
LashScottThe Critique of InformationLondonSagePublications2002
ListerMartinJonDoveySethGiddingsIainGrantandKieranKellyNew Media A critical IntroductionLondonandNewYorkRoutledge2003
LloydMarkldquoRadioandLocalismWhatWhenWrongrdquoinContext(publishedbytheCenterforCommunicationsandCommunityUCLA)IssueNo4(WinterSpring2006)
MacintyreBenldquoWelcometotheNewTomPainesrdquoTimesOnlineNovember132004httpwwwtimesonlinecouktolcommentarticle390484ece
MaherVincentTowards a Critical Media Studies Approach to the BlogosphereNewMediaLabPublicationSchoolofJournalismandMediaStudiesRhodesUniversitySouthAfrica2006
MetroCommunity Media Project Evaluation Report PortlandORMetroJuly2004
MostStephenldquoBAVCandTheBigPicturerdquoinA Closer Look Media Arts 2002EditedbyHelenDeMichielSanFranciscoNationalAllianceforMediaArtsandCulture2002
NewAmericaMedialdquoEthnicMediainAmericaTheGiantHiddeninPlainSightrdquoPollconductedbyBendixenampAssociates2005httpnewsnewamericamediaorgnewsview_articlehtmlarticle_id=0443821787ac0210cbecebe8b1f576a3
OlsonBillThe History of Public Access Television2000httpwwwgeocitiescomiconostarhistory-public-access-TVhtml200415
PewCenterforCivicJournalismldquoDoingCivicJournalismrdquo2007httpwwwpewcenterorgdoingcj
PierceSteveldquoDBSandthePublicInterestOpportunityinSatelliteTelevisionrdquoinPublic Broadcasting and the Public InterestEditedbyMichaelPMcCauleyEricEPetersonBLeeArtzandDeeDeeHalleckLondonMESharpe2003
PhilipsSusanldquoTrueCommunityTowardaCollaborativeEthosScribersquoslsquoTrueCommunityVisionrsquordquoinA Closer Look Media Arts 2002EditedbyHelenDeMichielSanFranciscoNationalAllianceforMediaArtsandCulture2002
PorterMichaelEldquoLocationCompetitionandEconomicDevelopmentLocalClustersinaGlobalEconomyrdquoEconomic Development Quarterly14no1(February2000)15-34
ProjectforExcellenceinJournalismldquoMajorTrendsrdquoinState of the News Media 2006 An Annual Report on American Journalismhttpwwwstateofthenewsmediaorg2006nar-rative_overview_eightaspcat=2ampmedia=1
PrometheusRadioProjectldquoOurFifthBarnraisingmdashWCIW-LPinImmokaleeFloridardquohttpprometheusradioorgcontentview48952006
RennieEllieCommunity Media A Global IntroductionLanhamMDRowmanandLittlefieldPublishers2006
RodriguezClemenciaFissures in the Mediascape An International Study of Citizenrsquos MediaCresskillNJHamptonPress2001
SchafferJanldquoCitizensMediaHasItReachedaTippingPointrdquoinldquoCitizenJournalismrdquoissueofNieman Reports CambridgeMATheNiemanFoundationforJournalismatHarvardUniversityVol59No4Winter2005aeMprintNewsbookhttpwwwniemanharvardedureports05-4NRwinterNR05W_Citizen_Journalismpdf
SchafferJanInterviewonThe NewsHour With Jim Lehrer PBSEveningNewsNovember162005b
SchulerDouglasldquoTheRiseofCommunityNetworksrdquoInternet WorldDecember1995
SchulerDougandPeterDayShaping the Network Society The New Role of Civil Society in CyberspaceCambridgeandLondonMITPress2004
ShirkyClayPower Laws Weblogs and Inequality EconomicsampCultureMediaampCommunityBlog2005OpenSourcehttpshirkycomwritingspowerlaw_webloghtml
ShirkyClaySocial Software and the Politics of GroupsEconomicsampCultureMediaampCommunityBlog2005OpenSourcehttpshirkycomwritingsgroup_politicshtml
Somerset-WardRichardBroadband Community Networks Building the Digital CommonsAreportfortheHaasCharitableTrustsPhiladelphia2005
Somerset-WardRichardConnecting Communities WashingtonDCBentonFoundation2000
Spannerworkse-bookWhat is Social MediaJanuary2007httpwwwspannerworkscomebooks
StarrJeroldMldquoPublicTelevisionintheDigitalAgeTownHallorCyberMallrdquoinPublic Broadcasting and the Public InterestEditedbyMichaelPMcCauleyEricEPetersonBLeeArtzandDeeDeeHalleckLondonMESharpe2003
SteinLauraldquoPublicAccessTelevisionandGrassrootsCommunicationintheUnitedStatesrdquoChapter20inRadical Media Rebellious Communication and Social MovmentsEditedbyJohnDowningThousandOaksCASagePublications2001
SussmanGeraldandJREstesldquoCommunityRadioinCommunityDevelopmentPortlandrsquosKBOORadiordquoinThe Portland Edge Challenges and Successes in Growing CommunitiesEditedbyConniePOzawaPortlandStateUniversityIslandPress2004
WhitneyJenniferldquoMakeMediaMakeRealTroubleWhatrsquosWrong(andRight)withIndymediardquoLiPMagazineJune212005httpwwwlipmagazine
orgarticlesfeatwhitney_indymedia_phtml
Simplyputcommunitymediaaremediacreatedtoallowindividualstotellthestoriesandhavetheconversationsnecessaryfortheirownself-directed
developmentascitizens(Howley2005Jankowski2003Rennie2006)ThefacesandvoicesinthesestoriesandconversationsmaynotbeseenorheardanywhereelseChicagoroundtableparticipantsdescribedthisexperi-encewiththepowerfulphraseldquofirstvoicerdquoOftenitisthefirsttimeindividualshavespokenpubliclyorsharedtheirstories
defining chArActeristicsFourcharacteristicsarecommontothecommunitymediadescribedinthisreportthoughnooneorganizationcanfulfillalltheseidealsallofthetime
LocalismCommunitymediaarecreatedprimarilywithandbyresidentsofaspecificgeographicplaceTheyexplorelocalissuesTheyhelpdefinetheplaceswhereweliveandhowwerelatetooneanotherTheyreflectlocalvaluesandcul-tureBydefinitionasoneroundtableparticipantinBostonnotedcommunitymedialdquocanrsquotbeoutsourcedrdquo
Inthecurrentregulatoryandcommercialenviron-mentofmostmediaplatformstheimportanceofthiskeycharacteristiccanrsquotbeoverstatedLocalradioprogram-mingisoftenpipedinfromothercommunitiesandgivenanautomatedwrapperthatsimulateslocalismLocalbroadcasttelevisionhasbeengivenalmostcompleteregulatoryrelieffromitsminimalobligationstoservetheneedsoflocalcommunitiesSimilarlythecableandtele-phoneindustriesarepressingintheregulatoryarenatoberelievedoflocalcommunityserviceobligationsclaimingtheInternethassoempoweredlocalcitizensthatitisnolongernecessarytorequireothermediatosupportciviclife(Atthesametimetheseindustriesareseekinglegisla-tiontobarcommunitiesfromowningandbuildingtheirownwirelessandbroadbandInternetconnections)
FacedwiththesechangescommunitiesarelefttowonderhowtheycandiscovercreativewaysofpluggingintotheemergingmediaandknowledgeculturesItisnowwidelyrecognizedthattheinabilitytogainaccesstoinformationnetworksandglobalflowsofmediaarecriticalfactorsincreatingsocialinequality(Castells2005Lash2002)Failuretoaddresstheseconcernsinanetworked
societyplacesgeographiccommunitiesatriskofbecom-ingldquodumbterminalsrdquoratherthancreativeeconomicandculturalactorsinthenetworksnowemergingThequestionofldquowherearecommunitymediardquoiscriticalhereItcanbeansweredintwowaysasageographicplacendashaneigh-borhoodtowncitycountyorregionndashandasanonlinevirtualcommunityndashasocialnetworkofcommonintereststhatisnotparticularlyassociatedwithageographicplaceFailuretokeepthisdistinctionintheforewhenconsider-ingcommunitymediaputsgeographiccommunitiesatriskofbeingdisconnectedandmarginalizedlsquooffthenetworkrsquo
Withoutthepresenceoflocalinstitutionscommit-tedtosupportingcommunitiesintheireffortstograpplewithaglobalmediacultureandcreatedigitalinclusionitisunlikelythatthedemocraticpotentialofnetworkcommunicationscanberealizedThisreportfocusesonmediathatservelocalgeographicplacesplaceswhereadiversityofpeopleliveandareinevitablyassociatedwitheachothergroundedinunavoidablerichandcomplexsocialrelationshipsthatarefarfromtransparentsimpleormeresimulationsofintimacyinavirtualcommunica-tionsnetwork
Diverse ParticipationCommunitymediaaremission-driveninservicetothebroadercommunityTheyinsistontheinclusionofdiversevoiceswithinthecommunityandtheirproductionanddistributionprocessesemphasizecommunityparticipationTheyseekrepresentationoftherangeofdemographicsofitscitizensndashsocialeconomicethnicculturalpoliticalagendashintheirprogrammingAndthatprogrammingisnotmerelyaboutthecommunityitiscreatedincollaborationwiththecommunityCommunitymediainstitutionsseethemselvesasaccountableandaccessibletothepeopletheyserveandtheyembracetheiraudiencesascitizensinademocracywhoareentitledbothtoFirstAmendmentfreedomsandtocontrolovercontentTheirdemocraticprinciplesareoftenreflectedinparticipatorymanagementandgovernancestructures
Storytelling and DeliberationAsbothprocessandcontentstorytellingiscentraltocom-munitymediaandcanjump-startadeliberativeprocessamongcommunitymembersItcombatsalienationandiso-lationbyallowingaudiencememberstoexpresstheirstory
WhAt Are community mediA
aswellasliveinsomeoneelsersquosshoesItallowspartici-pantsandviewerstoderivebroadermeaningfrompersonalexperienceandprovidesin-depthcoverageofissuesonanintimatelevel
ThestorytellingishumanfromtheheartandnotnecessarilyobjectiveItiscreativeandenablesboldrawrelevantanddiversecontentcriticalforcivicdiscussionAtitsbestitisnotmerelyldquopersonalrdquomediabutoftenstorytellinginservicetolargercivicconcerns
ToframethecommunityrsquosstoriesandexperienceforcivicdiscoursecommunitymediaofteninitiatepublicconversationanddeliberationonimportantandcomplextopicsInthiswaycommunitymediaorganizationsareassumingtheroleofconvenersandauthenticatorsofinfor-mationsharinganddialoguerolesincreasinglybeinglostlocallyinderegulatedcommercialmedia
EmpowermentOnegoalofcommunitymediaistochallengenotionscon-veyedinmainstreammediaAccomplishingthisrequiresputtingcommunicationtoolsinthehandsofindividualssharingaccesswithnonprofessionalsandsupportingself-expressionandcommunitybuildingCommunitymediainstitutionsengageinempowermentindifferentwaysManyoffertrainingprogramstobuildthecapacityofcom-munitymemberstousemediatechnologiesothersassistcommunitiesingrapplingwithamedia-saturatedculturethroughmedialiteracytrainingyetothersemphasizeeco-nomicandworkforcedevelopmentthroughskillstrainingandcontentproductionByenablingcitizenstomakeandunderstandmediacommunitymediabecomeatoolforper-sonalcommunityandethnicexpressionanddevelopmentTheymayeveninspireaudiencestotakeactionleadingtopoliticaltransformationTheyreachthoseoutsidethemainstreamandprovideavoiceforthevoicelessThisdynamicmakestheprocessofcreationasimportantastheproduct(SeeAppendix1)
types of mediAWheredocommunitymediafitinthebroadermedialand-scapeThelanguageweusetotalkaboutmediaculture
andprogramminghasevolvedtokeeppacewithchangingmediaformstechnologyandpracticesIncreasinglythetermpublic mediaisusedtodistinguishmediathataresupportedbythepublicandthatallowthepublictoengageinciviclifeandhaveavoiceintheirdevelopmentWithinthisbroadunderstandingofpublicmediaseveraltermsdescribemediapracticesthatfacilitatepeoplersquosparticipa-tionascitizensCommunity mediaasdefinedabovefitseasilywithinthiscategoryAlsofallingundertheumbrellaofpublicmediaaretermslikealternative media inde-pendent media participatory media citizen mediaanddevelopment mediatheseareoverlappingpracticesthatemphasizevaryingprioritiesbutallmayalsoqualifyascommunitymedia
Forthepurposesofthisreportitisusefultospe-cificallydistinguishcommunitymediafromlocalmediaHerewehavefocusedoncommunitymediathatarelocalgeographicallybutwehavealsodefinedcommunitymediaasmediathatemphasizeinclusivenessandhaveauniquesetofparticipatorypractices
Itisalsousefultonotethatthetermscitizen mediaandcitizenrsquos mediahavetakenontwodifferentandimpor-tantmeaningsinrecentyearsNeithertermreferstomediathatareexclusivelylocalThepossessiveformcitizenrsquos media isatermusedbyscholarClemenciaRodriguezandotherstorefertotheuseofmediathatallowpeopletoacteffectivelyascitizensacrossthespectrumofdailylife(Rodriguez2001)Theothertermcitizen mediaisnowbeingusedwithintheworldofonlinecollaborativemediatorefertodecentralizedpracticesinvolvingvideoandaudiobloggingsocialsoftwareapplicationsandothercollab-orativemediatoolsPractitionersofonlinecollaborativemediahaveadoptedthelanguageandpracticesofpartici-patorymediaThecurrentvisibilityoftheblogospherehascontributedtothemisconceptionthatcitizenmediaandcommunitymediahavejustemergedwiththeInternetandthatparticipatorymediaareafunctionoftechnologyratherthanofpeopleactingascitizensThisconfusionfailstorecognizesixtyyearsofgrassrootsmediaexperience
Storytellingiscentraltocommunitymediaandcanjump-startadeliberativeprocessamongcommunitymembers
Byenablingcitizenstomakeandunderstandmediacommunitymediabecomeatoolforpersonalcommunityandethnicexpressionanddevelopment
CommunitymediaarenotlimitedtoanyparticularvenuesortechnologiesTheyreflectalonghistoryofadaptingnewmediatechnologiesastheyemergeEarlyexperimentsincommunityradiobeganinthe1940sand1950sAbroadermovementfollowedinthe1960swiththeuseofsmall-for-matvideofilmsoundrecordingandtheexpandedFMradiospectrumItcontinuedthroughthe1970sand1980swiththediversificationoftelevisiondistributionnetworksandlocalpubliceducationalandgovernmentchannelsoncableTodaycommunitymediaareavitalfeatureoftheelectronicmediaenvironmentFollowingarebriefdescrip-tionsandhistoricaloverviewsofdifferentplatformswhichprovidecontextforthecommunitymediaprofilescontainedinthisreport
Community RadioGroundedinearliereffortstopreservespectrumspaceforeducationalusescommunityradiofirstappearedinSanFranciscointhe1940swiththecreationofthePacificaFoundationrsquosKPFAradiostationThestationpioneeredanapproachtoradiothatcombinedresponsivenesstolisten-ersthroughsubscriptionfundingandcommunityservicewiththecreationofanopenforumforculturaljournal-isticandsocialexpressionSincethencommunityradioinitiativeshavebeendevelopedinmorethan225communi-tiesintheUnitedStatesandincountlesscommunitiesaroundtheworld
In1975communityradiotookonanationalinsti-tutionalexpressionwiththeformationofthe National Federation of Community Broadcasters(NFCB)anorganizationdedicatedtopromotingcommunityradiodevelopmentintheUnitedStatesThefederationadvo-catedcommunitycontrolnoncommercialownershipandvoluntaryparticipationintheoperationandprogrammingofcommunityradiostationsespeciallybypopulationsandgroupsthathistoricallyhadbeendeniedexpressionintheUnitedStatesNFCBprovidedtraininganddevelopmentsupporttoitsmemberstationsandundertookFederalCommunicationsCommission(FCC)advocacyontheirbehalfWithinadecadeNFCBhadseventymembersta-tionsand120associatemembersnationwide(Engelman1996)
Ascommunityradiohasevolvedindifferentcom-munitiesinterpretationsofitsmissionhaveexpandedtoincludestationsdedicatedtominoritycommunitiesandownershipforeignlanguagestationsdedicatedtospecificlanguagecommunitiesinalocaleandvaryingcommit-mentstocommunityinvolvementvolunteerproductionandfundingstrategiesWiththisdiversificationhascome
ideologicaldebateovercreepingcommercializationandprofessionalizationofthefieldHoweverdespitedisagree-mentsoverphilosophyandpracticescommunityradiostationsremainvitalpartsoftheircommunitiessupport-ingcivicparticipationandeducationcommunitybuildingandcommunitiesrsquosenseofthemselvesasuniqueplaces
RadiostationKFAIinMinneapolis-StPaulisonesuchstationAvolunteer-basedcommunityradiostationthatbroadcastsinformationartsandentertain-mentprogrammingitoffersaneclecticmixofprogramsincludingmusiclocalnewspoetryspokenwordpoliticalforumsandinterviewsKFAIemphasizesempowermentthroughtrainingItprovidesboardcertificationtrainingandworkshopsonannouncinginterviewingandprogramdevelopmenttovolunteersCoursesaretaughtinEnglishbutbilingualvolunteershaveaccesstoanyoftheon-airprogrammersforassistanceintheirownlanguage
Low-Power FMCommunityradioreachedanotherstagewiththedevel-opmentoflow-powerFMradioorLPFMTheLPFMmovementwasapoliticalresponsetoincreasingconsoli-dationoflocalradioownershipafterthepassageofthe1996CommunicationsActandasenseamongthoseinthegrassrootsradiomovementthatcommunityradiowasfallingpreytopressurefromtheCorporationforPublicBroadcasting(CPB)tobecomemoreaudience-drivenhomogenizedinprogrammingandprofessionalizedthuslessinterestedincommunityparticipation(Cano2003)Tocounterthesetrendsmediaactivistsbegansettingupmicro-powerradiostationsincommunitiesusinglow-powerbroadcasttransmitterswithanapproximateservicerangeofthree-and-a-halfmilesanareaoftenassmallasasingleneighborhood
In1998thegrowthofLPFMspurredthecreationofthePrometheus Radio Projectfoundedbyactiviststoassistcommunitygroupsinacquiringlow-powerFMradio
Communityradiostationsremainvitalpartsoftheircommunitiessupportingcivicparticipationandeducationcommunitybuildingandcommunitiesrsquosenseofthem-selvesasuniqueplaces
TheURLsoforganizationssetinboldfaceareprovidedinApendices2(aggregatorsassociations)and3(practitioners)
broadcastlicensesfromtheFCCandingettingtheirsta-tionsupandrunningoncetheywerelicensedAsaresultofthisactivismtheFCCofficiallyacknowledgedlow-powerFMinUSbroadcastingpolicyin2000LPFMstationsarenowlicensedfornoncommercialeducationalbroadcastingonlyandaconstructionpermitisrequiredbeforeaLPFMstationcanbebuiltoroperatedThelowcostoflow-powerradiohasallowedmanyorganizationswithstrongcommit-mentstocommunitycontrolnoncommercialgrassrootsfundingandparticipatoryproductionandmanagementprocessestoenterthecommunityradiomovement
WCIW-LPisalow-powerFMstationinImmokaleeFloridaoperatedbythe2500-memberCoalitionofImmokaleeWorkersItishardtoimagineabetterexampleofcommunityempowermentingrassrootsLPFMthanWCIW-LPItfocusesonacommunitythatisbothacommunityofworkersandageographiccommunitythestationandtransmitterarelocatedinthesamelotwherethecoalitionrsquosmembersboardbusesboundforthetomatofieldsofFloridaLaunchedin2003withthehelpofthePrometheusRadioProjectWCIW-LPproducesnewsedu-cationalprogramsandmusicinSpanishHaitianCreoleandindigenouslanguagesofMexicoandGuatemalaThestationisaprimaryorganizingtoolforthecommunityinitsdefenseoftherightsofLatinoHaitianandMayanIndianmigrantandimmigrantfarmworkers
Public BroadcastingUnlikemanylocationsinEuropeandCanadatheUnitedStateshasnotdevelopedastrongcommunity-focusedbroadcastingsectorseparatefrompublicbroadcastingPublicbroadcastingintheUnitedStatesislargelysynony-mouswiththePublic Broadcasting ServiceandNational Public RadioinstitutionsthatcameintoexistencewiththepassageofthePublicBroadcastingActof1967Theactestablishedafederalsystemoftelevisionandradioheavilydependentonfederalandcorporatefunding
Thoughembattledfromitsinceptionandsaddledwithacumbersomedecentralizedstructurepublicbroad-castinghasmanagedtosurviveandfindanimportantroleinAmericanmediaNeithergovernmentalnorcommercialinitsorientationyetheavilydependentoneachitprovidesvaluablenoncommercialprogramming(Aufderheide2000b)PublicradioandtelevisionhavealsoledthewayintheUnitedStatesintheinnovativeuseofdigitalandsatellitetechnologyThePBSwebsiteisconsideredtobethemostfrequentlyvisitednonprofitsiteontheInternet(Starr2003)
YetpublictelevisionandradiofallshortofthevisiondescribedinitsfoundingdocumentsTheywere
envisionedasldquohellipaforumfordebateandcontroversyrdquoaspaceforexpressionldquohellipforgroupsinthecommunitythatmayotherwisebeunheardrdquo(CarnegieCommissiononEducationalTelevision1967)AsJeffChestermediacriticandreformadvocatewritesldquoWhilepublicradioatitsbestcomesmuchclosertothisidealpublictelevisionappearstohavebecomeavictimofitsownsuccessndashfullofartistryandprofessionalismtobesurebutrarelythesourceofthelocalismdiversityandrisktakingthatitsfoundersenvisionedrdquo(Chester2006)Stillitisarguablethatpublicbroadcastingwouldnothavesurvivedtothepresenthaditinsistedonlivinguptotheparticipatoryvisionsofitsfounders
ThePublicBroadcastingServiceNationalPublicRadioandtheirmemberstationscannotuniformlybechar-acterizedascommunitymediaTheirprogrammingandmanagementstructureshavereflectedthetop-downnatureoftheirfundingandtheyhavetendedovertheyearstoemphasisprofessionalismandstationmanagementpreroga-tivesoveracommitmenttodiverselocalparticipationandcommunitybuilding(Engelman1996)
Publicbroadcastingholdsmanyexamplesofexem-plarycommunityprogrammingbutfewerexamplesofrobustprogramschedulingwithcommunity-orientedcom-munity-drivenandcommunity-createdprogrammingForinstance ldquoBasic Blackrdquo from WGBH in BostonwhichhaschronicledtheconcernedandcultureofAfrican-Americanssince1968andthemulticulturalweeklytalkshowsthatareastapleofWYBE inPhiladelphiaarenoteworthyforhavingcreateduniquelocalmediaspacesthatdofunc-tionascommunitymediaInthe1990sthenationalldquoNittyGrittyCityGrouprdquoattemptedtomovepublicbroadcastingbeyondprogramexcellencetobeinganagentforsocialchangeandameansforcitizenempowerment(Larson1993)ItworkedwithgrassrootsgroupstobringattentionandaccesstothecitizensoftheircommunitiesWhilethegroupnolongerexistsitspassionforcommunityengage-mentisstillaliveinstationpersonnelaroundthecountry
ItcanbeseeninmanyoftheSound Partners for Community HealthexperimentsincollaborationsbetweenpublicbroadcastersandcommunityhealthorganizationsNewhopefulexperimentsareunderwayfromCPBanditscommunityengagementinitiativewiththeHarwoodInstituteBroaderstationsuccessesinengagingcommu-nitymembersarechronicledinRichardSomerset-WardrsquosConnecting Communities(2000)andhismorerecentBroadband Community Networks(2005)ForexamplethereistremendouspotentialattheintersectionofpublicbroadcastingandonlinecollaborativemediaWHYYhasextendeditson-airradioandtelevisionprogramming
throughaphysicalandvirtualldquocivicspacerdquoinPhiladelphiaand ideastreamthemergeroftwopublicbroadcast-ersinClevelandoffersitsmultimediadigitalfacilitiesandexpertisetoClevelandrsquoscommunityinstitutionsandcitizensRadioprojectslikethePublic Radio Exchange andMinnesota Public Radiorsquos Public Insight Journalismareprovidinginterestingglimpsesofthepotentialofcol-laborativemediaforpublicradioEachexamplesuggeststhatpublicbroadcastinghasgreatpotentialandtechnicalcapacitytomovebeyondsimplenotionsofldquolocalismrdquotoamorerobuststanceofcivicengagementandparticipation
Cable AccessPublicaccesstelevisionorPublicEducationalandGovernment(PEG)accesstelevisionreferstoacollectionofentitiesthatprovidelocalcontentoverdedicatedchan-nelsoncabletelevisionsystemsintheUnitedStatesPEGaccessisrootedintheactivismofthe1960sand1970satimewhenpublicaccessadvocatesenjoyedamutuallysup-portiverelationshipwithanemergingcableindustryeagertodemonstrateitspotentialtodiversifytelevision
In1969theFederalCommunicationsCommissionsawthepotentialofcabletelevisiontoopenuptelevisiontomorelocalprogrammingandbeganrequiringlargercablesystemstodeveloplocalprogrammingexperimentsTheFCCrsquosfirstcomprehensiverulingonthecableindustryin1972includedrequirementsthatcablesystemsinthe100largesttelevisionmarketsdedicateatleastthreechannelsforpubliceducationandgovernmentaccessTherulingsetoffaroundofoptimisticcommunitymediaexperimentsnationwideButthisinformalpartnershipbetweencom-munitymediaadvocatesandthecableindustrycametoanabrupthaltin1979whentheSupremeCourtruledthattheFCChadexceededitsregulatoryauthorityinmandatingthatchannelsbededicatedtoPEGaccessTherulingdidnotpreventCongressandlocalgovernmentsfromrequiringnegotiatedaccesschannelshoweverandby1979accessadvocatesweresufficientlyorganizedtomakePEGastan-dardofferingofcabletelevision
BythistimethecableindustryhadenteredwhatarereferredtoasldquothegoldrushyearsrdquoThesuccessofHBOrsquossatellite-deliveredcableprogrammingservicedemon-stratedthataudienceswithgoodfreebroadcastreceptionwouldpaytoreceiveuninterruptedmoviesandsportsCablecompaniesvigorouslycompetedforfranchisesinthecountryrsquosmostpopulousareasIfalocalcommunityrsquosfranchiseauthorityexpressedadesireforPEGaccesschannelsinitsrequestforproposalsoftenthecablecompanieswouldrespondfavorablyInadditiontochannel
set-asidesarequirementthatoperatorsprovidefundingforequipmentandpublicinterestchanneloperationsbecameuniversalThoughmanyPEGaccesscentershavediversi-fiedtheirfundingsourcesthebulkoffundingforPEGaccesschanneloperationsandprogrammingcomesfromcongressionallyandmunicipallymandatedfeesinreturnfortheuseofpublicrights-of-way
Intheirearlyyearsthemorethan2000accesschannelstheninoperationwereadministeredinvariouswaysAfewcablecompanieswereabletocompetentlyundertakecommunity-basedmanagementofthesechan-nelsbutgenerallythecableindustryhadlittleappetiteorcapacitytosuccessfullymanagetheselocalchannelsInsomecasesthefranchiseauthorityitselfmanagedthechannelsInothercasesitwasthelibrarytheuniversitycommunitycollegeorhighschoolHoweveritsoonbecameclearthatthelocalcommunityneededtomanagethisnewcommunicationcapacityseparatefromcablecompaniesandgovernmentifitspotentialtocreatecommunitymediawastoberealizedTheindependentnonprofitcorporationeventuallybecamethestandardmanagementmodelamongcommunitymediaadvocatesTodaymostsuccessfulaccesscentersaremanagedthroughnonprofitcommunitygroups(Olson2000)
BecausepublicaccesschannelscarryFirstAmendmentprotectionallowinganyoneinthecommu-nitytoplaceprogrammingonthechannelswithoutbeingsubjecttopriorrestraintsomeprogrammingonthesechannelscanseemexceedinglystrangetotheuninitiatedMuchoftheprogrammingonpublicchannelsismadebynonprofessionalsandreflectstheidiosyncraticinterestsofproducersInrecentyearshoweverpublicaccesscentershaveastutelyexpandedtheirmissionsbeyondindividu-allyfocusedprogrammingtoaddresstheneedsofwholecommunitiesthroughmorecomplexnotionsofempower-mentandcommunitybuildingThishasmeantdevelopingmoreprogramminginpartnershipwithassociationsandnonprofitscommunitygroupsagenciesandeducationalinstitutionsthathaveaclearrelationshiptothelifeoftheircommunities(Rennie2006)Significantnumbersofaccesscentershavealsomovedtoincorporateothermediabeyondvideoandtocarryoutalargerrangeofmediaeducationandmediaartsactivitiesbeyondcableprogramming
OverthecourseofcableaccessdevelopmenttheAlliance for Community Media(ACM)hasconsistentlyprovidedbothpoliticalandprofessionalleadershiptothefieldofcableaccessFormedastheNationalFederationofLocalCableProgrammersin1978ACMquicklygrewtooccupyapresenceinWashingtonDCpolicycircles
andhassteadfastlyprovidedavoicefortheinterestsofthe2000accesscenterintheUSCurrentlytheACMisleadingthefightalongwithcitiesinfightingthewaveofstatewidelsquovideofranchisingrsquolegislationthroughwhichthetelephonecompaniesandcablecompaniesareattemptingtogainnear-monopolycontroloflocaltelecommunicationsmarketswhichwouldeffectivelyendcableaccessinmanycommunities
Manhattan Neighborhood Network(MNN)whichprovidespublicaccesscableservicesinManhattanisoneofagrowingnumberofcableaccesscentersintheUnitedStatesthathaveembracedabroadermissionofmultime-diaeducationandtrainingBeyonditscablechannelstelevisionstudiosandelectronicfieldproductionandpost-productionfacilitiesMNNfunctionsasacommunitymeetingandartsspaceandoperatesagrantingprogramandasupportnetworktositesthroughoutManhattanInrecentyearsMNNhasprovidedarichselectionofitsvideotoInternetstreamingItalsofeaturesaYouth Channeloneofthefirsttelevisionchannelstofacilitatecreativityandsocialandpoliticalparticipationamongdisadvantagedlow-incomeandminorityyouthbyprovidingthemwithaccesstoadedicatedchannelmediaproductionresourcesandtraining
Media Arts OrganizationsMediaartsorganizationswereorganizedinNorthAmericainthe1960sand1970sinresponsetotheavailabilityofnewmoreaffordableandmoreportablemediatech-nologiessuchasfilmvideoandcomputersMediaartsorganizationssupportartthatmakesuseoffilmvideoaudiomultimediaandinteractivemediaIndividualcen-tersoftenfocusononeortwoelementsofthetotalmediaartsinfrastructureprovidingsomecombinationofaccesstomediatoolsproductionproductiontrainingdistribu-tionarchivingandexhibitionofmediaart
Overtheyearscentershaveengagedinanincred-iblerangeofartisticpracticesembracingavantgardeexperimentationinfilmandvideodocumentariesnar-rativeandstorytellingcomputerartandinstallationsusingallmediaThesepracticesintersectwithcommunitymediaintheiremphasisonparticipatoryprogrammingdevelopment
ThehistoryofmediaartsorganizationsiscloselyentwinedwiththetrendsandpoliticsofpublicfundinganddevelopingtechnologyintheUnitedStatesEarlycentersoftenreceivedfoundationfundingtoexperimentwithspecificemergingtechnologiesparticularlyvideoThisinitialphaseofdevelopmentwasgivensignificantsupport
bytheMacArthurFoundationanditsmediaartsprogramfollowedbythecreationoftheNationalEndowmentfortheArtswhichinturnbeganaprogramofconsistentsupportformediaartsorganizationsnationwideTheperiodwasmarkedbythelong-termsupportbyMacArthurFoundationrelativelystablegrowthandaheadyrangeofartisticprac-ticeandexperimentation
Inthepoliticallyconservativeclimateoftheearly1990sasfundersbecameincreasinglywaryofsupportingartthatmightprovecontroversialtheNationalEndowmentfortheArtsgraduallywithdrewmostfundingforthemediaartsBytheendofthedecadetheMacArthurFoundationoneofthemediaartsrsquomostconsistentfundersendeditsyearlysupportformediaartsorganizationsclosingtheeraandforcingaperiodofdevelopmentdiversificationandrestructuringformediaartsorganizations
ThefieldhasprovenextremelyresilientTodaythefieldofmediaartsismadeupofamorediverseandmaturearrayofnonprofitorganizationsandartspracticesAlthoughmediaartsorganizationsnowplacemoreempha-sisonearnedincomeanddiversefundingsourcestheycontinuetobevitalculturalcentersprovidingcommunitiesaccesstobothmediafacilitiesandafullrangeofmediaculturalexperiencesMediaartsorganizationslikeScribeinPhiladelphiaandAppalshopinWhitesburgKentuckyforexamplehavenavigatedthetechnologicalandfundingshiftsofthepastthreedecadeswithsurprisingcreativityandsavvy
TheScribe Video CenterinPhiladelphiawhichemergedin1982duringthemediaartsheydayperseveredthroughtheupsetsofthe1990stobecomeanextraordinaryexampleofwhatasocialassetamediaartscentercanbeforacommunityScribereachesouttocommunitiesincludingpeopleofcolorwomenseniorcitizensandteensthattraditionallyhavenothadaccesstovideotrainingorproductionfacilitiesandprovidesthemtoolsforstorytell-ingInadditiontoproductionandscriptwritingworkshopsScribeoffersartistsrsquoservicessuchasfiscalsponsorshipequipmentrentalandeditingfacilitiesOngoingprogramsincludeCommunityVisionsavideoproductionprogramforcommunityorganizationsStreetMoviesafreeoutdoorneighborhood-basedscreeningseriesandtheProducersrsquoForumscreeningandlectureseriesofvisitingartistsandmediaactivistsAdditionallyScribeproducestheDocumentaryHistoryProjectforYouthanannualproduc-tionworkshopformiddleandhighschoolstudents
AppalshopinWhitesburgKentuckyisoneoftheoldestmediaartsorganizationsintheUnitedStatesAsitswebsiteindicatesAppalshopwasfoundedin1969to
enablepeopletousemediatotelltheirownstoriesinordertoldquosolvetheirownproblemsrdquoIthasbecomeanationallyrecognizedmediacenterworkinginfilmvideoaudioandmusicrecordingsliteraturetheaterliveperformanceandradioallfocusedonAppalachiancultureItsworkdocumentstraditionalartsexploreshistoryandaddressessocialissuesthataffecttheAppalachianregiontodayAppalshopprovidesregionallyandnationallyfocusededu-cationandtrainingprogramsTwoofthemostnotablearetheAppalachianMediaInstituteayouthmediatraininginitiativeandCommunityMediaInstitutewhichworkswithgrassrootsgroupsandpublicinterestorganizationsfromtheregionandnationallytoaccomplishstrategiccom-municationplanningaroundsocialjusticeorganizing
TheNational Alliance for Media Arts and CulturehasconsistentlyprovidedthoughtfulleadershiptothemediaartsfieldthroughtechnicalassistanceprogramsandstrategicplanninginitiativesItsDeepFocusprojectin2004usedscenarioplanningtoenvisionthefutureofmediaarts(Blau2004)Asaresultofthiskindofworktheearlynetworkofmediaartsorganizationshasexpandedtoincludeover274mediaartsorganizationsThisrepre-sentsasignificantbroadeningofthefieldofmediaartsencompassingmanysmallermediaartsorganizationswithspecificartisticculturalorcommunityobjectivesThemediaartsfieldhasmostrecentlyseentheemergenceofmanyyouthmediaorganizationswiththecriticalmissionofcreatingmedialiteracysurvivalskillsforyoungpeopleastheynavigatethemediasaturatedsocialenvironmentofthetwenty-firstcentury
Ethnic MediaEthnicmediarepresentagrowingvitalsectorofAmericanelectronicmediathatintersectswithcommunitymediainanumberofimportantwaysHistoricallyethnicmediaout-letshavearisenontheperipheryofUSbroadcastingoftenwithoutnetworkaffiliationtoservepopulationsthatdonothaveaccesstomainstreammediaandpopularcultureThesehaveincludednewimmigrantgroupsnon-Englishlanguagegroupsthepoliticallyoppressedandpopulationsstrivingtomaintainculturaltraditionsandtiestotheirhomelandswhileadaptingtoanewsociety
ThatpatternhasrepeatedwaxedandwanedasdifferentpopulationshavecometotheUnitedStatesinthepastcenturyThekeyhistoricalintersectionbetweencommunitymediaandethnicmedialiesintheearlyyearsofcommunityradiofollowingWorldWarIIwhenawaveofBlackradiostationsandformatsfilledspacecreatedintheshiftingmedialandscapebytheintroductionoftelevision
ThisshiftbroughtawaveofBlackinvestmentandprogramexperimentationthatseriouslyinfluencedthekindsofcommunityradioprogrammingthatevolvedintheUnitedStatesToalargeextenttheimprovisationalradioformatscombiningmusicandpoliticaltalkcultureandcur-rentaffairswerefirstworkedoutinpost-warBlackradio(Barlow1988Lloyd2006)
Ethnicmediaencompassescommercialandnoncom-mercialmediahugemultinationalsandsmalllocallyownedoperationsEthnicandcommunitymediaoftenintersectgeographicallyEthnicgroupsoftenidentifywithaspecificplaceandusemediatoarticulateasenseofsolidarityinthoseplacesLikecommunitymediaethnicmediafrequentlyembodyparticipatoryapproachestopro-grammingandproductionandareoftenresponsestodeepdissatisfactionwiththeownershipstructuresandbiasesofthemainstreammedia
OneofthemostsignificantongoingsourcesforethnicmediahasbeentheCorporationforPublicBroadcastingthroughitsfundingofthefivemembersoftheNationalMinorityConsortiaNational Asian American Telecommunications Association National Black Programming Consortium Native American Public Telecommunications Pacific Islanders in Communications and Latino Public BroadcastingTheseethnicprogrammingnetworksandtheIndependent Television ServiceprovidemillionsofdollarseachyeartotheirnetworksofethnicandindependentprogrammakersforprogramstargetedtothePublicBroadcastingService
CurrentlyethnicmediaareundergoingexplosivegrowthacrosstheUnitedStatesconsistentwithdemo-graphicshiftsTherearesignificantincreasesintheproportionofnon-EnglishspeakersLatinosAsiansMiddleEasternersandPacificIslandersintheUSpopulationandcorrespondingincreasesinethnicmediaDuringthecommunitymediaroundtablesconductedforthisreportparticipantsrepeatedlyexpressedappreciationforthenumberofethnicmediaoutletsthatusedparticipatorystrategiesinsupportingtheimmigrationproteststhatoccurredthroughouttheUnitedStatesin2006
OneindicationofthegrowthandsophisticationofethnicmediaisNew America Media (NAM)thelargestnationalcollaborationofethnicnewsorganizationsintheUnitedStatesNAMldquoproducesandaggregateseditorialcontentfromandfortheethnicmediasectoranddevelopspioneeringmarketingservicesonbehalfofcorporationsfoundationsandnonprofitswhoaretargetingethnicmediaandethniccommunitiesrdquoNewAmericaMediaisanetworkedcommunitythatlinksthousandsofethnic
0
mediaorganizationsintheUnitedStatesItsrecentstudyldquoEthnicMediainAmericaTheGiantHiddeninPlainSightrdquosurveysHispanicAmericansAfricanAmericansAsianAmericansArabAmericansandNativeAmericans(NewAmericaMedia2005)NAMfoundthatmorethanaquarterofthenationrsquospopulationusesethnicmediainsomecapacity
NewonlinejournalismsitessuchastheTwin Cities Media AlliancersquosDaily PlanetprofiledinthisreportareemergingfromtherestructuringofthenewspaperindustryandtheuseofbloggingandsocialnetworkingsoftwareThe TC Daily Planetaggregatesincreasingnumbersofethnicimmigrantandnon-mainstreamjournalistsinMinneapolis-StPaulAnotherexamplementionedinthisreportRadio Arte (WRTE)maybetheonlybilingual(SpanishEnglish)youth-operatedurbancommunitystationinthecountryItoperateswithafocusonyouthinChicagorsquosPilsenLittleVillageneighborhoodsAninitiativeoftheMexicanFineArtsCenterMuseumthiseducationalradiostationhasayouthtrainingandproductiontrainingprogramandapowerfulwebpresenceinadditiontoitsurbanbroadcastfootprint
BothTC Daily PlanetandRadioArteunderscorethecommonalitiesbetweenethnicmediaandcommunitymediaInmanycircumstancesethnicmediaandcom-munitymediacanbevirtuallyindistinguishableThisconvergenceofvaluesgeographyandpoliticscouldeasilyserveasthefoundationforcollaborationandpartner-ingbetweencommunityandethnicmediainspecificcommunities
Civic JournalismBothcivicjournalismandpublicjournalismrefertoamovementwithinprofessionaljournalismthathonorsnewsorganizationsrsquoroleinconveningandfacilitatingpublicdeliberationanddebatesinwhichaudiencesaretreatedasactiveparticipantsratherthanpassiveconsumersThePew Center for Civic JournalismdefinescivicjournalismasldquobothaphilosophyandasetofvaluessupportedbysomeevolvingtechniquesAtitsheartisabeliefthatjournal-ismhasanobligationtopubliclifendashanobligationthatgoesbeyondjusttellingthenewsorunloadinglotsoffactsrdquo(PewCenter2007)Thisphilosophyemergesfromanunder-standingthatcitizensareincreasinglydisengagedinciviclifeandthatnewsorganizationscanreactivateanapatheticcitizenryNewsorganizationspracticingcivicjournal-ismaimtoestablishdeeperconversationswithbroadercross-sectionsoftheircommunitiesresultinginenhancedcredibilityimprovedcommunicationbetweenthemselves
andthecommunityandbettercoverageofissuesoflocalconcern
CommittedtosupportingjournalisticeffortstorevitalizecitizenshipwhileobjectivelyreportinghardtruthsthePewCenterestablishedtheBattenAwardforExcellenceinCivicJournalismin1995OneofthefirstawardswenttoThe Charlotte ObserverofCharlotteNorthCarolinaforanineteen-monthin-depthseriesoncrimeinnineneighborhoodsReportersspenttwoyearsincrime-riddenneighborhoodsencouragingresidentsinthoseneighborhoodstoreportontherootcausesofcrimeandtoparticipateinthesearchforsolutions
Community NetworkingWhilestillinitsearlytext-basedphasetheInternetwasbeingadoptedasacommunity-buildingtoolbyanumberofgeographicallybasedorganizationsManyoftheseearlycommunitynetworksevolvedfromldquofreenetsrdquoalliedthroughtheNational Public Telecomputing Network(NPTN)AtthattimeNPTNwasthefourthmostpopularpubliccom-puternetworkbehindCompuServeAmericaOnlineandProdigy(Schuler1995)
SomeoftheseearlycommunitynetworksweresimplyInternetdestinationswherecommunity-basedinformationwascollectedandpresentedOthersevolvedasadjunctstotheInternetconnectionsprovidedbylocalInternetserviceprovidersLikeothercommunitymediathepioneersofcommunitynetworkingweremotivatedtousethisnewcommunicationstechnologytostrengthentheircommunities
CommunitynetworkingwaschangedirrevocablywiththeadventoftheWorldWideWebandthesurgeindemandforInternetaccessTheWorldWideWebreplacedmostofthesoftwareapplicationsthatwerebeingusedatthattimetomakeinformationaccessibletopeoplethroughacommunitynetworkThisandthedemandsurgelow-eredthepriceofcommercialInternetaccesstothepointwheretherewaslittlemotivationtobecomeamemberofacommunitynetworkastheywerepracticedatthetimeAsaresultcommunitynetworkinghasbecomelessaboutInternetaccessandmoreabouttheculturalpracticeof
Newsorganizationspracticingcivicjournalismaimtoestablishdeeperconversationswithbroadercross-sectionsoftheircommunities
communitynetworkingwithafocusonsocialnetworkingsoftwaredevelopmentandutilizationCommunitynetwork-ershavealwaysenjoyedclosealignmentwithopensourcesoftwaredevelopersandnowareconcernedwithusingtheInternetintandemwithopensourcesocialnetworkingsoftwaretoaccomplishmanyofthegoalsofcommunitymedia(Schuler2004)
The Metropolitan Austin Interactive Network (MAIN)isanonprofitorganizationcommittedtoinfor-mationsharingandcommunicationamongpeopleandgovernmentaleducationalcommercialculturalreligiousandcivicorganizationsItoperatesacommunity-basedwebsitethatprovidesandaggregatesabroadarrayofinformationcriticaltoAustinresidentsfromemploymentinformationtoenvironmentalartsandculturalcontentMAINiscommittedtohelpingitscommunitymakeeffec-tiveuseoftheInternetandothernetworkcommunicationsstructuresbutdoesnotdirectlyprovidenetworkconnectiv-ityMAINprovidesfreewebhostingandwebdevelopmentassistancethroughabroaddigitalliteracyprogramthatincludestrainingingeneralcomputerandInternetusage
SatelliteWhilesatellitetelevisioncannotbeconsideredcommunitymediabecauseitisneitherlocalnorspecificallycom-munity-focuseditdeservesmentionherebecauseofitsexistingandpotentialcontributionstocommunitymediagoalsSatellitetelevisionisfocusedonnationalvideodistributionviacableanddirectbroadcastservicestohomesatellitedishesTofosterthepublicrsquosinterestindiverseprogrammingviasatellitetheFCCin1992imposedcertainpublicinterestobligationsonDirectBroadcastService(DBS)providersThecommissionruledthatDBSprovid-ersmustreservefourpercentoftheirchanneltranspondercapacityexclusivelyfornoncommercialprogrammingofaneducationalorinformationalnatureUnfortunatelytheFCCleftituptotheDBScompaniestodecidewhichprogram-merswouldbeselectedfromeligibleprogrammersManyfeelthepotentialofDBStoservethepublicinteresthasbeensignificantlycurtailedasaresult(Anderson2000)
Neverthelesssatellitehasbecomehometosomeprogrammersthatembodythevaluesandpracticesofcom-munitymediaNotablyDeepDishTVFreeSpeechTVLinkTVandasofApril2007StarfishTelevisionNetworkarealldistributedviasatelliteduetotheset-asiderulesadoptedbytheFCCEachoffersprogrammingthatembodiesvaluesofdiversityandempowermentwhiledemonstratingthenecessityofset-asidepoliciesfornoncommercialfrequency
andbandwidthatalllevelsofthemediainfrastructureifnoncommercialmediaistoflourishTheyconsistentlyrunprogramsproducedbycommunitymediaactivistsandindependentproducersandrepresentonepossiblewayforcommunitymediaorganizationstodevelopanationalprogrammingreachthatcouldfacilitateldquolocaltolocalrdquocommunicationswhiledevelopinganationalnetworkofprogressivecommunityprogramming
Deep Dish TVpioneeredtheuseofsatellitetoestablishacollaborativenetworkamongactivisttelevisionproducersandpublicaccesscablestationsin1986DrawingontheearlierexperimentsofthePublicInterestVideoNetworkDeepDishbegancreatingprograminstallmentsforsatellitedistributionVideoprogrammingselectedfromactivistandcommunitytapesaroundthecountrywerefedtosatellitetransponderswithanationalfootprintwheretheywerepickedupbyhundredsofcableaccessorganiza-tionsandcommunitymediacentersintheUnitedStates(Pierce2003)
DeepDishrsquos1991satellitebroadcastsoftheGulfCrisisTVProjectareconsideredbymanytobehistoricmomentsincommunitymediaandUScommunicationshistoryadirectinterventioninaninternationalcrisisbypublicaccesstelevisionandindependentmediaactivistsDeepDishTVassembledavideoanti-warteach-induringthefirstGulfWarandmadeitavailabletotheirnetworkviasatelliteThesuccessoftheGulfCrisisprojectexpandedDeepDishrsquosnetworktoincludeindependentpublictelevi-sionsitesanyonewithahomesatellitereceiverandothercommunitymediaandmediaartsorganizationsRalphEngelmanwritesthatDeepDishrsquosuseofsatelliteallowedcommunitymediaactiviststofulfilltwooftheircoreobjec-tivesldquograssrootsparticipationandthepresentationofdiversealternativeperspectivesrdquo(Engelman1996)
TheseearlysuccessesinnetworkingcommunitytelevisionviasatellitehavemorerecentlybeenextendedbyFree Speech TVandAmyGoodmanrsquosDemocracyNowprogrammingFreeSpeechTVextendedthetechnicalcapacitytonetworkwithcableaccessbyraisingfundstobuydirectsatellitereceiversforcableaccessfacilitiesinterestedincablecastingFreeSpeechTVprogram-mingThistechnicalnetworkthenbecameaprogressiveprogramnetworkcalledintoexistencealmostsingle-hand-edlybythehighlysought-afterprogressiveprogrammingofDemocracyNowInturnthepresenceofDemocracyNowprogrammingisconsistentlyservingtoincreasetheaudiencesandsupportforcableaccessincommunitiesthroughouttheUnitedStates
AttheirheartcommunitymediaareaboutmakingmediawithpeoplenotmerelyaboutorforpeopleIt
isasoneChicagoroundtableparticipantnotedlikeldquotheneighborhoodgoingouttodinnerrdquoButasanyonewhohaseverhostedalargedinnerpartyknowsthisisnotalwayseasilyaccomplishedInroundtablediscussionswithcommunitymediapractitionersthreestrategiesndashcollabo-ration across sectors and platforms training and outreach ndashemergedrepeatedlyaswaysofsuccessfullyengagingthebreadthanddiversityoftheircommunitiesInadditionafourthstrategyconnecting with immigrant populationsyieldedinsightsintosomeuniquechallengesandbenefits
strAtegies CollaborationMediainstitutionscanplaytheroleoffacilitatorsintheircommunitiesdemystifyingtheprocessofproductionpro-vidingpeoplewithaccesstotheresourcestheyneedandbuildingonthehistoryandgoalsofcivicjournalismThisrolerequiresmediainstitutionstorethinktraditionaljour-nalismandmayentailthere-balancingofeditorialpoliciesndashcommittingtodiversityembracingegalitarianvaluesandreassessingthevalueofeditorialneutralityInvitingcommunitymemberstohelpwithstoriesmakescover-agemorereflectiveofthecommunitymoreofatwo-wayconversationForinstanceTwin Cities Public Television(TPT)dedicatestimeononeofitsdigitalchannelstolocalandregionalprogrammingincludingprogramstargetedattheLatinoHmongHindiSomaliandVietnamesecommu-nitiesTocreateprogrammingfortheldquoMinnesotaChannelrdquothestationpartnerswithnonprofitorganizationswhopayTPTforproductionsupportandguaranteedbroadcastoftheprogramming
Sound Partners for Community HealthhasshownthatauthenticpartnershipsbetweenpublicbroadcastersandcommunityinstitutionsenableeachpartytoreachlargermorediverseandtargetedaudiencesonhealthissuesimportanttothecommunityCommunityinstitutionspromotedbroadcastsandpublicbroadcastersincreasedthevisibilityoftheirinstitutionalpartnerswhoofferedadditionalresourcesandreferralstoviewersandlistenersandhelpedtodisseminateprogrammingonCDsandDVDsInadditionbymarryingtheexpertiseofcommunity-basedhealthorganizationsandvoicesoflocalresidentswiththeproductionvaluesofhigh-qualityradioandtelevisionpro-grammingSoundPartnerspositionedcommunitymembersasproactiveplannersofandstakeholdersinmediainitia-tivesratherthanpassiverecipientsofmediaattention
Buttherewasinevitabletensioninseparatingjour-nalismfromadvocacywhichrequiredtrustonthepartofallparticipantstoresolveInthecaseoftheSoundPartnerscollaborationsincommunity-basedjournalismpublicbroadcastersneededtotrustthattheirnonprofitpartnerswouldnrsquotadvancetheirownorganizationalagendasattheexpenseoftruthandnonprofithealthorganizationsneededtotrustthattheirbroadcastpartnerswouldrespecttheirexpertise
TheSoundPartnersexperienceaffirmedwhatmanyroundtableparticipantspointedoutmdashtheneedtobuildbridgesacrossmediaaswellSoundPartnersfoundthatcommercialradiostationsandpublicaccesschannelswithcloselinkstoandinfluenceonthecommunityhelpedimplementstrongmediacampaignsincollaborationwithpublicbroadcastingRoundtableparticipantssawcommer-cialmediaoutletsasespeciallyimportantamongimmigrantgroups
Pointingtoanotheraspectofcollaborationround-tableparticipantsimploredmediainstitutionstobeopentosharinginfrastructuretoaccomplishtheirmissionsManynonprofitmediagroupsarestrugglingtosurvivebuthaveassetsthatcanbesharedorintegratedtobetterservetheircommunitiesinacoordinatedefficientwayCreatingcollaborativestructuresasbasicasco-locationoffacilitiesorascomplexasorganizationalmergerscanbeimportantfordisseminatingprogrammingsecuringfundingandprotectingpotentiallycontroversialissueprogrammingForexampleManhattan Neighborhood Networkhashistori-callyleverageditscablefranchise-securedcapitalfunding
engAging community WhAtrsquos Working
Invitingcommunitymemberstohelpwithstoriesmakescoveragemorereflectiveofthecommunitymoreofatwo-wayconversation
tobuildcapacityinothermediaorganizationssuchasastudioandpost-productionfacilitieswithDowntownCommunityTelevisioninChinatownAndinkeepingwiththesamenetwork-buildingapproachtofacilitatingpartici-pationMNNalsofeaturesaYouthChannelconsideredtobethefirstchannelcreatedforyouthbyyouthMNNhasbecomeoneofthecentralhubsinManhattanaroundwhichindependentandcommunitymediagatherforscreeningsadvancededucationalopportunitiesartisticandpoliticaldebatecommunitybuildingandsocialnetworkingcreat-inganexcitingdemocraticmediaculture
Manyparticipantsacknowledgedthatcollaborationishardexpensiveandtime-consumingItplacesdemandsonin-houseknowledgeandconfrontspartneringorganiza-tionsrsquodifferentgoalseditorialpoliciesandresourcesIftheyaretolastpartnershipsneedproperresearchonthefrontendandmulti-leveledsupportChangesinleader-shipcandisruptplanssopartneringcanrsquotbetiedtoonepersonrsquosrelationshiptoanotherpersonitrequiresanetworkofpeopleunderstandingandcontributingtothepartnershipMulti-yearprojectsareimportanttodevelopinfrastructureandsustainefforts
TrainingRoundtableparticipantssawcommunitymediainstitutionsasimportantsourcesbothforjobsandskillstrainingandforbuildingthecapacityoflocalnonprofitgroupsWhileacquiringmediaskillsmaybeacareerpathoutofpovertyironicallycommunitymediaworkisoftenunpaidandpoorpeoplemustprioritizepayingjobsoverparticipationincommunitymediamakingRoundtableparticipantsexpressedconcernthatthereisnotcurrentlyawaytoeconomicallysustaintheeffortsoflow-incomepeoplewhodovolunteerincommunitymedia
CableaccesscenterslikeChicagorsquos CAN-TVandManhattanNeighborhoodNetworkprovidegrantstrainingandequipmenttocommunitygroupswhothendevelopmultimediaproductsandshowcasethemindifferentvenuesThesecentersfacilitatetheexpressionofnon-technology-orientedcommunitymembersandprovidethemwithusefuljobskills
ThetrainingcomponentiscrucialfordevelopingauthenticvoicesinprogrammingBlessedwithadiversetechnology-savvycommunitythatincludesbothHarvard
andMITcampuspopulationsCambridge Community Television CCTVhasbroadeneditseducationalprogramstoincludeadvancedworkshopsandextendededucationalprogramsindocumentarymakingdigitalstorytellingwebsitedesignandstrategiccommunicationsplanningandimplementationCommunitymembersarealsoabletouseCCTVrsquoscomputertechnologycenterfortraininginavarietyofsoftwareapplicationsincludingphotoeditinganddesignandcomputernetworkingThecenterhasbroadeneditsdistributionofvideoprogrammingtoincludeweb-basedmediastreamingofpre-recordedprogrammingpodcastsaudiochannelsandldquoCambridgeCommunityRadiordquowherememberscansignupfortwo-hourblocksofliveradiotimeThecenterrsquosservicesaddresstheneedsofactivistsnonprofitcommunitygroupsmediaeducatorsandpeopleseekingjobskillsthatextendfarbeyondthoseneededtofillthepublicchannelswithvideoItsofferingsareexpand-ingtoincludeworkshopsinpodcastingdigitalaudioproductionvideobloggingandcyberjournalismCCTVtakesdigitalmediaconvergenceseriouslyunderstandingthatmediaproductiontrainingproductionanddistribu-tionarenowapplicableacrossanumberofplatformsandproductionskillsets
Bay Area Video Coalition(BAVC)isanotherorganizationthatmakesemergingvideotechnologyacces-sibletoindependentmediamakersIthasevolvedintoaninternationallyrenownedmediaartscenterthatleadsthefieldinitshigh-qualityproductionandprofessionaldevelopmentsupportfornoncommercialmediamakersThecenteralsoprovidesclassestolow-incomeyouthinmediaartsproductionaswellasworkshopsforcommunitygroupsandnonprofitsBAVChasconsistentlyoffereddevelopmentseminarsandtrainingprogramsthatbringcommercialpro-ducersandnoncommercialproducerstogetherinacommonsettingItoffersoneoftheregionrsquoskeycertifiedtrainingprogramsforcompanieslikeAppleAvidandDigidesignThroughagrantfromtheFordFoundationBAVChasundertakenanationalstudyonldquoDigitalWorkforceDevelopmentrdquoallowingtheorganizationtoestablishitselfasanationalandregionalleaderinprofessionaldevelop-ment(Most2002)Itsprofessionaldevelopmentprogramisasignificantforuminwhichcommercialandnoncom-mercialmediamakerscancometogetherforprofessionaldevelopmentactivitiesinsettingsthatrespectthepublicinterestandroleofmediainsocialdevelopment
OutreachOutreachakeytoolformediagroupsmovestherelation-shipbetweencommunityandmediabeyondconsumption
Collaborationishardexpensiveandtime-consuming
tosocialchangeItinvitespeopletointeractwithmediatobeaffectedbyitandtoaffectothersItaskspeoplewhattheyneedandinvitesthemtocometogethertomeetthoseneeds
Thekeytocreatingrelevantoutreachisresearch-ingwhatthecommunityneedsdetermininghowtoreachitmosteffectivelyandhiringstaffwhohaveoutreachskillsandarewellversedinthecultureandlanguageofthegroupsbeingtargetedAChicagofilmmakerrecountedhowtheseconsiderationsimpactedhisdocumentaryaboutworkersrsquorightsOutreachstaffconsideredthepotentialimpactontwoaudiencesalargeaudienceofPBSviewerssittingintheirlivingroomsandasmallerbutmoreengagedaudienceofsteelworkerswatchingthedocumentaryatalocalbarTheyconcludedthatthebarviewerswouldberivetedbecausetheinformationinthedocumentarywasgearedtothemSuccessfuloutreachasksWhatdogroupspayattentiontoWhomdotheytrustWhatplatformauthenticallyrepresentsthem
NationalprogrammingcanbeacatalystforlocaloutreachParticipantsinChicagoandMinneapolis-StPauldiscussedtheexampleofldquoTheNewAmericansrdquoanationalPBSseriesonimmigrantsproducedby Kartemquin Films Active VoiceanationalorganizationthatworkswithmediamakerstobringaboutpersonalandinstitutionalchangeworkedwithKartemquintopackageseriesfootagethatfocusedonnewarrivalstoMinnesotaTheresultwasalocalseriesldquoTheNewMinnesotansrdquoandapartnershipthatusedmediatoeducatethemainstreamcommunityaboutlocalimmigrantsandtodevelopdiscussionandactivityguidesforcommunityoutreach
Connecting with Immigrant PopulationsMinoritypopulationsandgroupsconcernedwithsupportingtheidentitiesofmarginalizedpopulationshaveincreasinglyturnedtocommunitymediaassourcesofinformationvali-dationofcultureandproductionsupportforthecreationoftheirowncontentCommunitymediahavehelpedcallattentiontothelivesandconcernsofimmigrantcommuni-tiesthatareotherwiseinvisibleoutsidetheirparticularcommunityBecausetheyoftenhavefoundinnovativewaystousecommunitymediafornetworkingandsocialchangeimmigrantpopulationsillustratethepowerofcommunity
mediaandpresentrichopportunitiesformakingcommu-nitymediaorganizationsmorediverseandparticipatoryRoundtableparticipantssharedlessonsinwhatworksandofferedspecificideasforframinganewcommunitymediaprogramaddressingtheneedsofimmigrantsandreceivingcommunitiescalledNew Routes to Community Health
Inreachingouttoimmigrantcommunitiesround-tableparticipantsnotedthatitiscriticaltoidentifyandworkwithexistingagenciesthatimmigrantstrustperhapsachurchorassociationforaparticularethnicgroupButthoughimmigrantgroupsarethemostappropriateconve-nersofsuchcollaborativestheymustalsohavethecapacitytoconvene
TheselectionofplatformalsodeservescarefulconsiderationRoundtableparticipantsnotedthatinadapt-ingtechnologiestotheirownpurposesspecificimmigrantgroupsoftenpreferoneplatformoveranotherForexampleChicagorsquosKorean-AmericancommunityhasbeensuccessfulinusingethnicprintmediatoaddresscommunityissuesThePersianstorytellingtraditionhasmadePersianahugeandgrowinglanguagesegmentonblogsPersianisnowthefourthmostwidelyusedlanguageonweblogs(Macintyre2004)A2000surveyofSomalianimmigrantsinMinnesotashowedthatoverfortypercenteventhenconsideredtheInternettheirmainnewssource(Aynte2006)
RadioinparticularhasshowntremendouspowerinthedevelopingworldpartlyasaresultoftheUnitedNationsrsquoemphasisonradioasthemediumsupportingthemostwidespreadpracticeofcommunitymediaintheworldBecausetheyarefamiliarwithradiobeforecomingtotheUnitedStatesimmigrantgroupsoftenquicklyembraceradiouponarrivalinthiscountryItisalsooneofthemostinexpensiveformsofmediaandthereforeoneofthemostaccessibleldquoIftheycomefromLatinAmericatheyknowthepowerofradiordquoChicagoparticipantsnotedenthusiasti-callyLocalcommercialSpanish-languageradiostationseffectivelyhelpedmobilizeturnoutforimmigrationprotestsinChicagoinMay2006
community spotlightManycommunitiesintheUnitedStatescanpointwithpridetotheachievementsoftheircommunitymediaorganizationsWhenattemptingtoidentifybestpracticesinthenetworkedmediaenvironmentsweseetodayhoweveritisusefultothinkintermsofinterconnectionandcol-laborationnottolooksimplyatindividualmediacentersorbroadcaststationsOftenthemostsuccessfulexamplesofcommunitymediaemergeoutofongoingalliancesandcollaborationsamonglocalcommunitymediagroupsThe
Thekeytocreatingrelevantoutreachisresearchingwhatthecommunityneeds
communitiesspotlightedbelowhavebegunincorporatingpartnershipsandcross-platformcollaborationintothepracticeofcommunitymediaandhavebeguntoreapthebenefitsofthatapproach
Portland OregonTheMetro Government Community Media InitiativeillustratesthepotentialpowerofcommunitiesworkingtogethertoproducetheirownmediaratherthanhavingtheirstoryframedbycommercialnewsorganizationsAlthoughtheprojecthasnowendeditisincludedherebecauseitprovidedsuchastrongmodelforfuturecommu-nitymediaeffortsTheinitiativewasrootedinaproposalbylocalindependentfilmmakerTomChamberlinthatlocalmediamakerscommunitymediaorganizationscommunitygroupsandgovernmentagenciescollaboratetoproducepublicaffairstelevisionprogramsonissuesofconcerntoOregoniansMetroauniqueregionalgovernmentprimarilyresponsibleforregionalland-useandtransportationplan-ningtookChamberlinrsquosideatoheartWithagrantfromtheFederalHighwayAdministrationMetroandanallianceofcommunityorganizationsandgovernmentagenciesdevel-opedldquoZigZagRealStoriesNewAnglesrdquoaprogrambylocalfilmmakersfeaturingpersonalstoriesfromadiversegroupofregionalresidentsastheygrappledwiththetransporta-tionchoicesaffectingtheirfamiliesneighborhoodsandcommunities
InadditiontothecenterpiecebroadcastonOregon Public BroadcastingtheprojectcreatedaninteractivewebsiteanddistributedaDVDoftheprogramtothearearsquoscableaccesschannelsElementsoftheprojectalsofoundtheirwayontoPortlandrsquoscommunityradiostationKBOOandpacketsincludingextensivesupportmaterialsandDVDsweremadeavailableforscreeninginneighborhoodcentersandindependentmediavenuesTherewasalsoaplanninganddeliberationprocesstostrategizeabouthowcitizensgovernmentsandmediamakerscancollaboratetocreatecommunitydialogueandsolvecivicproblems
Asurbanspaceisincreasinglydefinedbytelecom-municationsasmuchastransportationandlandusetheprojectalsoillustratesthepowerfuloutcomesthat
canresultwhenregionaltelecommunicationsplanningbecomesintegratedwithlanduseandtransportationplan-ningandwhencommunitymediaareintegratedintobothformalandinformalprocessesofplanninganddelibera-tionTheMetroCommunityMediaInitiativeresultedinasignificantandmeasurableriseinregionalawarenessofthetransportationplanningissuesaddressedbytheproj-ectViewershipandDVDusesofthemediaincommunitysettingsexceededexpectations(Metro2004)AlthoughtheprojectwasnotimmediatelyreplicatedPortlandnowenjoyscontinuingcollaborationsbetweenMetrogovern-mentanditsareacommunitymedia
ParticipationintheMetroGovernmentCommunityMediaInitiative isonlyoneofthemanywaysPortlandrsquosKBOOradiohasdemonstrateditsfullcommitmenttotheoriginaldemocraticintentionsofcommunityradiooverthecourseofitsforty-two-yearhistoryOlderthanNationalPublicRadioKBOOisamongthelongest-liv-ingcommunityradiostationsintheUnitedStatesOfthenoncommercialradiostationsinPortlandKBOOistheonlystationwhosemissioncontainsanexplicitcommit-menttominorityprogrammersandlisteners(SussmanandEstes2004)KBOOrsquoscommitmenttodemocraticpracticeextendstoaboardofdirectorselectedentirelyfromitsmembershipwhichisopentoanyoneandanaggressivetrainingprogramconsistentwiththestationrsquoscommitmenttovolunteer-producedprogrammingmdashallprogrammingisproducedbyvolunteerswithassistanceofpaidstaffTheparticipationofwomenandminoritiesfarexceedthecommunityrsquosracialdemographics(SussmanandEstes2004)
Portland Community Media (PCM)hasarichtwenty-three-yearhistoryinPortlandwhenitcomestousingmediatobuildcommunityPCMstartedoutasacabletelevisionaccesscenterandstillprovidestheadminis-trationandtrainingtoprogramPortlandrsquoscableaccesschannelsbuthasexpandeditsmissiontoembracetheuseofcommunitymediatobringaboutbroaderparticipationincivicandculturallifePCMrsquoswebsitedescribesthecenterldquowiththreewordsndashEducateCommunicateParticipaterdquoCurrentlyPCMhasanumberofcollaborativeprojectssup-portingmedialiteracyandmediaeducationinthepublicschoolsystemitregularlyprogramsmediaproductionsfromPortlandrsquosmediaartscentertheNorthwestFilmandVideoCenteranditisplanningtoexpanditscentertosupporteconomicdevelopmentofmicroenterprisesfornewmedia
The Mt Hood Cable Regulatory Commission(MHCRC)overseesacable-relatedtelecommunicationsdevelopmentforgreaterPortlandOregonServing
Oftenthemostsuccessfulexamplesofcommunitymediaemergeoutofongoingalliancesandcollaborationsamonglocalcommunitymediagroups
thecommunitiesresidentsandlocalgovernmentsofFairviewGreshamPortlandTroutdaleWoodVillageandMultnomahCountyOregonTheMtHoodCableRegulatoryCommissionnegotiatesandenforcescableservicefran-chiseandactsinthepublicinterestoncommunicationspolicyissuesatlocalstateandfederallevelsItwouldbehardtooverstatetheimportanceofMHCRCinfosteringthegrowthofcommunitymediaingreaterPortlandThroughclearandinsightfulregulationofthecablefranchiseithasassuredthatthenecessarynetworksandtelecommu-nicationsinfrastructureareavailabletoallowcommunitymediatogrow
MtHoodrsquosCommunityAccessCapitalGrantsProgramisparticularlynoteworthyTheCapitalGrantsprogramprovidescapitalfundingtocommunicationsprojectsthatsupportsocialjusticecommunityinvolve-mentandtheeffectivedeliveryofservicesthroughcostreductionTheprogramhasallowedscoresofcommunitygroupstoincreasetheircommunicationscapacitythroughtheacquisitionofskillsknowledgeandtechnologyInimplementingthisgrantprogramtheMtHoodCableRegulatoryCommissionhasbeenextremelystrategicinconveninggranteesandcreatingtheconditionsthatleadtopartnershipsandcollaborativerelationships
TheNorthwest Film and Video Centerisalong-standingregionalmediaartsorganizationservingtheNorthwestregionThecenterprovidesarichprogramnurturingmediaartscultureItfeaturesanactiveexhibi-tionprogramforexperimentalandindependentfilmsahighlyregardedfilmschoolandextensiveyouthmediaprogramsThecenterpresentsanumberofyearlyfilmfestivalsincludingthePortlandInternationalFilmFestivaltheNorthwestFilmandVideoFestivalandtheYoungPeoplersquosFilmampVideoFestivalThecenterrsquosproductionsoftenfindtheirwayontotothearearsquoscablechannelsThecenterisalsoatrustedsourceofequipmentaccessforareaindependentproducersactiveintherichmediacultureofPortlandaservicepartiallysupportedbytheMtHoodCableRegulatoryCommissionrsquosCapitalGrantsprogram
Minneapolis-St Paul MinnesotaTheSaint Paul Neighborhood Network(SPNN)isacableaccessstationservingStPaulresidentsThestationprovidesopportunitiestothepublictoproduceandairprogramsononeofitsfivechannelsdedicatedtomulti-faithpubliceducationcommunityandinternationalcontentrespectivelySPNNhasayoutheducationprogramandacommunityproductionsprogramwhichworkswithnonprofitorganizationstocreatepublicserviceadvertise-
mentsorprogrammingWorkshopsincludeproductiongrantproposalwritinglegalquestionsandlightingSPNNisparticularlyeffectiveasconvenerandcapacitybuilderinitscommunityItseducationandtrainingprogramsarefocusedoncommunitydevelopmentandonkeepingthetechnicaltrainingelementsofitsworkinasocialperspective
Minneapolis Television Network(MTN)isSPNNrsquossisteraccessstationservingMinneapoliswithasimilarcommitmenttoprovidingacommunitygatheringplaceOperatingthreepublicaccesschannelsMTNofferstelevi-siontrainingandmedialiteracyclassesandisespeciallyencouragingofyouthparticipationThechannelsserveasabridgeforimmigrantstouseinadaptingtotheirnewhomemanynewimmigrantsusethemtocommunicateintheirnativelanguageswiththeirSomaliEthiopianorVietnamesecompatriotsSomali-languageprogramsforinstanceoffereighthoursaweekofmusicentertainmentcommunitynewsandreligiousinstructiontooneofthelargestsettlementsofSomalipeopleoutsideSomaliaIntoutingSomalitelevisionasthebestpublicaccesscabletelevisionprogramintheTwinCitiesCity Pages saidldquoForsomepublicaccessisanearlyinspiringlessonindemocracyandfreemediardquo(CityPages2004)WantingtostrengthenthenonprofitcommunityrsquosInternetsavvyMTNcreatedandeventuallyspunofftheRiverProjecttoofferInternetdial-upaccessandwebhostingtononprofits
PublicbroadcastershavealsoofferedstrongmodelsofcommunitycollaborationintheTwinCities Twin Cities Public Television(TPT)isthepublictelevisionstationservingtheMinneapolisndashStPaulregionIn2004TPTbegandedicatingtimeononeofitsdigitalchan-nelstoMinnesota-relatedprogrammingAnumberoftheprogramsontheMinnesota Channel(someofwhicharethencablecastonpublicaccesstelevision)aretargetedatLatinoHmongHindiMiddleEasternChineseandVietnamesecommunitiesandproducedinpartnershipwithnonprofitorganizationsTPTisapartnerintheMinnesotaCommunityCampaignthatencouragesurbanandruralareasinandaroundtheTwinCitiestowelcomethetensofthousandsofimmigrantsandrefugeesthathavesettledthereinthepastseveraldecadesSeekingtoeffectpositivechangeonimmigrantissuesthroughartmediaeducationsocialserviceandpolicymakingthecampaignproducedtheldquoTheNewMinnesotansrdquoasixty-minuteprogramthatoriginallyairedonTPTbasedontheKartemquinseriesldquoTheNewAmericansrdquo
InadditiontocommunityradiostationKFAItheTwinCitiesishometoMinnesota Public Radio(MPR)
whichhaspioneeredafreshapproachtojournalismcalledpublicinsightjournalism(PIJ)PIJtapsintothecollectiveknowledgeofMPRrsquosdiverseaudiencetoenrichitsreport-ingCreatingaten-thousand-personPublicInsightNetworkviathewebthestationinvitesthepublictobesourcesofstoryideasreactionsandperspectivesandbrainstormingonpublicissues
TheindependentfilmandvideocommunityworkscollaborativelyintheTwinCitiestosupportandpromoteartistandcommunityperspectivesIFP Minnesota Center for Media Arts Intermedia ArtsandtheWalker Art Center areamongthemulti-disciplinaryvenuesfordiscus-sionandproduction
AndtheInternetishometoanewaggregationofcommunitymediasourcesAccordingtoitswebsitethe Twin Cities Daily PlanetaprojectoftheTwinCitiesMediaAllianceisldquoacommunitynewswireandsyndicationserviceshowcasingthebestworkoftheneighborhoodandcommunitypressaswellasworkbyTwinCitiesindepen-dentjournalistsandthevoicesofengagedcitizensThepremiseoftheTC Daily PlanetisthatnewtechnologiesaremakingitpossibleforthesecitizenstobecomemoreactiveandpowerfulparticipantsinthenewsproductionprocessrdquoModeledafterKorearsquosOhmyNewstheTC Daily Planetseekstoimprovethequalitydiversityandaccount-abilityofthelocalmediaandtoinvolvetherapidlygrowingimmigrantandethniccommunitiesItrecruitsandofferstrainingtocitizenjournalistsandhaspartnershipswithoverfortyneighborhoodandcommunitymedia
Chicago IllinoisChicago Access Network Television(CAN-TV)offersfivepublicaccesschannelstoChicagolandresidentsThispublicspaceprovidesChicagoansanopportunitytodiscussissuesoflocalconcernpromotehealtheducationalandeconomicresourcesinthecommunityandcelebratelocaltalentandinitiativesCAN-TVprovidesvideotrainingequipmentandfacilitiesforarearesidentsandnonprofitgroupsItvideotapesandcablecastspublicforumstownhallmeetingscommunityeventsandotheractivitiesoflocalinterestThroughthisservicethestationprovidesChicagoanswithaccesstoinformationtheymaynototh-erwisehavethroughcommercialtelevisionForinstanceCAN-TVworkedwitheighttotenAIDSagenciestodissemi-natebasiceducationaboutAIDSpreventionvialivecall-inprograms
CAN-TVsupportsChicagorsquosassociationsandnonprof-itsthroughserviceslikeliveldquohot-linerdquocall-inshowsfrom
automatedstudiosthatonepersoncanoperateproductionservicesthatgenerateprogrammingforcommunityeventsandstrategiccommunicationsplanningworkshopsCAN-TVhasrefusedtofollowasimplisticldquoneutralityrdquoprogram-mingphilosophyinwhichtheaccesscentertransmitsonlyprogrammingthatrandomlycomesfromthecommunityInsteadCAN-TVactivelycreatesprogrammingimportanttocommunitydevelopmentInadditiontoitsfocusonnonprofitsCAN-TVactivelycreatespartnershipswithcon-tent-richgroupssuchaslocalmuseumsandartsgroupsItalsopartnerswithlocalmediaactivistproductiongroupslikeVideoMacheteandStreetLevelYouthMedia(profiledbelow)SimilarlyCAN-TVaggressivelyengagesinprogram-mingforlocalelectionsatypicalelectionseasonwillgeneratearoundtwohundredhoursoforiginalprogram-mingeachmonthandnearlyallthecandidateswillbefeaturedoractuallycreatetheirownCAN-TVprogrammingtocarryouttheircampaigns
Street-Level Youth MediaprovidesopportunitiesforChicagorsquosurbanyouthtousemediaartsandemergingtechnologiesforself-expressioncommunicationandsocialchangeItsstaffprovidesinstructioninvideoandaudioproductioncomputerartandtheInternettohelpyouthaddresscommunityissuesaccessadvancedcommunica-tionstechnologyandgaininclusioninsocietyInoneprojectitcollaboratedwithtwoseventh-gradeteachersandanESLinstructortohelpstudentsresearchissuesaboutimmigrationinoneneighborhoodTheteachersweretrainedtousevideoandthentrainedotherteacherswhoguidedtheirstudentsinproducingvideosforscreeningattheschoolMorethanthirtyvideoswerecreatedandvideotrainingandusehasbeenincorporatedintotheschoolcurriculum
Radio Arte(WRTE)istheonlybilingual(Spanish-English)youth-operatedurbancommunitystationinthecountryItoperateswithafocusonyouthinChicagorsquosPilsenandLittleVillageneighborhoodsAninitiativeoftheNationalMuseumofMexicanArtthiseducationalradiostationhasservedChicagoformorethansixyearstrainingyouthwithapriorityondevelopingindividualandgroupcommunicationcompetenciesthatallowyoungpeopletoenterpubliclifewithconfidencethroughthebroadcastmediumProvidingaforumforyoungpeopletobecreativeandresponsibletothelargestMexicancommunityintheMidwestRadioArteiscommittedtotrainingyoungpeopleintheartofbroadcastingRadioArtersquosuniquetwo-yeartrainingprogramprovidesyouthwithspecialcoursesonwritingforradioandjournalismvoicetrainingand
FCCregulationsaswellasbasiccomputerskillsproduc-tionskillsandon-airtrainingParticipatingintwograntroundsofSoundPartnersforCommunityHealththestationrsquosldquoRadioVidardquoproducedprogrammingonsubstanceabuseandaddictionbyandforLatinoyouth
Casa Guatemala Media Projectisanonprofitcommunity-basedorganizationthatservestheGuatemalanandbroaderLatinAmericancommunityinChicagoandtheMidwestSinceitsfoundingin1986ithasusedmediaincludingwebprintTVandradiotoraiseconsciousnessaboutissuesaffectingcommunitiesfromLatinAmericaInparticularitworkswithCAN-TVtoprovidetheeducationalcomponentofself-authoredmediathatwillpositivelytrans-formcommunitiesthroughworkshopsontheproductionandalternativeusesofemergingtechnologies
Beyond Media EducationworkswithunderservedandunderrepresentedcommunitiesprimarilywomenandyouthtotelltheirstoriesandorganizeforsocialjusticethroughthecreationanddistributionofalternativemediaandartsInarecenteffortitworkedwithaChicagosheltertohelpstreetwalkerstelltheirownstoriesinanefforttoraisepublicawarenessandpromotestate-levelreformsTheorganizationorganizedasix-monthworkshopthatincludedteachingandpracticingstorytellingpublicspeak-ingandvideoproductionskillstooveradozenprostitutesTheirgroundbreakingvideogivesinsightsintoChicagorsquossextradeindustryandrecountsthetriumphofthepar-ticipantsoverhomelessnessviolenceanddiscriminationTheirlobbyinginthestatecapitolresultedinpassageofabilltodestigmatizeanddecriminalizesexworkers
Keepingtabsonandshowcasingmuchofthecom-munitymediaactivityfromajournalisticperspectiveistheCommunity Media Workshop (CMW) CMWservesasabridgebetweensocialactivistscommunitymediaprac-titionersandjournalistsIthostsanannualacademyforprogressiveorganizationsintheChicagoareathatbringsactivistsandjournaliststogethertoshareideasandatti-tudesProminentareatelevisionandnewspaperjournalistsarerecruitedtoserveonpanelsleadworkshopsandgenerallysharetheirideasofhowprogressivegroupscaneffectivelygaintheattentionofthepressThisapproach
leadstobuy-infromkeypersonnelinChicagorsquosmainstreammediawhocannowbetterunderstandthegrassrootsgroupsthatapproachthemandtheirissuesItalsogivescommunityparticipantsattheworkshopstheopportunitytodevelopmorepersonalrelationshipswithkeymembersofthemediaThisapproachalsoenablescommunitygroupstobetterunderstandwhatmotivateseditorsandreporters
ThesethreecommunitiesshowcommondevelopmentpatternsandfactorsCommunitymediaorganizationshavebeguntounderstandtheirmissionsintermsofasharedcultureofcommunitymedialookingbeyondtheirindivid-ualmissionstothecommonsocialandpoliticalvaluestheyhaveincommonThisapproachopensthewayforcommu-nityradiomediaartscenterscommunitymediacentersandcableaccesstocreatecommunity-wideprograminitiativesinwhichseveralmediaplatformsareengagedItcreatestheconditionsinwhichitispossibleforcommunitymediaorganizationstoactwithunifiedstancesinpoliticaladvocacyregardingmediaissuesandotherissuescriticaltotheircommunitiesThiskindofcross-platformnetworkingalsocreatesopportunitiesforcommunitymediatoreceivemorediversefundingandsupportfromthecommunityastheyextendthenetworkorcultureofcollaborationtocom-munitydevelopmentgroupsandofficialsintheirregions
Communitymediaorganizationshavebeguntounderstandtheirmissionsintermsofasharedcultureofcommunitymedialookingbeyondtheirindividualmissionstothecommonsocialandpoliticalvaluestheyhaveincommon
ldquoThe boldest experiments in public telecommunica-tions take place when technologies are new and their commercial potential not yet fully apparentrdquo mdash Ralph Engelman 1996
Acrosstheirmanyplatformsandmanycommunitiescommunitymediahavebecomecentralculturalinstitutionsinthecivicculturalandeconomiclife
ofourcommunitiesprovidinginvaluablemediaprogram-mingaccessandeducationTheycaninsuchinstancesenablecommunitiestodevelopinformedcitizensartistsandactivistswhopossesstheskillsandknowledgeneededtograpplewithcomplexmedialiteracyanddevelopmentissuesatthelocallevel
Fordecadescommunitymediaorganizationshaveaddressedtheurgentneedtocreatelocalinstitutionsthatfacilitatecitizenaccesstomedianetworksandeffectiveparticipationinmediacultureforbothcitizensandwork-ersTheyareprovingthemselvesvitaltothepoliticalandeconomiclifeoftheircommunitiesTheyplaymultiplerolessimultaneouslyascriticalculturalenhancementstothequalityofciviclifeasemployersandaseducationalsitesforworkforcedevelopment
difficultyNeworganizationalformsandnewmediaformatslikestreamingarchivingpodcastingandbloggingarebecomingthenormpartofldquoblendedrdquoproductionanddis-seminationpracticesincommunitymedia
neW communicAtion spAces cyberjournAlismTheincreaseinInternetbandwidthandtheavailabilityofonlinesocialnetworkingsoftwarehavequalitativelychangedtherelationshipofjournaliststotheiraudiencesNewwebdestinationslikeMySpaceShutterflyFriendsterFlikrEviteandGooglearedevelopingvirtualcommuni-tiesforsharingvideoattractingyoungeraudiencesandmakingcontentmorethanpassiveandone-directionalSocialnetworkingsoftwareenablespeopletorendezvousconnectorcollaboratethroughcomputer-mediatedcom-municationandformonlinecommunities(Spannerworks2007)PopularsocialnetworksoftwareapplicationslikeweblogsorblogsseemparticularlywellsuitedtoparticipatorycitizenjournalismallowingeasypublishingofinteractivetextphotoaudioandvideocontentTheneweasewithwhichvideoclipscanbepreparedforuseonthewebhasbroughtontheriseofldquovlogsrdquoandsitesthatfacilitatethesharingofvideoclipsandaccompanyingcontentAnenormousrangeofblogsandcyberjournalisticsiteshavesprungupontheWorldWideWebinthepastfiveyearswithanequallywiderangeofeditorialstandardsandpracticesTechnoraticomcurrentlytracksseventeenmillionblogssharingoneandahalfmillionhyperlinks(Rennie2006)APewCenterInternetstudyestimatesthatthenumberofregularblogreadersintheUnitedStatesisequivalenttoalmosthalftheentireradioaudiencewhichisaboutaquarteroftheUSnewspaperreadership(Rennie2006)
Combinedwithaffordablenewdigitalmediaproduc-tioncamerasandrecorderstheseweb-baseddisseminationtoolsmakeitpossibleforcitizensandconsumerstoparticipateactivelyinnewsgatheringNonprofessionalshavebeguntoplayamoreactiveroleintheprocessesofjournalismfromcollectinginformationandreportingtoanalysisanddisseminationJanSchafferwhodirectsJ-LabaUniversityofMarylandincubatorforinteractivejournalismprojectsexplainsthatmanypeoplearebecom-ingmoreactivecitizensthroughjournalisticactivitybutdonotnecessarilyaspiretobejournalistsThenewtechnical
envisioning the future of community mediA
Communitymediaorganizationsareprovingthemselvesvitaltothepoliticalandeconomiclifeoftheircommunities
Communitymediaarealsocontributingimportantvaluespracticesandorganizationalmethodologiestotheemergingcollaborativemediaenvironmentsoftheblogo-sphereWecanlooktothesecontributionsastechnologicalandorganizationalopportunitiesforstrengtheningandexpandingcommunitymediapracticeWiththeInternetamediacultureisemergingthatismoreconsistentwiththenoncommercialpracticesofcommunitymediaproductioncollaborationanddemocraticparticipationinmediamak-inganddistributionConsequentlymanycommunitymediaorganizationsareintegratingthecapacitiesoftheInternetandnewmediaintotheirpracticeswithoutmuchfanfareor
0
capacityforcommunicationsheobservesallowspeopletoldquoparticipateinnewsandinformationinvariouswaysmdashparticipateininteractingwithitquestioningittruth-squadingitandcreatingitAndnowthattheyhavethetechtoolsandthetechskillstodothattheappetitehasonlyincreasedrdquo(Schaffer2005b)
SuchconditionshavesetthestageforintensepopularinterestinwhathasbeenbrandedldquowemediardquoorldquoparticipatoryjournalismrdquoTodaynumerousonlinejournalisticexperimentsbringtogetherprofessionaljour-nalistswithcitizenmediaactivistsandthoseinvolvedineventsMoreandmoretheearliestimagesandinformationregardingbreakingnewsarecomingfromnon-journalistspresentatthemomentoftheeventAsaresultjournalistsarebeginningtoconceptualizethemselvesnotsomuchasgatekeepersofnewsbutasmoderatorsinaconversationwithlicenseandtimetospeakfrequentlyandhopefullyaccurately(BowmanandWillis2003)
Thiskindofcommunity-centeredcoveragemayentailthere-balancingofeditorialpoliciesndashcommittingtodiversityembracingegalitarianvaluesandreassessingthevalueofeditorialneutralityItputsintoquestiontheroleandsignificanceofofteninnovativeldquopersonalmediardquoexemplifiedbythemillionsofbloggingsitesontheWebIsthiskindofldquonewsrdquoservingapubliccivicpurposeofcommunityproblemsolvingorindividualprivateexpres-sionInaWashington PostopinionpieceonDecember212006GeorgeKWillvoicedskepticismoftheseriousnessofmuchofthewebrsquosamateurjournalisminresponsetoTimemagazinersquosnamingallofusPersonoftheYear
Itisdifficulttopredictthefutureofcyberjournal-ismandbloggingpreciselyintheseearlystagesbutthreeoutcomesseemlikelyFirstbloggingwillcontinueitsrapidintegrationintomainstreammediacontentSecondblog-gingandotherformsofsocialnetworkingsoftwarewillgiverisetonewmediaentitiesthatwillchallengemainstreammedialocallynationallyandglobally
ThethirdoutcomeistheonemostrelevanttoacommunitymediascanCyberjournalismandparticipatory
citizenjournalismseemparticularlywellsuitedtoaddressthecurrentUSmassmediarsquosdifficultyinprovidingcoverageoflocaleventsinsmallercommunitiessuburbanregionsandcommutercommunitiesthataredevelopingoutsideformalpoliticaljurisdictionsCommunity-basedonlinejournalismsiteshavesprungupinhundredsofcom-munitiesaroundtheUnitedStatesTheyaremanagedandorganizedinwidelydivergentways
AnexperimentincyberjournalismandcommunitynetworkingtheTwin Cities Daily PlanetaggregatessomeofthebestjournalismfromMinnesotarsquosTwinCitiesneighborhoodandcommunitypressandindependentjour-nalistsaswellasthevoicesofengagedcitizenspresentingthemtothepublicthroughaninteractivewebsiteandcommunitydatabaseByaggregatingcitizenandneighbor-hoodjournalisminonesiteitincreasesthecapacityofsmallneighborhoodmediatoreachbeyondtheirborderstoawiderregionalaudienceUsingRealSimpleSyndication(RSS)softwaretheTC Daily Planetcanpotentiallyreachaglobalaudience
AprojectoftheTwinCitiesMediaAlliancetheTC Daily PlanetisaverynewformofcommunitymediaemergingfromtherestructuringofthenewspaperindustryandtheuseofbloggingandsocialnetworkingsoftwareAlthoughearlyinitsdevelopmenttheTC Daily Planetisgivingvoicetoanincreasingnumberofethnicimmi-grantandnon-mainstreamjournalistswhilefocusingthecommunityrsquosattentiononafargreaterrangeofpublicationsandideas
TheearliestexpressionsofcyberjournalismaretheIndependent Media Centers (IMCs)orIndymediaIndymediacameintobeingaspartoftheprotestsanddemonstrationsaroundtheWorldTradeOrganizationtalksheldinSeattleWashingtonin1999ThisfirstIMCwasaconvergenceoftheemerginginteractivityoftheInternetwiththeintenseneedofprotesterstogetindependentinformationouttotheworldabouttheprotestsAnetworkofindependentcommunitymediamakersactivistsandjournalistsbandedtogethertopoolresourcesandinforma-tion(Howley2005)
TheIMCsforeshadowedthebloggingandvideodis-tributionthatwasshortlytoemergebyusingtheInternetandtheWorldWideWebinconjunctionwithvideoandaudiodistributiontocreateatrulyunprecedentedmulti-mediaenvironmentIntermsofbothqualityandquantitytheSeattleIMCwasanimpressiveperformancebyanynewsandcurrentaffairsstandardsOverthecourseofthefive-dayprotestsadailynewspaperanddailyradioprogramwerecreatedandcountlessprintstoriesweredisseminated
Journalistsarebeginningtoconceptualizethemselvesnotsomuchasgatekeepersofnewsbutasmoderatorsinaconversation
globallyalsovideofeedsweresentthroughtheInternettopublicaccessandcommunitychannelsaroundtheworldSixyearsaftertheSeattleproteststherewere149Indymediawebsitesinabout45countriesonsixcontinents(Whitney2005)
TheopenformofcommunicationpracticedbymostIMCsiteshasnotbeenwithoutproblemsandcontra-dictionsManysitesarenowclutteredwithideologicaldiatribesanduneditedcontent(Halleck2002Whitney2005)ButthereareanumberofIndymediasitesthatprovidealternativenewsandinformationregardingaglobalscopeofconcernsthatwouldbeverydifficulttoobtainanywhereelseinthemediaAnumberofsitesinplacessuchasNewYorkCityPortlandOregonandtheSanFranciscoBayareahaveestablishedthemselvesasstablepartsoftheircommunityrsquosmediaculture
companiesspecializedsuppliersserviceprovidersandassociatedinstitutionsinaparticularfieldthatarepresentinanationorregionrdquo(Porter2000)Thecompaniesinanindustryclusterhaveacomplexwebofmutuallysupportingrelationshipsthatencompassbothcompetitiveandcollab-orativerelationshipsTheylinkacrossprofitandnonprofitpracticesutilizecommoninfrastructuremakecommoncontributionstothedevelopmentofahighlyskilledwork-forcesharefundingandinsomecasestalentedstaff
Increasinglycommunitydevelopmentpractitionersandanalystsarecomingtounderstandindustryclustersaspowerfulstrategiesforbotheconomicandcommunitydevelopmentinthetwenty-firstcenturyThisisprovingdoublytruefornonprofitcommunitymediaorganizationswhoseroleitistobringpowerfultoolsandknowledgetoanycommunityrsquosdeliberationsaroundcommunityandeco-nomicdevelopmentBroadbandandwirelessnetworksareprovidingthepracticalmeansoflinkingcommunitymediaorganizationswithincommunitiesofferingakeystrategicadvantagebyenhancingtheeffectivenessofcollaborationandpartnershipbuilding
AstheexamplesinthepreviouschaptershowcommunitymediaorganizationsaretakingonnewrolesincludingcombiningproductionandtrainingtakingonworkforcedevelopmentfunctionsandbecomingtechnologycentersfordiffusionofnewmediaBeyondtheseexampleslongstandingsuccessfulcommunitymediaorganiza-tionsaremergingasnetworkclusterslinkingdifferentgroupsandorganizationswithincommunitiestocreateentirelynewcommunitymediaorganizationsorblurringtheboundariesbetweentheirorganizationsOthersarebringinghistoricallyseparatecommunitymediagroupswithinoneorganizationalstructureorunderonerooftosharebuildingsandcommunicationsinfrastructuresinacost-effectivemanner
TheorganizationsthatemergefromthisintegrationmaybesimilarinfunctionthoughtheirnamesremaindifferentAcommunity-basedsiteforcitizenmediaandcyberjournalismforexampleandacommunitynetworklikeMAINinAshevilleNorthCarolinaoracutting-edgecableaccesscenterlikeGrandRapidsCommunityTelevisionbegintolookverymuchalikeintermsof
Increasinglycommunitymediadevelopmentishappeningthroughnetworksoflocalnonprofitmediaorganizationsratherthanwithinsingleorganizations
neW orgAnizAtionAl spAces netWorked clusters Perhapsthemostpromisingtrendonthehorizonforcom-munitymediaistheemergenceofnewhighlyintegratedorganizationalstructuresandcollaborativeprocessesIncreasinglycommunitymediadevelopmentishappeningthroughnetworksoflocalnonprofitmediaorganizationsratherthanwithinsingleorganizations
Inmanywaysthesereorganizationsatthecom-munitylevelparalleltherestructuringtakingplaceintheprivatecorporatesectorTherecommunicationsnetworksarebeingusedtosupportcomplexpartnershipsandjointcompanyprojectdevelopmentinteractivenetworkseasetheaggregationoflargeorstrategiccapitalandemployeeskillsetsacrossgeographicandorganizationalboundariesforthepurposesofinnovationandmarketdevelopmentInthelanguageofcommunityandeconomicdevelop-mentthesecomplexpartnershipsareknownasldquocreativeclustersrdquoorldquoindustryclustersrdquoMichaelPorteraleadingtheoristandproponentoftheconceptofclustersdefinesthemasldquogeographicconcentrationsofinterconnected
Successfulcommunitymediaorganizationsaremergingasnetworkclusters
technologyprogrammingactivitiesandtheexperienceofcommunityaudiencesvolunteersandparticipantsEachorganizationreliesonnoncommercialaffordablebandwidtheachplayssomeroleinadvocatingforsupportivegovern-mentpoliciesandeachisexperimentingwiththepotentialofnewcollaborativemediatoolsOftencommittedtoengagingandtrainingvolunteersandcommunitymembersinsomemannertheymayoffertrainingandvolunteerpro-gramsthatrequiresimilarsharableonlinetutorialsandonlineoutreachandschedulemanagementtools
TheexamplesthatfollowdemonstratethewayscommunitymediacreativeclustersaremakinguniquecontributionstotheircommunitiesrsquoqualityoflifeandeconomicwellbeingTheyaredoingsointhreeimportantwaysbullfirstbyamplifyingtherolethatartsandculturalgroups
playinenhancingthequalityoflifeandattractingatalentedworkforceandcapitaltothecommunitymdasharolethatisgaininginsignificanceinthetwenty-firstcentury
bullsecondascontributorstocoreeconomicdevelopmentfunctionsinthecommunityincludingworkforcedevelop-mentandtrainingasmicro-enterpriseincubatorsandascreatorsofnewknowledgeandeducationalexperiencesand
bullthirdasfacilitatorsandcatalystsofcommunitydialoguecommittedtoembracingmarginalizedvoicesandallow-ingthecommunitytoundertakeitsowndevelopmentdemocratically
Lowell MassachusettsLowell Telecommunications Center(LTC)isapublicandgovernmentaccesschannelandmediaandtechnologycen-terItprovideseducationandtraininginmediacreationincludingwebdesigndigitalphotographyandtelevisionproductionLTCworksincollaborationwithotherlocalcommunity-basedorganizationsmunicipaldepartmentsandeducationalentitiestoproducediversemulticulturalprogrammingthatmeetsthecommunityrsquoscommunica-tionandinformationneedsLTChasbecomeaconvening
organizationforbuildingcapacityamongLowellrsquosnonprofitcommunity-basedorganizationsintheiruseofparticipatorymediaandcivicengagementstrategies
LTCismorefocusedthanothercommunitymediaorganizationsoncommunitybuildingandcommunicationtechnologyThecorporationisworkingtobuildanetworkforparticipatorymediaandcivicengagementthroughouttheMerrimacRiverValleyThroughaUSDepartmentofEducationgrantLTCacquiredfundingandstafftohelpitspartnerorganizationsbecomeInternet-capableassesstheirinformationtechnologyneedsacquiretechnologyupgradestoaddressthoseneedsandundertakethetrainingtousethetechnologyeffectively
RatherthanwaitingforgroupstocometoitscenterLTCcreatedacircuitridertrainingprogramthattookthetrainingprogramintothecommunityThroughLTCrsquosinformationtechnologycenterscoresofcommunitygroupshavereceivedtrainingdesignedandcreatedwebsitesanddevelopedstrategiccommunicationsplansforthefutureThosedevelopmentsincludeweb-basedhistoricalarchivesGISmappingsystemsmultimediamaterialsandInternetvideoTohelporganizationsacquirethesoftwaretheyneedtocarryouttheirmissionsLTCcreatedtheCommunitySoftwareLabwhichdevelopsuniquesoftwaretofittheneedsofareanonprofitsThelabhasbeenspunofftocreateaseparatenonprofitentityjoiningthegrowingnumberofindependentorganizationsthatnetworkthroughLTC
ThemostrecentLTCinitiativeisldquoDigitalBicyclerdquoapeer-to-peernetworkthatallowsmediacentersworldwidetodownloadandsharelocalcontentLTCstaffenvisionDigitalBicycleasanonlinecommunityforcableaccessmediaartsindependentmediaandothernoncommercialmedia
Grand Rapids MichiganldquoBuildingcommunitythroughmediardquoThissimplemissionstatementguidedtheGrand Rapids Community Media Center(GRCMC)asitevolvedfromatypicalcableaccessoperationtobecomeabroad-basedmultimediacenterandamodelforthedevelopmentofcommunitymultimediacentersintheUnitedStatesOverthepasttwentyyears
Communitymediacreativeclustersaremakinguniquecon-tributionstotheircommunitiesrsquoqualityoflifeandeconomicwellbeing
LTCisworkingtobuildanetworkforparticipatorymediaandcivicengagementthroughouttheMerrimacRiverValley
GRCMChaspulledthediversecommunitymediaactivitiesofGrandRapidsunderoneorganizationalumbrellaandtakentheleadinarticulatingthepotentialforaggregatingnoncommercialnetworkedcommunicationsthere
Theevolvingnetworkofmediaplatformsdis-ciplinesandculturalgroupsthatconvergetobecomeGRCMCnowincludesthefollowingcentersofpracticeGRTVacommunitytelevisioncenterthatprogramsmultiplecableaccesschannelsWYCEacommunityradiostationGrandnetacommunitytechnologyandnetworkcenterthatprovidescitizenandnonprofitaccesstotheInternetandtheGrandRapidsInstituteforInformationDemocracyacriticalmediaeducationandresearchcenterthattracksmediaandlocalpublicinterestissuesandpub-lishesinformationonmediaaccountabilityandreform
ButtheGrandRapidsCommunityMediaCenterismorethanthesumofitspartsThecomponentsofthecenterworktogetherinamutuallyreinforcingwholethatcreatesapowerfulcommunitymediapresenceinGrandRapidsandallowsthecentertoundertakefarmoreambitiousprojectsandprogrammingthanwouldbethecaseseparatelyOneexcellentexampleistheMobileOn-LineLearningLabforInformationEducationKnownasMOLLIEtheprogramprovidesskilledtrainersanddigitalvideoproductionequipmenttoschoolsandcommunityorganizationsforspecialprojectsOriginallyfundedbyafederalDepartmentofEducationgrantMOLLIEfillsintechnologygapsinGrandRapidseducationalinstitutionsandnonprofitsInthehandsofalessintegratedinstitutiontheMOLLIEprojectcouldeasilybeatechnicallyorientedequipmentloanandtrainingprogramInthehandsofthecenterMOLLIEhasbecomeasophisticatedmediaandtechnologyeducationalinitiativeprovidingatrainingprogramthataddressesmediaeducationfromtheperspec-tiveofallthecomponentsoftheGrandRapidsCommunityMediaCenter
Asheville North CarolinaOneofthemostarticulateeffortsmergingthecreativeclustersideawithparticipatorycommunicationhascomeaboutinAshevilleNorthCarolinaThroughapersistent
collaborationbetweenforwardlookingregionalgroupsandorganizationsndashinvolvingabroadnetworkofindi-vidualscommunitymediaandmediaartsgroupsintheAshevilleregionndashAshevillehaslaidthefoundationforacommunitymediadevelopmentcenterthatwillfunctionasacableaccesscentermediaartscenterandnewmediamicro-enterpriseincubatorAtthecenterofthiseffortisaninformalcoalitionoffourimportantgroupsinAshevilleMountainAreaInformationNetworkMediaArtsProjectBoncombeCountyEconomicDevelopmentCommissionandURTVThegroupsrepresentdistinctpointsofviewandconcernsaswellasconverginginterests
Eachgroupsharedtheinsightthatcivicparticipa-tionandeconomicsuccessinthetwenty-firstcenturyaredirectlyrelatedtohavingaccesstocommunicationstechnologyandknowledgeEachalsounderstoodthattherenegotiationofthecablefranchisesintheCityofAshevilleandsurroundingBoncombeCountywasastrategicmomenttocatalyzeandassociateanumberofcommunity-basedinformationandmediaartsactivitiesalreadyinplaceorplannedinAshevilleThegroupsusedthecablefranchisingprocesstocreateacommonorganizationalandfacilitiesinfrastructuresupportingtheuseofmediaforbothcivicandeconomicdevelopment
The Media Arts Project(MAP)isanetworkofmediaartiststhatcultivatesinnovativeartsandtechnol-ogyinwesternNorthCarolinaMAPworkedtirelesslytoframecableaccessasacommunitydevelopmentissuebridgingthemediaactivistcommunitiesandthemoreforward-thinkingfactionsamongeconomicdevelopmentprofessionalsintheregionWiththerecentopeningofURTV IncAshvillersquoscableaccessorganizationandfacilityMAPanditsnetworkofpartnersarenowturningtheirattentiontofundingthemediaartsandeconomicincubatorelementsofthevision
AshevillersquosinterestinsupportingcommunitymediaarisesfromthepresenceoftheMountain Area Information Network(MAIN)Inthetraditionoftheruralcooperativesthathelpedspreadthereachofelectricityinthe1930sMAINisanonprofitInternetserviceproviderofferingreliablelow-costInternetservicebothinwesternNorthCarolinaandnationwideItisauniquecommunitynetworkwithabroadvisionofitsroleinthecommunitythatencompassesmedialiteracyeconomicdevelopmentstrategiescommunitylow-powerradioacommunity-basedwebportalandtheprovisionofInternetconnectivitytoruralwesternNorthCarolinaMAINislargelyresponsiblefortheremarkableexpansionofInternetaccessibilityinwesternNorthCarolinaallowingthousandsofpeopleto
GRCMChaspulledthediversecommunitymediaactivitiesofGrandRapidsunderoneorganizationalumbrella
spendtheirInternetaccessdollarswithalocallycontrolledandaccountableorganizationMAINdemonstratesthevalueofthecommunitynetworkingconcepttoareasthatarelagginginconnectivityduetofailuresofthemarket
MAINhastakenaleadershiproleinbuildingacommunitymediacultureinAshevillethatdemonstratestheeasewithwhichdigitalmedialeapsorganizationalboundariesItscommunitynetworkrunstheBlueRidgeWebMarketwhichprovidesafreecustomizableInternetpresencetohundredsofsmallbusinessesthroughoutwesternNorthCarolinaItsLatinoDigitalLiteracyProjectofferstrainingtohelpthearearsquosgrowingLatinopopula-tionsaccesstheInternetMAINhasbeenoneofthekeypartnersinbringingacableaccesscentertoAshevilleandhasbeenthedrivingforcebehindWPVMWNCrsquoslow-powerFMradiostationbroadcastinglocalnewsviewsandmusicover-the-airintheAshevilleregion(andtheworldviawebcast)
Cleveland OhioPerhapsthemostrobustcommunity-basednonprofitnetworkintheUnitedStatesOne ClevelandprovideswhatitcallsldquoultrabroadbandnetworkingservicesrdquotoClevelandareaeducationgovernmentresearchartscultureandhealthcareorganizationsOneClevelandoperatesafibernetworkringthatcoversmuchofthecityofClevelandandmanyofitssurroundingsuburbsSubscriberstothenetworkconnectatgigabitspeeds
OneClevelandrepresentswhatcanhappenwhenpowerfulcommunitydevelopmentforcescometoaconsensusregardingtheircommunityrsquosneedforhigh-speedconnectivitytoglobaleconomiesandmediaItsfoundersareClevelandmainstreaminstitutionsCaseWesternReserveUniversityCuyahogaCommunityCollegeClevelandStateUniversityTheCityofClevelandGreaterClevelandRegionalTransitAuthorityideastreamCuyahogaCountyPublicLibraryandNorTechThenetworkhasformedrelationshipswithtechnologycompaniestomaintainup-to-dateapplicationsthatleveragethepotentialofsuchapowerfulnetwork
Oneofthenetworkrsquoskeypartners ideastream illustratesthesignificanceofworkingtogethertomakehigh-speedconnectivitypubliclyavailablethroughoutacommunityonitsowntermsBybuildingahigh-speednet-workOneClevelandhascreatedacivicnetworkspaceandinfrastructurethatallowsanewkindofmultimediapublicmediaorganizationtobecreatedIdeastreamresultedwhenWVIZPBSTelevisionand903WCPNRadiopublicbroad-castersmergedtoformanewnonprofitldquomultimediapublicserviceorganizationrdquoIdeastreamisabletoextenditsmediaexpertisebeyondbroadcastingtoonlinetechnologiesandapplicationsofalltypesmdashwhenyouareconnectingtothenetworkatthegigabitspeedsofOneClevelandrsquostherangeofapplicationsandtheirpotentialarehuge
MAINhastakenaleadershiproleinbuildingacommunitymediacultureinAshevillethatdemonstratestheeasewithwhichdigitalmedialeapsorganizationalboundaries
OneClevelandrepresentswhatcanhappenwhenpowerfulcommunitydevelopmentforcescometoaconsensusregardingtheircommunityrsquosneedforhigh-speedconnectivitytoglobaleconomiesandmedia
Inthecourseofpreparingthisreportndashpouringovertheliteratureandsynthesizinghoursofstructuredround-tableconversationsandone-on-oneinterviewswith
opinionleadersandsuccessfulpractitionersofcommunitymediandashonethingisextremelyclearThewayoursocietymakesandsharesinformationknowledgeandcultureisinaheightenedstateofchangeTheinteractivenatureoftheInternethasdemonstratedthatitispossibletoorganizecommunicationsinamuchmoredemocraticfashionSomehaveconcludedwearewitnessingthetransitionfromanindustrializedinformationenvironmenttoanetworkedinformationenvironmentTheoldindustrialmediastruc-turesbasedonexclusivehigh-costproductionprocessesarebeingchallengedbyanemergingmediasectorinwhichthecostofcreatinginformationknowledgeandculturehasbeenprofoundlyreducedandtheproductsareintercon-nectedwidelythroughnetworksliketheInternet(Benkler2006)IndeedthereisincreasingevidencethatthesenewmediaanddigitalnetworksareparticularlyconducivetononcommercialandnonprofitculturalproductionaswellasmoreparticipatoryandcollaborativemediapracticesInmanywaysthelong-standingvaluesandintentofcommu-nitymediaforeshadowthisnewmediaenvironment
ThescanresearchfocusedonfourkeyareasofinquiryWhataretheuniquecharacteristicsthatdistin-guishcommunitymediaWhatmakesmedia-communitycollaborationssuccessfulWhattypesofcommunitymediaorganizationsbestleveragenewtechnologiesHowmightcommunitymediaengageunderservedpopulationsinprogrammingtailoredtotheirneedsIneachinstancewefoundthatcommunitymediacombinedwithgreaterafford-ablebandwidthandopen-sourceapproachestoproductiondohavetremendouscommunitydevelopmentpotentialHowevernoneofthatpotentialwillcomeaboutmagicallyThecommunitymediasectorisfacingthechallengingtaskofmanagingextensivechangeandtransformation
chAllengesThesuccessdisappointmentsandsocialvalueofthepastsixtyyearsofcommunitymediainitiativesmustbejudgedinhistoricalcontextConsistentmisrepresentationinthemainstreammediaandlimitedunaccommodatingsocialpolicyhaveresultedininadequatevisibilityandfinancialsupportforcommunitymediaAnydiscussionofitssuccessesorfailuresmustincorporateanunderstand-
ingoftheseexternalconstraintsInthislighttheexistingexpressionsofcommunitymediaattheirbestarewildlysuccessfulsocialexperimentsgivingcauseforgreatoptimism
NeverthelesscommunitymediafacebothexternalandinternalchallengesTheinternalchallengesarisefromstructuraltensionsthatoccurinanyattempttocreateorganizationsandculturesthatembodydiversitydemocraticexpressionandequitableaccessRatherthanbeingexpressedasldquoweaknessesrdquoasissooftenthecaseinmainstreammediaandacademiatheseinternaltensionsaremoreproperlyunderstoodaspredictabledevelopmentalproblemsandopportunitiesthatpractitionersshouldbepreparedtograpplewithinanycommunitymediasetting
Balancing Free Expression and Audience Development CommunityradioandpublicaccesscablehavehistoricallyprivilegedtheinterestsofproducersbygrantingthemgreatpoliticalfreedominmakingdecisionsregardingwhatprogrammingtocreateandwhataestheticandformattingapproachestouseThetrade-offforacultureofactivistvolunteerismandfreeexpressionhasbeensmalleraudi-encesandlowerlevelsofproductionandprogramsupportProgramproducerscarryanintensecommitmenttoindi-vidualownershipoftheirprogramminginitiativesthatmaynottaketheaudiencersquosinterestsfullytoheart
Whiletheseapproachesinradioandcableaccesshaveresultedinadiversityofprogrammingandpoliticalviewpointstheyhavealsopreventedradiostationpro-grammersorcableaccessorganizationsfrombuildingaflowofprogramsthatcandefineandconstructanongoingaudienceinthecommunityEachprogramorscheduledprogramslotcarriesitsownmicroaudienceldquofragmentedpublicsrdquothatareoftennotpartofanintegratedflowofpro-grammingthatattractsanaudiencetothechannelsoverall(Higgins2002)
Freeexpressionandaudiencedevelopmentarenotmutuallyexclusivenordoparticipatorymanagementstructuresvolunteerinvolvementandproducertrain-ingprogramsneedtoimpedeaudiencedevelopmentThesuccessofAmyGoodmanandDemocracyNowsoundlydemonstratesthisInfactmanycommunitymediaorgani-zationshavecreatedprogramminginitiativesthatcombinesophisticatedmeasurementsofsocialoutcomeswith
conclusions
trainingandparticipatoryprogramplanningTheyhavenotonlyraisedthesocialvalueoftheirprogrammingtotheircommunitiestheyhavealsoincreasedthesizeandloyaltyoftheiraudiences(Aufderheide2003)Asinteractivemediabegintocreatetheconditionswherenicheprogram-mingcanbefarmoresuccessfulthetensionbetweenfreeexpressionandaudiencedevelopmentisnotonlyachal-lengebutalsoatremendousopportunity
Programming MetricsStillroundtableparticipantsrepeatedlynotedthatevenwhenprogrammingmeetscommunityneedscommunitymediaorganizationscanfinditdifficulttodocumentimpactTheyfeltthatfundershavegenerallynotyetaddressedtheroleofmediainpopularcultureorthepowerofpopularcultureinaddressingsocialproblemsInaddi-tionfundersfindithardtoestablishcost-benefitmeasuresofsocialimpactfortheirmediaexpenditures
ParticipantsaskedformodelsofaudiencefeedbackandoutcomesmeasurementthatgobeyondaudiencenumbersTheyacknowledgedthedifficultyofquantify-ingnotionsofsuccesswhichtendtobeverysubjectiveandofusingsuccessstoriesinthecommonprogrammingmetricsofthedayManyrecognizedskepticismamongfundersabouttheimportanceofcommunitymediaasuspicionaboutagendasandafearofthecostsinvolvedmakingcommunitymediaahardsellEventhoughafewgoodevaluationeffortswereacknowledgedtheircollectiveresultshavenotbeenincorporatedintothethinkingofthewiderfundingcommunity
FundingMulti-yearstablefundingsupportforcommunitymediainitiativesiscriticaltostabilityinnovationandgrowthRoundtableparticipantsdiscussednumerousinstancesinwhichprojectswithmulti-yearsupporthadpowerfulpositiveimpactsextendingbeyondtheinitialprojectgoalsMulti-yearfundingcreatesthestabilitytoundertakeproperstrategicplanningandpartnershipdevelopment
Thereissomeearlyevidencethatamultiple-plat-formnonprofit-orientednichemarketcouldemergeasasignificantopportunitytoprovideenhancedrevenueforthecommunityandnoncommercialmediasectorsTheinterac-tivecapacityofthenewnetworkssignificantlyincreasestherevenuepotentialforcooperativeandsubscription-styleprogrammingflowsHoweverstrongmarketsforcommer-ciallyfundedparticipatorycommunityexpressionhavenotyetemergedinthedigitaleraduetothelimitedsizeofpopulationsandavailableadvertisingsupportIfthereistobeavitalsectorofcommunity-basedmediasomeformofsignificantpublicfundingwillbenecessaryevenininstanceswherecommunitymediaorganizationsmightrealizesignificantrevenuefromnewmarketsInordertomakethemostefficientuseofpublicfundingcommuni-tiesmustevolvefundingandgovernancestructuresforcommunitymediathatcanfacilitatetheaggregationoffundscoordinatemultiple-organizationprojectsandactastrustedconvenersofprogramminganddevelopmentdiscus-sionsincommunities
Policy ThreatsWhiletheconvergenceoftechnologyandpracticescreatesincreasingpotentialsforaunifiedcommunitymediasectorthereisunfortunatelynocohesiveandunifiednationalpolicyframeworkforcommunitymediaThegovernmentpoliciesandregulationsthatexistforcommunitymediahavebeenretrofittedinthearenasofUSbroadcastingandtelephonypolicyWhiletheyrepresenthard-wonpoliticalvictoriesandstrategicinsighttheydonotaddresstheneedsofcommunitymediainaholisticway
Inthecurrentpoliticalclimatebroadcastmediaownershipcontrolandprogrammingwillcontinuetobecentralizedinfewercorporationsleavingcommunitieswithlessoptionsforcontrollingtheirlocalmediaenviron-mentsAtthesametimethetelephonecompanieswillenterthemarketforvideotelephonyandbroadbandbydeployinghigh-capacitydigitaltelevisionnetworksinmanycommunitiesintheUnitedStates
ThecurrenttrendofcentralizationinUStele-communicationspolicyisthreateningtheabilityoflocal
Freeexpressionandaudiencedevelopmentarenotmutuallyexclusivenordoparticipatorymanagementstructuresvolunteerinvolvementandproducertrainingprogramsneedtoimpedeaudiencedevelopment
Communitymediaorganizationscanfinditdifficulttodocumentimpact
governmentstomandatecommunity-basedcommunica-tionsnetworksandprogramminginitiativesasrentonthepublicrights-of-wayThesefundingmechanismscurrentlysupportPublicEducationandGovernment(PEG)accesscabletelevisioncentersmediaartscentersandmanymunicipalcommunicationnetworksWhilefarfromperfectregulatorymechanismstheyareoneofthemostsuccess-fulformsofpublicmediasupporttoariseinthelastthirtyyears
Overthenextfiveyearsthesesuccessfulfundingstrategieswillbeunderheavyattackbythetelephonecom-paniesandthecabletelevisionindustryinastrugglewithgovernmentsforcommunitycontrolofthepublicrights-of-wayThesamedynamicthreatensequitableInternetaccessIncreasinglybroadbandcommunitynetworksaremunicipallyownedormandatedWhilesomeofthesemunicipalbroadbandnetworksweredeployedforinternalmunicipalpurposestimehasshownthatsuchnetworkscanserveanumberofnon-governmentalcommunity-basedpurposesincludingwirelessISPconnectionsforresidentsbusinessesandvisitorsManycommunitiesareseeking(andsomehaveobtained)ldquoCommunityBenefitsAgreementsrdquowithproposedwirelessbroadbandvendorsthatsetasideasmallfranchisefeeongrossrevenuestosupportdigitalinclusionactivitiesfollowingtheexampleofcablecompaniessupportofPEGaccessHowevermunicipalbroadbandandmunicipalwirelessareunderattackbyindustriestryingtoreservethesedevelopmentrightsforthemselves
Theoutcomeofthedebatesaroundcontroloftherights-of-waywillhaveasignificantimpactonthefuturepathofcommunitymediadevelopmentThesedebateswillrangeacrosstheregulatoryspectrumtheyarenowbeingwagedinlocalstateandnationallegislativearenasandthecourtsTheresultingcommunicationsinfrastruc-tureandregulatoryframeworkwillbeabletorealizethepotentialsofcommunitymediaifandonlyifcommunitiesareabletotakeleadershipinprovidingsubstantialpublicaswellasprivatefundingAsanoldtruismnotesldquomoneyispolicyrdquo
Therearenopoliticalortechnicalguaranteesthatdigitalmedianetworkswillremainopenandparticipa-toryastheyevolveItisunlikelythatmarketforcesalone
willservetorealizethedemocraticpotentialoftodayrsquosparticipatorymediatechnologyBuildingarobustsectorofcommunity-baseddemocraticnewmediawillrequireeffectivecitizenactivismclearandresponsivegovern-mentpoliciesandeffectivepoliticalstrategiesCommunitymedianeedsseparaterecognitionandsupportwithinfed-eralstateandlocalcommunicationspolicyandregulatorystructuresinordertoensureequitableandstablefundinganddevelopment
models for the futureThegovernmentregulationsandsubsidiesthatunderpincommunitymediahaveevolvedinahodgepodgefashionoverthepastsixtyyearsItcanbearguedthatcommunitymediashouldbetreatedasaseparatesectorwithinte-gratedfundingstructuresconsistentinfrastructureandtaxandsubsidypoliciesthatareseparateanddistinctfromexistinglocalmediapoliciesandalsofromthepoliciesunderpinningpublicbroadcastingPossiblemodelsforamoreunifiedapproacharenumerousbuttwoappearpar-ticularlywellsuitedtocommunitymediarsquosdiverseformsorganizationsandprogrammingapproaches
Public Funding FindingappropriatemethodsofincreasingpublicfundingforcommunitymediainashiftingregulatoryenvironmentiscrucialCurrentlocalcablefranchisingregulationstosupportcableaccessandthecommunitybenefitsagree-mentsofmunicipalwirelessnetworksoffersuccessfulmodelsbutarenowbothunderattackThelawsrequiringcommercialcableproviderstosetasidebandwidthchan-nelcapacityforthepublicinadditiontooperatingfundingbasedonapercentageofcommercialrevenuescouldbeextendedtoincludevoicevideoanddataEssentiallythenanycommercialproviderusingthepublicrights-of-wayorthewirelessspectrumwouldberequiredtocontributeanequitablepercentageofbandwidthandrev-enuetosupportthecommunitycommunicationssector
Community Media DevelopmentAdequatelevelsoffundingareonlypartoftheequationWhilefundingshouldsupporttheoverallgrowthofthe
Thereisunfortunatelynocohesiveandunifiednationalpolicyframe-workforcommunitymedia
setasidebandwidthchannelcapacityforthepublicinadditiontooperatingfunding
communitymediasectorinasensiblefashionanyfundingsolutionmustaddressthedifficultynowexperiencedbyfundersindealingwithcommunitymediahowtoprovideoverallsupporttoasectormadeupofsmallindependentorganizationswithanextremelydiversesetoffundingsourcesandmissionsOneeconomicdevelopmentapproachseemsparticularlyusefulhereProgressivecommunityeconomicdevelopmentstrategieshaveevolvedtosupportthegrowthofadiversityofsmallenterpriseswithinacom-monsectorwhilerecognizingthattheseenterprisescanatdifferenttimesbecollaboratorspartnersorcompetitorsSimilarstrategiescanguidedevelopmentofthecommunitymediasector
Thereareatleasttwoshort-termstepsthatcouldassistinthedevelopmentofcommunitymediaorgani-zationsandsupporttheircitizensrsquoabilitytocopewithcommercialmediaandinformationsaturationOneisforcommunitiestobuildorsecureaffordablebroadbandandwirelessnetworkinfrastructurewithastrongcommu-nitybenefitsagreementinsupportofdigitalinclusionHundredsofcommunitiesacrossthecountryeitherhaveorarelaunchingsuchwirelesscommunitynetworksmanyincollaborationwithwirelessvendorswhoinordertowinaservicecontractwiththemunicipalityinquestionaresup-portingdigitalliteracytraininginexpensiverefurbishedcomputersandlocalcontentdevelopmentndashinshortprogramsofdigitalinclusionandexcellence
AsecondopportunityidentifiedbyroundtableparticipantsisthepotentialforanationalsupportnetworkforexistingcommunitymediaorganizationsAnationalsupportnetworklinkingcommunitiesandtheircommu-
nitymediapractitionersandinstitutionscouldfacilitatearangeofactivitiesincludinglocal-to-localcommunicationorexchangesofinformationandprogrammingbetweencommunitiesvirtualspaceforanationalnetworkofcommunitymediaorganizationstohelptoorganizeuni-fiedpolicyadvocacywiderdistributionofpastproductsformationofissue-responseteamstoadvanceinterestsofcommunitygroupsandtapintolocalresourcesandshareddirectoriesofpractitionerstrainersandfacilitiesConveningleadersfromtheaggregatorsandassociationsservingcommunitymediaintheirvariousforms(listedinAppendix2)mightbeagoodnextsteptoexplorethisopportunity
the promiseThepracticeofcommunitymediahasmanagedtogrowandevolveoverthepastsixtyyearsdespiteunevenandgenerallylowlevelsofsupportandinconsistentgovernmentpoliciesEllieRenniearesearchfellowattheInstituteforSocialResearchSwinburneUniversityofTechnologyhaswrittenthatcommunitymediaareoftendefinednegativelyforwhattheyareopposedtoratherthanpositivelyforwhattheyhaveachieved(Rennie2006)Weareawarethatcom-munitymediahaveoftenbeendismissedasmarginalandidiosyncraticbuttheexamplescitedinthisreportprovidepowerfulevidencetothecontraryItistimetodefinecommunitymediabywhattheyhaveachievedCommunitymediaattheirbesthaveconsistentlydemonstratedtheirpotentialtoempowercommunitiesandindividualstoparticipateascitizensincommunityandeconomicdevelop-mentartseducationcommunitydialogandpoliticaldebateInmanyinstancestheyhavebecomecentralcul-turalsurvivalinstitutionsasourcommunitiesdealwiththeimpactofcommercialmediasaturationandglobalization
Duringtheroundtablediscussionsthattookplaceaspartofthisscanitwasobviousthatthevalueofcom-munitymediatocommunitiestranscendsthemeasurableeffectsofcivicengagementandcommunitydevelopmentCommunitymediacanallowindividualsincommunitiestohaveprofoundexperiencesofactivelyexpressingthem-selvesthroughmediaForpeoplewhohaveseenthemselvesaspassivereceptorsatthebottomofacascadeofpackagedmediaexperiencesandmessagesactiverepresentationoftheirownlivesandcircumstanceshasatransformativeeffectthatgoesbeyondsimplephraseslikeldquocivicengage-mentrdquoThevalueofcommunitymediatoindividualsandthecommunitiestheyliveinisincalculable
hellipaffordablebroadbandandwirelessnetworkinfrastructurewithastrongcommunitybenefitsagreement
anationalsupportnetworkforexistingcommunitymediaorganizations
Appendix 1 Community media empowerment StrategieS
empoWerment Activity ApproAch infrAstructure or venue
AccessAccesstocommunicationsinfrastructureproductiontools
MakingavailablemediaproductiontoolscomputerstelevisionandradiodistributionInternetsoftwarecommunitycommunicationsinfrastructuremeetingspacewebservers
Democraticcitizenaccesstocommunicationstoolsanddisseminationinfrastructure
CablebroadbandmunicipaltelecomInternetWiFiWiMAXlocalandpublicservicebroadcasting
AlternativeContent CreationofvideoaudiofilmwebsitesInternet-basedcitizenmediaP2Pmediabloggingsocialnetworkingsoftwaredatabasesandprintproduction
Contentpositionedtocounterorsupplementmassmediacontentandinformationfrommainstreamsources
AllplatformswithanincreasingexpansionwithinIPNetworksandcross-platformproductionanddissemination
CompetencyLiteracyMedialiteracyinformationliteracydigitalliteracyandculturalliteracy
Mediaartsandaestheticeducationlearningtogainacivicvoiceinamediaculturearticulationofmediabiasesengaginginmediaandpoliticsunderstandingcommoditycultureparentinginamedia-saturatedhome
Interventioninthecomplexmanipulationofsymbolsandculture
Allmassmediaprintelectronic
CommunityBuilding Workforcetrainingandskillbuildingmicro-enterprisedevelopmentbusinessinfrastructuredevelopment
Communityorganizingparticipatoryplanningdemocraticeconomicdevelopmentworkforceandinfrastructuredevelopment
Localmediamunicipaltelecominfrastructurecomputerandtechnologyincubatorsandtechnologycenters
0
Itisdifficulttounderstandthefullscopeofcommu-nitymediaculturewithoutknowingofthefollowingorganizationswhichsupportcommunitymediaand
independentmediapracticesTheyplayanumberofrolesasnationalassociationsrepresentingnetworksofcommu-nitymediaorganizationsandmediaartsorganizationsasproducernetworksandstrategiccommunicationsplannerslinkingcommunityorganizationswithcommunitymediaorganizationsasorganizationsofcommunityactivistsandproducersworkingtomoreeffectivelysupportandusecommunitymediaandascollaboratorsandpartnersincommunitydevelopmenttrainingandeducation
ActiveVoicehttpwwwactivevoicenet
AllianceforCommunityMediahttpwwwalliancecmorg
AssociationforCommunityNetworking
httpwwwafcnorg
CommunityMediaWorkshophttpwwwnewstipsorg
CommunityTechnologyCentersrsquoNetwork
httpwwwctcnetorg
DeepDishTVhttpdeepdishtvorg
FreeSpeechTVhttpwwwfreespeechorg
IndependentTelevisionServicehttpwwwitvsorg
IndependentMediaCenterIndymedia
httpwwwindymediaorg
LatinoPublicBroadcastinghttpwwwlpbporg
LinkTVhttplinktvorg
LPFMDatabasecom
httpwwwangelfirecomnj2piratejimlpfmhtml
MediaTankhttpwwwmediatankorg
MediaWorkingGrouphttpwwwmwgorg
NationalAllianceforMediaArtsandCulture
httpwwwnamacorg
NationalAsianAmericanTelecommunicationsAssochttp
asianamericanmediaorgindexhtml
NativeAmericanPublicTelecommunications
httpasianamericanmediaorgindexhtml
NationalBlackProgrammingConsortium
httpwwwnbpctv
NationalFederationofCommunityBroadcasters
httpwwwnfcborg
NationalPublicRadiohttpwwwnpr
NationalPublicTelecomputingNetworkhttpwwwnptnorg
PaperTigerTelevisionhttpwwwpapertigerorg
PacificIslandersinCommunications
httpwwwpiccomorg
PewCenterforCivicJournalismhttpwwwpewcenterorg
PrometheusRadioProject
httpwwwprometheusradioorg
PublicBroadcastingServicehttpwwwpbsorg
PublicRadioExchangehttpwwwprxorg
ReclaimtheMediahttpwwwreclaimthemediaorg
StarfishTelevisionNetworkhttpwwwstarfishtvorg
WebsitesofUSPEGAccessChannels
httpwwwbevcamorgpeg
WorldAssociationofCommunityRadioBroadcasters
httpwwwamarcorg
Appendix 2 aggregatorS and aSSoCiationS
Appalshophttpwwwappalshoporg
BayAreaVideoCoalitionhttpwwwbavcorg
BeyondMediaEducationhttpwwwbeyondmediaorg
CambridgeCommunityTelevisionhttpwwwcctvcambridgeorg
CasaGuatemalaMediaProjecthttpwwwcasaguatemalaorg
CharlotteObserverhttpwwwcharlottecom
ChicagoAccessNetworkTelevisionhttpwwwcantvorg
GrandRapidsCommunityMediaCenterhttpgrcmcorg
GrandNethttpwwwgrcmcorgnposervicesitphp
GRTVhttpwwwgrcmcorgtv
ideastreamhttpwwwideastreamorg
IFPMinnesotaCenterforMediaArtshttpwwwifpnorthorgabouthtml
IntermediaArtshttpwwwintermediaartsorg
KartemquinFilmshttpwwwkartemquincom
KBOOhttpwwwkbooorg
KFAIhttpwwwkfaiorg
LowellTelecommunicationsCenterhttpltcorg
ManhattanNeighborhoodNetworkhttpmnnorg
MediaArtsProjecthttpwwwthemaporg
MetroGovernmentCommunityMediaInitiativehttpwwwmetro-regionorg
MetropolitanAustinInteractiveNetworkhttpwwwmainorg
MinneapolisTelevisionNetworkhttpwwwmtnorg
MinnesotaChannelhttpwwwtptorgmnchannelnew
MinnesotaPublicRadiohttpminnesotapublicradioorghttpminnesotapublicradioorgpublicinsightjournalism
MountainAreaInformationNetworkhttpmainncus
MtHoodCableRegulatoryCommissionhttpwwwmhcrcorg
NewAmericaMediahttpnewsnewamericamediaorgnews
NewRoutestoCommunityHealthhttpwwwnewroutesorg
NorthwestFilmandVideoCenterhttpwwwnwfilmorg
OneClevelandhttpwwwoneclevelandorg
OregonPublicBroadcastinghttpwwwopborg
PortlandCommunityMediahttpwwwpcmtvorg
RadioArtehttpwwwwrteorg
SaintPaulNeighborhoodNetworkhttpwwwspnnorg
ScribeVideoCenterhttpwwwscribeorg
SoundPartnersforCommunityHealthhttpwwwsoundpartnersorg
StreetLevelYouthMediahttpwwwstreet-levelorg
TwinCitiesDailyPlanethttpwwwtcdailyplanetnet
TwinCitiesMediaAlliancehttpwwwtcmediaallianceorg
TwinCitiesPublicTelevisionhttpwwwtptorg
URTVhttpwwwurtvorg
WalkerArtCenterhttpwwwwalkerartorgindexwac
WCIW-LPhttppacificanetworkorgradiocontentview17542httpwwwciw-onlineorg
WGBHhttpwwwwgbhorg
WHYYhttpwhyyorg
WPVMhttpwwwwpvmorg
WYBEhttpwwwwybeorg
WYCEhttpwwwgrcmcorgradio
YouthChannelhttpwwwyouthchannelorg
Appendix 3 Community media praCtitionerSWebsitesofthosepractitionersmentionedinthetext
AndersonRachelBenton Digital Beat Extra Noncommercial Networks on DBSWashingtonDCBentonFoundation2000
AufderheidePatricialdquoCableAccessTVandthePublicSphererdquoinThe Daily Planet A Critic on the Capitalist Culture BeatMinneapolisandLondonUniversityofMinnesotaPress2000a
AufderheidePatriciaIn The Battle for Reality Social Documentaries in the USWashingtonDCAmericanUniversityCenterforSocialMedia2003
AufderheidePatricialdquoTheWhatandHowofPublicBroadcastingrdquoinThe Daily Planet A Critic on the Capitalist Culture BeatMinneapolisandLondonUniversityofMinnesotaPress2000b
AynteAbdirahmanldquoSomaliWebsitesACompetitiveAlternativeMediaandaFarcetoReckonWithrdquoHiiraan Onlinehttpwwwhiiraancomnews2006aprsomali_websitesaspx
AzzouzBushraTomChamberlinandMarleneFarnumThe Community Media Project Building Community through Media(Aproposedmodelforafive-yearinitiativetoproducelocaltelevisionprogrammingthatbroadensthedialogueonissuesimportanttotheOregoncommunityandcreatesastrongsenseofplace)PortlandORMetroDecember2000
BarlowWilliamldquoCommunityRadiointheUSTheStruggleForADemocraticMediumrdquoinMedia Culture and SocietyVol10(1988)
BenklerYochaiThe Wealth of Networks How Social Production Transforms Markets and FreedomNewHavenYaleUniversityPress2006
BentonFoundationDigital Alliances Partners in Public
Service Models for CollaborationUniversityParkPAThePennsylvaniaStateUniversity2002
BlauAndrewDeep Focus A Report on the Future of Independent MediaSanFranciscoNationalAllianceforMediaArtsandCulture2004
BowmanShayneandChrisWillisWe Media How Audiences Are Shaping the Future of News and InformationEditedbyJDLasicaRestonVATheMediaCenteratTheAmericanPressInstitute2003httpwwwhypergenenetwemediadownloadwe_mediapdf
BurnettRonldquoFromCommunityMediatoInternationalNetworksrdquoCritical Approaches to Culture + Communications + HypermediaNovember182005httpwwweciadca~rburnettWeblogarchives200511from_communityhtml
CanoAndrealdquoMicroradioAToolforCommunityEmpowermentrdquoinPublic Broadcasting and the Public InterestEditedbyMichaelPMcCauleyEricEPetersonBLeeArtzandDeeDeeHalleckLondonMESharpe2003
CarnegieCommissiononEducationalTelevisionPublic Television A Program for ActionNewYorkBantam1967
CastellsManuelThe Rise of the Network Society The Information Age Economy Society and CultureVolumes12amp3MaldenMABlackwellPublishersInc2005
ChesterJeffBeyond Broadcast Expanding Public Media in the Digital AgeWashingtonDCCenterforDigitalDemocracyFebruary2006httpwwwdemocraticmediaorgBBBBfrontphp
ChristensenPaulNanMcIntyreandLynnPikholzldquoBridgingCommunityandEconomicDevelopmentAStrategyforUsingIndustryClusterstoLinkNeighborhoodsandtheRegionalEconomyrdquo(reportfundedbytheFordFoundation)ClevelandShorebankEnterpriseGroup2005
ldquoCitizenJournalismrdquoissueofNieman ReportsCambridgeMATheNiemanFoundationforJournalismatHarvardUniversityVol59No4Winter2005eMprintNewsbookhttpwwwniemanharvardedureports05-4NRwinterNR05W_Citizen_Journalismpdf
City PagesldquoBestPublicAccessCableTVProgramSomaliTVrdquoBestoftheTwinCities2004MNApril282004httpcitypagescombestof2004artsandentertainmentbestof2379asp
bibliogrAphy
CruzRossanaReguilloldquoTheOracleintheCityBeliefsPracticesandSymbolicGeographiesrdquoinGlobal Cities of the South (Social Text)EditedbyAshleyDawsonandBrentHayesEdwardsTranslatedbyBrentHayesEdwardsandNoraNicoliniDurhamNCDukeUniversityPress81(Volume22Number4)Winter2004
DeLasCasasLucywithSimonBurallJohnMorrisonDavidKaleteandJagadanandaldquoGlobalMediaReformandAccountabilityReportfromtheNationalMediaReformConferencerdquoStLouis2005httpwwwoneworldtrustorgpagesdownloadcfmdid=281
DevineRobertHldquoVideoAccessandAgencyrdquoConferencepresentationTheNationalFederationofLocalCableProgrammersStPaulMNJuly171992
DirlinMartyandCathyMelioldquoTheGrassrootsRadioMovementintheUnitedStatesrdquoinPublic Broadcasting and the Public InterestEditedbyMichaelPMcCauleyEricEPetersonBLeeArtzandDeeDeeHalleckLondonMESharpe2003
DowningJohnDHwithTamaraVillarealFordGeneveGilandLauraSteinRadical Media Rebellious Communication and Social MovementsThousandOaksCASagePublications2001
EgerJohnldquoCreativeClustersandtheUrbanEconomyrdquoGovernment and Technology(February62006)httpwwwgovtechnetnewsnewsphpid=98345
EgerJohnMThe Creative Community Forging The Links Between Art Culture Commerce amp CommunityTheCaliforniaInstituteforSmartCommunitiesSanDiegoStateUniversity2005httpwwwsmartcommunitiesorgcreativeCreativeCommBroFINALpdf
EngelmanRalphPublic Radio and Television in America A Political HistoryThousandOaksCASagePublications1996
GillespieGilbertPublic Access Television in the United States and CanadaNewYorkPraegerPublishers1975
GillmorDanWe the Media Grassroots Journalism by the People for the PeopleSebastopolCAOrsquoReillyMediaInc2006
GrahamStephenandSimonMarvinTelecommunications and the City Electronic Spaces Urban PlacesLondonandNewYorkRoutledge1996
HalleckDeeDeeHand-Held Visions The Impossible Possibilities of Community MediaNewYorkFordhamUniversityPress2002
HigginsJohnWldquoAlternativeMediaandtheCultofIndividualismExperiencesfromUSPublicAccessTVrdquoPaperpresentedattheldquoOurMediardquopre-conferenceoftheInternationalAssociationforMediaandCommunicationResearchCommunityCommunicationSectionBarcelonaSpainJuly202002httpwwwourmedianetorgpapersom2002Higginsom2002pdf
HowleyKevinCommunity Media People Places and Communication TechnologiesCambridgeCambridgeUniversityPress2005
HoynesWilliamldquoThePBSBrandandtheMerchandisingofthePublicServicerdquoinPublic Broadcasting and the Public InterestEditedbyMichaelPMcCauleyEricEPetersonBLeeArtzandDeeDeeHalleckLondonMESharpe2003
JankowskiNicholasWldquoCommunityMediaResearchAQuestforTheoreticallyGroundedModelsrdquoThePublicVol1015(2003)httpmokkbmehucentreconferencesreactivismFPfpNJ
JankowskiNicholasWandOlePrehnedsCommunity Media in the Information Age Perspectives and ProspectsCresskillNJHamptonPress2002
LashScottThe Critique of InformationLondonSagePublications2002
ListerMartinJonDoveySethGiddingsIainGrantandKieranKellyNew Media A critical IntroductionLondonandNewYorkRoutledge2003
LloydMarkldquoRadioandLocalismWhatWhenWrongrdquoinContext(publishedbytheCenterforCommunicationsandCommunityUCLA)IssueNo4(WinterSpring2006)
MacintyreBenldquoWelcometotheNewTomPainesrdquoTimesOnlineNovember132004httpwwwtimesonlinecouktolcommentarticle390484ece
MaherVincentTowards a Critical Media Studies Approach to the BlogosphereNewMediaLabPublicationSchoolofJournalismandMediaStudiesRhodesUniversitySouthAfrica2006
MetroCommunity Media Project Evaluation Report PortlandORMetroJuly2004
MostStephenldquoBAVCandTheBigPicturerdquoinA Closer Look Media Arts 2002EditedbyHelenDeMichielSanFranciscoNationalAllianceforMediaArtsandCulture2002
NewAmericaMedialdquoEthnicMediainAmericaTheGiantHiddeninPlainSightrdquoPollconductedbyBendixenampAssociates2005httpnewsnewamericamediaorgnewsview_articlehtmlarticle_id=0443821787ac0210cbecebe8b1f576a3
OlsonBillThe History of Public Access Television2000httpwwwgeocitiescomiconostarhistory-public-access-TVhtml200415
PewCenterforCivicJournalismldquoDoingCivicJournalismrdquo2007httpwwwpewcenterorgdoingcj
PierceSteveldquoDBSandthePublicInterestOpportunityinSatelliteTelevisionrdquoinPublic Broadcasting and the Public InterestEditedbyMichaelPMcCauleyEricEPetersonBLeeArtzandDeeDeeHalleckLondonMESharpe2003
PhilipsSusanldquoTrueCommunityTowardaCollaborativeEthosScribersquoslsquoTrueCommunityVisionrsquordquoinA Closer Look Media Arts 2002EditedbyHelenDeMichielSanFranciscoNationalAllianceforMediaArtsandCulture2002
PorterMichaelEldquoLocationCompetitionandEconomicDevelopmentLocalClustersinaGlobalEconomyrdquoEconomic Development Quarterly14no1(February2000)15-34
ProjectforExcellenceinJournalismldquoMajorTrendsrdquoinState of the News Media 2006 An Annual Report on American Journalismhttpwwwstateofthenewsmediaorg2006nar-rative_overview_eightaspcat=2ampmedia=1
PrometheusRadioProjectldquoOurFifthBarnraisingmdashWCIW-LPinImmokaleeFloridardquohttpprometheusradioorgcontentview48952006
RennieEllieCommunity Media A Global IntroductionLanhamMDRowmanandLittlefieldPublishers2006
RodriguezClemenciaFissures in the Mediascape An International Study of Citizenrsquos MediaCresskillNJHamptonPress2001
SchafferJanldquoCitizensMediaHasItReachedaTippingPointrdquoinldquoCitizenJournalismrdquoissueofNieman Reports CambridgeMATheNiemanFoundationforJournalismatHarvardUniversityVol59No4Winter2005aeMprintNewsbookhttpwwwniemanharvardedureports05-4NRwinterNR05W_Citizen_Journalismpdf
SchafferJanInterviewonThe NewsHour With Jim Lehrer PBSEveningNewsNovember162005b
SchulerDouglasldquoTheRiseofCommunityNetworksrdquoInternet WorldDecember1995
SchulerDougandPeterDayShaping the Network Society The New Role of Civil Society in CyberspaceCambridgeandLondonMITPress2004
ShirkyClayPower Laws Weblogs and Inequality EconomicsampCultureMediaampCommunityBlog2005OpenSourcehttpshirkycomwritingspowerlaw_webloghtml
ShirkyClaySocial Software and the Politics of GroupsEconomicsampCultureMediaampCommunityBlog2005OpenSourcehttpshirkycomwritingsgroup_politicshtml
Somerset-WardRichardBroadband Community Networks Building the Digital CommonsAreportfortheHaasCharitableTrustsPhiladelphia2005
Somerset-WardRichardConnecting Communities WashingtonDCBentonFoundation2000
Spannerworkse-bookWhat is Social MediaJanuary2007httpwwwspannerworkscomebooks
StarrJeroldMldquoPublicTelevisionintheDigitalAgeTownHallorCyberMallrdquoinPublic Broadcasting and the Public InterestEditedbyMichaelPMcCauleyEricEPetersonBLeeArtzandDeeDeeHalleckLondonMESharpe2003
SteinLauraldquoPublicAccessTelevisionandGrassrootsCommunicationintheUnitedStatesrdquoChapter20inRadical Media Rebellious Communication and Social MovmentsEditedbyJohnDowningThousandOaksCASagePublications2001
SussmanGeraldandJREstesldquoCommunityRadioinCommunityDevelopmentPortlandrsquosKBOORadiordquoinThe Portland Edge Challenges and Successes in Growing CommunitiesEditedbyConniePOzawaPortlandStateUniversityIslandPress2004
WhitneyJenniferldquoMakeMediaMakeRealTroubleWhatrsquosWrong(andRight)withIndymediardquoLiPMagazineJune212005httpwwwlipmagazine
orgarticlesfeatwhitney_indymedia_phtml
aswellasliveinsomeoneelsersquosshoesItallowspartici-pantsandviewerstoderivebroadermeaningfrompersonalexperienceandprovidesin-depthcoverageofissuesonanintimatelevel
ThestorytellingishumanfromtheheartandnotnecessarilyobjectiveItiscreativeandenablesboldrawrelevantanddiversecontentcriticalforcivicdiscussionAtitsbestitisnotmerelyldquopersonalrdquomediabutoftenstorytellinginservicetolargercivicconcerns
ToframethecommunityrsquosstoriesandexperienceforcivicdiscoursecommunitymediaofteninitiatepublicconversationanddeliberationonimportantandcomplextopicsInthiswaycommunitymediaorganizationsareassumingtheroleofconvenersandauthenticatorsofinfor-mationsharinganddialoguerolesincreasinglybeinglostlocallyinderegulatedcommercialmedia
EmpowermentOnegoalofcommunitymediaistochallengenotionscon-veyedinmainstreammediaAccomplishingthisrequiresputtingcommunicationtoolsinthehandsofindividualssharingaccesswithnonprofessionalsandsupportingself-expressionandcommunitybuildingCommunitymediainstitutionsengageinempowermentindifferentwaysManyoffertrainingprogramstobuildthecapacityofcom-munitymemberstousemediatechnologiesothersassistcommunitiesingrapplingwithamedia-saturatedculturethroughmedialiteracytrainingyetothersemphasizeeco-nomicandworkforcedevelopmentthroughskillstrainingandcontentproductionByenablingcitizenstomakeandunderstandmediacommunitymediabecomeatoolforper-sonalcommunityandethnicexpressionanddevelopmentTheymayeveninspireaudiencestotakeactionleadingtopoliticaltransformationTheyreachthoseoutsidethemainstreamandprovideavoiceforthevoicelessThisdynamicmakestheprocessofcreationasimportantastheproduct(SeeAppendix1)
types of mediAWheredocommunitymediafitinthebroadermedialand-scapeThelanguageweusetotalkaboutmediaculture
andprogramminghasevolvedtokeeppacewithchangingmediaformstechnologyandpracticesIncreasinglythetermpublic mediaisusedtodistinguishmediathataresupportedbythepublicandthatallowthepublictoengageinciviclifeandhaveavoiceintheirdevelopmentWithinthisbroadunderstandingofpublicmediaseveraltermsdescribemediapracticesthatfacilitatepeoplersquosparticipa-tionascitizensCommunity mediaasdefinedabovefitseasilywithinthiscategoryAlsofallingundertheumbrellaofpublicmediaaretermslikealternative media inde-pendent media participatory media citizen mediaanddevelopment mediatheseareoverlappingpracticesthatemphasizevaryingprioritiesbutallmayalsoqualifyascommunitymedia
Forthepurposesofthisreportitisusefultospe-cificallydistinguishcommunitymediafromlocalmediaHerewehavefocusedoncommunitymediathatarelocalgeographicallybutwehavealsodefinedcommunitymediaasmediathatemphasizeinclusivenessandhaveauniquesetofparticipatorypractices
Itisalsousefultonotethatthetermscitizen mediaandcitizenrsquos mediahavetakenontwodifferentandimpor-tantmeaningsinrecentyearsNeithertermreferstomediathatareexclusivelylocalThepossessiveformcitizenrsquos media isatermusedbyscholarClemenciaRodriguezandotherstorefertotheuseofmediathatallowpeopletoacteffectivelyascitizensacrossthespectrumofdailylife(Rodriguez2001)Theothertermcitizen mediaisnowbeingusedwithintheworldofonlinecollaborativemediatorefertodecentralizedpracticesinvolvingvideoandaudiobloggingsocialsoftwareapplicationsandothercollab-orativemediatoolsPractitionersofonlinecollaborativemediahaveadoptedthelanguageandpracticesofpartici-patorymediaThecurrentvisibilityoftheblogospherehascontributedtothemisconceptionthatcitizenmediaandcommunitymediahavejustemergedwiththeInternetandthatparticipatorymediaareafunctionoftechnologyratherthanofpeopleactingascitizensThisconfusionfailstorecognizesixtyyearsofgrassrootsmediaexperience
Storytellingiscentraltocommunitymediaandcanjump-startadeliberativeprocessamongcommunitymembers
Byenablingcitizenstomakeandunderstandmediacommunitymediabecomeatoolforpersonalcommunityandethnicexpressionanddevelopment
CommunitymediaarenotlimitedtoanyparticularvenuesortechnologiesTheyreflectalonghistoryofadaptingnewmediatechnologiesastheyemergeEarlyexperimentsincommunityradiobeganinthe1940sand1950sAbroadermovementfollowedinthe1960swiththeuseofsmall-for-matvideofilmsoundrecordingandtheexpandedFMradiospectrumItcontinuedthroughthe1970sand1980swiththediversificationoftelevisiondistributionnetworksandlocalpubliceducationalandgovernmentchannelsoncableTodaycommunitymediaareavitalfeatureoftheelectronicmediaenvironmentFollowingarebriefdescrip-tionsandhistoricaloverviewsofdifferentplatformswhichprovidecontextforthecommunitymediaprofilescontainedinthisreport
Community RadioGroundedinearliereffortstopreservespectrumspaceforeducationalusescommunityradiofirstappearedinSanFranciscointhe1940swiththecreationofthePacificaFoundationrsquosKPFAradiostationThestationpioneeredanapproachtoradiothatcombinedresponsivenesstolisten-ersthroughsubscriptionfundingandcommunityservicewiththecreationofanopenforumforculturaljournal-isticandsocialexpressionSincethencommunityradioinitiativeshavebeendevelopedinmorethan225communi-tiesintheUnitedStatesandincountlesscommunitiesaroundtheworld
In1975communityradiotookonanationalinsti-tutionalexpressionwiththeformationofthe National Federation of Community Broadcasters(NFCB)anorganizationdedicatedtopromotingcommunityradiodevelopmentintheUnitedStatesThefederationadvo-catedcommunitycontrolnoncommercialownershipandvoluntaryparticipationintheoperationandprogrammingofcommunityradiostationsespeciallybypopulationsandgroupsthathistoricallyhadbeendeniedexpressionintheUnitedStatesNFCBprovidedtraininganddevelopmentsupporttoitsmemberstationsandundertookFederalCommunicationsCommission(FCC)advocacyontheirbehalfWithinadecadeNFCBhadseventymembersta-tionsand120associatemembersnationwide(Engelman1996)
Ascommunityradiohasevolvedindifferentcom-munitiesinterpretationsofitsmissionhaveexpandedtoincludestationsdedicatedtominoritycommunitiesandownershipforeignlanguagestationsdedicatedtospecificlanguagecommunitiesinalocaleandvaryingcommit-mentstocommunityinvolvementvolunteerproductionandfundingstrategiesWiththisdiversificationhascome
ideologicaldebateovercreepingcommercializationandprofessionalizationofthefieldHoweverdespitedisagree-mentsoverphilosophyandpracticescommunityradiostationsremainvitalpartsoftheircommunitiessupport-ingcivicparticipationandeducationcommunitybuildingandcommunitiesrsquosenseofthemselvesasuniqueplaces
RadiostationKFAIinMinneapolis-StPaulisonesuchstationAvolunteer-basedcommunityradiostationthatbroadcastsinformationartsandentertain-mentprogrammingitoffersaneclecticmixofprogramsincludingmusiclocalnewspoetryspokenwordpoliticalforumsandinterviewsKFAIemphasizesempowermentthroughtrainingItprovidesboardcertificationtrainingandworkshopsonannouncinginterviewingandprogramdevelopmenttovolunteersCoursesaretaughtinEnglishbutbilingualvolunteershaveaccesstoanyoftheon-airprogrammersforassistanceintheirownlanguage
Low-Power FMCommunityradioreachedanotherstagewiththedevel-opmentoflow-powerFMradioorLPFMTheLPFMmovementwasapoliticalresponsetoincreasingconsoli-dationoflocalradioownershipafterthepassageofthe1996CommunicationsActandasenseamongthoseinthegrassrootsradiomovementthatcommunityradiowasfallingpreytopressurefromtheCorporationforPublicBroadcasting(CPB)tobecomemoreaudience-drivenhomogenizedinprogrammingandprofessionalizedthuslessinterestedincommunityparticipation(Cano2003)Tocounterthesetrendsmediaactivistsbegansettingupmicro-powerradiostationsincommunitiesusinglow-powerbroadcasttransmitterswithanapproximateservicerangeofthree-and-a-halfmilesanareaoftenassmallasasingleneighborhood
In1998thegrowthofLPFMspurredthecreationofthePrometheus Radio Projectfoundedbyactiviststoassistcommunitygroupsinacquiringlow-powerFMradio
Communityradiostationsremainvitalpartsoftheircommunitiessupportingcivicparticipationandeducationcommunitybuildingandcommunitiesrsquosenseofthem-selvesasuniqueplaces
TheURLsoforganizationssetinboldfaceareprovidedinApendices2(aggregatorsassociations)and3(practitioners)
broadcastlicensesfromtheFCCandingettingtheirsta-tionsupandrunningoncetheywerelicensedAsaresultofthisactivismtheFCCofficiallyacknowledgedlow-powerFMinUSbroadcastingpolicyin2000LPFMstationsarenowlicensedfornoncommercialeducationalbroadcastingonlyandaconstructionpermitisrequiredbeforeaLPFMstationcanbebuiltoroperatedThelowcostoflow-powerradiohasallowedmanyorganizationswithstrongcommit-mentstocommunitycontrolnoncommercialgrassrootsfundingandparticipatoryproductionandmanagementprocessestoenterthecommunityradiomovement
WCIW-LPisalow-powerFMstationinImmokaleeFloridaoperatedbythe2500-memberCoalitionofImmokaleeWorkersItishardtoimagineabetterexampleofcommunityempowermentingrassrootsLPFMthanWCIW-LPItfocusesonacommunitythatisbothacommunityofworkersandageographiccommunitythestationandtransmitterarelocatedinthesamelotwherethecoalitionrsquosmembersboardbusesboundforthetomatofieldsofFloridaLaunchedin2003withthehelpofthePrometheusRadioProjectWCIW-LPproducesnewsedu-cationalprogramsandmusicinSpanishHaitianCreoleandindigenouslanguagesofMexicoandGuatemalaThestationisaprimaryorganizingtoolforthecommunityinitsdefenseoftherightsofLatinoHaitianandMayanIndianmigrantandimmigrantfarmworkers
Public BroadcastingUnlikemanylocationsinEuropeandCanadatheUnitedStateshasnotdevelopedastrongcommunity-focusedbroadcastingsectorseparatefrompublicbroadcastingPublicbroadcastingintheUnitedStatesislargelysynony-mouswiththePublic Broadcasting ServiceandNational Public RadioinstitutionsthatcameintoexistencewiththepassageofthePublicBroadcastingActof1967Theactestablishedafederalsystemoftelevisionandradioheavilydependentonfederalandcorporatefunding
Thoughembattledfromitsinceptionandsaddledwithacumbersomedecentralizedstructurepublicbroad-castinghasmanagedtosurviveandfindanimportantroleinAmericanmediaNeithergovernmentalnorcommercialinitsorientationyetheavilydependentoneachitprovidesvaluablenoncommercialprogramming(Aufderheide2000b)PublicradioandtelevisionhavealsoledthewayintheUnitedStatesintheinnovativeuseofdigitalandsatellitetechnologyThePBSwebsiteisconsideredtobethemostfrequentlyvisitednonprofitsiteontheInternet(Starr2003)
YetpublictelevisionandradiofallshortofthevisiondescribedinitsfoundingdocumentsTheywere
envisionedasldquohellipaforumfordebateandcontroversyrdquoaspaceforexpressionldquohellipforgroupsinthecommunitythatmayotherwisebeunheardrdquo(CarnegieCommissiononEducationalTelevision1967)AsJeffChestermediacriticandreformadvocatewritesldquoWhilepublicradioatitsbestcomesmuchclosertothisidealpublictelevisionappearstohavebecomeavictimofitsownsuccessndashfullofartistryandprofessionalismtobesurebutrarelythesourceofthelocalismdiversityandrisktakingthatitsfoundersenvisionedrdquo(Chester2006)Stillitisarguablethatpublicbroadcastingwouldnothavesurvivedtothepresenthaditinsistedonlivinguptotheparticipatoryvisionsofitsfounders
ThePublicBroadcastingServiceNationalPublicRadioandtheirmemberstationscannotuniformlybechar-acterizedascommunitymediaTheirprogrammingandmanagementstructureshavereflectedthetop-downnatureoftheirfundingandtheyhavetendedovertheyearstoemphasisprofessionalismandstationmanagementpreroga-tivesoveracommitmenttodiverselocalparticipationandcommunitybuilding(Engelman1996)
Publicbroadcastingholdsmanyexamplesofexem-plarycommunityprogrammingbutfewerexamplesofrobustprogramschedulingwithcommunity-orientedcom-munity-drivenandcommunity-createdprogrammingForinstance ldquoBasic Blackrdquo from WGBH in BostonwhichhaschronicledtheconcernedandcultureofAfrican-Americanssince1968andthemulticulturalweeklytalkshowsthatareastapleofWYBE inPhiladelphiaarenoteworthyforhavingcreateduniquelocalmediaspacesthatdofunc-tionascommunitymediaInthe1990sthenationalldquoNittyGrittyCityGrouprdquoattemptedtomovepublicbroadcastingbeyondprogramexcellencetobeinganagentforsocialchangeandameansforcitizenempowerment(Larson1993)ItworkedwithgrassrootsgroupstobringattentionandaccesstothecitizensoftheircommunitiesWhilethegroupnolongerexistsitspassionforcommunityengage-mentisstillaliveinstationpersonnelaroundthecountry
ItcanbeseeninmanyoftheSound Partners for Community HealthexperimentsincollaborationsbetweenpublicbroadcastersandcommunityhealthorganizationsNewhopefulexperimentsareunderwayfromCPBanditscommunityengagementinitiativewiththeHarwoodInstituteBroaderstationsuccessesinengagingcommu-nitymembersarechronicledinRichardSomerset-WardrsquosConnecting Communities(2000)andhismorerecentBroadband Community Networks(2005)ForexamplethereistremendouspotentialattheintersectionofpublicbroadcastingandonlinecollaborativemediaWHYYhasextendeditson-airradioandtelevisionprogramming
throughaphysicalandvirtualldquocivicspacerdquoinPhiladelphiaand ideastreamthemergeroftwopublicbroadcast-ersinClevelandoffersitsmultimediadigitalfacilitiesandexpertisetoClevelandrsquoscommunityinstitutionsandcitizensRadioprojectslikethePublic Radio Exchange andMinnesota Public Radiorsquos Public Insight Journalismareprovidinginterestingglimpsesofthepotentialofcol-laborativemediaforpublicradioEachexamplesuggeststhatpublicbroadcastinghasgreatpotentialandtechnicalcapacitytomovebeyondsimplenotionsofldquolocalismrdquotoamorerobuststanceofcivicengagementandparticipation
Cable AccessPublicaccesstelevisionorPublicEducationalandGovernment(PEG)accesstelevisionreferstoacollectionofentitiesthatprovidelocalcontentoverdedicatedchan-nelsoncabletelevisionsystemsintheUnitedStatesPEGaccessisrootedintheactivismofthe1960sand1970satimewhenpublicaccessadvocatesenjoyedamutuallysup-portiverelationshipwithanemergingcableindustryeagertodemonstrateitspotentialtodiversifytelevision
In1969theFederalCommunicationsCommissionsawthepotentialofcabletelevisiontoopenuptelevisiontomorelocalprogrammingandbeganrequiringlargercablesystemstodeveloplocalprogrammingexperimentsTheFCCrsquosfirstcomprehensiverulingonthecableindustryin1972includedrequirementsthatcablesystemsinthe100largesttelevisionmarketsdedicateatleastthreechannelsforpubliceducationandgovernmentaccessTherulingsetoffaroundofoptimisticcommunitymediaexperimentsnationwideButthisinformalpartnershipbetweencom-munitymediaadvocatesandthecableindustrycametoanabrupthaltin1979whentheSupremeCourtruledthattheFCChadexceededitsregulatoryauthorityinmandatingthatchannelsbededicatedtoPEGaccessTherulingdidnotpreventCongressandlocalgovernmentsfromrequiringnegotiatedaccesschannelshoweverandby1979accessadvocatesweresufficientlyorganizedtomakePEGastan-dardofferingofcabletelevision
BythistimethecableindustryhadenteredwhatarereferredtoasldquothegoldrushyearsrdquoThesuccessofHBOrsquossatellite-deliveredcableprogrammingservicedemon-stratedthataudienceswithgoodfreebroadcastreceptionwouldpaytoreceiveuninterruptedmoviesandsportsCablecompaniesvigorouslycompetedforfranchisesinthecountryrsquosmostpopulousareasIfalocalcommunityrsquosfranchiseauthorityexpressedadesireforPEGaccesschannelsinitsrequestforproposalsoftenthecablecompanieswouldrespondfavorablyInadditiontochannel
set-asidesarequirementthatoperatorsprovidefundingforequipmentandpublicinterestchanneloperationsbecameuniversalThoughmanyPEGaccesscentershavediversi-fiedtheirfundingsourcesthebulkoffundingforPEGaccesschanneloperationsandprogrammingcomesfromcongressionallyandmunicipallymandatedfeesinreturnfortheuseofpublicrights-of-way
Intheirearlyyearsthemorethan2000accesschannelstheninoperationwereadministeredinvariouswaysAfewcablecompanieswereabletocompetentlyundertakecommunity-basedmanagementofthesechan-nelsbutgenerallythecableindustryhadlittleappetiteorcapacitytosuccessfullymanagetheselocalchannelsInsomecasesthefranchiseauthorityitselfmanagedthechannelsInothercasesitwasthelibrarytheuniversitycommunitycollegeorhighschoolHoweveritsoonbecameclearthatthelocalcommunityneededtomanagethisnewcommunicationcapacityseparatefromcablecompaniesandgovernmentifitspotentialtocreatecommunitymediawastoberealizedTheindependentnonprofitcorporationeventuallybecamethestandardmanagementmodelamongcommunitymediaadvocatesTodaymostsuccessfulaccesscentersaremanagedthroughnonprofitcommunitygroups(Olson2000)
BecausepublicaccesschannelscarryFirstAmendmentprotectionallowinganyoneinthecommu-nitytoplaceprogrammingonthechannelswithoutbeingsubjecttopriorrestraintsomeprogrammingonthesechannelscanseemexceedinglystrangetotheuninitiatedMuchoftheprogrammingonpublicchannelsismadebynonprofessionalsandreflectstheidiosyncraticinterestsofproducersInrecentyearshoweverpublicaccesscentershaveastutelyexpandedtheirmissionsbeyondindividu-allyfocusedprogrammingtoaddresstheneedsofwholecommunitiesthroughmorecomplexnotionsofempower-mentandcommunitybuildingThishasmeantdevelopingmoreprogramminginpartnershipwithassociationsandnonprofitscommunitygroupsagenciesandeducationalinstitutionsthathaveaclearrelationshiptothelifeoftheircommunities(Rennie2006)Significantnumbersofaccesscentershavealsomovedtoincorporateothermediabeyondvideoandtocarryoutalargerrangeofmediaeducationandmediaartsactivitiesbeyondcableprogramming
OverthecourseofcableaccessdevelopmenttheAlliance for Community Media(ACM)hasconsistentlyprovidedbothpoliticalandprofessionalleadershiptothefieldofcableaccessFormedastheNationalFederationofLocalCableProgrammersin1978ACMquicklygrewtooccupyapresenceinWashingtonDCpolicycircles
andhassteadfastlyprovidedavoicefortheinterestsofthe2000accesscenterintheUSCurrentlytheACMisleadingthefightalongwithcitiesinfightingthewaveofstatewidelsquovideofranchisingrsquolegislationthroughwhichthetelephonecompaniesandcablecompaniesareattemptingtogainnear-monopolycontroloflocaltelecommunicationsmarketswhichwouldeffectivelyendcableaccessinmanycommunities
Manhattan Neighborhood Network(MNN)whichprovidespublicaccesscableservicesinManhattanisoneofagrowingnumberofcableaccesscentersintheUnitedStatesthathaveembracedabroadermissionofmultime-diaeducationandtrainingBeyonditscablechannelstelevisionstudiosandelectronicfieldproductionandpost-productionfacilitiesMNNfunctionsasacommunitymeetingandartsspaceandoperatesagrantingprogramandasupportnetworktositesthroughoutManhattanInrecentyearsMNNhasprovidedarichselectionofitsvideotoInternetstreamingItalsofeaturesaYouth Channeloneofthefirsttelevisionchannelstofacilitatecreativityandsocialandpoliticalparticipationamongdisadvantagedlow-incomeandminorityyouthbyprovidingthemwithaccesstoadedicatedchannelmediaproductionresourcesandtraining
Media Arts OrganizationsMediaartsorganizationswereorganizedinNorthAmericainthe1960sand1970sinresponsetotheavailabilityofnewmoreaffordableandmoreportablemediatech-nologiessuchasfilmvideoandcomputersMediaartsorganizationssupportartthatmakesuseoffilmvideoaudiomultimediaandinteractivemediaIndividualcen-tersoftenfocusononeortwoelementsofthetotalmediaartsinfrastructureprovidingsomecombinationofaccesstomediatoolsproductionproductiontrainingdistribu-tionarchivingandexhibitionofmediaart
Overtheyearscentershaveengagedinanincred-iblerangeofartisticpracticesembracingavantgardeexperimentationinfilmandvideodocumentariesnar-rativeandstorytellingcomputerartandinstallationsusingallmediaThesepracticesintersectwithcommunitymediaintheiremphasisonparticipatoryprogrammingdevelopment
ThehistoryofmediaartsorganizationsiscloselyentwinedwiththetrendsandpoliticsofpublicfundinganddevelopingtechnologyintheUnitedStatesEarlycentersoftenreceivedfoundationfundingtoexperimentwithspecificemergingtechnologiesparticularlyvideoThisinitialphaseofdevelopmentwasgivensignificantsupport
bytheMacArthurFoundationanditsmediaartsprogramfollowedbythecreationoftheNationalEndowmentfortheArtswhichinturnbeganaprogramofconsistentsupportformediaartsorganizationsnationwideTheperiodwasmarkedbythelong-termsupportbyMacArthurFoundationrelativelystablegrowthandaheadyrangeofartisticprac-ticeandexperimentation
Inthepoliticallyconservativeclimateoftheearly1990sasfundersbecameincreasinglywaryofsupportingartthatmightprovecontroversialtheNationalEndowmentfortheArtsgraduallywithdrewmostfundingforthemediaartsBytheendofthedecadetheMacArthurFoundationoneofthemediaartsrsquomostconsistentfundersendeditsyearlysupportformediaartsorganizationsclosingtheeraandforcingaperiodofdevelopmentdiversificationandrestructuringformediaartsorganizations
ThefieldhasprovenextremelyresilientTodaythefieldofmediaartsismadeupofamorediverseandmaturearrayofnonprofitorganizationsandartspracticesAlthoughmediaartsorganizationsnowplacemoreempha-sisonearnedincomeanddiversefundingsourcestheycontinuetobevitalculturalcentersprovidingcommunitiesaccesstobothmediafacilitiesandafullrangeofmediaculturalexperiencesMediaartsorganizationslikeScribeinPhiladelphiaandAppalshopinWhitesburgKentuckyforexamplehavenavigatedthetechnologicalandfundingshiftsofthepastthreedecadeswithsurprisingcreativityandsavvy
TheScribe Video CenterinPhiladelphiawhichemergedin1982duringthemediaartsheydayperseveredthroughtheupsetsofthe1990stobecomeanextraordinaryexampleofwhatasocialassetamediaartscentercanbeforacommunityScribereachesouttocommunitiesincludingpeopleofcolorwomenseniorcitizensandteensthattraditionallyhavenothadaccesstovideotrainingorproductionfacilitiesandprovidesthemtoolsforstorytell-ingInadditiontoproductionandscriptwritingworkshopsScribeoffersartistsrsquoservicessuchasfiscalsponsorshipequipmentrentalandeditingfacilitiesOngoingprogramsincludeCommunityVisionsavideoproductionprogramforcommunityorganizationsStreetMoviesafreeoutdoorneighborhood-basedscreeningseriesandtheProducersrsquoForumscreeningandlectureseriesofvisitingartistsandmediaactivistsAdditionallyScribeproducestheDocumentaryHistoryProjectforYouthanannualproduc-tionworkshopformiddleandhighschoolstudents
AppalshopinWhitesburgKentuckyisoneoftheoldestmediaartsorganizationsintheUnitedStatesAsitswebsiteindicatesAppalshopwasfoundedin1969to
enablepeopletousemediatotelltheirownstoriesinordertoldquosolvetheirownproblemsrdquoIthasbecomeanationallyrecognizedmediacenterworkinginfilmvideoaudioandmusicrecordingsliteraturetheaterliveperformanceandradioallfocusedonAppalachiancultureItsworkdocumentstraditionalartsexploreshistoryandaddressessocialissuesthataffecttheAppalachianregiontodayAppalshopprovidesregionallyandnationallyfocusededu-cationandtrainingprogramsTwoofthemostnotablearetheAppalachianMediaInstituteayouthmediatraininginitiativeandCommunityMediaInstitutewhichworkswithgrassrootsgroupsandpublicinterestorganizationsfromtheregionandnationallytoaccomplishstrategiccom-municationplanningaroundsocialjusticeorganizing
TheNational Alliance for Media Arts and CulturehasconsistentlyprovidedthoughtfulleadershiptothemediaartsfieldthroughtechnicalassistanceprogramsandstrategicplanninginitiativesItsDeepFocusprojectin2004usedscenarioplanningtoenvisionthefutureofmediaarts(Blau2004)Asaresultofthiskindofworktheearlynetworkofmediaartsorganizationshasexpandedtoincludeover274mediaartsorganizationsThisrepre-sentsasignificantbroadeningofthefieldofmediaartsencompassingmanysmallermediaartsorganizationswithspecificartisticculturalorcommunityobjectivesThemediaartsfieldhasmostrecentlyseentheemergenceofmanyyouthmediaorganizationswiththecriticalmissionofcreatingmedialiteracysurvivalskillsforyoungpeopleastheynavigatethemediasaturatedsocialenvironmentofthetwenty-firstcentury
Ethnic MediaEthnicmediarepresentagrowingvitalsectorofAmericanelectronicmediathatintersectswithcommunitymediainanumberofimportantwaysHistoricallyethnicmediaout-letshavearisenontheperipheryofUSbroadcastingoftenwithoutnetworkaffiliationtoservepopulationsthatdonothaveaccesstomainstreammediaandpopularcultureThesehaveincludednewimmigrantgroupsnon-Englishlanguagegroupsthepoliticallyoppressedandpopulationsstrivingtomaintainculturaltraditionsandtiestotheirhomelandswhileadaptingtoanewsociety
ThatpatternhasrepeatedwaxedandwanedasdifferentpopulationshavecometotheUnitedStatesinthepastcenturyThekeyhistoricalintersectionbetweencommunitymediaandethnicmedialiesintheearlyyearsofcommunityradiofollowingWorldWarIIwhenawaveofBlackradiostationsandformatsfilledspacecreatedintheshiftingmedialandscapebytheintroductionoftelevision
ThisshiftbroughtawaveofBlackinvestmentandprogramexperimentationthatseriouslyinfluencedthekindsofcommunityradioprogrammingthatevolvedintheUnitedStatesToalargeextenttheimprovisationalradioformatscombiningmusicandpoliticaltalkcultureandcur-rentaffairswerefirstworkedoutinpost-warBlackradio(Barlow1988Lloyd2006)
Ethnicmediaencompassescommercialandnoncom-mercialmediahugemultinationalsandsmalllocallyownedoperationsEthnicandcommunitymediaoftenintersectgeographicallyEthnicgroupsoftenidentifywithaspecificplaceandusemediatoarticulateasenseofsolidarityinthoseplacesLikecommunitymediaethnicmediafrequentlyembodyparticipatoryapproachestopro-grammingandproductionandareoftenresponsestodeepdissatisfactionwiththeownershipstructuresandbiasesofthemainstreammedia
OneofthemostsignificantongoingsourcesforethnicmediahasbeentheCorporationforPublicBroadcastingthroughitsfundingofthefivemembersoftheNationalMinorityConsortiaNational Asian American Telecommunications Association National Black Programming Consortium Native American Public Telecommunications Pacific Islanders in Communications and Latino Public BroadcastingTheseethnicprogrammingnetworksandtheIndependent Television ServiceprovidemillionsofdollarseachyeartotheirnetworksofethnicandindependentprogrammakersforprogramstargetedtothePublicBroadcastingService
CurrentlyethnicmediaareundergoingexplosivegrowthacrosstheUnitedStatesconsistentwithdemo-graphicshiftsTherearesignificantincreasesintheproportionofnon-EnglishspeakersLatinosAsiansMiddleEasternersandPacificIslandersintheUSpopulationandcorrespondingincreasesinethnicmediaDuringthecommunitymediaroundtablesconductedforthisreportparticipantsrepeatedlyexpressedappreciationforthenumberofethnicmediaoutletsthatusedparticipatorystrategiesinsupportingtheimmigrationproteststhatoccurredthroughouttheUnitedStatesin2006
OneindicationofthegrowthandsophisticationofethnicmediaisNew America Media (NAM)thelargestnationalcollaborationofethnicnewsorganizationsintheUnitedStatesNAMldquoproducesandaggregateseditorialcontentfromandfortheethnicmediasectoranddevelopspioneeringmarketingservicesonbehalfofcorporationsfoundationsandnonprofitswhoaretargetingethnicmediaandethniccommunitiesrdquoNewAmericaMediaisanetworkedcommunitythatlinksthousandsofethnic
0
mediaorganizationsintheUnitedStatesItsrecentstudyldquoEthnicMediainAmericaTheGiantHiddeninPlainSightrdquosurveysHispanicAmericansAfricanAmericansAsianAmericansArabAmericansandNativeAmericans(NewAmericaMedia2005)NAMfoundthatmorethanaquarterofthenationrsquospopulationusesethnicmediainsomecapacity
NewonlinejournalismsitessuchastheTwin Cities Media AlliancersquosDaily PlanetprofiledinthisreportareemergingfromtherestructuringofthenewspaperindustryandtheuseofbloggingandsocialnetworkingsoftwareThe TC Daily Planetaggregatesincreasingnumbersofethnicimmigrantandnon-mainstreamjournalistsinMinneapolis-StPaulAnotherexamplementionedinthisreportRadio Arte (WRTE)maybetheonlybilingual(SpanishEnglish)youth-operatedurbancommunitystationinthecountryItoperateswithafocusonyouthinChicagorsquosPilsenLittleVillageneighborhoodsAninitiativeoftheMexicanFineArtsCenterMuseumthiseducationalradiostationhasayouthtrainingandproductiontrainingprogramandapowerfulwebpresenceinadditiontoitsurbanbroadcastfootprint
BothTC Daily PlanetandRadioArteunderscorethecommonalitiesbetweenethnicmediaandcommunitymediaInmanycircumstancesethnicmediaandcom-munitymediacanbevirtuallyindistinguishableThisconvergenceofvaluesgeographyandpoliticscouldeasilyserveasthefoundationforcollaborationandpartner-ingbetweencommunityandethnicmediainspecificcommunities
Civic JournalismBothcivicjournalismandpublicjournalismrefertoamovementwithinprofessionaljournalismthathonorsnewsorganizationsrsquoroleinconveningandfacilitatingpublicdeliberationanddebatesinwhichaudiencesaretreatedasactiveparticipantsratherthanpassiveconsumersThePew Center for Civic JournalismdefinescivicjournalismasldquobothaphilosophyandasetofvaluessupportedbysomeevolvingtechniquesAtitsheartisabeliefthatjournal-ismhasanobligationtopubliclifendashanobligationthatgoesbeyondjusttellingthenewsorunloadinglotsoffactsrdquo(PewCenter2007)Thisphilosophyemergesfromanunder-standingthatcitizensareincreasinglydisengagedinciviclifeandthatnewsorganizationscanreactivateanapatheticcitizenryNewsorganizationspracticingcivicjournal-ismaimtoestablishdeeperconversationswithbroadercross-sectionsoftheircommunitiesresultinginenhancedcredibilityimprovedcommunicationbetweenthemselves
andthecommunityandbettercoverageofissuesoflocalconcern
CommittedtosupportingjournalisticeffortstorevitalizecitizenshipwhileobjectivelyreportinghardtruthsthePewCenterestablishedtheBattenAwardforExcellenceinCivicJournalismin1995OneofthefirstawardswenttoThe Charlotte ObserverofCharlotteNorthCarolinaforanineteen-monthin-depthseriesoncrimeinnineneighborhoodsReportersspenttwoyearsincrime-riddenneighborhoodsencouragingresidentsinthoseneighborhoodstoreportontherootcausesofcrimeandtoparticipateinthesearchforsolutions
Community NetworkingWhilestillinitsearlytext-basedphasetheInternetwasbeingadoptedasacommunity-buildingtoolbyanumberofgeographicallybasedorganizationsManyoftheseearlycommunitynetworksevolvedfromldquofreenetsrdquoalliedthroughtheNational Public Telecomputing Network(NPTN)AtthattimeNPTNwasthefourthmostpopularpubliccom-puternetworkbehindCompuServeAmericaOnlineandProdigy(Schuler1995)
SomeoftheseearlycommunitynetworksweresimplyInternetdestinationswherecommunity-basedinformationwascollectedandpresentedOthersevolvedasadjunctstotheInternetconnectionsprovidedbylocalInternetserviceprovidersLikeothercommunitymediathepioneersofcommunitynetworkingweremotivatedtousethisnewcommunicationstechnologytostrengthentheircommunities
CommunitynetworkingwaschangedirrevocablywiththeadventoftheWorldWideWebandthesurgeindemandforInternetaccessTheWorldWideWebreplacedmostofthesoftwareapplicationsthatwerebeingusedatthattimetomakeinformationaccessibletopeoplethroughacommunitynetworkThisandthedemandsurgelow-eredthepriceofcommercialInternetaccesstothepointwheretherewaslittlemotivationtobecomeamemberofacommunitynetworkastheywerepracticedatthetimeAsaresultcommunitynetworkinghasbecomelessaboutInternetaccessandmoreabouttheculturalpracticeof
Newsorganizationspracticingcivicjournalismaimtoestablishdeeperconversationswithbroadercross-sectionsoftheircommunities
communitynetworkingwithafocusonsocialnetworkingsoftwaredevelopmentandutilizationCommunitynetwork-ershavealwaysenjoyedclosealignmentwithopensourcesoftwaredevelopersandnowareconcernedwithusingtheInternetintandemwithopensourcesocialnetworkingsoftwaretoaccomplishmanyofthegoalsofcommunitymedia(Schuler2004)
The Metropolitan Austin Interactive Network (MAIN)isanonprofitorganizationcommittedtoinfor-mationsharingandcommunicationamongpeopleandgovernmentaleducationalcommercialculturalreligiousandcivicorganizationsItoperatesacommunity-basedwebsitethatprovidesandaggregatesabroadarrayofinformationcriticaltoAustinresidentsfromemploymentinformationtoenvironmentalartsandculturalcontentMAINiscommittedtohelpingitscommunitymakeeffec-tiveuseoftheInternetandothernetworkcommunicationsstructuresbutdoesnotdirectlyprovidenetworkconnectiv-ityMAINprovidesfreewebhostingandwebdevelopmentassistancethroughabroaddigitalliteracyprogramthatincludestrainingingeneralcomputerandInternetusage
SatelliteWhilesatellitetelevisioncannotbeconsideredcommunitymediabecauseitisneitherlocalnorspecificallycom-munity-focuseditdeservesmentionherebecauseofitsexistingandpotentialcontributionstocommunitymediagoalsSatellitetelevisionisfocusedonnationalvideodistributionviacableanddirectbroadcastservicestohomesatellitedishesTofosterthepublicrsquosinterestindiverseprogrammingviasatellitetheFCCin1992imposedcertainpublicinterestobligationsonDirectBroadcastService(DBS)providersThecommissionruledthatDBSprovid-ersmustreservefourpercentoftheirchanneltranspondercapacityexclusivelyfornoncommercialprogrammingofaneducationalorinformationalnatureUnfortunatelytheFCCleftituptotheDBScompaniestodecidewhichprogram-merswouldbeselectedfromeligibleprogrammersManyfeelthepotentialofDBStoservethepublicinteresthasbeensignificantlycurtailedasaresult(Anderson2000)
Neverthelesssatellitehasbecomehometosomeprogrammersthatembodythevaluesandpracticesofcom-munitymediaNotablyDeepDishTVFreeSpeechTVLinkTVandasofApril2007StarfishTelevisionNetworkarealldistributedviasatelliteduetotheset-asiderulesadoptedbytheFCCEachoffersprogrammingthatembodiesvaluesofdiversityandempowermentwhiledemonstratingthenecessityofset-asidepoliciesfornoncommercialfrequency
andbandwidthatalllevelsofthemediainfrastructureifnoncommercialmediaistoflourishTheyconsistentlyrunprogramsproducedbycommunitymediaactivistsandindependentproducersandrepresentonepossiblewayforcommunitymediaorganizationstodevelopanationalprogrammingreachthatcouldfacilitateldquolocaltolocalrdquocommunicationswhiledevelopinganationalnetworkofprogressivecommunityprogramming
Deep Dish TVpioneeredtheuseofsatellitetoestablishacollaborativenetworkamongactivisttelevisionproducersandpublicaccesscablestationsin1986DrawingontheearlierexperimentsofthePublicInterestVideoNetworkDeepDishbegancreatingprograminstallmentsforsatellitedistributionVideoprogrammingselectedfromactivistandcommunitytapesaroundthecountrywerefedtosatellitetransponderswithanationalfootprintwheretheywerepickedupbyhundredsofcableaccessorganiza-tionsandcommunitymediacentersintheUnitedStates(Pierce2003)
DeepDishrsquos1991satellitebroadcastsoftheGulfCrisisTVProjectareconsideredbymanytobehistoricmomentsincommunitymediaandUScommunicationshistoryadirectinterventioninaninternationalcrisisbypublicaccesstelevisionandindependentmediaactivistsDeepDishTVassembledavideoanti-warteach-induringthefirstGulfWarandmadeitavailabletotheirnetworkviasatelliteThesuccessoftheGulfCrisisprojectexpandedDeepDishrsquosnetworktoincludeindependentpublictelevi-sionsitesanyonewithahomesatellitereceiverandothercommunitymediaandmediaartsorganizationsRalphEngelmanwritesthatDeepDishrsquosuseofsatelliteallowedcommunitymediaactiviststofulfilltwooftheircoreobjec-tivesldquograssrootsparticipationandthepresentationofdiversealternativeperspectivesrdquo(Engelman1996)
TheseearlysuccessesinnetworkingcommunitytelevisionviasatellitehavemorerecentlybeenextendedbyFree Speech TVandAmyGoodmanrsquosDemocracyNowprogrammingFreeSpeechTVextendedthetechnicalcapacitytonetworkwithcableaccessbyraisingfundstobuydirectsatellitereceiversforcableaccessfacilitiesinterestedincablecastingFreeSpeechTVprogram-mingThistechnicalnetworkthenbecameaprogressiveprogramnetworkcalledintoexistencealmostsingle-hand-edlybythehighlysought-afterprogressiveprogrammingofDemocracyNowInturnthepresenceofDemocracyNowprogrammingisconsistentlyservingtoincreasetheaudiencesandsupportforcableaccessincommunitiesthroughouttheUnitedStates
AttheirheartcommunitymediaareaboutmakingmediawithpeoplenotmerelyaboutorforpeopleIt
isasoneChicagoroundtableparticipantnotedlikeldquotheneighborhoodgoingouttodinnerrdquoButasanyonewhohaseverhostedalargedinnerpartyknowsthisisnotalwayseasilyaccomplishedInroundtablediscussionswithcommunitymediapractitionersthreestrategiesndashcollabo-ration across sectors and platforms training and outreach ndashemergedrepeatedlyaswaysofsuccessfullyengagingthebreadthanddiversityoftheircommunitiesInadditionafourthstrategyconnecting with immigrant populationsyieldedinsightsintosomeuniquechallengesandbenefits
strAtegies CollaborationMediainstitutionscanplaytheroleoffacilitatorsintheircommunitiesdemystifyingtheprocessofproductionpro-vidingpeoplewithaccesstotheresourcestheyneedandbuildingonthehistoryandgoalsofcivicjournalismThisrolerequiresmediainstitutionstorethinktraditionaljour-nalismandmayentailthere-balancingofeditorialpoliciesndashcommittingtodiversityembracingegalitarianvaluesandreassessingthevalueofeditorialneutralityInvitingcommunitymemberstohelpwithstoriesmakescover-agemorereflectiveofthecommunitymoreofatwo-wayconversationForinstanceTwin Cities Public Television(TPT)dedicatestimeononeofitsdigitalchannelstolocalandregionalprogrammingincludingprogramstargetedattheLatinoHmongHindiSomaliandVietnamesecommu-nitiesTocreateprogrammingfortheldquoMinnesotaChannelrdquothestationpartnerswithnonprofitorganizationswhopayTPTforproductionsupportandguaranteedbroadcastoftheprogramming
Sound Partners for Community HealthhasshownthatauthenticpartnershipsbetweenpublicbroadcastersandcommunityinstitutionsenableeachpartytoreachlargermorediverseandtargetedaudiencesonhealthissuesimportanttothecommunityCommunityinstitutionspromotedbroadcastsandpublicbroadcastersincreasedthevisibilityoftheirinstitutionalpartnerswhoofferedadditionalresourcesandreferralstoviewersandlistenersandhelpedtodisseminateprogrammingonCDsandDVDsInadditionbymarryingtheexpertiseofcommunity-basedhealthorganizationsandvoicesoflocalresidentswiththeproductionvaluesofhigh-qualityradioandtelevisionpro-grammingSoundPartnerspositionedcommunitymembersasproactiveplannersofandstakeholdersinmediainitia-tivesratherthanpassiverecipientsofmediaattention
Buttherewasinevitabletensioninseparatingjour-nalismfromadvocacywhichrequiredtrustonthepartofallparticipantstoresolveInthecaseoftheSoundPartnerscollaborationsincommunity-basedjournalismpublicbroadcastersneededtotrustthattheirnonprofitpartnerswouldnrsquotadvancetheirownorganizationalagendasattheexpenseoftruthandnonprofithealthorganizationsneededtotrustthattheirbroadcastpartnerswouldrespecttheirexpertise
TheSoundPartnersexperienceaffirmedwhatmanyroundtableparticipantspointedoutmdashtheneedtobuildbridgesacrossmediaaswellSoundPartnersfoundthatcommercialradiostationsandpublicaccesschannelswithcloselinkstoandinfluenceonthecommunityhelpedimplementstrongmediacampaignsincollaborationwithpublicbroadcastingRoundtableparticipantssawcommer-cialmediaoutletsasespeciallyimportantamongimmigrantgroups
Pointingtoanotheraspectofcollaborationround-tableparticipantsimploredmediainstitutionstobeopentosharinginfrastructuretoaccomplishtheirmissionsManynonprofitmediagroupsarestrugglingtosurvivebuthaveassetsthatcanbesharedorintegratedtobetterservetheircommunitiesinacoordinatedefficientwayCreatingcollaborativestructuresasbasicasco-locationoffacilitiesorascomplexasorganizationalmergerscanbeimportantfordisseminatingprogrammingsecuringfundingandprotectingpotentiallycontroversialissueprogrammingForexampleManhattan Neighborhood Networkhashistori-callyleverageditscablefranchise-securedcapitalfunding
engAging community WhAtrsquos Working
Invitingcommunitymemberstohelpwithstoriesmakescoveragemorereflectiveofthecommunitymoreofatwo-wayconversation
tobuildcapacityinothermediaorganizationssuchasastudioandpost-productionfacilitieswithDowntownCommunityTelevisioninChinatownAndinkeepingwiththesamenetwork-buildingapproachtofacilitatingpartici-pationMNNalsofeaturesaYouthChannelconsideredtobethefirstchannelcreatedforyouthbyyouthMNNhasbecomeoneofthecentralhubsinManhattanaroundwhichindependentandcommunitymediagatherforscreeningsadvancededucationalopportunitiesartisticandpoliticaldebatecommunitybuildingandsocialnetworkingcreat-inganexcitingdemocraticmediaculture
Manyparticipantsacknowledgedthatcollaborationishardexpensiveandtime-consumingItplacesdemandsonin-houseknowledgeandconfrontspartneringorganiza-tionsrsquodifferentgoalseditorialpoliciesandresourcesIftheyaretolastpartnershipsneedproperresearchonthefrontendandmulti-leveledsupportChangesinleader-shipcandisruptplanssopartneringcanrsquotbetiedtoonepersonrsquosrelationshiptoanotherpersonitrequiresanetworkofpeopleunderstandingandcontributingtothepartnershipMulti-yearprojectsareimportanttodevelopinfrastructureandsustainefforts
TrainingRoundtableparticipantssawcommunitymediainstitutionsasimportantsourcesbothforjobsandskillstrainingandforbuildingthecapacityoflocalnonprofitgroupsWhileacquiringmediaskillsmaybeacareerpathoutofpovertyironicallycommunitymediaworkisoftenunpaidandpoorpeoplemustprioritizepayingjobsoverparticipationincommunitymediamakingRoundtableparticipantsexpressedconcernthatthereisnotcurrentlyawaytoeconomicallysustaintheeffortsoflow-incomepeoplewhodovolunteerincommunitymedia
CableaccesscenterslikeChicagorsquos CAN-TVandManhattanNeighborhoodNetworkprovidegrantstrainingandequipmenttocommunitygroupswhothendevelopmultimediaproductsandshowcasethemindifferentvenuesThesecentersfacilitatetheexpressionofnon-technology-orientedcommunitymembersandprovidethemwithusefuljobskills
ThetrainingcomponentiscrucialfordevelopingauthenticvoicesinprogrammingBlessedwithadiversetechnology-savvycommunitythatincludesbothHarvard
andMITcampuspopulationsCambridge Community Television CCTVhasbroadeneditseducationalprogramstoincludeadvancedworkshopsandextendededucationalprogramsindocumentarymakingdigitalstorytellingwebsitedesignandstrategiccommunicationsplanningandimplementationCommunitymembersarealsoabletouseCCTVrsquoscomputertechnologycenterfortraininginavarietyofsoftwareapplicationsincludingphotoeditinganddesignandcomputernetworkingThecenterhasbroadeneditsdistributionofvideoprogrammingtoincludeweb-basedmediastreamingofpre-recordedprogrammingpodcastsaudiochannelsandldquoCambridgeCommunityRadiordquowherememberscansignupfortwo-hourblocksofliveradiotimeThecenterrsquosservicesaddresstheneedsofactivistsnonprofitcommunitygroupsmediaeducatorsandpeopleseekingjobskillsthatextendfarbeyondthoseneededtofillthepublicchannelswithvideoItsofferingsareexpand-ingtoincludeworkshopsinpodcastingdigitalaudioproductionvideobloggingandcyberjournalismCCTVtakesdigitalmediaconvergenceseriouslyunderstandingthatmediaproductiontrainingproductionanddistribu-tionarenowapplicableacrossanumberofplatformsandproductionskillsets
Bay Area Video Coalition(BAVC)isanotherorganizationthatmakesemergingvideotechnologyacces-sibletoindependentmediamakersIthasevolvedintoaninternationallyrenownedmediaartscenterthatleadsthefieldinitshigh-qualityproductionandprofessionaldevelopmentsupportfornoncommercialmediamakersThecenteralsoprovidesclassestolow-incomeyouthinmediaartsproductionaswellasworkshopsforcommunitygroupsandnonprofitsBAVChasconsistentlyoffereddevelopmentseminarsandtrainingprogramsthatbringcommercialpro-ducersandnoncommercialproducerstogetherinacommonsettingItoffersoneoftheregionrsquoskeycertifiedtrainingprogramsforcompanieslikeAppleAvidandDigidesignThroughagrantfromtheFordFoundationBAVChasundertakenanationalstudyonldquoDigitalWorkforceDevelopmentrdquoallowingtheorganizationtoestablishitselfasanationalandregionalleaderinprofessionaldevelop-ment(Most2002)Itsprofessionaldevelopmentprogramisasignificantforuminwhichcommercialandnoncom-mercialmediamakerscancometogetherforprofessionaldevelopmentactivitiesinsettingsthatrespectthepublicinterestandroleofmediainsocialdevelopment
OutreachOutreachakeytoolformediagroupsmovestherelation-shipbetweencommunityandmediabeyondconsumption
Collaborationishardexpensiveandtime-consuming
tosocialchangeItinvitespeopletointeractwithmediatobeaffectedbyitandtoaffectothersItaskspeoplewhattheyneedandinvitesthemtocometogethertomeetthoseneeds
Thekeytocreatingrelevantoutreachisresearch-ingwhatthecommunityneedsdetermininghowtoreachitmosteffectivelyandhiringstaffwhohaveoutreachskillsandarewellversedinthecultureandlanguageofthegroupsbeingtargetedAChicagofilmmakerrecountedhowtheseconsiderationsimpactedhisdocumentaryaboutworkersrsquorightsOutreachstaffconsideredthepotentialimpactontwoaudiencesalargeaudienceofPBSviewerssittingintheirlivingroomsandasmallerbutmoreengagedaudienceofsteelworkerswatchingthedocumentaryatalocalbarTheyconcludedthatthebarviewerswouldberivetedbecausetheinformationinthedocumentarywasgearedtothemSuccessfuloutreachasksWhatdogroupspayattentiontoWhomdotheytrustWhatplatformauthenticallyrepresentsthem
NationalprogrammingcanbeacatalystforlocaloutreachParticipantsinChicagoandMinneapolis-StPauldiscussedtheexampleofldquoTheNewAmericansrdquoanationalPBSseriesonimmigrantsproducedby Kartemquin Films Active VoiceanationalorganizationthatworkswithmediamakerstobringaboutpersonalandinstitutionalchangeworkedwithKartemquintopackageseriesfootagethatfocusedonnewarrivalstoMinnesotaTheresultwasalocalseriesldquoTheNewMinnesotansrdquoandapartnershipthatusedmediatoeducatethemainstreamcommunityaboutlocalimmigrantsandtodevelopdiscussionandactivityguidesforcommunityoutreach
Connecting with Immigrant PopulationsMinoritypopulationsandgroupsconcernedwithsupportingtheidentitiesofmarginalizedpopulationshaveincreasinglyturnedtocommunitymediaassourcesofinformationvali-dationofcultureandproductionsupportforthecreationoftheirowncontentCommunitymediahavehelpedcallattentiontothelivesandconcernsofimmigrantcommuni-tiesthatareotherwiseinvisibleoutsidetheirparticularcommunityBecausetheyoftenhavefoundinnovativewaystousecommunitymediafornetworkingandsocialchangeimmigrantpopulationsillustratethepowerofcommunity
mediaandpresentrichopportunitiesformakingcommu-nitymediaorganizationsmorediverseandparticipatoryRoundtableparticipantssharedlessonsinwhatworksandofferedspecificideasforframinganewcommunitymediaprogramaddressingtheneedsofimmigrantsandreceivingcommunitiescalledNew Routes to Community Health
Inreachingouttoimmigrantcommunitiesround-tableparticipantsnotedthatitiscriticaltoidentifyandworkwithexistingagenciesthatimmigrantstrustperhapsachurchorassociationforaparticularethnicgroupButthoughimmigrantgroupsarethemostappropriateconve-nersofsuchcollaborativestheymustalsohavethecapacitytoconvene
TheselectionofplatformalsodeservescarefulconsiderationRoundtableparticipantsnotedthatinadapt-ingtechnologiestotheirownpurposesspecificimmigrantgroupsoftenpreferoneplatformoveranotherForexampleChicagorsquosKorean-AmericancommunityhasbeensuccessfulinusingethnicprintmediatoaddresscommunityissuesThePersianstorytellingtraditionhasmadePersianahugeandgrowinglanguagesegmentonblogsPersianisnowthefourthmostwidelyusedlanguageonweblogs(Macintyre2004)A2000surveyofSomalianimmigrantsinMinnesotashowedthatoverfortypercenteventhenconsideredtheInternettheirmainnewssource(Aynte2006)
RadioinparticularhasshowntremendouspowerinthedevelopingworldpartlyasaresultoftheUnitedNationsrsquoemphasisonradioasthemediumsupportingthemostwidespreadpracticeofcommunitymediaintheworldBecausetheyarefamiliarwithradiobeforecomingtotheUnitedStatesimmigrantgroupsoftenquicklyembraceradiouponarrivalinthiscountryItisalsooneofthemostinexpensiveformsofmediaandthereforeoneofthemostaccessibleldquoIftheycomefromLatinAmericatheyknowthepowerofradiordquoChicagoparticipantsnotedenthusiasti-callyLocalcommercialSpanish-languageradiostationseffectivelyhelpedmobilizeturnoutforimmigrationprotestsinChicagoinMay2006
community spotlightManycommunitiesintheUnitedStatescanpointwithpridetotheachievementsoftheircommunitymediaorganizationsWhenattemptingtoidentifybestpracticesinthenetworkedmediaenvironmentsweseetodayhoweveritisusefultothinkintermsofinterconnectionandcol-laborationnottolooksimplyatindividualmediacentersorbroadcaststationsOftenthemostsuccessfulexamplesofcommunitymediaemergeoutofongoingalliancesandcollaborationsamonglocalcommunitymediagroupsThe
Thekeytocreatingrelevantoutreachisresearchingwhatthecommunityneeds
communitiesspotlightedbelowhavebegunincorporatingpartnershipsandcross-platformcollaborationintothepracticeofcommunitymediaandhavebeguntoreapthebenefitsofthatapproach
Portland OregonTheMetro Government Community Media InitiativeillustratesthepotentialpowerofcommunitiesworkingtogethertoproducetheirownmediaratherthanhavingtheirstoryframedbycommercialnewsorganizationsAlthoughtheprojecthasnowendeditisincludedherebecauseitprovidedsuchastrongmodelforfuturecommu-nitymediaeffortsTheinitiativewasrootedinaproposalbylocalindependentfilmmakerTomChamberlinthatlocalmediamakerscommunitymediaorganizationscommunitygroupsandgovernmentagenciescollaboratetoproducepublicaffairstelevisionprogramsonissuesofconcerntoOregoniansMetroauniqueregionalgovernmentprimarilyresponsibleforregionalland-useandtransportationplan-ningtookChamberlinrsquosideatoheartWithagrantfromtheFederalHighwayAdministrationMetroandanallianceofcommunityorganizationsandgovernmentagenciesdevel-opedldquoZigZagRealStoriesNewAnglesrdquoaprogrambylocalfilmmakersfeaturingpersonalstoriesfromadiversegroupofregionalresidentsastheygrappledwiththetransporta-tionchoicesaffectingtheirfamiliesneighborhoodsandcommunities
InadditiontothecenterpiecebroadcastonOregon Public BroadcastingtheprojectcreatedaninteractivewebsiteanddistributedaDVDoftheprogramtothearearsquoscableaccesschannelsElementsoftheprojectalsofoundtheirwayontoPortlandrsquoscommunityradiostationKBOOandpacketsincludingextensivesupportmaterialsandDVDsweremadeavailableforscreeninginneighborhoodcentersandindependentmediavenuesTherewasalsoaplanninganddeliberationprocesstostrategizeabouthowcitizensgovernmentsandmediamakerscancollaboratetocreatecommunitydialogueandsolvecivicproblems
Asurbanspaceisincreasinglydefinedbytelecom-municationsasmuchastransportationandlandusetheprojectalsoillustratesthepowerfuloutcomesthat
canresultwhenregionaltelecommunicationsplanningbecomesintegratedwithlanduseandtransportationplan-ningandwhencommunitymediaareintegratedintobothformalandinformalprocessesofplanninganddelibera-tionTheMetroCommunityMediaInitiativeresultedinasignificantandmeasurableriseinregionalawarenessofthetransportationplanningissuesaddressedbytheproj-ectViewershipandDVDusesofthemediaincommunitysettingsexceededexpectations(Metro2004)AlthoughtheprojectwasnotimmediatelyreplicatedPortlandnowenjoyscontinuingcollaborationsbetweenMetrogovern-mentanditsareacommunitymedia
ParticipationintheMetroGovernmentCommunityMediaInitiative isonlyoneofthemanywaysPortlandrsquosKBOOradiohasdemonstrateditsfullcommitmenttotheoriginaldemocraticintentionsofcommunityradiooverthecourseofitsforty-two-yearhistoryOlderthanNationalPublicRadioKBOOisamongthelongest-liv-ingcommunityradiostationsintheUnitedStatesOfthenoncommercialradiostationsinPortlandKBOOistheonlystationwhosemissioncontainsanexplicitcommit-menttominorityprogrammersandlisteners(SussmanandEstes2004)KBOOrsquoscommitmenttodemocraticpracticeextendstoaboardofdirectorselectedentirelyfromitsmembershipwhichisopentoanyoneandanaggressivetrainingprogramconsistentwiththestationrsquoscommitmenttovolunteer-producedprogrammingmdashallprogrammingisproducedbyvolunteerswithassistanceofpaidstaffTheparticipationofwomenandminoritiesfarexceedthecommunityrsquosracialdemographics(SussmanandEstes2004)
Portland Community Media (PCM)hasarichtwenty-three-yearhistoryinPortlandwhenitcomestousingmediatobuildcommunityPCMstartedoutasacabletelevisionaccesscenterandstillprovidestheadminis-trationandtrainingtoprogramPortlandrsquoscableaccesschannelsbuthasexpandeditsmissiontoembracetheuseofcommunitymediatobringaboutbroaderparticipationincivicandculturallifePCMrsquoswebsitedescribesthecenterldquowiththreewordsndashEducateCommunicateParticipaterdquoCurrentlyPCMhasanumberofcollaborativeprojectssup-portingmedialiteracyandmediaeducationinthepublicschoolsystemitregularlyprogramsmediaproductionsfromPortlandrsquosmediaartscentertheNorthwestFilmandVideoCenteranditisplanningtoexpanditscentertosupporteconomicdevelopmentofmicroenterprisesfornewmedia
The Mt Hood Cable Regulatory Commission(MHCRC)overseesacable-relatedtelecommunicationsdevelopmentforgreaterPortlandOregonServing
Oftenthemostsuccessfulexamplesofcommunitymediaemergeoutofongoingalliancesandcollaborationsamonglocalcommunitymediagroups
thecommunitiesresidentsandlocalgovernmentsofFairviewGreshamPortlandTroutdaleWoodVillageandMultnomahCountyOregonTheMtHoodCableRegulatoryCommissionnegotiatesandenforcescableservicefran-chiseandactsinthepublicinterestoncommunicationspolicyissuesatlocalstateandfederallevelsItwouldbehardtooverstatetheimportanceofMHCRCinfosteringthegrowthofcommunitymediaingreaterPortlandThroughclearandinsightfulregulationofthecablefranchiseithasassuredthatthenecessarynetworksandtelecommu-nicationsinfrastructureareavailabletoallowcommunitymediatogrow
MtHoodrsquosCommunityAccessCapitalGrantsProgramisparticularlynoteworthyTheCapitalGrantsprogramprovidescapitalfundingtocommunicationsprojectsthatsupportsocialjusticecommunityinvolve-mentandtheeffectivedeliveryofservicesthroughcostreductionTheprogramhasallowedscoresofcommunitygroupstoincreasetheircommunicationscapacitythroughtheacquisitionofskillsknowledgeandtechnologyInimplementingthisgrantprogramtheMtHoodCableRegulatoryCommissionhasbeenextremelystrategicinconveninggranteesandcreatingtheconditionsthatleadtopartnershipsandcollaborativerelationships
TheNorthwest Film and Video Centerisalong-standingregionalmediaartsorganizationservingtheNorthwestregionThecenterprovidesarichprogramnurturingmediaartscultureItfeaturesanactiveexhibi-tionprogramforexperimentalandindependentfilmsahighlyregardedfilmschoolandextensiveyouthmediaprogramsThecenterpresentsanumberofyearlyfilmfestivalsincludingthePortlandInternationalFilmFestivaltheNorthwestFilmandVideoFestivalandtheYoungPeoplersquosFilmampVideoFestivalThecenterrsquosproductionsoftenfindtheirwayontotothearearsquoscablechannelsThecenterisalsoatrustedsourceofequipmentaccessforareaindependentproducersactiveintherichmediacultureofPortlandaservicepartiallysupportedbytheMtHoodCableRegulatoryCommissionrsquosCapitalGrantsprogram
Minneapolis-St Paul MinnesotaTheSaint Paul Neighborhood Network(SPNN)isacableaccessstationservingStPaulresidentsThestationprovidesopportunitiestothepublictoproduceandairprogramsononeofitsfivechannelsdedicatedtomulti-faithpubliceducationcommunityandinternationalcontentrespectivelySPNNhasayoutheducationprogramandacommunityproductionsprogramwhichworkswithnonprofitorganizationstocreatepublicserviceadvertise-
mentsorprogrammingWorkshopsincludeproductiongrantproposalwritinglegalquestionsandlightingSPNNisparticularlyeffectiveasconvenerandcapacitybuilderinitscommunityItseducationandtrainingprogramsarefocusedoncommunitydevelopmentandonkeepingthetechnicaltrainingelementsofitsworkinasocialperspective
Minneapolis Television Network(MTN)isSPNNrsquossisteraccessstationservingMinneapoliswithasimilarcommitmenttoprovidingacommunitygatheringplaceOperatingthreepublicaccesschannelsMTNofferstelevi-siontrainingandmedialiteracyclassesandisespeciallyencouragingofyouthparticipationThechannelsserveasabridgeforimmigrantstouseinadaptingtotheirnewhomemanynewimmigrantsusethemtocommunicateintheirnativelanguageswiththeirSomaliEthiopianorVietnamesecompatriotsSomali-languageprogramsforinstanceoffereighthoursaweekofmusicentertainmentcommunitynewsandreligiousinstructiontooneofthelargestsettlementsofSomalipeopleoutsideSomaliaIntoutingSomalitelevisionasthebestpublicaccesscabletelevisionprogramintheTwinCitiesCity Pages saidldquoForsomepublicaccessisanearlyinspiringlessonindemocracyandfreemediardquo(CityPages2004)WantingtostrengthenthenonprofitcommunityrsquosInternetsavvyMTNcreatedandeventuallyspunofftheRiverProjecttoofferInternetdial-upaccessandwebhostingtononprofits
PublicbroadcastershavealsoofferedstrongmodelsofcommunitycollaborationintheTwinCities Twin Cities Public Television(TPT)isthepublictelevisionstationservingtheMinneapolisndashStPaulregionIn2004TPTbegandedicatingtimeononeofitsdigitalchan-nelstoMinnesota-relatedprogrammingAnumberoftheprogramsontheMinnesota Channel(someofwhicharethencablecastonpublicaccesstelevision)aretargetedatLatinoHmongHindiMiddleEasternChineseandVietnamesecommunitiesandproducedinpartnershipwithnonprofitorganizationsTPTisapartnerintheMinnesotaCommunityCampaignthatencouragesurbanandruralareasinandaroundtheTwinCitiestowelcomethetensofthousandsofimmigrantsandrefugeesthathavesettledthereinthepastseveraldecadesSeekingtoeffectpositivechangeonimmigrantissuesthroughartmediaeducationsocialserviceandpolicymakingthecampaignproducedtheldquoTheNewMinnesotansrdquoasixty-minuteprogramthatoriginallyairedonTPTbasedontheKartemquinseriesldquoTheNewAmericansrdquo
InadditiontocommunityradiostationKFAItheTwinCitiesishometoMinnesota Public Radio(MPR)
whichhaspioneeredafreshapproachtojournalismcalledpublicinsightjournalism(PIJ)PIJtapsintothecollectiveknowledgeofMPRrsquosdiverseaudiencetoenrichitsreport-ingCreatingaten-thousand-personPublicInsightNetworkviathewebthestationinvitesthepublictobesourcesofstoryideasreactionsandperspectivesandbrainstormingonpublicissues
TheindependentfilmandvideocommunityworkscollaborativelyintheTwinCitiestosupportandpromoteartistandcommunityperspectivesIFP Minnesota Center for Media Arts Intermedia ArtsandtheWalker Art Center areamongthemulti-disciplinaryvenuesfordiscus-sionandproduction
AndtheInternetishometoanewaggregationofcommunitymediasourcesAccordingtoitswebsitethe Twin Cities Daily PlanetaprojectoftheTwinCitiesMediaAllianceisldquoacommunitynewswireandsyndicationserviceshowcasingthebestworkoftheneighborhoodandcommunitypressaswellasworkbyTwinCitiesindepen-dentjournalistsandthevoicesofengagedcitizensThepremiseoftheTC Daily PlanetisthatnewtechnologiesaremakingitpossibleforthesecitizenstobecomemoreactiveandpowerfulparticipantsinthenewsproductionprocessrdquoModeledafterKorearsquosOhmyNewstheTC Daily Planetseekstoimprovethequalitydiversityandaccount-abilityofthelocalmediaandtoinvolvetherapidlygrowingimmigrantandethniccommunitiesItrecruitsandofferstrainingtocitizenjournalistsandhaspartnershipswithoverfortyneighborhoodandcommunitymedia
Chicago IllinoisChicago Access Network Television(CAN-TV)offersfivepublicaccesschannelstoChicagolandresidentsThispublicspaceprovidesChicagoansanopportunitytodiscussissuesoflocalconcernpromotehealtheducationalandeconomicresourcesinthecommunityandcelebratelocaltalentandinitiativesCAN-TVprovidesvideotrainingequipmentandfacilitiesforarearesidentsandnonprofitgroupsItvideotapesandcablecastspublicforumstownhallmeetingscommunityeventsandotheractivitiesoflocalinterestThroughthisservicethestationprovidesChicagoanswithaccesstoinformationtheymaynototh-erwisehavethroughcommercialtelevisionForinstanceCAN-TVworkedwitheighttotenAIDSagenciestodissemi-natebasiceducationaboutAIDSpreventionvialivecall-inprograms
CAN-TVsupportsChicagorsquosassociationsandnonprof-itsthroughserviceslikeliveldquohot-linerdquocall-inshowsfrom
automatedstudiosthatonepersoncanoperateproductionservicesthatgenerateprogrammingforcommunityeventsandstrategiccommunicationsplanningworkshopsCAN-TVhasrefusedtofollowasimplisticldquoneutralityrdquoprogram-mingphilosophyinwhichtheaccesscentertransmitsonlyprogrammingthatrandomlycomesfromthecommunityInsteadCAN-TVactivelycreatesprogrammingimportanttocommunitydevelopmentInadditiontoitsfocusonnonprofitsCAN-TVactivelycreatespartnershipswithcon-tent-richgroupssuchaslocalmuseumsandartsgroupsItalsopartnerswithlocalmediaactivistproductiongroupslikeVideoMacheteandStreetLevelYouthMedia(profiledbelow)SimilarlyCAN-TVaggressivelyengagesinprogram-mingforlocalelectionsatypicalelectionseasonwillgeneratearoundtwohundredhoursoforiginalprogram-mingeachmonthandnearlyallthecandidateswillbefeaturedoractuallycreatetheirownCAN-TVprogrammingtocarryouttheircampaigns
Street-Level Youth MediaprovidesopportunitiesforChicagorsquosurbanyouthtousemediaartsandemergingtechnologiesforself-expressioncommunicationandsocialchangeItsstaffprovidesinstructioninvideoandaudioproductioncomputerartandtheInternettohelpyouthaddresscommunityissuesaccessadvancedcommunica-tionstechnologyandgaininclusioninsocietyInoneprojectitcollaboratedwithtwoseventh-gradeteachersandanESLinstructortohelpstudentsresearchissuesaboutimmigrationinoneneighborhoodTheteachersweretrainedtousevideoandthentrainedotherteacherswhoguidedtheirstudentsinproducingvideosforscreeningattheschoolMorethanthirtyvideoswerecreatedandvideotrainingandusehasbeenincorporatedintotheschoolcurriculum
Radio Arte(WRTE)istheonlybilingual(Spanish-English)youth-operatedurbancommunitystationinthecountryItoperateswithafocusonyouthinChicagorsquosPilsenandLittleVillageneighborhoodsAninitiativeoftheNationalMuseumofMexicanArtthiseducationalradiostationhasservedChicagoformorethansixyearstrainingyouthwithapriorityondevelopingindividualandgroupcommunicationcompetenciesthatallowyoungpeopletoenterpubliclifewithconfidencethroughthebroadcastmediumProvidingaforumforyoungpeopletobecreativeandresponsibletothelargestMexicancommunityintheMidwestRadioArteiscommittedtotrainingyoungpeopleintheartofbroadcastingRadioArtersquosuniquetwo-yeartrainingprogramprovidesyouthwithspecialcoursesonwritingforradioandjournalismvoicetrainingand
FCCregulationsaswellasbasiccomputerskillsproduc-tionskillsandon-airtrainingParticipatingintwograntroundsofSoundPartnersforCommunityHealththestationrsquosldquoRadioVidardquoproducedprogrammingonsubstanceabuseandaddictionbyandforLatinoyouth
Casa Guatemala Media Projectisanonprofitcommunity-basedorganizationthatservestheGuatemalanandbroaderLatinAmericancommunityinChicagoandtheMidwestSinceitsfoundingin1986ithasusedmediaincludingwebprintTVandradiotoraiseconsciousnessaboutissuesaffectingcommunitiesfromLatinAmericaInparticularitworkswithCAN-TVtoprovidetheeducationalcomponentofself-authoredmediathatwillpositivelytrans-formcommunitiesthroughworkshopsontheproductionandalternativeusesofemergingtechnologies
Beyond Media EducationworkswithunderservedandunderrepresentedcommunitiesprimarilywomenandyouthtotelltheirstoriesandorganizeforsocialjusticethroughthecreationanddistributionofalternativemediaandartsInarecenteffortitworkedwithaChicagosheltertohelpstreetwalkerstelltheirownstoriesinanefforttoraisepublicawarenessandpromotestate-levelreformsTheorganizationorganizedasix-monthworkshopthatincludedteachingandpracticingstorytellingpublicspeak-ingandvideoproductionskillstooveradozenprostitutesTheirgroundbreakingvideogivesinsightsintoChicagorsquossextradeindustryandrecountsthetriumphofthepar-ticipantsoverhomelessnessviolenceanddiscriminationTheirlobbyinginthestatecapitolresultedinpassageofabilltodestigmatizeanddecriminalizesexworkers
Keepingtabsonandshowcasingmuchofthecom-munitymediaactivityfromajournalisticperspectiveistheCommunity Media Workshop (CMW) CMWservesasabridgebetweensocialactivistscommunitymediaprac-titionersandjournalistsIthostsanannualacademyforprogressiveorganizationsintheChicagoareathatbringsactivistsandjournaliststogethertoshareideasandatti-tudesProminentareatelevisionandnewspaperjournalistsarerecruitedtoserveonpanelsleadworkshopsandgenerallysharetheirideasofhowprogressivegroupscaneffectivelygaintheattentionofthepressThisapproach
leadstobuy-infromkeypersonnelinChicagorsquosmainstreammediawhocannowbetterunderstandthegrassrootsgroupsthatapproachthemandtheirissuesItalsogivescommunityparticipantsattheworkshopstheopportunitytodevelopmorepersonalrelationshipswithkeymembersofthemediaThisapproachalsoenablescommunitygroupstobetterunderstandwhatmotivateseditorsandreporters
ThesethreecommunitiesshowcommondevelopmentpatternsandfactorsCommunitymediaorganizationshavebeguntounderstandtheirmissionsintermsofasharedcultureofcommunitymedialookingbeyondtheirindivid-ualmissionstothecommonsocialandpoliticalvaluestheyhaveincommonThisapproachopensthewayforcommu-nityradiomediaartscenterscommunitymediacentersandcableaccesstocreatecommunity-wideprograminitiativesinwhichseveralmediaplatformsareengagedItcreatestheconditionsinwhichitispossibleforcommunitymediaorganizationstoactwithunifiedstancesinpoliticaladvocacyregardingmediaissuesandotherissuescriticaltotheircommunitiesThiskindofcross-platformnetworkingalsocreatesopportunitiesforcommunitymediatoreceivemorediversefundingandsupportfromthecommunityastheyextendthenetworkorcultureofcollaborationtocom-munitydevelopmentgroupsandofficialsintheirregions
Communitymediaorganizationshavebeguntounderstandtheirmissionsintermsofasharedcultureofcommunitymedialookingbeyondtheirindividualmissionstothecommonsocialandpoliticalvaluestheyhaveincommon
ldquoThe boldest experiments in public telecommunica-tions take place when technologies are new and their commercial potential not yet fully apparentrdquo mdash Ralph Engelman 1996
Acrosstheirmanyplatformsandmanycommunitiescommunitymediahavebecomecentralculturalinstitutionsinthecivicculturalandeconomiclife
ofourcommunitiesprovidinginvaluablemediaprogram-mingaccessandeducationTheycaninsuchinstancesenablecommunitiestodevelopinformedcitizensartistsandactivistswhopossesstheskillsandknowledgeneededtograpplewithcomplexmedialiteracyanddevelopmentissuesatthelocallevel
Fordecadescommunitymediaorganizationshaveaddressedtheurgentneedtocreatelocalinstitutionsthatfacilitatecitizenaccesstomedianetworksandeffectiveparticipationinmediacultureforbothcitizensandwork-ersTheyareprovingthemselvesvitaltothepoliticalandeconomiclifeoftheircommunitiesTheyplaymultiplerolessimultaneouslyascriticalculturalenhancementstothequalityofciviclifeasemployersandaseducationalsitesforworkforcedevelopment
difficultyNeworganizationalformsandnewmediaformatslikestreamingarchivingpodcastingandbloggingarebecomingthenormpartofldquoblendedrdquoproductionanddis-seminationpracticesincommunitymedia
neW communicAtion spAces cyberjournAlismTheincreaseinInternetbandwidthandtheavailabilityofonlinesocialnetworkingsoftwarehavequalitativelychangedtherelationshipofjournaliststotheiraudiencesNewwebdestinationslikeMySpaceShutterflyFriendsterFlikrEviteandGooglearedevelopingvirtualcommuni-tiesforsharingvideoattractingyoungeraudiencesandmakingcontentmorethanpassiveandone-directionalSocialnetworkingsoftwareenablespeopletorendezvousconnectorcollaboratethroughcomputer-mediatedcom-municationandformonlinecommunities(Spannerworks2007)PopularsocialnetworksoftwareapplicationslikeweblogsorblogsseemparticularlywellsuitedtoparticipatorycitizenjournalismallowingeasypublishingofinteractivetextphotoaudioandvideocontentTheneweasewithwhichvideoclipscanbepreparedforuseonthewebhasbroughtontheriseofldquovlogsrdquoandsitesthatfacilitatethesharingofvideoclipsandaccompanyingcontentAnenormousrangeofblogsandcyberjournalisticsiteshavesprungupontheWorldWideWebinthepastfiveyearswithanequallywiderangeofeditorialstandardsandpracticesTechnoraticomcurrentlytracksseventeenmillionblogssharingoneandahalfmillionhyperlinks(Rennie2006)APewCenterInternetstudyestimatesthatthenumberofregularblogreadersintheUnitedStatesisequivalenttoalmosthalftheentireradioaudiencewhichisaboutaquarteroftheUSnewspaperreadership(Rennie2006)
Combinedwithaffordablenewdigitalmediaproduc-tioncamerasandrecorderstheseweb-baseddisseminationtoolsmakeitpossibleforcitizensandconsumerstoparticipateactivelyinnewsgatheringNonprofessionalshavebeguntoplayamoreactiveroleintheprocessesofjournalismfromcollectinginformationandreportingtoanalysisanddisseminationJanSchafferwhodirectsJ-LabaUniversityofMarylandincubatorforinteractivejournalismprojectsexplainsthatmanypeoplearebecom-ingmoreactivecitizensthroughjournalisticactivitybutdonotnecessarilyaspiretobejournalistsThenewtechnical
envisioning the future of community mediA
Communitymediaorganizationsareprovingthemselvesvitaltothepoliticalandeconomiclifeoftheircommunities
Communitymediaarealsocontributingimportantvaluespracticesandorganizationalmethodologiestotheemergingcollaborativemediaenvironmentsoftheblogo-sphereWecanlooktothesecontributionsastechnologicalandorganizationalopportunitiesforstrengtheningandexpandingcommunitymediapracticeWiththeInternetamediacultureisemergingthatismoreconsistentwiththenoncommercialpracticesofcommunitymediaproductioncollaborationanddemocraticparticipationinmediamak-inganddistributionConsequentlymanycommunitymediaorganizationsareintegratingthecapacitiesoftheInternetandnewmediaintotheirpracticeswithoutmuchfanfareor
0
capacityforcommunicationsheobservesallowspeopletoldquoparticipateinnewsandinformationinvariouswaysmdashparticipateininteractingwithitquestioningittruth-squadingitandcreatingitAndnowthattheyhavethetechtoolsandthetechskillstodothattheappetitehasonlyincreasedrdquo(Schaffer2005b)
SuchconditionshavesetthestageforintensepopularinterestinwhathasbeenbrandedldquowemediardquoorldquoparticipatoryjournalismrdquoTodaynumerousonlinejournalisticexperimentsbringtogetherprofessionaljour-nalistswithcitizenmediaactivistsandthoseinvolvedineventsMoreandmoretheearliestimagesandinformationregardingbreakingnewsarecomingfromnon-journalistspresentatthemomentoftheeventAsaresultjournalistsarebeginningtoconceptualizethemselvesnotsomuchasgatekeepersofnewsbutasmoderatorsinaconversationwithlicenseandtimetospeakfrequentlyandhopefullyaccurately(BowmanandWillis2003)
Thiskindofcommunity-centeredcoveragemayentailthere-balancingofeditorialpoliciesndashcommittingtodiversityembracingegalitarianvaluesandreassessingthevalueofeditorialneutralityItputsintoquestiontheroleandsignificanceofofteninnovativeldquopersonalmediardquoexemplifiedbythemillionsofbloggingsitesontheWebIsthiskindofldquonewsrdquoservingapubliccivicpurposeofcommunityproblemsolvingorindividualprivateexpres-sionInaWashington PostopinionpieceonDecember212006GeorgeKWillvoicedskepticismoftheseriousnessofmuchofthewebrsquosamateurjournalisminresponsetoTimemagazinersquosnamingallofusPersonoftheYear
Itisdifficulttopredictthefutureofcyberjournal-ismandbloggingpreciselyintheseearlystagesbutthreeoutcomesseemlikelyFirstbloggingwillcontinueitsrapidintegrationintomainstreammediacontentSecondblog-gingandotherformsofsocialnetworkingsoftwarewillgiverisetonewmediaentitiesthatwillchallengemainstreammedialocallynationallyandglobally
ThethirdoutcomeistheonemostrelevanttoacommunitymediascanCyberjournalismandparticipatory
citizenjournalismseemparticularlywellsuitedtoaddressthecurrentUSmassmediarsquosdifficultyinprovidingcoverageoflocaleventsinsmallercommunitiessuburbanregionsandcommutercommunitiesthataredevelopingoutsideformalpoliticaljurisdictionsCommunity-basedonlinejournalismsiteshavesprungupinhundredsofcom-munitiesaroundtheUnitedStatesTheyaremanagedandorganizedinwidelydivergentways
AnexperimentincyberjournalismandcommunitynetworkingtheTwin Cities Daily PlanetaggregatessomeofthebestjournalismfromMinnesotarsquosTwinCitiesneighborhoodandcommunitypressandindependentjour-nalistsaswellasthevoicesofengagedcitizenspresentingthemtothepublicthroughaninteractivewebsiteandcommunitydatabaseByaggregatingcitizenandneighbor-hoodjournalisminonesiteitincreasesthecapacityofsmallneighborhoodmediatoreachbeyondtheirborderstoawiderregionalaudienceUsingRealSimpleSyndication(RSS)softwaretheTC Daily Planetcanpotentiallyreachaglobalaudience
AprojectoftheTwinCitiesMediaAlliancetheTC Daily PlanetisaverynewformofcommunitymediaemergingfromtherestructuringofthenewspaperindustryandtheuseofbloggingandsocialnetworkingsoftwareAlthoughearlyinitsdevelopmenttheTC Daily Planetisgivingvoicetoanincreasingnumberofethnicimmi-grantandnon-mainstreamjournalistswhilefocusingthecommunityrsquosattentiononafargreaterrangeofpublicationsandideas
TheearliestexpressionsofcyberjournalismaretheIndependent Media Centers (IMCs)orIndymediaIndymediacameintobeingaspartoftheprotestsanddemonstrationsaroundtheWorldTradeOrganizationtalksheldinSeattleWashingtonin1999ThisfirstIMCwasaconvergenceoftheemerginginteractivityoftheInternetwiththeintenseneedofprotesterstogetindependentinformationouttotheworldabouttheprotestsAnetworkofindependentcommunitymediamakersactivistsandjournalistsbandedtogethertopoolresourcesandinforma-tion(Howley2005)
TheIMCsforeshadowedthebloggingandvideodis-tributionthatwasshortlytoemergebyusingtheInternetandtheWorldWideWebinconjunctionwithvideoandaudiodistributiontocreateatrulyunprecedentedmulti-mediaenvironmentIntermsofbothqualityandquantitytheSeattleIMCwasanimpressiveperformancebyanynewsandcurrentaffairsstandardsOverthecourseofthefive-dayprotestsadailynewspaperanddailyradioprogramwerecreatedandcountlessprintstoriesweredisseminated
Journalistsarebeginningtoconceptualizethemselvesnotsomuchasgatekeepersofnewsbutasmoderatorsinaconversation
globallyalsovideofeedsweresentthroughtheInternettopublicaccessandcommunitychannelsaroundtheworldSixyearsaftertheSeattleproteststherewere149Indymediawebsitesinabout45countriesonsixcontinents(Whitney2005)
TheopenformofcommunicationpracticedbymostIMCsiteshasnotbeenwithoutproblemsandcontra-dictionsManysitesarenowclutteredwithideologicaldiatribesanduneditedcontent(Halleck2002Whitney2005)ButthereareanumberofIndymediasitesthatprovidealternativenewsandinformationregardingaglobalscopeofconcernsthatwouldbeverydifficulttoobtainanywhereelseinthemediaAnumberofsitesinplacessuchasNewYorkCityPortlandOregonandtheSanFranciscoBayareahaveestablishedthemselvesasstablepartsoftheircommunityrsquosmediaculture
companiesspecializedsuppliersserviceprovidersandassociatedinstitutionsinaparticularfieldthatarepresentinanationorregionrdquo(Porter2000)Thecompaniesinanindustryclusterhaveacomplexwebofmutuallysupportingrelationshipsthatencompassbothcompetitiveandcollab-orativerelationshipsTheylinkacrossprofitandnonprofitpracticesutilizecommoninfrastructuremakecommoncontributionstothedevelopmentofahighlyskilledwork-forcesharefundingandinsomecasestalentedstaff
Increasinglycommunitydevelopmentpractitionersandanalystsarecomingtounderstandindustryclustersaspowerfulstrategiesforbotheconomicandcommunitydevelopmentinthetwenty-firstcenturyThisisprovingdoublytruefornonprofitcommunitymediaorganizationswhoseroleitistobringpowerfultoolsandknowledgetoanycommunityrsquosdeliberationsaroundcommunityandeco-nomicdevelopmentBroadbandandwirelessnetworksareprovidingthepracticalmeansoflinkingcommunitymediaorganizationswithincommunitiesofferingakeystrategicadvantagebyenhancingtheeffectivenessofcollaborationandpartnershipbuilding
AstheexamplesinthepreviouschaptershowcommunitymediaorganizationsaretakingonnewrolesincludingcombiningproductionandtrainingtakingonworkforcedevelopmentfunctionsandbecomingtechnologycentersfordiffusionofnewmediaBeyondtheseexampleslongstandingsuccessfulcommunitymediaorganiza-tionsaremergingasnetworkclusterslinkingdifferentgroupsandorganizationswithincommunitiestocreateentirelynewcommunitymediaorganizationsorblurringtheboundariesbetweentheirorganizationsOthersarebringinghistoricallyseparatecommunitymediagroupswithinoneorganizationalstructureorunderonerooftosharebuildingsandcommunicationsinfrastructuresinacost-effectivemanner
TheorganizationsthatemergefromthisintegrationmaybesimilarinfunctionthoughtheirnamesremaindifferentAcommunity-basedsiteforcitizenmediaandcyberjournalismforexampleandacommunitynetworklikeMAINinAshevilleNorthCarolinaoracutting-edgecableaccesscenterlikeGrandRapidsCommunityTelevisionbegintolookverymuchalikeintermsof
Increasinglycommunitymediadevelopmentishappeningthroughnetworksoflocalnonprofitmediaorganizationsratherthanwithinsingleorganizations
neW orgAnizAtionAl spAces netWorked clusters Perhapsthemostpromisingtrendonthehorizonforcom-munitymediaistheemergenceofnewhighlyintegratedorganizationalstructuresandcollaborativeprocessesIncreasinglycommunitymediadevelopmentishappeningthroughnetworksoflocalnonprofitmediaorganizationsratherthanwithinsingleorganizations
Inmanywaysthesereorganizationsatthecom-munitylevelparalleltherestructuringtakingplaceintheprivatecorporatesectorTherecommunicationsnetworksarebeingusedtosupportcomplexpartnershipsandjointcompanyprojectdevelopmentinteractivenetworkseasetheaggregationoflargeorstrategiccapitalandemployeeskillsetsacrossgeographicandorganizationalboundariesforthepurposesofinnovationandmarketdevelopmentInthelanguageofcommunityandeconomicdevelop-mentthesecomplexpartnershipsareknownasldquocreativeclustersrdquoorldquoindustryclustersrdquoMichaelPorteraleadingtheoristandproponentoftheconceptofclustersdefinesthemasldquogeographicconcentrationsofinterconnected
Successfulcommunitymediaorganizationsaremergingasnetworkclusters
technologyprogrammingactivitiesandtheexperienceofcommunityaudiencesvolunteersandparticipantsEachorganizationreliesonnoncommercialaffordablebandwidtheachplayssomeroleinadvocatingforsupportivegovern-mentpoliciesandeachisexperimentingwiththepotentialofnewcollaborativemediatoolsOftencommittedtoengagingandtrainingvolunteersandcommunitymembersinsomemannertheymayoffertrainingandvolunteerpro-gramsthatrequiresimilarsharableonlinetutorialsandonlineoutreachandschedulemanagementtools
TheexamplesthatfollowdemonstratethewayscommunitymediacreativeclustersaremakinguniquecontributionstotheircommunitiesrsquoqualityoflifeandeconomicwellbeingTheyaredoingsointhreeimportantwaysbullfirstbyamplifyingtherolethatartsandculturalgroups
playinenhancingthequalityoflifeandattractingatalentedworkforceandcapitaltothecommunitymdasharolethatisgaininginsignificanceinthetwenty-firstcentury
bullsecondascontributorstocoreeconomicdevelopmentfunctionsinthecommunityincludingworkforcedevelop-mentandtrainingasmicro-enterpriseincubatorsandascreatorsofnewknowledgeandeducationalexperiencesand
bullthirdasfacilitatorsandcatalystsofcommunitydialoguecommittedtoembracingmarginalizedvoicesandallow-ingthecommunitytoundertakeitsowndevelopmentdemocratically
Lowell MassachusettsLowell Telecommunications Center(LTC)isapublicandgovernmentaccesschannelandmediaandtechnologycen-terItprovideseducationandtraininginmediacreationincludingwebdesigndigitalphotographyandtelevisionproductionLTCworksincollaborationwithotherlocalcommunity-basedorganizationsmunicipaldepartmentsandeducationalentitiestoproducediversemulticulturalprogrammingthatmeetsthecommunityrsquoscommunica-tionandinformationneedsLTChasbecomeaconvening
organizationforbuildingcapacityamongLowellrsquosnonprofitcommunity-basedorganizationsintheiruseofparticipatorymediaandcivicengagementstrategies
LTCismorefocusedthanothercommunitymediaorganizationsoncommunitybuildingandcommunicationtechnologyThecorporationisworkingtobuildanetworkforparticipatorymediaandcivicengagementthroughouttheMerrimacRiverValleyThroughaUSDepartmentofEducationgrantLTCacquiredfundingandstafftohelpitspartnerorganizationsbecomeInternet-capableassesstheirinformationtechnologyneedsacquiretechnologyupgradestoaddressthoseneedsandundertakethetrainingtousethetechnologyeffectively
RatherthanwaitingforgroupstocometoitscenterLTCcreatedacircuitridertrainingprogramthattookthetrainingprogramintothecommunityThroughLTCrsquosinformationtechnologycenterscoresofcommunitygroupshavereceivedtrainingdesignedandcreatedwebsitesanddevelopedstrategiccommunicationsplansforthefutureThosedevelopmentsincludeweb-basedhistoricalarchivesGISmappingsystemsmultimediamaterialsandInternetvideoTohelporganizationsacquirethesoftwaretheyneedtocarryouttheirmissionsLTCcreatedtheCommunitySoftwareLabwhichdevelopsuniquesoftwaretofittheneedsofareanonprofitsThelabhasbeenspunofftocreateaseparatenonprofitentityjoiningthegrowingnumberofindependentorganizationsthatnetworkthroughLTC
ThemostrecentLTCinitiativeisldquoDigitalBicyclerdquoapeer-to-peernetworkthatallowsmediacentersworldwidetodownloadandsharelocalcontentLTCstaffenvisionDigitalBicycleasanonlinecommunityforcableaccessmediaartsindependentmediaandothernoncommercialmedia
Grand Rapids MichiganldquoBuildingcommunitythroughmediardquoThissimplemissionstatementguidedtheGrand Rapids Community Media Center(GRCMC)asitevolvedfromatypicalcableaccessoperationtobecomeabroad-basedmultimediacenterandamodelforthedevelopmentofcommunitymultimediacentersintheUnitedStatesOverthepasttwentyyears
Communitymediacreativeclustersaremakinguniquecon-tributionstotheircommunitiesrsquoqualityoflifeandeconomicwellbeing
LTCisworkingtobuildanetworkforparticipatorymediaandcivicengagementthroughouttheMerrimacRiverValley
GRCMChaspulledthediversecommunitymediaactivitiesofGrandRapidsunderoneorganizationalumbrellaandtakentheleadinarticulatingthepotentialforaggregatingnoncommercialnetworkedcommunicationsthere
Theevolvingnetworkofmediaplatformsdis-ciplinesandculturalgroupsthatconvergetobecomeGRCMCnowincludesthefollowingcentersofpracticeGRTVacommunitytelevisioncenterthatprogramsmultiplecableaccesschannelsWYCEacommunityradiostationGrandnetacommunitytechnologyandnetworkcenterthatprovidescitizenandnonprofitaccesstotheInternetandtheGrandRapidsInstituteforInformationDemocracyacriticalmediaeducationandresearchcenterthattracksmediaandlocalpublicinterestissuesandpub-lishesinformationonmediaaccountabilityandreform
ButtheGrandRapidsCommunityMediaCenterismorethanthesumofitspartsThecomponentsofthecenterworktogetherinamutuallyreinforcingwholethatcreatesapowerfulcommunitymediapresenceinGrandRapidsandallowsthecentertoundertakefarmoreambitiousprojectsandprogrammingthanwouldbethecaseseparatelyOneexcellentexampleistheMobileOn-LineLearningLabforInformationEducationKnownasMOLLIEtheprogramprovidesskilledtrainersanddigitalvideoproductionequipmenttoschoolsandcommunityorganizationsforspecialprojectsOriginallyfundedbyafederalDepartmentofEducationgrantMOLLIEfillsintechnologygapsinGrandRapidseducationalinstitutionsandnonprofitsInthehandsofalessintegratedinstitutiontheMOLLIEprojectcouldeasilybeatechnicallyorientedequipmentloanandtrainingprogramInthehandsofthecenterMOLLIEhasbecomeasophisticatedmediaandtechnologyeducationalinitiativeprovidingatrainingprogramthataddressesmediaeducationfromtheperspec-tiveofallthecomponentsoftheGrandRapidsCommunityMediaCenter
Asheville North CarolinaOneofthemostarticulateeffortsmergingthecreativeclustersideawithparticipatorycommunicationhascomeaboutinAshevilleNorthCarolinaThroughapersistent
collaborationbetweenforwardlookingregionalgroupsandorganizationsndashinvolvingabroadnetworkofindi-vidualscommunitymediaandmediaartsgroupsintheAshevilleregionndashAshevillehaslaidthefoundationforacommunitymediadevelopmentcenterthatwillfunctionasacableaccesscentermediaartscenterandnewmediamicro-enterpriseincubatorAtthecenterofthiseffortisaninformalcoalitionoffourimportantgroupsinAshevilleMountainAreaInformationNetworkMediaArtsProjectBoncombeCountyEconomicDevelopmentCommissionandURTVThegroupsrepresentdistinctpointsofviewandconcernsaswellasconverginginterests
Eachgroupsharedtheinsightthatcivicparticipa-tionandeconomicsuccessinthetwenty-firstcenturyaredirectlyrelatedtohavingaccesstocommunicationstechnologyandknowledgeEachalsounderstoodthattherenegotiationofthecablefranchisesintheCityofAshevilleandsurroundingBoncombeCountywasastrategicmomenttocatalyzeandassociateanumberofcommunity-basedinformationandmediaartsactivitiesalreadyinplaceorplannedinAshevilleThegroupsusedthecablefranchisingprocesstocreateacommonorganizationalandfacilitiesinfrastructuresupportingtheuseofmediaforbothcivicandeconomicdevelopment
The Media Arts Project(MAP)isanetworkofmediaartiststhatcultivatesinnovativeartsandtechnol-ogyinwesternNorthCarolinaMAPworkedtirelesslytoframecableaccessasacommunitydevelopmentissuebridgingthemediaactivistcommunitiesandthemoreforward-thinkingfactionsamongeconomicdevelopmentprofessionalsintheregionWiththerecentopeningofURTV IncAshvillersquoscableaccessorganizationandfacilityMAPanditsnetworkofpartnersarenowturningtheirattentiontofundingthemediaartsandeconomicincubatorelementsofthevision
AshevillersquosinterestinsupportingcommunitymediaarisesfromthepresenceoftheMountain Area Information Network(MAIN)Inthetraditionoftheruralcooperativesthathelpedspreadthereachofelectricityinthe1930sMAINisanonprofitInternetserviceproviderofferingreliablelow-costInternetservicebothinwesternNorthCarolinaandnationwideItisauniquecommunitynetworkwithabroadvisionofitsroleinthecommunitythatencompassesmedialiteracyeconomicdevelopmentstrategiescommunitylow-powerradioacommunity-basedwebportalandtheprovisionofInternetconnectivitytoruralwesternNorthCarolinaMAINislargelyresponsiblefortheremarkableexpansionofInternetaccessibilityinwesternNorthCarolinaallowingthousandsofpeopleto
GRCMChaspulledthediversecommunitymediaactivitiesofGrandRapidsunderoneorganizationalumbrella
spendtheirInternetaccessdollarswithalocallycontrolledandaccountableorganizationMAINdemonstratesthevalueofthecommunitynetworkingconcepttoareasthatarelagginginconnectivityduetofailuresofthemarket
MAINhastakenaleadershiproleinbuildingacommunitymediacultureinAshevillethatdemonstratestheeasewithwhichdigitalmedialeapsorganizationalboundariesItscommunitynetworkrunstheBlueRidgeWebMarketwhichprovidesafreecustomizableInternetpresencetohundredsofsmallbusinessesthroughoutwesternNorthCarolinaItsLatinoDigitalLiteracyProjectofferstrainingtohelpthearearsquosgrowingLatinopopula-tionsaccesstheInternetMAINhasbeenoneofthekeypartnersinbringingacableaccesscentertoAshevilleandhasbeenthedrivingforcebehindWPVMWNCrsquoslow-powerFMradiostationbroadcastinglocalnewsviewsandmusicover-the-airintheAshevilleregion(andtheworldviawebcast)
Cleveland OhioPerhapsthemostrobustcommunity-basednonprofitnetworkintheUnitedStatesOne ClevelandprovideswhatitcallsldquoultrabroadbandnetworkingservicesrdquotoClevelandareaeducationgovernmentresearchartscultureandhealthcareorganizationsOneClevelandoperatesafibernetworkringthatcoversmuchofthecityofClevelandandmanyofitssurroundingsuburbsSubscriberstothenetworkconnectatgigabitspeeds
OneClevelandrepresentswhatcanhappenwhenpowerfulcommunitydevelopmentforcescometoaconsensusregardingtheircommunityrsquosneedforhigh-speedconnectivitytoglobaleconomiesandmediaItsfoundersareClevelandmainstreaminstitutionsCaseWesternReserveUniversityCuyahogaCommunityCollegeClevelandStateUniversityTheCityofClevelandGreaterClevelandRegionalTransitAuthorityideastreamCuyahogaCountyPublicLibraryandNorTechThenetworkhasformedrelationshipswithtechnologycompaniestomaintainup-to-dateapplicationsthatleveragethepotentialofsuchapowerfulnetwork
Oneofthenetworkrsquoskeypartners ideastream illustratesthesignificanceofworkingtogethertomakehigh-speedconnectivitypubliclyavailablethroughoutacommunityonitsowntermsBybuildingahigh-speednet-workOneClevelandhascreatedacivicnetworkspaceandinfrastructurethatallowsanewkindofmultimediapublicmediaorganizationtobecreatedIdeastreamresultedwhenWVIZPBSTelevisionand903WCPNRadiopublicbroad-castersmergedtoformanewnonprofitldquomultimediapublicserviceorganizationrdquoIdeastreamisabletoextenditsmediaexpertisebeyondbroadcastingtoonlinetechnologiesandapplicationsofalltypesmdashwhenyouareconnectingtothenetworkatthegigabitspeedsofOneClevelandrsquostherangeofapplicationsandtheirpotentialarehuge
MAINhastakenaleadershiproleinbuildingacommunitymediacultureinAshevillethatdemonstratestheeasewithwhichdigitalmedialeapsorganizationalboundaries
OneClevelandrepresentswhatcanhappenwhenpowerfulcommunitydevelopmentforcescometoaconsensusregardingtheircommunityrsquosneedforhigh-speedconnectivitytoglobaleconomiesandmedia
Inthecourseofpreparingthisreportndashpouringovertheliteratureandsynthesizinghoursofstructuredround-tableconversationsandone-on-oneinterviewswith
opinionleadersandsuccessfulpractitionersofcommunitymediandashonethingisextremelyclearThewayoursocietymakesandsharesinformationknowledgeandcultureisinaheightenedstateofchangeTheinteractivenatureoftheInternethasdemonstratedthatitispossibletoorganizecommunicationsinamuchmoredemocraticfashionSomehaveconcludedwearewitnessingthetransitionfromanindustrializedinformationenvironmenttoanetworkedinformationenvironmentTheoldindustrialmediastruc-turesbasedonexclusivehigh-costproductionprocessesarebeingchallengedbyanemergingmediasectorinwhichthecostofcreatinginformationknowledgeandculturehasbeenprofoundlyreducedandtheproductsareintercon-nectedwidelythroughnetworksliketheInternet(Benkler2006)IndeedthereisincreasingevidencethatthesenewmediaanddigitalnetworksareparticularlyconducivetononcommercialandnonprofitculturalproductionaswellasmoreparticipatoryandcollaborativemediapracticesInmanywaysthelong-standingvaluesandintentofcommu-nitymediaforeshadowthisnewmediaenvironment
ThescanresearchfocusedonfourkeyareasofinquiryWhataretheuniquecharacteristicsthatdistin-guishcommunitymediaWhatmakesmedia-communitycollaborationssuccessfulWhattypesofcommunitymediaorganizationsbestleveragenewtechnologiesHowmightcommunitymediaengageunderservedpopulationsinprogrammingtailoredtotheirneedsIneachinstancewefoundthatcommunitymediacombinedwithgreaterafford-ablebandwidthandopen-sourceapproachestoproductiondohavetremendouscommunitydevelopmentpotentialHowevernoneofthatpotentialwillcomeaboutmagicallyThecommunitymediasectorisfacingthechallengingtaskofmanagingextensivechangeandtransformation
chAllengesThesuccessdisappointmentsandsocialvalueofthepastsixtyyearsofcommunitymediainitiativesmustbejudgedinhistoricalcontextConsistentmisrepresentationinthemainstreammediaandlimitedunaccommodatingsocialpolicyhaveresultedininadequatevisibilityandfinancialsupportforcommunitymediaAnydiscussionofitssuccessesorfailuresmustincorporateanunderstand-
ingoftheseexternalconstraintsInthislighttheexistingexpressionsofcommunitymediaattheirbestarewildlysuccessfulsocialexperimentsgivingcauseforgreatoptimism
NeverthelesscommunitymediafacebothexternalandinternalchallengesTheinternalchallengesarisefromstructuraltensionsthatoccurinanyattempttocreateorganizationsandculturesthatembodydiversitydemocraticexpressionandequitableaccessRatherthanbeingexpressedasldquoweaknessesrdquoasissooftenthecaseinmainstreammediaandacademiatheseinternaltensionsaremoreproperlyunderstoodaspredictabledevelopmentalproblemsandopportunitiesthatpractitionersshouldbepreparedtograpplewithinanycommunitymediasetting
Balancing Free Expression and Audience Development CommunityradioandpublicaccesscablehavehistoricallyprivilegedtheinterestsofproducersbygrantingthemgreatpoliticalfreedominmakingdecisionsregardingwhatprogrammingtocreateandwhataestheticandformattingapproachestouseThetrade-offforacultureofactivistvolunteerismandfreeexpressionhasbeensmalleraudi-encesandlowerlevelsofproductionandprogramsupportProgramproducerscarryanintensecommitmenttoindi-vidualownershipoftheirprogramminginitiativesthatmaynottaketheaudiencersquosinterestsfullytoheart
Whiletheseapproachesinradioandcableaccesshaveresultedinadiversityofprogrammingandpoliticalviewpointstheyhavealsopreventedradiostationpro-grammersorcableaccessorganizationsfrombuildingaflowofprogramsthatcandefineandconstructanongoingaudienceinthecommunityEachprogramorscheduledprogramslotcarriesitsownmicroaudienceldquofragmentedpublicsrdquothatareoftennotpartofanintegratedflowofpro-grammingthatattractsanaudiencetothechannelsoverall(Higgins2002)
Freeexpressionandaudiencedevelopmentarenotmutuallyexclusivenordoparticipatorymanagementstructuresvolunteerinvolvementandproducertrain-ingprogramsneedtoimpedeaudiencedevelopmentThesuccessofAmyGoodmanandDemocracyNowsoundlydemonstratesthisInfactmanycommunitymediaorgani-zationshavecreatedprogramminginitiativesthatcombinesophisticatedmeasurementsofsocialoutcomeswith
conclusions
trainingandparticipatoryprogramplanningTheyhavenotonlyraisedthesocialvalueoftheirprogrammingtotheircommunitiestheyhavealsoincreasedthesizeandloyaltyoftheiraudiences(Aufderheide2003)Asinteractivemediabegintocreatetheconditionswherenicheprogram-mingcanbefarmoresuccessfulthetensionbetweenfreeexpressionandaudiencedevelopmentisnotonlyachal-lengebutalsoatremendousopportunity
Programming MetricsStillroundtableparticipantsrepeatedlynotedthatevenwhenprogrammingmeetscommunityneedscommunitymediaorganizationscanfinditdifficulttodocumentimpactTheyfeltthatfundershavegenerallynotyetaddressedtheroleofmediainpopularcultureorthepowerofpopularcultureinaddressingsocialproblemsInaddi-tionfundersfindithardtoestablishcost-benefitmeasuresofsocialimpactfortheirmediaexpenditures
ParticipantsaskedformodelsofaudiencefeedbackandoutcomesmeasurementthatgobeyondaudiencenumbersTheyacknowledgedthedifficultyofquantify-ingnotionsofsuccesswhichtendtobeverysubjectiveandofusingsuccessstoriesinthecommonprogrammingmetricsofthedayManyrecognizedskepticismamongfundersabouttheimportanceofcommunitymediaasuspicionaboutagendasandafearofthecostsinvolvedmakingcommunitymediaahardsellEventhoughafewgoodevaluationeffortswereacknowledgedtheircollectiveresultshavenotbeenincorporatedintothethinkingofthewiderfundingcommunity
FundingMulti-yearstablefundingsupportforcommunitymediainitiativesiscriticaltostabilityinnovationandgrowthRoundtableparticipantsdiscussednumerousinstancesinwhichprojectswithmulti-yearsupporthadpowerfulpositiveimpactsextendingbeyondtheinitialprojectgoalsMulti-yearfundingcreatesthestabilitytoundertakeproperstrategicplanningandpartnershipdevelopment
Thereissomeearlyevidencethatamultiple-plat-formnonprofit-orientednichemarketcouldemergeasasignificantopportunitytoprovideenhancedrevenueforthecommunityandnoncommercialmediasectorsTheinterac-tivecapacityofthenewnetworkssignificantlyincreasestherevenuepotentialforcooperativeandsubscription-styleprogrammingflowsHoweverstrongmarketsforcommer-ciallyfundedparticipatorycommunityexpressionhavenotyetemergedinthedigitaleraduetothelimitedsizeofpopulationsandavailableadvertisingsupportIfthereistobeavitalsectorofcommunity-basedmediasomeformofsignificantpublicfundingwillbenecessaryevenininstanceswherecommunitymediaorganizationsmightrealizesignificantrevenuefromnewmarketsInordertomakethemostefficientuseofpublicfundingcommuni-tiesmustevolvefundingandgovernancestructuresforcommunitymediathatcanfacilitatetheaggregationoffundscoordinatemultiple-organizationprojectsandactastrustedconvenersofprogramminganddevelopmentdiscus-sionsincommunities
Policy ThreatsWhiletheconvergenceoftechnologyandpracticescreatesincreasingpotentialsforaunifiedcommunitymediasectorthereisunfortunatelynocohesiveandunifiednationalpolicyframeworkforcommunitymediaThegovernmentpoliciesandregulationsthatexistforcommunitymediahavebeenretrofittedinthearenasofUSbroadcastingandtelephonypolicyWhiletheyrepresenthard-wonpoliticalvictoriesandstrategicinsighttheydonotaddresstheneedsofcommunitymediainaholisticway
Inthecurrentpoliticalclimatebroadcastmediaownershipcontrolandprogrammingwillcontinuetobecentralizedinfewercorporationsleavingcommunitieswithlessoptionsforcontrollingtheirlocalmediaenviron-mentsAtthesametimethetelephonecompanieswillenterthemarketforvideotelephonyandbroadbandbydeployinghigh-capacitydigitaltelevisionnetworksinmanycommunitiesintheUnitedStates
ThecurrenttrendofcentralizationinUStele-communicationspolicyisthreateningtheabilityoflocal
Freeexpressionandaudiencedevelopmentarenotmutuallyexclusivenordoparticipatorymanagementstructuresvolunteerinvolvementandproducertrainingprogramsneedtoimpedeaudiencedevelopment
Communitymediaorganizationscanfinditdifficulttodocumentimpact
governmentstomandatecommunity-basedcommunica-tionsnetworksandprogramminginitiativesasrentonthepublicrights-of-wayThesefundingmechanismscurrentlysupportPublicEducationandGovernment(PEG)accesscabletelevisioncentersmediaartscentersandmanymunicipalcommunicationnetworksWhilefarfromperfectregulatorymechanismstheyareoneofthemostsuccess-fulformsofpublicmediasupporttoariseinthelastthirtyyears
Overthenextfiveyearsthesesuccessfulfundingstrategieswillbeunderheavyattackbythetelephonecom-paniesandthecabletelevisionindustryinastrugglewithgovernmentsforcommunitycontrolofthepublicrights-of-wayThesamedynamicthreatensequitableInternetaccessIncreasinglybroadbandcommunitynetworksaremunicipallyownedormandatedWhilesomeofthesemunicipalbroadbandnetworksweredeployedforinternalmunicipalpurposestimehasshownthatsuchnetworkscanserveanumberofnon-governmentalcommunity-basedpurposesincludingwirelessISPconnectionsforresidentsbusinessesandvisitorsManycommunitiesareseeking(andsomehaveobtained)ldquoCommunityBenefitsAgreementsrdquowithproposedwirelessbroadbandvendorsthatsetasideasmallfranchisefeeongrossrevenuestosupportdigitalinclusionactivitiesfollowingtheexampleofcablecompaniessupportofPEGaccessHowevermunicipalbroadbandandmunicipalwirelessareunderattackbyindustriestryingtoreservethesedevelopmentrightsforthemselves
Theoutcomeofthedebatesaroundcontroloftherights-of-waywillhaveasignificantimpactonthefuturepathofcommunitymediadevelopmentThesedebateswillrangeacrosstheregulatoryspectrumtheyarenowbeingwagedinlocalstateandnationallegislativearenasandthecourtsTheresultingcommunicationsinfrastruc-tureandregulatoryframeworkwillbeabletorealizethepotentialsofcommunitymediaifandonlyifcommunitiesareabletotakeleadershipinprovidingsubstantialpublicaswellasprivatefundingAsanoldtruismnotesldquomoneyispolicyrdquo
Therearenopoliticalortechnicalguaranteesthatdigitalmedianetworkswillremainopenandparticipa-toryastheyevolveItisunlikelythatmarketforcesalone
willservetorealizethedemocraticpotentialoftodayrsquosparticipatorymediatechnologyBuildingarobustsectorofcommunity-baseddemocraticnewmediawillrequireeffectivecitizenactivismclearandresponsivegovern-mentpoliciesandeffectivepoliticalstrategiesCommunitymedianeedsseparaterecognitionandsupportwithinfed-eralstateandlocalcommunicationspolicyandregulatorystructuresinordertoensureequitableandstablefundinganddevelopment
models for the futureThegovernmentregulationsandsubsidiesthatunderpincommunitymediahaveevolvedinahodgepodgefashionoverthepastsixtyyearsItcanbearguedthatcommunitymediashouldbetreatedasaseparatesectorwithinte-gratedfundingstructuresconsistentinfrastructureandtaxandsubsidypoliciesthatareseparateanddistinctfromexistinglocalmediapoliciesandalsofromthepoliciesunderpinningpublicbroadcastingPossiblemodelsforamoreunifiedapproacharenumerousbuttwoappearpar-ticularlywellsuitedtocommunitymediarsquosdiverseformsorganizationsandprogrammingapproaches
Public Funding FindingappropriatemethodsofincreasingpublicfundingforcommunitymediainashiftingregulatoryenvironmentiscrucialCurrentlocalcablefranchisingregulationstosupportcableaccessandthecommunitybenefitsagree-mentsofmunicipalwirelessnetworksoffersuccessfulmodelsbutarenowbothunderattackThelawsrequiringcommercialcableproviderstosetasidebandwidthchan-nelcapacityforthepublicinadditiontooperatingfundingbasedonapercentageofcommercialrevenuescouldbeextendedtoincludevoicevideoanddataEssentiallythenanycommercialproviderusingthepublicrights-of-wayorthewirelessspectrumwouldberequiredtocontributeanequitablepercentageofbandwidthandrev-enuetosupportthecommunitycommunicationssector
Community Media DevelopmentAdequatelevelsoffundingareonlypartoftheequationWhilefundingshouldsupporttheoverallgrowthofthe
Thereisunfortunatelynocohesiveandunifiednationalpolicyframe-workforcommunitymedia
setasidebandwidthchannelcapacityforthepublicinadditiontooperatingfunding
communitymediasectorinasensiblefashionanyfundingsolutionmustaddressthedifficultynowexperiencedbyfundersindealingwithcommunitymediahowtoprovideoverallsupporttoasectormadeupofsmallindependentorganizationswithanextremelydiversesetoffundingsourcesandmissionsOneeconomicdevelopmentapproachseemsparticularlyusefulhereProgressivecommunityeconomicdevelopmentstrategieshaveevolvedtosupportthegrowthofadiversityofsmallenterpriseswithinacom-monsectorwhilerecognizingthattheseenterprisescanatdifferenttimesbecollaboratorspartnersorcompetitorsSimilarstrategiescanguidedevelopmentofthecommunitymediasector
Thereareatleasttwoshort-termstepsthatcouldassistinthedevelopmentofcommunitymediaorgani-zationsandsupporttheircitizensrsquoabilitytocopewithcommercialmediaandinformationsaturationOneisforcommunitiestobuildorsecureaffordablebroadbandandwirelessnetworkinfrastructurewithastrongcommu-nitybenefitsagreementinsupportofdigitalinclusionHundredsofcommunitiesacrossthecountryeitherhaveorarelaunchingsuchwirelesscommunitynetworksmanyincollaborationwithwirelessvendorswhoinordertowinaservicecontractwiththemunicipalityinquestionaresup-portingdigitalliteracytraininginexpensiverefurbishedcomputersandlocalcontentdevelopmentndashinshortprogramsofdigitalinclusionandexcellence
AsecondopportunityidentifiedbyroundtableparticipantsisthepotentialforanationalsupportnetworkforexistingcommunitymediaorganizationsAnationalsupportnetworklinkingcommunitiesandtheircommu-
nitymediapractitionersandinstitutionscouldfacilitatearangeofactivitiesincludinglocal-to-localcommunicationorexchangesofinformationandprogrammingbetweencommunitiesvirtualspaceforanationalnetworkofcommunitymediaorganizationstohelptoorganizeuni-fiedpolicyadvocacywiderdistributionofpastproductsformationofissue-responseteamstoadvanceinterestsofcommunitygroupsandtapintolocalresourcesandshareddirectoriesofpractitionerstrainersandfacilitiesConveningleadersfromtheaggregatorsandassociationsservingcommunitymediaintheirvariousforms(listedinAppendix2)mightbeagoodnextsteptoexplorethisopportunity
the promiseThepracticeofcommunitymediahasmanagedtogrowandevolveoverthepastsixtyyearsdespiteunevenandgenerallylowlevelsofsupportandinconsistentgovernmentpoliciesEllieRenniearesearchfellowattheInstituteforSocialResearchSwinburneUniversityofTechnologyhaswrittenthatcommunitymediaareoftendefinednegativelyforwhattheyareopposedtoratherthanpositivelyforwhattheyhaveachieved(Rennie2006)Weareawarethatcom-munitymediahaveoftenbeendismissedasmarginalandidiosyncraticbuttheexamplescitedinthisreportprovidepowerfulevidencetothecontraryItistimetodefinecommunitymediabywhattheyhaveachievedCommunitymediaattheirbesthaveconsistentlydemonstratedtheirpotentialtoempowercommunitiesandindividualstoparticipateascitizensincommunityandeconomicdevelop-mentartseducationcommunitydialogandpoliticaldebateInmanyinstancestheyhavebecomecentralcul-turalsurvivalinstitutionsasourcommunitiesdealwiththeimpactofcommercialmediasaturationandglobalization
Duringtheroundtablediscussionsthattookplaceaspartofthisscanitwasobviousthatthevalueofcom-munitymediatocommunitiestranscendsthemeasurableeffectsofcivicengagementandcommunitydevelopmentCommunitymediacanallowindividualsincommunitiestohaveprofoundexperiencesofactivelyexpressingthem-selvesthroughmediaForpeoplewhohaveseenthemselvesaspassivereceptorsatthebottomofacascadeofpackagedmediaexperiencesandmessagesactiverepresentationoftheirownlivesandcircumstanceshasatransformativeeffectthatgoesbeyondsimplephraseslikeldquocivicengage-mentrdquoThevalueofcommunitymediatoindividualsandthecommunitiestheyliveinisincalculable
hellipaffordablebroadbandandwirelessnetworkinfrastructurewithastrongcommunitybenefitsagreement
anationalsupportnetworkforexistingcommunitymediaorganizations
Appendix 1 Community media empowerment StrategieS
empoWerment Activity ApproAch infrAstructure or venue
AccessAccesstocommunicationsinfrastructureproductiontools
MakingavailablemediaproductiontoolscomputerstelevisionandradiodistributionInternetsoftwarecommunitycommunicationsinfrastructuremeetingspacewebservers
Democraticcitizenaccesstocommunicationstoolsanddisseminationinfrastructure
CablebroadbandmunicipaltelecomInternetWiFiWiMAXlocalandpublicservicebroadcasting
AlternativeContent CreationofvideoaudiofilmwebsitesInternet-basedcitizenmediaP2Pmediabloggingsocialnetworkingsoftwaredatabasesandprintproduction
Contentpositionedtocounterorsupplementmassmediacontentandinformationfrommainstreamsources
AllplatformswithanincreasingexpansionwithinIPNetworksandcross-platformproductionanddissemination
CompetencyLiteracyMedialiteracyinformationliteracydigitalliteracyandculturalliteracy
Mediaartsandaestheticeducationlearningtogainacivicvoiceinamediaculturearticulationofmediabiasesengaginginmediaandpoliticsunderstandingcommoditycultureparentinginamedia-saturatedhome
Interventioninthecomplexmanipulationofsymbolsandculture
Allmassmediaprintelectronic
CommunityBuilding Workforcetrainingandskillbuildingmicro-enterprisedevelopmentbusinessinfrastructuredevelopment
Communityorganizingparticipatoryplanningdemocraticeconomicdevelopmentworkforceandinfrastructuredevelopment
Localmediamunicipaltelecominfrastructurecomputerandtechnologyincubatorsandtechnologycenters
0
Itisdifficulttounderstandthefullscopeofcommu-nitymediaculturewithoutknowingofthefollowingorganizationswhichsupportcommunitymediaand
independentmediapracticesTheyplayanumberofrolesasnationalassociationsrepresentingnetworksofcommu-nitymediaorganizationsandmediaartsorganizationsasproducernetworksandstrategiccommunicationsplannerslinkingcommunityorganizationswithcommunitymediaorganizationsasorganizationsofcommunityactivistsandproducersworkingtomoreeffectivelysupportandusecommunitymediaandascollaboratorsandpartnersincommunitydevelopmenttrainingandeducation
ActiveVoicehttpwwwactivevoicenet
AllianceforCommunityMediahttpwwwalliancecmorg
AssociationforCommunityNetworking
httpwwwafcnorg
CommunityMediaWorkshophttpwwwnewstipsorg
CommunityTechnologyCentersrsquoNetwork
httpwwwctcnetorg
DeepDishTVhttpdeepdishtvorg
FreeSpeechTVhttpwwwfreespeechorg
IndependentTelevisionServicehttpwwwitvsorg
IndependentMediaCenterIndymedia
httpwwwindymediaorg
LatinoPublicBroadcastinghttpwwwlpbporg
LinkTVhttplinktvorg
LPFMDatabasecom
httpwwwangelfirecomnj2piratejimlpfmhtml
MediaTankhttpwwwmediatankorg
MediaWorkingGrouphttpwwwmwgorg
NationalAllianceforMediaArtsandCulture
httpwwwnamacorg
NationalAsianAmericanTelecommunicationsAssochttp
asianamericanmediaorgindexhtml
NativeAmericanPublicTelecommunications
httpasianamericanmediaorgindexhtml
NationalBlackProgrammingConsortium
httpwwwnbpctv
NationalFederationofCommunityBroadcasters
httpwwwnfcborg
NationalPublicRadiohttpwwwnpr
NationalPublicTelecomputingNetworkhttpwwwnptnorg
PaperTigerTelevisionhttpwwwpapertigerorg
PacificIslandersinCommunications
httpwwwpiccomorg
PewCenterforCivicJournalismhttpwwwpewcenterorg
PrometheusRadioProject
httpwwwprometheusradioorg
PublicBroadcastingServicehttpwwwpbsorg
PublicRadioExchangehttpwwwprxorg
ReclaimtheMediahttpwwwreclaimthemediaorg
StarfishTelevisionNetworkhttpwwwstarfishtvorg
WebsitesofUSPEGAccessChannels
httpwwwbevcamorgpeg
WorldAssociationofCommunityRadioBroadcasters
httpwwwamarcorg
Appendix 2 aggregatorS and aSSoCiationS
Appalshophttpwwwappalshoporg
BayAreaVideoCoalitionhttpwwwbavcorg
BeyondMediaEducationhttpwwwbeyondmediaorg
CambridgeCommunityTelevisionhttpwwwcctvcambridgeorg
CasaGuatemalaMediaProjecthttpwwwcasaguatemalaorg
CharlotteObserverhttpwwwcharlottecom
ChicagoAccessNetworkTelevisionhttpwwwcantvorg
GrandRapidsCommunityMediaCenterhttpgrcmcorg
GrandNethttpwwwgrcmcorgnposervicesitphp
GRTVhttpwwwgrcmcorgtv
ideastreamhttpwwwideastreamorg
IFPMinnesotaCenterforMediaArtshttpwwwifpnorthorgabouthtml
IntermediaArtshttpwwwintermediaartsorg
KartemquinFilmshttpwwwkartemquincom
KBOOhttpwwwkbooorg
KFAIhttpwwwkfaiorg
LowellTelecommunicationsCenterhttpltcorg
ManhattanNeighborhoodNetworkhttpmnnorg
MediaArtsProjecthttpwwwthemaporg
MetroGovernmentCommunityMediaInitiativehttpwwwmetro-regionorg
MetropolitanAustinInteractiveNetworkhttpwwwmainorg
MinneapolisTelevisionNetworkhttpwwwmtnorg
MinnesotaChannelhttpwwwtptorgmnchannelnew
MinnesotaPublicRadiohttpminnesotapublicradioorghttpminnesotapublicradioorgpublicinsightjournalism
MountainAreaInformationNetworkhttpmainncus
MtHoodCableRegulatoryCommissionhttpwwwmhcrcorg
NewAmericaMediahttpnewsnewamericamediaorgnews
NewRoutestoCommunityHealthhttpwwwnewroutesorg
NorthwestFilmandVideoCenterhttpwwwnwfilmorg
OneClevelandhttpwwwoneclevelandorg
OregonPublicBroadcastinghttpwwwopborg
PortlandCommunityMediahttpwwwpcmtvorg
RadioArtehttpwwwwrteorg
SaintPaulNeighborhoodNetworkhttpwwwspnnorg
ScribeVideoCenterhttpwwwscribeorg
SoundPartnersforCommunityHealthhttpwwwsoundpartnersorg
StreetLevelYouthMediahttpwwwstreet-levelorg
TwinCitiesDailyPlanethttpwwwtcdailyplanetnet
TwinCitiesMediaAlliancehttpwwwtcmediaallianceorg
TwinCitiesPublicTelevisionhttpwwwtptorg
URTVhttpwwwurtvorg
WalkerArtCenterhttpwwwwalkerartorgindexwac
WCIW-LPhttppacificanetworkorgradiocontentview17542httpwwwciw-onlineorg
WGBHhttpwwwwgbhorg
WHYYhttpwhyyorg
WPVMhttpwwwwpvmorg
WYBEhttpwwwwybeorg
WYCEhttpwwwgrcmcorgradio
YouthChannelhttpwwwyouthchannelorg
Appendix 3 Community media praCtitionerSWebsitesofthosepractitionersmentionedinthetext
AndersonRachelBenton Digital Beat Extra Noncommercial Networks on DBSWashingtonDCBentonFoundation2000
AufderheidePatricialdquoCableAccessTVandthePublicSphererdquoinThe Daily Planet A Critic on the Capitalist Culture BeatMinneapolisandLondonUniversityofMinnesotaPress2000a
AufderheidePatriciaIn The Battle for Reality Social Documentaries in the USWashingtonDCAmericanUniversityCenterforSocialMedia2003
AufderheidePatricialdquoTheWhatandHowofPublicBroadcastingrdquoinThe Daily Planet A Critic on the Capitalist Culture BeatMinneapolisandLondonUniversityofMinnesotaPress2000b
AynteAbdirahmanldquoSomaliWebsitesACompetitiveAlternativeMediaandaFarcetoReckonWithrdquoHiiraan Onlinehttpwwwhiiraancomnews2006aprsomali_websitesaspx
AzzouzBushraTomChamberlinandMarleneFarnumThe Community Media Project Building Community through Media(Aproposedmodelforafive-yearinitiativetoproducelocaltelevisionprogrammingthatbroadensthedialogueonissuesimportanttotheOregoncommunityandcreatesastrongsenseofplace)PortlandORMetroDecember2000
BarlowWilliamldquoCommunityRadiointheUSTheStruggleForADemocraticMediumrdquoinMedia Culture and SocietyVol10(1988)
BenklerYochaiThe Wealth of Networks How Social Production Transforms Markets and FreedomNewHavenYaleUniversityPress2006
BentonFoundationDigital Alliances Partners in Public
Service Models for CollaborationUniversityParkPAThePennsylvaniaStateUniversity2002
BlauAndrewDeep Focus A Report on the Future of Independent MediaSanFranciscoNationalAllianceforMediaArtsandCulture2004
BowmanShayneandChrisWillisWe Media How Audiences Are Shaping the Future of News and InformationEditedbyJDLasicaRestonVATheMediaCenteratTheAmericanPressInstitute2003httpwwwhypergenenetwemediadownloadwe_mediapdf
BurnettRonldquoFromCommunityMediatoInternationalNetworksrdquoCritical Approaches to Culture + Communications + HypermediaNovember182005httpwwweciadca~rburnettWeblogarchives200511from_communityhtml
CanoAndrealdquoMicroradioAToolforCommunityEmpowermentrdquoinPublic Broadcasting and the Public InterestEditedbyMichaelPMcCauleyEricEPetersonBLeeArtzandDeeDeeHalleckLondonMESharpe2003
CarnegieCommissiononEducationalTelevisionPublic Television A Program for ActionNewYorkBantam1967
CastellsManuelThe Rise of the Network Society The Information Age Economy Society and CultureVolumes12amp3MaldenMABlackwellPublishersInc2005
ChesterJeffBeyond Broadcast Expanding Public Media in the Digital AgeWashingtonDCCenterforDigitalDemocracyFebruary2006httpwwwdemocraticmediaorgBBBBfrontphp
ChristensenPaulNanMcIntyreandLynnPikholzldquoBridgingCommunityandEconomicDevelopmentAStrategyforUsingIndustryClusterstoLinkNeighborhoodsandtheRegionalEconomyrdquo(reportfundedbytheFordFoundation)ClevelandShorebankEnterpriseGroup2005
ldquoCitizenJournalismrdquoissueofNieman ReportsCambridgeMATheNiemanFoundationforJournalismatHarvardUniversityVol59No4Winter2005eMprintNewsbookhttpwwwniemanharvardedureports05-4NRwinterNR05W_Citizen_Journalismpdf
City PagesldquoBestPublicAccessCableTVProgramSomaliTVrdquoBestoftheTwinCities2004MNApril282004httpcitypagescombestof2004artsandentertainmentbestof2379asp
bibliogrAphy
CruzRossanaReguilloldquoTheOracleintheCityBeliefsPracticesandSymbolicGeographiesrdquoinGlobal Cities of the South (Social Text)EditedbyAshleyDawsonandBrentHayesEdwardsTranslatedbyBrentHayesEdwardsandNoraNicoliniDurhamNCDukeUniversityPress81(Volume22Number4)Winter2004
DeLasCasasLucywithSimonBurallJohnMorrisonDavidKaleteandJagadanandaldquoGlobalMediaReformandAccountabilityReportfromtheNationalMediaReformConferencerdquoStLouis2005httpwwwoneworldtrustorgpagesdownloadcfmdid=281
DevineRobertHldquoVideoAccessandAgencyrdquoConferencepresentationTheNationalFederationofLocalCableProgrammersStPaulMNJuly171992
DirlinMartyandCathyMelioldquoTheGrassrootsRadioMovementintheUnitedStatesrdquoinPublic Broadcasting and the Public InterestEditedbyMichaelPMcCauleyEricEPetersonBLeeArtzandDeeDeeHalleckLondonMESharpe2003
DowningJohnDHwithTamaraVillarealFordGeneveGilandLauraSteinRadical Media Rebellious Communication and Social MovementsThousandOaksCASagePublications2001
EgerJohnldquoCreativeClustersandtheUrbanEconomyrdquoGovernment and Technology(February62006)httpwwwgovtechnetnewsnewsphpid=98345
EgerJohnMThe Creative Community Forging The Links Between Art Culture Commerce amp CommunityTheCaliforniaInstituteforSmartCommunitiesSanDiegoStateUniversity2005httpwwwsmartcommunitiesorgcreativeCreativeCommBroFINALpdf
EngelmanRalphPublic Radio and Television in America A Political HistoryThousandOaksCASagePublications1996
GillespieGilbertPublic Access Television in the United States and CanadaNewYorkPraegerPublishers1975
GillmorDanWe the Media Grassroots Journalism by the People for the PeopleSebastopolCAOrsquoReillyMediaInc2006
GrahamStephenandSimonMarvinTelecommunications and the City Electronic Spaces Urban PlacesLondonandNewYorkRoutledge1996
HalleckDeeDeeHand-Held Visions The Impossible Possibilities of Community MediaNewYorkFordhamUniversityPress2002
HigginsJohnWldquoAlternativeMediaandtheCultofIndividualismExperiencesfromUSPublicAccessTVrdquoPaperpresentedattheldquoOurMediardquopre-conferenceoftheInternationalAssociationforMediaandCommunicationResearchCommunityCommunicationSectionBarcelonaSpainJuly202002httpwwwourmedianetorgpapersom2002Higginsom2002pdf
HowleyKevinCommunity Media People Places and Communication TechnologiesCambridgeCambridgeUniversityPress2005
HoynesWilliamldquoThePBSBrandandtheMerchandisingofthePublicServicerdquoinPublic Broadcasting and the Public InterestEditedbyMichaelPMcCauleyEricEPetersonBLeeArtzandDeeDeeHalleckLondonMESharpe2003
JankowskiNicholasWldquoCommunityMediaResearchAQuestforTheoreticallyGroundedModelsrdquoThePublicVol1015(2003)httpmokkbmehucentreconferencesreactivismFPfpNJ
JankowskiNicholasWandOlePrehnedsCommunity Media in the Information Age Perspectives and ProspectsCresskillNJHamptonPress2002
LashScottThe Critique of InformationLondonSagePublications2002
ListerMartinJonDoveySethGiddingsIainGrantandKieranKellyNew Media A critical IntroductionLondonandNewYorkRoutledge2003
LloydMarkldquoRadioandLocalismWhatWhenWrongrdquoinContext(publishedbytheCenterforCommunicationsandCommunityUCLA)IssueNo4(WinterSpring2006)
MacintyreBenldquoWelcometotheNewTomPainesrdquoTimesOnlineNovember132004httpwwwtimesonlinecouktolcommentarticle390484ece
MaherVincentTowards a Critical Media Studies Approach to the BlogosphereNewMediaLabPublicationSchoolofJournalismandMediaStudiesRhodesUniversitySouthAfrica2006
MetroCommunity Media Project Evaluation Report PortlandORMetroJuly2004
MostStephenldquoBAVCandTheBigPicturerdquoinA Closer Look Media Arts 2002EditedbyHelenDeMichielSanFranciscoNationalAllianceforMediaArtsandCulture2002
NewAmericaMedialdquoEthnicMediainAmericaTheGiantHiddeninPlainSightrdquoPollconductedbyBendixenampAssociates2005httpnewsnewamericamediaorgnewsview_articlehtmlarticle_id=0443821787ac0210cbecebe8b1f576a3
OlsonBillThe History of Public Access Television2000httpwwwgeocitiescomiconostarhistory-public-access-TVhtml200415
PewCenterforCivicJournalismldquoDoingCivicJournalismrdquo2007httpwwwpewcenterorgdoingcj
PierceSteveldquoDBSandthePublicInterestOpportunityinSatelliteTelevisionrdquoinPublic Broadcasting and the Public InterestEditedbyMichaelPMcCauleyEricEPetersonBLeeArtzandDeeDeeHalleckLondonMESharpe2003
PhilipsSusanldquoTrueCommunityTowardaCollaborativeEthosScribersquoslsquoTrueCommunityVisionrsquordquoinA Closer Look Media Arts 2002EditedbyHelenDeMichielSanFranciscoNationalAllianceforMediaArtsandCulture2002
PorterMichaelEldquoLocationCompetitionandEconomicDevelopmentLocalClustersinaGlobalEconomyrdquoEconomic Development Quarterly14no1(February2000)15-34
ProjectforExcellenceinJournalismldquoMajorTrendsrdquoinState of the News Media 2006 An Annual Report on American Journalismhttpwwwstateofthenewsmediaorg2006nar-rative_overview_eightaspcat=2ampmedia=1
PrometheusRadioProjectldquoOurFifthBarnraisingmdashWCIW-LPinImmokaleeFloridardquohttpprometheusradioorgcontentview48952006
RennieEllieCommunity Media A Global IntroductionLanhamMDRowmanandLittlefieldPublishers2006
RodriguezClemenciaFissures in the Mediascape An International Study of Citizenrsquos MediaCresskillNJHamptonPress2001
SchafferJanldquoCitizensMediaHasItReachedaTippingPointrdquoinldquoCitizenJournalismrdquoissueofNieman Reports CambridgeMATheNiemanFoundationforJournalismatHarvardUniversityVol59No4Winter2005aeMprintNewsbookhttpwwwniemanharvardedureports05-4NRwinterNR05W_Citizen_Journalismpdf
SchafferJanInterviewonThe NewsHour With Jim Lehrer PBSEveningNewsNovember162005b
SchulerDouglasldquoTheRiseofCommunityNetworksrdquoInternet WorldDecember1995
SchulerDougandPeterDayShaping the Network Society The New Role of Civil Society in CyberspaceCambridgeandLondonMITPress2004
ShirkyClayPower Laws Weblogs and Inequality EconomicsampCultureMediaampCommunityBlog2005OpenSourcehttpshirkycomwritingspowerlaw_webloghtml
ShirkyClaySocial Software and the Politics of GroupsEconomicsampCultureMediaampCommunityBlog2005OpenSourcehttpshirkycomwritingsgroup_politicshtml
Somerset-WardRichardBroadband Community Networks Building the Digital CommonsAreportfortheHaasCharitableTrustsPhiladelphia2005
Somerset-WardRichardConnecting Communities WashingtonDCBentonFoundation2000
Spannerworkse-bookWhat is Social MediaJanuary2007httpwwwspannerworkscomebooks
StarrJeroldMldquoPublicTelevisionintheDigitalAgeTownHallorCyberMallrdquoinPublic Broadcasting and the Public InterestEditedbyMichaelPMcCauleyEricEPetersonBLeeArtzandDeeDeeHalleckLondonMESharpe2003
SteinLauraldquoPublicAccessTelevisionandGrassrootsCommunicationintheUnitedStatesrdquoChapter20inRadical Media Rebellious Communication and Social MovmentsEditedbyJohnDowningThousandOaksCASagePublications2001
SussmanGeraldandJREstesldquoCommunityRadioinCommunityDevelopmentPortlandrsquosKBOORadiordquoinThe Portland Edge Challenges and Successes in Growing CommunitiesEditedbyConniePOzawaPortlandStateUniversityIslandPress2004
WhitneyJenniferldquoMakeMediaMakeRealTroubleWhatrsquosWrong(andRight)withIndymediardquoLiPMagazineJune212005httpwwwlipmagazine
orgarticlesfeatwhitney_indymedia_phtml
CommunitymediaarenotlimitedtoanyparticularvenuesortechnologiesTheyreflectalonghistoryofadaptingnewmediatechnologiesastheyemergeEarlyexperimentsincommunityradiobeganinthe1940sand1950sAbroadermovementfollowedinthe1960swiththeuseofsmall-for-matvideofilmsoundrecordingandtheexpandedFMradiospectrumItcontinuedthroughthe1970sand1980swiththediversificationoftelevisiondistributionnetworksandlocalpubliceducationalandgovernmentchannelsoncableTodaycommunitymediaareavitalfeatureoftheelectronicmediaenvironmentFollowingarebriefdescrip-tionsandhistoricaloverviewsofdifferentplatformswhichprovidecontextforthecommunitymediaprofilescontainedinthisreport
Community RadioGroundedinearliereffortstopreservespectrumspaceforeducationalusescommunityradiofirstappearedinSanFranciscointhe1940swiththecreationofthePacificaFoundationrsquosKPFAradiostationThestationpioneeredanapproachtoradiothatcombinedresponsivenesstolisten-ersthroughsubscriptionfundingandcommunityservicewiththecreationofanopenforumforculturaljournal-isticandsocialexpressionSincethencommunityradioinitiativeshavebeendevelopedinmorethan225communi-tiesintheUnitedStatesandincountlesscommunitiesaroundtheworld
In1975communityradiotookonanationalinsti-tutionalexpressionwiththeformationofthe National Federation of Community Broadcasters(NFCB)anorganizationdedicatedtopromotingcommunityradiodevelopmentintheUnitedStatesThefederationadvo-catedcommunitycontrolnoncommercialownershipandvoluntaryparticipationintheoperationandprogrammingofcommunityradiostationsespeciallybypopulationsandgroupsthathistoricallyhadbeendeniedexpressionintheUnitedStatesNFCBprovidedtraininganddevelopmentsupporttoitsmemberstationsandundertookFederalCommunicationsCommission(FCC)advocacyontheirbehalfWithinadecadeNFCBhadseventymembersta-tionsand120associatemembersnationwide(Engelman1996)
Ascommunityradiohasevolvedindifferentcom-munitiesinterpretationsofitsmissionhaveexpandedtoincludestationsdedicatedtominoritycommunitiesandownershipforeignlanguagestationsdedicatedtospecificlanguagecommunitiesinalocaleandvaryingcommit-mentstocommunityinvolvementvolunteerproductionandfundingstrategiesWiththisdiversificationhascome
ideologicaldebateovercreepingcommercializationandprofessionalizationofthefieldHoweverdespitedisagree-mentsoverphilosophyandpracticescommunityradiostationsremainvitalpartsoftheircommunitiessupport-ingcivicparticipationandeducationcommunitybuildingandcommunitiesrsquosenseofthemselvesasuniqueplaces
RadiostationKFAIinMinneapolis-StPaulisonesuchstationAvolunteer-basedcommunityradiostationthatbroadcastsinformationartsandentertain-mentprogrammingitoffersaneclecticmixofprogramsincludingmusiclocalnewspoetryspokenwordpoliticalforumsandinterviewsKFAIemphasizesempowermentthroughtrainingItprovidesboardcertificationtrainingandworkshopsonannouncinginterviewingandprogramdevelopmenttovolunteersCoursesaretaughtinEnglishbutbilingualvolunteershaveaccesstoanyoftheon-airprogrammersforassistanceintheirownlanguage
Low-Power FMCommunityradioreachedanotherstagewiththedevel-opmentoflow-powerFMradioorLPFMTheLPFMmovementwasapoliticalresponsetoincreasingconsoli-dationoflocalradioownershipafterthepassageofthe1996CommunicationsActandasenseamongthoseinthegrassrootsradiomovementthatcommunityradiowasfallingpreytopressurefromtheCorporationforPublicBroadcasting(CPB)tobecomemoreaudience-drivenhomogenizedinprogrammingandprofessionalizedthuslessinterestedincommunityparticipation(Cano2003)Tocounterthesetrendsmediaactivistsbegansettingupmicro-powerradiostationsincommunitiesusinglow-powerbroadcasttransmitterswithanapproximateservicerangeofthree-and-a-halfmilesanareaoftenassmallasasingleneighborhood
In1998thegrowthofLPFMspurredthecreationofthePrometheus Radio Projectfoundedbyactiviststoassistcommunitygroupsinacquiringlow-powerFMradio
Communityradiostationsremainvitalpartsoftheircommunitiessupportingcivicparticipationandeducationcommunitybuildingandcommunitiesrsquosenseofthem-selvesasuniqueplaces
TheURLsoforganizationssetinboldfaceareprovidedinApendices2(aggregatorsassociations)and3(practitioners)
broadcastlicensesfromtheFCCandingettingtheirsta-tionsupandrunningoncetheywerelicensedAsaresultofthisactivismtheFCCofficiallyacknowledgedlow-powerFMinUSbroadcastingpolicyin2000LPFMstationsarenowlicensedfornoncommercialeducationalbroadcastingonlyandaconstructionpermitisrequiredbeforeaLPFMstationcanbebuiltoroperatedThelowcostoflow-powerradiohasallowedmanyorganizationswithstrongcommit-mentstocommunitycontrolnoncommercialgrassrootsfundingandparticipatoryproductionandmanagementprocessestoenterthecommunityradiomovement
WCIW-LPisalow-powerFMstationinImmokaleeFloridaoperatedbythe2500-memberCoalitionofImmokaleeWorkersItishardtoimagineabetterexampleofcommunityempowermentingrassrootsLPFMthanWCIW-LPItfocusesonacommunitythatisbothacommunityofworkersandageographiccommunitythestationandtransmitterarelocatedinthesamelotwherethecoalitionrsquosmembersboardbusesboundforthetomatofieldsofFloridaLaunchedin2003withthehelpofthePrometheusRadioProjectWCIW-LPproducesnewsedu-cationalprogramsandmusicinSpanishHaitianCreoleandindigenouslanguagesofMexicoandGuatemalaThestationisaprimaryorganizingtoolforthecommunityinitsdefenseoftherightsofLatinoHaitianandMayanIndianmigrantandimmigrantfarmworkers
Public BroadcastingUnlikemanylocationsinEuropeandCanadatheUnitedStateshasnotdevelopedastrongcommunity-focusedbroadcastingsectorseparatefrompublicbroadcastingPublicbroadcastingintheUnitedStatesislargelysynony-mouswiththePublic Broadcasting ServiceandNational Public RadioinstitutionsthatcameintoexistencewiththepassageofthePublicBroadcastingActof1967Theactestablishedafederalsystemoftelevisionandradioheavilydependentonfederalandcorporatefunding
Thoughembattledfromitsinceptionandsaddledwithacumbersomedecentralizedstructurepublicbroad-castinghasmanagedtosurviveandfindanimportantroleinAmericanmediaNeithergovernmentalnorcommercialinitsorientationyetheavilydependentoneachitprovidesvaluablenoncommercialprogramming(Aufderheide2000b)PublicradioandtelevisionhavealsoledthewayintheUnitedStatesintheinnovativeuseofdigitalandsatellitetechnologyThePBSwebsiteisconsideredtobethemostfrequentlyvisitednonprofitsiteontheInternet(Starr2003)
YetpublictelevisionandradiofallshortofthevisiondescribedinitsfoundingdocumentsTheywere
envisionedasldquohellipaforumfordebateandcontroversyrdquoaspaceforexpressionldquohellipforgroupsinthecommunitythatmayotherwisebeunheardrdquo(CarnegieCommissiononEducationalTelevision1967)AsJeffChestermediacriticandreformadvocatewritesldquoWhilepublicradioatitsbestcomesmuchclosertothisidealpublictelevisionappearstohavebecomeavictimofitsownsuccessndashfullofartistryandprofessionalismtobesurebutrarelythesourceofthelocalismdiversityandrisktakingthatitsfoundersenvisionedrdquo(Chester2006)Stillitisarguablethatpublicbroadcastingwouldnothavesurvivedtothepresenthaditinsistedonlivinguptotheparticipatoryvisionsofitsfounders
ThePublicBroadcastingServiceNationalPublicRadioandtheirmemberstationscannotuniformlybechar-acterizedascommunitymediaTheirprogrammingandmanagementstructureshavereflectedthetop-downnatureoftheirfundingandtheyhavetendedovertheyearstoemphasisprofessionalismandstationmanagementpreroga-tivesoveracommitmenttodiverselocalparticipationandcommunitybuilding(Engelman1996)
Publicbroadcastingholdsmanyexamplesofexem-plarycommunityprogrammingbutfewerexamplesofrobustprogramschedulingwithcommunity-orientedcom-munity-drivenandcommunity-createdprogrammingForinstance ldquoBasic Blackrdquo from WGBH in BostonwhichhaschronicledtheconcernedandcultureofAfrican-Americanssince1968andthemulticulturalweeklytalkshowsthatareastapleofWYBE inPhiladelphiaarenoteworthyforhavingcreateduniquelocalmediaspacesthatdofunc-tionascommunitymediaInthe1990sthenationalldquoNittyGrittyCityGrouprdquoattemptedtomovepublicbroadcastingbeyondprogramexcellencetobeinganagentforsocialchangeandameansforcitizenempowerment(Larson1993)ItworkedwithgrassrootsgroupstobringattentionandaccesstothecitizensoftheircommunitiesWhilethegroupnolongerexistsitspassionforcommunityengage-mentisstillaliveinstationpersonnelaroundthecountry
ItcanbeseeninmanyoftheSound Partners for Community HealthexperimentsincollaborationsbetweenpublicbroadcastersandcommunityhealthorganizationsNewhopefulexperimentsareunderwayfromCPBanditscommunityengagementinitiativewiththeHarwoodInstituteBroaderstationsuccessesinengagingcommu-nitymembersarechronicledinRichardSomerset-WardrsquosConnecting Communities(2000)andhismorerecentBroadband Community Networks(2005)ForexamplethereistremendouspotentialattheintersectionofpublicbroadcastingandonlinecollaborativemediaWHYYhasextendeditson-airradioandtelevisionprogramming
throughaphysicalandvirtualldquocivicspacerdquoinPhiladelphiaand ideastreamthemergeroftwopublicbroadcast-ersinClevelandoffersitsmultimediadigitalfacilitiesandexpertisetoClevelandrsquoscommunityinstitutionsandcitizensRadioprojectslikethePublic Radio Exchange andMinnesota Public Radiorsquos Public Insight Journalismareprovidinginterestingglimpsesofthepotentialofcol-laborativemediaforpublicradioEachexamplesuggeststhatpublicbroadcastinghasgreatpotentialandtechnicalcapacitytomovebeyondsimplenotionsofldquolocalismrdquotoamorerobuststanceofcivicengagementandparticipation
Cable AccessPublicaccesstelevisionorPublicEducationalandGovernment(PEG)accesstelevisionreferstoacollectionofentitiesthatprovidelocalcontentoverdedicatedchan-nelsoncabletelevisionsystemsintheUnitedStatesPEGaccessisrootedintheactivismofthe1960sand1970satimewhenpublicaccessadvocatesenjoyedamutuallysup-portiverelationshipwithanemergingcableindustryeagertodemonstrateitspotentialtodiversifytelevision
In1969theFederalCommunicationsCommissionsawthepotentialofcabletelevisiontoopenuptelevisiontomorelocalprogrammingandbeganrequiringlargercablesystemstodeveloplocalprogrammingexperimentsTheFCCrsquosfirstcomprehensiverulingonthecableindustryin1972includedrequirementsthatcablesystemsinthe100largesttelevisionmarketsdedicateatleastthreechannelsforpubliceducationandgovernmentaccessTherulingsetoffaroundofoptimisticcommunitymediaexperimentsnationwideButthisinformalpartnershipbetweencom-munitymediaadvocatesandthecableindustrycametoanabrupthaltin1979whentheSupremeCourtruledthattheFCChadexceededitsregulatoryauthorityinmandatingthatchannelsbededicatedtoPEGaccessTherulingdidnotpreventCongressandlocalgovernmentsfromrequiringnegotiatedaccesschannelshoweverandby1979accessadvocatesweresufficientlyorganizedtomakePEGastan-dardofferingofcabletelevision
BythistimethecableindustryhadenteredwhatarereferredtoasldquothegoldrushyearsrdquoThesuccessofHBOrsquossatellite-deliveredcableprogrammingservicedemon-stratedthataudienceswithgoodfreebroadcastreceptionwouldpaytoreceiveuninterruptedmoviesandsportsCablecompaniesvigorouslycompetedforfranchisesinthecountryrsquosmostpopulousareasIfalocalcommunityrsquosfranchiseauthorityexpressedadesireforPEGaccesschannelsinitsrequestforproposalsoftenthecablecompanieswouldrespondfavorablyInadditiontochannel
set-asidesarequirementthatoperatorsprovidefundingforequipmentandpublicinterestchanneloperationsbecameuniversalThoughmanyPEGaccesscentershavediversi-fiedtheirfundingsourcesthebulkoffundingforPEGaccesschanneloperationsandprogrammingcomesfromcongressionallyandmunicipallymandatedfeesinreturnfortheuseofpublicrights-of-way
Intheirearlyyearsthemorethan2000accesschannelstheninoperationwereadministeredinvariouswaysAfewcablecompanieswereabletocompetentlyundertakecommunity-basedmanagementofthesechan-nelsbutgenerallythecableindustryhadlittleappetiteorcapacitytosuccessfullymanagetheselocalchannelsInsomecasesthefranchiseauthorityitselfmanagedthechannelsInothercasesitwasthelibrarytheuniversitycommunitycollegeorhighschoolHoweveritsoonbecameclearthatthelocalcommunityneededtomanagethisnewcommunicationcapacityseparatefromcablecompaniesandgovernmentifitspotentialtocreatecommunitymediawastoberealizedTheindependentnonprofitcorporationeventuallybecamethestandardmanagementmodelamongcommunitymediaadvocatesTodaymostsuccessfulaccesscentersaremanagedthroughnonprofitcommunitygroups(Olson2000)
BecausepublicaccesschannelscarryFirstAmendmentprotectionallowinganyoneinthecommu-nitytoplaceprogrammingonthechannelswithoutbeingsubjecttopriorrestraintsomeprogrammingonthesechannelscanseemexceedinglystrangetotheuninitiatedMuchoftheprogrammingonpublicchannelsismadebynonprofessionalsandreflectstheidiosyncraticinterestsofproducersInrecentyearshoweverpublicaccesscentershaveastutelyexpandedtheirmissionsbeyondindividu-allyfocusedprogrammingtoaddresstheneedsofwholecommunitiesthroughmorecomplexnotionsofempower-mentandcommunitybuildingThishasmeantdevelopingmoreprogramminginpartnershipwithassociationsandnonprofitscommunitygroupsagenciesandeducationalinstitutionsthathaveaclearrelationshiptothelifeoftheircommunities(Rennie2006)Significantnumbersofaccesscentershavealsomovedtoincorporateothermediabeyondvideoandtocarryoutalargerrangeofmediaeducationandmediaartsactivitiesbeyondcableprogramming
OverthecourseofcableaccessdevelopmenttheAlliance for Community Media(ACM)hasconsistentlyprovidedbothpoliticalandprofessionalleadershiptothefieldofcableaccessFormedastheNationalFederationofLocalCableProgrammersin1978ACMquicklygrewtooccupyapresenceinWashingtonDCpolicycircles
andhassteadfastlyprovidedavoicefortheinterestsofthe2000accesscenterintheUSCurrentlytheACMisleadingthefightalongwithcitiesinfightingthewaveofstatewidelsquovideofranchisingrsquolegislationthroughwhichthetelephonecompaniesandcablecompaniesareattemptingtogainnear-monopolycontroloflocaltelecommunicationsmarketswhichwouldeffectivelyendcableaccessinmanycommunities
Manhattan Neighborhood Network(MNN)whichprovidespublicaccesscableservicesinManhattanisoneofagrowingnumberofcableaccesscentersintheUnitedStatesthathaveembracedabroadermissionofmultime-diaeducationandtrainingBeyonditscablechannelstelevisionstudiosandelectronicfieldproductionandpost-productionfacilitiesMNNfunctionsasacommunitymeetingandartsspaceandoperatesagrantingprogramandasupportnetworktositesthroughoutManhattanInrecentyearsMNNhasprovidedarichselectionofitsvideotoInternetstreamingItalsofeaturesaYouth Channeloneofthefirsttelevisionchannelstofacilitatecreativityandsocialandpoliticalparticipationamongdisadvantagedlow-incomeandminorityyouthbyprovidingthemwithaccesstoadedicatedchannelmediaproductionresourcesandtraining
Media Arts OrganizationsMediaartsorganizationswereorganizedinNorthAmericainthe1960sand1970sinresponsetotheavailabilityofnewmoreaffordableandmoreportablemediatech-nologiessuchasfilmvideoandcomputersMediaartsorganizationssupportartthatmakesuseoffilmvideoaudiomultimediaandinteractivemediaIndividualcen-tersoftenfocusononeortwoelementsofthetotalmediaartsinfrastructureprovidingsomecombinationofaccesstomediatoolsproductionproductiontrainingdistribu-tionarchivingandexhibitionofmediaart
Overtheyearscentershaveengagedinanincred-iblerangeofartisticpracticesembracingavantgardeexperimentationinfilmandvideodocumentariesnar-rativeandstorytellingcomputerartandinstallationsusingallmediaThesepracticesintersectwithcommunitymediaintheiremphasisonparticipatoryprogrammingdevelopment
ThehistoryofmediaartsorganizationsiscloselyentwinedwiththetrendsandpoliticsofpublicfundinganddevelopingtechnologyintheUnitedStatesEarlycentersoftenreceivedfoundationfundingtoexperimentwithspecificemergingtechnologiesparticularlyvideoThisinitialphaseofdevelopmentwasgivensignificantsupport
bytheMacArthurFoundationanditsmediaartsprogramfollowedbythecreationoftheNationalEndowmentfortheArtswhichinturnbeganaprogramofconsistentsupportformediaartsorganizationsnationwideTheperiodwasmarkedbythelong-termsupportbyMacArthurFoundationrelativelystablegrowthandaheadyrangeofartisticprac-ticeandexperimentation
Inthepoliticallyconservativeclimateoftheearly1990sasfundersbecameincreasinglywaryofsupportingartthatmightprovecontroversialtheNationalEndowmentfortheArtsgraduallywithdrewmostfundingforthemediaartsBytheendofthedecadetheMacArthurFoundationoneofthemediaartsrsquomostconsistentfundersendeditsyearlysupportformediaartsorganizationsclosingtheeraandforcingaperiodofdevelopmentdiversificationandrestructuringformediaartsorganizations
ThefieldhasprovenextremelyresilientTodaythefieldofmediaartsismadeupofamorediverseandmaturearrayofnonprofitorganizationsandartspracticesAlthoughmediaartsorganizationsnowplacemoreempha-sisonearnedincomeanddiversefundingsourcestheycontinuetobevitalculturalcentersprovidingcommunitiesaccesstobothmediafacilitiesandafullrangeofmediaculturalexperiencesMediaartsorganizationslikeScribeinPhiladelphiaandAppalshopinWhitesburgKentuckyforexamplehavenavigatedthetechnologicalandfundingshiftsofthepastthreedecadeswithsurprisingcreativityandsavvy
TheScribe Video CenterinPhiladelphiawhichemergedin1982duringthemediaartsheydayperseveredthroughtheupsetsofthe1990stobecomeanextraordinaryexampleofwhatasocialassetamediaartscentercanbeforacommunityScribereachesouttocommunitiesincludingpeopleofcolorwomenseniorcitizensandteensthattraditionallyhavenothadaccesstovideotrainingorproductionfacilitiesandprovidesthemtoolsforstorytell-ingInadditiontoproductionandscriptwritingworkshopsScribeoffersartistsrsquoservicessuchasfiscalsponsorshipequipmentrentalandeditingfacilitiesOngoingprogramsincludeCommunityVisionsavideoproductionprogramforcommunityorganizationsStreetMoviesafreeoutdoorneighborhood-basedscreeningseriesandtheProducersrsquoForumscreeningandlectureseriesofvisitingartistsandmediaactivistsAdditionallyScribeproducestheDocumentaryHistoryProjectforYouthanannualproduc-tionworkshopformiddleandhighschoolstudents
AppalshopinWhitesburgKentuckyisoneoftheoldestmediaartsorganizationsintheUnitedStatesAsitswebsiteindicatesAppalshopwasfoundedin1969to
enablepeopletousemediatotelltheirownstoriesinordertoldquosolvetheirownproblemsrdquoIthasbecomeanationallyrecognizedmediacenterworkinginfilmvideoaudioandmusicrecordingsliteraturetheaterliveperformanceandradioallfocusedonAppalachiancultureItsworkdocumentstraditionalartsexploreshistoryandaddressessocialissuesthataffecttheAppalachianregiontodayAppalshopprovidesregionallyandnationallyfocusededu-cationandtrainingprogramsTwoofthemostnotablearetheAppalachianMediaInstituteayouthmediatraininginitiativeandCommunityMediaInstitutewhichworkswithgrassrootsgroupsandpublicinterestorganizationsfromtheregionandnationallytoaccomplishstrategiccom-municationplanningaroundsocialjusticeorganizing
TheNational Alliance for Media Arts and CulturehasconsistentlyprovidedthoughtfulleadershiptothemediaartsfieldthroughtechnicalassistanceprogramsandstrategicplanninginitiativesItsDeepFocusprojectin2004usedscenarioplanningtoenvisionthefutureofmediaarts(Blau2004)Asaresultofthiskindofworktheearlynetworkofmediaartsorganizationshasexpandedtoincludeover274mediaartsorganizationsThisrepre-sentsasignificantbroadeningofthefieldofmediaartsencompassingmanysmallermediaartsorganizationswithspecificartisticculturalorcommunityobjectivesThemediaartsfieldhasmostrecentlyseentheemergenceofmanyyouthmediaorganizationswiththecriticalmissionofcreatingmedialiteracysurvivalskillsforyoungpeopleastheynavigatethemediasaturatedsocialenvironmentofthetwenty-firstcentury
Ethnic MediaEthnicmediarepresentagrowingvitalsectorofAmericanelectronicmediathatintersectswithcommunitymediainanumberofimportantwaysHistoricallyethnicmediaout-letshavearisenontheperipheryofUSbroadcastingoftenwithoutnetworkaffiliationtoservepopulationsthatdonothaveaccesstomainstreammediaandpopularcultureThesehaveincludednewimmigrantgroupsnon-Englishlanguagegroupsthepoliticallyoppressedandpopulationsstrivingtomaintainculturaltraditionsandtiestotheirhomelandswhileadaptingtoanewsociety
ThatpatternhasrepeatedwaxedandwanedasdifferentpopulationshavecometotheUnitedStatesinthepastcenturyThekeyhistoricalintersectionbetweencommunitymediaandethnicmedialiesintheearlyyearsofcommunityradiofollowingWorldWarIIwhenawaveofBlackradiostationsandformatsfilledspacecreatedintheshiftingmedialandscapebytheintroductionoftelevision
ThisshiftbroughtawaveofBlackinvestmentandprogramexperimentationthatseriouslyinfluencedthekindsofcommunityradioprogrammingthatevolvedintheUnitedStatesToalargeextenttheimprovisationalradioformatscombiningmusicandpoliticaltalkcultureandcur-rentaffairswerefirstworkedoutinpost-warBlackradio(Barlow1988Lloyd2006)
Ethnicmediaencompassescommercialandnoncom-mercialmediahugemultinationalsandsmalllocallyownedoperationsEthnicandcommunitymediaoftenintersectgeographicallyEthnicgroupsoftenidentifywithaspecificplaceandusemediatoarticulateasenseofsolidarityinthoseplacesLikecommunitymediaethnicmediafrequentlyembodyparticipatoryapproachestopro-grammingandproductionandareoftenresponsestodeepdissatisfactionwiththeownershipstructuresandbiasesofthemainstreammedia
OneofthemostsignificantongoingsourcesforethnicmediahasbeentheCorporationforPublicBroadcastingthroughitsfundingofthefivemembersoftheNationalMinorityConsortiaNational Asian American Telecommunications Association National Black Programming Consortium Native American Public Telecommunications Pacific Islanders in Communications and Latino Public BroadcastingTheseethnicprogrammingnetworksandtheIndependent Television ServiceprovidemillionsofdollarseachyeartotheirnetworksofethnicandindependentprogrammakersforprogramstargetedtothePublicBroadcastingService
CurrentlyethnicmediaareundergoingexplosivegrowthacrosstheUnitedStatesconsistentwithdemo-graphicshiftsTherearesignificantincreasesintheproportionofnon-EnglishspeakersLatinosAsiansMiddleEasternersandPacificIslandersintheUSpopulationandcorrespondingincreasesinethnicmediaDuringthecommunitymediaroundtablesconductedforthisreportparticipantsrepeatedlyexpressedappreciationforthenumberofethnicmediaoutletsthatusedparticipatorystrategiesinsupportingtheimmigrationproteststhatoccurredthroughouttheUnitedStatesin2006
OneindicationofthegrowthandsophisticationofethnicmediaisNew America Media (NAM)thelargestnationalcollaborationofethnicnewsorganizationsintheUnitedStatesNAMldquoproducesandaggregateseditorialcontentfromandfortheethnicmediasectoranddevelopspioneeringmarketingservicesonbehalfofcorporationsfoundationsandnonprofitswhoaretargetingethnicmediaandethniccommunitiesrdquoNewAmericaMediaisanetworkedcommunitythatlinksthousandsofethnic
0
mediaorganizationsintheUnitedStatesItsrecentstudyldquoEthnicMediainAmericaTheGiantHiddeninPlainSightrdquosurveysHispanicAmericansAfricanAmericansAsianAmericansArabAmericansandNativeAmericans(NewAmericaMedia2005)NAMfoundthatmorethanaquarterofthenationrsquospopulationusesethnicmediainsomecapacity
NewonlinejournalismsitessuchastheTwin Cities Media AlliancersquosDaily PlanetprofiledinthisreportareemergingfromtherestructuringofthenewspaperindustryandtheuseofbloggingandsocialnetworkingsoftwareThe TC Daily Planetaggregatesincreasingnumbersofethnicimmigrantandnon-mainstreamjournalistsinMinneapolis-StPaulAnotherexamplementionedinthisreportRadio Arte (WRTE)maybetheonlybilingual(SpanishEnglish)youth-operatedurbancommunitystationinthecountryItoperateswithafocusonyouthinChicagorsquosPilsenLittleVillageneighborhoodsAninitiativeoftheMexicanFineArtsCenterMuseumthiseducationalradiostationhasayouthtrainingandproductiontrainingprogramandapowerfulwebpresenceinadditiontoitsurbanbroadcastfootprint
BothTC Daily PlanetandRadioArteunderscorethecommonalitiesbetweenethnicmediaandcommunitymediaInmanycircumstancesethnicmediaandcom-munitymediacanbevirtuallyindistinguishableThisconvergenceofvaluesgeographyandpoliticscouldeasilyserveasthefoundationforcollaborationandpartner-ingbetweencommunityandethnicmediainspecificcommunities
Civic JournalismBothcivicjournalismandpublicjournalismrefertoamovementwithinprofessionaljournalismthathonorsnewsorganizationsrsquoroleinconveningandfacilitatingpublicdeliberationanddebatesinwhichaudiencesaretreatedasactiveparticipantsratherthanpassiveconsumersThePew Center for Civic JournalismdefinescivicjournalismasldquobothaphilosophyandasetofvaluessupportedbysomeevolvingtechniquesAtitsheartisabeliefthatjournal-ismhasanobligationtopubliclifendashanobligationthatgoesbeyondjusttellingthenewsorunloadinglotsoffactsrdquo(PewCenter2007)Thisphilosophyemergesfromanunder-standingthatcitizensareincreasinglydisengagedinciviclifeandthatnewsorganizationscanreactivateanapatheticcitizenryNewsorganizationspracticingcivicjournal-ismaimtoestablishdeeperconversationswithbroadercross-sectionsoftheircommunitiesresultinginenhancedcredibilityimprovedcommunicationbetweenthemselves
andthecommunityandbettercoverageofissuesoflocalconcern
CommittedtosupportingjournalisticeffortstorevitalizecitizenshipwhileobjectivelyreportinghardtruthsthePewCenterestablishedtheBattenAwardforExcellenceinCivicJournalismin1995OneofthefirstawardswenttoThe Charlotte ObserverofCharlotteNorthCarolinaforanineteen-monthin-depthseriesoncrimeinnineneighborhoodsReportersspenttwoyearsincrime-riddenneighborhoodsencouragingresidentsinthoseneighborhoodstoreportontherootcausesofcrimeandtoparticipateinthesearchforsolutions
Community NetworkingWhilestillinitsearlytext-basedphasetheInternetwasbeingadoptedasacommunity-buildingtoolbyanumberofgeographicallybasedorganizationsManyoftheseearlycommunitynetworksevolvedfromldquofreenetsrdquoalliedthroughtheNational Public Telecomputing Network(NPTN)AtthattimeNPTNwasthefourthmostpopularpubliccom-puternetworkbehindCompuServeAmericaOnlineandProdigy(Schuler1995)
SomeoftheseearlycommunitynetworksweresimplyInternetdestinationswherecommunity-basedinformationwascollectedandpresentedOthersevolvedasadjunctstotheInternetconnectionsprovidedbylocalInternetserviceprovidersLikeothercommunitymediathepioneersofcommunitynetworkingweremotivatedtousethisnewcommunicationstechnologytostrengthentheircommunities
CommunitynetworkingwaschangedirrevocablywiththeadventoftheWorldWideWebandthesurgeindemandforInternetaccessTheWorldWideWebreplacedmostofthesoftwareapplicationsthatwerebeingusedatthattimetomakeinformationaccessibletopeoplethroughacommunitynetworkThisandthedemandsurgelow-eredthepriceofcommercialInternetaccesstothepointwheretherewaslittlemotivationtobecomeamemberofacommunitynetworkastheywerepracticedatthetimeAsaresultcommunitynetworkinghasbecomelessaboutInternetaccessandmoreabouttheculturalpracticeof
Newsorganizationspracticingcivicjournalismaimtoestablishdeeperconversationswithbroadercross-sectionsoftheircommunities
communitynetworkingwithafocusonsocialnetworkingsoftwaredevelopmentandutilizationCommunitynetwork-ershavealwaysenjoyedclosealignmentwithopensourcesoftwaredevelopersandnowareconcernedwithusingtheInternetintandemwithopensourcesocialnetworkingsoftwaretoaccomplishmanyofthegoalsofcommunitymedia(Schuler2004)
The Metropolitan Austin Interactive Network (MAIN)isanonprofitorganizationcommittedtoinfor-mationsharingandcommunicationamongpeopleandgovernmentaleducationalcommercialculturalreligiousandcivicorganizationsItoperatesacommunity-basedwebsitethatprovidesandaggregatesabroadarrayofinformationcriticaltoAustinresidentsfromemploymentinformationtoenvironmentalartsandculturalcontentMAINiscommittedtohelpingitscommunitymakeeffec-tiveuseoftheInternetandothernetworkcommunicationsstructuresbutdoesnotdirectlyprovidenetworkconnectiv-ityMAINprovidesfreewebhostingandwebdevelopmentassistancethroughabroaddigitalliteracyprogramthatincludestrainingingeneralcomputerandInternetusage
SatelliteWhilesatellitetelevisioncannotbeconsideredcommunitymediabecauseitisneitherlocalnorspecificallycom-munity-focuseditdeservesmentionherebecauseofitsexistingandpotentialcontributionstocommunitymediagoalsSatellitetelevisionisfocusedonnationalvideodistributionviacableanddirectbroadcastservicestohomesatellitedishesTofosterthepublicrsquosinterestindiverseprogrammingviasatellitetheFCCin1992imposedcertainpublicinterestobligationsonDirectBroadcastService(DBS)providersThecommissionruledthatDBSprovid-ersmustreservefourpercentoftheirchanneltranspondercapacityexclusivelyfornoncommercialprogrammingofaneducationalorinformationalnatureUnfortunatelytheFCCleftituptotheDBScompaniestodecidewhichprogram-merswouldbeselectedfromeligibleprogrammersManyfeelthepotentialofDBStoservethepublicinteresthasbeensignificantlycurtailedasaresult(Anderson2000)
Neverthelesssatellitehasbecomehometosomeprogrammersthatembodythevaluesandpracticesofcom-munitymediaNotablyDeepDishTVFreeSpeechTVLinkTVandasofApril2007StarfishTelevisionNetworkarealldistributedviasatelliteduetotheset-asiderulesadoptedbytheFCCEachoffersprogrammingthatembodiesvaluesofdiversityandempowermentwhiledemonstratingthenecessityofset-asidepoliciesfornoncommercialfrequency
andbandwidthatalllevelsofthemediainfrastructureifnoncommercialmediaistoflourishTheyconsistentlyrunprogramsproducedbycommunitymediaactivistsandindependentproducersandrepresentonepossiblewayforcommunitymediaorganizationstodevelopanationalprogrammingreachthatcouldfacilitateldquolocaltolocalrdquocommunicationswhiledevelopinganationalnetworkofprogressivecommunityprogramming
Deep Dish TVpioneeredtheuseofsatellitetoestablishacollaborativenetworkamongactivisttelevisionproducersandpublicaccesscablestationsin1986DrawingontheearlierexperimentsofthePublicInterestVideoNetworkDeepDishbegancreatingprograminstallmentsforsatellitedistributionVideoprogrammingselectedfromactivistandcommunitytapesaroundthecountrywerefedtosatellitetransponderswithanationalfootprintwheretheywerepickedupbyhundredsofcableaccessorganiza-tionsandcommunitymediacentersintheUnitedStates(Pierce2003)
DeepDishrsquos1991satellitebroadcastsoftheGulfCrisisTVProjectareconsideredbymanytobehistoricmomentsincommunitymediaandUScommunicationshistoryadirectinterventioninaninternationalcrisisbypublicaccesstelevisionandindependentmediaactivistsDeepDishTVassembledavideoanti-warteach-induringthefirstGulfWarandmadeitavailabletotheirnetworkviasatelliteThesuccessoftheGulfCrisisprojectexpandedDeepDishrsquosnetworktoincludeindependentpublictelevi-sionsitesanyonewithahomesatellitereceiverandothercommunitymediaandmediaartsorganizationsRalphEngelmanwritesthatDeepDishrsquosuseofsatelliteallowedcommunitymediaactiviststofulfilltwooftheircoreobjec-tivesldquograssrootsparticipationandthepresentationofdiversealternativeperspectivesrdquo(Engelman1996)
TheseearlysuccessesinnetworkingcommunitytelevisionviasatellitehavemorerecentlybeenextendedbyFree Speech TVandAmyGoodmanrsquosDemocracyNowprogrammingFreeSpeechTVextendedthetechnicalcapacitytonetworkwithcableaccessbyraisingfundstobuydirectsatellitereceiversforcableaccessfacilitiesinterestedincablecastingFreeSpeechTVprogram-mingThistechnicalnetworkthenbecameaprogressiveprogramnetworkcalledintoexistencealmostsingle-hand-edlybythehighlysought-afterprogressiveprogrammingofDemocracyNowInturnthepresenceofDemocracyNowprogrammingisconsistentlyservingtoincreasetheaudiencesandsupportforcableaccessincommunitiesthroughouttheUnitedStates
AttheirheartcommunitymediaareaboutmakingmediawithpeoplenotmerelyaboutorforpeopleIt
isasoneChicagoroundtableparticipantnotedlikeldquotheneighborhoodgoingouttodinnerrdquoButasanyonewhohaseverhostedalargedinnerpartyknowsthisisnotalwayseasilyaccomplishedInroundtablediscussionswithcommunitymediapractitionersthreestrategiesndashcollabo-ration across sectors and platforms training and outreach ndashemergedrepeatedlyaswaysofsuccessfullyengagingthebreadthanddiversityoftheircommunitiesInadditionafourthstrategyconnecting with immigrant populationsyieldedinsightsintosomeuniquechallengesandbenefits
strAtegies CollaborationMediainstitutionscanplaytheroleoffacilitatorsintheircommunitiesdemystifyingtheprocessofproductionpro-vidingpeoplewithaccesstotheresourcestheyneedandbuildingonthehistoryandgoalsofcivicjournalismThisrolerequiresmediainstitutionstorethinktraditionaljour-nalismandmayentailthere-balancingofeditorialpoliciesndashcommittingtodiversityembracingegalitarianvaluesandreassessingthevalueofeditorialneutralityInvitingcommunitymemberstohelpwithstoriesmakescover-agemorereflectiveofthecommunitymoreofatwo-wayconversationForinstanceTwin Cities Public Television(TPT)dedicatestimeononeofitsdigitalchannelstolocalandregionalprogrammingincludingprogramstargetedattheLatinoHmongHindiSomaliandVietnamesecommu-nitiesTocreateprogrammingfortheldquoMinnesotaChannelrdquothestationpartnerswithnonprofitorganizationswhopayTPTforproductionsupportandguaranteedbroadcastoftheprogramming
Sound Partners for Community HealthhasshownthatauthenticpartnershipsbetweenpublicbroadcastersandcommunityinstitutionsenableeachpartytoreachlargermorediverseandtargetedaudiencesonhealthissuesimportanttothecommunityCommunityinstitutionspromotedbroadcastsandpublicbroadcastersincreasedthevisibilityoftheirinstitutionalpartnerswhoofferedadditionalresourcesandreferralstoviewersandlistenersandhelpedtodisseminateprogrammingonCDsandDVDsInadditionbymarryingtheexpertiseofcommunity-basedhealthorganizationsandvoicesoflocalresidentswiththeproductionvaluesofhigh-qualityradioandtelevisionpro-grammingSoundPartnerspositionedcommunitymembersasproactiveplannersofandstakeholdersinmediainitia-tivesratherthanpassiverecipientsofmediaattention
Buttherewasinevitabletensioninseparatingjour-nalismfromadvocacywhichrequiredtrustonthepartofallparticipantstoresolveInthecaseoftheSoundPartnerscollaborationsincommunity-basedjournalismpublicbroadcastersneededtotrustthattheirnonprofitpartnerswouldnrsquotadvancetheirownorganizationalagendasattheexpenseoftruthandnonprofithealthorganizationsneededtotrustthattheirbroadcastpartnerswouldrespecttheirexpertise
TheSoundPartnersexperienceaffirmedwhatmanyroundtableparticipantspointedoutmdashtheneedtobuildbridgesacrossmediaaswellSoundPartnersfoundthatcommercialradiostationsandpublicaccesschannelswithcloselinkstoandinfluenceonthecommunityhelpedimplementstrongmediacampaignsincollaborationwithpublicbroadcastingRoundtableparticipantssawcommer-cialmediaoutletsasespeciallyimportantamongimmigrantgroups
Pointingtoanotheraspectofcollaborationround-tableparticipantsimploredmediainstitutionstobeopentosharinginfrastructuretoaccomplishtheirmissionsManynonprofitmediagroupsarestrugglingtosurvivebuthaveassetsthatcanbesharedorintegratedtobetterservetheircommunitiesinacoordinatedefficientwayCreatingcollaborativestructuresasbasicasco-locationoffacilitiesorascomplexasorganizationalmergerscanbeimportantfordisseminatingprogrammingsecuringfundingandprotectingpotentiallycontroversialissueprogrammingForexampleManhattan Neighborhood Networkhashistori-callyleverageditscablefranchise-securedcapitalfunding
engAging community WhAtrsquos Working
Invitingcommunitymemberstohelpwithstoriesmakescoveragemorereflectiveofthecommunitymoreofatwo-wayconversation
tobuildcapacityinothermediaorganizationssuchasastudioandpost-productionfacilitieswithDowntownCommunityTelevisioninChinatownAndinkeepingwiththesamenetwork-buildingapproachtofacilitatingpartici-pationMNNalsofeaturesaYouthChannelconsideredtobethefirstchannelcreatedforyouthbyyouthMNNhasbecomeoneofthecentralhubsinManhattanaroundwhichindependentandcommunitymediagatherforscreeningsadvancededucationalopportunitiesartisticandpoliticaldebatecommunitybuildingandsocialnetworkingcreat-inganexcitingdemocraticmediaculture
Manyparticipantsacknowledgedthatcollaborationishardexpensiveandtime-consumingItplacesdemandsonin-houseknowledgeandconfrontspartneringorganiza-tionsrsquodifferentgoalseditorialpoliciesandresourcesIftheyaretolastpartnershipsneedproperresearchonthefrontendandmulti-leveledsupportChangesinleader-shipcandisruptplanssopartneringcanrsquotbetiedtoonepersonrsquosrelationshiptoanotherpersonitrequiresanetworkofpeopleunderstandingandcontributingtothepartnershipMulti-yearprojectsareimportanttodevelopinfrastructureandsustainefforts
TrainingRoundtableparticipantssawcommunitymediainstitutionsasimportantsourcesbothforjobsandskillstrainingandforbuildingthecapacityoflocalnonprofitgroupsWhileacquiringmediaskillsmaybeacareerpathoutofpovertyironicallycommunitymediaworkisoftenunpaidandpoorpeoplemustprioritizepayingjobsoverparticipationincommunitymediamakingRoundtableparticipantsexpressedconcernthatthereisnotcurrentlyawaytoeconomicallysustaintheeffortsoflow-incomepeoplewhodovolunteerincommunitymedia
CableaccesscenterslikeChicagorsquos CAN-TVandManhattanNeighborhoodNetworkprovidegrantstrainingandequipmenttocommunitygroupswhothendevelopmultimediaproductsandshowcasethemindifferentvenuesThesecentersfacilitatetheexpressionofnon-technology-orientedcommunitymembersandprovidethemwithusefuljobskills
ThetrainingcomponentiscrucialfordevelopingauthenticvoicesinprogrammingBlessedwithadiversetechnology-savvycommunitythatincludesbothHarvard
andMITcampuspopulationsCambridge Community Television CCTVhasbroadeneditseducationalprogramstoincludeadvancedworkshopsandextendededucationalprogramsindocumentarymakingdigitalstorytellingwebsitedesignandstrategiccommunicationsplanningandimplementationCommunitymembersarealsoabletouseCCTVrsquoscomputertechnologycenterfortraininginavarietyofsoftwareapplicationsincludingphotoeditinganddesignandcomputernetworkingThecenterhasbroadeneditsdistributionofvideoprogrammingtoincludeweb-basedmediastreamingofpre-recordedprogrammingpodcastsaudiochannelsandldquoCambridgeCommunityRadiordquowherememberscansignupfortwo-hourblocksofliveradiotimeThecenterrsquosservicesaddresstheneedsofactivistsnonprofitcommunitygroupsmediaeducatorsandpeopleseekingjobskillsthatextendfarbeyondthoseneededtofillthepublicchannelswithvideoItsofferingsareexpand-ingtoincludeworkshopsinpodcastingdigitalaudioproductionvideobloggingandcyberjournalismCCTVtakesdigitalmediaconvergenceseriouslyunderstandingthatmediaproductiontrainingproductionanddistribu-tionarenowapplicableacrossanumberofplatformsandproductionskillsets
Bay Area Video Coalition(BAVC)isanotherorganizationthatmakesemergingvideotechnologyacces-sibletoindependentmediamakersIthasevolvedintoaninternationallyrenownedmediaartscenterthatleadsthefieldinitshigh-qualityproductionandprofessionaldevelopmentsupportfornoncommercialmediamakersThecenteralsoprovidesclassestolow-incomeyouthinmediaartsproductionaswellasworkshopsforcommunitygroupsandnonprofitsBAVChasconsistentlyoffereddevelopmentseminarsandtrainingprogramsthatbringcommercialpro-ducersandnoncommercialproducerstogetherinacommonsettingItoffersoneoftheregionrsquoskeycertifiedtrainingprogramsforcompanieslikeAppleAvidandDigidesignThroughagrantfromtheFordFoundationBAVChasundertakenanationalstudyonldquoDigitalWorkforceDevelopmentrdquoallowingtheorganizationtoestablishitselfasanationalandregionalleaderinprofessionaldevelop-ment(Most2002)Itsprofessionaldevelopmentprogramisasignificantforuminwhichcommercialandnoncom-mercialmediamakerscancometogetherforprofessionaldevelopmentactivitiesinsettingsthatrespectthepublicinterestandroleofmediainsocialdevelopment
OutreachOutreachakeytoolformediagroupsmovestherelation-shipbetweencommunityandmediabeyondconsumption
Collaborationishardexpensiveandtime-consuming
tosocialchangeItinvitespeopletointeractwithmediatobeaffectedbyitandtoaffectothersItaskspeoplewhattheyneedandinvitesthemtocometogethertomeetthoseneeds
Thekeytocreatingrelevantoutreachisresearch-ingwhatthecommunityneedsdetermininghowtoreachitmosteffectivelyandhiringstaffwhohaveoutreachskillsandarewellversedinthecultureandlanguageofthegroupsbeingtargetedAChicagofilmmakerrecountedhowtheseconsiderationsimpactedhisdocumentaryaboutworkersrsquorightsOutreachstaffconsideredthepotentialimpactontwoaudiencesalargeaudienceofPBSviewerssittingintheirlivingroomsandasmallerbutmoreengagedaudienceofsteelworkerswatchingthedocumentaryatalocalbarTheyconcludedthatthebarviewerswouldberivetedbecausetheinformationinthedocumentarywasgearedtothemSuccessfuloutreachasksWhatdogroupspayattentiontoWhomdotheytrustWhatplatformauthenticallyrepresentsthem
NationalprogrammingcanbeacatalystforlocaloutreachParticipantsinChicagoandMinneapolis-StPauldiscussedtheexampleofldquoTheNewAmericansrdquoanationalPBSseriesonimmigrantsproducedby Kartemquin Films Active VoiceanationalorganizationthatworkswithmediamakerstobringaboutpersonalandinstitutionalchangeworkedwithKartemquintopackageseriesfootagethatfocusedonnewarrivalstoMinnesotaTheresultwasalocalseriesldquoTheNewMinnesotansrdquoandapartnershipthatusedmediatoeducatethemainstreamcommunityaboutlocalimmigrantsandtodevelopdiscussionandactivityguidesforcommunityoutreach
Connecting with Immigrant PopulationsMinoritypopulationsandgroupsconcernedwithsupportingtheidentitiesofmarginalizedpopulationshaveincreasinglyturnedtocommunitymediaassourcesofinformationvali-dationofcultureandproductionsupportforthecreationoftheirowncontentCommunitymediahavehelpedcallattentiontothelivesandconcernsofimmigrantcommuni-tiesthatareotherwiseinvisibleoutsidetheirparticularcommunityBecausetheyoftenhavefoundinnovativewaystousecommunitymediafornetworkingandsocialchangeimmigrantpopulationsillustratethepowerofcommunity
mediaandpresentrichopportunitiesformakingcommu-nitymediaorganizationsmorediverseandparticipatoryRoundtableparticipantssharedlessonsinwhatworksandofferedspecificideasforframinganewcommunitymediaprogramaddressingtheneedsofimmigrantsandreceivingcommunitiescalledNew Routes to Community Health
Inreachingouttoimmigrantcommunitiesround-tableparticipantsnotedthatitiscriticaltoidentifyandworkwithexistingagenciesthatimmigrantstrustperhapsachurchorassociationforaparticularethnicgroupButthoughimmigrantgroupsarethemostappropriateconve-nersofsuchcollaborativestheymustalsohavethecapacitytoconvene
TheselectionofplatformalsodeservescarefulconsiderationRoundtableparticipantsnotedthatinadapt-ingtechnologiestotheirownpurposesspecificimmigrantgroupsoftenpreferoneplatformoveranotherForexampleChicagorsquosKorean-AmericancommunityhasbeensuccessfulinusingethnicprintmediatoaddresscommunityissuesThePersianstorytellingtraditionhasmadePersianahugeandgrowinglanguagesegmentonblogsPersianisnowthefourthmostwidelyusedlanguageonweblogs(Macintyre2004)A2000surveyofSomalianimmigrantsinMinnesotashowedthatoverfortypercenteventhenconsideredtheInternettheirmainnewssource(Aynte2006)
RadioinparticularhasshowntremendouspowerinthedevelopingworldpartlyasaresultoftheUnitedNationsrsquoemphasisonradioasthemediumsupportingthemostwidespreadpracticeofcommunitymediaintheworldBecausetheyarefamiliarwithradiobeforecomingtotheUnitedStatesimmigrantgroupsoftenquicklyembraceradiouponarrivalinthiscountryItisalsooneofthemostinexpensiveformsofmediaandthereforeoneofthemostaccessibleldquoIftheycomefromLatinAmericatheyknowthepowerofradiordquoChicagoparticipantsnotedenthusiasti-callyLocalcommercialSpanish-languageradiostationseffectivelyhelpedmobilizeturnoutforimmigrationprotestsinChicagoinMay2006
community spotlightManycommunitiesintheUnitedStatescanpointwithpridetotheachievementsoftheircommunitymediaorganizationsWhenattemptingtoidentifybestpracticesinthenetworkedmediaenvironmentsweseetodayhoweveritisusefultothinkintermsofinterconnectionandcol-laborationnottolooksimplyatindividualmediacentersorbroadcaststationsOftenthemostsuccessfulexamplesofcommunitymediaemergeoutofongoingalliancesandcollaborationsamonglocalcommunitymediagroupsThe
Thekeytocreatingrelevantoutreachisresearchingwhatthecommunityneeds
communitiesspotlightedbelowhavebegunincorporatingpartnershipsandcross-platformcollaborationintothepracticeofcommunitymediaandhavebeguntoreapthebenefitsofthatapproach
Portland OregonTheMetro Government Community Media InitiativeillustratesthepotentialpowerofcommunitiesworkingtogethertoproducetheirownmediaratherthanhavingtheirstoryframedbycommercialnewsorganizationsAlthoughtheprojecthasnowendeditisincludedherebecauseitprovidedsuchastrongmodelforfuturecommu-nitymediaeffortsTheinitiativewasrootedinaproposalbylocalindependentfilmmakerTomChamberlinthatlocalmediamakerscommunitymediaorganizationscommunitygroupsandgovernmentagenciescollaboratetoproducepublicaffairstelevisionprogramsonissuesofconcerntoOregoniansMetroauniqueregionalgovernmentprimarilyresponsibleforregionalland-useandtransportationplan-ningtookChamberlinrsquosideatoheartWithagrantfromtheFederalHighwayAdministrationMetroandanallianceofcommunityorganizationsandgovernmentagenciesdevel-opedldquoZigZagRealStoriesNewAnglesrdquoaprogrambylocalfilmmakersfeaturingpersonalstoriesfromadiversegroupofregionalresidentsastheygrappledwiththetransporta-tionchoicesaffectingtheirfamiliesneighborhoodsandcommunities
InadditiontothecenterpiecebroadcastonOregon Public BroadcastingtheprojectcreatedaninteractivewebsiteanddistributedaDVDoftheprogramtothearearsquoscableaccesschannelsElementsoftheprojectalsofoundtheirwayontoPortlandrsquoscommunityradiostationKBOOandpacketsincludingextensivesupportmaterialsandDVDsweremadeavailableforscreeninginneighborhoodcentersandindependentmediavenuesTherewasalsoaplanninganddeliberationprocesstostrategizeabouthowcitizensgovernmentsandmediamakerscancollaboratetocreatecommunitydialogueandsolvecivicproblems
Asurbanspaceisincreasinglydefinedbytelecom-municationsasmuchastransportationandlandusetheprojectalsoillustratesthepowerfuloutcomesthat
canresultwhenregionaltelecommunicationsplanningbecomesintegratedwithlanduseandtransportationplan-ningandwhencommunitymediaareintegratedintobothformalandinformalprocessesofplanninganddelibera-tionTheMetroCommunityMediaInitiativeresultedinasignificantandmeasurableriseinregionalawarenessofthetransportationplanningissuesaddressedbytheproj-ectViewershipandDVDusesofthemediaincommunitysettingsexceededexpectations(Metro2004)AlthoughtheprojectwasnotimmediatelyreplicatedPortlandnowenjoyscontinuingcollaborationsbetweenMetrogovern-mentanditsareacommunitymedia
ParticipationintheMetroGovernmentCommunityMediaInitiative isonlyoneofthemanywaysPortlandrsquosKBOOradiohasdemonstrateditsfullcommitmenttotheoriginaldemocraticintentionsofcommunityradiooverthecourseofitsforty-two-yearhistoryOlderthanNationalPublicRadioKBOOisamongthelongest-liv-ingcommunityradiostationsintheUnitedStatesOfthenoncommercialradiostationsinPortlandKBOOistheonlystationwhosemissioncontainsanexplicitcommit-menttominorityprogrammersandlisteners(SussmanandEstes2004)KBOOrsquoscommitmenttodemocraticpracticeextendstoaboardofdirectorselectedentirelyfromitsmembershipwhichisopentoanyoneandanaggressivetrainingprogramconsistentwiththestationrsquoscommitmenttovolunteer-producedprogrammingmdashallprogrammingisproducedbyvolunteerswithassistanceofpaidstaffTheparticipationofwomenandminoritiesfarexceedthecommunityrsquosracialdemographics(SussmanandEstes2004)
Portland Community Media (PCM)hasarichtwenty-three-yearhistoryinPortlandwhenitcomestousingmediatobuildcommunityPCMstartedoutasacabletelevisionaccesscenterandstillprovidestheadminis-trationandtrainingtoprogramPortlandrsquoscableaccesschannelsbuthasexpandeditsmissiontoembracetheuseofcommunitymediatobringaboutbroaderparticipationincivicandculturallifePCMrsquoswebsitedescribesthecenterldquowiththreewordsndashEducateCommunicateParticipaterdquoCurrentlyPCMhasanumberofcollaborativeprojectssup-portingmedialiteracyandmediaeducationinthepublicschoolsystemitregularlyprogramsmediaproductionsfromPortlandrsquosmediaartscentertheNorthwestFilmandVideoCenteranditisplanningtoexpanditscentertosupporteconomicdevelopmentofmicroenterprisesfornewmedia
The Mt Hood Cable Regulatory Commission(MHCRC)overseesacable-relatedtelecommunicationsdevelopmentforgreaterPortlandOregonServing
Oftenthemostsuccessfulexamplesofcommunitymediaemergeoutofongoingalliancesandcollaborationsamonglocalcommunitymediagroups
thecommunitiesresidentsandlocalgovernmentsofFairviewGreshamPortlandTroutdaleWoodVillageandMultnomahCountyOregonTheMtHoodCableRegulatoryCommissionnegotiatesandenforcescableservicefran-chiseandactsinthepublicinterestoncommunicationspolicyissuesatlocalstateandfederallevelsItwouldbehardtooverstatetheimportanceofMHCRCinfosteringthegrowthofcommunitymediaingreaterPortlandThroughclearandinsightfulregulationofthecablefranchiseithasassuredthatthenecessarynetworksandtelecommu-nicationsinfrastructureareavailabletoallowcommunitymediatogrow
MtHoodrsquosCommunityAccessCapitalGrantsProgramisparticularlynoteworthyTheCapitalGrantsprogramprovidescapitalfundingtocommunicationsprojectsthatsupportsocialjusticecommunityinvolve-mentandtheeffectivedeliveryofservicesthroughcostreductionTheprogramhasallowedscoresofcommunitygroupstoincreasetheircommunicationscapacitythroughtheacquisitionofskillsknowledgeandtechnologyInimplementingthisgrantprogramtheMtHoodCableRegulatoryCommissionhasbeenextremelystrategicinconveninggranteesandcreatingtheconditionsthatleadtopartnershipsandcollaborativerelationships
TheNorthwest Film and Video Centerisalong-standingregionalmediaartsorganizationservingtheNorthwestregionThecenterprovidesarichprogramnurturingmediaartscultureItfeaturesanactiveexhibi-tionprogramforexperimentalandindependentfilmsahighlyregardedfilmschoolandextensiveyouthmediaprogramsThecenterpresentsanumberofyearlyfilmfestivalsincludingthePortlandInternationalFilmFestivaltheNorthwestFilmandVideoFestivalandtheYoungPeoplersquosFilmampVideoFestivalThecenterrsquosproductionsoftenfindtheirwayontotothearearsquoscablechannelsThecenterisalsoatrustedsourceofequipmentaccessforareaindependentproducersactiveintherichmediacultureofPortlandaservicepartiallysupportedbytheMtHoodCableRegulatoryCommissionrsquosCapitalGrantsprogram
Minneapolis-St Paul MinnesotaTheSaint Paul Neighborhood Network(SPNN)isacableaccessstationservingStPaulresidentsThestationprovidesopportunitiestothepublictoproduceandairprogramsononeofitsfivechannelsdedicatedtomulti-faithpubliceducationcommunityandinternationalcontentrespectivelySPNNhasayoutheducationprogramandacommunityproductionsprogramwhichworkswithnonprofitorganizationstocreatepublicserviceadvertise-
mentsorprogrammingWorkshopsincludeproductiongrantproposalwritinglegalquestionsandlightingSPNNisparticularlyeffectiveasconvenerandcapacitybuilderinitscommunityItseducationandtrainingprogramsarefocusedoncommunitydevelopmentandonkeepingthetechnicaltrainingelementsofitsworkinasocialperspective
Minneapolis Television Network(MTN)isSPNNrsquossisteraccessstationservingMinneapoliswithasimilarcommitmenttoprovidingacommunitygatheringplaceOperatingthreepublicaccesschannelsMTNofferstelevi-siontrainingandmedialiteracyclassesandisespeciallyencouragingofyouthparticipationThechannelsserveasabridgeforimmigrantstouseinadaptingtotheirnewhomemanynewimmigrantsusethemtocommunicateintheirnativelanguageswiththeirSomaliEthiopianorVietnamesecompatriotsSomali-languageprogramsforinstanceoffereighthoursaweekofmusicentertainmentcommunitynewsandreligiousinstructiontooneofthelargestsettlementsofSomalipeopleoutsideSomaliaIntoutingSomalitelevisionasthebestpublicaccesscabletelevisionprogramintheTwinCitiesCity Pages saidldquoForsomepublicaccessisanearlyinspiringlessonindemocracyandfreemediardquo(CityPages2004)WantingtostrengthenthenonprofitcommunityrsquosInternetsavvyMTNcreatedandeventuallyspunofftheRiverProjecttoofferInternetdial-upaccessandwebhostingtononprofits
PublicbroadcastershavealsoofferedstrongmodelsofcommunitycollaborationintheTwinCities Twin Cities Public Television(TPT)isthepublictelevisionstationservingtheMinneapolisndashStPaulregionIn2004TPTbegandedicatingtimeononeofitsdigitalchan-nelstoMinnesota-relatedprogrammingAnumberoftheprogramsontheMinnesota Channel(someofwhicharethencablecastonpublicaccesstelevision)aretargetedatLatinoHmongHindiMiddleEasternChineseandVietnamesecommunitiesandproducedinpartnershipwithnonprofitorganizationsTPTisapartnerintheMinnesotaCommunityCampaignthatencouragesurbanandruralareasinandaroundtheTwinCitiestowelcomethetensofthousandsofimmigrantsandrefugeesthathavesettledthereinthepastseveraldecadesSeekingtoeffectpositivechangeonimmigrantissuesthroughartmediaeducationsocialserviceandpolicymakingthecampaignproducedtheldquoTheNewMinnesotansrdquoasixty-minuteprogramthatoriginallyairedonTPTbasedontheKartemquinseriesldquoTheNewAmericansrdquo
InadditiontocommunityradiostationKFAItheTwinCitiesishometoMinnesota Public Radio(MPR)
whichhaspioneeredafreshapproachtojournalismcalledpublicinsightjournalism(PIJ)PIJtapsintothecollectiveknowledgeofMPRrsquosdiverseaudiencetoenrichitsreport-ingCreatingaten-thousand-personPublicInsightNetworkviathewebthestationinvitesthepublictobesourcesofstoryideasreactionsandperspectivesandbrainstormingonpublicissues
TheindependentfilmandvideocommunityworkscollaborativelyintheTwinCitiestosupportandpromoteartistandcommunityperspectivesIFP Minnesota Center for Media Arts Intermedia ArtsandtheWalker Art Center areamongthemulti-disciplinaryvenuesfordiscus-sionandproduction
AndtheInternetishometoanewaggregationofcommunitymediasourcesAccordingtoitswebsitethe Twin Cities Daily PlanetaprojectoftheTwinCitiesMediaAllianceisldquoacommunitynewswireandsyndicationserviceshowcasingthebestworkoftheneighborhoodandcommunitypressaswellasworkbyTwinCitiesindepen-dentjournalistsandthevoicesofengagedcitizensThepremiseoftheTC Daily PlanetisthatnewtechnologiesaremakingitpossibleforthesecitizenstobecomemoreactiveandpowerfulparticipantsinthenewsproductionprocessrdquoModeledafterKorearsquosOhmyNewstheTC Daily Planetseekstoimprovethequalitydiversityandaccount-abilityofthelocalmediaandtoinvolvetherapidlygrowingimmigrantandethniccommunitiesItrecruitsandofferstrainingtocitizenjournalistsandhaspartnershipswithoverfortyneighborhoodandcommunitymedia
Chicago IllinoisChicago Access Network Television(CAN-TV)offersfivepublicaccesschannelstoChicagolandresidentsThispublicspaceprovidesChicagoansanopportunitytodiscussissuesoflocalconcernpromotehealtheducationalandeconomicresourcesinthecommunityandcelebratelocaltalentandinitiativesCAN-TVprovidesvideotrainingequipmentandfacilitiesforarearesidentsandnonprofitgroupsItvideotapesandcablecastspublicforumstownhallmeetingscommunityeventsandotheractivitiesoflocalinterestThroughthisservicethestationprovidesChicagoanswithaccesstoinformationtheymaynototh-erwisehavethroughcommercialtelevisionForinstanceCAN-TVworkedwitheighttotenAIDSagenciestodissemi-natebasiceducationaboutAIDSpreventionvialivecall-inprograms
CAN-TVsupportsChicagorsquosassociationsandnonprof-itsthroughserviceslikeliveldquohot-linerdquocall-inshowsfrom
automatedstudiosthatonepersoncanoperateproductionservicesthatgenerateprogrammingforcommunityeventsandstrategiccommunicationsplanningworkshopsCAN-TVhasrefusedtofollowasimplisticldquoneutralityrdquoprogram-mingphilosophyinwhichtheaccesscentertransmitsonlyprogrammingthatrandomlycomesfromthecommunityInsteadCAN-TVactivelycreatesprogrammingimportanttocommunitydevelopmentInadditiontoitsfocusonnonprofitsCAN-TVactivelycreatespartnershipswithcon-tent-richgroupssuchaslocalmuseumsandartsgroupsItalsopartnerswithlocalmediaactivistproductiongroupslikeVideoMacheteandStreetLevelYouthMedia(profiledbelow)SimilarlyCAN-TVaggressivelyengagesinprogram-mingforlocalelectionsatypicalelectionseasonwillgeneratearoundtwohundredhoursoforiginalprogram-mingeachmonthandnearlyallthecandidateswillbefeaturedoractuallycreatetheirownCAN-TVprogrammingtocarryouttheircampaigns
Street-Level Youth MediaprovidesopportunitiesforChicagorsquosurbanyouthtousemediaartsandemergingtechnologiesforself-expressioncommunicationandsocialchangeItsstaffprovidesinstructioninvideoandaudioproductioncomputerartandtheInternettohelpyouthaddresscommunityissuesaccessadvancedcommunica-tionstechnologyandgaininclusioninsocietyInoneprojectitcollaboratedwithtwoseventh-gradeteachersandanESLinstructortohelpstudentsresearchissuesaboutimmigrationinoneneighborhoodTheteachersweretrainedtousevideoandthentrainedotherteacherswhoguidedtheirstudentsinproducingvideosforscreeningattheschoolMorethanthirtyvideoswerecreatedandvideotrainingandusehasbeenincorporatedintotheschoolcurriculum
Radio Arte(WRTE)istheonlybilingual(Spanish-English)youth-operatedurbancommunitystationinthecountryItoperateswithafocusonyouthinChicagorsquosPilsenandLittleVillageneighborhoodsAninitiativeoftheNationalMuseumofMexicanArtthiseducationalradiostationhasservedChicagoformorethansixyearstrainingyouthwithapriorityondevelopingindividualandgroupcommunicationcompetenciesthatallowyoungpeopletoenterpubliclifewithconfidencethroughthebroadcastmediumProvidingaforumforyoungpeopletobecreativeandresponsibletothelargestMexicancommunityintheMidwestRadioArteiscommittedtotrainingyoungpeopleintheartofbroadcastingRadioArtersquosuniquetwo-yeartrainingprogramprovidesyouthwithspecialcoursesonwritingforradioandjournalismvoicetrainingand
FCCregulationsaswellasbasiccomputerskillsproduc-tionskillsandon-airtrainingParticipatingintwograntroundsofSoundPartnersforCommunityHealththestationrsquosldquoRadioVidardquoproducedprogrammingonsubstanceabuseandaddictionbyandforLatinoyouth
Casa Guatemala Media Projectisanonprofitcommunity-basedorganizationthatservestheGuatemalanandbroaderLatinAmericancommunityinChicagoandtheMidwestSinceitsfoundingin1986ithasusedmediaincludingwebprintTVandradiotoraiseconsciousnessaboutissuesaffectingcommunitiesfromLatinAmericaInparticularitworkswithCAN-TVtoprovidetheeducationalcomponentofself-authoredmediathatwillpositivelytrans-formcommunitiesthroughworkshopsontheproductionandalternativeusesofemergingtechnologies
Beyond Media EducationworkswithunderservedandunderrepresentedcommunitiesprimarilywomenandyouthtotelltheirstoriesandorganizeforsocialjusticethroughthecreationanddistributionofalternativemediaandartsInarecenteffortitworkedwithaChicagosheltertohelpstreetwalkerstelltheirownstoriesinanefforttoraisepublicawarenessandpromotestate-levelreformsTheorganizationorganizedasix-monthworkshopthatincludedteachingandpracticingstorytellingpublicspeak-ingandvideoproductionskillstooveradozenprostitutesTheirgroundbreakingvideogivesinsightsintoChicagorsquossextradeindustryandrecountsthetriumphofthepar-ticipantsoverhomelessnessviolenceanddiscriminationTheirlobbyinginthestatecapitolresultedinpassageofabilltodestigmatizeanddecriminalizesexworkers
Keepingtabsonandshowcasingmuchofthecom-munitymediaactivityfromajournalisticperspectiveistheCommunity Media Workshop (CMW) CMWservesasabridgebetweensocialactivistscommunitymediaprac-titionersandjournalistsIthostsanannualacademyforprogressiveorganizationsintheChicagoareathatbringsactivistsandjournaliststogethertoshareideasandatti-tudesProminentareatelevisionandnewspaperjournalistsarerecruitedtoserveonpanelsleadworkshopsandgenerallysharetheirideasofhowprogressivegroupscaneffectivelygaintheattentionofthepressThisapproach
leadstobuy-infromkeypersonnelinChicagorsquosmainstreammediawhocannowbetterunderstandthegrassrootsgroupsthatapproachthemandtheirissuesItalsogivescommunityparticipantsattheworkshopstheopportunitytodevelopmorepersonalrelationshipswithkeymembersofthemediaThisapproachalsoenablescommunitygroupstobetterunderstandwhatmotivateseditorsandreporters
ThesethreecommunitiesshowcommondevelopmentpatternsandfactorsCommunitymediaorganizationshavebeguntounderstandtheirmissionsintermsofasharedcultureofcommunitymedialookingbeyondtheirindivid-ualmissionstothecommonsocialandpoliticalvaluestheyhaveincommonThisapproachopensthewayforcommu-nityradiomediaartscenterscommunitymediacentersandcableaccesstocreatecommunity-wideprograminitiativesinwhichseveralmediaplatformsareengagedItcreatestheconditionsinwhichitispossibleforcommunitymediaorganizationstoactwithunifiedstancesinpoliticaladvocacyregardingmediaissuesandotherissuescriticaltotheircommunitiesThiskindofcross-platformnetworkingalsocreatesopportunitiesforcommunitymediatoreceivemorediversefundingandsupportfromthecommunityastheyextendthenetworkorcultureofcollaborationtocom-munitydevelopmentgroupsandofficialsintheirregions
Communitymediaorganizationshavebeguntounderstandtheirmissionsintermsofasharedcultureofcommunitymedialookingbeyondtheirindividualmissionstothecommonsocialandpoliticalvaluestheyhaveincommon
ldquoThe boldest experiments in public telecommunica-tions take place when technologies are new and their commercial potential not yet fully apparentrdquo mdash Ralph Engelman 1996
Acrosstheirmanyplatformsandmanycommunitiescommunitymediahavebecomecentralculturalinstitutionsinthecivicculturalandeconomiclife
ofourcommunitiesprovidinginvaluablemediaprogram-mingaccessandeducationTheycaninsuchinstancesenablecommunitiestodevelopinformedcitizensartistsandactivistswhopossesstheskillsandknowledgeneededtograpplewithcomplexmedialiteracyanddevelopmentissuesatthelocallevel
Fordecadescommunitymediaorganizationshaveaddressedtheurgentneedtocreatelocalinstitutionsthatfacilitatecitizenaccesstomedianetworksandeffectiveparticipationinmediacultureforbothcitizensandwork-ersTheyareprovingthemselvesvitaltothepoliticalandeconomiclifeoftheircommunitiesTheyplaymultiplerolessimultaneouslyascriticalculturalenhancementstothequalityofciviclifeasemployersandaseducationalsitesforworkforcedevelopment
difficultyNeworganizationalformsandnewmediaformatslikestreamingarchivingpodcastingandbloggingarebecomingthenormpartofldquoblendedrdquoproductionanddis-seminationpracticesincommunitymedia
neW communicAtion spAces cyberjournAlismTheincreaseinInternetbandwidthandtheavailabilityofonlinesocialnetworkingsoftwarehavequalitativelychangedtherelationshipofjournaliststotheiraudiencesNewwebdestinationslikeMySpaceShutterflyFriendsterFlikrEviteandGooglearedevelopingvirtualcommuni-tiesforsharingvideoattractingyoungeraudiencesandmakingcontentmorethanpassiveandone-directionalSocialnetworkingsoftwareenablespeopletorendezvousconnectorcollaboratethroughcomputer-mediatedcom-municationandformonlinecommunities(Spannerworks2007)PopularsocialnetworksoftwareapplicationslikeweblogsorblogsseemparticularlywellsuitedtoparticipatorycitizenjournalismallowingeasypublishingofinteractivetextphotoaudioandvideocontentTheneweasewithwhichvideoclipscanbepreparedforuseonthewebhasbroughtontheriseofldquovlogsrdquoandsitesthatfacilitatethesharingofvideoclipsandaccompanyingcontentAnenormousrangeofblogsandcyberjournalisticsiteshavesprungupontheWorldWideWebinthepastfiveyearswithanequallywiderangeofeditorialstandardsandpracticesTechnoraticomcurrentlytracksseventeenmillionblogssharingoneandahalfmillionhyperlinks(Rennie2006)APewCenterInternetstudyestimatesthatthenumberofregularblogreadersintheUnitedStatesisequivalenttoalmosthalftheentireradioaudiencewhichisaboutaquarteroftheUSnewspaperreadership(Rennie2006)
Combinedwithaffordablenewdigitalmediaproduc-tioncamerasandrecorderstheseweb-baseddisseminationtoolsmakeitpossibleforcitizensandconsumerstoparticipateactivelyinnewsgatheringNonprofessionalshavebeguntoplayamoreactiveroleintheprocessesofjournalismfromcollectinginformationandreportingtoanalysisanddisseminationJanSchafferwhodirectsJ-LabaUniversityofMarylandincubatorforinteractivejournalismprojectsexplainsthatmanypeoplearebecom-ingmoreactivecitizensthroughjournalisticactivitybutdonotnecessarilyaspiretobejournalistsThenewtechnical
envisioning the future of community mediA
Communitymediaorganizationsareprovingthemselvesvitaltothepoliticalandeconomiclifeoftheircommunities
Communitymediaarealsocontributingimportantvaluespracticesandorganizationalmethodologiestotheemergingcollaborativemediaenvironmentsoftheblogo-sphereWecanlooktothesecontributionsastechnologicalandorganizationalopportunitiesforstrengtheningandexpandingcommunitymediapracticeWiththeInternetamediacultureisemergingthatismoreconsistentwiththenoncommercialpracticesofcommunitymediaproductioncollaborationanddemocraticparticipationinmediamak-inganddistributionConsequentlymanycommunitymediaorganizationsareintegratingthecapacitiesoftheInternetandnewmediaintotheirpracticeswithoutmuchfanfareor
0
capacityforcommunicationsheobservesallowspeopletoldquoparticipateinnewsandinformationinvariouswaysmdashparticipateininteractingwithitquestioningittruth-squadingitandcreatingitAndnowthattheyhavethetechtoolsandthetechskillstodothattheappetitehasonlyincreasedrdquo(Schaffer2005b)
SuchconditionshavesetthestageforintensepopularinterestinwhathasbeenbrandedldquowemediardquoorldquoparticipatoryjournalismrdquoTodaynumerousonlinejournalisticexperimentsbringtogetherprofessionaljour-nalistswithcitizenmediaactivistsandthoseinvolvedineventsMoreandmoretheearliestimagesandinformationregardingbreakingnewsarecomingfromnon-journalistspresentatthemomentoftheeventAsaresultjournalistsarebeginningtoconceptualizethemselvesnotsomuchasgatekeepersofnewsbutasmoderatorsinaconversationwithlicenseandtimetospeakfrequentlyandhopefullyaccurately(BowmanandWillis2003)
Thiskindofcommunity-centeredcoveragemayentailthere-balancingofeditorialpoliciesndashcommittingtodiversityembracingegalitarianvaluesandreassessingthevalueofeditorialneutralityItputsintoquestiontheroleandsignificanceofofteninnovativeldquopersonalmediardquoexemplifiedbythemillionsofbloggingsitesontheWebIsthiskindofldquonewsrdquoservingapubliccivicpurposeofcommunityproblemsolvingorindividualprivateexpres-sionInaWashington PostopinionpieceonDecember212006GeorgeKWillvoicedskepticismoftheseriousnessofmuchofthewebrsquosamateurjournalisminresponsetoTimemagazinersquosnamingallofusPersonoftheYear
Itisdifficulttopredictthefutureofcyberjournal-ismandbloggingpreciselyintheseearlystagesbutthreeoutcomesseemlikelyFirstbloggingwillcontinueitsrapidintegrationintomainstreammediacontentSecondblog-gingandotherformsofsocialnetworkingsoftwarewillgiverisetonewmediaentitiesthatwillchallengemainstreammedialocallynationallyandglobally
ThethirdoutcomeistheonemostrelevanttoacommunitymediascanCyberjournalismandparticipatory
citizenjournalismseemparticularlywellsuitedtoaddressthecurrentUSmassmediarsquosdifficultyinprovidingcoverageoflocaleventsinsmallercommunitiessuburbanregionsandcommutercommunitiesthataredevelopingoutsideformalpoliticaljurisdictionsCommunity-basedonlinejournalismsiteshavesprungupinhundredsofcom-munitiesaroundtheUnitedStatesTheyaremanagedandorganizedinwidelydivergentways
AnexperimentincyberjournalismandcommunitynetworkingtheTwin Cities Daily PlanetaggregatessomeofthebestjournalismfromMinnesotarsquosTwinCitiesneighborhoodandcommunitypressandindependentjour-nalistsaswellasthevoicesofengagedcitizenspresentingthemtothepublicthroughaninteractivewebsiteandcommunitydatabaseByaggregatingcitizenandneighbor-hoodjournalisminonesiteitincreasesthecapacityofsmallneighborhoodmediatoreachbeyondtheirborderstoawiderregionalaudienceUsingRealSimpleSyndication(RSS)softwaretheTC Daily Planetcanpotentiallyreachaglobalaudience
AprojectoftheTwinCitiesMediaAlliancetheTC Daily PlanetisaverynewformofcommunitymediaemergingfromtherestructuringofthenewspaperindustryandtheuseofbloggingandsocialnetworkingsoftwareAlthoughearlyinitsdevelopmenttheTC Daily Planetisgivingvoicetoanincreasingnumberofethnicimmi-grantandnon-mainstreamjournalistswhilefocusingthecommunityrsquosattentiononafargreaterrangeofpublicationsandideas
TheearliestexpressionsofcyberjournalismaretheIndependent Media Centers (IMCs)orIndymediaIndymediacameintobeingaspartoftheprotestsanddemonstrationsaroundtheWorldTradeOrganizationtalksheldinSeattleWashingtonin1999ThisfirstIMCwasaconvergenceoftheemerginginteractivityoftheInternetwiththeintenseneedofprotesterstogetindependentinformationouttotheworldabouttheprotestsAnetworkofindependentcommunitymediamakersactivistsandjournalistsbandedtogethertopoolresourcesandinforma-tion(Howley2005)
TheIMCsforeshadowedthebloggingandvideodis-tributionthatwasshortlytoemergebyusingtheInternetandtheWorldWideWebinconjunctionwithvideoandaudiodistributiontocreateatrulyunprecedentedmulti-mediaenvironmentIntermsofbothqualityandquantitytheSeattleIMCwasanimpressiveperformancebyanynewsandcurrentaffairsstandardsOverthecourseofthefive-dayprotestsadailynewspaperanddailyradioprogramwerecreatedandcountlessprintstoriesweredisseminated
Journalistsarebeginningtoconceptualizethemselvesnotsomuchasgatekeepersofnewsbutasmoderatorsinaconversation
globallyalsovideofeedsweresentthroughtheInternettopublicaccessandcommunitychannelsaroundtheworldSixyearsaftertheSeattleproteststherewere149Indymediawebsitesinabout45countriesonsixcontinents(Whitney2005)
TheopenformofcommunicationpracticedbymostIMCsiteshasnotbeenwithoutproblemsandcontra-dictionsManysitesarenowclutteredwithideologicaldiatribesanduneditedcontent(Halleck2002Whitney2005)ButthereareanumberofIndymediasitesthatprovidealternativenewsandinformationregardingaglobalscopeofconcernsthatwouldbeverydifficulttoobtainanywhereelseinthemediaAnumberofsitesinplacessuchasNewYorkCityPortlandOregonandtheSanFranciscoBayareahaveestablishedthemselvesasstablepartsoftheircommunityrsquosmediaculture
companiesspecializedsuppliersserviceprovidersandassociatedinstitutionsinaparticularfieldthatarepresentinanationorregionrdquo(Porter2000)Thecompaniesinanindustryclusterhaveacomplexwebofmutuallysupportingrelationshipsthatencompassbothcompetitiveandcollab-orativerelationshipsTheylinkacrossprofitandnonprofitpracticesutilizecommoninfrastructuremakecommoncontributionstothedevelopmentofahighlyskilledwork-forcesharefundingandinsomecasestalentedstaff
Increasinglycommunitydevelopmentpractitionersandanalystsarecomingtounderstandindustryclustersaspowerfulstrategiesforbotheconomicandcommunitydevelopmentinthetwenty-firstcenturyThisisprovingdoublytruefornonprofitcommunitymediaorganizationswhoseroleitistobringpowerfultoolsandknowledgetoanycommunityrsquosdeliberationsaroundcommunityandeco-nomicdevelopmentBroadbandandwirelessnetworksareprovidingthepracticalmeansoflinkingcommunitymediaorganizationswithincommunitiesofferingakeystrategicadvantagebyenhancingtheeffectivenessofcollaborationandpartnershipbuilding
AstheexamplesinthepreviouschaptershowcommunitymediaorganizationsaretakingonnewrolesincludingcombiningproductionandtrainingtakingonworkforcedevelopmentfunctionsandbecomingtechnologycentersfordiffusionofnewmediaBeyondtheseexampleslongstandingsuccessfulcommunitymediaorganiza-tionsaremergingasnetworkclusterslinkingdifferentgroupsandorganizationswithincommunitiestocreateentirelynewcommunitymediaorganizationsorblurringtheboundariesbetweentheirorganizationsOthersarebringinghistoricallyseparatecommunitymediagroupswithinoneorganizationalstructureorunderonerooftosharebuildingsandcommunicationsinfrastructuresinacost-effectivemanner
TheorganizationsthatemergefromthisintegrationmaybesimilarinfunctionthoughtheirnamesremaindifferentAcommunity-basedsiteforcitizenmediaandcyberjournalismforexampleandacommunitynetworklikeMAINinAshevilleNorthCarolinaoracutting-edgecableaccesscenterlikeGrandRapidsCommunityTelevisionbegintolookverymuchalikeintermsof
Increasinglycommunitymediadevelopmentishappeningthroughnetworksoflocalnonprofitmediaorganizationsratherthanwithinsingleorganizations
neW orgAnizAtionAl spAces netWorked clusters Perhapsthemostpromisingtrendonthehorizonforcom-munitymediaistheemergenceofnewhighlyintegratedorganizationalstructuresandcollaborativeprocessesIncreasinglycommunitymediadevelopmentishappeningthroughnetworksoflocalnonprofitmediaorganizationsratherthanwithinsingleorganizations
Inmanywaysthesereorganizationsatthecom-munitylevelparalleltherestructuringtakingplaceintheprivatecorporatesectorTherecommunicationsnetworksarebeingusedtosupportcomplexpartnershipsandjointcompanyprojectdevelopmentinteractivenetworkseasetheaggregationoflargeorstrategiccapitalandemployeeskillsetsacrossgeographicandorganizationalboundariesforthepurposesofinnovationandmarketdevelopmentInthelanguageofcommunityandeconomicdevelop-mentthesecomplexpartnershipsareknownasldquocreativeclustersrdquoorldquoindustryclustersrdquoMichaelPorteraleadingtheoristandproponentoftheconceptofclustersdefinesthemasldquogeographicconcentrationsofinterconnected
Successfulcommunitymediaorganizationsaremergingasnetworkclusters
technologyprogrammingactivitiesandtheexperienceofcommunityaudiencesvolunteersandparticipantsEachorganizationreliesonnoncommercialaffordablebandwidtheachplayssomeroleinadvocatingforsupportivegovern-mentpoliciesandeachisexperimentingwiththepotentialofnewcollaborativemediatoolsOftencommittedtoengagingandtrainingvolunteersandcommunitymembersinsomemannertheymayoffertrainingandvolunteerpro-gramsthatrequiresimilarsharableonlinetutorialsandonlineoutreachandschedulemanagementtools
TheexamplesthatfollowdemonstratethewayscommunitymediacreativeclustersaremakinguniquecontributionstotheircommunitiesrsquoqualityoflifeandeconomicwellbeingTheyaredoingsointhreeimportantwaysbullfirstbyamplifyingtherolethatartsandculturalgroups
playinenhancingthequalityoflifeandattractingatalentedworkforceandcapitaltothecommunitymdasharolethatisgaininginsignificanceinthetwenty-firstcentury
bullsecondascontributorstocoreeconomicdevelopmentfunctionsinthecommunityincludingworkforcedevelop-mentandtrainingasmicro-enterpriseincubatorsandascreatorsofnewknowledgeandeducationalexperiencesand
bullthirdasfacilitatorsandcatalystsofcommunitydialoguecommittedtoembracingmarginalizedvoicesandallow-ingthecommunitytoundertakeitsowndevelopmentdemocratically
Lowell MassachusettsLowell Telecommunications Center(LTC)isapublicandgovernmentaccesschannelandmediaandtechnologycen-terItprovideseducationandtraininginmediacreationincludingwebdesigndigitalphotographyandtelevisionproductionLTCworksincollaborationwithotherlocalcommunity-basedorganizationsmunicipaldepartmentsandeducationalentitiestoproducediversemulticulturalprogrammingthatmeetsthecommunityrsquoscommunica-tionandinformationneedsLTChasbecomeaconvening
organizationforbuildingcapacityamongLowellrsquosnonprofitcommunity-basedorganizationsintheiruseofparticipatorymediaandcivicengagementstrategies
LTCismorefocusedthanothercommunitymediaorganizationsoncommunitybuildingandcommunicationtechnologyThecorporationisworkingtobuildanetworkforparticipatorymediaandcivicengagementthroughouttheMerrimacRiverValleyThroughaUSDepartmentofEducationgrantLTCacquiredfundingandstafftohelpitspartnerorganizationsbecomeInternet-capableassesstheirinformationtechnologyneedsacquiretechnologyupgradestoaddressthoseneedsandundertakethetrainingtousethetechnologyeffectively
RatherthanwaitingforgroupstocometoitscenterLTCcreatedacircuitridertrainingprogramthattookthetrainingprogramintothecommunityThroughLTCrsquosinformationtechnologycenterscoresofcommunitygroupshavereceivedtrainingdesignedandcreatedwebsitesanddevelopedstrategiccommunicationsplansforthefutureThosedevelopmentsincludeweb-basedhistoricalarchivesGISmappingsystemsmultimediamaterialsandInternetvideoTohelporganizationsacquirethesoftwaretheyneedtocarryouttheirmissionsLTCcreatedtheCommunitySoftwareLabwhichdevelopsuniquesoftwaretofittheneedsofareanonprofitsThelabhasbeenspunofftocreateaseparatenonprofitentityjoiningthegrowingnumberofindependentorganizationsthatnetworkthroughLTC
ThemostrecentLTCinitiativeisldquoDigitalBicyclerdquoapeer-to-peernetworkthatallowsmediacentersworldwidetodownloadandsharelocalcontentLTCstaffenvisionDigitalBicycleasanonlinecommunityforcableaccessmediaartsindependentmediaandothernoncommercialmedia
Grand Rapids MichiganldquoBuildingcommunitythroughmediardquoThissimplemissionstatementguidedtheGrand Rapids Community Media Center(GRCMC)asitevolvedfromatypicalcableaccessoperationtobecomeabroad-basedmultimediacenterandamodelforthedevelopmentofcommunitymultimediacentersintheUnitedStatesOverthepasttwentyyears
Communitymediacreativeclustersaremakinguniquecon-tributionstotheircommunitiesrsquoqualityoflifeandeconomicwellbeing
LTCisworkingtobuildanetworkforparticipatorymediaandcivicengagementthroughouttheMerrimacRiverValley
GRCMChaspulledthediversecommunitymediaactivitiesofGrandRapidsunderoneorganizationalumbrellaandtakentheleadinarticulatingthepotentialforaggregatingnoncommercialnetworkedcommunicationsthere
Theevolvingnetworkofmediaplatformsdis-ciplinesandculturalgroupsthatconvergetobecomeGRCMCnowincludesthefollowingcentersofpracticeGRTVacommunitytelevisioncenterthatprogramsmultiplecableaccesschannelsWYCEacommunityradiostationGrandnetacommunitytechnologyandnetworkcenterthatprovidescitizenandnonprofitaccesstotheInternetandtheGrandRapidsInstituteforInformationDemocracyacriticalmediaeducationandresearchcenterthattracksmediaandlocalpublicinterestissuesandpub-lishesinformationonmediaaccountabilityandreform
ButtheGrandRapidsCommunityMediaCenterismorethanthesumofitspartsThecomponentsofthecenterworktogetherinamutuallyreinforcingwholethatcreatesapowerfulcommunitymediapresenceinGrandRapidsandallowsthecentertoundertakefarmoreambitiousprojectsandprogrammingthanwouldbethecaseseparatelyOneexcellentexampleistheMobileOn-LineLearningLabforInformationEducationKnownasMOLLIEtheprogramprovidesskilledtrainersanddigitalvideoproductionequipmenttoschoolsandcommunityorganizationsforspecialprojectsOriginallyfundedbyafederalDepartmentofEducationgrantMOLLIEfillsintechnologygapsinGrandRapidseducationalinstitutionsandnonprofitsInthehandsofalessintegratedinstitutiontheMOLLIEprojectcouldeasilybeatechnicallyorientedequipmentloanandtrainingprogramInthehandsofthecenterMOLLIEhasbecomeasophisticatedmediaandtechnologyeducationalinitiativeprovidingatrainingprogramthataddressesmediaeducationfromtheperspec-tiveofallthecomponentsoftheGrandRapidsCommunityMediaCenter
Asheville North CarolinaOneofthemostarticulateeffortsmergingthecreativeclustersideawithparticipatorycommunicationhascomeaboutinAshevilleNorthCarolinaThroughapersistent
collaborationbetweenforwardlookingregionalgroupsandorganizationsndashinvolvingabroadnetworkofindi-vidualscommunitymediaandmediaartsgroupsintheAshevilleregionndashAshevillehaslaidthefoundationforacommunitymediadevelopmentcenterthatwillfunctionasacableaccesscentermediaartscenterandnewmediamicro-enterpriseincubatorAtthecenterofthiseffortisaninformalcoalitionoffourimportantgroupsinAshevilleMountainAreaInformationNetworkMediaArtsProjectBoncombeCountyEconomicDevelopmentCommissionandURTVThegroupsrepresentdistinctpointsofviewandconcernsaswellasconverginginterests
Eachgroupsharedtheinsightthatcivicparticipa-tionandeconomicsuccessinthetwenty-firstcenturyaredirectlyrelatedtohavingaccesstocommunicationstechnologyandknowledgeEachalsounderstoodthattherenegotiationofthecablefranchisesintheCityofAshevilleandsurroundingBoncombeCountywasastrategicmomenttocatalyzeandassociateanumberofcommunity-basedinformationandmediaartsactivitiesalreadyinplaceorplannedinAshevilleThegroupsusedthecablefranchisingprocesstocreateacommonorganizationalandfacilitiesinfrastructuresupportingtheuseofmediaforbothcivicandeconomicdevelopment
The Media Arts Project(MAP)isanetworkofmediaartiststhatcultivatesinnovativeartsandtechnol-ogyinwesternNorthCarolinaMAPworkedtirelesslytoframecableaccessasacommunitydevelopmentissuebridgingthemediaactivistcommunitiesandthemoreforward-thinkingfactionsamongeconomicdevelopmentprofessionalsintheregionWiththerecentopeningofURTV IncAshvillersquoscableaccessorganizationandfacilityMAPanditsnetworkofpartnersarenowturningtheirattentiontofundingthemediaartsandeconomicincubatorelementsofthevision
AshevillersquosinterestinsupportingcommunitymediaarisesfromthepresenceoftheMountain Area Information Network(MAIN)Inthetraditionoftheruralcooperativesthathelpedspreadthereachofelectricityinthe1930sMAINisanonprofitInternetserviceproviderofferingreliablelow-costInternetservicebothinwesternNorthCarolinaandnationwideItisauniquecommunitynetworkwithabroadvisionofitsroleinthecommunitythatencompassesmedialiteracyeconomicdevelopmentstrategiescommunitylow-powerradioacommunity-basedwebportalandtheprovisionofInternetconnectivitytoruralwesternNorthCarolinaMAINislargelyresponsiblefortheremarkableexpansionofInternetaccessibilityinwesternNorthCarolinaallowingthousandsofpeopleto
GRCMChaspulledthediversecommunitymediaactivitiesofGrandRapidsunderoneorganizationalumbrella
spendtheirInternetaccessdollarswithalocallycontrolledandaccountableorganizationMAINdemonstratesthevalueofthecommunitynetworkingconcepttoareasthatarelagginginconnectivityduetofailuresofthemarket
MAINhastakenaleadershiproleinbuildingacommunitymediacultureinAshevillethatdemonstratestheeasewithwhichdigitalmedialeapsorganizationalboundariesItscommunitynetworkrunstheBlueRidgeWebMarketwhichprovidesafreecustomizableInternetpresencetohundredsofsmallbusinessesthroughoutwesternNorthCarolinaItsLatinoDigitalLiteracyProjectofferstrainingtohelpthearearsquosgrowingLatinopopula-tionsaccesstheInternetMAINhasbeenoneofthekeypartnersinbringingacableaccesscentertoAshevilleandhasbeenthedrivingforcebehindWPVMWNCrsquoslow-powerFMradiostationbroadcastinglocalnewsviewsandmusicover-the-airintheAshevilleregion(andtheworldviawebcast)
Cleveland OhioPerhapsthemostrobustcommunity-basednonprofitnetworkintheUnitedStatesOne ClevelandprovideswhatitcallsldquoultrabroadbandnetworkingservicesrdquotoClevelandareaeducationgovernmentresearchartscultureandhealthcareorganizationsOneClevelandoperatesafibernetworkringthatcoversmuchofthecityofClevelandandmanyofitssurroundingsuburbsSubscriberstothenetworkconnectatgigabitspeeds
OneClevelandrepresentswhatcanhappenwhenpowerfulcommunitydevelopmentforcescometoaconsensusregardingtheircommunityrsquosneedforhigh-speedconnectivitytoglobaleconomiesandmediaItsfoundersareClevelandmainstreaminstitutionsCaseWesternReserveUniversityCuyahogaCommunityCollegeClevelandStateUniversityTheCityofClevelandGreaterClevelandRegionalTransitAuthorityideastreamCuyahogaCountyPublicLibraryandNorTechThenetworkhasformedrelationshipswithtechnologycompaniestomaintainup-to-dateapplicationsthatleveragethepotentialofsuchapowerfulnetwork
Oneofthenetworkrsquoskeypartners ideastream illustratesthesignificanceofworkingtogethertomakehigh-speedconnectivitypubliclyavailablethroughoutacommunityonitsowntermsBybuildingahigh-speednet-workOneClevelandhascreatedacivicnetworkspaceandinfrastructurethatallowsanewkindofmultimediapublicmediaorganizationtobecreatedIdeastreamresultedwhenWVIZPBSTelevisionand903WCPNRadiopublicbroad-castersmergedtoformanewnonprofitldquomultimediapublicserviceorganizationrdquoIdeastreamisabletoextenditsmediaexpertisebeyondbroadcastingtoonlinetechnologiesandapplicationsofalltypesmdashwhenyouareconnectingtothenetworkatthegigabitspeedsofOneClevelandrsquostherangeofapplicationsandtheirpotentialarehuge
MAINhastakenaleadershiproleinbuildingacommunitymediacultureinAshevillethatdemonstratestheeasewithwhichdigitalmedialeapsorganizationalboundaries
OneClevelandrepresentswhatcanhappenwhenpowerfulcommunitydevelopmentforcescometoaconsensusregardingtheircommunityrsquosneedforhigh-speedconnectivitytoglobaleconomiesandmedia
Inthecourseofpreparingthisreportndashpouringovertheliteratureandsynthesizinghoursofstructuredround-tableconversationsandone-on-oneinterviewswith
opinionleadersandsuccessfulpractitionersofcommunitymediandashonethingisextremelyclearThewayoursocietymakesandsharesinformationknowledgeandcultureisinaheightenedstateofchangeTheinteractivenatureoftheInternethasdemonstratedthatitispossibletoorganizecommunicationsinamuchmoredemocraticfashionSomehaveconcludedwearewitnessingthetransitionfromanindustrializedinformationenvironmenttoanetworkedinformationenvironmentTheoldindustrialmediastruc-turesbasedonexclusivehigh-costproductionprocessesarebeingchallengedbyanemergingmediasectorinwhichthecostofcreatinginformationknowledgeandculturehasbeenprofoundlyreducedandtheproductsareintercon-nectedwidelythroughnetworksliketheInternet(Benkler2006)IndeedthereisincreasingevidencethatthesenewmediaanddigitalnetworksareparticularlyconducivetononcommercialandnonprofitculturalproductionaswellasmoreparticipatoryandcollaborativemediapracticesInmanywaysthelong-standingvaluesandintentofcommu-nitymediaforeshadowthisnewmediaenvironment
ThescanresearchfocusedonfourkeyareasofinquiryWhataretheuniquecharacteristicsthatdistin-guishcommunitymediaWhatmakesmedia-communitycollaborationssuccessfulWhattypesofcommunitymediaorganizationsbestleveragenewtechnologiesHowmightcommunitymediaengageunderservedpopulationsinprogrammingtailoredtotheirneedsIneachinstancewefoundthatcommunitymediacombinedwithgreaterafford-ablebandwidthandopen-sourceapproachestoproductiondohavetremendouscommunitydevelopmentpotentialHowevernoneofthatpotentialwillcomeaboutmagicallyThecommunitymediasectorisfacingthechallengingtaskofmanagingextensivechangeandtransformation
chAllengesThesuccessdisappointmentsandsocialvalueofthepastsixtyyearsofcommunitymediainitiativesmustbejudgedinhistoricalcontextConsistentmisrepresentationinthemainstreammediaandlimitedunaccommodatingsocialpolicyhaveresultedininadequatevisibilityandfinancialsupportforcommunitymediaAnydiscussionofitssuccessesorfailuresmustincorporateanunderstand-
ingoftheseexternalconstraintsInthislighttheexistingexpressionsofcommunitymediaattheirbestarewildlysuccessfulsocialexperimentsgivingcauseforgreatoptimism
NeverthelesscommunitymediafacebothexternalandinternalchallengesTheinternalchallengesarisefromstructuraltensionsthatoccurinanyattempttocreateorganizationsandculturesthatembodydiversitydemocraticexpressionandequitableaccessRatherthanbeingexpressedasldquoweaknessesrdquoasissooftenthecaseinmainstreammediaandacademiatheseinternaltensionsaremoreproperlyunderstoodaspredictabledevelopmentalproblemsandopportunitiesthatpractitionersshouldbepreparedtograpplewithinanycommunitymediasetting
Balancing Free Expression and Audience Development CommunityradioandpublicaccesscablehavehistoricallyprivilegedtheinterestsofproducersbygrantingthemgreatpoliticalfreedominmakingdecisionsregardingwhatprogrammingtocreateandwhataestheticandformattingapproachestouseThetrade-offforacultureofactivistvolunteerismandfreeexpressionhasbeensmalleraudi-encesandlowerlevelsofproductionandprogramsupportProgramproducerscarryanintensecommitmenttoindi-vidualownershipoftheirprogramminginitiativesthatmaynottaketheaudiencersquosinterestsfullytoheart
Whiletheseapproachesinradioandcableaccesshaveresultedinadiversityofprogrammingandpoliticalviewpointstheyhavealsopreventedradiostationpro-grammersorcableaccessorganizationsfrombuildingaflowofprogramsthatcandefineandconstructanongoingaudienceinthecommunityEachprogramorscheduledprogramslotcarriesitsownmicroaudienceldquofragmentedpublicsrdquothatareoftennotpartofanintegratedflowofpro-grammingthatattractsanaudiencetothechannelsoverall(Higgins2002)
Freeexpressionandaudiencedevelopmentarenotmutuallyexclusivenordoparticipatorymanagementstructuresvolunteerinvolvementandproducertrain-ingprogramsneedtoimpedeaudiencedevelopmentThesuccessofAmyGoodmanandDemocracyNowsoundlydemonstratesthisInfactmanycommunitymediaorgani-zationshavecreatedprogramminginitiativesthatcombinesophisticatedmeasurementsofsocialoutcomeswith
conclusions
trainingandparticipatoryprogramplanningTheyhavenotonlyraisedthesocialvalueoftheirprogrammingtotheircommunitiestheyhavealsoincreasedthesizeandloyaltyoftheiraudiences(Aufderheide2003)Asinteractivemediabegintocreatetheconditionswherenicheprogram-mingcanbefarmoresuccessfulthetensionbetweenfreeexpressionandaudiencedevelopmentisnotonlyachal-lengebutalsoatremendousopportunity
Programming MetricsStillroundtableparticipantsrepeatedlynotedthatevenwhenprogrammingmeetscommunityneedscommunitymediaorganizationscanfinditdifficulttodocumentimpactTheyfeltthatfundershavegenerallynotyetaddressedtheroleofmediainpopularcultureorthepowerofpopularcultureinaddressingsocialproblemsInaddi-tionfundersfindithardtoestablishcost-benefitmeasuresofsocialimpactfortheirmediaexpenditures
ParticipantsaskedformodelsofaudiencefeedbackandoutcomesmeasurementthatgobeyondaudiencenumbersTheyacknowledgedthedifficultyofquantify-ingnotionsofsuccesswhichtendtobeverysubjectiveandofusingsuccessstoriesinthecommonprogrammingmetricsofthedayManyrecognizedskepticismamongfundersabouttheimportanceofcommunitymediaasuspicionaboutagendasandafearofthecostsinvolvedmakingcommunitymediaahardsellEventhoughafewgoodevaluationeffortswereacknowledgedtheircollectiveresultshavenotbeenincorporatedintothethinkingofthewiderfundingcommunity
FundingMulti-yearstablefundingsupportforcommunitymediainitiativesiscriticaltostabilityinnovationandgrowthRoundtableparticipantsdiscussednumerousinstancesinwhichprojectswithmulti-yearsupporthadpowerfulpositiveimpactsextendingbeyondtheinitialprojectgoalsMulti-yearfundingcreatesthestabilitytoundertakeproperstrategicplanningandpartnershipdevelopment
Thereissomeearlyevidencethatamultiple-plat-formnonprofit-orientednichemarketcouldemergeasasignificantopportunitytoprovideenhancedrevenueforthecommunityandnoncommercialmediasectorsTheinterac-tivecapacityofthenewnetworkssignificantlyincreasestherevenuepotentialforcooperativeandsubscription-styleprogrammingflowsHoweverstrongmarketsforcommer-ciallyfundedparticipatorycommunityexpressionhavenotyetemergedinthedigitaleraduetothelimitedsizeofpopulationsandavailableadvertisingsupportIfthereistobeavitalsectorofcommunity-basedmediasomeformofsignificantpublicfundingwillbenecessaryevenininstanceswherecommunitymediaorganizationsmightrealizesignificantrevenuefromnewmarketsInordertomakethemostefficientuseofpublicfundingcommuni-tiesmustevolvefundingandgovernancestructuresforcommunitymediathatcanfacilitatetheaggregationoffundscoordinatemultiple-organizationprojectsandactastrustedconvenersofprogramminganddevelopmentdiscus-sionsincommunities
Policy ThreatsWhiletheconvergenceoftechnologyandpracticescreatesincreasingpotentialsforaunifiedcommunitymediasectorthereisunfortunatelynocohesiveandunifiednationalpolicyframeworkforcommunitymediaThegovernmentpoliciesandregulationsthatexistforcommunitymediahavebeenretrofittedinthearenasofUSbroadcastingandtelephonypolicyWhiletheyrepresenthard-wonpoliticalvictoriesandstrategicinsighttheydonotaddresstheneedsofcommunitymediainaholisticway
Inthecurrentpoliticalclimatebroadcastmediaownershipcontrolandprogrammingwillcontinuetobecentralizedinfewercorporationsleavingcommunitieswithlessoptionsforcontrollingtheirlocalmediaenviron-mentsAtthesametimethetelephonecompanieswillenterthemarketforvideotelephonyandbroadbandbydeployinghigh-capacitydigitaltelevisionnetworksinmanycommunitiesintheUnitedStates
ThecurrenttrendofcentralizationinUStele-communicationspolicyisthreateningtheabilityoflocal
Freeexpressionandaudiencedevelopmentarenotmutuallyexclusivenordoparticipatorymanagementstructuresvolunteerinvolvementandproducertrainingprogramsneedtoimpedeaudiencedevelopment
Communitymediaorganizationscanfinditdifficulttodocumentimpact
governmentstomandatecommunity-basedcommunica-tionsnetworksandprogramminginitiativesasrentonthepublicrights-of-wayThesefundingmechanismscurrentlysupportPublicEducationandGovernment(PEG)accesscabletelevisioncentersmediaartscentersandmanymunicipalcommunicationnetworksWhilefarfromperfectregulatorymechanismstheyareoneofthemostsuccess-fulformsofpublicmediasupporttoariseinthelastthirtyyears
Overthenextfiveyearsthesesuccessfulfundingstrategieswillbeunderheavyattackbythetelephonecom-paniesandthecabletelevisionindustryinastrugglewithgovernmentsforcommunitycontrolofthepublicrights-of-wayThesamedynamicthreatensequitableInternetaccessIncreasinglybroadbandcommunitynetworksaremunicipallyownedormandatedWhilesomeofthesemunicipalbroadbandnetworksweredeployedforinternalmunicipalpurposestimehasshownthatsuchnetworkscanserveanumberofnon-governmentalcommunity-basedpurposesincludingwirelessISPconnectionsforresidentsbusinessesandvisitorsManycommunitiesareseeking(andsomehaveobtained)ldquoCommunityBenefitsAgreementsrdquowithproposedwirelessbroadbandvendorsthatsetasideasmallfranchisefeeongrossrevenuestosupportdigitalinclusionactivitiesfollowingtheexampleofcablecompaniessupportofPEGaccessHowevermunicipalbroadbandandmunicipalwirelessareunderattackbyindustriestryingtoreservethesedevelopmentrightsforthemselves
Theoutcomeofthedebatesaroundcontroloftherights-of-waywillhaveasignificantimpactonthefuturepathofcommunitymediadevelopmentThesedebateswillrangeacrosstheregulatoryspectrumtheyarenowbeingwagedinlocalstateandnationallegislativearenasandthecourtsTheresultingcommunicationsinfrastruc-tureandregulatoryframeworkwillbeabletorealizethepotentialsofcommunitymediaifandonlyifcommunitiesareabletotakeleadershipinprovidingsubstantialpublicaswellasprivatefundingAsanoldtruismnotesldquomoneyispolicyrdquo
Therearenopoliticalortechnicalguaranteesthatdigitalmedianetworkswillremainopenandparticipa-toryastheyevolveItisunlikelythatmarketforcesalone
willservetorealizethedemocraticpotentialoftodayrsquosparticipatorymediatechnologyBuildingarobustsectorofcommunity-baseddemocraticnewmediawillrequireeffectivecitizenactivismclearandresponsivegovern-mentpoliciesandeffectivepoliticalstrategiesCommunitymedianeedsseparaterecognitionandsupportwithinfed-eralstateandlocalcommunicationspolicyandregulatorystructuresinordertoensureequitableandstablefundinganddevelopment
models for the futureThegovernmentregulationsandsubsidiesthatunderpincommunitymediahaveevolvedinahodgepodgefashionoverthepastsixtyyearsItcanbearguedthatcommunitymediashouldbetreatedasaseparatesectorwithinte-gratedfundingstructuresconsistentinfrastructureandtaxandsubsidypoliciesthatareseparateanddistinctfromexistinglocalmediapoliciesandalsofromthepoliciesunderpinningpublicbroadcastingPossiblemodelsforamoreunifiedapproacharenumerousbuttwoappearpar-ticularlywellsuitedtocommunitymediarsquosdiverseformsorganizationsandprogrammingapproaches
Public Funding FindingappropriatemethodsofincreasingpublicfundingforcommunitymediainashiftingregulatoryenvironmentiscrucialCurrentlocalcablefranchisingregulationstosupportcableaccessandthecommunitybenefitsagree-mentsofmunicipalwirelessnetworksoffersuccessfulmodelsbutarenowbothunderattackThelawsrequiringcommercialcableproviderstosetasidebandwidthchan-nelcapacityforthepublicinadditiontooperatingfundingbasedonapercentageofcommercialrevenuescouldbeextendedtoincludevoicevideoanddataEssentiallythenanycommercialproviderusingthepublicrights-of-wayorthewirelessspectrumwouldberequiredtocontributeanequitablepercentageofbandwidthandrev-enuetosupportthecommunitycommunicationssector
Community Media DevelopmentAdequatelevelsoffundingareonlypartoftheequationWhilefundingshouldsupporttheoverallgrowthofthe
Thereisunfortunatelynocohesiveandunifiednationalpolicyframe-workforcommunitymedia
setasidebandwidthchannelcapacityforthepublicinadditiontooperatingfunding
communitymediasectorinasensiblefashionanyfundingsolutionmustaddressthedifficultynowexperiencedbyfundersindealingwithcommunitymediahowtoprovideoverallsupporttoasectormadeupofsmallindependentorganizationswithanextremelydiversesetoffundingsourcesandmissionsOneeconomicdevelopmentapproachseemsparticularlyusefulhereProgressivecommunityeconomicdevelopmentstrategieshaveevolvedtosupportthegrowthofadiversityofsmallenterpriseswithinacom-monsectorwhilerecognizingthattheseenterprisescanatdifferenttimesbecollaboratorspartnersorcompetitorsSimilarstrategiescanguidedevelopmentofthecommunitymediasector
Thereareatleasttwoshort-termstepsthatcouldassistinthedevelopmentofcommunitymediaorgani-zationsandsupporttheircitizensrsquoabilitytocopewithcommercialmediaandinformationsaturationOneisforcommunitiestobuildorsecureaffordablebroadbandandwirelessnetworkinfrastructurewithastrongcommu-nitybenefitsagreementinsupportofdigitalinclusionHundredsofcommunitiesacrossthecountryeitherhaveorarelaunchingsuchwirelesscommunitynetworksmanyincollaborationwithwirelessvendorswhoinordertowinaservicecontractwiththemunicipalityinquestionaresup-portingdigitalliteracytraininginexpensiverefurbishedcomputersandlocalcontentdevelopmentndashinshortprogramsofdigitalinclusionandexcellence
AsecondopportunityidentifiedbyroundtableparticipantsisthepotentialforanationalsupportnetworkforexistingcommunitymediaorganizationsAnationalsupportnetworklinkingcommunitiesandtheircommu-
nitymediapractitionersandinstitutionscouldfacilitatearangeofactivitiesincludinglocal-to-localcommunicationorexchangesofinformationandprogrammingbetweencommunitiesvirtualspaceforanationalnetworkofcommunitymediaorganizationstohelptoorganizeuni-fiedpolicyadvocacywiderdistributionofpastproductsformationofissue-responseteamstoadvanceinterestsofcommunitygroupsandtapintolocalresourcesandshareddirectoriesofpractitionerstrainersandfacilitiesConveningleadersfromtheaggregatorsandassociationsservingcommunitymediaintheirvariousforms(listedinAppendix2)mightbeagoodnextsteptoexplorethisopportunity
the promiseThepracticeofcommunitymediahasmanagedtogrowandevolveoverthepastsixtyyearsdespiteunevenandgenerallylowlevelsofsupportandinconsistentgovernmentpoliciesEllieRenniearesearchfellowattheInstituteforSocialResearchSwinburneUniversityofTechnologyhaswrittenthatcommunitymediaareoftendefinednegativelyforwhattheyareopposedtoratherthanpositivelyforwhattheyhaveachieved(Rennie2006)Weareawarethatcom-munitymediahaveoftenbeendismissedasmarginalandidiosyncraticbuttheexamplescitedinthisreportprovidepowerfulevidencetothecontraryItistimetodefinecommunitymediabywhattheyhaveachievedCommunitymediaattheirbesthaveconsistentlydemonstratedtheirpotentialtoempowercommunitiesandindividualstoparticipateascitizensincommunityandeconomicdevelop-mentartseducationcommunitydialogandpoliticaldebateInmanyinstancestheyhavebecomecentralcul-turalsurvivalinstitutionsasourcommunitiesdealwiththeimpactofcommercialmediasaturationandglobalization
Duringtheroundtablediscussionsthattookplaceaspartofthisscanitwasobviousthatthevalueofcom-munitymediatocommunitiestranscendsthemeasurableeffectsofcivicengagementandcommunitydevelopmentCommunitymediacanallowindividualsincommunitiestohaveprofoundexperiencesofactivelyexpressingthem-selvesthroughmediaForpeoplewhohaveseenthemselvesaspassivereceptorsatthebottomofacascadeofpackagedmediaexperiencesandmessagesactiverepresentationoftheirownlivesandcircumstanceshasatransformativeeffectthatgoesbeyondsimplephraseslikeldquocivicengage-mentrdquoThevalueofcommunitymediatoindividualsandthecommunitiestheyliveinisincalculable
hellipaffordablebroadbandandwirelessnetworkinfrastructurewithastrongcommunitybenefitsagreement
anationalsupportnetworkforexistingcommunitymediaorganizations
Appendix 1 Community media empowerment StrategieS
empoWerment Activity ApproAch infrAstructure or venue
AccessAccesstocommunicationsinfrastructureproductiontools
MakingavailablemediaproductiontoolscomputerstelevisionandradiodistributionInternetsoftwarecommunitycommunicationsinfrastructuremeetingspacewebservers
Democraticcitizenaccesstocommunicationstoolsanddisseminationinfrastructure
CablebroadbandmunicipaltelecomInternetWiFiWiMAXlocalandpublicservicebroadcasting
AlternativeContent CreationofvideoaudiofilmwebsitesInternet-basedcitizenmediaP2Pmediabloggingsocialnetworkingsoftwaredatabasesandprintproduction
Contentpositionedtocounterorsupplementmassmediacontentandinformationfrommainstreamsources
AllplatformswithanincreasingexpansionwithinIPNetworksandcross-platformproductionanddissemination
CompetencyLiteracyMedialiteracyinformationliteracydigitalliteracyandculturalliteracy
Mediaartsandaestheticeducationlearningtogainacivicvoiceinamediaculturearticulationofmediabiasesengaginginmediaandpoliticsunderstandingcommoditycultureparentinginamedia-saturatedhome
Interventioninthecomplexmanipulationofsymbolsandculture
Allmassmediaprintelectronic
CommunityBuilding Workforcetrainingandskillbuildingmicro-enterprisedevelopmentbusinessinfrastructuredevelopment
Communityorganizingparticipatoryplanningdemocraticeconomicdevelopmentworkforceandinfrastructuredevelopment
Localmediamunicipaltelecominfrastructurecomputerandtechnologyincubatorsandtechnologycenters
0
Itisdifficulttounderstandthefullscopeofcommu-nitymediaculturewithoutknowingofthefollowingorganizationswhichsupportcommunitymediaand
independentmediapracticesTheyplayanumberofrolesasnationalassociationsrepresentingnetworksofcommu-nitymediaorganizationsandmediaartsorganizationsasproducernetworksandstrategiccommunicationsplannerslinkingcommunityorganizationswithcommunitymediaorganizationsasorganizationsofcommunityactivistsandproducersworkingtomoreeffectivelysupportandusecommunitymediaandascollaboratorsandpartnersincommunitydevelopmenttrainingandeducation
ActiveVoicehttpwwwactivevoicenet
AllianceforCommunityMediahttpwwwalliancecmorg
AssociationforCommunityNetworking
httpwwwafcnorg
CommunityMediaWorkshophttpwwwnewstipsorg
CommunityTechnologyCentersrsquoNetwork
httpwwwctcnetorg
DeepDishTVhttpdeepdishtvorg
FreeSpeechTVhttpwwwfreespeechorg
IndependentTelevisionServicehttpwwwitvsorg
IndependentMediaCenterIndymedia
httpwwwindymediaorg
LatinoPublicBroadcastinghttpwwwlpbporg
LinkTVhttplinktvorg
LPFMDatabasecom
httpwwwangelfirecomnj2piratejimlpfmhtml
MediaTankhttpwwwmediatankorg
MediaWorkingGrouphttpwwwmwgorg
NationalAllianceforMediaArtsandCulture
httpwwwnamacorg
NationalAsianAmericanTelecommunicationsAssochttp
asianamericanmediaorgindexhtml
NativeAmericanPublicTelecommunications
httpasianamericanmediaorgindexhtml
NationalBlackProgrammingConsortium
httpwwwnbpctv
NationalFederationofCommunityBroadcasters
httpwwwnfcborg
NationalPublicRadiohttpwwwnpr
NationalPublicTelecomputingNetworkhttpwwwnptnorg
PaperTigerTelevisionhttpwwwpapertigerorg
PacificIslandersinCommunications
httpwwwpiccomorg
PewCenterforCivicJournalismhttpwwwpewcenterorg
PrometheusRadioProject
httpwwwprometheusradioorg
PublicBroadcastingServicehttpwwwpbsorg
PublicRadioExchangehttpwwwprxorg
ReclaimtheMediahttpwwwreclaimthemediaorg
StarfishTelevisionNetworkhttpwwwstarfishtvorg
WebsitesofUSPEGAccessChannels
httpwwwbevcamorgpeg
WorldAssociationofCommunityRadioBroadcasters
httpwwwamarcorg
Appendix 2 aggregatorS and aSSoCiationS
Appalshophttpwwwappalshoporg
BayAreaVideoCoalitionhttpwwwbavcorg
BeyondMediaEducationhttpwwwbeyondmediaorg
CambridgeCommunityTelevisionhttpwwwcctvcambridgeorg
CasaGuatemalaMediaProjecthttpwwwcasaguatemalaorg
CharlotteObserverhttpwwwcharlottecom
ChicagoAccessNetworkTelevisionhttpwwwcantvorg
GrandRapidsCommunityMediaCenterhttpgrcmcorg
GrandNethttpwwwgrcmcorgnposervicesitphp
GRTVhttpwwwgrcmcorgtv
ideastreamhttpwwwideastreamorg
IFPMinnesotaCenterforMediaArtshttpwwwifpnorthorgabouthtml
IntermediaArtshttpwwwintermediaartsorg
KartemquinFilmshttpwwwkartemquincom
KBOOhttpwwwkbooorg
KFAIhttpwwwkfaiorg
LowellTelecommunicationsCenterhttpltcorg
ManhattanNeighborhoodNetworkhttpmnnorg
MediaArtsProjecthttpwwwthemaporg
MetroGovernmentCommunityMediaInitiativehttpwwwmetro-regionorg
MetropolitanAustinInteractiveNetworkhttpwwwmainorg
MinneapolisTelevisionNetworkhttpwwwmtnorg
MinnesotaChannelhttpwwwtptorgmnchannelnew
MinnesotaPublicRadiohttpminnesotapublicradioorghttpminnesotapublicradioorgpublicinsightjournalism
MountainAreaInformationNetworkhttpmainncus
MtHoodCableRegulatoryCommissionhttpwwwmhcrcorg
NewAmericaMediahttpnewsnewamericamediaorgnews
NewRoutestoCommunityHealthhttpwwwnewroutesorg
NorthwestFilmandVideoCenterhttpwwwnwfilmorg
OneClevelandhttpwwwoneclevelandorg
OregonPublicBroadcastinghttpwwwopborg
PortlandCommunityMediahttpwwwpcmtvorg
RadioArtehttpwwwwrteorg
SaintPaulNeighborhoodNetworkhttpwwwspnnorg
ScribeVideoCenterhttpwwwscribeorg
SoundPartnersforCommunityHealthhttpwwwsoundpartnersorg
StreetLevelYouthMediahttpwwwstreet-levelorg
TwinCitiesDailyPlanethttpwwwtcdailyplanetnet
TwinCitiesMediaAlliancehttpwwwtcmediaallianceorg
TwinCitiesPublicTelevisionhttpwwwtptorg
URTVhttpwwwurtvorg
WalkerArtCenterhttpwwwwalkerartorgindexwac
WCIW-LPhttppacificanetworkorgradiocontentview17542httpwwwciw-onlineorg
WGBHhttpwwwwgbhorg
WHYYhttpwhyyorg
WPVMhttpwwwwpvmorg
WYBEhttpwwwwybeorg
WYCEhttpwwwgrcmcorgradio
YouthChannelhttpwwwyouthchannelorg
Appendix 3 Community media praCtitionerSWebsitesofthosepractitionersmentionedinthetext
AndersonRachelBenton Digital Beat Extra Noncommercial Networks on DBSWashingtonDCBentonFoundation2000
AufderheidePatricialdquoCableAccessTVandthePublicSphererdquoinThe Daily Planet A Critic on the Capitalist Culture BeatMinneapolisandLondonUniversityofMinnesotaPress2000a
AufderheidePatriciaIn The Battle for Reality Social Documentaries in the USWashingtonDCAmericanUniversityCenterforSocialMedia2003
AufderheidePatricialdquoTheWhatandHowofPublicBroadcastingrdquoinThe Daily Planet A Critic on the Capitalist Culture BeatMinneapolisandLondonUniversityofMinnesotaPress2000b
AynteAbdirahmanldquoSomaliWebsitesACompetitiveAlternativeMediaandaFarcetoReckonWithrdquoHiiraan Onlinehttpwwwhiiraancomnews2006aprsomali_websitesaspx
AzzouzBushraTomChamberlinandMarleneFarnumThe Community Media Project Building Community through Media(Aproposedmodelforafive-yearinitiativetoproducelocaltelevisionprogrammingthatbroadensthedialogueonissuesimportanttotheOregoncommunityandcreatesastrongsenseofplace)PortlandORMetroDecember2000
BarlowWilliamldquoCommunityRadiointheUSTheStruggleForADemocraticMediumrdquoinMedia Culture and SocietyVol10(1988)
BenklerYochaiThe Wealth of Networks How Social Production Transforms Markets and FreedomNewHavenYaleUniversityPress2006
BentonFoundationDigital Alliances Partners in Public
Service Models for CollaborationUniversityParkPAThePennsylvaniaStateUniversity2002
BlauAndrewDeep Focus A Report on the Future of Independent MediaSanFranciscoNationalAllianceforMediaArtsandCulture2004
BowmanShayneandChrisWillisWe Media How Audiences Are Shaping the Future of News and InformationEditedbyJDLasicaRestonVATheMediaCenteratTheAmericanPressInstitute2003httpwwwhypergenenetwemediadownloadwe_mediapdf
BurnettRonldquoFromCommunityMediatoInternationalNetworksrdquoCritical Approaches to Culture + Communications + HypermediaNovember182005httpwwweciadca~rburnettWeblogarchives200511from_communityhtml
CanoAndrealdquoMicroradioAToolforCommunityEmpowermentrdquoinPublic Broadcasting and the Public InterestEditedbyMichaelPMcCauleyEricEPetersonBLeeArtzandDeeDeeHalleckLondonMESharpe2003
CarnegieCommissiononEducationalTelevisionPublic Television A Program for ActionNewYorkBantam1967
CastellsManuelThe Rise of the Network Society The Information Age Economy Society and CultureVolumes12amp3MaldenMABlackwellPublishersInc2005
ChesterJeffBeyond Broadcast Expanding Public Media in the Digital AgeWashingtonDCCenterforDigitalDemocracyFebruary2006httpwwwdemocraticmediaorgBBBBfrontphp
ChristensenPaulNanMcIntyreandLynnPikholzldquoBridgingCommunityandEconomicDevelopmentAStrategyforUsingIndustryClusterstoLinkNeighborhoodsandtheRegionalEconomyrdquo(reportfundedbytheFordFoundation)ClevelandShorebankEnterpriseGroup2005
ldquoCitizenJournalismrdquoissueofNieman ReportsCambridgeMATheNiemanFoundationforJournalismatHarvardUniversityVol59No4Winter2005eMprintNewsbookhttpwwwniemanharvardedureports05-4NRwinterNR05W_Citizen_Journalismpdf
City PagesldquoBestPublicAccessCableTVProgramSomaliTVrdquoBestoftheTwinCities2004MNApril282004httpcitypagescombestof2004artsandentertainmentbestof2379asp
bibliogrAphy
CruzRossanaReguilloldquoTheOracleintheCityBeliefsPracticesandSymbolicGeographiesrdquoinGlobal Cities of the South (Social Text)EditedbyAshleyDawsonandBrentHayesEdwardsTranslatedbyBrentHayesEdwardsandNoraNicoliniDurhamNCDukeUniversityPress81(Volume22Number4)Winter2004
DeLasCasasLucywithSimonBurallJohnMorrisonDavidKaleteandJagadanandaldquoGlobalMediaReformandAccountabilityReportfromtheNationalMediaReformConferencerdquoStLouis2005httpwwwoneworldtrustorgpagesdownloadcfmdid=281
DevineRobertHldquoVideoAccessandAgencyrdquoConferencepresentationTheNationalFederationofLocalCableProgrammersStPaulMNJuly171992
DirlinMartyandCathyMelioldquoTheGrassrootsRadioMovementintheUnitedStatesrdquoinPublic Broadcasting and the Public InterestEditedbyMichaelPMcCauleyEricEPetersonBLeeArtzandDeeDeeHalleckLondonMESharpe2003
DowningJohnDHwithTamaraVillarealFordGeneveGilandLauraSteinRadical Media Rebellious Communication and Social MovementsThousandOaksCASagePublications2001
EgerJohnldquoCreativeClustersandtheUrbanEconomyrdquoGovernment and Technology(February62006)httpwwwgovtechnetnewsnewsphpid=98345
EgerJohnMThe Creative Community Forging The Links Between Art Culture Commerce amp CommunityTheCaliforniaInstituteforSmartCommunitiesSanDiegoStateUniversity2005httpwwwsmartcommunitiesorgcreativeCreativeCommBroFINALpdf
EngelmanRalphPublic Radio and Television in America A Political HistoryThousandOaksCASagePublications1996
GillespieGilbertPublic Access Television in the United States and CanadaNewYorkPraegerPublishers1975
GillmorDanWe the Media Grassroots Journalism by the People for the PeopleSebastopolCAOrsquoReillyMediaInc2006
GrahamStephenandSimonMarvinTelecommunications and the City Electronic Spaces Urban PlacesLondonandNewYorkRoutledge1996
HalleckDeeDeeHand-Held Visions The Impossible Possibilities of Community MediaNewYorkFordhamUniversityPress2002
HigginsJohnWldquoAlternativeMediaandtheCultofIndividualismExperiencesfromUSPublicAccessTVrdquoPaperpresentedattheldquoOurMediardquopre-conferenceoftheInternationalAssociationforMediaandCommunicationResearchCommunityCommunicationSectionBarcelonaSpainJuly202002httpwwwourmedianetorgpapersom2002Higginsom2002pdf
HowleyKevinCommunity Media People Places and Communication TechnologiesCambridgeCambridgeUniversityPress2005
HoynesWilliamldquoThePBSBrandandtheMerchandisingofthePublicServicerdquoinPublic Broadcasting and the Public InterestEditedbyMichaelPMcCauleyEricEPetersonBLeeArtzandDeeDeeHalleckLondonMESharpe2003
JankowskiNicholasWldquoCommunityMediaResearchAQuestforTheoreticallyGroundedModelsrdquoThePublicVol1015(2003)httpmokkbmehucentreconferencesreactivismFPfpNJ
JankowskiNicholasWandOlePrehnedsCommunity Media in the Information Age Perspectives and ProspectsCresskillNJHamptonPress2002
LashScottThe Critique of InformationLondonSagePublications2002
ListerMartinJonDoveySethGiddingsIainGrantandKieranKellyNew Media A critical IntroductionLondonandNewYorkRoutledge2003
LloydMarkldquoRadioandLocalismWhatWhenWrongrdquoinContext(publishedbytheCenterforCommunicationsandCommunityUCLA)IssueNo4(WinterSpring2006)
MacintyreBenldquoWelcometotheNewTomPainesrdquoTimesOnlineNovember132004httpwwwtimesonlinecouktolcommentarticle390484ece
MaherVincentTowards a Critical Media Studies Approach to the BlogosphereNewMediaLabPublicationSchoolofJournalismandMediaStudiesRhodesUniversitySouthAfrica2006
MetroCommunity Media Project Evaluation Report PortlandORMetroJuly2004
MostStephenldquoBAVCandTheBigPicturerdquoinA Closer Look Media Arts 2002EditedbyHelenDeMichielSanFranciscoNationalAllianceforMediaArtsandCulture2002
NewAmericaMedialdquoEthnicMediainAmericaTheGiantHiddeninPlainSightrdquoPollconductedbyBendixenampAssociates2005httpnewsnewamericamediaorgnewsview_articlehtmlarticle_id=0443821787ac0210cbecebe8b1f576a3
OlsonBillThe History of Public Access Television2000httpwwwgeocitiescomiconostarhistory-public-access-TVhtml200415
PewCenterforCivicJournalismldquoDoingCivicJournalismrdquo2007httpwwwpewcenterorgdoingcj
PierceSteveldquoDBSandthePublicInterestOpportunityinSatelliteTelevisionrdquoinPublic Broadcasting and the Public InterestEditedbyMichaelPMcCauleyEricEPetersonBLeeArtzandDeeDeeHalleckLondonMESharpe2003
PhilipsSusanldquoTrueCommunityTowardaCollaborativeEthosScribersquoslsquoTrueCommunityVisionrsquordquoinA Closer Look Media Arts 2002EditedbyHelenDeMichielSanFranciscoNationalAllianceforMediaArtsandCulture2002
PorterMichaelEldquoLocationCompetitionandEconomicDevelopmentLocalClustersinaGlobalEconomyrdquoEconomic Development Quarterly14no1(February2000)15-34
ProjectforExcellenceinJournalismldquoMajorTrendsrdquoinState of the News Media 2006 An Annual Report on American Journalismhttpwwwstateofthenewsmediaorg2006nar-rative_overview_eightaspcat=2ampmedia=1
PrometheusRadioProjectldquoOurFifthBarnraisingmdashWCIW-LPinImmokaleeFloridardquohttpprometheusradioorgcontentview48952006
RennieEllieCommunity Media A Global IntroductionLanhamMDRowmanandLittlefieldPublishers2006
RodriguezClemenciaFissures in the Mediascape An International Study of Citizenrsquos MediaCresskillNJHamptonPress2001
SchafferJanldquoCitizensMediaHasItReachedaTippingPointrdquoinldquoCitizenJournalismrdquoissueofNieman Reports CambridgeMATheNiemanFoundationforJournalismatHarvardUniversityVol59No4Winter2005aeMprintNewsbookhttpwwwniemanharvardedureports05-4NRwinterNR05W_Citizen_Journalismpdf
SchafferJanInterviewonThe NewsHour With Jim Lehrer PBSEveningNewsNovember162005b
SchulerDouglasldquoTheRiseofCommunityNetworksrdquoInternet WorldDecember1995
SchulerDougandPeterDayShaping the Network Society The New Role of Civil Society in CyberspaceCambridgeandLondonMITPress2004
ShirkyClayPower Laws Weblogs and Inequality EconomicsampCultureMediaampCommunityBlog2005OpenSourcehttpshirkycomwritingspowerlaw_webloghtml
ShirkyClaySocial Software and the Politics of GroupsEconomicsampCultureMediaampCommunityBlog2005OpenSourcehttpshirkycomwritingsgroup_politicshtml
Somerset-WardRichardBroadband Community Networks Building the Digital CommonsAreportfortheHaasCharitableTrustsPhiladelphia2005
Somerset-WardRichardConnecting Communities WashingtonDCBentonFoundation2000
Spannerworkse-bookWhat is Social MediaJanuary2007httpwwwspannerworkscomebooks
StarrJeroldMldquoPublicTelevisionintheDigitalAgeTownHallorCyberMallrdquoinPublic Broadcasting and the Public InterestEditedbyMichaelPMcCauleyEricEPetersonBLeeArtzandDeeDeeHalleckLondonMESharpe2003
SteinLauraldquoPublicAccessTelevisionandGrassrootsCommunicationintheUnitedStatesrdquoChapter20inRadical Media Rebellious Communication and Social MovmentsEditedbyJohnDowningThousandOaksCASagePublications2001
SussmanGeraldandJREstesldquoCommunityRadioinCommunityDevelopmentPortlandrsquosKBOORadiordquoinThe Portland Edge Challenges and Successes in Growing CommunitiesEditedbyConniePOzawaPortlandStateUniversityIslandPress2004
WhitneyJenniferldquoMakeMediaMakeRealTroubleWhatrsquosWrong(andRight)withIndymediardquoLiPMagazineJune212005httpwwwlipmagazine
orgarticlesfeatwhitney_indymedia_phtml
broadcastlicensesfromtheFCCandingettingtheirsta-tionsupandrunningoncetheywerelicensedAsaresultofthisactivismtheFCCofficiallyacknowledgedlow-powerFMinUSbroadcastingpolicyin2000LPFMstationsarenowlicensedfornoncommercialeducationalbroadcastingonlyandaconstructionpermitisrequiredbeforeaLPFMstationcanbebuiltoroperatedThelowcostoflow-powerradiohasallowedmanyorganizationswithstrongcommit-mentstocommunitycontrolnoncommercialgrassrootsfundingandparticipatoryproductionandmanagementprocessestoenterthecommunityradiomovement
WCIW-LPisalow-powerFMstationinImmokaleeFloridaoperatedbythe2500-memberCoalitionofImmokaleeWorkersItishardtoimagineabetterexampleofcommunityempowermentingrassrootsLPFMthanWCIW-LPItfocusesonacommunitythatisbothacommunityofworkersandageographiccommunitythestationandtransmitterarelocatedinthesamelotwherethecoalitionrsquosmembersboardbusesboundforthetomatofieldsofFloridaLaunchedin2003withthehelpofthePrometheusRadioProjectWCIW-LPproducesnewsedu-cationalprogramsandmusicinSpanishHaitianCreoleandindigenouslanguagesofMexicoandGuatemalaThestationisaprimaryorganizingtoolforthecommunityinitsdefenseoftherightsofLatinoHaitianandMayanIndianmigrantandimmigrantfarmworkers
Public BroadcastingUnlikemanylocationsinEuropeandCanadatheUnitedStateshasnotdevelopedastrongcommunity-focusedbroadcastingsectorseparatefrompublicbroadcastingPublicbroadcastingintheUnitedStatesislargelysynony-mouswiththePublic Broadcasting ServiceandNational Public RadioinstitutionsthatcameintoexistencewiththepassageofthePublicBroadcastingActof1967Theactestablishedafederalsystemoftelevisionandradioheavilydependentonfederalandcorporatefunding
Thoughembattledfromitsinceptionandsaddledwithacumbersomedecentralizedstructurepublicbroad-castinghasmanagedtosurviveandfindanimportantroleinAmericanmediaNeithergovernmentalnorcommercialinitsorientationyetheavilydependentoneachitprovidesvaluablenoncommercialprogramming(Aufderheide2000b)PublicradioandtelevisionhavealsoledthewayintheUnitedStatesintheinnovativeuseofdigitalandsatellitetechnologyThePBSwebsiteisconsideredtobethemostfrequentlyvisitednonprofitsiteontheInternet(Starr2003)
YetpublictelevisionandradiofallshortofthevisiondescribedinitsfoundingdocumentsTheywere
envisionedasldquohellipaforumfordebateandcontroversyrdquoaspaceforexpressionldquohellipforgroupsinthecommunitythatmayotherwisebeunheardrdquo(CarnegieCommissiononEducationalTelevision1967)AsJeffChestermediacriticandreformadvocatewritesldquoWhilepublicradioatitsbestcomesmuchclosertothisidealpublictelevisionappearstohavebecomeavictimofitsownsuccessndashfullofartistryandprofessionalismtobesurebutrarelythesourceofthelocalismdiversityandrisktakingthatitsfoundersenvisionedrdquo(Chester2006)Stillitisarguablethatpublicbroadcastingwouldnothavesurvivedtothepresenthaditinsistedonlivinguptotheparticipatoryvisionsofitsfounders
ThePublicBroadcastingServiceNationalPublicRadioandtheirmemberstationscannotuniformlybechar-acterizedascommunitymediaTheirprogrammingandmanagementstructureshavereflectedthetop-downnatureoftheirfundingandtheyhavetendedovertheyearstoemphasisprofessionalismandstationmanagementpreroga-tivesoveracommitmenttodiverselocalparticipationandcommunitybuilding(Engelman1996)
Publicbroadcastingholdsmanyexamplesofexem-plarycommunityprogrammingbutfewerexamplesofrobustprogramschedulingwithcommunity-orientedcom-munity-drivenandcommunity-createdprogrammingForinstance ldquoBasic Blackrdquo from WGBH in BostonwhichhaschronicledtheconcernedandcultureofAfrican-Americanssince1968andthemulticulturalweeklytalkshowsthatareastapleofWYBE inPhiladelphiaarenoteworthyforhavingcreateduniquelocalmediaspacesthatdofunc-tionascommunitymediaInthe1990sthenationalldquoNittyGrittyCityGrouprdquoattemptedtomovepublicbroadcastingbeyondprogramexcellencetobeinganagentforsocialchangeandameansforcitizenempowerment(Larson1993)ItworkedwithgrassrootsgroupstobringattentionandaccesstothecitizensoftheircommunitiesWhilethegroupnolongerexistsitspassionforcommunityengage-mentisstillaliveinstationpersonnelaroundthecountry
ItcanbeseeninmanyoftheSound Partners for Community HealthexperimentsincollaborationsbetweenpublicbroadcastersandcommunityhealthorganizationsNewhopefulexperimentsareunderwayfromCPBanditscommunityengagementinitiativewiththeHarwoodInstituteBroaderstationsuccessesinengagingcommu-nitymembersarechronicledinRichardSomerset-WardrsquosConnecting Communities(2000)andhismorerecentBroadband Community Networks(2005)ForexamplethereistremendouspotentialattheintersectionofpublicbroadcastingandonlinecollaborativemediaWHYYhasextendeditson-airradioandtelevisionprogramming
throughaphysicalandvirtualldquocivicspacerdquoinPhiladelphiaand ideastreamthemergeroftwopublicbroadcast-ersinClevelandoffersitsmultimediadigitalfacilitiesandexpertisetoClevelandrsquoscommunityinstitutionsandcitizensRadioprojectslikethePublic Radio Exchange andMinnesota Public Radiorsquos Public Insight Journalismareprovidinginterestingglimpsesofthepotentialofcol-laborativemediaforpublicradioEachexamplesuggeststhatpublicbroadcastinghasgreatpotentialandtechnicalcapacitytomovebeyondsimplenotionsofldquolocalismrdquotoamorerobuststanceofcivicengagementandparticipation
Cable AccessPublicaccesstelevisionorPublicEducationalandGovernment(PEG)accesstelevisionreferstoacollectionofentitiesthatprovidelocalcontentoverdedicatedchan-nelsoncabletelevisionsystemsintheUnitedStatesPEGaccessisrootedintheactivismofthe1960sand1970satimewhenpublicaccessadvocatesenjoyedamutuallysup-portiverelationshipwithanemergingcableindustryeagertodemonstrateitspotentialtodiversifytelevision
In1969theFederalCommunicationsCommissionsawthepotentialofcabletelevisiontoopenuptelevisiontomorelocalprogrammingandbeganrequiringlargercablesystemstodeveloplocalprogrammingexperimentsTheFCCrsquosfirstcomprehensiverulingonthecableindustryin1972includedrequirementsthatcablesystemsinthe100largesttelevisionmarketsdedicateatleastthreechannelsforpubliceducationandgovernmentaccessTherulingsetoffaroundofoptimisticcommunitymediaexperimentsnationwideButthisinformalpartnershipbetweencom-munitymediaadvocatesandthecableindustrycametoanabrupthaltin1979whentheSupremeCourtruledthattheFCChadexceededitsregulatoryauthorityinmandatingthatchannelsbededicatedtoPEGaccessTherulingdidnotpreventCongressandlocalgovernmentsfromrequiringnegotiatedaccesschannelshoweverandby1979accessadvocatesweresufficientlyorganizedtomakePEGastan-dardofferingofcabletelevision
BythistimethecableindustryhadenteredwhatarereferredtoasldquothegoldrushyearsrdquoThesuccessofHBOrsquossatellite-deliveredcableprogrammingservicedemon-stratedthataudienceswithgoodfreebroadcastreceptionwouldpaytoreceiveuninterruptedmoviesandsportsCablecompaniesvigorouslycompetedforfranchisesinthecountryrsquosmostpopulousareasIfalocalcommunityrsquosfranchiseauthorityexpressedadesireforPEGaccesschannelsinitsrequestforproposalsoftenthecablecompanieswouldrespondfavorablyInadditiontochannel
set-asidesarequirementthatoperatorsprovidefundingforequipmentandpublicinterestchanneloperationsbecameuniversalThoughmanyPEGaccesscentershavediversi-fiedtheirfundingsourcesthebulkoffundingforPEGaccesschanneloperationsandprogrammingcomesfromcongressionallyandmunicipallymandatedfeesinreturnfortheuseofpublicrights-of-way
Intheirearlyyearsthemorethan2000accesschannelstheninoperationwereadministeredinvariouswaysAfewcablecompanieswereabletocompetentlyundertakecommunity-basedmanagementofthesechan-nelsbutgenerallythecableindustryhadlittleappetiteorcapacitytosuccessfullymanagetheselocalchannelsInsomecasesthefranchiseauthorityitselfmanagedthechannelsInothercasesitwasthelibrarytheuniversitycommunitycollegeorhighschoolHoweveritsoonbecameclearthatthelocalcommunityneededtomanagethisnewcommunicationcapacityseparatefromcablecompaniesandgovernmentifitspotentialtocreatecommunitymediawastoberealizedTheindependentnonprofitcorporationeventuallybecamethestandardmanagementmodelamongcommunitymediaadvocatesTodaymostsuccessfulaccesscentersaremanagedthroughnonprofitcommunitygroups(Olson2000)
BecausepublicaccesschannelscarryFirstAmendmentprotectionallowinganyoneinthecommu-nitytoplaceprogrammingonthechannelswithoutbeingsubjecttopriorrestraintsomeprogrammingonthesechannelscanseemexceedinglystrangetotheuninitiatedMuchoftheprogrammingonpublicchannelsismadebynonprofessionalsandreflectstheidiosyncraticinterestsofproducersInrecentyearshoweverpublicaccesscentershaveastutelyexpandedtheirmissionsbeyondindividu-allyfocusedprogrammingtoaddresstheneedsofwholecommunitiesthroughmorecomplexnotionsofempower-mentandcommunitybuildingThishasmeantdevelopingmoreprogramminginpartnershipwithassociationsandnonprofitscommunitygroupsagenciesandeducationalinstitutionsthathaveaclearrelationshiptothelifeoftheircommunities(Rennie2006)Significantnumbersofaccesscentershavealsomovedtoincorporateothermediabeyondvideoandtocarryoutalargerrangeofmediaeducationandmediaartsactivitiesbeyondcableprogramming
OverthecourseofcableaccessdevelopmenttheAlliance for Community Media(ACM)hasconsistentlyprovidedbothpoliticalandprofessionalleadershiptothefieldofcableaccessFormedastheNationalFederationofLocalCableProgrammersin1978ACMquicklygrewtooccupyapresenceinWashingtonDCpolicycircles
andhassteadfastlyprovidedavoicefortheinterestsofthe2000accesscenterintheUSCurrentlytheACMisleadingthefightalongwithcitiesinfightingthewaveofstatewidelsquovideofranchisingrsquolegislationthroughwhichthetelephonecompaniesandcablecompaniesareattemptingtogainnear-monopolycontroloflocaltelecommunicationsmarketswhichwouldeffectivelyendcableaccessinmanycommunities
Manhattan Neighborhood Network(MNN)whichprovidespublicaccesscableservicesinManhattanisoneofagrowingnumberofcableaccesscentersintheUnitedStatesthathaveembracedabroadermissionofmultime-diaeducationandtrainingBeyonditscablechannelstelevisionstudiosandelectronicfieldproductionandpost-productionfacilitiesMNNfunctionsasacommunitymeetingandartsspaceandoperatesagrantingprogramandasupportnetworktositesthroughoutManhattanInrecentyearsMNNhasprovidedarichselectionofitsvideotoInternetstreamingItalsofeaturesaYouth Channeloneofthefirsttelevisionchannelstofacilitatecreativityandsocialandpoliticalparticipationamongdisadvantagedlow-incomeandminorityyouthbyprovidingthemwithaccesstoadedicatedchannelmediaproductionresourcesandtraining
Media Arts OrganizationsMediaartsorganizationswereorganizedinNorthAmericainthe1960sand1970sinresponsetotheavailabilityofnewmoreaffordableandmoreportablemediatech-nologiessuchasfilmvideoandcomputersMediaartsorganizationssupportartthatmakesuseoffilmvideoaudiomultimediaandinteractivemediaIndividualcen-tersoftenfocusononeortwoelementsofthetotalmediaartsinfrastructureprovidingsomecombinationofaccesstomediatoolsproductionproductiontrainingdistribu-tionarchivingandexhibitionofmediaart
Overtheyearscentershaveengagedinanincred-iblerangeofartisticpracticesembracingavantgardeexperimentationinfilmandvideodocumentariesnar-rativeandstorytellingcomputerartandinstallationsusingallmediaThesepracticesintersectwithcommunitymediaintheiremphasisonparticipatoryprogrammingdevelopment
ThehistoryofmediaartsorganizationsiscloselyentwinedwiththetrendsandpoliticsofpublicfundinganddevelopingtechnologyintheUnitedStatesEarlycentersoftenreceivedfoundationfundingtoexperimentwithspecificemergingtechnologiesparticularlyvideoThisinitialphaseofdevelopmentwasgivensignificantsupport
bytheMacArthurFoundationanditsmediaartsprogramfollowedbythecreationoftheNationalEndowmentfortheArtswhichinturnbeganaprogramofconsistentsupportformediaartsorganizationsnationwideTheperiodwasmarkedbythelong-termsupportbyMacArthurFoundationrelativelystablegrowthandaheadyrangeofartisticprac-ticeandexperimentation
Inthepoliticallyconservativeclimateoftheearly1990sasfundersbecameincreasinglywaryofsupportingartthatmightprovecontroversialtheNationalEndowmentfortheArtsgraduallywithdrewmostfundingforthemediaartsBytheendofthedecadetheMacArthurFoundationoneofthemediaartsrsquomostconsistentfundersendeditsyearlysupportformediaartsorganizationsclosingtheeraandforcingaperiodofdevelopmentdiversificationandrestructuringformediaartsorganizations
ThefieldhasprovenextremelyresilientTodaythefieldofmediaartsismadeupofamorediverseandmaturearrayofnonprofitorganizationsandartspracticesAlthoughmediaartsorganizationsnowplacemoreempha-sisonearnedincomeanddiversefundingsourcestheycontinuetobevitalculturalcentersprovidingcommunitiesaccesstobothmediafacilitiesandafullrangeofmediaculturalexperiencesMediaartsorganizationslikeScribeinPhiladelphiaandAppalshopinWhitesburgKentuckyforexamplehavenavigatedthetechnologicalandfundingshiftsofthepastthreedecadeswithsurprisingcreativityandsavvy
TheScribe Video CenterinPhiladelphiawhichemergedin1982duringthemediaartsheydayperseveredthroughtheupsetsofthe1990stobecomeanextraordinaryexampleofwhatasocialassetamediaartscentercanbeforacommunityScribereachesouttocommunitiesincludingpeopleofcolorwomenseniorcitizensandteensthattraditionallyhavenothadaccesstovideotrainingorproductionfacilitiesandprovidesthemtoolsforstorytell-ingInadditiontoproductionandscriptwritingworkshopsScribeoffersartistsrsquoservicessuchasfiscalsponsorshipequipmentrentalandeditingfacilitiesOngoingprogramsincludeCommunityVisionsavideoproductionprogramforcommunityorganizationsStreetMoviesafreeoutdoorneighborhood-basedscreeningseriesandtheProducersrsquoForumscreeningandlectureseriesofvisitingartistsandmediaactivistsAdditionallyScribeproducestheDocumentaryHistoryProjectforYouthanannualproduc-tionworkshopformiddleandhighschoolstudents
AppalshopinWhitesburgKentuckyisoneoftheoldestmediaartsorganizationsintheUnitedStatesAsitswebsiteindicatesAppalshopwasfoundedin1969to
enablepeopletousemediatotelltheirownstoriesinordertoldquosolvetheirownproblemsrdquoIthasbecomeanationallyrecognizedmediacenterworkinginfilmvideoaudioandmusicrecordingsliteraturetheaterliveperformanceandradioallfocusedonAppalachiancultureItsworkdocumentstraditionalartsexploreshistoryandaddressessocialissuesthataffecttheAppalachianregiontodayAppalshopprovidesregionallyandnationallyfocusededu-cationandtrainingprogramsTwoofthemostnotablearetheAppalachianMediaInstituteayouthmediatraininginitiativeandCommunityMediaInstitutewhichworkswithgrassrootsgroupsandpublicinterestorganizationsfromtheregionandnationallytoaccomplishstrategiccom-municationplanningaroundsocialjusticeorganizing
TheNational Alliance for Media Arts and CulturehasconsistentlyprovidedthoughtfulleadershiptothemediaartsfieldthroughtechnicalassistanceprogramsandstrategicplanninginitiativesItsDeepFocusprojectin2004usedscenarioplanningtoenvisionthefutureofmediaarts(Blau2004)Asaresultofthiskindofworktheearlynetworkofmediaartsorganizationshasexpandedtoincludeover274mediaartsorganizationsThisrepre-sentsasignificantbroadeningofthefieldofmediaartsencompassingmanysmallermediaartsorganizationswithspecificartisticculturalorcommunityobjectivesThemediaartsfieldhasmostrecentlyseentheemergenceofmanyyouthmediaorganizationswiththecriticalmissionofcreatingmedialiteracysurvivalskillsforyoungpeopleastheynavigatethemediasaturatedsocialenvironmentofthetwenty-firstcentury
Ethnic MediaEthnicmediarepresentagrowingvitalsectorofAmericanelectronicmediathatintersectswithcommunitymediainanumberofimportantwaysHistoricallyethnicmediaout-letshavearisenontheperipheryofUSbroadcastingoftenwithoutnetworkaffiliationtoservepopulationsthatdonothaveaccesstomainstreammediaandpopularcultureThesehaveincludednewimmigrantgroupsnon-Englishlanguagegroupsthepoliticallyoppressedandpopulationsstrivingtomaintainculturaltraditionsandtiestotheirhomelandswhileadaptingtoanewsociety
ThatpatternhasrepeatedwaxedandwanedasdifferentpopulationshavecometotheUnitedStatesinthepastcenturyThekeyhistoricalintersectionbetweencommunitymediaandethnicmedialiesintheearlyyearsofcommunityradiofollowingWorldWarIIwhenawaveofBlackradiostationsandformatsfilledspacecreatedintheshiftingmedialandscapebytheintroductionoftelevision
ThisshiftbroughtawaveofBlackinvestmentandprogramexperimentationthatseriouslyinfluencedthekindsofcommunityradioprogrammingthatevolvedintheUnitedStatesToalargeextenttheimprovisationalradioformatscombiningmusicandpoliticaltalkcultureandcur-rentaffairswerefirstworkedoutinpost-warBlackradio(Barlow1988Lloyd2006)
Ethnicmediaencompassescommercialandnoncom-mercialmediahugemultinationalsandsmalllocallyownedoperationsEthnicandcommunitymediaoftenintersectgeographicallyEthnicgroupsoftenidentifywithaspecificplaceandusemediatoarticulateasenseofsolidarityinthoseplacesLikecommunitymediaethnicmediafrequentlyembodyparticipatoryapproachestopro-grammingandproductionandareoftenresponsestodeepdissatisfactionwiththeownershipstructuresandbiasesofthemainstreammedia
OneofthemostsignificantongoingsourcesforethnicmediahasbeentheCorporationforPublicBroadcastingthroughitsfundingofthefivemembersoftheNationalMinorityConsortiaNational Asian American Telecommunications Association National Black Programming Consortium Native American Public Telecommunications Pacific Islanders in Communications and Latino Public BroadcastingTheseethnicprogrammingnetworksandtheIndependent Television ServiceprovidemillionsofdollarseachyeartotheirnetworksofethnicandindependentprogrammakersforprogramstargetedtothePublicBroadcastingService
CurrentlyethnicmediaareundergoingexplosivegrowthacrosstheUnitedStatesconsistentwithdemo-graphicshiftsTherearesignificantincreasesintheproportionofnon-EnglishspeakersLatinosAsiansMiddleEasternersandPacificIslandersintheUSpopulationandcorrespondingincreasesinethnicmediaDuringthecommunitymediaroundtablesconductedforthisreportparticipantsrepeatedlyexpressedappreciationforthenumberofethnicmediaoutletsthatusedparticipatorystrategiesinsupportingtheimmigrationproteststhatoccurredthroughouttheUnitedStatesin2006
OneindicationofthegrowthandsophisticationofethnicmediaisNew America Media (NAM)thelargestnationalcollaborationofethnicnewsorganizationsintheUnitedStatesNAMldquoproducesandaggregateseditorialcontentfromandfortheethnicmediasectoranddevelopspioneeringmarketingservicesonbehalfofcorporationsfoundationsandnonprofitswhoaretargetingethnicmediaandethniccommunitiesrdquoNewAmericaMediaisanetworkedcommunitythatlinksthousandsofethnic
0
mediaorganizationsintheUnitedStatesItsrecentstudyldquoEthnicMediainAmericaTheGiantHiddeninPlainSightrdquosurveysHispanicAmericansAfricanAmericansAsianAmericansArabAmericansandNativeAmericans(NewAmericaMedia2005)NAMfoundthatmorethanaquarterofthenationrsquospopulationusesethnicmediainsomecapacity
NewonlinejournalismsitessuchastheTwin Cities Media AlliancersquosDaily PlanetprofiledinthisreportareemergingfromtherestructuringofthenewspaperindustryandtheuseofbloggingandsocialnetworkingsoftwareThe TC Daily Planetaggregatesincreasingnumbersofethnicimmigrantandnon-mainstreamjournalistsinMinneapolis-StPaulAnotherexamplementionedinthisreportRadio Arte (WRTE)maybetheonlybilingual(SpanishEnglish)youth-operatedurbancommunitystationinthecountryItoperateswithafocusonyouthinChicagorsquosPilsenLittleVillageneighborhoodsAninitiativeoftheMexicanFineArtsCenterMuseumthiseducationalradiostationhasayouthtrainingandproductiontrainingprogramandapowerfulwebpresenceinadditiontoitsurbanbroadcastfootprint
BothTC Daily PlanetandRadioArteunderscorethecommonalitiesbetweenethnicmediaandcommunitymediaInmanycircumstancesethnicmediaandcom-munitymediacanbevirtuallyindistinguishableThisconvergenceofvaluesgeographyandpoliticscouldeasilyserveasthefoundationforcollaborationandpartner-ingbetweencommunityandethnicmediainspecificcommunities
Civic JournalismBothcivicjournalismandpublicjournalismrefertoamovementwithinprofessionaljournalismthathonorsnewsorganizationsrsquoroleinconveningandfacilitatingpublicdeliberationanddebatesinwhichaudiencesaretreatedasactiveparticipantsratherthanpassiveconsumersThePew Center for Civic JournalismdefinescivicjournalismasldquobothaphilosophyandasetofvaluessupportedbysomeevolvingtechniquesAtitsheartisabeliefthatjournal-ismhasanobligationtopubliclifendashanobligationthatgoesbeyondjusttellingthenewsorunloadinglotsoffactsrdquo(PewCenter2007)Thisphilosophyemergesfromanunder-standingthatcitizensareincreasinglydisengagedinciviclifeandthatnewsorganizationscanreactivateanapatheticcitizenryNewsorganizationspracticingcivicjournal-ismaimtoestablishdeeperconversationswithbroadercross-sectionsoftheircommunitiesresultinginenhancedcredibilityimprovedcommunicationbetweenthemselves
andthecommunityandbettercoverageofissuesoflocalconcern
CommittedtosupportingjournalisticeffortstorevitalizecitizenshipwhileobjectivelyreportinghardtruthsthePewCenterestablishedtheBattenAwardforExcellenceinCivicJournalismin1995OneofthefirstawardswenttoThe Charlotte ObserverofCharlotteNorthCarolinaforanineteen-monthin-depthseriesoncrimeinnineneighborhoodsReportersspenttwoyearsincrime-riddenneighborhoodsencouragingresidentsinthoseneighborhoodstoreportontherootcausesofcrimeandtoparticipateinthesearchforsolutions
Community NetworkingWhilestillinitsearlytext-basedphasetheInternetwasbeingadoptedasacommunity-buildingtoolbyanumberofgeographicallybasedorganizationsManyoftheseearlycommunitynetworksevolvedfromldquofreenetsrdquoalliedthroughtheNational Public Telecomputing Network(NPTN)AtthattimeNPTNwasthefourthmostpopularpubliccom-puternetworkbehindCompuServeAmericaOnlineandProdigy(Schuler1995)
SomeoftheseearlycommunitynetworksweresimplyInternetdestinationswherecommunity-basedinformationwascollectedandpresentedOthersevolvedasadjunctstotheInternetconnectionsprovidedbylocalInternetserviceprovidersLikeothercommunitymediathepioneersofcommunitynetworkingweremotivatedtousethisnewcommunicationstechnologytostrengthentheircommunities
CommunitynetworkingwaschangedirrevocablywiththeadventoftheWorldWideWebandthesurgeindemandforInternetaccessTheWorldWideWebreplacedmostofthesoftwareapplicationsthatwerebeingusedatthattimetomakeinformationaccessibletopeoplethroughacommunitynetworkThisandthedemandsurgelow-eredthepriceofcommercialInternetaccesstothepointwheretherewaslittlemotivationtobecomeamemberofacommunitynetworkastheywerepracticedatthetimeAsaresultcommunitynetworkinghasbecomelessaboutInternetaccessandmoreabouttheculturalpracticeof
Newsorganizationspracticingcivicjournalismaimtoestablishdeeperconversationswithbroadercross-sectionsoftheircommunities
communitynetworkingwithafocusonsocialnetworkingsoftwaredevelopmentandutilizationCommunitynetwork-ershavealwaysenjoyedclosealignmentwithopensourcesoftwaredevelopersandnowareconcernedwithusingtheInternetintandemwithopensourcesocialnetworkingsoftwaretoaccomplishmanyofthegoalsofcommunitymedia(Schuler2004)
The Metropolitan Austin Interactive Network (MAIN)isanonprofitorganizationcommittedtoinfor-mationsharingandcommunicationamongpeopleandgovernmentaleducationalcommercialculturalreligiousandcivicorganizationsItoperatesacommunity-basedwebsitethatprovidesandaggregatesabroadarrayofinformationcriticaltoAustinresidentsfromemploymentinformationtoenvironmentalartsandculturalcontentMAINiscommittedtohelpingitscommunitymakeeffec-tiveuseoftheInternetandothernetworkcommunicationsstructuresbutdoesnotdirectlyprovidenetworkconnectiv-ityMAINprovidesfreewebhostingandwebdevelopmentassistancethroughabroaddigitalliteracyprogramthatincludestrainingingeneralcomputerandInternetusage
SatelliteWhilesatellitetelevisioncannotbeconsideredcommunitymediabecauseitisneitherlocalnorspecificallycom-munity-focuseditdeservesmentionherebecauseofitsexistingandpotentialcontributionstocommunitymediagoalsSatellitetelevisionisfocusedonnationalvideodistributionviacableanddirectbroadcastservicestohomesatellitedishesTofosterthepublicrsquosinterestindiverseprogrammingviasatellitetheFCCin1992imposedcertainpublicinterestobligationsonDirectBroadcastService(DBS)providersThecommissionruledthatDBSprovid-ersmustreservefourpercentoftheirchanneltranspondercapacityexclusivelyfornoncommercialprogrammingofaneducationalorinformationalnatureUnfortunatelytheFCCleftituptotheDBScompaniestodecidewhichprogram-merswouldbeselectedfromeligibleprogrammersManyfeelthepotentialofDBStoservethepublicinteresthasbeensignificantlycurtailedasaresult(Anderson2000)
Neverthelesssatellitehasbecomehometosomeprogrammersthatembodythevaluesandpracticesofcom-munitymediaNotablyDeepDishTVFreeSpeechTVLinkTVandasofApril2007StarfishTelevisionNetworkarealldistributedviasatelliteduetotheset-asiderulesadoptedbytheFCCEachoffersprogrammingthatembodiesvaluesofdiversityandempowermentwhiledemonstratingthenecessityofset-asidepoliciesfornoncommercialfrequency
andbandwidthatalllevelsofthemediainfrastructureifnoncommercialmediaistoflourishTheyconsistentlyrunprogramsproducedbycommunitymediaactivistsandindependentproducersandrepresentonepossiblewayforcommunitymediaorganizationstodevelopanationalprogrammingreachthatcouldfacilitateldquolocaltolocalrdquocommunicationswhiledevelopinganationalnetworkofprogressivecommunityprogramming
Deep Dish TVpioneeredtheuseofsatellitetoestablishacollaborativenetworkamongactivisttelevisionproducersandpublicaccesscablestationsin1986DrawingontheearlierexperimentsofthePublicInterestVideoNetworkDeepDishbegancreatingprograminstallmentsforsatellitedistributionVideoprogrammingselectedfromactivistandcommunitytapesaroundthecountrywerefedtosatellitetransponderswithanationalfootprintwheretheywerepickedupbyhundredsofcableaccessorganiza-tionsandcommunitymediacentersintheUnitedStates(Pierce2003)
DeepDishrsquos1991satellitebroadcastsoftheGulfCrisisTVProjectareconsideredbymanytobehistoricmomentsincommunitymediaandUScommunicationshistoryadirectinterventioninaninternationalcrisisbypublicaccesstelevisionandindependentmediaactivistsDeepDishTVassembledavideoanti-warteach-induringthefirstGulfWarandmadeitavailabletotheirnetworkviasatelliteThesuccessoftheGulfCrisisprojectexpandedDeepDishrsquosnetworktoincludeindependentpublictelevi-sionsitesanyonewithahomesatellitereceiverandothercommunitymediaandmediaartsorganizationsRalphEngelmanwritesthatDeepDishrsquosuseofsatelliteallowedcommunitymediaactiviststofulfilltwooftheircoreobjec-tivesldquograssrootsparticipationandthepresentationofdiversealternativeperspectivesrdquo(Engelman1996)
TheseearlysuccessesinnetworkingcommunitytelevisionviasatellitehavemorerecentlybeenextendedbyFree Speech TVandAmyGoodmanrsquosDemocracyNowprogrammingFreeSpeechTVextendedthetechnicalcapacitytonetworkwithcableaccessbyraisingfundstobuydirectsatellitereceiversforcableaccessfacilitiesinterestedincablecastingFreeSpeechTVprogram-mingThistechnicalnetworkthenbecameaprogressiveprogramnetworkcalledintoexistencealmostsingle-hand-edlybythehighlysought-afterprogressiveprogrammingofDemocracyNowInturnthepresenceofDemocracyNowprogrammingisconsistentlyservingtoincreasetheaudiencesandsupportforcableaccessincommunitiesthroughouttheUnitedStates
AttheirheartcommunitymediaareaboutmakingmediawithpeoplenotmerelyaboutorforpeopleIt
isasoneChicagoroundtableparticipantnotedlikeldquotheneighborhoodgoingouttodinnerrdquoButasanyonewhohaseverhostedalargedinnerpartyknowsthisisnotalwayseasilyaccomplishedInroundtablediscussionswithcommunitymediapractitionersthreestrategiesndashcollabo-ration across sectors and platforms training and outreach ndashemergedrepeatedlyaswaysofsuccessfullyengagingthebreadthanddiversityoftheircommunitiesInadditionafourthstrategyconnecting with immigrant populationsyieldedinsightsintosomeuniquechallengesandbenefits
strAtegies CollaborationMediainstitutionscanplaytheroleoffacilitatorsintheircommunitiesdemystifyingtheprocessofproductionpro-vidingpeoplewithaccesstotheresourcestheyneedandbuildingonthehistoryandgoalsofcivicjournalismThisrolerequiresmediainstitutionstorethinktraditionaljour-nalismandmayentailthere-balancingofeditorialpoliciesndashcommittingtodiversityembracingegalitarianvaluesandreassessingthevalueofeditorialneutralityInvitingcommunitymemberstohelpwithstoriesmakescover-agemorereflectiveofthecommunitymoreofatwo-wayconversationForinstanceTwin Cities Public Television(TPT)dedicatestimeononeofitsdigitalchannelstolocalandregionalprogrammingincludingprogramstargetedattheLatinoHmongHindiSomaliandVietnamesecommu-nitiesTocreateprogrammingfortheldquoMinnesotaChannelrdquothestationpartnerswithnonprofitorganizationswhopayTPTforproductionsupportandguaranteedbroadcastoftheprogramming
Sound Partners for Community HealthhasshownthatauthenticpartnershipsbetweenpublicbroadcastersandcommunityinstitutionsenableeachpartytoreachlargermorediverseandtargetedaudiencesonhealthissuesimportanttothecommunityCommunityinstitutionspromotedbroadcastsandpublicbroadcastersincreasedthevisibilityoftheirinstitutionalpartnerswhoofferedadditionalresourcesandreferralstoviewersandlistenersandhelpedtodisseminateprogrammingonCDsandDVDsInadditionbymarryingtheexpertiseofcommunity-basedhealthorganizationsandvoicesoflocalresidentswiththeproductionvaluesofhigh-qualityradioandtelevisionpro-grammingSoundPartnerspositionedcommunitymembersasproactiveplannersofandstakeholdersinmediainitia-tivesratherthanpassiverecipientsofmediaattention
Buttherewasinevitabletensioninseparatingjour-nalismfromadvocacywhichrequiredtrustonthepartofallparticipantstoresolveInthecaseoftheSoundPartnerscollaborationsincommunity-basedjournalismpublicbroadcastersneededtotrustthattheirnonprofitpartnerswouldnrsquotadvancetheirownorganizationalagendasattheexpenseoftruthandnonprofithealthorganizationsneededtotrustthattheirbroadcastpartnerswouldrespecttheirexpertise
TheSoundPartnersexperienceaffirmedwhatmanyroundtableparticipantspointedoutmdashtheneedtobuildbridgesacrossmediaaswellSoundPartnersfoundthatcommercialradiostationsandpublicaccesschannelswithcloselinkstoandinfluenceonthecommunityhelpedimplementstrongmediacampaignsincollaborationwithpublicbroadcastingRoundtableparticipantssawcommer-cialmediaoutletsasespeciallyimportantamongimmigrantgroups
Pointingtoanotheraspectofcollaborationround-tableparticipantsimploredmediainstitutionstobeopentosharinginfrastructuretoaccomplishtheirmissionsManynonprofitmediagroupsarestrugglingtosurvivebuthaveassetsthatcanbesharedorintegratedtobetterservetheircommunitiesinacoordinatedefficientwayCreatingcollaborativestructuresasbasicasco-locationoffacilitiesorascomplexasorganizationalmergerscanbeimportantfordisseminatingprogrammingsecuringfundingandprotectingpotentiallycontroversialissueprogrammingForexampleManhattan Neighborhood Networkhashistori-callyleverageditscablefranchise-securedcapitalfunding
engAging community WhAtrsquos Working
Invitingcommunitymemberstohelpwithstoriesmakescoveragemorereflectiveofthecommunitymoreofatwo-wayconversation
tobuildcapacityinothermediaorganizationssuchasastudioandpost-productionfacilitieswithDowntownCommunityTelevisioninChinatownAndinkeepingwiththesamenetwork-buildingapproachtofacilitatingpartici-pationMNNalsofeaturesaYouthChannelconsideredtobethefirstchannelcreatedforyouthbyyouthMNNhasbecomeoneofthecentralhubsinManhattanaroundwhichindependentandcommunitymediagatherforscreeningsadvancededucationalopportunitiesartisticandpoliticaldebatecommunitybuildingandsocialnetworkingcreat-inganexcitingdemocraticmediaculture
Manyparticipantsacknowledgedthatcollaborationishardexpensiveandtime-consumingItplacesdemandsonin-houseknowledgeandconfrontspartneringorganiza-tionsrsquodifferentgoalseditorialpoliciesandresourcesIftheyaretolastpartnershipsneedproperresearchonthefrontendandmulti-leveledsupportChangesinleader-shipcandisruptplanssopartneringcanrsquotbetiedtoonepersonrsquosrelationshiptoanotherpersonitrequiresanetworkofpeopleunderstandingandcontributingtothepartnershipMulti-yearprojectsareimportanttodevelopinfrastructureandsustainefforts
TrainingRoundtableparticipantssawcommunitymediainstitutionsasimportantsourcesbothforjobsandskillstrainingandforbuildingthecapacityoflocalnonprofitgroupsWhileacquiringmediaskillsmaybeacareerpathoutofpovertyironicallycommunitymediaworkisoftenunpaidandpoorpeoplemustprioritizepayingjobsoverparticipationincommunitymediamakingRoundtableparticipantsexpressedconcernthatthereisnotcurrentlyawaytoeconomicallysustaintheeffortsoflow-incomepeoplewhodovolunteerincommunitymedia
CableaccesscenterslikeChicagorsquos CAN-TVandManhattanNeighborhoodNetworkprovidegrantstrainingandequipmenttocommunitygroupswhothendevelopmultimediaproductsandshowcasethemindifferentvenuesThesecentersfacilitatetheexpressionofnon-technology-orientedcommunitymembersandprovidethemwithusefuljobskills
ThetrainingcomponentiscrucialfordevelopingauthenticvoicesinprogrammingBlessedwithadiversetechnology-savvycommunitythatincludesbothHarvard
andMITcampuspopulationsCambridge Community Television CCTVhasbroadeneditseducationalprogramstoincludeadvancedworkshopsandextendededucationalprogramsindocumentarymakingdigitalstorytellingwebsitedesignandstrategiccommunicationsplanningandimplementationCommunitymembersarealsoabletouseCCTVrsquoscomputertechnologycenterfortraininginavarietyofsoftwareapplicationsincludingphotoeditinganddesignandcomputernetworkingThecenterhasbroadeneditsdistributionofvideoprogrammingtoincludeweb-basedmediastreamingofpre-recordedprogrammingpodcastsaudiochannelsandldquoCambridgeCommunityRadiordquowherememberscansignupfortwo-hourblocksofliveradiotimeThecenterrsquosservicesaddresstheneedsofactivistsnonprofitcommunitygroupsmediaeducatorsandpeopleseekingjobskillsthatextendfarbeyondthoseneededtofillthepublicchannelswithvideoItsofferingsareexpand-ingtoincludeworkshopsinpodcastingdigitalaudioproductionvideobloggingandcyberjournalismCCTVtakesdigitalmediaconvergenceseriouslyunderstandingthatmediaproductiontrainingproductionanddistribu-tionarenowapplicableacrossanumberofplatformsandproductionskillsets
Bay Area Video Coalition(BAVC)isanotherorganizationthatmakesemergingvideotechnologyacces-sibletoindependentmediamakersIthasevolvedintoaninternationallyrenownedmediaartscenterthatleadsthefieldinitshigh-qualityproductionandprofessionaldevelopmentsupportfornoncommercialmediamakersThecenteralsoprovidesclassestolow-incomeyouthinmediaartsproductionaswellasworkshopsforcommunitygroupsandnonprofitsBAVChasconsistentlyoffereddevelopmentseminarsandtrainingprogramsthatbringcommercialpro-ducersandnoncommercialproducerstogetherinacommonsettingItoffersoneoftheregionrsquoskeycertifiedtrainingprogramsforcompanieslikeAppleAvidandDigidesignThroughagrantfromtheFordFoundationBAVChasundertakenanationalstudyonldquoDigitalWorkforceDevelopmentrdquoallowingtheorganizationtoestablishitselfasanationalandregionalleaderinprofessionaldevelop-ment(Most2002)Itsprofessionaldevelopmentprogramisasignificantforuminwhichcommercialandnoncom-mercialmediamakerscancometogetherforprofessionaldevelopmentactivitiesinsettingsthatrespectthepublicinterestandroleofmediainsocialdevelopment
OutreachOutreachakeytoolformediagroupsmovestherelation-shipbetweencommunityandmediabeyondconsumption
Collaborationishardexpensiveandtime-consuming
tosocialchangeItinvitespeopletointeractwithmediatobeaffectedbyitandtoaffectothersItaskspeoplewhattheyneedandinvitesthemtocometogethertomeetthoseneeds
Thekeytocreatingrelevantoutreachisresearch-ingwhatthecommunityneedsdetermininghowtoreachitmosteffectivelyandhiringstaffwhohaveoutreachskillsandarewellversedinthecultureandlanguageofthegroupsbeingtargetedAChicagofilmmakerrecountedhowtheseconsiderationsimpactedhisdocumentaryaboutworkersrsquorightsOutreachstaffconsideredthepotentialimpactontwoaudiencesalargeaudienceofPBSviewerssittingintheirlivingroomsandasmallerbutmoreengagedaudienceofsteelworkerswatchingthedocumentaryatalocalbarTheyconcludedthatthebarviewerswouldberivetedbecausetheinformationinthedocumentarywasgearedtothemSuccessfuloutreachasksWhatdogroupspayattentiontoWhomdotheytrustWhatplatformauthenticallyrepresentsthem
NationalprogrammingcanbeacatalystforlocaloutreachParticipantsinChicagoandMinneapolis-StPauldiscussedtheexampleofldquoTheNewAmericansrdquoanationalPBSseriesonimmigrantsproducedby Kartemquin Films Active VoiceanationalorganizationthatworkswithmediamakerstobringaboutpersonalandinstitutionalchangeworkedwithKartemquintopackageseriesfootagethatfocusedonnewarrivalstoMinnesotaTheresultwasalocalseriesldquoTheNewMinnesotansrdquoandapartnershipthatusedmediatoeducatethemainstreamcommunityaboutlocalimmigrantsandtodevelopdiscussionandactivityguidesforcommunityoutreach
Connecting with Immigrant PopulationsMinoritypopulationsandgroupsconcernedwithsupportingtheidentitiesofmarginalizedpopulationshaveincreasinglyturnedtocommunitymediaassourcesofinformationvali-dationofcultureandproductionsupportforthecreationoftheirowncontentCommunitymediahavehelpedcallattentiontothelivesandconcernsofimmigrantcommuni-tiesthatareotherwiseinvisibleoutsidetheirparticularcommunityBecausetheyoftenhavefoundinnovativewaystousecommunitymediafornetworkingandsocialchangeimmigrantpopulationsillustratethepowerofcommunity
mediaandpresentrichopportunitiesformakingcommu-nitymediaorganizationsmorediverseandparticipatoryRoundtableparticipantssharedlessonsinwhatworksandofferedspecificideasforframinganewcommunitymediaprogramaddressingtheneedsofimmigrantsandreceivingcommunitiescalledNew Routes to Community Health
Inreachingouttoimmigrantcommunitiesround-tableparticipantsnotedthatitiscriticaltoidentifyandworkwithexistingagenciesthatimmigrantstrustperhapsachurchorassociationforaparticularethnicgroupButthoughimmigrantgroupsarethemostappropriateconve-nersofsuchcollaborativestheymustalsohavethecapacitytoconvene
TheselectionofplatformalsodeservescarefulconsiderationRoundtableparticipantsnotedthatinadapt-ingtechnologiestotheirownpurposesspecificimmigrantgroupsoftenpreferoneplatformoveranotherForexampleChicagorsquosKorean-AmericancommunityhasbeensuccessfulinusingethnicprintmediatoaddresscommunityissuesThePersianstorytellingtraditionhasmadePersianahugeandgrowinglanguagesegmentonblogsPersianisnowthefourthmostwidelyusedlanguageonweblogs(Macintyre2004)A2000surveyofSomalianimmigrantsinMinnesotashowedthatoverfortypercenteventhenconsideredtheInternettheirmainnewssource(Aynte2006)
RadioinparticularhasshowntremendouspowerinthedevelopingworldpartlyasaresultoftheUnitedNationsrsquoemphasisonradioasthemediumsupportingthemostwidespreadpracticeofcommunitymediaintheworldBecausetheyarefamiliarwithradiobeforecomingtotheUnitedStatesimmigrantgroupsoftenquicklyembraceradiouponarrivalinthiscountryItisalsooneofthemostinexpensiveformsofmediaandthereforeoneofthemostaccessibleldquoIftheycomefromLatinAmericatheyknowthepowerofradiordquoChicagoparticipantsnotedenthusiasti-callyLocalcommercialSpanish-languageradiostationseffectivelyhelpedmobilizeturnoutforimmigrationprotestsinChicagoinMay2006
community spotlightManycommunitiesintheUnitedStatescanpointwithpridetotheachievementsoftheircommunitymediaorganizationsWhenattemptingtoidentifybestpracticesinthenetworkedmediaenvironmentsweseetodayhoweveritisusefultothinkintermsofinterconnectionandcol-laborationnottolooksimplyatindividualmediacentersorbroadcaststationsOftenthemostsuccessfulexamplesofcommunitymediaemergeoutofongoingalliancesandcollaborationsamonglocalcommunitymediagroupsThe
Thekeytocreatingrelevantoutreachisresearchingwhatthecommunityneeds
communitiesspotlightedbelowhavebegunincorporatingpartnershipsandcross-platformcollaborationintothepracticeofcommunitymediaandhavebeguntoreapthebenefitsofthatapproach
Portland OregonTheMetro Government Community Media InitiativeillustratesthepotentialpowerofcommunitiesworkingtogethertoproducetheirownmediaratherthanhavingtheirstoryframedbycommercialnewsorganizationsAlthoughtheprojecthasnowendeditisincludedherebecauseitprovidedsuchastrongmodelforfuturecommu-nitymediaeffortsTheinitiativewasrootedinaproposalbylocalindependentfilmmakerTomChamberlinthatlocalmediamakerscommunitymediaorganizationscommunitygroupsandgovernmentagenciescollaboratetoproducepublicaffairstelevisionprogramsonissuesofconcerntoOregoniansMetroauniqueregionalgovernmentprimarilyresponsibleforregionalland-useandtransportationplan-ningtookChamberlinrsquosideatoheartWithagrantfromtheFederalHighwayAdministrationMetroandanallianceofcommunityorganizationsandgovernmentagenciesdevel-opedldquoZigZagRealStoriesNewAnglesrdquoaprogrambylocalfilmmakersfeaturingpersonalstoriesfromadiversegroupofregionalresidentsastheygrappledwiththetransporta-tionchoicesaffectingtheirfamiliesneighborhoodsandcommunities
InadditiontothecenterpiecebroadcastonOregon Public BroadcastingtheprojectcreatedaninteractivewebsiteanddistributedaDVDoftheprogramtothearearsquoscableaccesschannelsElementsoftheprojectalsofoundtheirwayontoPortlandrsquoscommunityradiostationKBOOandpacketsincludingextensivesupportmaterialsandDVDsweremadeavailableforscreeninginneighborhoodcentersandindependentmediavenuesTherewasalsoaplanninganddeliberationprocesstostrategizeabouthowcitizensgovernmentsandmediamakerscancollaboratetocreatecommunitydialogueandsolvecivicproblems
Asurbanspaceisincreasinglydefinedbytelecom-municationsasmuchastransportationandlandusetheprojectalsoillustratesthepowerfuloutcomesthat
canresultwhenregionaltelecommunicationsplanningbecomesintegratedwithlanduseandtransportationplan-ningandwhencommunitymediaareintegratedintobothformalandinformalprocessesofplanninganddelibera-tionTheMetroCommunityMediaInitiativeresultedinasignificantandmeasurableriseinregionalawarenessofthetransportationplanningissuesaddressedbytheproj-ectViewershipandDVDusesofthemediaincommunitysettingsexceededexpectations(Metro2004)AlthoughtheprojectwasnotimmediatelyreplicatedPortlandnowenjoyscontinuingcollaborationsbetweenMetrogovern-mentanditsareacommunitymedia
ParticipationintheMetroGovernmentCommunityMediaInitiative isonlyoneofthemanywaysPortlandrsquosKBOOradiohasdemonstrateditsfullcommitmenttotheoriginaldemocraticintentionsofcommunityradiooverthecourseofitsforty-two-yearhistoryOlderthanNationalPublicRadioKBOOisamongthelongest-liv-ingcommunityradiostationsintheUnitedStatesOfthenoncommercialradiostationsinPortlandKBOOistheonlystationwhosemissioncontainsanexplicitcommit-menttominorityprogrammersandlisteners(SussmanandEstes2004)KBOOrsquoscommitmenttodemocraticpracticeextendstoaboardofdirectorselectedentirelyfromitsmembershipwhichisopentoanyoneandanaggressivetrainingprogramconsistentwiththestationrsquoscommitmenttovolunteer-producedprogrammingmdashallprogrammingisproducedbyvolunteerswithassistanceofpaidstaffTheparticipationofwomenandminoritiesfarexceedthecommunityrsquosracialdemographics(SussmanandEstes2004)
Portland Community Media (PCM)hasarichtwenty-three-yearhistoryinPortlandwhenitcomestousingmediatobuildcommunityPCMstartedoutasacabletelevisionaccesscenterandstillprovidestheadminis-trationandtrainingtoprogramPortlandrsquoscableaccesschannelsbuthasexpandeditsmissiontoembracetheuseofcommunitymediatobringaboutbroaderparticipationincivicandculturallifePCMrsquoswebsitedescribesthecenterldquowiththreewordsndashEducateCommunicateParticipaterdquoCurrentlyPCMhasanumberofcollaborativeprojectssup-portingmedialiteracyandmediaeducationinthepublicschoolsystemitregularlyprogramsmediaproductionsfromPortlandrsquosmediaartscentertheNorthwestFilmandVideoCenteranditisplanningtoexpanditscentertosupporteconomicdevelopmentofmicroenterprisesfornewmedia
The Mt Hood Cable Regulatory Commission(MHCRC)overseesacable-relatedtelecommunicationsdevelopmentforgreaterPortlandOregonServing
Oftenthemostsuccessfulexamplesofcommunitymediaemergeoutofongoingalliancesandcollaborationsamonglocalcommunitymediagroups
thecommunitiesresidentsandlocalgovernmentsofFairviewGreshamPortlandTroutdaleWoodVillageandMultnomahCountyOregonTheMtHoodCableRegulatoryCommissionnegotiatesandenforcescableservicefran-chiseandactsinthepublicinterestoncommunicationspolicyissuesatlocalstateandfederallevelsItwouldbehardtooverstatetheimportanceofMHCRCinfosteringthegrowthofcommunitymediaingreaterPortlandThroughclearandinsightfulregulationofthecablefranchiseithasassuredthatthenecessarynetworksandtelecommu-nicationsinfrastructureareavailabletoallowcommunitymediatogrow
MtHoodrsquosCommunityAccessCapitalGrantsProgramisparticularlynoteworthyTheCapitalGrantsprogramprovidescapitalfundingtocommunicationsprojectsthatsupportsocialjusticecommunityinvolve-mentandtheeffectivedeliveryofservicesthroughcostreductionTheprogramhasallowedscoresofcommunitygroupstoincreasetheircommunicationscapacitythroughtheacquisitionofskillsknowledgeandtechnologyInimplementingthisgrantprogramtheMtHoodCableRegulatoryCommissionhasbeenextremelystrategicinconveninggranteesandcreatingtheconditionsthatleadtopartnershipsandcollaborativerelationships
TheNorthwest Film and Video Centerisalong-standingregionalmediaartsorganizationservingtheNorthwestregionThecenterprovidesarichprogramnurturingmediaartscultureItfeaturesanactiveexhibi-tionprogramforexperimentalandindependentfilmsahighlyregardedfilmschoolandextensiveyouthmediaprogramsThecenterpresentsanumberofyearlyfilmfestivalsincludingthePortlandInternationalFilmFestivaltheNorthwestFilmandVideoFestivalandtheYoungPeoplersquosFilmampVideoFestivalThecenterrsquosproductionsoftenfindtheirwayontotothearearsquoscablechannelsThecenterisalsoatrustedsourceofequipmentaccessforareaindependentproducersactiveintherichmediacultureofPortlandaservicepartiallysupportedbytheMtHoodCableRegulatoryCommissionrsquosCapitalGrantsprogram
Minneapolis-St Paul MinnesotaTheSaint Paul Neighborhood Network(SPNN)isacableaccessstationservingStPaulresidentsThestationprovidesopportunitiestothepublictoproduceandairprogramsononeofitsfivechannelsdedicatedtomulti-faithpubliceducationcommunityandinternationalcontentrespectivelySPNNhasayoutheducationprogramandacommunityproductionsprogramwhichworkswithnonprofitorganizationstocreatepublicserviceadvertise-
mentsorprogrammingWorkshopsincludeproductiongrantproposalwritinglegalquestionsandlightingSPNNisparticularlyeffectiveasconvenerandcapacitybuilderinitscommunityItseducationandtrainingprogramsarefocusedoncommunitydevelopmentandonkeepingthetechnicaltrainingelementsofitsworkinasocialperspective
Minneapolis Television Network(MTN)isSPNNrsquossisteraccessstationservingMinneapoliswithasimilarcommitmenttoprovidingacommunitygatheringplaceOperatingthreepublicaccesschannelsMTNofferstelevi-siontrainingandmedialiteracyclassesandisespeciallyencouragingofyouthparticipationThechannelsserveasabridgeforimmigrantstouseinadaptingtotheirnewhomemanynewimmigrantsusethemtocommunicateintheirnativelanguageswiththeirSomaliEthiopianorVietnamesecompatriotsSomali-languageprogramsforinstanceoffereighthoursaweekofmusicentertainmentcommunitynewsandreligiousinstructiontooneofthelargestsettlementsofSomalipeopleoutsideSomaliaIntoutingSomalitelevisionasthebestpublicaccesscabletelevisionprogramintheTwinCitiesCity Pages saidldquoForsomepublicaccessisanearlyinspiringlessonindemocracyandfreemediardquo(CityPages2004)WantingtostrengthenthenonprofitcommunityrsquosInternetsavvyMTNcreatedandeventuallyspunofftheRiverProjecttoofferInternetdial-upaccessandwebhostingtononprofits
PublicbroadcastershavealsoofferedstrongmodelsofcommunitycollaborationintheTwinCities Twin Cities Public Television(TPT)isthepublictelevisionstationservingtheMinneapolisndashStPaulregionIn2004TPTbegandedicatingtimeononeofitsdigitalchan-nelstoMinnesota-relatedprogrammingAnumberoftheprogramsontheMinnesota Channel(someofwhicharethencablecastonpublicaccesstelevision)aretargetedatLatinoHmongHindiMiddleEasternChineseandVietnamesecommunitiesandproducedinpartnershipwithnonprofitorganizationsTPTisapartnerintheMinnesotaCommunityCampaignthatencouragesurbanandruralareasinandaroundtheTwinCitiestowelcomethetensofthousandsofimmigrantsandrefugeesthathavesettledthereinthepastseveraldecadesSeekingtoeffectpositivechangeonimmigrantissuesthroughartmediaeducationsocialserviceandpolicymakingthecampaignproducedtheldquoTheNewMinnesotansrdquoasixty-minuteprogramthatoriginallyairedonTPTbasedontheKartemquinseriesldquoTheNewAmericansrdquo
InadditiontocommunityradiostationKFAItheTwinCitiesishometoMinnesota Public Radio(MPR)
whichhaspioneeredafreshapproachtojournalismcalledpublicinsightjournalism(PIJ)PIJtapsintothecollectiveknowledgeofMPRrsquosdiverseaudiencetoenrichitsreport-ingCreatingaten-thousand-personPublicInsightNetworkviathewebthestationinvitesthepublictobesourcesofstoryideasreactionsandperspectivesandbrainstormingonpublicissues
TheindependentfilmandvideocommunityworkscollaborativelyintheTwinCitiestosupportandpromoteartistandcommunityperspectivesIFP Minnesota Center for Media Arts Intermedia ArtsandtheWalker Art Center areamongthemulti-disciplinaryvenuesfordiscus-sionandproduction
AndtheInternetishometoanewaggregationofcommunitymediasourcesAccordingtoitswebsitethe Twin Cities Daily PlanetaprojectoftheTwinCitiesMediaAllianceisldquoacommunitynewswireandsyndicationserviceshowcasingthebestworkoftheneighborhoodandcommunitypressaswellasworkbyTwinCitiesindepen-dentjournalistsandthevoicesofengagedcitizensThepremiseoftheTC Daily PlanetisthatnewtechnologiesaremakingitpossibleforthesecitizenstobecomemoreactiveandpowerfulparticipantsinthenewsproductionprocessrdquoModeledafterKorearsquosOhmyNewstheTC Daily Planetseekstoimprovethequalitydiversityandaccount-abilityofthelocalmediaandtoinvolvetherapidlygrowingimmigrantandethniccommunitiesItrecruitsandofferstrainingtocitizenjournalistsandhaspartnershipswithoverfortyneighborhoodandcommunitymedia
Chicago IllinoisChicago Access Network Television(CAN-TV)offersfivepublicaccesschannelstoChicagolandresidentsThispublicspaceprovidesChicagoansanopportunitytodiscussissuesoflocalconcernpromotehealtheducationalandeconomicresourcesinthecommunityandcelebratelocaltalentandinitiativesCAN-TVprovidesvideotrainingequipmentandfacilitiesforarearesidentsandnonprofitgroupsItvideotapesandcablecastspublicforumstownhallmeetingscommunityeventsandotheractivitiesoflocalinterestThroughthisservicethestationprovidesChicagoanswithaccesstoinformationtheymaynototh-erwisehavethroughcommercialtelevisionForinstanceCAN-TVworkedwitheighttotenAIDSagenciestodissemi-natebasiceducationaboutAIDSpreventionvialivecall-inprograms
CAN-TVsupportsChicagorsquosassociationsandnonprof-itsthroughserviceslikeliveldquohot-linerdquocall-inshowsfrom
automatedstudiosthatonepersoncanoperateproductionservicesthatgenerateprogrammingforcommunityeventsandstrategiccommunicationsplanningworkshopsCAN-TVhasrefusedtofollowasimplisticldquoneutralityrdquoprogram-mingphilosophyinwhichtheaccesscentertransmitsonlyprogrammingthatrandomlycomesfromthecommunityInsteadCAN-TVactivelycreatesprogrammingimportanttocommunitydevelopmentInadditiontoitsfocusonnonprofitsCAN-TVactivelycreatespartnershipswithcon-tent-richgroupssuchaslocalmuseumsandartsgroupsItalsopartnerswithlocalmediaactivistproductiongroupslikeVideoMacheteandStreetLevelYouthMedia(profiledbelow)SimilarlyCAN-TVaggressivelyengagesinprogram-mingforlocalelectionsatypicalelectionseasonwillgeneratearoundtwohundredhoursoforiginalprogram-mingeachmonthandnearlyallthecandidateswillbefeaturedoractuallycreatetheirownCAN-TVprogrammingtocarryouttheircampaigns
Street-Level Youth MediaprovidesopportunitiesforChicagorsquosurbanyouthtousemediaartsandemergingtechnologiesforself-expressioncommunicationandsocialchangeItsstaffprovidesinstructioninvideoandaudioproductioncomputerartandtheInternettohelpyouthaddresscommunityissuesaccessadvancedcommunica-tionstechnologyandgaininclusioninsocietyInoneprojectitcollaboratedwithtwoseventh-gradeteachersandanESLinstructortohelpstudentsresearchissuesaboutimmigrationinoneneighborhoodTheteachersweretrainedtousevideoandthentrainedotherteacherswhoguidedtheirstudentsinproducingvideosforscreeningattheschoolMorethanthirtyvideoswerecreatedandvideotrainingandusehasbeenincorporatedintotheschoolcurriculum
Radio Arte(WRTE)istheonlybilingual(Spanish-English)youth-operatedurbancommunitystationinthecountryItoperateswithafocusonyouthinChicagorsquosPilsenandLittleVillageneighborhoodsAninitiativeoftheNationalMuseumofMexicanArtthiseducationalradiostationhasservedChicagoformorethansixyearstrainingyouthwithapriorityondevelopingindividualandgroupcommunicationcompetenciesthatallowyoungpeopletoenterpubliclifewithconfidencethroughthebroadcastmediumProvidingaforumforyoungpeopletobecreativeandresponsibletothelargestMexicancommunityintheMidwestRadioArteiscommittedtotrainingyoungpeopleintheartofbroadcastingRadioArtersquosuniquetwo-yeartrainingprogramprovidesyouthwithspecialcoursesonwritingforradioandjournalismvoicetrainingand
FCCregulationsaswellasbasiccomputerskillsproduc-tionskillsandon-airtrainingParticipatingintwograntroundsofSoundPartnersforCommunityHealththestationrsquosldquoRadioVidardquoproducedprogrammingonsubstanceabuseandaddictionbyandforLatinoyouth
Casa Guatemala Media Projectisanonprofitcommunity-basedorganizationthatservestheGuatemalanandbroaderLatinAmericancommunityinChicagoandtheMidwestSinceitsfoundingin1986ithasusedmediaincludingwebprintTVandradiotoraiseconsciousnessaboutissuesaffectingcommunitiesfromLatinAmericaInparticularitworkswithCAN-TVtoprovidetheeducationalcomponentofself-authoredmediathatwillpositivelytrans-formcommunitiesthroughworkshopsontheproductionandalternativeusesofemergingtechnologies
Beyond Media EducationworkswithunderservedandunderrepresentedcommunitiesprimarilywomenandyouthtotelltheirstoriesandorganizeforsocialjusticethroughthecreationanddistributionofalternativemediaandartsInarecenteffortitworkedwithaChicagosheltertohelpstreetwalkerstelltheirownstoriesinanefforttoraisepublicawarenessandpromotestate-levelreformsTheorganizationorganizedasix-monthworkshopthatincludedteachingandpracticingstorytellingpublicspeak-ingandvideoproductionskillstooveradozenprostitutesTheirgroundbreakingvideogivesinsightsintoChicagorsquossextradeindustryandrecountsthetriumphofthepar-ticipantsoverhomelessnessviolenceanddiscriminationTheirlobbyinginthestatecapitolresultedinpassageofabilltodestigmatizeanddecriminalizesexworkers
Keepingtabsonandshowcasingmuchofthecom-munitymediaactivityfromajournalisticperspectiveistheCommunity Media Workshop (CMW) CMWservesasabridgebetweensocialactivistscommunitymediaprac-titionersandjournalistsIthostsanannualacademyforprogressiveorganizationsintheChicagoareathatbringsactivistsandjournaliststogethertoshareideasandatti-tudesProminentareatelevisionandnewspaperjournalistsarerecruitedtoserveonpanelsleadworkshopsandgenerallysharetheirideasofhowprogressivegroupscaneffectivelygaintheattentionofthepressThisapproach
leadstobuy-infromkeypersonnelinChicagorsquosmainstreammediawhocannowbetterunderstandthegrassrootsgroupsthatapproachthemandtheirissuesItalsogivescommunityparticipantsattheworkshopstheopportunitytodevelopmorepersonalrelationshipswithkeymembersofthemediaThisapproachalsoenablescommunitygroupstobetterunderstandwhatmotivateseditorsandreporters
ThesethreecommunitiesshowcommondevelopmentpatternsandfactorsCommunitymediaorganizationshavebeguntounderstandtheirmissionsintermsofasharedcultureofcommunitymedialookingbeyondtheirindivid-ualmissionstothecommonsocialandpoliticalvaluestheyhaveincommonThisapproachopensthewayforcommu-nityradiomediaartscenterscommunitymediacentersandcableaccesstocreatecommunity-wideprograminitiativesinwhichseveralmediaplatformsareengagedItcreatestheconditionsinwhichitispossibleforcommunitymediaorganizationstoactwithunifiedstancesinpoliticaladvocacyregardingmediaissuesandotherissuescriticaltotheircommunitiesThiskindofcross-platformnetworkingalsocreatesopportunitiesforcommunitymediatoreceivemorediversefundingandsupportfromthecommunityastheyextendthenetworkorcultureofcollaborationtocom-munitydevelopmentgroupsandofficialsintheirregions
Communitymediaorganizationshavebeguntounderstandtheirmissionsintermsofasharedcultureofcommunitymedialookingbeyondtheirindividualmissionstothecommonsocialandpoliticalvaluestheyhaveincommon
ldquoThe boldest experiments in public telecommunica-tions take place when technologies are new and their commercial potential not yet fully apparentrdquo mdash Ralph Engelman 1996
Acrosstheirmanyplatformsandmanycommunitiescommunitymediahavebecomecentralculturalinstitutionsinthecivicculturalandeconomiclife
ofourcommunitiesprovidinginvaluablemediaprogram-mingaccessandeducationTheycaninsuchinstancesenablecommunitiestodevelopinformedcitizensartistsandactivistswhopossesstheskillsandknowledgeneededtograpplewithcomplexmedialiteracyanddevelopmentissuesatthelocallevel
Fordecadescommunitymediaorganizationshaveaddressedtheurgentneedtocreatelocalinstitutionsthatfacilitatecitizenaccesstomedianetworksandeffectiveparticipationinmediacultureforbothcitizensandwork-ersTheyareprovingthemselvesvitaltothepoliticalandeconomiclifeoftheircommunitiesTheyplaymultiplerolessimultaneouslyascriticalculturalenhancementstothequalityofciviclifeasemployersandaseducationalsitesforworkforcedevelopment
difficultyNeworganizationalformsandnewmediaformatslikestreamingarchivingpodcastingandbloggingarebecomingthenormpartofldquoblendedrdquoproductionanddis-seminationpracticesincommunitymedia
neW communicAtion spAces cyberjournAlismTheincreaseinInternetbandwidthandtheavailabilityofonlinesocialnetworkingsoftwarehavequalitativelychangedtherelationshipofjournaliststotheiraudiencesNewwebdestinationslikeMySpaceShutterflyFriendsterFlikrEviteandGooglearedevelopingvirtualcommuni-tiesforsharingvideoattractingyoungeraudiencesandmakingcontentmorethanpassiveandone-directionalSocialnetworkingsoftwareenablespeopletorendezvousconnectorcollaboratethroughcomputer-mediatedcom-municationandformonlinecommunities(Spannerworks2007)PopularsocialnetworksoftwareapplicationslikeweblogsorblogsseemparticularlywellsuitedtoparticipatorycitizenjournalismallowingeasypublishingofinteractivetextphotoaudioandvideocontentTheneweasewithwhichvideoclipscanbepreparedforuseonthewebhasbroughtontheriseofldquovlogsrdquoandsitesthatfacilitatethesharingofvideoclipsandaccompanyingcontentAnenormousrangeofblogsandcyberjournalisticsiteshavesprungupontheWorldWideWebinthepastfiveyearswithanequallywiderangeofeditorialstandardsandpracticesTechnoraticomcurrentlytracksseventeenmillionblogssharingoneandahalfmillionhyperlinks(Rennie2006)APewCenterInternetstudyestimatesthatthenumberofregularblogreadersintheUnitedStatesisequivalenttoalmosthalftheentireradioaudiencewhichisaboutaquarteroftheUSnewspaperreadership(Rennie2006)
Combinedwithaffordablenewdigitalmediaproduc-tioncamerasandrecorderstheseweb-baseddisseminationtoolsmakeitpossibleforcitizensandconsumerstoparticipateactivelyinnewsgatheringNonprofessionalshavebeguntoplayamoreactiveroleintheprocessesofjournalismfromcollectinginformationandreportingtoanalysisanddisseminationJanSchafferwhodirectsJ-LabaUniversityofMarylandincubatorforinteractivejournalismprojectsexplainsthatmanypeoplearebecom-ingmoreactivecitizensthroughjournalisticactivitybutdonotnecessarilyaspiretobejournalistsThenewtechnical
envisioning the future of community mediA
Communitymediaorganizationsareprovingthemselvesvitaltothepoliticalandeconomiclifeoftheircommunities
Communitymediaarealsocontributingimportantvaluespracticesandorganizationalmethodologiestotheemergingcollaborativemediaenvironmentsoftheblogo-sphereWecanlooktothesecontributionsastechnologicalandorganizationalopportunitiesforstrengtheningandexpandingcommunitymediapracticeWiththeInternetamediacultureisemergingthatismoreconsistentwiththenoncommercialpracticesofcommunitymediaproductioncollaborationanddemocraticparticipationinmediamak-inganddistributionConsequentlymanycommunitymediaorganizationsareintegratingthecapacitiesoftheInternetandnewmediaintotheirpracticeswithoutmuchfanfareor
0
capacityforcommunicationsheobservesallowspeopletoldquoparticipateinnewsandinformationinvariouswaysmdashparticipateininteractingwithitquestioningittruth-squadingitandcreatingitAndnowthattheyhavethetechtoolsandthetechskillstodothattheappetitehasonlyincreasedrdquo(Schaffer2005b)
SuchconditionshavesetthestageforintensepopularinterestinwhathasbeenbrandedldquowemediardquoorldquoparticipatoryjournalismrdquoTodaynumerousonlinejournalisticexperimentsbringtogetherprofessionaljour-nalistswithcitizenmediaactivistsandthoseinvolvedineventsMoreandmoretheearliestimagesandinformationregardingbreakingnewsarecomingfromnon-journalistspresentatthemomentoftheeventAsaresultjournalistsarebeginningtoconceptualizethemselvesnotsomuchasgatekeepersofnewsbutasmoderatorsinaconversationwithlicenseandtimetospeakfrequentlyandhopefullyaccurately(BowmanandWillis2003)
Thiskindofcommunity-centeredcoveragemayentailthere-balancingofeditorialpoliciesndashcommittingtodiversityembracingegalitarianvaluesandreassessingthevalueofeditorialneutralityItputsintoquestiontheroleandsignificanceofofteninnovativeldquopersonalmediardquoexemplifiedbythemillionsofbloggingsitesontheWebIsthiskindofldquonewsrdquoservingapubliccivicpurposeofcommunityproblemsolvingorindividualprivateexpres-sionInaWashington PostopinionpieceonDecember212006GeorgeKWillvoicedskepticismoftheseriousnessofmuchofthewebrsquosamateurjournalisminresponsetoTimemagazinersquosnamingallofusPersonoftheYear
Itisdifficulttopredictthefutureofcyberjournal-ismandbloggingpreciselyintheseearlystagesbutthreeoutcomesseemlikelyFirstbloggingwillcontinueitsrapidintegrationintomainstreammediacontentSecondblog-gingandotherformsofsocialnetworkingsoftwarewillgiverisetonewmediaentitiesthatwillchallengemainstreammedialocallynationallyandglobally
ThethirdoutcomeistheonemostrelevanttoacommunitymediascanCyberjournalismandparticipatory
citizenjournalismseemparticularlywellsuitedtoaddressthecurrentUSmassmediarsquosdifficultyinprovidingcoverageoflocaleventsinsmallercommunitiessuburbanregionsandcommutercommunitiesthataredevelopingoutsideformalpoliticaljurisdictionsCommunity-basedonlinejournalismsiteshavesprungupinhundredsofcom-munitiesaroundtheUnitedStatesTheyaremanagedandorganizedinwidelydivergentways
AnexperimentincyberjournalismandcommunitynetworkingtheTwin Cities Daily PlanetaggregatessomeofthebestjournalismfromMinnesotarsquosTwinCitiesneighborhoodandcommunitypressandindependentjour-nalistsaswellasthevoicesofengagedcitizenspresentingthemtothepublicthroughaninteractivewebsiteandcommunitydatabaseByaggregatingcitizenandneighbor-hoodjournalisminonesiteitincreasesthecapacityofsmallneighborhoodmediatoreachbeyondtheirborderstoawiderregionalaudienceUsingRealSimpleSyndication(RSS)softwaretheTC Daily Planetcanpotentiallyreachaglobalaudience
AprojectoftheTwinCitiesMediaAlliancetheTC Daily PlanetisaverynewformofcommunitymediaemergingfromtherestructuringofthenewspaperindustryandtheuseofbloggingandsocialnetworkingsoftwareAlthoughearlyinitsdevelopmenttheTC Daily Planetisgivingvoicetoanincreasingnumberofethnicimmi-grantandnon-mainstreamjournalistswhilefocusingthecommunityrsquosattentiononafargreaterrangeofpublicationsandideas
TheearliestexpressionsofcyberjournalismaretheIndependent Media Centers (IMCs)orIndymediaIndymediacameintobeingaspartoftheprotestsanddemonstrationsaroundtheWorldTradeOrganizationtalksheldinSeattleWashingtonin1999ThisfirstIMCwasaconvergenceoftheemerginginteractivityoftheInternetwiththeintenseneedofprotesterstogetindependentinformationouttotheworldabouttheprotestsAnetworkofindependentcommunitymediamakersactivistsandjournalistsbandedtogethertopoolresourcesandinforma-tion(Howley2005)
TheIMCsforeshadowedthebloggingandvideodis-tributionthatwasshortlytoemergebyusingtheInternetandtheWorldWideWebinconjunctionwithvideoandaudiodistributiontocreateatrulyunprecedentedmulti-mediaenvironmentIntermsofbothqualityandquantitytheSeattleIMCwasanimpressiveperformancebyanynewsandcurrentaffairsstandardsOverthecourseofthefive-dayprotestsadailynewspaperanddailyradioprogramwerecreatedandcountlessprintstoriesweredisseminated
Journalistsarebeginningtoconceptualizethemselvesnotsomuchasgatekeepersofnewsbutasmoderatorsinaconversation
globallyalsovideofeedsweresentthroughtheInternettopublicaccessandcommunitychannelsaroundtheworldSixyearsaftertheSeattleproteststherewere149Indymediawebsitesinabout45countriesonsixcontinents(Whitney2005)
TheopenformofcommunicationpracticedbymostIMCsiteshasnotbeenwithoutproblemsandcontra-dictionsManysitesarenowclutteredwithideologicaldiatribesanduneditedcontent(Halleck2002Whitney2005)ButthereareanumberofIndymediasitesthatprovidealternativenewsandinformationregardingaglobalscopeofconcernsthatwouldbeverydifficulttoobtainanywhereelseinthemediaAnumberofsitesinplacessuchasNewYorkCityPortlandOregonandtheSanFranciscoBayareahaveestablishedthemselvesasstablepartsoftheircommunityrsquosmediaculture
companiesspecializedsuppliersserviceprovidersandassociatedinstitutionsinaparticularfieldthatarepresentinanationorregionrdquo(Porter2000)Thecompaniesinanindustryclusterhaveacomplexwebofmutuallysupportingrelationshipsthatencompassbothcompetitiveandcollab-orativerelationshipsTheylinkacrossprofitandnonprofitpracticesutilizecommoninfrastructuremakecommoncontributionstothedevelopmentofahighlyskilledwork-forcesharefundingandinsomecasestalentedstaff
Increasinglycommunitydevelopmentpractitionersandanalystsarecomingtounderstandindustryclustersaspowerfulstrategiesforbotheconomicandcommunitydevelopmentinthetwenty-firstcenturyThisisprovingdoublytruefornonprofitcommunitymediaorganizationswhoseroleitistobringpowerfultoolsandknowledgetoanycommunityrsquosdeliberationsaroundcommunityandeco-nomicdevelopmentBroadbandandwirelessnetworksareprovidingthepracticalmeansoflinkingcommunitymediaorganizationswithincommunitiesofferingakeystrategicadvantagebyenhancingtheeffectivenessofcollaborationandpartnershipbuilding
AstheexamplesinthepreviouschaptershowcommunitymediaorganizationsaretakingonnewrolesincludingcombiningproductionandtrainingtakingonworkforcedevelopmentfunctionsandbecomingtechnologycentersfordiffusionofnewmediaBeyondtheseexampleslongstandingsuccessfulcommunitymediaorganiza-tionsaremergingasnetworkclusterslinkingdifferentgroupsandorganizationswithincommunitiestocreateentirelynewcommunitymediaorganizationsorblurringtheboundariesbetweentheirorganizationsOthersarebringinghistoricallyseparatecommunitymediagroupswithinoneorganizationalstructureorunderonerooftosharebuildingsandcommunicationsinfrastructuresinacost-effectivemanner
TheorganizationsthatemergefromthisintegrationmaybesimilarinfunctionthoughtheirnamesremaindifferentAcommunity-basedsiteforcitizenmediaandcyberjournalismforexampleandacommunitynetworklikeMAINinAshevilleNorthCarolinaoracutting-edgecableaccesscenterlikeGrandRapidsCommunityTelevisionbegintolookverymuchalikeintermsof
Increasinglycommunitymediadevelopmentishappeningthroughnetworksoflocalnonprofitmediaorganizationsratherthanwithinsingleorganizations
neW orgAnizAtionAl spAces netWorked clusters Perhapsthemostpromisingtrendonthehorizonforcom-munitymediaistheemergenceofnewhighlyintegratedorganizationalstructuresandcollaborativeprocessesIncreasinglycommunitymediadevelopmentishappeningthroughnetworksoflocalnonprofitmediaorganizationsratherthanwithinsingleorganizations
Inmanywaysthesereorganizationsatthecom-munitylevelparalleltherestructuringtakingplaceintheprivatecorporatesectorTherecommunicationsnetworksarebeingusedtosupportcomplexpartnershipsandjointcompanyprojectdevelopmentinteractivenetworkseasetheaggregationoflargeorstrategiccapitalandemployeeskillsetsacrossgeographicandorganizationalboundariesforthepurposesofinnovationandmarketdevelopmentInthelanguageofcommunityandeconomicdevelop-mentthesecomplexpartnershipsareknownasldquocreativeclustersrdquoorldquoindustryclustersrdquoMichaelPorteraleadingtheoristandproponentoftheconceptofclustersdefinesthemasldquogeographicconcentrationsofinterconnected
Successfulcommunitymediaorganizationsaremergingasnetworkclusters
technologyprogrammingactivitiesandtheexperienceofcommunityaudiencesvolunteersandparticipantsEachorganizationreliesonnoncommercialaffordablebandwidtheachplayssomeroleinadvocatingforsupportivegovern-mentpoliciesandeachisexperimentingwiththepotentialofnewcollaborativemediatoolsOftencommittedtoengagingandtrainingvolunteersandcommunitymembersinsomemannertheymayoffertrainingandvolunteerpro-gramsthatrequiresimilarsharableonlinetutorialsandonlineoutreachandschedulemanagementtools
TheexamplesthatfollowdemonstratethewayscommunitymediacreativeclustersaremakinguniquecontributionstotheircommunitiesrsquoqualityoflifeandeconomicwellbeingTheyaredoingsointhreeimportantwaysbullfirstbyamplifyingtherolethatartsandculturalgroups
playinenhancingthequalityoflifeandattractingatalentedworkforceandcapitaltothecommunitymdasharolethatisgaininginsignificanceinthetwenty-firstcentury
bullsecondascontributorstocoreeconomicdevelopmentfunctionsinthecommunityincludingworkforcedevelop-mentandtrainingasmicro-enterpriseincubatorsandascreatorsofnewknowledgeandeducationalexperiencesand
bullthirdasfacilitatorsandcatalystsofcommunitydialoguecommittedtoembracingmarginalizedvoicesandallow-ingthecommunitytoundertakeitsowndevelopmentdemocratically
Lowell MassachusettsLowell Telecommunications Center(LTC)isapublicandgovernmentaccesschannelandmediaandtechnologycen-terItprovideseducationandtraininginmediacreationincludingwebdesigndigitalphotographyandtelevisionproductionLTCworksincollaborationwithotherlocalcommunity-basedorganizationsmunicipaldepartmentsandeducationalentitiestoproducediversemulticulturalprogrammingthatmeetsthecommunityrsquoscommunica-tionandinformationneedsLTChasbecomeaconvening
organizationforbuildingcapacityamongLowellrsquosnonprofitcommunity-basedorganizationsintheiruseofparticipatorymediaandcivicengagementstrategies
LTCismorefocusedthanothercommunitymediaorganizationsoncommunitybuildingandcommunicationtechnologyThecorporationisworkingtobuildanetworkforparticipatorymediaandcivicengagementthroughouttheMerrimacRiverValleyThroughaUSDepartmentofEducationgrantLTCacquiredfundingandstafftohelpitspartnerorganizationsbecomeInternet-capableassesstheirinformationtechnologyneedsacquiretechnologyupgradestoaddressthoseneedsandundertakethetrainingtousethetechnologyeffectively
RatherthanwaitingforgroupstocometoitscenterLTCcreatedacircuitridertrainingprogramthattookthetrainingprogramintothecommunityThroughLTCrsquosinformationtechnologycenterscoresofcommunitygroupshavereceivedtrainingdesignedandcreatedwebsitesanddevelopedstrategiccommunicationsplansforthefutureThosedevelopmentsincludeweb-basedhistoricalarchivesGISmappingsystemsmultimediamaterialsandInternetvideoTohelporganizationsacquirethesoftwaretheyneedtocarryouttheirmissionsLTCcreatedtheCommunitySoftwareLabwhichdevelopsuniquesoftwaretofittheneedsofareanonprofitsThelabhasbeenspunofftocreateaseparatenonprofitentityjoiningthegrowingnumberofindependentorganizationsthatnetworkthroughLTC
ThemostrecentLTCinitiativeisldquoDigitalBicyclerdquoapeer-to-peernetworkthatallowsmediacentersworldwidetodownloadandsharelocalcontentLTCstaffenvisionDigitalBicycleasanonlinecommunityforcableaccessmediaartsindependentmediaandothernoncommercialmedia
Grand Rapids MichiganldquoBuildingcommunitythroughmediardquoThissimplemissionstatementguidedtheGrand Rapids Community Media Center(GRCMC)asitevolvedfromatypicalcableaccessoperationtobecomeabroad-basedmultimediacenterandamodelforthedevelopmentofcommunitymultimediacentersintheUnitedStatesOverthepasttwentyyears
Communitymediacreativeclustersaremakinguniquecon-tributionstotheircommunitiesrsquoqualityoflifeandeconomicwellbeing
LTCisworkingtobuildanetworkforparticipatorymediaandcivicengagementthroughouttheMerrimacRiverValley
GRCMChaspulledthediversecommunitymediaactivitiesofGrandRapidsunderoneorganizationalumbrellaandtakentheleadinarticulatingthepotentialforaggregatingnoncommercialnetworkedcommunicationsthere
Theevolvingnetworkofmediaplatformsdis-ciplinesandculturalgroupsthatconvergetobecomeGRCMCnowincludesthefollowingcentersofpracticeGRTVacommunitytelevisioncenterthatprogramsmultiplecableaccesschannelsWYCEacommunityradiostationGrandnetacommunitytechnologyandnetworkcenterthatprovidescitizenandnonprofitaccesstotheInternetandtheGrandRapidsInstituteforInformationDemocracyacriticalmediaeducationandresearchcenterthattracksmediaandlocalpublicinterestissuesandpub-lishesinformationonmediaaccountabilityandreform
ButtheGrandRapidsCommunityMediaCenterismorethanthesumofitspartsThecomponentsofthecenterworktogetherinamutuallyreinforcingwholethatcreatesapowerfulcommunitymediapresenceinGrandRapidsandallowsthecentertoundertakefarmoreambitiousprojectsandprogrammingthanwouldbethecaseseparatelyOneexcellentexampleistheMobileOn-LineLearningLabforInformationEducationKnownasMOLLIEtheprogramprovidesskilledtrainersanddigitalvideoproductionequipmenttoschoolsandcommunityorganizationsforspecialprojectsOriginallyfundedbyafederalDepartmentofEducationgrantMOLLIEfillsintechnologygapsinGrandRapidseducationalinstitutionsandnonprofitsInthehandsofalessintegratedinstitutiontheMOLLIEprojectcouldeasilybeatechnicallyorientedequipmentloanandtrainingprogramInthehandsofthecenterMOLLIEhasbecomeasophisticatedmediaandtechnologyeducationalinitiativeprovidingatrainingprogramthataddressesmediaeducationfromtheperspec-tiveofallthecomponentsoftheGrandRapidsCommunityMediaCenter
Asheville North CarolinaOneofthemostarticulateeffortsmergingthecreativeclustersideawithparticipatorycommunicationhascomeaboutinAshevilleNorthCarolinaThroughapersistent
collaborationbetweenforwardlookingregionalgroupsandorganizationsndashinvolvingabroadnetworkofindi-vidualscommunitymediaandmediaartsgroupsintheAshevilleregionndashAshevillehaslaidthefoundationforacommunitymediadevelopmentcenterthatwillfunctionasacableaccesscentermediaartscenterandnewmediamicro-enterpriseincubatorAtthecenterofthiseffortisaninformalcoalitionoffourimportantgroupsinAshevilleMountainAreaInformationNetworkMediaArtsProjectBoncombeCountyEconomicDevelopmentCommissionandURTVThegroupsrepresentdistinctpointsofviewandconcernsaswellasconverginginterests
Eachgroupsharedtheinsightthatcivicparticipa-tionandeconomicsuccessinthetwenty-firstcenturyaredirectlyrelatedtohavingaccesstocommunicationstechnologyandknowledgeEachalsounderstoodthattherenegotiationofthecablefranchisesintheCityofAshevilleandsurroundingBoncombeCountywasastrategicmomenttocatalyzeandassociateanumberofcommunity-basedinformationandmediaartsactivitiesalreadyinplaceorplannedinAshevilleThegroupsusedthecablefranchisingprocesstocreateacommonorganizationalandfacilitiesinfrastructuresupportingtheuseofmediaforbothcivicandeconomicdevelopment
The Media Arts Project(MAP)isanetworkofmediaartiststhatcultivatesinnovativeartsandtechnol-ogyinwesternNorthCarolinaMAPworkedtirelesslytoframecableaccessasacommunitydevelopmentissuebridgingthemediaactivistcommunitiesandthemoreforward-thinkingfactionsamongeconomicdevelopmentprofessionalsintheregionWiththerecentopeningofURTV IncAshvillersquoscableaccessorganizationandfacilityMAPanditsnetworkofpartnersarenowturningtheirattentiontofundingthemediaartsandeconomicincubatorelementsofthevision
AshevillersquosinterestinsupportingcommunitymediaarisesfromthepresenceoftheMountain Area Information Network(MAIN)Inthetraditionoftheruralcooperativesthathelpedspreadthereachofelectricityinthe1930sMAINisanonprofitInternetserviceproviderofferingreliablelow-costInternetservicebothinwesternNorthCarolinaandnationwideItisauniquecommunitynetworkwithabroadvisionofitsroleinthecommunitythatencompassesmedialiteracyeconomicdevelopmentstrategiescommunitylow-powerradioacommunity-basedwebportalandtheprovisionofInternetconnectivitytoruralwesternNorthCarolinaMAINislargelyresponsiblefortheremarkableexpansionofInternetaccessibilityinwesternNorthCarolinaallowingthousandsofpeopleto
GRCMChaspulledthediversecommunitymediaactivitiesofGrandRapidsunderoneorganizationalumbrella
spendtheirInternetaccessdollarswithalocallycontrolledandaccountableorganizationMAINdemonstratesthevalueofthecommunitynetworkingconcepttoareasthatarelagginginconnectivityduetofailuresofthemarket
MAINhastakenaleadershiproleinbuildingacommunitymediacultureinAshevillethatdemonstratestheeasewithwhichdigitalmedialeapsorganizationalboundariesItscommunitynetworkrunstheBlueRidgeWebMarketwhichprovidesafreecustomizableInternetpresencetohundredsofsmallbusinessesthroughoutwesternNorthCarolinaItsLatinoDigitalLiteracyProjectofferstrainingtohelpthearearsquosgrowingLatinopopula-tionsaccesstheInternetMAINhasbeenoneofthekeypartnersinbringingacableaccesscentertoAshevilleandhasbeenthedrivingforcebehindWPVMWNCrsquoslow-powerFMradiostationbroadcastinglocalnewsviewsandmusicover-the-airintheAshevilleregion(andtheworldviawebcast)
Cleveland OhioPerhapsthemostrobustcommunity-basednonprofitnetworkintheUnitedStatesOne ClevelandprovideswhatitcallsldquoultrabroadbandnetworkingservicesrdquotoClevelandareaeducationgovernmentresearchartscultureandhealthcareorganizationsOneClevelandoperatesafibernetworkringthatcoversmuchofthecityofClevelandandmanyofitssurroundingsuburbsSubscriberstothenetworkconnectatgigabitspeeds
OneClevelandrepresentswhatcanhappenwhenpowerfulcommunitydevelopmentforcescometoaconsensusregardingtheircommunityrsquosneedforhigh-speedconnectivitytoglobaleconomiesandmediaItsfoundersareClevelandmainstreaminstitutionsCaseWesternReserveUniversityCuyahogaCommunityCollegeClevelandStateUniversityTheCityofClevelandGreaterClevelandRegionalTransitAuthorityideastreamCuyahogaCountyPublicLibraryandNorTechThenetworkhasformedrelationshipswithtechnologycompaniestomaintainup-to-dateapplicationsthatleveragethepotentialofsuchapowerfulnetwork
Oneofthenetworkrsquoskeypartners ideastream illustratesthesignificanceofworkingtogethertomakehigh-speedconnectivitypubliclyavailablethroughoutacommunityonitsowntermsBybuildingahigh-speednet-workOneClevelandhascreatedacivicnetworkspaceandinfrastructurethatallowsanewkindofmultimediapublicmediaorganizationtobecreatedIdeastreamresultedwhenWVIZPBSTelevisionand903WCPNRadiopublicbroad-castersmergedtoformanewnonprofitldquomultimediapublicserviceorganizationrdquoIdeastreamisabletoextenditsmediaexpertisebeyondbroadcastingtoonlinetechnologiesandapplicationsofalltypesmdashwhenyouareconnectingtothenetworkatthegigabitspeedsofOneClevelandrsquostherangeofapplicationsandtheirpotentialarehuge
MAINhastakenaleadershiproleinbuildingacommunitymediacultureinAshevillethatdemonstratestheeasewithwhichdigitalmedialeapsorganizationalboundaries
OneClevelandrepresentswhatcanhappenwhenpowerfulcommunitydevelopmentforcescometoaconsensusregardingtheircommunityrsquosneedforhigh-speedconnectivitytoglobaleconomiesandmedia
Inthecourseofpreparingthisreportndashpouringovertheliteratureandsynthesizinghoursofstructuredround-tableconversationsandone-on-oneinterviewswith
opinionleadersandsuccessfulpractitionersofcommunitymediandashonethingisextremelyclearThewayoursocietymakesandsharesinformationknowledgeandcultureisinaheightenedstateofchangeTheinteractivenatureoftheInternethasdemonstratedthatitispossibletoorganizecommunicationsinamuchmoredemocraticfashionSomehaveconcludedwearewitnessingthetransitionfromanindustrializedinformationenvironmenttoanetworkedinformationenvironmentTheoldindustrialmediastruc-turesbasedonexclusivehigh-costproductionprocessesarebeingchallengedbyanemergingmediasectorinwhichthecostofcreatinginformationknowledgeandculturehasbeenprofoundlyreducedandtheproductsareintercon-nectedwidelythroughnetworksliketheInternet(Benkler2006)IndeedthereisincreasingevidencethatthesenewmediaanddigitalnetworksareparticularlyconducivetononcommercialandnonprofitculturalproductionaswellasmoreparticipatoryandcollaborativemediapracticesInmanywaysthelong-standingvaluesandintentofcommu-nitymediaforeshadowthisnewmediaenvironment
ThescanresearchfocusedonfourkeyareasofinquiryWhataretheuniquecharacteristicsthatdistin-guishcommunitymediaWhatmakesmedia-communitycollaborationssuccessfulWhattypesofcommunitymediaorganizationsbestleveragenewtechnologiesHowmightcommunitymediaengageunderservedpopulationsinprogrammingtailoredtotheirneedsIneachinstancewefoundthatcommunitymediacombinedwithgreaterafford-ablebandwidthandopen-sourceapproachestoproductiondohavetremendouscommunitydevelopmentpotentialHowevernoneofthatpotentialwillcomeaboutmagicallyThecommunitymediasectorisfacingthechallengingtaskofmanagingextensivechangeandtransformation
chAllengesThesuccessdisappointmentsandsocialvalueofthepastsixtyyearsofcommunitymediainitiativesmustbejudgedinhistoricalcontextConsistentmisrepresentationinthemainstreammediaandlimitedunaccommodatingsocialpolicyhaveresultedininadequatevisibilityandfinancialsupportforcommunitymediaAnydiscussionofitssuccessesorfailuresmustincorporateanunderstand-
ingoftheseexternalconstraintsInthislighttheexistingexpressionsofcommunitymediaattheirbestarewildlysuccessfulsocialexperimentsgivingcauseforgreatoptimism
NeverthelesscommunitymediafacebothexternalandinternalchallengesTheinternalchallengesarisefromstructuraltensionsthatoccurinanyattempttocreateorganizationsandculturesthatembodydiversitydemocraticexpressionandequitableaccessRatherthanbeingexpressedasldquoweaknessesrdquoasissooftenthecaseinmainstreammediaandacademiatheseinternaltensionsaremoreproperlyunderstoodaspredictabledevelopmentalproblemsandopportunitiesthatpractitionersshouldbepreparedtograpplewithinanycommunitymediasetting
Balancing Free Expression and Audience Development CommunityradioandpublicaccesscablehavehistoricallyprivilegedtheinterestsofproducersbygrantingthemgreatpoliticalfreedominmakingdecisionsregardingwhatprogrammingtocreateandwhataestheticandformattingapproachestouseThetrade-offforacultureofactivistvolunteerismandfreeexpressionhasbeensmalleraudi-encesandlowerlevelsofproductionandprogramsupportProgramproducerscarryanintensecommitmenttoindi-vidualownershipoftheirprogramminginitiativesthatmaynottaketheaudiencersquosinterestsfullytoheart
Whiletheseapproachesinradioandcableaccesshaveresultedinadiversityofprogrammingandpoliticalviewpointstheyhavealsopreventedradiostationpro-grammersorcableaccessorganizationsfrombuildingaflowofprogramsthatcandefineandconstructanongoingaudienceinthecommunityEachprogramorscheduledprogramslotcarriesitsownmicroaudienceldquofragmentedpublicsrdquothatareoftennotpartofanintegratedflowofpro-grammingthatattractsanaudiencetothechannelsoverall(Higgins2002)
Freeexpressionandaudiencedevelopmentarenotmutuallyexclusivenordoparticipatorymanagementstructuresvolunteerinvolvementandproducertrain-ingprogramsneedtoimpedeaudiencedevelopmentThesuccessofAmyGoodmanandDemocracyNowsoundlydemonstratesthisInfactmanycommunitymediaorgani-zationshavecreatedprogramminginitiativesthatcombinesophisticatedmeasurementsofsocialoutcomeswith
conclusions
trainingandparticipatoryprogramplanningTheyhavenotonlyraisedthesocialvalueoftheirprogrammingtotheircommunitiestheyhavealsoincreasedthesizeandloyaltyoftheiraudiences(Aufderheide2003)Asinteractivemediabegintocreatetheconditionswherenicheprogram-mingcanbefarmoresuccessfulthetensionbetweenfreeexpressionandaudiencedevelopmentisnotonlyachal-lengebutalsoatremendousopportunity
Programming MetricsStillroundtableparticipantsrepeatedlynotedthatevenwhenprogrammingmeetscommunityneedscommunitymediaorganizationscanfinditdifficulttodocumentimpactTheyfeltthatfundershavegenerallynotyetaddressedtheroleofmediainpopularcultureorthepowerofpopularcultureinaddressingsocialproblemsInaddi-tionfundersfindithardtoestablishcost-benefitmeasuresofsocialimpactfortheirmediaexpenditures
ParticipantsaskedformodelsofaudiencefeedbackandoutcomesmeasurementthatgobeyondaudiencenumbersTheyacknowledgedthedifficultyofquantify-ingnotionsofsuccesswhichtendtobeverysubjectiveandofusingsuccessstoriesinthecommonprogrammingmetricsofthedayManyrecognizedskepticismamongfundersabouttheimportanceofcommunitymediaasuspicionaboutagendasandafearofthecostsinvolvedmakingcommunitymediaahardsellEventhoughafewgoodevaluationeffortswereacknowledgedtheircollectiveresultshavenotbeenincorporatedintothethinkingofthewiderfundingcommunity
FundingMulti-yearstablefundingsupportforcommunitymediainitiativesiscriticaltostabilityinnovationandgrowthRoundtableparticipantsdiscussednumerousinstancesinwhichprojectswithmulti-yearsupporthadpowerfulpositiveimpactsextendingbeyondtheinitialprojectgoalsMulti-yearfundingcreatesthestabilitytoundertakeproperstrategicplanningandpartnershipdevelopment
Thereissomeearlyevidencethatamultiple-plat-formnonprofit-orientednichemarketcouldemergeasasignificantopportunitytoprovideenhancedrevenueforthecommunityandnoncommercialmediasectorsTheinterac-tivecapacityofthenewnetworkssignificantlyincreasestherevenuepotentialforcooperativeandsubscription-styleprogrammingflowsHoweverstrongmarketsforcommer-ciallyfundedparticipatorycommunityexpressionhavenotyetemergedinthedigitaleraduetothelimitedsizeofpopulationsandavailableadvertisingsupportIfthereistobeavitalsectorofcommunity-basedmediasomeformofsignificantpublicfundingwillbenecessaryevenininstanceswherecommunitymediaorganizationsmightrealizesignificantrevenuefromnewmarketsInordertomakethemostefficientuseofpublicfundingcommuni-tiesmustevolvefundingandgovernancestructuresforcommunitymediathatcanfacilitatetheaggregationoffundscoordinatemultiple-organizationprojectsandactastrustedconvenersofprogramminganddevelopmentdiscus-sionsincommunities
Policy ThreatsWhiletheconvergenceoftechnologyandpracticescreatesincreasingpotentialsforaunifiedcommunitymediasectorthereisunfortunatelynocohesiveandunifiednationalpolicyframeworkforcommunitymediaThegovernmentpoliciesandregulationsthatexistforcommunitymediahavebeenretrofittedinthearenasofUSbroadcastingandtelephonypolicyWhiletheyrepresenthard-wonpoliticalvictoriesandstrategicinsighttheydonotaddresstheneedsofcommunitymediainaholisticway
Inthecurrentpoliticalclimatebroadcastmediaownershipcontrolandprogrammingwillcontinuetobecentralizedinfewercorporationsleavingcommunitieswithlessoptionsforcontrollingtheirlocalmediaenviron-mentsAtthesametimethetelephonecompanieswillenterthemarketforvideotelephonyandbroadbandbydeployinghigh-capacitydigitaltelevisionnetworksinmanycommunitiesintheUnitedStates
ThecurrenttrendofcentralizationinUStele-communicationspolicyisthreateningtheabilityoflocal
Freeexpressionandaudiencedevelopmentarenotmutuallyexclusivenordoparticipatorymanagementstructuresvolunteerinvolvementandproducertrainingprogramsneedtoimpedeaudiencedevelopment
Communitymediaorganizationscanfinditdifficulttodocumentimpact
governmentstomandatecommunity-basedcommunica-tionsnetworksandprogramminginitiativesasrentonthepublicrights-of-wayThesefundingmechanismscurrentlysupportPublicEducationandGovernment(PEG)accesscabletelevisioncentersmediaartscentersandmanymunicipalcommunicationnetworksWhilefarfromperfectregulatorymechanismstheyareoneofthemostsuccess-fulformsofpublicmediasupporttoariseinthelastthirtyyears
Overthenextfiveyearsthesesuccessfulfundingstrategieswillbeunderheavyattackbythetelephonecom-paniesandthecabletelevisionindustryinastrugglewithgovernmentsforcommunitycontrolofthepublicrights-of-wayThesamedynamicthreatensequitableInternetaccessIncreasinglybroadbandcommunitynetworksaremunicipallyownedormandatedWhilesomeofthesemunicipalbroadbandnetworksweredeployedforinternalmunicipalpurposestimehasshownthatsuchnetworkscanserveanumberofnon-governmentalcommunity-basedpurposesincludingwirelessISPconnectionsforresidentsbusinessesandvisitorsManycommunitiesareseeking(andsomehaveobtained)ldquoCommunityBenefitsAgreementsrdquowithproposedwirelessbroadbandvendorsthatsetasideasmallfranchisefeeongrossrevenuestosupportdigitalinclusionactivitiesfollowingtheexampleofcablecompaniessupportofPEGaccessHowevermunicipalbroadbandandmunicipalwirelessareunderattackbyindustriestryingtoreservethesedevelopmentrightsforthemselves
Theoutcomeofthedebatesaroundcontroloftherights-of-waywillhaveasignificantimpactonthefuturepathofcommunitymediadevelopmentThesedebateswillrangeacrosstheregulatoryspectrumtheyarenowbeingwagedinlocalstateandnationallegislativearenasandthecourtsTheresultingcommunicationsinfrastruc-tureandregulatoryframeworkwillbeabletorealizethepotentialsofcommunitymediaifandonlyifcommunitiesareabletotakeleadershipinprovidingsubstantialpublicaswellasprivatefundingAsanoldtruismnotesldquomoneyispolicyrdquo
Therearenopoliticalortechnicalguaranteesthatdigitalmedianetworkswillremainopenandparticipa-toryastheyevolveItisunlikelythatmarketforcesalone
willservetorealizethedemocraticpotentialoftodayrsquosparticipatorymediatechnologyBuildingarobustsectorofcommunity-baseddemocraticnewmediawillrequireeffectivecitizenactivismclearandresponsivegovern-mentpoliciesandeffectivepoliticalstrategiesCommunitymedianeedsseparaterecognitionandsupportwithinfed-eralstateandlocalcommunicationspolicyandregulatorystructuresinordertoensureequitableandstablefundinganddevelopment
models for the futureThegovernmentregulationsandsubsidiesthatunderpincommunitymediahaveevolvedinahodgepodgefashionoverthepastsixtyyearsItcanbearguedthatcommunitymediashouldbetreatedasaseparatesectorwithinte-gratedfundingstructuresconsistentinfrastructureandtaxandsubsidypoliciesthatareseparateanddistinctfromexistinglocalmediapoliciesandalsofromthepoliciesunderpinningpublicbroadcastingPossiblemodelsforamoreunifiedapproacharenumerousbuttwoappearpar-ticularlywellsuitedtocommunitymediarsquosdiverseformsorganizationsandprogrammingapproaches
Public Funding FindingappropriatemethodsofincreasingpublicfundingforcommunitymediainashiftingregulatoryenvironmentiscrucialCurrentlocalcablefranchisingregulationstosupportcableaccessandthecommunitybenefitsagree-mentsofmunicipalwirelessnetworksoffersuccessfulmodelsbutarenowbothunderattackThelawsrequiringcommercialcableproviderstosetasidebandwidthchan-nelcapacityforthepublicinadditiontooperatingfundingbasedonapercentageofcommercialrevenuescouldbeextendedtoincludevoicevideoanddataEssentiallythenanycommercialproviderusingthepublicrights-of-wayorthewirelessspectrumwouldberequiredtocontributeanequitablepercentageofbandwidthandrev-enuetosupportthecommunitycommunicationssector
Community Media DevelopmentAdequatelevelsoffundingareonlypartoftheequationWhilefundingshouldsupporttheoverallgrowthofthe
Thereisunfortunatelynocohesiveandunifiednationalpolicyframe-workforcommunitymedia
setasidebandwidthchannelcapacityforthepublicinadditiontooperatingfunding
communitymediasectorinasensiblefashionanyfundingsolutionmustaddressthedifficultynowexperiencedbyfundersindealingwithcommunitymediahowtoprovideoverallsupporttoasectormadeupofsmallindependentorganizationswithanextremelydiversesetoffundingsourcesandmissionsOneeconomicdevelopmentapproachseemsparticularlyusefulhereProgressivecommunityeconomicdevelopmentstrategieshaveevolvedtosupportthegrowthofadiversityofsmallenterpriseswithinacom-monsectorwhilerecognizingthattheseenterprisescanatdifferenttimesbecollaboratorspartnersorcompetitorsSimilarstrategiescanguidedevelopmentofthecommunitymediasector
Thereareatleasttwoshort-termstepsthatcouldassistinthedevelopmentofcommunitymediaorgani-zationsandsupporttheircitizensrsquoabilitytocopewithcommercialmediaandinformationsaturationOneisforcommunitiestobuildorsecureaffordablebroadbandandwirelessnetworkinfrastructurewithastrongcommu-nitybenefitsagreementinsupportofdigitalinclusionHundredsofcommunitiesacrossthecountryeitherhaveorarelaunchingsuchwirelesscommunitynetworksmanyincollaborationwithwirelessvendorswhoinordertowinaservicecontractwiththemunicipalityinquestionaresup-portingdigitalliteracytraininginexpensiverefurbishedcomputersandlocalcontentdevelopmentndashinshortprogramsofdigitalinclusionandexcellence
AsecondopportunityidentifiedbyroundtableparticipantsisthepotentialforanationalsupportnetworkforexistingcommunitymediaorganizationsAnationalsupportnetworklinkingcommunitiesandtheircommu-
nitymediapractitionersandinstitutionscouldfacilitatearangeofactivitiesincludinglocal-to-localcommunicationorexchangesofinformationandprogrammingbetweencommunitiesvirtualspaceforanationalnetworkofcommunitymediaorganizationstohelptoorganizeuni-fiedpolicyadvocacywiderdistributionofpastproductsformationofissue-responseteamstoadvanceinterestsofcommunitygroupsandtapintolocalresourcesandshareddirectoriesofpractitionerstrainersandfacilitiesConveningleadersfromtheaggregatorsandassociationsservingcommunitymediaintheirvariousforms(listedinAppendix2)mightbeagoodnextsteptoexplorethisopportunity
the promiseThepracticeofcommunitymediahasmanagedtogrowandevolveoverthepastsixtyyearsdespiteunevenandgenerallylowlevelsofsupportandinconsistentgovernmentpoliciesEllieRenniearesearchfellowattheInstituteforSocialResearchSwinburneUniversityofTechnologyhaswrittenthatcommunitymediaareoftendefinednegativelyforwhattheyareopposedtoratherthanpositivelyforwhattheyhaveachieved(Rennie2006)Weareawarethatcom-munitymediahaveoftenbeendismissedasmarginalandidiosyncraticbuttheexamplescitedinthisreportprovidepowerfulevidencetothecontraryItistimetodefinecommunitymediabywhattheyhaveachievedCommunitymediaattheirbesthaveconsistentlydemonstratedtheirpotentialtoempowercommunitiesandindividualstoparticipateascitizensincommunityandeconomicdevelop-mentartseducationcommunitydialogandpoliticaldebateInmanyinstancestheyhavebecomecentralcul-turalsurvivalinstitutionsasourcommunitiesdealwiththeimpactofcommercialmediasaturationandglobalization
Duringtheroundtablediscussionsthattookplaceaspartofthisscanitwasobviousthatthevalueofcom-munitymediatocommunitiestranscendsthemeasurableeffectsofcivicengagementandcommunitydevelopmentCommunitymediacanallowindividualsincommunitiestohaveprofoundexperiencesofactivelyexpressingthem-selvesthroughmediaForpeoplewhohaveseenthemselvesaspassivereceptorsatthebottomofacascadeofpackagedmediaexperiencesandmessagesactiverepresentationoftheirownlivesandcircumstanceshasatransformativeeffectthatgoesbeyondsimplephraseslikeldquocivicengage-mentrdquoThevalueofcommunitymediatoindividualsandthecommunitiestheyliveinisincalculable
hellipaffordablebroadbandandwirelessnetworkinfrastructurewithastrongcommunitybenefitsagreement
anationalsupportnetworkforexistingcommunitymediaorganizations
Appendix 1 Community media empowerment StrategieS
empoWerment Activity ApproAch infrAstructure or venue
AccessAccesstocommunicationsinfrastructureproductiontools
MakingavailablemediaproductiontoolscomputerstelevisionandradiodistributionInternetsoftwarecommunitycommunicationsinfrastructuremeetingspacewebservers
Democraticcitizenaccesstocommunicationstoolsanddisseminationinfrastructure
CablebroadbandmunicipaltelecomInternetWiFiWiMAXlocalandpublicservicebroadcasting
AlternativeContent CreationofvideoaudiofilmwebsitesInternet-basedcitizenmediaP2Pmediabloggingsocialnetworkingsoftwaredatabasesandprintproduction
Contentpositionedtocounterorsupplementmassmediacontentandinformationfrommainstreamsources
AllplatformswithanincreasingexpansionwithinIPNetworksandcross-platformproductionanddissemination
CompetencyLiteracyMedialiteracyinformationliteracydigitalliteracyandculturalliteracy
Mediaartsandaestheticeducationlearningtogainacivicvoiceinamediaculturearticulationofmediabiasesengaginginmediaandpoliticsunderstandingcommoditycultureparentinginamedia-saturatedhome
Interventioninthecomplexmanipulationofsymbolsandculture
Allmassmediaprintelectronic
CommunityBuilding Workforcetrainingandskillbuildingmicro-enterprisedevelopmentbusinessinfrastructuredevelopment
Communityorganizingparticipatoryplanningdemocraticeconomicdevelopmentworkforceandinfrastructuredevelopment
Localmediamunicipaltelecominfrastructurecomputerandtechnologyincubatorsandtechnologycenters
0
Itisdifficulttounderstandthefullscopeofcommu-nitymediaculturewithoutknowingofthefollowingorganizationswhichsupportcommunitymediaand
independentmediapracticesTheyplayanumberofrolesasnationalassociationsrepresentingnetworksofcommu-nitymediaorganizationsandmediaartsorganizationsasproducernetworksandstrategiccommunicationsplannerslinkingcommunityorganizationswithcommunitymediaorganizationsasorganizationsofcommunityactivistsandproducersworkingtomoreeffectivelysupportandusecommunitymediaandascollaboratorsandpartnersincommunitydevelopmenttrainingandeducation
ActiveVoicehttpwwwactivevoicenet
AllianceforCommunityMediahttpwwwalliancecmorg
AssociationforCommunityNetworking
httpwwwafcnorg
CommunityMediaWorkshophttpwwwnewstipsorg
CommunityTechnologyCentersrsquoNetwork
httpwwwctcnetorg
DeepDishTVhttpdeepdishtvorg
FreeSpeechTVhttpwwwfreespeechorg
IndependentTelevisionServicehttpwwwitvsorg
IndependentMediaCenterIndymedia
httpwwwindymediaorg
LatinoPublicBroadcastinghttpwwwlpbporg
LinkTVhttplinktvorg
LPFMDatabasecom
httpwwwangelfirecomnj2piratejimlpfmhtml
MediaTankhttpwwwmediatankorg
MediaWorkingGrouphttpwwwmwgorg
NationalAllianceforMediaArtsandCulture
httpwwwnamacorg
NationalAsianAmericanTelecommunicationsAssochttp
asianamericanmediaorgindexhtml
NativeAmericanPublicTelecommunications
httpasianamericanmediaorgindexhtml
NationalBlackProgrammingConsortium
httpwwwnbpctv
NationalFederationofCommunityBroadcasters
httpwwwnfcborg
NationalPublicRadiohttpwwwnpr
NationalPublicTelecomputingNetworkhttpwwwnptnorg
PaperTigerTelevisionhttpwwwpapertigerorg
PacificIslandersinCommunications
httpwwwpiccomorg
PewCenterforCivicJournalismhttpwwwpewcenterorg
PrometheusRadioProject
httpwwwprometheusradioorg
PublicBroadcastingServicehttpwwwpbsorg
PublicRadioExchangehttpwwwprxorg
ReclaimtheMediahttpwwwreclaimthemediaorg
StarfishTelevisionNetworkhttpwwwstarfishtvorg
WebsitesofUSPEGAccessChannels
httpwwwbevcamorgpeg
WorldAssociationofCommunityRadioBroadcasters
httpwwwamarcorg
Appendix 2 aggregatorS and aSSoCiationS
Appalshophttpwwwappalshoporg
BayAreaVideoCoalitionhttpwwwbavcorg
BeyondMediaEducationhttpwwwbeyondmediaorg
CambridgeCommunityTelevisionhttpwwwcctvcambridgeorg
CasaGuatemalaMediaProjecthttpwwwcasaguatemalaorg
CharlotteObserverhttpwwwcharlottecom
ChicagoAccessNetworkTelevisionhttpwwwcantvorg
GrandRapidsCommunityMediaCenterhttpgrcmcorg
GrandNethttpwwwgrcmcorgnposervicesitphp
GRTVhttpwwwgrcmcorgtv
ideastreamhttpwwwideastreamorg
IFPMinnesotaCenterforMediaArtshttpwwwifpnorthorgabouthtml
IntermediaArtshttpwwwintermediaartsorg
KartemquinFilmshttpwwwkartemquincom
KBOOhttpwwwkbooorg
KFAIhttpwwwkfaiorg
LowellTelecommunicationsCenterhttpltcorg
ManhattanNeighborhoodNetworkhttpmnnorg
MediaArtsProjecthttpwwwthemaporg
MetroGovernmentCommunityMediaInitiativehttpwwwmetro-regionorg
MetropolitanAustinInteractiveNetworkhttpwwwmainorg
MinneapolisTelevisionNetworkhttpwwwmtnorg
MinnesotaChannelhttpwwwtptorgmnchannelnew
MinnesotaPublicRadiohttpminnesotapublicradioorghttpminnesotapublicradioorgpublicinsightjournalism
MountainAreaInformationNetworkhttpmainncus
MtHoodCableRegulatoryCommissionhttpwwwmhcrcorg
NewAmericaMediahttpnewsnewamericamediaorgnews
NewRoutestoCommunityHealthhttpwwwnewroutesorg
NorthwestFilmandVideoCenterhttpwwwnwfilmorg
OneClevelandhttpwwwoneclevelandorg
OregonPublicBroadcastinghttpwwwopborg
PortlandCommunityMediahttpwwwpcmtvorg
RadioArtehttpwwwwrteorg
SaintPaulNeighborhoodNetworkhttpwwwspnnorg
ScribeVideoCenterhttpwwwscribeorg
SoundPartnersforCommunityHealthhttpwwwsoundpartnersorg
StreetLevelYouthMediahttpwwwstreet-levelorg
TwinCitiesDailyPlanethttpwwwtcdailyplanetnet
TwinCitiesMediaAlliancehttpwwwtcmediaallianceorg
TwinCitiesPublicTelevisionhttpwwwtptorg
URTVhttpwwwurtvorg
WalkerArtCenterhttpwwwwalkerartorgindexwac
WCIW-LPhttppacificanetworkorgradiocontentview17542httpwwwciw-onlineorg
WGBHhttpwwwwgbhorg
WHYYhttpwhyyorg
WPVMhttpwwwwpvmorg
WYBEhttpwwwwybeorg
WYCEhttpwwwgrcmcorgradio
YouthChannelhttpwwwyouthchannelorg
Appendix 3 Community media praCtitionerSWebsitesofthosepractitionersmentionedinthetext
AndersonRachelBenton Digital Beat Extra Noncommercial Networks on DBSWashingtonDCBentonFoundation2000
AufderheidePatricialdquoCableAccessTVandthePublicSphererdquoinThe Daily Planet A Critic on the Capitalist Culture BeatMinneapolisandLondonUniversityofMinnesotaPress2000a
AufderheidePatriciaIn The Battle for Reality Social Documentaries in the USWashingtonDCAmericanUniversityCenterforSocialMedia2003
AufderheidePatricialdquoTheWhatandHowofPublicBroadcastingrdquoinThe Daily Planet A Critic on the Capitalist Culture BeatMinneapolisandLondonUniversityofMinnesotaPress2000b
AynteAbdirahmanldquoSomaliWebsitesACompetitiveAlternativeMediaandaFarcetoReckonWithrdquoHiiraan Onlinehttpwwwhiiraancomnews2006aprsomali_websitesaspx
AzzouzBushraTomChamberlinandMarleneFarnumThe Community Media Project Building Community through Media(Aproposedmodelforafive-yearinitiativetoproducelocaltelevisionprogrammingthatbroadensthedialogueonissuesimportanttotheOregoncommunityandcreatesastrongsenseofplace)PortlandORMetroDecember2000
BarlowWilliamldquoCommunityRadiointheUSTheStruggleForADemocraticMediumrdquoinMedia Culture and SocietyVol10(1988)
BenklerYochaiThe Wealth of Networks How Social Production Transforms Markets and FreedomNewHavenYaleUniversityPress2006
BentonFoundationDigital Alliances Partners in Public
Service Models for CollaborationUniversityParkPAThePennsylvaniaStateUniversity2002
BlauAndrewDeep Focus A Report on the Future of Independent MediaSanFranciscoNationalAllianceforMediaArtsandCulture2004
BowmanShayneandChrisWillisWe Media How Audiences Are Shaping the Future of News and InformationEditedbyJDLasicaRestonVATheMediaCenteratTheAmericanPressInstitute2003httpwwwhypergenenetwemediadownloadwe_mediapdf
BurnettRonldquoFromCommunityMediatoInternationalNetworksrdquoCritical Approaches to Culture + Communications + HypermediaNovember182005httpwwweciadca~rburnettWeblogarchives200511from_communityhtml
CanoAndrealdquoMicroradioAToolforCommunityEmpowermentrdquoinPublic Broadcasting and the Public InterestEditedbyMichaelPMcCauleyEricEPetersonBLeeArtzandDeeDeeHalleckLondonMESharpe2003
CarnegieCommissiononEducationalTelevisionPublic Television A Program for ActionNewYorkBantam1967
CastellsManuelThe Rise of the Network Society The Information Age Economy Society and CultureVolumes12amp3MaldenMABlackwellPublishersInc2005
ChesterJeffBeyond Broadcast Expanding Public Media in the Digital AgeWashingtonDCCenterforDigitalDemocracyFebruary2006httpwwwdemocraticmediaorgBBBBfrontphp
ChristensenPaulNanMcIntyreandLynnPikholzldquoBridgingCommunityandEconomicDevelopmentAStrategyforUsingIndustryClusterstoLinkNeighborhoodsandtheRegionalEconomyrdquo(reportfundedbytheFordFoundation)ClevelandShorebankEnterpriseGroup2005
ldquoCitizenJournalismrdquoissueofNieman ReportsCambridgeMATheNiemanFoundationforJournalismatHarvardUniversityVol59No4Winter2005eMprintNewsbookhttpwwwniemanharvardedureports05-4NRwinterNR05W_Citizen_Journalismpdf
City PagesldquoBestPublicAccessCableTVProgramSomaliTVrdquoBestoftheTwinCities2004MNApril282004httpcitypagescombestof2004artsandentertainmentbestof2379asp
bibliogrAphy
CruzRossanaReguilloldquoTheOracleintheCityBeliefsPracticesandSymbolicGeographiesrdquoinGlobal Cities of the South (Social Text)EditedbyAshleyDawsonandBrentHayesEdwardsTranslatedbyBrentHayesEdwardsandNoraNicoliniDurhamNCDukeUniversityPress81(Volume22Number4)Winter2004
DeLasCasasLucywithSimonBurallJohnMorrisonDavidKaleteandJagadanandaldquoGlobalMediaReformandAccountabilityReportfromtheNationalMediaReformConferencerdquoStLouis2005httpwwwoneworldtrustorgpagesdownloadcfmdid=281
DevineRobertHldquoVideoAccessandAgencyrdquoConferencepresentationTheNationalFederationofLocalCableProgrammersStPaulMNJuly171992
DirlinMartyandCathyMelioldquoTheGrassrootsRadioMovementintheUnitedStatesrdquoinPublic Broadcasting and the Public InterestEditedbyMichaelPMcCauleyEricEPetersonBLeeArtzandDeeDeeHalleckLondonMESharpe2003
DowningJohnDHwithTamaraVillarealFordGeneveGilandLauraSteinRadical Media Rebellious Communication and Social MovementsThousandOaksCASagePublications2001
EgerJohnldquoCreativeClustersandtheUrbanEconomyrdquoGovernment and Technology(February62006)httpwwwgovtechnetnewsnewsphpid=98345
EgerJohnMThe Creative Community Forging The Links Between Art Culture Commerce amp CommunityTheCaliforniaInstituteforSmartCommunitiesSanDiegoStateUniversity2005httpwwwsmartcommunitiesorgcreativeCreativeCommBroFINALpdf
EngelmanRalphPublic Radio and Television in America A Political HistoryThousandOaksCASagePublications1996
GillespieGilbertPublic Access Television in the United States and CanadaNewYorkPraegerPublishers1975
GillmorDanWe the Media Grassroots Journalism by the People for the PeopleSebastopolCAOrsquoReillyMediaInc2006
GrahamStephenandSimonMarvinTelecommunications and the City Electronic Spaces Urban PlacesLondonandNewYorkRoutledge1996
HalleckDeeDeeHand-Held Visions The Impossible Possibilities of Community MediaNewYorkFordhamUniversityPress2002
HigginsJohnWldquoAlternativeMediaandtheCultofIndividualismExperiencesfromUSPublicAccessTVrdquoPaperpresentedattheldquoOurMediardquopre-conferenceoftheInternationalAssociationforMediaandCommunicationResearchCommunityCommunicationSectionBarcelonaSpainJuly202002httpwwwourmedianetorgpapersom2002Higginsom2002pdf
HowleyKevinCommunity Media People Places and Communication TechnologiesCambridgeCambridgeUniversityPress2005
HoynesWilliamldquoThePBSBrandandtheMerchandisingofthePublicServicerdquoinPublic Broadcasting and the Public InterestEditedbyMichaelPMcCauleyEricEPetersonBLeeArtzandDeeDeeHalleckLondonMESharpe2003
JankowskiNicholasWldquoCommunityMediaResearchAQuestforTheoreticallyGroundedModelsrdquoThePublicVol1015(2003)httpmokkbmehucentreconferencesreactivismFPfpNJ
JankowskiNicholasWandOlePrehnedsCommunity Media in the Information Age Perspectives and ProspectsCresskillNJHamptonPress2002
LashScottThe Critique of InformationLondonSagePublications2002
ListerMartinJonDoveySethGiddingsIainGrantandKieranKellyNew Media A critical IntroductionLondonandNewYorkRoutledge2003
LloydMarkldquoRadioandLocalismWhatWhenWrongrdquoinContext(publishedbytheCenterforCommunicationsandCommunityUCLA)IssueNo4(WinterSpring2006)
MacintyreBenldquoWelcometotheNewTomPainesrdquoTimesOnlineNovember132004httpwwwtimesonlinecouktolcommentarticle390484ece
MaherVincentTowards a Critical Media Studies Approach to the BlogosphereNewMediaLabPublicationSchoolofJournalismandMediaStudiesRhodesUniversitySouthAfrica2006
MetroCommunity Media Project Evaluation Report PortlandORMetroJuly2004
MostStephenldquoBAVCandTheBigPicturerdquoinA Closer Look Media Arts 2002EditedbyHelenDeMichielSanFranciscoNationalAllianceforMediaArtsandCulture2002
NewAmericaMedialdquoEthnicMediainAmericaTheGiantHiddeninPlainSightrdquoPollconductedbyBendixenampAssociates2005httpnewsnewamericamediaorgnewsview_articlehtmlarticle_id=0443821787ac0210cbecebe8b1f576a3
OlsonBillThe History of Public Access Television2000httpwwwgeocitiescomiconostarhistory-public-access-TVhtml200415
PewCenterforCivicJournalismldquoDoingCivicJournalismrdquo2007httpwwwpewcenterorgdoingcj
PierceSteveldquoDBSandthePublicInterestOpportunityinSatelliteTelevisionrdquoinPublic Broadcasting and the Public InterestEditedbyMichaelPMcCauleyEricEPetersonBLeeArtzandDeeDeeHalleckLondonMESharpe2003
PhilipsSusanldquoTrueCommunityTowardaCollaborativeEthosScribersquoslsquoTrueCommunityVisionrsquordquoinA Closer Look Media Arts 2002EditedbyHelenDeMichielSanFranciscoNationalAllianceforMediaArtsandCulture2002
PorterMichaelEldquoLocationCompetitionandEconomicDevelopmentLocalClustersinaGlobalEconomyrdquoEconomic Development Quarterly14no1(February2000)15-34
ProjectforExcellenceinJournalismldquoMajorTrendsrdquoinState of the News Media 2006 An Annual Report on American Journalismhttpwwwstateofthenewsmediaorg2006nar-rative_overview_eightaspcat=2ampmedia=1
PrometheusRadioProjectldquoOurFifthBarnraisingmdashWCIW-LPinImmokaleeFloridardquohttpprometheusradioorgcontentview48952006
RennieEllieCommunity Media A Global IntroductionLanhamMDRowmanandLittlefieldPublishers2006
RodriguezClemenciaFissures in the Mediascape An International Study of Citizenrsquos MediaCresskillNJHamptonPress2001
SchafferJanldquoCitizensMediaHasItReachedaTippingPointrdquoinldquoCitizenJournalismrdquoissueofNieman Reports CambridgeMATheNiemanFoundationforJournalismatHarvardUniversityVol59No4Winter2005aeMprintNewsbookhttpwwwniemanharvardedureports05-4NRwinterNR05W_Citizen_Journalismpdf
SchafferJanInterviewonThe NewsHour With Jim Lehrer PBSEveningNewsNovember162005b
SchulerDouglasldquoTheRiseofCommunityNetworksrdquoInternet WorldDecember1995
SchulerDougandPeterDayShaping the Network Society The New Role of Civil Society in CyberspaceCambridgeandLondonMITPress2004
ShirkyClayPower Laws Weblogs and Inequality EconomicsampCultureMediaampCommunityBlog2005OpenSourcehttpshirkycomwritingspowerlaw_webloghtml
ShirkyClaySocial Software and the Politics of GroupsEconomicsampCultureMediaampCommunityBlog2005OpenSourcehttpshirkycomwritingsgroup_politicshtml
Somerset-WardRichardBroadband Community Networks Building the Digital CommonsAreportfortheHaasCharitableTrustsPhiladelphia2005
Somerset-WardRichardConnecting Communities WashingtonDCBentonFoundation2000
Spannerworkse-bookWhat is Social MediaJanuary2007httpwwwspannerworkscomebooks
StarrJeroldMldquoPublicTelevisionintheDigitalAgeTownHallorCyberMallrdquoinPublic Broadcasting and the Public InterestEditedbyMichaelPMcCauleyEricEPetersonBLeeArtzandDeeDeeHalleckLondonMESharpe2003
SteinLauraldquoPublicAccessTelevisionandGrassrootsCommunicationintheUnitedStatesrdquoChapter20inRadical Media Rebellious Communication and Social MovmentsEditedbyJohnDowningThousandOaksCASagePublications2001
SussmanGeraldandJREstesldquoCommunityRadioinCommunityDevelopmentPortlandrsquosKBOORadiordquoinThe Portland Edge Challenges and Successes in Growing CommunitiesEditedbyConniePOzawaPortlandStateUniversityIslandPress2004
WhitneyJenniferldquoMakeMediaMakeRealTroubleWhatrsquosWrong(andRight)withIndymediardquoLiPMagazineJune212005httpwwwlipmagazine
orgarticlesfeatwhitney_indymedia_phtml
throughaphysicalandvirtualldquocivicspacerdquoinPhiladelphiaand ideastreamthemergeroftwopublicbroadcast-ersinClevelandoffersitsmultimediadigitalfacilitiesandexpertisetoClevelandrsquoscommunityinstitutionsandcitizensRadioprojectslikethePublic Radio Exchange andMinnesota Public Radiorsquos Public Insight Journalismareprovidinginterestingglimpsesofthepotentialofcol-laborativemediaforpublicradioEachexamplesuggeststhatpublicbroadcastinghasgreatpotentialandtechnicalcapacitytomovebeyondsimplenotionsofldquolocalismrdquotoamorerobuststanceofcivicengagementandparticipation
Cable AccessPublicaccesstelevisionorPublicEducationalandGovernment(PEG)accesstelevisionreferstoacollectionofentitiesthatprovidelocalcontentoverdedicatedchan-nelsoncabletelevisionsystemsintheUnitedStatesPEGaccessisrootedintheactivismofthe1960sand1970satimewhenpublicaccessadvocatesenjoyedamutuallysup-portiverelationshipwithanemergingcableindustryeagertodemonstrateitspotentialtodiversifytelevision
In1969theFederalCommunicationsCommissionsawthepotentialofcabletelevisiontoopenuptelevisiontomorelocalprogrammingandbeganrequiringlargercablesystemstodeveloplocalprogrammingexperimentsTheFCCrsquosfirstcomprehensiverulingonthecableindustryin1972includedrequirementsthatcablesystemsinthe100largesttelevisionmarketsdedicateatleastthreechannelsforpubliceducationandgovernmentaccessTherulingsetoffaroundofoptimisticcommunitymediaexperimentsnationwideButthisinformalpartnershipbetweencom-munitymediaadvocatesandthecableindustrycametoanabrupthaltin1979whentheSupremeCourtruledthattheFCChadexceededitsregulatoryauthorityinmandatingthatchannelsbededicatedtoPEGaccessTherulingdidnotpreventCongressandlocalgovernmentsfromrequiringnegotiatedaccesschannelshoweverandby1979accessadvocatesweresufficientlyorganizedtomakePEGastan-dardofferingofcabletelevision
BythistimethecableindustryhadenteredwhatarereferredtoasldquothegoldrushyearsrdquoThesuccessofHBOrsquossatellite-deliveredcableprogrammingservicedemon-stratedthataudienceswithgoodfreebroadcastreceptionwouldpaytoreceiveuninterruptedmoviesandsportsCablecompaniesvigorouslycompetedforfranchisesinthecountryrsquosmostpopulousareasIfalocalcommunityrsquosfranchiseauthorityexpressedadesireforPEGaccesschannelsinitsrequestforproposalsoftenthecablecompanieswouldrespondfavorablyInadditiontochannel
set-asidesarequirementthatoperatorsprovidefundingforequipmentandpublicinterestchanneloperationsbecameuniversalThoughmanyPEGaccesscentershavediversi-fiedtheirfundingsourcesthebulkoffundingforPEGaccesschanneloperationsandprogrammingcomesfromcongressionallyandmunicipallymandatedfeesinreturnfortheuseofpublicrights-of-way
Intheirearlyyearsthemorethan2000accesschannelstheninoperationwereadministeredinvariouswaysAfewcablecompanieswereabletocompetentlyundertakecommunity-basedmanagementofthesechan-nelsbutgenerallythecableindustryhadlittleappetiteorcapacitytosuccessfullymanagetheselocalchannelsInsomecasesthefranchiseauthorityitselfmanagedthechannelsInothercasesitwasthelibrarytheuniversitycommunitycollegeorhighschoolHoweveritsoonbecameclearthatthelocalcommunityneededtomanagethisnewcommunicationcapacityseparatefromcablecompaniesandgovernmentifitspotentialtocreatecommunitymediawastoberealizedTheindependentnonprofitcorporationeventuallybecamethestandardmanagementmodelamongcommunitymediaadvocatesTodaymostsuccessfulaccesscentersaremanagedthroughnonprofitcommunitygroups(Olson2000)
BecausepublicaccesschannelscarryFirstAmendmentprotectionallowinganyoneinthecommu-nitytoplaceprogrammingonthechannelswithoutbeingsubjecttopriorrestraintsomeprogrammingonthesechannelscanseemexceedinglystrangetotheuninitiatedMuchoftheprogrammingonpublicchannelsismadebynonprofessionalsandreflectstheidiosyncraticinterestsofproducersInrecentyearshoweverpublicaccesscentershaveastutelyexpandedtheirmissionsbeyondindividu-allyfocusedprogrammingtoaddresstheneedsofwholecommunitiesthroughmorecomplexnotionsofempower-mentandcommunitybuildingThishasmeantdevelopingmoreprogramminginpartnershipwithassociationsandnonprofitscommunitygroupsagenciesandeducationalinstitutionsthathaveaclearrelationshiptothelifeoftheircommunities(Rennie2006)Significantnumbersofaccesscentershavealsomovedtoincorporateothermediabeyondvideoandtocarryoutalargerrangeofmediaeducationandmediaartsactivitiesbeyondcableprogramming
OverthecourseofcableaccessdevelopmenttheAlliance for Community Media(ACM)hasconsistentlyprovidedbothpoliticalandprofessionalleadershiptothefieldofcableaccessFormedastheNationalFederationofLocalCableProgrammersin1978ACMquicklygrewtooccupyapresenceinWashingtonDCpolicycircles
andhassteadfastlyprovidedavoicefortheinterestsofthe2000accesscenterintheUSCurrentlytheACMisleadingthefightalongwithcitiesinfightingthewaveofstatewidelsquovideofranchisingrsquolegislationthroughwhichthetelephonecompaniesandcablecompaniesareattemptingtogainnear-monopolycontroloflocaltelecommunicationsmarketswhichwouldeffectivelyendcableaccessinmanycommunities
Manhattan Neighborhood Network(MNN)whichprovidespublicaccesscableservicesinManhattanisoneofagrowingnumberofcableaccesscentersintheUnitedStatesthathaveembracedabroadermissionofmultime-diaeducationandtrainingBeyonditscablechannelstelevisionstudiosandelectronicfieldproductionandpost-productionfacilitiesMNNfunctionsasacommunitymeetingandartsspaceandoperatesagrantingprogramandasupportnetworktositesthroughoutManhattanInrecentyearsMNNhasprovidedarichselectionofitsvideotoInternetstreamingItalsofeaturesaYouth Channeloneofthefirsttelevisionchannelstofacilitatecreativityandsocialandpoliticalparticipationamongdisadvantagedlow-incomeandminorityyouthbyprovidingthemwithaccesstoadedicatedchannelmediaproductionresourcesandtraining
Media Arts OrganizationsMediaartsorganizationswereorganizedinNorthAmericainthe1960sand1970sinresponsetotheavailabilityofnewmoreaffordableandmoreportablemediatech-nologiessuchasfilmvideoandcomputersMediaartsorganizationssupportartthatmakesuseoffilmvideoaudiomultimediaandinteractivemediaIndividualcen-tersoftenfocusononeortwoelementsofthetotalmediaartsinfrastructureprovidingsomecombinationofaccesstomediatoolsproductionproductiontrainingdistribu-tionarchivingandexhibitionofmediaart
Overtheyearscentershaveengagedinanincred-iblerangeofartisticpracticesembracingavantgardeexperimentationinfilmandvideodocumentariesnar-rativeandstorytellingcomputerartandinstallationsusingallmediaThesepracticesintersectwithcommunitymediaintheiremphasisonparticipatoryprogrammingdevelopment
ThehistoryofmediaartsorganizationsiscloselyentwinedwiththetrendsandpoliticsofpublicfundinganddevelopingtechnologyintheUnitedStatesEarlycentersoftenreceivedfoundationfundingtoexperimentwithspecificemergingtechnologiesparticularlyvideoThisinitialphaseofdevelopmentwasgivensignificantsupport
bytheMacArthurFoundationanditsmediaartsprogramfollowedbythecreationoftheNationalEndowmentfortheArtswhichinturnbeganaprogramofconsistentsupportformediaartsorganizationsnationwideTheperiodwasmarkedbythelong-termsupportbyMacArthurFoundationrelativelystablegrowthandaheadyrangeofartisticprac-ticeandexperimentation
Inthepoliticallyconservativeclimateoftheearly1990sasfundersbecameincreasinglywaryofsupportingartthatmightprovecontroversialtheNationalEndowmentfortheArtsgraduallywithdrewmostfundingforthemediaartsBytheendofthedecadetheMacArthurFoundationoneofthemediaartsrsquomostconsistentfundersendeditsyearlysupportformediaartsorganizationsclosingtheeraandforcingaperiodofdevelopmentdiversificationandrestructuringformediaartsorganizations
ThefieldhasprovenextremelyresilientTodaythefieldofmediaartsismadeupofamorediverseandmaturearrayofnonprofitorganizationsandartspracticesAlthoughmediaartsorganizationsnowplacemoreempha-sisonearnedincomeanddiversefundingsourcestheycontinuetobevitalculturalcentersprovidingcommunitiesaccesstobothmediafacilitiesandafullrangeofmediaculturalexperiencesMediaartsorganizationslikeScribeinPhiladelphiaandAppalshopinWhitesburgKentuckyforexamplehavenavigatedthetechnologicalandfundingshiftsofthepastthreedecadeswithsurprisingcreativityandsavvy
TheScribe Video CenterinPhiladelphiawhichemergedin1982duringthemediaartsheydayperseveredthroughtheupsetsofthe1990stobecomeanextraordinaryexampleofwhatasocialassetamediaartscentercanbeforacommunityScribereachesouttocommunitiesincludingpeopleofcolorwomenseniorcitizensandteensthattraditionallyhavenothadaccesstovideotrainingorproductionfacilitiesandprovidesthemtoolsforstorytell-ingInadditiontoproductionandscriptwritingworkshopsScribeoffersartistsrsquoservicessuchasfiscalsponsorshipequipmentrentalandeditingfacilitiesOngoingprogramsincludeCommunityVisionsavideoproductionprogramforcommunityorganizationsStreetMoviesafreeoutdoorneighborhood-basedscreeningseriesandtheProducersrsquoForumscreeningandlectureseriesofvisitingartistsandmediaactivistsAdditionallyScribeproducestheDocumentaryHistoryProjectforYouthanannualproduc-tionworkshopformiddleandhighschoolstudents
AppalshopinWhitesburgKentuckyisoneoftheoldestmediaartsorganizationsintheUnitedStatesAsitswebsiteindicatesAppalshopwasfoundedin1969to
enablepeopletousemediatotelltheirownstoriesinordertoldquosolvetheirownproblemsrdquoIthasbecomeanationallyrecognizedmediacenterworkinginfilmvideoaudioandmusicrecordingsliteraturetheaterliveperformanceandradioallfocusedonAppalachiancultureItsworkdocumentstraditionalartsexploreshistoryandaddressessocialissuesthataffecttheAppalachianregiontodayAppalshopprovidesregionallyandnationallyfocusededu-cationandtrainingprogramsTwoofthemostnotablearetheAppalachianMediaInstituteayouthmediatraininginitiativeandCommunityMediaInstitutewhichworkswithgrassrootsgroupsandpublicinterestorganizationsfromtheregionandnationallytoaccomplishstrategiccom-municationplanningaroundsocialjusticeorganizing
TheNational Alliance for Media Arts and CulturehasconsistentlyprovidedthoughtfulleadershiptothemediaartsfieldthroughtechnicalassistanceprogramsandstrategicplanninginitiativesItsDeepFocusprojectin2004usedscenarioplanningtoenvisionthefutureofmediaarts(Blau2004)Asaresultofthiskindofworktheearlynetworkofmediaartsorganizationshasexpandedtoincludeover274mediaartsorganizationsThisrepre-sentsasignificantbroadeningofthefieldofmediaartsencompassingmanysmallermediaartsorganizationswithspecificartisticculturalorcommunityobjectivesThemediaartsfieldhasmostrecentlyseentheemergenceofmanyyouthmediaorganizationswiththecriticalmissionofcreatingmedialiteracysurvivalskillsforyoungpeopleastheynavigatethemediasaturatedsocialenvironmentofthetwenty-firstcentury
Ethnic MediaEthnicmediarepresentagrowingvitalsectorofAmericanelectronicmediathatintersectswithcommunitymediainanumberofimportantwaysHistoricallyethnicmediaout-letshavearisenontheperipheryofUSbroadcastingoftenwithoutnetworkaffiliationtoservepopulationsthatdonothaveaccesstomainstreammediaandpopularcultureThesehaveincludednewimmigrantgroupsnon-Englishlanguagegroupsthepoliticallyoppressedandpopulationsstrivingtomaintainculturaltraditionsandtiestotheirhomelandswhileadaptingtoanewsociety
ThatpatternhasrepeatedwaxedandwanedasdifferentpopulationshavecometotheUnitedStatesinthepastcenturyThekeyhistoricalintersectionbetweencommunitymediaandethnicmedialiesintheearlyyearsofcommunityradiofollowingWorldWarIIwhenawaveofBlackradiostationsandformatsfilledspacecreatedintheshiftingmedialandscapebytheintroductionoftelevision
ThisshiftbroughtawaveofBlackinvestmentandprogramexperimentationthatseriouslyinfluencedthekindsofcommunityradioprogrammingthatevolvedintheUnitedStatesToalargeextenttheimprovisationalradioformatscombiningmusicandpoliticaltalkcultureandcur-rentaffairswerefirstworkedoutinpost-warBlackradio(Barlow1988Lloyd2006)
Ethnicmediaencompassescommercialandnoncom-mercialmediahugemultinationalsandsmalllocallyownedoperationsEthnicandcommunitymediaoftenintersectgeographicallyEthnicgroupsoftenidentifywithaspecificplaceandusemediatoarticulateasenseofsolidarityinthoseplacesLikecommunitymediaethnicmediafrequentlyembodyparticipatoryapproachestopro-grammingandproductionandareoftenresponsestodeepdissatisfactionwiththeownershipstructuresandbiasesofthemainstreammedia
OneofthemostsignificantongoingsourcesforethnicmediahasbeentheCorporationforPublicBroadcastingthroughitsfundingofthefivemembersoftheNationalMinorityConsortiaNational Asian American Telecommunications Association National Black Programming Consortium Native American Public Telecommunications Pacific Islanders in Communications and Latino Public BroadcastingTheseethnicprogrammingnetworksandtheIndependent Television ServiceprovidemillionsofdollarseachyeartotheirnetworksofethnicandindependentprogrammakersforprogramstargetedtothePublicBroadcastingService
CurrentlyethnicmediaareundergoingexplosivegrowthacrosstheUnitedStatesconsistentwithdemo-graphicshiftsTherearesignificantincreasesintheproportionofnon-EnglishspeakersLatinosAsiansMiddleEasternersandPacificIslandersintheUSpopulationandcorrespondingincreasesinethnicmediaDuringthecommunitymediaroundtablesconductedforthisreportparticipantsrepeatedlyexpressedappreciationforthenumberofethnicmediaoutletsthatusedparticipatorystrategiesinsupportingtheimmigrationproteststhatoccurredthroughouttheUnitedStatesin2006
OneindicationofthegrowthandsophisticationofethnicmediaisNew America Media (NAM)thelargestnationalcollaborationofethnicnewsorganizationsintheUnitedStatesNAMldquoproducesandaggregateseditorialcontentfromandfortheethnicmediasectoranddevelopspioneeringmarketingservicesonbehalfofcorporationsfoundationsandnonprofitswhoaretargetingethnicmediaandethniccommunitiesrdquoNewAmericaMediaisanetworkedcommunitythatlinksthousandsofethnic
0
mediaorganizationsintheUnitedStatesItsrecentstudyldquoEthnicMediainAmericaTheGiantHiddeninPlainSightrdquosurveysHispanicAmericansAfricanAmericansAsianAmericansArabAmericansandNativeAmericans(NewAmericaMedia2005)NAMfoundthatmorethanaquarterofthenationrsquospopulationusesethnicmediainsomecapacity
NewonlinejournalismsitessuchastheTwin Cities Media AlliancersquosDaily PlanetprofiledinthisreportareemergingfromtherestructuringofthenewspaperindustryandtheuseofbloggingandsocialnetworkingsoftwareThe TC Daily Planetaggregatesincreasingnumbersofethnicimmigrantandnon-mainstreamjournalistsinMinneapolis-StPaulAnotherexamplementionedinthisreportRadio Arte (WRTE)maybetheonlybilingual(SpanishEnglish)youth-operatedurbancommunitystationinthecountryItoperateswithafocusonyouthinChicagorsquosPilsenLittleVillageneighborhoodsAninitiativeoftheMexicanFineArtsCenterMuseumthiseducationalradiostationhasayouthtrainingandproductiontrainingprogramandapowerfulwebpresenceinadditiontoitsurbanbroadcastfootprint
BothTC Daily PlanetandRadioArteunderscorethecommonalitiesbetweenethnicmediaandcommunitymediaInmanycircumstancesethnicmediaandcom-munitymediacanbevirtuallyindistinguishableThisconvergenceofvaluesgeographyandpoliticscouldeasilyserveasthefoundationforcollaborationandpartner-ingbetweencommunityandethnicmediainspecificcommunities
Civic JournalismBothcivicjournalismandpublicjournalismrefertoamovementwithinprofessionaljournalismthathonorsnewsorganizationsrsquoroleinconveningandfacilitatingpublicdeliberationanddebatesinwhichaudiencesaretreatedasactiveparticipantsratherthanpassiveconsumersThePew Center for Civic JournalismdefinescivicjournalismasldquobothaphilosophyandasetofvaluessupportedbysomeevolvingtechniquesAtitsheartisabeliefthatjournal-ismhasanobligationtopubliclifendashanobligationthatgoesbeyondjusttellingthenewsorunloadinglotsoffactsrdquo(PewCenter2007)Thisphilosophyemergesfromanunder-standingthatcitizensareincreasinglydisengagedinciviclifeandthatnewsorganizationscanreactivateanapatheticcitizenryNewsorganizationspracticingcivicjournal-ismaimtoestablishdeeperconversationswithbroadercross-sectionsoftheircommunitiesresultinginenhancedcredibilityimprovedcommunicationbetweenthemselves
andthecommunityandbettercoverageofissuesoflocalconcern
CommittedtosupportingjournalisticeffortstorevitalizecitizenshipwhileobjectivelyreportinghardtruthsthePewCenterestablishedtheBattenAwardforExcellenceinCivicJournalismin1995OneofthefirstawardswenttoThe Charlotte ObserverofCharlotteNorthCarolinaforanineteen-monthin-depthseriesoncrimeinnineneighborhoodsReportersspenttwoyearsincrime-riddenneighborhoodsencouragingresidentsinthoseneighborhoodstoreportontherootcausesofcrimeandtoparticipateinthesearchforsolutions
Community NetworkingWhilestillinitsearlytext-basedphasetheInternetwasbeingadoptedasacommunity-buildingtoolbyanumberofgeographicallybasedorganizationsManyoftheseearlycommunitynetworksevolvedfromldquofreenetsrdquoalliedthroughtheNational Public Telecomputing Network(NPTN)AtthattimeNPTNwasthefourthmostpopularpubliccom-puternetworkbehindCompuServeAmericaOnlineandProdigy(Schuler1995)
SomeoftheseearlycommunitynetworksweresimplyInternetdestinationswherecommunity-basedinformationwascollectedandpresentedOthersevolvedasadjunctstotheInternetconnectionsprovidedbylocalInternetserviceprovidersLikeothercommunitymediathepioneersofcommunitynetworkingweremotivatedtousethisnewcommunicationstechnologytostrengthentheircommunities
CommunitynetworkingwaschangedirrevocablywiththeadventoftheWorldWideWebandthesurgeindemandforInternetaccessTheWorldWideWebreplacedmostofthesoftwareapplicationsthatwerebeingusedatthattimetomakeinformationaccessibletopeoplethroughacommunitynetworkThisandthedemandsurgelow-eredthepriceofcommercialInternetaccesstothepointwheretherewaslittlemotivationtobecomeamemberofacommunitynetworkastheywerepracticedatthetimeAsaresultcommunitynetworkinghasbecomelessaboutInternetaccessandmoreabouttheculturalpracticeof
Newsorganizationspracticingcivicjournalismaimtoestablishdeeperconversationswithbroadercross-sectionsoftheircommunities
communitynetworkingwithafocusonsocialnetworkingsoftwaredevelopmentandutilizationCommunitynetwork-ershavealwaysenjoyedclosealignmentwithopensourcesoftwaredevelopersandnowareconcernedwithusingtheInternetintandemwithopensourcesocialnetworkingsoftwaretoaccomplishmanyofthegoalsofcommunitymedia(Schuler2004)
The Metropolitan Austin Interactive Network (MAIN)isanonprofitorganizationcommittedtoinfor-mationsharingandcommunicationamongpeopleandgovernmentaleducationalcommercialculturalreligiousandcivicorganizationsItoperatesacommunity-basedwebsitethatprovidesandaggregatesabroadarrayofinformationcriticaltoAustinresidentsfromemploymentinformationtoenvironmentalartsandculturalcontentMAINiscommittedtohelpingitscommunitymakeeffec-tiveuseoftheInternetandothernetworkcommunicationsstructuresbutdoesnotdirectlyprovidenetworkconnectiv-ityMAINprovidesfreewebhostingandwebdevelopmentassistancethroughabroaddigitalliteracyprogramthatincludestrainingingeneralcomputerandInternetusage
SatelliteWhilesatellitetelevisioncannotbeconsideredcommunitymediabecauseitisneitherlocalnorspecificallycom-munity-focuseditdeservesmentionherebecauseofitsexistingandpotentialcontributionstocommunitymediagoalsSatellitetelevisionisfocusedonnationalvideodistributionviacableanddirectbroadcastservicestohomesatellitedishesTofosterthepublicrsquosinterestindiverseprogrammingviasatellitetheFCCin1992imposedcertainpublicinterestobligationsonDirectBroadcastService(DBS)providersThecommissionruledthatDBSprovid-ersmustreservefourpercentoftheirchanneltranspondercapacityexclusivelyfornoncommercialprogrammingofaneducationalorinformationalnatureUnfortunatelytheFCCleftituptotheDBScompaniestodecidewhichprogram-merswouldbeselectedfromeligibleprogrammersManyfeelthepotentialofDBStoservethepublicinteresthasbeensignificantlycurtailedasaresult(Anderson2000)
Neverthelesssatellitehasbecomehometosomeprogrammersthatembodythevaluesandpracticesofcom-munitymediaNotablyDeepDishTVFreeSpeechTVLinkTVandasofApril2007StarfishTelevisionNetworkarealldistributedviasatelliteduetotheset-asiderulesadoptedbytheFCCEachoffersprogrammingthatembodiesvaluesofdiversityandempowermentwhiledemonstratingthenecessityofset-asidepoliciesfornoncommercialfrequency
andbandwidthatalllevelsofthemediainfrastructureifnoncommercialmediaistoflourishTheyconsistentlyrunprogramsproducedbycommunitymediaactivistsandindependentproducersandrepresentonepossiblewayforcommunitymediaorganizationstodevelopanationalprogrammingreachthatcouldfacilitateldquolocaltolocalrdquocommunicationswhiledevelopinganationalnetworkofprogressivecommunityprogramming
Deep Dish TVpioneeredtheuseofsatellitetoestablishacollaborativenetworkamongactivisttelevisionproducersandpublicaccesscablestationsin1986DrawingontheearlierexperimentsofthePublicInterestVideoNetworkDeepDishbegancreatingprograminstallmentsforsatellitedistributionVideoprogrammingselectedfromactivistandcommunitytapesaroundthecountrywerefedtosatellitetransponderswithanationalfootprintwheretheywerepickedupbyhundredsofcableaccessorganiza-tionsandcommunitymediacentersintheUnitedStates(Pierce2003)
DeepDishrsquos1991satellitebroadcastsoftheGulfCrisisTVProjectareconsideredbymanytobehistoricmomentsincommunitymediaandUScommunicationshistoryadirectinterventioninaninternationalcrisisbypublicaccesstelevisionandindependentmediaactivistsDeepDishTVassembledavideoanti-warteach-induringthefirstGulfWarandmadeitavailabletotheirnetworkviasatelliteThesuccessoftheGulfCrisisprojectexpandedDeepDishrsquosnetworktoincludeindependentpublictelevi-sionsitesanyonewithahomesatellitereceiverandothercommunitymediaandmediaartsorganizationsRalphEngelmanwritesthatDeepDishrsquosuseofsatelliteallowedcommunitymediaactiviststofulfilltwooftheircoreobjec-tivesldquograssrootsparticipationandthepresentationofdiversealternativeperspectivesrdquo(Engelman1996)
TheseearlysuccessesinnetworkingcommunitytelevisionviasatellitehavemorerecentlybeenextendedbyFree Speech TVandAmyGoodmanrsquosDemocracyNowprogrammingFreeSpeechTVextendedthetechnicalcapacitytonetworkwithcableaccessbyraisingfundstobuydirectsatellitereceiversforcableaccessfacilitiesinterestedincablecastingFreeSpeechTVprogram-mingThistechnicalnetworkthenbecameaprogressiveprogramnetworkcalledintoexistencealmostsingle-hand-edlybythehighlysought-afterprogressiveprogrammingofDemocracyNowInturnthepresenceofDemocracyNowprogrammingisconsistentlyservingtoincreasetheaudiencesandsupportforcableaccessincommunitiesthroughouttheUnitedStates
AttheirheartcommunitymediaareaboutmakingmediawithpeoplenotmerelyaboutorforpeopleIt
isasoneChicagoroundtableparticipantnotedlikeldquotheneighborhoodgoingouttodinnerrdquoButasanyonewhohaseverhostedalargedinnerpartyknowsthisisnotalwayseasilyaccomplishedInroundtablediscussionswithcommunitymediapractitionersthreestrategiesndashcollabo-ration across sectors and platforms training and outreach ndashemergedrepeatedlyaswaysofsuccessfullyengagingthebreadthanddiversityoftheircommunitiesInadditionafourthstrategyconnecting with immigrant populationsyieldedinsightsintosomeuniquechallengesandbenefits
strAtegies CollaborationMediainstitutionscanplaytheroleoffacilitatorsintheircommunitiesdemystifyingtheprocessofproductionpro-vidingpeoplewithaccesstotheresourcestheyneedandbuildingonthehistoryandgoalsofcivicjournalismThisrolerequiresmediainstitutionstorethinktraditionaljour-nalismandmayentailthere-balancingofeditorialpoliciesndashcommittingtodiversityembracingegalitarianvaluesandreassessingthevalueofeditorialneutralityInvitingcommunitymemberstohelpwithstoriesmakescover-agemorereflectiveofthecommunitymoreofatwo-wayconversationForinstanceTwin Cities Public Television(TPT)dedicatestimeononeofitsdigitalchannelstolocalandregionalprogrammingincludingprogramstargetedattheLatinoHmongHindiSomaliandVietnamesecommu-nitiesTocreateprogrammingfortheldquoMinnesotaChannelrdquothestationpartnerswithnonprofitorganizationswhopayTPTforproductionsupportandguaranteedbroadcastoftheprogramming
Sound Partners for Community HealthhasshownthatauthenticpartnershipsbetweenpublicbroadcastersandcommunityinstitutionsenableeachpartytoreachlargermorediverseandtargetedaudiencesonhealthissuesimportanttothecommunityCommunityinstitutionspromotedbroadcastsandpublicbroadcastersincreasedthevisibilityoftheirinstitutionalpartnerswhoofferedadditionalresourcesandreferralstoviewersandlistenersandhelpedtodisseminateprogrammingonCDsandDVDsInadditionbymarryingtheexpertiseofcommunity-basedhealthorganizationsandvoicesoflocalresidentswiththeproductionvaluesofhigh-qualityradioandtelevisionpro-grammingSoundPartnerspositionedcommunitymembersasproactiveplannersofandstakeholdersinmediainitia-tivesratherthanpassiverecipientsofmediaattention
Buttherewasinevitabletensioninseparatingjour-nalismfromadvocacywhichrequiredtrustonthepartofallparticipantstoresolveInthecaseoftheSoundPartnerscollaborationsincommunity-basedjournalismpublicbroadcastersneededtotrustthattheirnonprofitpartnerswouldnrsquotadvancetheirownorganizationalagendasattheexpenseoftruthandnonprofithealthorganizationsneededtotrustthattheirbroadcastpartnerswouldrespecttheirexpertise
TheSoundPartnersexperienceaffirmedwhatmanyroundtableparticipantspointedoutmdashtheneedtobuildbridgesacrossmediaaswellSoundPartnersfoundthatcommercialradiostationsandpublicaccesschannelswithcloselinkstoandinfluenceonthecommunityhelpedimplementstrongmediacampaignsincollaborationwithpublicbroadcastingRoundtableparticipantssawcommer-cialmediaoutletsasespeciallyimportantamongimmigrantgroups
Pointingtoanotheraspectofcollaborationround-tableparticipantsimploredmediainstitutionstobeopentosharinginfrastructuretoaccomplishtheirmissionsManynonprofitmediagroupsarestrugglingtosurvivebuthaveassetsthatcanbesharedorintegratedtobetterservetheircommunitiesinacoordinatedefficientwayCreatingcollaborativestructuresasbasicasco-locationoffacilitiesorascomplexasorganizationalmergerscanbeimportantfordisseminatingprogrammingsecuringfundingandprotectingpotentiallycontroversialissueprogrammingForexampleManhattan Neighborhood Networkhashistori-callyleverageditscablefranchise-securedcapitalfunding
engAging community WhAtrsquos Working
Invitingcommunitymemberstohelpwithstoriesmakescoveragemorereflectiveofthecommunitymoreofatwo-wayconversation
tobuildcapacityinothermediaorganizationssuchasastudioandpost-productionfacilitieswithDowntownCommunityTelevisioninChinatownAndinkeepingwiththesamenetwork-buildingapproachtofacilitatingpartici-pationMNNalsofeaturesaYouthChannelconsideredtobethefirstchannelcreatedforyouthbyyouthMNNhasbecomeoneofthecentralhubsinManhattanaroundwhichindependentandcommunitymediagatherforscreeningsadvancededucationalopportunitiesartisticandpoliticaldebatecommunitybuildingandsocialnetworkingcreat-inganexcitingdemocraticmediaculture
Manyparticipantsacknowledgedthatcollaborationishardexpensiveandtime-consumingItplacesdemandsonin-houseknowledgeandconfrontspartneringorganiza-tionsrsquodifferentgoalseditorialpoliciesandresourcesIftheyaretolastpartnershipsneedproperresearchonthefrontendandmulti-leveledsupportChangesinleader-shipcandisruptplanssopartneringcanrsquotbetiedtoonepersonrsquosrelationshiptoanotherpersonitrequiresanetworkofpeopleunderstandingandcontributingtothepartnershipMulti-yearprojectsareimportanttodevelopinfrastructureandsustainefforts
TrainingRoundtableparticipantssawcommunitymediainstitutionsasimportantsourcesbothforjobsandskillstrainingandforbuildingthecapacityoflocalnonprofitgroupsWhileacquiringmediaskillsmaybeacareerpathoutofpovertyironicallycommunitymediaworkisoftenunpaidandpoorpeoplemustprioritizepayingjobsoverparticipationincommunitymediamakingRoundtableparticipantsexpressedconcernthatthereisnotcurrentlyawaytoeconomicallysustaintheeffortsoflow-incomepeoplewhodovolunteerincommunitymedia
CableaccesscenterslikeChicagorsquos CAN-TVandManhattanNeighborhoodNetworkprovidegrantstrainingandequipmenttocommunitygroupswhothendevelopmultimediaproductsandshowcasethemindifferentvenuesThesecentersfacilitatetheexpressionofnon-technology-orientedcommunitymembersandprovidethemwithusefuljobskills
ThetrainingcomponentiscrucialfordevelopingauthenticvoicesinprogrammingBlessedwithadiversetechnology-savvycommunitythatincludesbothHarvard
andMITcampuspopulationsCambridge Community Television CCTVhasbroadeneditseducationalprogramstoincludeadvancedworkshopsandextendededucationalprogramsindocumentarymakingdigitalstorytellingwebsitedesignandstrategiccommunicationsplanningandimplementationCommunitymembersarealsoabletouseCCTVrsquoscomputertechnologycenterfortraininginavarietyofsoftwareapplicationsincludingphotoeditinganddesignandcomputernetworkingThecenterhasbroadeneditsdistributionofvideoprogrammingtoincludeweb-basedmediastreamingofpre-recordedprogrammingpodcastsaudiochannelsandldquoCambridgeCommunityRadiordquowherememberscansignupfortwo-hourblocksofliveradiotimeThecenterrsquosservicesaddresstheneedsofactivistsnonprofitcommunitygroupsmediaeducatorsandpeopleseekingjobskillsthatextendfarbeyondthoseneededtofillthepublicchannelswithvideoItsofferingsareexpand-ingtoincludeworkshopsinpodcastingdigitalaudioproductionvideobloggingandcyberjournalismCCTVtakesdigitalmediaconvergenceseriouslyunderstandingthatmediaproductiontrainingproductionanddistribu-tionarenowapplicableacrossanumberofplatformsandproductionskillsets
Bay Area Video Coalition(BAVC)isanotherorganizationthatmakesemergingvideotechnologyacces-sibletoindependentmediamakersIthasevolvedintoaninternationallyrenownedmediaartscenterthatleadsthefieldinitshigh-qualityproductionandprofessionaldevelopmentsupportfornoncommercialmediamakersThecenteralsoprovidesclassestolow-incomeyouthinmediaartsproductionaswellasworkshopsforcommunitygroupsandnonprofitsBAVChasconsistentlyoffereddevelopmentseminarsandtrainingprogramsthatbringcommercialpro-ducersandnoncommercialproducerstogetherinacommonsettingItoffersoneoftheregionrsquoskeycertifiedtrainingprogramsforcompanieslikeAppleAvidandDigidesignThroughagrantfromtheFordFoundationBAVChasundertakenanationalstudyonldquoDigitalWorkforceDevelopmentrdquoallowingtheorganizationtoestablishitselfasanationalandregionalleaderinprofessionaldevelop-ment(Most2002)Itsprofessionaldevelopmentprogramisasignificantforuminwhichcommercialandnoncom-mercialmediamakerscancometogetherforprofessionaldevelopmentactivitiesinsettingsthatrespectthepublicinterestandroleofmediainsocialdevelopment
OutreachOutreachakeytoolformediagroupsmovestherelation-shipbetweencommunityandmediabeyondconsumption
Collaborationishardexpensiveandtime-consuming
tosocialchangeItinvitespeopletointeractwithmediatobeaffectedbyitandtoaffectothersItaskspeoplewhattheyneedandinvitesthemtocometogethertomeetthoseneeds
Thekeytocreatingrelevantoutreachisresearch-ingwhatthecommunityneedsdetermininghowtoreachitmosteffectivelyandhiringstaffwhohaveoutreachskillsandarewellversedinthecultureandlanguageofthegroupsbeingtargetedAChicagofilmmakerrecountedhowtheseconsiderationsimpactedhisdocumentaryaboutworkersrsquorightsOutreachstaffconsideredthepotentialimpactontwoaudiencesalargeaudienceofPBSviewerssittingintheirlivingroomsandasmallerbutmoreengagedaudienceofsteelworkerswatchingthedocumentaryatalocalbarTheyconcludedthatthebarviewerswouldberivetedbecausetheinformationinthedocumentarywasgearedtothemSuccessfuloutreachasksWhatdogroupspayattentiontoWhomdotheytrustWhatplatformauthenticallyrepresentsthem
NationalprogrammingcanbeacatalystforlocaloutreachParticipantsinChicagoandMinneapolis-StPauldiscussedtheexampleofldquoTheNewAmericansrdquoanationalPBSseriesonimmigrantsproducedby Kartemquin Films Active VoiceanationalorganizationthatworkswithmediamakerstobringaboutpersonalandinstitutionalchangeworkedwithKartemquintopackageseriesfootagethatfocusedonnewarrivalstoMinnesotaTheresultwasalocalseriesldquoTheNewMinnesotansrdquoandapartnershipthatusedmediatoeducatethemainstreamcommunityaboutlocalimmigrantsandtodevelopdiscussionandactivityguidesforcommunityoutreach
Connecting with Immigrant PopulationsMinoritypopulationsandgroupsconcernedwithsupportingtheidentitiesofmarginalizedpopulationshaveincreasinglyturnedtocommunitymediaassourcesofinformationvali-dationofcultureandproductionsupportforthecreationoftheirowncontentCommunitymediahavehelpedcallattentiontothelivesandconcernsofimmigrantcommuni-tiesthatareotherwiseinvisibleoutsidetheirparticularcommunityBecausetheyoftenhavefoundinnovativewaystousecommunitymediafornetworkingandsocialchangeimmigrantpopulationsillustratethepowerofcommunity
mediaandpresentrichopportunitiesformakingcommu-nitymediaorganizationsmorediverseandparticipatoryRoundtableparticipantssharedlessonsinwhatworksandofferedspecificideasforframinganewcommunitymediaprogramaddressingtheneedsofimmigrantsandreceivingcommunitiescalledNew Routes to Community Health
Inreachingouttoimmigrantcommunitiesround-tableparticipantsnotedthatitiscriticaltoidentifyandworkwithexistingagenciesthatimmigrantstrustperhapsachurchorassociationforaparticularethnicgroupButthoughimmigrantgroupsarethemostappropriateconve-nersofsuchcollaborativestheymustalsohavethecapacitytoconvene
TheselectionofplatformalsodeservescarefulconsiderationRoundtableparticipantsnotedthatinadapt-ingtechnologiestotheirownpurposesspecificimmigrantgroupsoftenpreferoneplatformoveranotherForexampleChicagorsquosKorean-AmericancommunityhasbeensuccessfulinusingethnicprintmediatoaddresscommunityissuesThePersianstorytellingtraditionhasmadePersianahugeandgrowinglanguagesegmentonblogsPersianisnowthefourthmostwidelyusedlanguageonweblogs(Macintyre2004)A2000surveyofSomalianimmigrantsinMinnesotashowedthatoverfortypercenteventhenconsideredtheInternettheirmainnewssource(Aynte2006)
RadioinparticularhasshowntremendouspowerinthedevelopingworldpartlyasaresultoftheUnitedNationsrsquoemphasisonradioasthemediumsupportingthemostwidespreadpracticeofcommunitymediaintheworldBecausetheyarefamiliarwithradiobeforecomingtotheUnitedStatesimmigrantgroupsoftenquicklyembraceradiouponarrivalinthiscountryItisalsooneofthemostinexpensiveformsofmediaandthereforeoneofthemostaccessibleldquoIftheycomefromLatinAmericatheyknowthepowerofradiordquoChicagoparticipantsnotedenthusiasti-callyLocalcommercialSpanish-languageradiostationseffectivelyhelpedmobilizeturnoutforimmigrationprotestsinChicagoinMay2006
community spotlightManycommunitiesintheUnitedStatescanpointwithpridetotheachievementsoftheircommunitymediaorganizationsWhenattemptingtoidentifybestpracticesinthenetworkedmediaenvironmentsweseetodayhoweveritisusefultothinkintermsofinterconnectionandcol-laborationnottolooksimplyatindividualmediacentersorbroadcaststationsOftenthemostsuccessfulexamplesofcommunitymediaemergeoutofongoingalliancesandcollaborationsamonglocalcommunitymediagroupsThe
Thekeytocreatingrelevantoutreachisresearchingwhatthecommunityneeds
communitiesspotlightedbelowhavebegunincorporatingpartnershipsandcross-platformcollaborationintothepracticeofcommunitymediaandhavebeguntoreapthebenefitsofthatapproach
Portland OregonTheMetro Government Community Media InitiativeillustratesthepotentialpowerofcommunitiesworkingtogethertoproducetheirownmediaratherthanhavingtheirstoryframedbycommercialnewsorganizationsAlthoughtheprojecthasnowendeditisincludedherebecauseitprovidedsuchastrongmodelforfuturecommu-nitymediaeffortsTheinitiativewasrootedinaproposalbylocalindependentfilmmakerTomChamberlinthatlocalmediamakerscommunitymediaorganizationscommunitygroupsandgovernmentagenciescollaboratetoproducepublicaffairstelevisionprogramsonissuesofconcerntoOregoniansMetroauniqueregionalgovernmentprimarilyresponsibleforregionalland-useandtransportationplan-ningtookChamberlinrsquosideatoheartWithagrantfromtheFederalHighwayAdministrationMetroandanallianceofcommunityorganizationsandgovernmentagenciesdevel-opedldquoZigZagRealStoriesNewAnglesrdquoaprogrambylocalfilmmakersfeaturingpersonalstoriesfromadiversegroupofregionalresidentsastheygrappledwiththetransporta-tionchoicesaffectingtheirfamiliesneighborhoodsandcommunities
InadditiontothecenterpiecebroadcastonOregon Public BroadcastingtheprojectcreatedaninteractivewebsiteanddistributedaDVDoftheprogramtothearearsquoscableaccesschannelsElementsoftheprojectalsofoundtheirwayontoPortlandrsquoscommunityradiostationKBOOandpacketsincludingextensivesupportmaterialsandDVDsweremadeavailableforscreeninginneighborhoodcentersandindependentmediavenuesTherewasalsoaplanninganddeliberationprocesstostrategizeabouthowcitizensgovernmentsandmediamakerscancollaboratetocreatecommunitydialogueandsolvecivicproblems
Asurbanspaceisincreasinglydefinedbytelecom-municationsasmuchastransportationandlandusetheprojectalsoillustratesthepowerfuloutcomesthat
canresultwhenregionaltelecommunicationsplanningbecomesintegratedwithlanduseandtransportationplan-ningandwhencommunitymediaareintegratedintobothformalandinformalprocessesofplanninganddelibera-tionTheMetroCommunityMediaInitiativeresultedinasignificantandmeasurableriseinregionalawarenessofthetransportationplanningissuesaddressedbytheproj-ectViewershipandDVDusesofthemediaincommunitysettingsexceededexpectations(Metro2004)AlthoughtheprojectwasnotimmediatelyreplicatedPortlandnowenjoyscontinuingcollaborationsbetweenMetrogovern-mentanditsareacommunitymedia
ParticipationintheMetroGovernmentCommunityMediaInitiative isonlyoneofthemanywaysPortlandrsquosKBOOradiohasdemonstrateditsfullcommitmenttotheoriginaldemocraticintentionsofcommunityradiooverthecourseofitsforty-two-yearhistoryOlderthanNationalPublicRadioKBOOisamongthelongest-liv-ingcommunityradiostationsintheUnitedStatesOfthenoncommercialradiostationsinPortlandKBOOistheonlystationwhosemissioncontainsanexplicitcommit-menttominorityprogrammersandlisteners(SussmanandEstes2004)KBOOrsquoscommitmenttodemocraticpracticeextendstoaboardofdirectorselectedentirelyfromitsmembershipwhichisopentoanyoneandanaggressivetrainingprogramconsistentwiththestationrsquoscommitmenttovolunteer-producedprogrammingmdashallprogrammingisproducedbyvolunteerswithassistanceofpaidstaffTheparticipationofwomenandminoritiesfarexceedthecommunityrsquosracialdemographics(SussmanandEstes2004)
Portland Community Media (PCM)hasarichtwenty-three-yearhistoryinPortlandwhenitcomestousingmediatobuildcommunityPCMstartedoutasacabletelevisionaccesscenterandstillprovidestheadminis-trationandtrainingtoprogramPortlandrsquoscableaccesschannelsbuthasexpandeditsmissiontoembracetheuseofcommunitymediatobringaboutbroaderparticipationincivicandculturallifePCMrsquoswebsitedescribesthecenterldquowiththreewordsndashEducateCommunicateParticipaterdquoCurrentlyPCMhasanumberofcollaborativeprojectssup-portingmedialiteracyandmediaeducationinthepublicschoolsystemitregularlyprogramsmediaproductionsfromPortlandrsquosmediaartscentertheNorthwestFilmandVideoCenteranditisplanningtoexpanditscentertosupporteconomicdevelopmentofmicroenterprisesfornewmedia
The Mt Hood Cable Regulatory Commission(MHCRC)overseesacable-relatedtelecommunicationsdevelopmentforgreaterPortlandOregonServing
Oftenthemostsuccessfulexamplesofcommunitymediaemergeoutofongoingalliancesandcollaborationsamonglocalcommunitymediagroups
thecommunitiesresidentsandlocalgovernmentsofFairviewGreshamPortlandTroutdaleWoodVillageandMultnomahCountyOregonTheMtHoodCableRegulatoryCommissionnegotiatesandenforcescableservicefran-chiseandactsinthepublicinterestoncommunicationspolicyissuesatlocalstateandfederallevelsItwouldbehardtooverstatetheimportanceofMHCRCinfosteringthegrowthofcommunitymediaingreaterPortlandThroughclearandinsightfulregulationofthecablefranchiseithasassuredthatthenecessarynetworksandtelecommu-nicationsinfrastructureareavailabletoallowcommunitymediatogrow
MtHoodrsquosCommunityAccessCapitalGrantsProgramisparticularlynoteworthyTheCapitalGrantsprogramprovidescapitalfundingtocommunicationsprojectsthatsupportsocialjusticecommunityinvolve-mentandtheeffectivedeliveryofservicesthroughcostreductionTheprogramhasallowedscoresofcommunitygroupstoincreasetheircommunicationscapacitythroughtheacquisitionofskillsknowledgeandtechnologyInimplementingthisgrantprogramtheMtHoodCableRegulatoryCommissionhasbeenextremelystrategicinconveninggranteesandcreatingtheconditionsthatleadtopartnershipsandcollaborativerelationships
TheNorthwest Film and Video Centerisalong-standingregionalmediaartsorganizationservingtheNorthwestregionThecenterprovidesarichprogramnurturingmediaartscultureItfeaturesanactiveexhibi-tionprogramforexperimentalandindependentfilmsahighlyregardedfilmschoolandextensiveyouthmediaprogramsThecenterpresentsanumberofyearlyfilmfestivalsincludingthePortlandInternationalFilmFestivaltheNorthwestFilmandVideoFestivalandtheYoungPeoplersquosFilmampVideoFestivalThecenterrsquosproductionsoftenfindtheirwayontotothearearsquoscablechannelsThecenterisalsoatrustedsourceofequipmentaccessforareaindependentproducersactiveintherichmediacultureofPortlandaservicepartiallysupportedbytheMtHoodCableRegulatoryCommissionrsquosCapitalGrantsprogram
Minneapolis-St Paul MinnesotaTheSaint Paul Neighborhood Network(SPNN)isacableaccessstationservingStPaulresidentsThestationprovidesopportunitiestothepublictoproduceandairprogramsononeofitsfivechannelsdedicatedtomulti-faithpubliceducationcommunityandinternationalcontentrespectivelySPNNhasayoutheducationprogramandacommunityproductionsprogramwhichworkswithnonprofitorganizationstocreatepublicserviceadvertise-
mentsorprogrammingWorkshopsincludeproductiongrantproposalwritinglegalquestionsandlightingSPNNisparticularlyeffectiveasconvenerandcapacitybuilderinitscommunityItseducationandtrainingprogramsarefocusedoncommunitydevelopmentandonkeepingthetechnicaltrainingelementsofitsworkinasocialperspective
Minneapolis Television Network(MTN)isSPNNrsquossisteraccessstationservingMinneapoliswithasimilarcommitmenttoprovidingacommunitygatheringplaceOperatingthreepublicaccesschannelsMTNofferstelevi-siontrainingandmedialiteracyclassesandisespeciallyencouragingofyouthparticipationThechannelsserveasabridgeforimmigrantstouseinadaptingtotheirnewhomemanynewimmigrantsusethemtocommunicateintheirnativelanguageswiththeirSomaliEthiopianorVietnamesecompatriotsSomali-languageprogramsforinstanceoffereighthoursaweekofmusicentertainmentcommunitynewsandreligiousinstructiontooneofthelargestsettlementsofSomalipeopleoutsideSomaliaIntoutingSomalitelevisionasthebestpublicaccesscabletelevisionprogramintheTwinCitiesCity Pages saidldquoForsomepublicaccessisanearlyinspiringlessonindemocracyandfreemediardquo(CityPages2004)WantingtostrengthenthenonprofitcommunityrsquosInternetsavvyMTNcreatedandeventuallyspunofftheRiverProjecttoofferInternetdial-upaccessandwebhostingtononprofits
PublicbroadcastershavealsoofferedstrongmodelsofcommunitycollaborationintheTwinCities Twin Cities Public Television(TPT)isthepublictelevisionstationservingtheMinneapolisndashStPaulregionIn2004TPTbegandedicatingtimeononeofitsdigitalchan-nelstoMinnesota-relatedprogrammingAnumberoftheprogramsontheMinnesota Channel(someofwhicharethencablecastonpublicaccesstelevision)aretargetedatLatinoHmongHindiMiddleEasternChineseandVietnamesecommunitiesandproducedinpartnershipwithnonprofitorganizationsTPTisapartnerintheMinnesotaCommunityCampaignthatencouragesurbanandruralareasinandaroundtheTwinCitiestowelcomethetensofthousandsofimmigrantsandrefugeesthathavesettledthereinthepastseveraldecadesSeekingtoeffectpositivechangeonimmigrantissuesthroughartmediaeducationsocialserviceandpolicymakingthecampaignproducedtheldquoTheNewMinnesotansrdquoasixty-minuteprogramthatoriginallyairedonTPTbasedontheKartemquinseriesldquoTheNewAmericansrdquo
InadditiontocommunityradiostationKFAItheTwinCitiesishometoMinnesota Public Radio(MPR)
whichhaspioneeredafreshapproachtojournalismcalledpublicinsightjournalism(PIJ)PIJtapsintothecollectiveknowledgeofMPRrsquosdiverseaudiencetoenrichitsreport-ingCreatingaten-thousand-personPublicInsightNetworkviathewebthestationinvitesthepublictobesourcesofstoryideasreactionsandperspectivesandbrainstormingonpublicissues
TheindependentfilmandvideocommunityworkscollaborativelyintheTwinCitiestosupportandpromoteartistandcommunityperspectivesIFP Minnesota Center for Media Arts Intermedia ArtsandtheWalker Art Center areamongthemulti-disciplinaryvenuesfordiscus-sionandproduction
AndtheInternetishometoanewaggregationofcommunitymediasourcesAccordingtoitswebsitethe Twin Cities Daily PlanetaprojectoftheTwinCitiesMediaAllianceisldquoacommunitynewswireandsyndicationserviceshowcasingthebestworkoftheneighborhoodandcommunitypressaswellasworkbyTwinCitiesindepen-dentjournalistsandthevoicesofengagedcitizensThepremiseoftheTC Daily PlanetisthatnewtechnologiesaremakingitpossibleforthesecitizenstobecomemoreactiveandpowerfulparticipantsinthenewsproductionprocessrdquoModeledafterKorearsquosOhmyNewstheTC Daily Planetseekstoimprovethequalitydiversityandaccount-abilityofthelocalmediaandtoinvolvetherapidlygrowingimmigrantandethniccommunitiesItrecruitsandofferstrainingtocitizenjournalistsandhaspartnershipswithoverfortyneighborhoodandcommunitymedia
Chicago IllinoisChicago Access Network Television(CAN-TV)offersfivepublicaccesschannelstoChicagolandresidentsThispublicspaceprovidesChicagoansanopportunitytodiscussissuesoflocalconcernpromotehealtheducationalandeconomicresourcesinthecommunityandcelebratelocaltalentandinitiativesCAN-TVprovidesvideotrainingequipmentandfacilitiesforarearesidentsandnonprofitgroupsItvideotapesandcablecastspublicforumstownhallmeetingscommunityeventsandotheractivitiesoflocalinterestThroughthisservicethestationprovidesChicagoanswithaccesstoinformationtheymaynototh-erwisehavethroughcommercialtelevisionForinstanceCAN-TVworkedwitheighttotenAIDSagenciestodissemi-natebasiceducationaboutAIDSpreventionvialivecall-inprograms
CAN-TVsupportsChicagorsquosassociationsandnonprof-itsthroughserviceslikeliveldquohot-linerdquocall-inshowsfrom
automatedstudiosthatonepersoncanoperateproductionservicesthatgenerateprogrammingforcommunityeventsandstrategiccommunicationsplanningworkshopsCAN-TVhasrefusedtofollowasimplisticldquoneutralityrdquoprogram-mingphilosophyinwhichtheaccesscentertransmitsonlyprogrammingthatrandomlycomesfromthecommunityInsteadCAN-TVactivelycreatesprogrammingimportanttocommunitydevelopmentInadditiontoitsfocusonnonprofitsCAN-TVactivelycreatespartnershipswithcon-tent-richgroupssuchaslocalmuseumsandartsgroupsItalsopartnerswithlocalmediaactivistproductiongroupslikeVideoMacheteandStreetLevelYouthMedia(profiledbelow)SimilarlyCAN-TVaggressivelyengagesinprogram-mingforlocalelectionsatypicalelectionseasonwillgeneratearoundtwohundredhoursoforiginalprogram-mingeachmonthandnearlyallthecandidateswillbefeaturedoractuallycreatetheirownCAN-TVprogrammingtocarryouttheircampaigns
Street-Level Youth MediaprovidesopportunitiesforChicagorsquosurbanyouthtousemediaartsandemergingtechnologiesforself-expressioncommunicationandsocialchangeItsstaffprovidesinstructioninvideoandaudioproductioncomputerartandtheInternettohelpyouthaddresscommunityissuesaccessadvancedcommunica-tionstechnologyandgaininclusioninsocietyInoneprojectitcollaboratedwithtwoseventh-gradeteachersandanESLinstructortohelpstudentsresearchissuesaboutimmigrationinoneneighborhoodTheteachersweretrainedtousevideoandthentrainedotherteacherswhoguidedtheirstudentsinproducingvideosforscreeningattheschoolMorethanthirtyvideoswerecreatedandvideotrainingandusehasbeenincorporatedintotheschoolcurriculum
Radio Arte(WRTE)istheonlybilingual(Spanish-English)youth-operatedurbancommunitystationinthecountryItoperateswithafocusonyouthinChicagorsquosPilsenandLittleVillageneighborhoodsAninitiativeoftheNationalMuseumofMexicanArtthiseducationalradiostationhasservedChicagoformorethansixyearstrainingyouthwithapriorityondevelopingindividualandgroupcommunicationcompetenciesthatallowyoungpeopletoenterpubliclifewithconfidencethroughthebroadcastmediumProvidingaforumforyoungpeopletobecreativeandresponsibletothelargestMexicancommunityintheMidwestRadioArteiscommittedtotrainingyoungpeopleintheartofbroadcastingRadioArtersquosuniquetwo-yeartrainingprogramprovidesyouthwithspecialcoursesonwritingforradioandjournalismvoicetrainingand
FCCregulationsaswellasbasiccomputerskillsproduc-tionskillsandon-airtrainingParticipatingintwograntroundsofSoundPartnersforCommunityHealththestationrsquosldquoRadioVidardquoproducedprogrammingonsubstanceabuseandaddictionbyandforLatinoyouth
Casa Guatemala Media Projectisanonprofitcommunity-basedorganizationthatservestheGuatemalanandbroaderLatinAmericancommunityinChicagoandtheMidwestSinceitsfoundingin1986ithasusedmediaincludingwebprintTVandradiotoraiseconsciousnessaboutissuesaffectingcommunitiesfromLatinAmericaInparticularitworkswithCAN-TVtoprovidetheeducationalcomponentofself-authoredmediathatwillpositivelytrans-formcommunitiesthroughworkshopsontheproductionandalternativeusesofemergingtechnologies
Beyond Media EducationworkswithunderservedandunderrepresentedcommunitiesprimarilywomenandyouthtotelltheirstoriesandorganizeforsocialjusticethroughthecreationanddistributionofalternativemediaandartsInarecenteffortitworkedwithaChicagosheltertohelpstreetwalkerstelltheirownstoriesinanefforttoraisepublicawarenessandpromotestate-levelreformsTheorganizationorganizedasix-monthworkshopthatincludedteachingandpracticingstorytellingpublicspeak-ingandvideoproductionskillstooveradozenprostitutesTheirgroundbreakingvideogivesinsightsintoChicagorsquossextradeindustryandrecountsthetriumphofthepar-ticipantsoverhomelessnessviolenceanddiscriminationTheirlobbyinginthestatecapitolresultedinpassageofabilltodestigmatizeanddecriminalizesexworkers
Keepingtabsonandshowcasingmuchofthecom-munitymediaactivityfromajournalisticperspectiveistheCommunity Media Workshop (CMW) CMWservesasabridgebetweensocialactivistscommunitymediaprac-titionersandjournalistsIthostsanannualacademyforprogressiveorganizationsintheChicagoareathatbringsactivistsandjournaliststogethertoshareideasandatti-tudesProminentareatelevisionandnewspaperjournalistsarerecruitedtoserveonpanelsleadworkshopsandgenerallysharetheirideasofhowprogressivegroupscaneffectivelygaintheattentionofthepressThisapproach
leadstobuy-infromkeypersonnelinChicagorsquosmainstreammediawhocannowbetterunderstandthegrassrootsgroupsthatapproachthemandtheirissuesItalsogivescommunityparticipantsattheworkshopstheopportunitytodevelopmorepersonalrelationshipswithkeymembersofthemediaThisapproachalsoenablescommunitygroupstobetterunderstandwhatmotivateseditorsandreporters
ThesethreecommunitiesshowcommondevelopmentpatternsandfactorsCommunitymediaorganizationshavebeguntounderstandtheirmissionsintermsofasharedcultureofcommunitymedialookingbeyondtheirindivid-ualmissionstothecommonsocialandpoliticalvaluestheyhaveincommonThisapproachopensthewayforcommu-nityradiomediaartscenterscommunitymediacentersandcableaccesstocreatecommunity-wideprograminitiativesinwhichseveralmediaplatformsareengagedItcreatestheconditionsinwhichitispossibleforcommunitymediaorganizationstoactwithunifiedstancesinpoliticaladvocacyregardingmediaissuesandotherissuescriticaltotheircommunitiesThiskindofcross-platformnetworkingalsocreatesopportunitiesforcommunitymediatoreceivemorediversefundingandsupportfromthecommunityastheyextendthenetworkorcultureofcollaborationtocom-munitydevelopmentgroupsandofficialsintheirregions
Communitymediaorganizationshavebeguntounderstandtheirmissionsintermsofasharedcultureofcommunitymedialookingbeyondtheirindividualmissionstothecommonsocialandpoliticalvaluestheyhaveincommon
ldquoThe boldest experiments in public telecommunica-tions take place when technologies are new and their commercial potential not yet fully apparentrdquo mdash Ralph Engelman 1996
Acrosstheirmanyplatformsandmanycommunitiescommunitymediahavebecomecentralculturalinstitutionsinthecivicculturalandeconomiclife
ofourcommunitiesprovidinginvaluablemediaprogram-mingaccessandeducationTheycaninsuchinstancesenablecommunitiestodevelopinformedcitizensartistsandactivistswhopossesstheskillsandknowledgeneededtograpplewithcomplexmedialiteracyanddevelopmentissuesatthelocallevel
Fordecadescommunitymediaorganizationshaveaddressedtheurgentneedtocreatelocalinstitutionsthatfacilitatecitizenaccesstomedianetworksandeffectiveparticipationinmediacultureforbothcitizensandwork-ersTheyareprovingthemselvesvitaltothepoliticalandeconomiclifeoftheircommunitiesTheyplaymultiplerolessimultaneouslyascriticalculturalenhancementstothequalityofciviclifeasemployersandaseducationalsitesforworkforcedevelopment
difficultyNeworganizationalformsandnewmediaformatslikestreamingarchivingpodcastingandbloggingarebecomingthenormpartofldquoblendedrdquoproductionanddis-seminationpracticesincommunitymedia
neW communicAtion spAces cyberjournAlismTheincreaseinInternetbandwidthandtheavailabilityofonlinesocialnetworkingsoftwarehavequalitativelychangedtherelationshipofjournaliststotheiraudiencesNewwebdestinationslikeMySpaceShutterflyFriendsterFlikrEviteandGooglearedevelopingvirtualcommuni-tiesforsharingvideoattractingyoungeraudiencesandmakingcontentmorethanpassiveandone-directionalSocialnetworkingsoftwareenablespeopletorendezvousconnectorcollaboratethroughcomputer-mediatedcom-municationandformonlinecommunities(Spannerworks2007)PopularsocialnetworksoftwareapplicationslikeweblogsorblogsseemparticularlywellsuitedtoparticipatorycitizenjournalismallowingeasypublishingofinteractivetextphotoaudioandvideocontentTheneweasewithwhichvideoclipscanbepreparedforuseonthewebhasbroughtontheriseofldquovlogsrdquoandsitesthatfacilitatethesharingofvideoclipsandaccompanyingcontentAnenormousrangeofblogsandcyberjournalisticsiteshavesprungupontheWorldWideWebinthepastfiveyearswithanequallywiderangeofeditorialstandardsandpracticesTechnoraticomcurrentlytracksseventeenmillionblogssharingoneandahalfmillionhyperlinks(Rennie2006)APewCenterInternetstudyestimatesthatthenumberofregularblogreadersintheUnitedStatesisequivalenttoalmosthalftheentireradioaudiencewhichisaboutaquarteroftheUSnewspaperreadership(Rennie2006)
Combinedwithaffordablenewdigitalmediaproduc-tioncamerasandrecorderstheseweb-baseddisseminationtoolsmakeitpossibleforcitizensandconsumerstoparticipateactivelyinnewsgatheringNonprofessionalshavebeguntoplayamoreactiveroleintheprocessesofjournalismfromcollectinginformationandreportingtoanalysisanddisseminationJanSchafferwhodirectsJ-LabaUniversityofMarylandincubatorforinteractivejournalismprojectsexplainsthatmanypeoplearebecom-ingmoreactivecitizensthroughjournalisticactivitybutdonotnecessarilyaspiretobejournalistsThenewtechnical
envisioning the future of community mediA
Communitymediaorganizationsareprovingthemselvesvitaltothepoliticalandeconomiclifeoftheircommunities
Communitymediaarealsocontributingimportantvaluespracticesandorganizationalmethodologiestotheemergingcollaborativemediaenvironmentsoftheblogo-sphereWecanlooktothesecontributionsastechnologicalandorganizationalopportunitiesforstrengtheningandexpandingcommunitymediapracticeWiththeInternetamediacultureisemergingthatismoreconsistentwiththenoncommercialpracticesofcommunitymediaproductioncollaborationanddemocraticparticipationinmediamak-inganddistributionConsequentlymanycommunitymediaorganizationsareintegratingthecapacitiesoftheInternetandnewmediaintotheirpracticeswithoutmuchfanfareor
0
capacityforcommunicationsheobservesallowspeopletoldquoparticipateinnewsandinformationinvariouswaysmdashparticipateininteractingwithitquestioningittruth-squadingitandcreatingitAndnowthattheyhavethetechtoolsandthetechskillstodothattheappetitehasonlyincreasedrdquo(Schaffer2005b)
SuchconditionshavesetthestageforintensepopularinterestinwhathasbeenbrandedldquowemediardquoorldquoparticipatoryjournalismrdquoTodaynumerousonlinejournalisticexperimentsbringtogetherprofessionaljour-nalistswithcitizenmediaactivistsandthoseinvolvedineventsMoreandmoretheearliestimagesandinformationregardingbreakingnewsarecomingfromnon-journalistspresentatthemomentoftheeventAsaresultjournalistsarebeginningtoconceptualizethemselvesnotsomuchasgatekeepersofnewsbutasmoderatorsinaconversationwithlicenseandtimetospeakfrequentlyandhopefullyaccurately(BowmanandWillis2003)
Thiskindofcommunity-centeredcoveragemayentailthere-balancingofeditorialpoliciesndashcommittingtodiversityembracingegalitarianvaluesandreassessingthevalueofeditorialneutralityItputsintoquestiontheroleandsignificanceofofteninnovativeldquopersonalmediardquoexemplifiedbythemillionsofbloggingsitesontheWebIsthiskindofldquonewsrdquoservingapubliccivicpurposeofcommunityproblemsolvingorindividualprivateexpres-sionInaWashington PostopinionpieceonDecember212006GeorgeKWillvoicedskepticismoftheseriousnessofmuchofthewebrsquosamateurjournalisminresponsetoTimemagazinersquosnamingallofusPersonoftheYear
Itisdifficulttopredictthefutureofcyberjournal-ismandbloggingpreciselyintheseearlystagesbutthreeoutcomesseemlikelyFirstbloggingwillcontinueitsrapidintegrationintomainstreammediacontentSecondblog-gingandotherformsofsocialnetworkingsoftwarewillgiverisetonewmediaentitiesthatwillchallengemainstreammedialocallynationallyandglobally
ThethirdoutcomeistheonemostrelevanttoacommunitymediascanCyberjournalismandparticipatory
citizenjournalismseemparticularlywellsuitedtoaddressthecurrentUSmassmediarsquosdifficultyinprovidingcoverageoflocaleventsinsmallercommunitiessuburbanregionsandcommutercommunitiesthataredevelopingoutsideformalpoliticaljurisdictionsCommunity-basedonlinejournalismsiteshavesprungupinhundredsofcom-munitiesaroundtheUnitedStatesTheyaremanagedandorganizedinwidelydivergentways
AnexperimentincyberjournalismandcommunitynetworkingtheTwin Cities Daily PlanetaggregatessomeofthebestjournalismfromMinnesotarsquosTwinCitiesneighborhoodandcommunitypressandindependentjour-nalistsaswellasthevoicesofengagedcitizenspresentingthemtothepublicthroughaninteractivewebsiteandcommunitydatabaseByaggregatingcitizenandneighbor-hoodjournalisminonesiteitincreasesthecapacityofsmallneighborhoodmediatoreachbeyondtheirborderstoawiderregionalaudienceUsingRealSimpleSyndication(RSS)softwaretheTC Daily Planetcanpotentiallyreachaglobalaudience
AprojectoftheTwinCitiesMediaAlliancetheTC Daily PlanetisaverynewformofcommunitymediaemergingfromtherestructuringofthenewspaperindustryandtheuseofbloggingandsocialnetworkingsoftwareAlthoughearlyinitsdevelopmenttheTC Daily Planetisgivingvoicetoanincreasingnumberofethnicimmi-grantandnon-mainstreamjournalistswhilefocusingthecommunityrsquosattentiononafargreaterrangeofpublicationsandideas
TheearliestexpressionsofcyberjournalismaretheIndependent Media Centers (IMCs)orIndymediaIndymediacameintobeingaspartoftheprotestsanddemonstrationsaroundtheWorldTradeOrganizationtalksheldinSeattleWashingtonin1999ThisfirstIMCwasaconvergenceoftheemerginginteractivityoftheInternetwiththeintenseneedofprotesterstogetindependentinformationouttotheworldabouttheprotestsAnetworkofindependentcommunitymediamakersactivistsandjournalistsbandedtogethertopoolresourcesandinforma-tion(Howley2005)
TheIMCsforeshadowedthebloggingandvideodis-tributionthatwasshortlytoemergebyusingtheInternetandtheWorldWideWebinconjunctionwithvideoandaudiodistributiontocreateatrulyunprecedentedmulti-mediaenvironmentIntermsofbothqualityandquantitytheSeattleIMCwasanimpressiveperformancebyanynewsandcurrentaffairsstandardsOverthecourseofthefive-dayprotestsadailynewspaperanddailyradioprogramwerecreatedandcountlessprintstoriesweredisseminated
Journalistsarebeginningtoconceptualizethemselvesnotsomuchasgatekeepersofnewsbutasmoderatorsinaconversation
globallyalsovideofeedsweresentthroughtheInternettopublicaccessandcommunitychannelsaroundtheworldSixyearsaftertheSeattleproteststherewere149Indymediawebsitesinabout45countriesonsixcontinents(Whitney2005)
TheopenformofcommunicationpracticedbymostIMCsiteshasnotbeenwithoutproblemsandcontra-dictionsManysitesarenowclutteredwithideologicaldiatribesanduneditedcontent(Halleck2002Whitney2005)ButthereareanumberofIndymediasitesthatprovidealternativenewsandinformationregardingaglobalscopeofconcernsthatwouldbeverydifficulttoobtainanywhereelseinthemediaAnumberofsitesinplacessuchasNewYorkCityPortlandOregonandtheSanFranciscoBayareahaveestablishedthemselvesasstablepartsoftheircommunityrsquosmediaculture
companiesspecializedsuppliersserviceprovidersandassociatedinstitutionsinaparticularfieldthatarepresentinanationorregionrdquo(Porter2000)Thecompaniesinanindustryclusterhaveacomplexwebofmutuallysupportingrelationshipsthatencompassbothcompetitiveandcollab-orativerelationshipsTheylinkacrossprofitandnonprofitpracticesutilizecommoninfrastructuremakecommoncontributionstothedevelopmentofahighlyskilledwork-forcesharefundingandinsomecasestalentedstaff
Increasinglycommunitydevelopmentpractitionersandanalystsarecomingtounderstandindustryclustersaspowerfulstrategiesforbotheconomicandcommunitydevelopmentinthetwenty-firstcenturyThisisprovingdoublytruefornonprofitcommunitymediaorganizationswhoseroleitistobringpowerfultoolsandknowledgetoanycommunityrsquosdeliberationsaroundcommunityandeco-nomicdevelopmentBroadbandandwirelessnetworksareprovidingthepracticalmeansoflinkingcommunitymediaorganizationswithincommunitiesofferingakeystrategicadvantagebyenhancingtheeffectivenessofcollaborationandpartnershipbuilding
AstheexamplesinthepreviouschaptershowcommunitymediaorganizationsaretakingonnewrolesincludingcombiningproductionandtrainingtakingonworkforcedevelopmentfunctionsandbecomingtechnologycentersfordiffusionofnewmediaBeyondtheseexampleslongstandingsuccessfulcommunitymediaorganiza-tionsaremergingasnetworkclusterslinkingdifferentgroupsandorganizationswithincommunitiestocreateentirelynewcommunitymediaorganizationsorblurringtheboundariesbetweentheirorganizationsOthersarebringinghistoricallyseparatecommunitymediagroupswithinoneorganizationalstructureorunderonerooftosharebuildingsandcommunicationsinfrastructuresinacost-effectivemanner
TheorganizationsthatemergefromthisintegrationmaybesimilarinfunctionthoughtheirnamesremaindifferentAcommunity-basedsiteforcitizenmediaandcyberjournalismforexampleandacommunitynetworklikeMAINinAshevilleNorthCarolinaoracutting-edgecableaccesscenterlikeGrandRapidsCommunityTelevisionbegintolookverymuchalikeintermsof
Increasinglycommunitymediadevelopmentishappeningthroughnetworksoflocalnonprofitmediaorganizationsratherthanwithinsingleorganizations
neW orgAnizAtionAl spAces netWorked clusters Perhapsthemostpromisingtrendonthehorizonforcom-munitymediaistheemergenceofnewhighlyintegratedorganizationalstructuresandcollaborativeprocessesIncreasinglycommunitymediadevelopmentishappeningthroughnetworksoflocalnonprofitmediaorganizationsratherthanwithinsingleorganizations
Inmanywaysthesereorganizationsatthecom-munitylevelparalleltherestructuringtakingplaceintheprivatecorporatesectorTherecommunicationsnetworksarebeingusedtosupportcomplexpartnershipsandjointcompanyprojectdevelopmentinteractivenetworkseasetheaggregationoflargeorstrategiccapitalandemployeeskillsetsacrossgeographicandorganizationalboundariesforthepurposesofinnovationandmarketdevelopmentInthelanguageofcommunityandeconomicdevelop-mentthesecomplexpartnershipsareknownasldquocreativeclustersrdquoorldquoindustryclustersrdquoMichaelPorteraleadingtheoristandproponentoftheconceptofclustersdefinesthemasldquogeographicconcentrationsofinterconnected
Successfulcommunitymediaorganizationsaremergingasnetworkclusters
technologyprogrammingactivitiesandtheexperienceofcommunityaudiencesvolunteersandparticipantsEachorganizationreliesonnoncommercialaffordablebandwidtheachplayssomeroleinadvocatingforsupportivegovern-mentpoliciesandeachisexperimentingwiththepotentialofnewcollaborativemediatoolsOftencommittedtoengagingandtrainingvolunteersandcommunitymembersinsomemannertheymayoffertrainingandvolunteerpro-gramsthatrequiresimilarsharableonlinetutorialsandonlineoutreachandschedulemanagementtools
TheexamplesthatfollowdemonstratethewayscommunitymediacreativeclustersaremakinguniquecontributionstotheircommunitiesrsquoqualityoflifeandeconomicwellbeingTheyaredoingsointhreeimportantwaysbullfirstbyamplifyingtherolethatartsandculturalgroups
playinenhancingthequalityoflifeandattractingatalentedworkforceandcapitaltothecommunitymdasharolethatisgaininginsignificanceinthetwenty-firstcentury
bullsecondascontributorstocoreeconomicdevelopmentfunctionsinthecommunityincludingworkforcedevelop-mentandtrainingasmicro-enterpriseincubatorsandascreatorsofnewknowledgeandeducationalexperiencesand
bullthirdasfacilitatorsandcatalystsofcommunitydialoguecommittedtoembracingmarginalizedvoicesandallow-ingthecommunitytoundertakeitsowndevelopmentdemocratically
Lowell MassachusettsLowell Telecommunications Center(LTC)isapublicandgovernmentaccesschannelandmediaandtechnologycen-terItprovideseducationandtraininginmediacreationincludingwebdesigndigitalphotographyandtelevisionproductionLTCworksincollaborationwithotherlocalcommunity-basedorganizationsmunicipaldepartmentsandeducationalentitiestoproducediversemulticulturalprogrammingthatmeetsthecommunityrsquoscommunica-tionandinformationneedsLTChasbecomeaconvening
organizationforbuildingcapacityamongLowellrsquosnonprofitcommunity-basedorganizationsintheiruseofparticipatorymediaandcivicengagementstrategies
LTCismorefocusedthanothercommunitymediaorganizationsoncommunitybuildingandcommunicationtechnologyThecorporationisworkingtobuildanetworkforparticipatorymediaandcivicengagementthroughouttheMerrimacRiverValleyThroughaUSDepartmentofEducationgrantLTCacquiredfundingandstafftohelpitspartnerorganizationsbecomeInternet-capableassesstheirinformationtechnologyneedsacquiretechnologyupgradestoaddressthoseneedsandundertakethetrainingtousethetechnologyeffectively
RatherthanwaitingforgroupstocometoitscenterLTCcreatedacircuitridertrainingprogramthattookthetrainingprogramintothecommunityThroughLTCrsquosinformationtechnologycenterscoresofcommunitygroupshavereceivedtrainingdesignedandcreatedwebsitesanddevelopedstrategiccommunicationsplansforthefutureThosedevelopmentsincludeweb-basedhistoricalarchivesGISmappingsystemsmultimediamaterialsandInternetvideoTohelporganizationsacquirethesoftwaretheyneedtocarryouttheirmissionsLTCcreatedtheCommunitySoftwareLabwhichdevelopsuniquesoftwaretofittheneedsofareanonprofitsThelabhasbeenspunofftocreateaseparatenonprofitentityjoiningthegrowingnumberofindependentorganizationsthatnetworkthroughLTC
ThemostrecentLTCinitiativeisldquoDigitalBicyclerdquoapeer-to-peernetworkthatallowsmediacentersworldwidetodownloadandsharelocalcontentLTCstaffenvisionDigitalBicycleasanonlinecommunityforcableaccessmediaartsindependentmediaandothernoncommercialmedia
Grand Rapids MichiganldquoBuildingcommunitythroughmediardquoThissimplemissionstatementguidedtheGrand Rapids Community Media Center(GRCMC)asitevolvedfromatypicalcableaccessoperationtobecomeabroad-basedmultimediacenterandamodelforthedevelopmentofcommunitymultimediacentersintheUnitedStatesOverthepasttwentyyears
Communitymediacreativeclustersaremakinguniquecon-tributionstotheircommunitiesrsquoqualityoflifeandeconomicwellbeing
LTCisworkingtobuildanetworkforparticipatorymediaandcivicengagementthroughouttheMerrimacRiverValley
GRCMChaspulledthediversecommunitymediaactivitiesofGrandRapidsunderoneorganizationalumbrellaandtakentheleadinarticulatingthepotentialforaggregatingnoncommercialnetworkedcommunicationsthere
Theevolvingnetworkofmediaplatformsdis-ciplinesandculturalgroupsthatconvergetobecomeGRCMCnowincludesthefollowingcentersofpracticeGRTVacommunitytelevisioncenterthatprogramsmultiplecableaccesschannelsWYCEacommunityradiostationGrandnetacommunitytechnologyandnetworkcenterthatprovidescitizenandnonprofitaccesstotheInternetandtheGrandRapidsInstituteforInformationDemocracyacriticalmediaeducationandresearchcenterthattracksmediaandlocalpublicinterestissuesandpub-lishesinformationonmediaaccountabilityandreform
ButtheGrandRapidsCommunityMediaCenterismorethanthesumofitspartsThecomponentsofthecenterworktogetherinamutuallyreinforcingwholethatcreatesapowerfulcommunitymediapresenceinGrandRapidsandallowsthecentertoundertakefarmoreambitiousprojectsandprogrammingthanwouldbethecaseseparatelyOneexcellentexampleistheMobileOn-LineLearningLabforInformationEducationKnownasMOLLIEtheprogramprovidesskilledtrainersanddigitalvideoproductionequipmenttoschoolsandcommunityorganizationsforspecialprojectsOriginallyfundedbyafederalDepartmentofEducationgrantMOLLIEfillsintechnologygapsinGrandRapidseducationalinstitutionsandnonprofitsInthehandsofalessintegratedinstitutiontheMOLLIEprojectcouldeasilybeatechnicallyorientedequipmentloanandtrainingprogramInthehandsofthecenterMOLLIEhasbecomeasophisticatedmediaandtechnologyeducationalinitiativeprovidingatrainingprogramthataddressesmediaeducationfromtheperspec-tiveofallthecomponentsoftheGrandRapidsCommunityMediaCenter
Asheville North CarolinaOneofthemostarticulateeffortsmergingthecreativeclustersideawithparticipatorycommunicationhascomeaboutinAshevilleNorthCarolinaThroughapersistent
collaborationbetweenforwardlookingregionalgroupsandorganizationsndashinvolvingabroadnetworkofindi-vidualscommunitymediaandmediaartsgroupsintheAshevilleregionndashAshevillehaslaidthefoundationforacommunitymediadevelopmentcenterthatwillfunctionasacableaccesscentermediaartscenterandnewmediamicro-enterpriseincubatorAtthecenterofthiseffortisaninformalcoalitionoffourimportantgroupsinAshevilleMountainAreaInformationNetworkMediaArtsProjectBoncombeCountyEconomicDevelopmentCommissionandURTVThegroupsrepresentdistinctpointsofviewandconcernsaswellasconverginginterests
Eachgroupsharedtheinsightthatcivicparticipa-tionandeconomicsuccessinthetwenty-firstcenturyaredirectlyrelatedtohavingaccesstocommunicationstechnologyandknowledgeEachalsounderstoodthattherenegotiationofthecablefranchisesintheCityofAshevilleandsurroundingBoncombeCountywasastrategicmomenttocatalyzeandassociateanumberofcommunity-basedinformationandmediaartsactivitiesalreadyinplaceorplannedinAshevilleThegroupsusedthecablefranchisingprocesstocreateacommonorganizationalandfacilitiesinfrastructuresupportingtheuseofmediaforbothcivicandeconomicdevelopment
The Media Arts Project(MAP)isanetworkofmediaartiststhatcultivatesinnovativeartsandtechnol-ogyinwesternNorthCarolinaMAPworkedtirelesslytoframecableaccessasacommunitydevelopmentissuebridgingthemediaactivistcommunitiesandthemoreforward-thinkingfactionsamongeconomicdevelopmentprofessionalsintheregionWiththerecentopeningofURTV IncAshvillersquoscableaccessorganizationandfacilityMAPanditsnetworkofpartnersarenowturningtheirattentiontofundingthemediaartsandeconomicincubatorelementsofthevision
AshevillersquosinterestinsupportingcommunitymediaarisesfromthepresenceoftheMountain Area Information Network(MAIN)Inthetraditionoftheruralcooperativesthathelpedspreadthereachofelectricityinthe1930sMAINisanonprofitInternetserviceproviderofferingreliablelow-costInternetservicebothinwesternNorthCarolinaandnationwideItisauniquecommunitynetworkwithabroadvisionofitsroleinthecommunitythatencompassesmedialiteracyeconomicdevelopmentstrategiescommunitylow-powerradioacommunity-basedwebportalandtheprovisionofInternetconnectivitytoruralwesternNorthCarolinaMAINislargelyresponsiblefortheremarkableexpansionofInternetaccessibilityinwesternNorthCarolinaallowingthousandsofpeopleto
GRCMChaspulledthediversecommunitymediaactivitiesofGrandRapidsunderoneorganizationalumbrella
spendtheirInternetaccessdollarswithalocallycontrolledandaccountableorganizationMAINdemonstratesthevalueofthecommunitynetworkingconcepttoareasthatarelagginginconnectivityduetofailuresofthemarket
MAINhastakenaleadershiproleinbuildingacommunitymediacultureinAshevillethatdemonstratestheeasewithwhichdigitalmedialeapsorganizationalboundariesItscommunitynetworkrunstheBlueRidgeWebMarketwhichprovidesafreecustomizableInternetpresencetohundredsofsmallbusinessesthroughoutwesternNorthCarolinaItsLatinoDigitalLiteracyProjectofferstrainingtohelpthearearsquosgrowingLatinopopula-tionsaccesstheInternetMAINhasbeenoneofthekeypartnersinbringingacableaccesscentertoAshevilleandhasbeenthedrivingforcebehindWPVMWNCrsquoslow-powerFMradiostationbroadcastinglocalnewsviewsandmusicover-the-airintheAshevilleregion(andtheworldviawebcast)
Cleveland OhioPerhapsthemostrobustcommunity-basednonprofitnetworkintheUnitedStatesOne ClevelandprovideswhatitcallsldquoultrabroadbandnetworkingservicesrdquotoClevelandareaeducationgovernmentresearchartscultureandhealthcareorganizationsOneClevelandoperatesafibernetworkringthatcoversmuchofthecityofClevelandandmanyofitssurroundingsuburbsSubscriberstothenetworkconnectatgigabitspeeds
OneClevelandrepresentswhatcanhappenwhenpowerfulcommunitydevelopmentforcescometoaconsensusregardingtheircommunityrsquosneedforhigh-speedconnectivitytoglobaleconomiesandmediaItsfoundersareClevelandmainstreaminstitutionsCaseWesternReserveUniversityCuyahogaCommunityCollegeClevelandStateUniversityTheCityofClevelandGreaterClevelandRegionalTransitAuthorityideastreamCuyahogaCountyPublicLibraryandNorTechThenetworkhasformedrelationshipswithtechnologycompaniestomaintainup-to-dateapplicationsthatleveragethepotentialofsuchapowerfulnetwork
Oneofthenetworkrsquoskeypartners ideastream illustratesthesignificanceofworkingtogethertomakehigh-speedconnectivitypubliclyavailablethroughoutacommunityonitsowntermsBybuildingahigh-speednet-workOneClevelandhascreatedacivicnetworkspaceandinfrastructurethatallowsanewkindofmultimediapublicmediaorganizationtobecreatedIdeastreamresultedwhenWVIZPBSTelevisionand903WCPNRadiopublicbroad-castersmergedtoformanewnonprofitldquomultimediapublicserviceorganizationrdquoIdeastreamisabletoextenditsmediaexpertisebeyondbroadcastingtoonlinetechnologiesandapplicationsofalltypesmdashwhenyouareconnectingtothenetworkatthegigabitspeedsofOneClevelandrsquostherangeofapplicationsandtheirpotentialarehuge
MAINhastakenaleadershiproleinbuildingacommunitymediacultureinAshevillethatdemonstratestheeasewithwhichdigitalmedialeapsorganizationalboundaries
OneClevelandrepresentswhatcanhappenwhenpowerfulcommunitydevelopmentforcescometoaconsensusregardingtheircommunityrsquosneedforhigh-speedconnectivitytoglobaleconomiesandmedia
Inthecourseofpreparingthisreportndashpouringovertheliteratureandsynthesizinghoursofstructuredround-tableconversationsandone-on-oneinterviewswith
opinionleadersandsuccessfulpractitionersofcommunitymediandashonethingisextremelyclearThewayoursocietymakesandsharesinformationknowledgeandcultureisinaheightenedstateofchangeTheinteractivenatureoftheInternethasdemonstratedthatitispossibletoorganizecommunicationsinamuchmoredemocraticfashionSomehaveconcludedwearewitnessingthetransitionfromanindustrializedinformationenvironmenttoanetworkedinformationenvironmentTheoldindustrialmediastruc-turesbasedonexclusivehigh-costproductionprocessesarebeingchallengedbyanemergingmediasectorinwhichthecostofcreatinginformationknowledgeandculturehasbeenprofoundlyreducedandtheproductsareintercon-nectedwidelythroughnetworksliketheInternet(Benkler2006)IndeedthereisincreasingevidencethatthesenewmediaanddigitalnetworksareparticularlyconducivetononcommercialandnonprofitculturalproductionaswellasmoreparticipatoryandcollaborativemediapracticesInmanywaysthelong-standingvaluesandintentofcommu-nitymediaforeshadowthisnewmediaenvironment
ThescanresearchfocusedonfourkeyareasofinquiryWhataretheuniquecharacteristicsthatdistin-guishcommunitymediaWhatmakesmedia-communitycollaborationssuccessfulWhattypesofcommunitymediaorganizationsbestleveragenewtechnologiesHowmightcommunitymediaengageunderservedpopulationsinprogrammingtailoredtotheirneedsIneachinstancewefoundthatcommunitymediacombinedwithgreaterafford-ablebandwidthandopen-sourceapproachestoproductiondohavetremendouscommunitydevelopmentpotentialHowevernoneofthatpotentialwillcomeaboutmagicallyThecommunitymediasectorisfacingthechallengingtaskofmanagingextensivechangeandtransformation
chAllengesThesuccessdisappointmentsandsocialvalueofthepastsixtyyearsofcommunitymediainitiativesmustbejudgedinhistoricalcontextConsistentmisrepresentationinthemainstreammediaandlimitedunaccommodatingsocialpolicyhaveresultedininadequatevisibilityandfinancialsupportforcommunitymediaAnydiscussionofitssuccessesorfailuresmustincorporateanunderstand-
ingoftheseexternalconstraintsInthislighttheexistingexpressionsofcommunitymediaattheirbestarewildlysuccessfulsocialexperimentsgivingcauseforgreatoptimism
NeverthelesscommunitymediafacebothexternalandinternalchallengesTheinternalchallengesarisefromstructuraltensionsthatoccurinanyattempttocreateorganizationsandculturesthatembodydiversitydemocraticexpressionandequitableaccessRatherthanbeingexpressedasldquoweaknessesrdquoasissooftenthecaseinmainstreammediaandacademiatheseinternaltensionsaremoreproperlyunderstoodaspredictabledevelopmentalproblemsandopportunitiesthatpractitionersshouldbepreparedtograpplewithinanycommunitymediasetting
Balancing Free Expression and Audience Development CommunityradioandpublicaccesscablehavehistoricallyprivilegedtheinterestsofproducersbygrantingthemgreatpoliticalfreedominmakingdecisionsregardingwhatprogrammingtocreateandwhataestheticandformattingapproachestouseThetrade-offforacultureofactivistvolunteerismandfreeexpressionhasbeensmalleraudi-encesandlowerlevelsofproductionandprogramsupportProgramproducerscarryanintensecommitmenttoindi-vidualownershipoftheirprogramminginitiativesthatmaynottaketheaudiencersquosinterestsfullytoheart
Whiletheseapproachesinradioandcableaccesshaveresultedinadiversityofprogrammingandpoliticalviewpointstheyhavealsopreventedradiostationpro-grammersorcableaccessorganizationsfrombuildingaflowofprogramsthatcandefineandconstructanongoingaudienceinthecommunityEachprogramorscheduledprogramslotcarriesitsownmicroaudienceldquofragmentedpublicsrdquothatareoftennotpartofanintegratedflowofpro-grammingthatattractsanaudiencetothechannelsoverall(Higgins2002)
Freeexpressionandaudiencedevelopmentarenotmutuallyexclusivenordoparticipatorymanagementstructuresvolunteerinvolvementandproducertrain-ingprogramsneedtoimpedeaudiencedevelopmentThesuccessofAmyGoodmanandDemocracyNowsoundlydemonstratesthisInfactmanycommunitymediaorgani-zationshavecreatedprogramminginitiativesthatcombinesophisticatedmeasurementsofsocialoutcomeswith
conclusions
trainingandparticipatoryprogramplanningTheyhavenotonlyraisedthesocialvalueoftheirprogrammingtotheircommunitiestheyhavealsoincreasedthesizeandloyaltyoftheiraudiences(Aufderheide2003)Asinteractivemediabegintocreatetheconditionswherenicheprogram-mingcanbefarmoresuccessfulthetensionbetweenfreeexpressionandaudiencedevelopmentisnotonlyachal-lengebutalsoatremendousopportunity
Programming MetricsStillroundtableparticipantsrepeatedlynotedthatevenwhenprogrammingmeetscommunityneedscommunitymediaorganizationscanfinditdifficulttodocumentimpactTheyfeltthatfundershavegenerallynotyetaddressedtheroleofmediainpopularcultureorthepowerofpopularcultureinaddressingsocialproblemsInaddi-tionfundersfindithardtoestablishcost-benefitmeasuresofsocialimpactfortheirmediaexpenditures
ParticipantsaskedformodelsofaudiencefeedbackandoutcomesmeasurementthatgobeyondaudiencenumbersTheyacknowledgedthedifficultyofquantify-ingnotionsofsuccesswhichtendtobeverysubjectiveandofusingsuccessstoriesinthecommonprogrammingmetricsofthedayManyrecognizedskepticismamongfundersabouttheimportanceofcommunitymediaasuspicionaboutagendasandafearofthecostsinvolvedmakingcommunitymediaahardsellEventhoughafewgoodevaluationeffortswereacknowledgedtheircollectiveresultshavenotbeenincorporatedintothethinkingofthewiderfundingcommunity
FundingMulti-yearstablefundingsupportforcommunitymediainitiativesiscriticaltostabilityinnovationandgrowthRoundtableparticipantsdiscussednumerousinstancesinwhichprojectswithmulti-yearsupporthadpowerfulpositiveimpactsextendingbeyondtheinitialprojectgoalsMulti-yearfundingcreatesthestabilitytoundertakeproperstrategicplanningandpartnershipdevelopment
Thereissomeearlyevidencethatamultiple-plat-formnonprofit-orientednichemarketcouldemergeasasignificantopportunitytoprovideenhancedrevenueforthecommunityandnoncommercialmediasectorsTheinterac-tivecapacityofthenewnetworkssignificantlyincreasestherevenuepotentialforcooperativeandsubscription-styleprogrammingflowsHoweverstrongmarketsforcommer-ciallyfundedparticipatorycommunityexpressionhavenotyetemergedinthedigitaleraduetothelimitedsizeofpopulationsandavailableadvertisingsupportIfthereistobeavitalsectorofcommunity-basedmediasomeformofsignificantpublicfundingwillbenecessaryevenininstanceswherecommunitymediaorganizationsmightrealizesignificantrevenuefromnewmarketsInordertomakethemostefficientuseofpublicfundingcommuni-tiesmustevolvefundingandgovernancestructuresforcommunitymediathatcanfacilitatetheaggregationoffundscoordinatemultiple-organizationprojectsandactastrustedconvenersofprogramminganddevelopmentdiscus-sionsincommunities
Policy ThreatsWhiletheconvergenceoftechnologyandpracticescreatesincreasingpotentialsforaunifiedcommunitymediasectorthereisunfortunatelynocohesiveandunifiednationalpolicyframeworkforcommunitymediaThegovernmentpoliciesandregulationsthatexistforcommunitymediahavebeenretrofittedinthearenasofUSbroadcastingandtelephonypolicyWhiletheyrepresenthard-wonpoliticalvictoriesandstrategicinsighttheydonotaddresstheneedsofcommunitymediainaholisticway
Inthecurrentpoliticalclimatebroadcastmediaownershipcontrolandprogrammingwillcontinuetobecentralizedinfewercorporationsleavingcommunitieswithlessoptionsforcontrollingtheirlocalmediaenviron-mentsAtthesametimethetelephonecompanieswillenterthemarketforvideotelephonyandbroadbandbydeployinghigh-capacitydigitaltelevisionnetworksinmanycommunitiesintheUnitedStates
ThecurrenttrendofcentralizationinUStele-communicationspolicyisthreateningtheabilityoflocal
Freeexpressionandaudiencedevelopmentarenotmutuallyexclusivenordoparticipatorymanagementstructuresvolunteerinvolvementandproducertrainingprogramsneedtoimpedeaudiencedevelopment
Communitymediaorganizationscanfinditdifficulttodocumentimpact
governmentstomandatecommunity-basedcommunica-tionsnetworksandprogramminginitiativesasrentonthepublicrights-of-wayThesefundingmechanismscurrentlysupportPublicEducationandGovernment(PEG)accesscabletelevisioncentersmediaartscentersandmanymunicipalcommunicationnetworksWhilefarfromperfectregulatorymechanismstheyareoneofthemostsuccess-fulformsofpublicmediasupporttoariseinthelastthirtyyears
Overthenextfiveyearsthesesuccessfulfundingstrategieswillbeunderheavyattackbythetelephonecom-paniesandthecabletelevisionindustryinastrugglewithgovernmentsforcommunitycontrolofthepublicrights-of-wayThesamedynamicthreatensequitableInternetaccessIncreasinglybroadbandcommunitynetworksaremunicipallyownedormandatedWhilesomeofthesemunicipalbroadbandnetworksweredeployedforinternalmunicipalpurposestimehasshownthatsuchnetworkscanserveanumberofnon-governmentalcommunity-basedpurposesincludingwirelessISPconnectionsforresidentsbusinessesandvisitorsManycommunitiesareseeking(andsomehaveobtained)ldquoCommunityBenefitsAgreementsrdquowithproposedwirelessbroadbandvendorsthatsetasideasmallfranchisefeeongrossrevenuestosupportdigitalinclusionactivitiesfollowingtheexampleofcablecompaniessupportofPEGaccessHowevermunicipalbroadbandandmunicipalwirelessareunderattackbyindustriestryingtoreservethesedevelopmentrightsforthemselves
Theoutcomeofthedebatesaroundcontroloftherights-of-waywillhaveasignificantimpactonthefuturepathofcommunitymediadevelopmentThesedebateswillrangeacrosstheregulatoryspectrumtheyarenowbeingwagedinlocalstateandnationallegislativearenasandthecourtsTheresultingcommunicationsinfrastruc-tureandregulatoryframeworkwillbeabletorealizethepotentialsofcommunitymediaifandonlyifcommunitiesareabletotakeleadershipinprovidingsubstantialpublicaswellasprivatefundingAsanoldtruismnotesldquomoneyispolicyrdquo
Therearenopoliticalortechnicalguaranteesthatdigitalmedianetworkswillremainopenandparticipa-toryastheyevolveItisunlikelythatmarketforcesalone
willservetorealizethedemocraticpotentialoftodayrsquosparticipatorymediatechnologyBuildingarobustsectorofcommunity-baseddemocraticnewmediawillrequireeffectivecitizenactivismclearandresponsivegovern-mentpoliciesandeffectivepoliticalstrategiesCommunitymedianeedsseparaterecognitionandsupportwithinfed-eralstateandlocalcommunicationspolicyandregulatorystructuresinordertoensureequitableandstablefundinganddevelopment
models for the futureThegovernmentregulationsandsubsidiesthatunderpincommunitymediahaveevolvedinahodgepodgefashionoverthepastsixtyyearsItcanbearguedthatcommunitymediashouldbetreatedasaseparatesectorwithinte-gratedfundingstructuresconsistentinfrastructureandtaxandsubsidypoliciesthatareseparateanddistinctfromexistinglocalmediapoliciesandalsofromthepoliciesunderpinningpublicbroadcastingPossiblemodelsforamoreunifiedapproacharenumerousbuttwoappearpar-ticularlywellsuitedtocommunitymediarsquosdiverseformsorganizationsandprogrammingapproaches
Public Funding FindingappropriatemethodsofincreasingpublicfundingforcommunitymediainashiftingregulatoryenvironmentiscrucialCurrentlocalcablefranchisingregulationstosupportcableaccessandthecommunitybenefitsagree-mentsofmunicipalwirelessnetworksoffersuccessfulmodelsbutarenowbothunderattackThelawsrequiringcommercialcableproviderstosetasidebandwidthchan-nelcapacityforthepublicinadditiontooperatingfundingbasedonapercentageofcommercialrevenuescouldbeextendedtoincludevoicevideoanddataEssentiallythenanycommercialproviderusingthepublicrights-of-wayorthewirelessspectrumwouldberequiredtocontributeanequitablepercentageofbandwidthandrev-enuetosupportthecommunitycommunicationssector
Community Media DevelopmentAdequatelevelsoffundingareonlypartoftheequationWhilefundingshouldsupporttheoverallgrowthofthe
Thereisunfortunatelynocohesiveandunifiednationalpolicyframe-workforcommunitymedia
setasidebandwidthchannelcapacityforthepublicinadditiontooperatingfunding
communitymediasectorinasensiblefashionanyfundingsolutionmustaddressthedifficultynowexperiencedbyfundersindealingwithcommunitymediahowtoprovideoverallsupporttoasectormadeupofsmallindependentorganizationswithanextremelydiversesetoffundingsourcesandmissionsOneeconomicdevelopmentapproachseemsparticularlyusefulhereProgressivecommunityeconomicdevelopmentstrategieshaveevolvedtosupportthegrowthofadiversityofsmallenterpriseswithinacom-monsectorwhilerecognizingthattheseenterprisescanatdifferenttimesbecollaboratorspartnersorcompetitorsSimilarstrategiescanguidedevelopmentofthecommunitymediasector
Thereareatleasttwoshort-termstepsthatcouldassistinthedevelopmentofcommunitymediaorgani-zationsandsupporttheircitizensrsquoabilitytocopewithcommercialmediaandinformationsaturationOneisforcommunitiestobuildorsecureaffordablebroadbandandwirelessnetworkinfrastructurewithastrongcommu-nitybenefitsagreementinsupportofdigitalinclusionHundredsofcommunitiesacrossthecountryeitherhaveorarelaunchingsuchwirelesscommunitynetworksmanyincollaborationwithwirelessvendorswhoinordertowinaservicecontractwiththemunicipalityinquestionaresup-portingdigitalliteracytraininginexpensiverefurbishedcomputersandlocalcontentdevelopmentndashinshortprogramsofdigitalinclusionandexcellence
AsecondopportunityidentifiedbyroundtableparticipantsisthepotentialforanationalsupportnetworkforexistingcommunitymediaorganizationsAnationalsupportnetworklinkingcommunitiesandtheircommu-
nitymediapractitionersandinstitutionscouldfacilitatearangeofactivitiesincludinglocal-to-localcommunicationorexchangesofinformationandprogrammingbetweencommunitiesvirtualspaceforanationalnetworkofcommunitymediaorganizationstohelptoorganizeuni-fiedpolicyadvocacywiderdistributionofpastproductsformationofissue-responseteamstoadvanceinterestsofcommunitygroupsandtapintolocalresourcesandshareddirectoriesofpractitionerstrainersandfacilitiesConveningleadersfromtheaggregatorsandassociationsservingcommunitymediaintheirvariousforms(listedinAppendix2)mightbeagoodnextsteptoexplorethisopportunity
the promiseThepracticeofcommunitymediahasmanagedtogrowandevolveoverthepastsixtyyearsdespiteunevenandgenerallylowlevelsofsupportandinconsistentgovernmentpoliciesEllieRenniearesearchfellowattheInstituteforSocialResearchSwinburneUniversityofTechnologyhaswrittenthatcommunitymediaareoftendefinednegativelyforwhattheyareopposedtoratherthanpositivelyforwhattheyhaveachieved(Rennie2006)Weareawarethatcom-munitymediahaveoftenbeendismissedasmarginalandidiosyncraticbuttheexamplescitedinthisreportprovidepowerfulevidencetothecontraryItistimetodefinecommunitymediabywhattheyhaveachievedCommunitymediaattheirbesthaveconsistentlydemonstratedtheirpotentialtoempowercommunitiesandindividualstoparticipateascitizensincommunityandeconomicdevelop-mentartseducationcommunitydialogandpoliticaldebateInmanyinstancestheyhavebecomecentralcul-turalsurvivalinstitutionsasourcommunitiesdealwiththeimpactofcommercialmediasaturationandglobalization
Duringtheroundtablediscussionsthattookplaceaspartofthisscanitwasobviousthatthevalueofcom-munitymediatocommunitiestranscendsthemeasurableeffectsofcivicengagementandcommunitydevelopmentCommunitymediacanallowindividualsincommunitiestohaveprofoundexperiencesofactivelyexpressingthem-selvesthroughmediaForpeoplewhohaveseenthemselvesaspassivereceptorsatthebottomofacascadeofpackagedmediaexperiencesandmessagesactiverepresentationoftheirownlivesandcircumstanceshasatransformativeeffectthatgoesbeyondsimplephraseslikeldquocivicengage-mentrdquoThevalueofcommunitymediatoindividualsandthecommunitiestheyliveinisincalculable
hellipaffordablebroadbandandwirelessnetworkinfrastructurewithastrongcommunitybenefitsagreement
anationalsupportnetworkforexistingcommunitymediaorganizations
Appendix 1 Community media empowerment StrategieS
empoWerment Activity ApproAch infrAstructure or venue
AccessAccesstocommunicationsinfrastructureproductiontools
MakingavailablemediaproductiontoolscomputerstelevisionandradiodistributionInternetsoftwarecommunitycommunicationsinfrastructuremeetingspacewebservers
Democraticcitizenaccesstocommunicationstoolsanddisseminationinfrastructure
CablebroadbandmunicipaltelecomInternetWiFiWiMAXlocalandpublicservicebroadcasting
AlternativeContent CreationofvideoaudiofilmwebsitesInternet-basedcitizenmediaP2Pmediabloggingsocialnetworkingsoftwaredatabasesandprintproduction
Contentpositionedtocounterorsupplementmassmediacontentandinformationfrommainstreamsources
AllplatformswithanincreasingexpansionwithinIPNetworksandcross-platformproductionanddissemination
CompetencyLiteracyMedialiteracyinformationliteracydigitalliteracyandculturalliteracy
Mediaartsandaestheticeducationlearningtogainacivicvoiceinamediaculturearticulationofmediabiasesengaginginmediaandpoliticsunderstandingcommoditycultureparentinginamedia-saturatedhome
Interventioninthecomplexmanipulationofsymbolsandculture
Allmassmediaprintelectronic
CommunityBuilding Workforcetrainingandskillbuildingmicro-enterprisedevelopmentbusinessinfrastructuredevelopment
Communityorganizingparticipatoryplanningdemocraticeconomicdevelopmentworkforceandinfrastructuredevelopment
Localmediamunicipaltelecominfrastructurecomputerandtechnologyincubatorsandtechnologycenters
0
Itisdifficulttounderstandthefullscopeofcommu-nitymediaculturewithoutknowingofthefollowingorganizationswhichsupportcommunitymediaand
independentmediapracticesTheyplayanumberofrolesasnationalassociationsrepresentingnetworksofcommu-nitymediaorganizationsandmediaartsorganizationsasproducernetworksandstrategiccommunicationsplannerslinkingcommunityorganizationswithcommunitymediaorganizationsasorganizationsofcommunityactivistsandproducersworkingtomoreeffectivelysupportandusecommunitymediaandascollaboratorsandpartnersincommunitydevelopmenttrainingandeducation
ActiveVoicehttpwwwactivevoicenet
AllianceforCommunityMediahttpwwwalliancecmorg
AssociationforCommunityNetworking
httpwwwafcnorg
CommunityMediaWorkshophttpwwwnewstipsorg
CommunityTechnologyCentersrsquoNetwork
httpwwwctcnetorg
DeepDishTVhttpdeepdishtvorg
FreeSpeechTVhttpwwwfreespeechorg
IndependentTelevisionServicehttpwwwitvsorg
IndependentMediaCenterIndymedia
httpwwwindymediaorg
LatinoPublicBroadcastinghttpwwwlpbporg
LinkTVhttplinktvorg
LPFMDatabasecom
httpwwwangelfirecomnj2piratejimlpfmhtml
MediaTankhttpwwwmediatankorg
MediaWorkingGrouphttpwwwmwgorg
NationalAllianceforMediaArtsandCulture
httpwwwnamacorg
NationalAsianAmericanTelecommunicationsAssochttp
asianamericanmediaorgindexhtml
NativeAmericanPublicTelecommunications
httpasianamericanmediaorgindexhtml
NationalBlackProgrammingConsortium
httpwwwnbpctv
NationalFederationofCommunityBroadcasters
httpwwwnfcborg
NationalPublicRadiohttpwwwnpr
NationalPublicTelecomputingNetworkhttpwwwnptnorg
PaperTigerTelevisionhttpwwwpapertigerorg
PacificIslandersinCommunications
httpwwwpiccomorg
PewCenterforCivicJournalismhttpwwwpewcenterorg
PrometheusRadioProject
httpwwwprometheusradioorg
PublicBroadcastingServicehttpwwwpbsorg
PublicRadioExchangehttpwwwprxorg
ReclaimtheMediahttpwwwreclaimthemediaorg
StarfishTelevisionNetworkhttpwwwstarfishtvorg
WebsitesofUSPEGAccessChannels
httpwwwbevcamorgpeg
WorldAssociationofCommunityRadioBroadcasters
httpwwwamarcorg
Appendix 2 aggregatorS and aSSoCiationS
Appalshophttpwwwappalshoporg
BayAreaVideoCoalitionhttpwwwbavcorg
BeyondMediaEducationhttpwwwbeyondmediaorg
CambridgeCommunityTelevisionhttpwwwcctvcambridgeorg
CasaGuatemalaMediaProjecthttpwwwcasaguatemalaorg
CharlotteObserverhttpwwwcharlottecom
ChicagoAccessNetworkTelevisionhttpwwwcantvorg
GrandRapidsCommunityMediaCenterhttpgrcmcorg
GrandNethttpwwwgrcmcorgnposervicesitphp
GRTVhttpwwwgrcmcorgtv
ideastreamhttpwwwideastreamorg
IFPMinnesotaCenterforMediaArtshttpwwwifpnorthorgabouthtml
IntermediaArtshttpwwwintermediaartsorg
KartemquinFilmshttpwwwkartemquincom
KBOOhttpwwwkbooorg
KFAIhttpwwwkfaiorg
LowellTelecommunicationsCenterhttpltcorg
ManhattanNeighborhoodNetworkhttpmnnorg
MediaArtsProjecthttpwwwthemaporg
MetroGovernmentCommunityMediaInitiativehttpwwwmetro-regionorg
MetropolitanAustinInteractiveNetworkhttpwwwmainorg
MinneapolisTelevisionNetworkhttpwwwmtnorg
MinnesotaChannelhttpwwwtptorgmnchannelnew
MinnesotaPublicRadiohttpminnesotapublicradioorghttpminnesotapublicradioorgpublicinsightjournalism
MountainAreaInformationNetworkhttpmainncus
MtHoodCableRegulatoryCommissionhttpwwwmhcrcorg
NewAmericaMediahttpnewsnewamericamediaorgnews
NewRoutestoCommunityHealthhttpwwwnewroutesorg
NorthwestFilmandVideoCenterhttpwwwnwfilmorg
OneClevelandhttpwwwoneclevelandorg
OregonPublicBroadcastinghttpwwwopborg
PortlandCommunityMediahttpwwwpcmtvorg
RadioArtehttpwwwwrteorg
SaintPaulNeighborhoodNetworkhttpwwwspnnorg
ScribeVideoCenterhttpwwwscribeorg
SoundPartnersforCommunityHealthhttpwwwsoundpartnersorg
StreetLevelYouthMediahttpwwwstreet-levelorg
TwinCitiesDailyPlanethttpwwwtcdailyplanetnet
TwinCitiesMediaAlliancehttpwwwtcmediaallianceorg
TwinCitiesPublicTelevisionhttpwwwtptorg
URTVhttpwwwurtvorg
WalkerArtCenterhttpwwwwalkerartorgindexwac
WCIW-LPhttppacificanetworkorgradiocontentview17542httpwwwciw-onlineorg
WGBHhttpwwwwgbhorg
WHYYhttpwhyyorg
WPVMhttpwwwwpvmorg
WYBEhttpwwwwybeorg
WYCEhttpwwwgrcmcorgradio
YouthChannelhttpwwwyouthchannelorg
Appendix 3 Community media praCtitionerSWebsitesofthosepractitionersmentionedinthetext
AndersonRachelBenton Digital Beat Extra Noncommercial Networks on DBSWashingtonDCBentonFoundation2000
AufderheidePatricialdquoCableAccessTVandthePublicSphererdquoinThe Daily Planet A Critic on the Capitalist Culture BeatMinneapolisandLondonUniversityofMinnesotaPress2000a
AufderheidePatriciaIn The Battle for Reality Social Documentaries in the USWashingtonDCAmericanUniversityCenterforSocialMedia2003
AufderheidePatricialdquoTheWhatandHowofPublicBroadcastingrdquoinThe Daily Planet A Critic on the Capitalist Culture BeatMinneapolisandLondonUniversityofMinnesotaPress2000b
AynteAbdirahmanldquoSomaliWebsitesACompetitiveAlternativeMediaandaFarcetoReckonWithrdquoHiiraan Onlinehttpwwwhiiraancomnews2006aprsomali_websitesaspx
AzzouzBushraTomChamberlinandMarleneFarnumThe Community Media Project Building Community through Media(Aproposedmodelforafive-yearinitiativetoproducelocaltelevisionprogrammingthatbroadensthedialogueonissuesimportanttotheOregoncommunityandcreatesastrongsenseofplace)PortlandORMetroDecember2000
BarlowWilliamldquoCommunityRadiointheUSTheStruggleForADemocraticMediumrdquoinMedia Culture and SocietyVol10(1988)
BenklerYochaiThe Wealth of Networks How Social Production Transforms Markets and FreedomNewHavenYaleUniversityPress2006
BentonFoundationDigital Alliances Partners in Public
Service Models for CollaborationUniversityParkPAThePennsylvaniaStateUniversity2002
BlauAndrewDeep Focus A Report on the Future of Independent MediaSanFranciscoNationalAllianceforMediaArtsandCulture2004
BowmanShayneandChrisWillisWe Media How Audiences Are Shaping the Future of News and InformationEditedbyJDLasicaRestonVATheMediaCenteratTheAmericanPressInstitute2003httpwwwhypergenenetwemediadownloadwe_mediapdf
BurnettRonldquoFromCommunityMediatoInternationalNetworksrdquoCritical Approaches to Culture + Communications + HypermediaNovember182005httpwwweciadca~rburnettWeblogarchives200511from_communityhtml
CanoAndrealdquoMicroradioAToolforCommunityEmpowermentrdquoinPublic Broadcasting and the Public InterestEditedbyMichaelPMcCauleyEricEPetersonBLeeArtzandDeeDeeHalleckLondonMESharpe2003
CarnegieCommissiononEducationalTelevisionPublic Television A Program for ActionNewYorkBantam1967
CastellsManuelThe Rise of the Network Society The Information Age Economy Society and CultureVolumes12amp3MaldenMABlackwellPublishersInc2005
ChesterJeffBeyond Broadcast Expanding Public Media in the Digital AgeWashingtonDCCenterforDigitalDemocracyFebruary2006httpwwwdemocraticmediaorgBBBBfrontphp
ChristensenPaulNanMcIntyreandLynnPikholzldquoBridgingCommunityandEconomicDevelopmentAStrategyforUsingIndustryClusterstoLinkNeighborhoodsandtheRegionalEconomyrdquo(reportfundedbytheFordFoundation)ClevelandShorebankEnterpriseGroup2005
ldquoCitizenJournalismrdquoissueofNieman ReportsCambridgeMATheNiemanFoundationforJournalismatHarvardUniversityVol59No4Winter2005eMprintNewsbookhttpwwwniemanharvardedureports05-4NRwinterNR05W_Citizen_Journalismpdf
City PagesldquoBestPublicAccessCableTVProgramSomaliTVrdquoBestoftheTwinCities2004MNApril282004httpcitypagescombestof2004artsandentertainmentbestof2379asp
bibliogrAphy
CruzRossanaReguilloldquoTheOracleintheCityBeliefsPracticesandSymbolicGeographiesrdquoinGlobal Cities of the South (Social Text)EditedbyAshleyDawsonandBrentHayesEdwardsTranslatedbyBrentHayesEdwardsandNoraNicoliniDurhamNCDukeUniversityPress81(Volume22Number4)Winter2004
DeLasCasasLucywithSimonBurallJohnMorrisonDavidKaleteandJagadanandaldquoGlobalMediaReformandAccountabilityReportfromtheNationalMediaReformConferencerdquoStLouis2005httpwwwoneworldtrustorgpagesdownloadcfmdid=281
DevineRobertHldquoVideoAccessandAgencyrdquoConferencepresentationTheNationalFederationofLocalCableProgrammersStPaulMNJuly171992
DirlinMartyandCathyMelioldquoTheGrassrootsRadioMovementintheUnitedStatesrdquoinPublic Broadcasting and the Public InterestEditedbyMichaelPMcCauleyEricEPetersonBLeeArtzandDeeDeeHalleckLondonMESharpe2003
DowningJohnDHwithTamaraVillarealFordGeneveGilandLauraSteinRadical Media Rebellious Communication and Social MovementsThousandOaksCASagePublications2001
EgerJohnldquoCreativeClustersandtheUrbanEconomyrdquoGovernment and Technology(February62006)httpwwwgovtechnetnewsnewsphpid=98345
EgerJohnMThe Creative Community Forging The Links Between Art Culture Commerce amp CommunityTheCaliforniaInstituteforSmartCommunitiesSanDiegoStateUniversity2005httpwwwsmartcommunitiesorgcreativeCreativeCommBroFINALpdf
EngelmanRalphPublic Radio and Television in America A Political HistoryThousandOaksCASagePublications1996
GillespieGilbertPublic Access Television in the United States and CanadaNewYorkPraegerPublishers1975
GillmorDanWe the Media Grassroots Journalism by the People for the PeopleSebastopolCAOrsquoReillyMediaInc2006
GrahamStephenandSimonMarvinTelecommunications and the City Electronic Spaces Urban PlacesLondonandNewYorkRoutledge1996
HalleckDeeDeeHand-Held Visions The Impossible Possibilities of Community MediaNewYorkFordhamUniversityPress2002
HigginsJohnWldquoAlternativeMediaandtheCultofIndividualismExperiencesfromUSPublicAccessTVrdquoPaperpresentedattheldquoOurMediardquopre-conferenceoftheInternationalAssociationforMediaandCommunicationResearchCommunityCommunicationSectionBarcelonaSpainJuly202002httpwwwourmedianetorgpapersom2002Higginsom2002pdf
HowleyKevinCommunity Media People Places and Communication TechnologiesCambridgeCambridgeUniversityPress2005
HoynesWilliamldquoThePBSBrandandtheMerchandisingofthePublicServicerdquoinPublic Broadcasting and the Public InterestEditedbyMichaelPMcCauleyEricEPetersonBLeeArtzandDeeDeeHalleckLondonMESharpe2003
JankowskiNicholasWldquoCommunityMediaResearchAQuestforTheoreticallyGroundedModelsrdquoThePublicVol1015(2003)httpmokkbmehucentreconferencesreactivismFPfpNJ
JankowskiNicholasWandOlePrehnedsCommunity Media in the Information Age Perspectives and ProspectsCresskillNJHamptonPress2002
LashScottThe Critique of InformationLondonSagePublications2002
ListerMartinJonDoveySethGiddingsIainGrantandKieranKellyNew Media A critical IntroductionLondonandNewYorkRoutledge2003
LloydMarkldquoRadioandLocalismWhatWhenWrongrdquoinContext(publishedbytheCenterforCommunicationsandCommunityUCLA)IssueNo4(WinterSpring2006)
MacintyreBenldquoWelcometotheNewTomPainesrdquoTimesOnlineNovember132004httpwwwtimesonlinecouktolcommentarticle390484ece
MaherVincentTowards a Critical Media Studies Approach to the BlogosphereNewMediaLabPublicationSchoolofJournalismandMediaStudiesRhodesUniversitySouthAfrica2006
MetroCommunity Media Project Evaluation Report PortlandORMetroJuly2004
MostStephenldquoBAVCandTheBigPicturerdquoinA Closer Look Media Arts 2002EditedbyHelenDeMichielSanFranciscoNationalAllianceforMediaArtsandCulture2002
NewAmericaMedialdquoEthnicMediainAmericaTheGiantHiddeninPlainSightrdquoPollconductedbyBendixenampAssociates2005httpnewsnewamericamediaorgnewsview_articlehtmlarticle_id=0443821787ac0210cbecebe8b1f576a3
OlsonBillThe History of Public Access Television2000httpwwwgeocitiescomiconostarhistory-public-access-TVhtml200415
PewCenterforCivicJournalismldquoDoingCivicJournalismrdquo2007httpwwwpewcenterorgdoingcj
PierceSteveldquoDBSandthePublicInterestOpportunityinSatelliteTelevisionrdquoinPublic Broadcasting and the Public InterestEditedbyMichaelPMcCauleyEricEPetersonBLeeArtzandDeeDeeHalleckLondonMESharpe2003
PhilipsSusanldquoTrueCommunityTowardaCollaborativeEthosScribersquoslsquoTrueCommunityVisionrsquordquoinA Closer Look Media Arts 2002EditedbyHelenDeMichielSanFranciscoNationalAllianceforMediaArtsandCulture2002
PorterMichaelEldquoLocationCompetitionandEconomicDevelopmentLocalClustersinaGlobalEconomyrdquoEconomic Development Quarterly14no1(February2000)15-34
ProjectforExcellenceinJournalismldquoMajorTrendsrdquoinState of the News Media 2006 An Annual Report on American Journalismhttpwwwstateofthenewsmediaorg2006nar-rative_overview_eightaspcat=2ampmedia=1
PrometheusRadioProjectldquoOurFifthBarnraisingmdashWCIW-LPinImmokaleeFloridardquohttpprometheusradioorgcontentview48952006
RennieEllieCommunity Media A Global IntroductionLanhamMDRowmanandLittlefieldPublishers2006
RodriguezClemenciaFissures in the Mediascape An International Study of Citizenrsquos MediaCresskillNJHamptonPress2001
SchafferJanldquoCitizensMediaHasItReachedaTippingPointrdquoinldquoCitizenJournalismrdquoissueofNieman Reports CambridgeMATheNiemanFoundationforJournalismatHarvardUniversityVol59No4Winter2005aeMprintNewsbookhttpwwwniemanharvardedureports05-4NRwinterNR05W_Citizen_Journalismpdf
SchafferJanInterviewonThe NewsHour With Jim Lehrer PBSEveningNewsNovember162005b
SchulerDouglasldquoTheRiseofCommunityNetworksrdquoInternet WorldDecember1995
SchulerDougandPeterDayShaping the Network Society The New Role of Civil Society in CyberspaceCambridgeandLondonMITPress2004
ShirkyClayPower Laws Weblogs and Inequality EconomicsampCultureMediaampCommunityBlog2005OpenSourcehttpshirkycomwritingspowerlaw_webloghtml
ShirkyClaySocial Software and the Politics of GroupsEconomicsampCultureMediaampCommunityBlog2005OpenSourcehttpshirkycomwritingsgroup_politicshtml
Somerset-WardRichardBroadband Community Networks Building the Digital CommonsAreportfortheHaasCharitableTrustsPhiladelphia2005
Somerset-WardRichardConnecting Communities WashingtonDCBentonFoundation2000
Spannerworkse-bookWhat is Social MediaJanuary2007httpwwwspannerworkscomebooks
StarrJeroldMldquoPublicTelevisionintheDigitalAgeTownHallorCyberMallrdquoinPublic Broadcasting and the Public InterestEditedbyMichaelPMcCauleyEricEPetersonBLeeArtzandDeeDeeHalleckLondonMESharpe2003
SteinLauraldquoPublicAccessTelevisionandGrassrootsCommunicationintheUnitedStatesrdquoChapter20inRadical Media Rebellious Communication and Social MovmentsEditedbyJohnDowningThousandOaksCASagePublications2001
SussmanGeraldandJREstesldquoCommunityRadioinCommunityDevelopmentPortlandrsquosKBOORadiordquoinThe Portland Edge Challenges and Successes in Growing CommunitiesEditedbyConniePOzawaPortlandStateUniversityIslandPress2004
WhitneyJenniferldquoMakeMediaMakeRealTroubleWhatrsquosWrong(andRight)withIndymediardquoLiPMagazineJune212005httpwwwlipmagazine
orgarticlesfeatwhitney_indymedia_phtml
andhassteadfastlyprovidedavoicefortheinterestsofthe2000accesscenterintheUSCurrentlytheACMisleadingthefightalongwithcitiesinfightingthewaveofstatewidelsquovideofranchisingrsquolegislationthroughwhichthetelephonecompaniesandcablecompaniesareattemptingtogainnear-monopolycontroloflocaltelecommunicationsmarketswhichwouldeffectivelyendcableaccessinmanycommunities
Manhattan Neighborhood Network(MNN)whichprovidespublicaccesscableservicesinManhattanisoneofagrowingnumberofcableaccesscentersintheUnitedStatesthathaveembracedabroadermissionofmultime-diaeducationandtrainingBeyonditscablechannelstelevisionstudiosandelectronicfieldproductionandpost-productionfacilitiesMNNfunctionsasacommunitymeetingandartsspaceandoperatesagrantingprogramandasupportnetworktositesthroughoutManhattanInrecentyearsMNNhasprovidedarichselectionofitsvideotoInternetstreamingItalsofeaturesaYouth Channeloneofthefirsttelevisionchannelstofacilitatecreativityandsocialandpoliticalparticipationamongdisadvantagedlow-incomeandminorityyouthbyprovidingthemwithaccesstoadedicatedchannelmediaproductionresourcesandtraining
Media Arts OrganizationsMediaartsorganizationswereorganizedinNorthAmericainthe1960sand1970sinresponsetotheavailabilityofnewmoreaffordableandmoreportablemediatech-nologiessuchasfilmvideoandcomputersMediaartsorganizationssupportartthatmakesuseoffilmvideoaudiomultimediaandinteractivemediaIndividualcen-tersoftenfocusononeortwoelementsofthetotalmediaartsinfrastructureprovidingsomecombinationofaccesstomediatoolsproductionproductiontrainingdistribu-tionarchivingandexhibitionofmediaart
Overtheyearscentershaveengagedinanincred-iblerangeofartisticpracticesembracingavantgardeexperimentationinfilmandvideodocumentariesnar-rativeandstorytellingcomputerartandinstallationsusingallmediaThesepracticesintersectwithcommunitymediaintheiremphasisonparticipatoryprogrammingdevelopment
ThehistoryofmediaartsorganizationsiscloselyentwinedwiththetrendsandpoliticsofpublicfundinganddevelopingtechnologyintheUnitedStatesEarlycentersoftenreceivedfoundationfundingtoexperimentwithspecificemergingtechnologiesparticularlyvideoThisinitialphaseofdevelopmentwasgivensignificantsupport
bytheMacArthurFoundationanditsmediaartsprogramfollowedbythecreationoftheNationalEndowmentfortheArtswhichinturnbeganaprogramofconsistentsupportformediaartsorganizationsnationwideTheperiodwasmarkedbythelong-termsupportbyMacArthurFoundationrelativelystablegrowthandaheadyrangeofartisticprac-ticeandexperimentation
Inthepoliticallyconservativeclimateoftheearly1990sasfundersbecameincreasinglywaryofsupportingartthatmightprovecontroversialtheNationalEndowmentfortheArtsgraduallywithdrewmostfundingforthemediaartsBytheendofthedecadetheMacArthurFoundationoneofthemediaartsrsquomostconsistentfundersendeditsyearlysupportformediaartsorganizationsclosingtheeraandforcingaperiodofdevelopmentdiversificationandrestructuringformediaartsorganizations
ThefieldhasprovenextremelyresilientTodaythefieldofmediaartsismadeupofamorediverseandmaturearrayofnonprofitorganizationsandartspracticesAlthoughmediaartsorganizationsnowplacemoreempha-sisonearnedincomeanddiversefundingsourcestheycontinuetobevitalculturalcentersprovidingcommunitiesaccesstobothmediafacilitiesandafullrangeofmediaculturalexperiencesMediaartsorganizationslikeScribeinPhiladelphiaandAppalshopinWhitesburgKentuckyforexamplehavenavigatedthetechnologicalandfundingshiftsofthepastthreedecadeswithsurprisingcreativityandsavvy
TheScribe Video CenterinPhiladelphiawhichemergedin1982duringthemediaartsheydayperseveredthroughtheupsetsofthe1990stobecomeanextraordinaryexampleofwhatasocialassetamediaartscentercanbeforacommunityScribereachesouttocommunitiesincludingpeopleofcolorwomenseniorcitizensandteensthattraditionallyhavenothadaccesstovideotrainingorproductionfacilitiesandprovidesthemtoolsforstorytell-ingInadditiontoproductionandscriptwritingworkshopsScribeoffersartistsrsquoservicessuchasfiscalsponsorshipequipmentrentalandeditingfacilitiesOngoingprogramsincludeCommunityVisionsavideoproductionprogramforcommunityorganizationsStreetMoviesafreeoutdoorneighborhood-basedscreeningseriesandtheProducersrsquoForumscreeningandlectureseriesofvisitingartistsandmediaactivistsAdditionallyScribeproducestheDocumentaryHistoryProjectforYouthanannualproduc-tionworkshopformiddleandhighschoolstudents
AppalshopinWhitesburgKentuckyisoneoftheoldestmediaartsorganizationsintheUnitedStatesAsitswebsiteindicatesAppalshopwasfoundedin1969to
enablepeopletousemediatotelltheirownstoriesinordertoldquosolvetheirownproblemsrdquoIthasbecomeanationallyrecognizedmediacenterworkinginfilmvideoaudioandmusicrecordingsliteraturetheaterliveperformanceandradioallfocusedonAppalachiancultureItsworkdocumentstraditionalartsexploreshistoryandaddressessocialissuesthataffecttheAppalachianregiontodayAppalshopprovidesregionallyandnationallyfocusededu-cationandtrainingprogramsTwoofthemostnotablearetheAppalachianMediaInstituteayouthmediatraininginitiativeandCommunityMediaInstitutewhichworkswithgrassrootsgroupsandpublicinterestorganizationsfromtheregionandnationallytoaccomplishstrategiccom-municationplanningaroundsocialjusticeorganizing
TheNational Alliance for Media Arts and CulturehasconsistentlyprovidedthoughtfulleadershiptothemediaartsfieldthroughtechnicalassistanceprogramsandstrategicplanninginitiativesItsDeepFocusprojectin2004usedscenarioplanningtoenvisionthefutureofmediaarts(Blau2004)Asaresultofthiskindofworktheearlynetworkofmediaartsorganizationshasexpandedtoincludeover274mediaartsorganizationsThisrepre-sentsasignificantbroadeningofthefieldofmediaartsencompassingmanysmallermediaartsorganizationswithspecificartisticculturalorcommunityobjectivesThemediaartsfieldhasmostrecentlyseentheemergenceofmanyyouthmediaorganizationswiththecriticalmissionofcreatingmedialiteracysurvivalskillsforyoungpeopleastheynavigatethemediasaturatedsocialenvironmentofthetwenty-firstcentury
Ethnic MediaEthnicmediarepresentagrowingvitalsectorofAmericanelectronicmediathatintersectswithcommunitymediainanumberofimportantwaysHistoricallyethnicmediaout-letshavearisenontheperipheryofUSbroadcastingoftenwithoutnetworkaffiliationtoservepopulationsthatdonothaveaccesstomainstreammediaandpopularcultureThesehaveincludednewimmigrantgroupsnon-Englishlanguagegroupsthepoliticallyoppressedandpopulationsstrivingtomaintainculturaltraditionsandtiestotheirhomelandswhileadaptingtoanewsociety
ThatpatternhasrepeatedwaxedandwanedasdifferentpopulationshavecometotheUnitedStatesinthepastcenturyThekeyhistoricalintersectionbetweencommunitymediaandethnicmedialiesintheearlyyearsofcommunityradiofollowingWorldWarIIwhenawaveofBlackradiostationsandformatsfilledspacecreatedintheshiftingmedialandscapebytheintroductionoftelevision
ThisshiftbroughtawaveofBlackinvestmentandprogramexperimentationthatseriouslyinfluencedthekindsofcommunityradioprogrammingthatevolvedintheUnitedStatesToalargeextenttheimprovisationalradioformatscombiningmusicandpoliticaltalkcultureandcur-rentaffairswerefirstworkedoutinpost-warBlackradio(Barlow1988Lloyd2006)
Ethnicmediaencompassescommercialandnoncom-mercialmediahugemultinationalsandsmalllocallyownedoperationsEthnicandcommunitymediaoftenintersectgeographicallyEthnicgroupsoftenidentifywithaspecificplaceandusemediatoarticulateasenseofsolidarityinthoseplacesLikecommunitymediaethnicmediafrequentlyembodyparticipatoryapproachestopro-grammingandproductionandareoftenresponsestodeepdissatisfactionwiththeownershipstructuresandbiasesofthemainstreammedia
OneofthemostsignificantongoingsourcesforethnicmediahasbeentheCorporationforPublicBroadcastingthroughitsfundingofthefivemembersoftheNationalMinorityConsortiaNational Asian American Telecommunications Association National Black Programming Consortium Native American Public Telecommunications Pacific Islanders in Communications and Latino Public BroadcastingTheseethnicprogrammingnetworksandtheIndependent Television ServiceprovidemillionsofdollarseachyeartotheirnetworksofethnicandindependentprogrammakersforprogramstargetedtothePublicBroadcastingService
CurrentlyethnicmediaareundergoingexplosivegrowthacrosstheUnitedStatesconsistentwithdemo-graphicshiftsTherearesignificantincreasesintheproportionofnon-EnglishspeakersLatinosAsiansMiddleEasternersandPacificIslandersintheUSpopulationandcorrespondingincreasesinethnicmediaDuringthecommunitymediaroundtablesconductedforthisreportparticipantsrepeatedlyexpressedappreciationforthenumberofethnicmediaoutletsthatusedparticipatorystrategiesinsupportingtheimmigrationproteststhatoccurredthroughouttheUnitedStatesin2006
OneindicationofthegrowthandsophisticationofethnicmediaisNew America Media (NAM)thelargestnationalcollaborationofethnicnewsorganizationsintheUnitedStatesNAMldquoproducesandaggregateseditorialcontentfromandfortheethnicmediasectoranddevelopspioneeringmarketingservicesonbehalfofcorporationsfoundationsandnonprofitswhoaretargetingethnicmediaandethniccommunitiesrdquoNewAmericaMediaisanetworkedcommunitythatlinksthousandsofethnic
0
mediaorganizationsintheUnitedStatesItsrecentstudyldquoEthnicMediainAmericaTheGiantHiddeninPlainSightrdquosurveysHispanicAmericansAfricanAmericansAsianAmericansArabAmericansandNativeAmericans(NewAmericaMedia2005)NAMfoundthatmorethanaquarterofthenationrsquospopulationusesethnicmediainsomecapacity
NewonlinejournalismsitessuchastheTwin Cities Media AlliancersquosDaily PlanetprofiledinthisreportareemergingfromtherestructuringofthenewspaperindustryandtheuseofbloggingandsocialnetworkingsoftwareThe TC Daily Planetaggregatesincreasingnumbersofethnicimmigrantandnon-mainstreamjournalistsinMinneapolis-StPaulAnotherexamplementionedinthisreportRadio Arte (WRTE)maybetheonlybilingual(SpanishEnglish)youth-operatedurbancommunitystationinthecountryItoperateswithafocusonyouthinChicagorsquosPilsenLittleVillageneighborhoodsAninitiativeoftheMexicanFineArtsCenterMuseumthiseducationalradiostationhasayouthtrainingandproductiontrainingprogramandapowerfulwebpresenceinadditiontoitsurbanbroadcastfootprint
BothTC Daily PlanetandRadioArteunderscorethecommonalitiesbetweenethnicmediaandcommunitymediaInmanycircumstancesethnicmediaandcom-munitymediacanbevirtuallyindistinguishableThisconvergenceofvaluesgeographyandpoliticscouldeasilyserveasthefoundationforcollaborationandpartner-ingbetweencommunityandethnicmediainspecificcommunities
Civic JournalismBothcivicjournalismandpublicjournalismrefertoamovementwithinprofessionaljournalismthathonorsnewsorganizationsrsquoroleinconveningandfacilitatingpublicdeliberationanddebatesinwhichaudiencesaretreatedasactiveparticipantsratherthanpassiveconsumersThePew Center for Civic JournalismdefinescivicjournalismasldquobothaphilosophyandasetofvaluessupportedbysomeevolvingtechniquesAtitsheartisabeliefthatjournal-ismhasanobligationtopubliclifendashanobligationthatgoesbeyondjusttellingthenewsorunloadinglotsoffactsrdquo(PewCenter2007)Thisphilosophyemergesfromanunder-standingthatcitizensareincreasinglydisengagedinciviclifeandthatnewsorganizationscanreactivateanapatheticcitizenryNewsorganizationspracticingcivicjournal-ismaimtoestablishdeeperconversationswithbroadercross-sectionsoftheircommunitiesresultinginenhancedcredibilityimprovedcommunicationbetweenthemselves
andthecommunityandbettercoverageofissuesoflocalconcern
CommittedtosupportingjournalisticeffortstorevitalizecitizenshipwhileobjectivelyreportinghardtruthsthePewCenterestablishedtheBattenAwardforExcellenceinCivicJournalismin1995OneofthefirstawardswenttoThe Charlotte ObserverofCharlotteNorthCarolinaforanineteen-monthin-depthseriesoncrimeinnineneighborhoodsReportersspenttwoyearsincrime-riddenneighborhoodsencouragingresidentsinthoseneighborhoodstoreportontherootcausesofcrimeandtoparticipateinthesearchforsolutions
Community NetworkingWhilestillinitsearlytext-basedphasetheInternetwasbeingadoptedasacommunity-buildingtoolbyanumberofgeographicallybasedorganizationsManyoftheseearlycommunitynetworksevolvedfromldquofreenetsrdquoalliedthroughtheNational Public Telecomputing Network(NPTN)AtthattimeNPTNwasthefourthmostpopularpubliccom-puternetworkbehindCompuServeAmericaOnlineandProdigy(Schuler1995)
SomeoftheseearlycommunitynetworksweresimplyInternetdestinationswherecommunity-basedinformationwascollectedandpresentedOthersevolvedasadjunctstotheInternetconnectionsprovidedbylocalInternetserviceprovidersLikeothercommunitymediathepioneersofcommunitynetworkingweremotivatedtousethisnewcommunicationstechnologytostrengthentheircommunities
CommunitynetworkingwaschangedirrevocablywiththeadventoftheWorldWideWebandthesurgeindemandforInternetaccessTheWorldWideWebreplacedmostofthesoftwareapplicationsthatwerebeingusedatthattimetomakeinformationaccessibletopeoplethroughacommunitynetworkThisandthedemandsurgelow-eredthepriceofcommercialInternetaccesstothepointwheretherewaslittlemotivationtobecomeamemberofacommunitynetworkastheywerepracticedatthetimeAsaresultcommunitynetworkinghasbecomelessaboutInternetaccessandmoreabouttheculturalpracticeof
Newsorganizationspracticingcivicjournalismaimtoestablishdeeperconversationswithbroadercross-sectionsoftheircommunities
communitynetworkingwithafocusonsocialnetworkingsoftwaredevelopmentandutilizationCommunitynetwork-ershavealwaysenjoyedclosealignmentwithopensourcesoftwaredevelopersandnowareconcernedwithusingtheInternetintandemwithopensourcesocialnetworkingsoftwaretoaccomplishmanyofthegoalsofcommunitymedia(Schuler2004)
The Metropolitan Austin Interactive Network (MAIN)isanonprofitorganizationcommittedtoinfor-mationsharingandcommunicationamongpeopleandgovernmentaleducationalcommercialculturalreligiousandcivicorganizationsItoperatesacommunity-basedwebsitethatprovidesandaggregatesabroadarrayofinformationcriticaltoAustinresidentsfromemploymentinformationtoenvironmentalartsandculturalcontentMAINiscommittedtohelpingitscommunitymakeeffec-tiveuseoftheInternetandothernetworkcommunicationsstructuresbutdoesnotdirectlyprovidenetworkconnectiv-ityMAINprovidesfreewebhostingandwebdevelopmentassistancethroughabroaddigitalliteracyprogramthatincludestrainingingeneralcomputerandInternetusage
SatelliteWhilesatellitetelevisioncannotbeconsideredcommunitymediabecauseitisneitherlocalnorspecificallycom-munity-focuseditdeservesmentionherebecauseofitsexistingandpotentialcontributionstocommunitymediagoalsSatellitetelevisionisfocusedonnationalvideodistributionviacableanddirectbroadcastservicestohomesatellitedishesTofosterthepublicrsquosinterestindiverseprogrammingviasatellitetheFCCin1992imposedcertainpublicinterestobligationsonDirectBroadcastService(DBS)providersThecommissionruledthatDBSprovid-ersmustreservefourpercentoftheirchanneltranspondercapacityexclusivelyfornoncommercialprogrammingofaneducationalorinformationalnatureUnfortunatelytheFCCleftituptotheDBScompaniestodecidewhichprogram-merswouldbeselectedfromeligibleprogrammersManyfeelthepotentialofDBStoservethepublicinteresthasbeensignificantlycurtailedasaresult(Anderson2000)
Neverthelesssatellitehasbecomehometosomeprogrammersthatembodythevaluesandpracticesofcom-munitymediaNotablyDeepDishTVFreeSpeechTVLinkTVandasofApril2007StarfishTelevisionNetworkarealldistributedviasatelliteduetotheset-asiderulesadoptedbytheFCCEachoffersprogrammingthatembodiesvaluesofdiversityandempowermentwhiledemonstratingthenecessityofset-asidepoliciesfornoncommercialfrequency
andbandwidthatalllevelsofthemediainfrastructureifnoncommercialmediaistoflourishTheyconsistentlyrunprogramsproducedbycommunitymediaactivistsandindependentproducersandrepresentonepossiblewayforcommunitymediaorganizationstodevelopanationalprogrammingreachthatcouldfacilitateldquolocaltolocalrdquocommunicationswhiledevelopinganationalnetworkofprogressivecommunityprogramming
Deep Dish TVpioneeredtheuseofsatellitetoestablishacollaborativenetworkamongactivisttelevisionproducersandpublicaccesscablestationsin1986DrawingontheearlierexperimentsofthePublicInterestVideoNetworkDeepDishbegancreatingprograminstallmentsforsatellitedistributionVideoprogrammingselectedfromactivistandcommunitytapesaroundthecountrywerefedtosatellitetransponderswithanationalfootprintwheretheywerepickedupbyhundredsofcableaccessorganiza-tionsandcommunitymediacentersintheUnitedStates(Pierce2003)
DeepDishrsquos1991satellitebroadcastsoftheGulfCrisisTVProjectareconsideredbymanytobehistoricmomentsincommunitymediaandUScommunicationshistoryadirectinterventioninaninternationalcrisisbypublicaccesstelevisionandindependentmediaactivistsDeepDishTVassembledavideoanti-warteach-induringthefirstGulfWarandmadeitavailabletotheirnetworkviasatelliteThesuccessoftheGulfCrisisprojectexpandedDeepDishrsquosnetworktoincludeindependentpublictelevi-sionsitesanyonewithahomesatellitereceiverandothercommunitymediaandmediaartsorganizationsRalphEngelmanwritesthatDeepDishrsquosuseofsatelliteallowedcommunitymediaactiviststofulfilltwooftheircoreobjec-tivesldquograssrootsparticipationandthepresentationofdiversealternativeperspectivesrdquo(Engelman1996)
TheseearlysuccessesinnetworkingcommunitytelevisionviasatellitehavemorerecentlybeenextendedbyFree Speech TVandAmyGoodmanrsquosDemocracyNowprogrammingFreeSpeechTVextendedthetechnicalcapacitytonetworkwithcableaccessbyraisingfundstobuydirectsatellitereceiversforcableaccessfacilitiesinterestedincablecastingFreeSpeechTVprogram-mingThistechnicalnetworkthenbecameaprogressiveprogramnetworkcalledintoexistencealmostsingle-hand-edlybythehighlysought-afterprogressiveprogrammingofDemocracyNowInturnthepresenceofDemocracyNowprogrammingisconsistentlyservingtoincreasetheaudiencesandsupportforcableaccessincommunitiesthroughouttheUnitedStates
AttheirheartcommunitymediaareaboutmakingmediawithpeoplenotmerelyaboutorforpeopleIt
isasoneChicagoroundtableparticipantnotedlikeldquotheneighborhoodgoingouttodinnerrdquoButasanyonewhohaseverhostedalargedinnerpartyknowsthisisnotalwayseasilyaccomplishedInroundtablediscussionswithcommunitymediapractitionersthreestrategiesndashcollabo-ration across sectors and platforms training and outreach ndashemergedrepeatedlyaswaysofsuccessfullyengagingthebreadthanddiversityoftheircommunitiesInadditionafourthstrategyconnecting with immigrant populationsyieldedinsightsintosomeuniquechallengesandbenefits
strAtegies CollaborationMediainstitutionscanplaytheroleoffacilitatorsintheircommunitiesdemystifyingtheprocessofproductionpro-vidingpeoplewithaccesstotheresourcestheyneedandbuildingonthehistoryandgoalsofcivicjournalismThisrolerequiresmediainstitutionstorethinktraditionaljour-nalismandmayentailthere-balancingofeditorialpoliciesndashcommittingtodiversityembracingegalitarianvaluesandreassessingthevalueofeditorialneutralityInvitingcommunitymemberstohelpwithstoriesmakescover-agemorereflectiveofthecommunitymoreofatwo-wayconversationForinstanceTwin Cities Public Television(TPT)dedicatestimeononeofitsdigitalchannelstolocalandregionalprogrammingincludingprogramstargetedattheLatinoHmongHindiSomaliandVietnamesecommu-nitiesTocreateprogrammingfortheldquoMinnesotaChannelrdquothestationpartnerswithnonprofitorganizationswhopayTPTforproductionsupportandguaranteedbroadcastoftheprogramming
Sound Partners for Community HealthhasshownthatauthenticpartnershipsbetweenpublicbroadcastersandcommunityinstitutionsenableeachpartytoreachlargermorediverseandtargetedaudiencesonhealthissuesimportanttothecommunityCommunityinstitutionspromotedbroadcastsandpublicbroadcastersincreasedthevisibilityoftheirinstitutionalpartnerswhoofferedadditionalresourcesandreferralstoviewersandlistenersandhelpedtodisseminateprogrammingonCDsandDVDsInadditionbymarryingtheexpertiseofcommunity-basedhealthorganizationsandvoicesoflocalresidentswiththeproductionvaluesofhigh-qualityradioandtelevisionpro-grammingSoundPartnerspositionedcommunitymembersasproactiveplannersofandstakeholdersinmediainitia-tivesratherthanpassiverecipientsofmediaattention
Buttherewasinevitabletensioninseparatingjour-nalismfromadvocacywhichrequiredtrustonthepartofallparticipantstoresolveInthecaseoftheSoundPartnerscollaborationsincommunity-basedjournalismpublicbroadcastersneededtotrustthattheirnonprofitpartnerswouldnrsquotadvancetheirownorganizationalagendasattheexpenseoftruthandnonprofithealthorganizationsneededtotrustthattheirbroadcastpartnerswouldrespecttheirexpertise
TheSoundPartnersexperienceaffirmedwhatmanyroundtableparticipantspointedoutmdashtheneedtobuildbridgesacrossmediaaswellSoundPartnersfoundthatcommercialradiostationsandpublicaccesschannelswithcloselinkstoandinfluenceonthecommunityhelpedimplementstrongmediacampaignsincollaborationwithpublicbroadcastingRoundtableparticipantssawcommer-cialmediaoutletsasespeciallyimportantamongimmigrantgroups
Pointingtoanotheraspectofcollaborationround-tableparticipantsimploredmediainstitutionstobeopentosharinginfrastructuretoaccomplishtheirmissionsManynonprofitmediagroupsarestrugglingtosurvivebuthaveassetsthatcanbesharedorintegratedtobetterservetheircommunitiesinacoordinatedefficientwayCreatingcollaborativestructuresasbasicasco-locationoffacilitiesorascomplexasorganizationalmergerscanbeimportantfordisseminatingprogrammingsecuringfundingandprotectingpotentiallycontroversialissueprogrammingForexampleManhattan Neighborhood Networkhashistori-callyleverageditscablefranchise-securedcapitalfunding
engAging community WhAtrsquos Working
Invitingcommunitymemberstohelpwithstoriesmakescoveragemorereflectiveofthecommunitymoreofatwo-wayconversation
tobuildcapacityinothermediaorganizationssuchasastudioandpost-productionfacilitieswithDowntownCommunityTelevisioninChinatownAndinkeepingwiththesamenetwork-buildingapproachtofacilitatingpartici-pationMNNalsofeaturesaYouthChannelconsideredtobethefirstchannelcreatedforyouthbyyouthMNNhasbecomeoneofthecentralhubsinManhattanaroundwhichindependentandcommunitymediagatherforscreeningsadvancededucationalopportunitiesartisticandpoliticaldebatecommunitybuildingandsocialnetworkingcreat-inganexcitingdemocraticmediaculture
Manyparticipantsacknowledgedthatcollaborationishardexpensiveandtime-consumingItplacesdemandsonin-houseknowledgeandconfrontspartneringorganiza-tionsrsquodifferentgoalseditorialpoliciesandresourcesIftheyaretolastpartnershipsneedproperresearchonthefrontendandmulti-leveledsupportChangesinleader-shipcandisruptplanssopartneringcanrsquotbetiedtoonepersonrsquosrelationshiptoanotherpersonitrequiresanetworkofpeopleunderstandingandcontributingtothepartnershipMulti-yearprojectsareimportanttodevelopinfrastructureandsustainefforts
TrainingRoundtableparticipantssawcommunitymediainstitutionsasimportantsourcesbothforjobsandskillstrainingandforbuildingthecapacityoflocalnonprofitgroupsWhileacquiringmediaskillsmaybeacareerpathoutofpovertyironicallycommunitymediaworkisoftenunpaidandpoorpeoplemustprioritizepayingjobsoverparticipationincommunitymediamakingRoundtableparticipantsexpressedconcernthatthereisnotcurrentlyawaytoeconomicallysustaintheeffortsoflow-incomepeoplewhodovolunteerincommunitymedia
CableaccesscenterslikeChicagorsquos CAN-TVandManhattanNeighborhoodNetworkprovidegrantstrainingandequipmenttocommunitygroupswhothendevelopmultimediaproductsandshowcasethemindifferentvenuesThesecentersfacilitatetheexpressionofnon-technology-orientedcommunitymembersandprovidethemwithusefuljobskills
ThetrainingcomponentiscrucialfordevelopingauthenticvoicesinprogrammingBlessedwithadiversetechnology-savvycommunitythatincludesbothHarvard
andMITcampuspopulationsCambridge Community Television CCTVhasbroadeneditseducationalprogramstoincludeadvancedworkshopsandextendededucationalprogramsindocumentarymakingdigitalstorytellingwebsitedesignandstrategiccommunicationsplanningandimplementationCommunitymembersarealsoabletouseCCTVrsquoscomputertechnologycenterfortraininginavarietyofsoftwareapplicationsincludingphotoeditinganddesignandcomputernetworkingThecenterhasbroadeneditsdistributionofvideoprogrammingtoincludeweb-basedmediastreamingofpre-recordedprogrammingpodcastsaudiochannelsandldquoCambridgeCommunityRadiordquowherememberscansignupfortwo-hourblocksofliveradiotimeThecenterrsquosservicesaddresstheneedsofactivistsnonprofitcommunitygroupsmediaeducatorsandpeopleseekingjobskillsthatextendfarbeyondthoseneededtofillthepublicchannelswithvideoItsofferingsareexpand-ingtoincludeworkshopsinpodcastingdigitalaudioproductionvideobloggingandcyberjournalismCCTVtakesdigitalmediaconvergenceseriouslyunderstandingthatmediaproductiontrainingproductionanddistribu-tionarenowapplicableacrossanumberofplatformsandproductionskillsets
Bay Area Video Coalition(BAVC)isanotherorganizationthatmakesemergingvideotechnologyacces-sibletoindependentmediamakersIthasevolvedintoaninternationallyrenownedmediaartscenterthatleadsthefieldinitshigh-qualityproductionandprofessionaldevelopmentsupportfornoncommercialmediamakersThecenteralsoprovidesclassestolow-incomeyouthinmediaartsproductionaswellasworkshopsforcommunitygroupsandnonprofitsBAVChasconsistentlyoffereddevelopmentseminarsandtrainingprogramsthatbringcommercialpro-ducersandnoncommercialproducerstogetherinacommonsettingItoffersoneoftheregionrsquoskeycertifiedtrainingprogramsforcompanieslikeAppleAvidandDigidesignThroughagrantfromtheFordFoundationBAVChasundertakenanationalstudyonldquoDigitalWorkforceDevelopmentrdquoallowingtheorganizationtoestablishitselfasanationalandregionalleaderinprofessionaldevelop-ment(Most2002)Itsprofessionaldevelopmentprogramisasignificantforuminwhichcommercialandnoncom-mercialmediamakerscancometogetherforprofessionaldevelopmentactivitiesinsettingsthatrespectthepublicinterestandroleofmediainsocialdevelopment
OutreachOutreachakeytoolformediagroupsmovestherelation-shipbetweencommunityandmediabeyondconsumption
Collaborationishardexpensiveandtime-consuming
tosocialchangeItinvitespeopletointeractwithmediatobeaffectedbyitandtoaffectothersItaskspeoplewhattheyneedandinvitesthemtocometogethertomeetthoseneeds
Thekeytocreatingrelevantoutreachisresearch-ingwhatthecommunityneedsdetermininghowtoreachitmosteffectivelyandhiringstaffwhohaveoutreachskillsandarewellversedinthecultureandlanguageofthegroupsbeingtargetedAChicagofilmmakerrecountedhowtheseconsiderationsimpactedhisdocumentaryaboutworkersrsquorightsOutreachstaffconsideredthepotentialimpactontwoaudiencesalargeaudienceofPBSviewerssittingintheirlivingroomsandasmallerbutmoreengagedaudienceofsteelworkerswatchingthedocumentaryatalocalbarTheyconcludedthatthebarviewerswouldberivetedbecausetheinformationinthedocumentarywasgearedtothemSuccessfuloutreachasksWhatdogroupspayattentiontoWhomdotheytrustWhatplatformauthenticallyrepresentsthem
NationalprogrammingcanbeacatalystforlocaloutreachParticipantsinChicagoandMinneapolis-StPauldiscussedtheexampleofldquoTheNewAmericansrdquoanationalPBSseriesonimmigrantsproducedby Kartemquin Films Active VoiceanationalorganizationthatworkswithmediamakerstobringaboutpersonalandinstitutionalchangeworkedwithKartemquintopackageseriesfootagethatfocusedonnewarrivalstoMinnesotaTheresultwasalocalseriesldquoTheNewMinnesotansrdquoandapartnershipthatusedmediatoeducatethemainstreamcommunityaboutlocalimmigrantsandtodevelopdiscussionandactivityguidesforcommunityoutreach
Connecting with Immigrant PopulationsMinoritypopulationsandgroupsconcernedwithsupportingtheidentitiesofmarginalizedpopulationshaveincreasinglyturnedtocommunitymediaassourcesofinformationvali-dationofcultureandproductionsupportforthecreationoftheirowncontentCommunitymediahavehelpedcallattentiontothelivesandconcernsofimmigrantcommuni-tiesthatareotherwiseinvisibleoutsidetheirparticularcommunityBecausetheyoftenhavefoundinnovativewaystousecommunitymediafornetworkingandsocialchangeimmigrantpopulationsillustratethepowerofcommunity
mediaandpresentrichopportunitiesformakingcommu-nitymediaorganizationsmorediverseandparticipatoryRoundtableparticipantssharedlessonsinwhatworksandofferedspecificideasforframinganewcommunitymediaprogramaddressingtheneedsofimmigrantsandreceivingcommunitiescalledNew Routes to Community Health
Inreachingouttoimmigrantcommunitiesround-tableparticipantsnotedthatitiscriticaltoidentifyandworkwithexistingagenciesthatimmigrantstrustperhapsachurchorassociationforaparticularethnicgroupButthoughimmigrantgroupsarethemostappropriateconve-nersofsuchcollaborativestheymustalsohavethecapacitytoconvene
TheselectionofplatformalsodeservescarefulconsiderationRoundtableparticipantsnotedthatinadapt-ingtechnologiestotheirownpurposesspecificimmigrantgroupsoftenpreferoneplatformoveranotherForexampleChicagorsquosKorean-AmericancommunityhasbeensuccessfulinusingethnicprintmediatoaddresscommunityissuesThePersianstorytellingtraditionhasmadePersianahugeandgrowinglanguagesegmentonblogsPersianisnowthefourthmostwidelyusedlanguageonweblogs(Macintyre2004)A2000surveyofSomalianimmigrantsinMinnesotashowedthatoverfortypercenteventhenconsideredtheInternettheirmainnewssource(Aynte2006)
RadioinparticularhasshowntremendouspowerinthedevelopingworldpartlyasaresultoftheUnitedNationsrsquoemphasisonradioasthemediumsupportingthemostwidespreadpracticeofcommunitymediaintheworldBecausetheyarefamiliarwithradiobeforecomingtotheUnitedStatesimmigrantgroupsoftenquicklyembraceradiouponarrivalinthiscountryItisalsooneofthemostinexpensiveformsofmediaandthereforeoneofthemostaccessibleldquoIftheycomefromLatinAmericatheyknowthepowerofradiordquoChicagoparticipantsnotedenthusiasti-callyLocalcommercialSpanish-languageradiostationseffectivelyhelpedmobilizeturnoutforimmigrationprotestsinChicagoinMay2006
community spotlightManycommunitiesintheUnitedStatescanpointwithpridetotheachievementsoftheircommunitymediaorganizationsWhenattemptingtoidentifybestpracticesinthenetworkedmediaenvironmentsweseetodayhoweveritisusefultothinkintermsofinterconnectionandcol-laborationnottolooksimplyatindividualmediacentersorbroadcaststationsOftenthemostsuccessfulexamplesofcommunitymediaemergeoutofongoingalliancesandcollaborationsamonglocalcommunitymediagroupsThe
Thekeytocreatingrelevantoutreachisresearchingwhatthecommunityneeds
communitiesspotlightedbelowhavebegunincorporatingpartnershipsandcross-platformcollaborationintothepracticeofcommunitymediaandhavebeguntoreapthebenefitsofthatapproach
Portland OregonTheMetro Government Community Media InitiativeillustratesthepotentialpowerofcommunitiesworkingtogethertoproducetheirownmediaratherthanhavingtheirstoryframedbycommercialnewsorganizationsAlthoughtheprojecthasnowendeditisincludedherebecauseitprovidedsuchastrongmodelforfuturecommu-nitymediaeffortsTheinitiativewasrootedinaproposalbylocalindependentfilmmakerTomChamberlinthatlocalmediamakerscommunitymediaorganizationscommunitygroupsandgovernmentagenciescollaboratetoproducepublicaffairstelevisionprogramsonissuesofconcerntoOregoniansMetroauniqueregionalgovernmentprimarilyresponsibleforregionalland-useandtransportationplan-ningtookChamberlinrsquosideatoheartWithagrantfromtheFederalHighwayAdministrationMetroandanallianceofcommunityorganizationsandgovernmentagenciesdevel-opedldquoZigZagRealStoriesNewAnglesrdquoaprogrambylocalfilmmakersfeaturingpersonalstoriesfromadiversegroupofregionalresidentsastheygrappledwiththetransporta-tionchoicesaffectingtheirfamiliesneighborhoodsandcommunities
InadditiontothecenterpiecebroadcastonOregon Public BroadcastingtheprojectcreatedaninteractivewebsiteanddistributedaDVDoftheprogramtothearearsquoscableaccesschannelsElementsoftheprojectalsofoundtheirwayontoPortlandrsquoscommunityradiostationKBOOandpacketsincludingextensivesupportmaterialsandDVDsweremadeavailableforscreeninginneighborhoodcentersandindependentmediavenuesTherewasalsoaplanninganddeliberationprocesstostrategizeabouthowcitizensgovernmentsandmediamakerscancollaboratetocreatecommunitydialogueandsolvecivicproblems
Asurbanspaceisincreasinglydefinedbytelecom-municationsasmuchastransportationandlandusetheprojectalsoillustratesthepowerfuloutcomesthat
canresultwhenregionaltelecommunicationsplanningbecomesintegratedwithlanduseandtransportationplan-ningandwhencommunitymediaareintegratedintobothformalandinformalprocessesofplanninganddelibera-tionTheMetroCommunityMediaInitiativeresultedinasignificantandmeasurableriseinregionalawarenessofthetransportationplanningissuesaddressedbytheproj-ectViewershipandDVDusesofthemediaincommunitysettingsexceededexpectations(Metro2004)AlthoughtheprojectwasnotimmediatelyreplicatedPortlandnowenjoyscontinuingcollaborationsbetweenMetrogovern-mentanditsareacommunitymedia
ParticipationintheMetroGovernmentCommunityMediaInitiative isonlyoneofthemanywaysPortlandrsquosKBOOradiohasdemonstrateditsfullcommitmenttotheoriginaldemocraticintentionsofcommunityradiooverthecourseofitsforty-two-yearhistoryOlderthanNationalPublicRadioKBOOisamongthelongest-liv-ingcommunityradiostationsintheUnitedStatesOfthenoncommercialradiostationsinPortlandKBOOistheonlystationwhosemissioncontainsanexplicitcommit-menttominorityprogrammersandlisteners(SussmanandEstes2004)KBOOrsquoscommitmenttodemocraticpracticeextendstoaboardofdirectorselectedentirelyfromitsmembershipwhichisopentoanyoneandanaggressivetrainingprogramconsistentwiththestationrsquoscommitmenttovolunteer-producedprogrammingmdashallprogrammingisproducedbyvolunteerswithassistanceofpaidstaffTheparticipationofwomenandminoritiesfarexceedthecommunityrsquosracialdemographics(SussmanandEstes2004)
Portland Community Media (PCM)hasarichtwenty-three-yearhistoryinPortlandwhenitcomestousingmediatobuildcommunityPCMstartedoutasacabletelevisionaccesscenterandstillprovidestheadminis-trationandtrainingtoprogramPortlandrsquoscableaccesschannelsbuthasexpandeditsmissiontoembracetheuseofcommunitymediatobringaboutbroaderparticipationincivicandculturallifePCMrsquoswebsitedescribesthecenterldquowiththreewordsndashEducateCommunicateParticipaterdquoCurrentlyPCMhasanumberofcollaborativeprojectssup-portingmedialiteracyandmediaeducationinthepublicschoolsystemitregularlyprogramsmediaproductionsfromPortlandrsquosmediaartscentertheNorthwestFilmandVideoCenteranditisplanningtoexpanditscentertosupporteconomicdevelopmentofmicroenterprisesfornewmedia
The Mt Hood Cable Regulatory Commission(MHCRC)overseesacable-relatedtelecommunicationsdevelopmentforgreaterPortlandOregonServing
Oftenthemostsuccessfulexamplesofcommunitymediaemergeoutofongoingalliancesandcollaborationsamonglocalcommunitymediagroups
thecommunitiesresidentsandlocalgovernmentsofFairviewGreshamPortlandTroutdaleWoodVillageandMultnomahCountyOregonTheMtHoodCableRegulatoryCommissionnegotiatesandenforcescableservicefran-chiseandactsinthepublicinterestoncommunicationspolicyissuesatlocalstateandfederallevelsItwouldbehardtooverstatetheimportanceofMHCRCinfosteringthegrowthofcommunitymediaingreaterPortlandThroughclearandinsightfulregulationofthecablefranchiseithasassuredthatthenecessarynetworksandtelecommu-nicationsinfrastructureareavailabletoallowcommunitymediatogrow
MtHoodrsquosCommunityAccessCapitalGrantsProgramisparticularlynoteworthyTheCapitalGrantsprogramprovidescapitalfundingtocommunicationsprojectsthatsupportsocialjusticecommunityinvolve-mentandtheeffectivedeliveryofservicesthroughcostreductionTheprogramhasallowedscoresofcommunitygroupstoincreasetheircommunicationscapacitythroughtheacquisitionofskillsknowledgeandtechnologyInimplementingthisgrantprogramtheMtHoodCableRegulatoryCommissionhasbeenextremelystrategicinconveninggranteesandcreatingtheconditionsthatleadtopartnershipsandcollaborativerelationships
TheNorthwest Film and Video Centerisalong-standingregionalmediaartsorganizationservingtheNorthwestregionThecenterprovidesarichprogramnurturingmediaartscultureItfeaturesanactiveexhibi-tionprogramforexperimentalandindependentfilmsahighlyregardedfilmschoolandextensiveyouthmediaprogramsThecenterpresentsanumberofyearlyfilmfestivalsincludingthePortlandInternationalFilmFestivaltheNorthwestFilmandVideoFestivalandtheYoungPeoplersquosFilmampVideoFestivalThecenterrsquosproductionsoftenfindtheirwayontotothearearsquoscablechannelsThecenterisalsoatrustedsourceofequipmentaccessforareaindependentproducersactiveintherichmediacultureofPortlandaservicepartiallysupportedbytheMtHoodCableRegulatoryCommissionrsquosCapitalGrantsprogram
Minneapolis-St Paul MinnesotaTheSaint Paul Neighborhood Network(SPNN)isacableaccessstationservingStPaulresidentsThestationprovidesopportunitiestothepublictoproduceandairprogramsononeofitsfivechannelsdedicatedtomulti-faithpubliceducationcommunityandinternationalcontentrespectivelySPNNhasayoutheducationprogramandacommunityproductionsprogramwhichworkswithnonprofitorganizationstocreatepublicserviceadvertise-
mentsorprogrammingWorkshopsincludeproductiongrantproposalwritinglegalquestionsandlightingSPNNisparticularlyeffectiveasconvenerandcapacitybuilderinitscommunityItseducationandtrainingprogramsarefocusedoncommunitydevelopmentandonkeepingthetechnicaltrainingelementsofitsworkinasocialperspective
Minneapolis Television Network(MTN)isSPNNrsquossisteraccessstationservingMinneapoliswithasimilarcommitmenttoprovidingacommunitygatheringplaceOperatingthreepublicaccesschannelsMTNofferstelevi-siontrainingandmedialiteracyclassesandisespeciallyencouragingofyouthparticipationThechannelsserveasabridgeforimmigrantstouseinadaptingtotheirnewhomemanynewimmigrantsusethemtocommunicateintheirnativelanguageswiththeirSomaliEthiopianorVietnamesecompatriotsSomali-languageprogramsforinstanceoffereighthoursaweekofmusicentertainmentcommunitynewsandreligiousinstructiontooneofthelargestsettlementsofSomalipeopleoutsideSomaliaIntoutingSomalitelevisionasthebestpublicaccesscabletelevisionprogramintheTwinCitiesCity Pages saidldquoForsomepublicaccessisanearlyinspiringlessonindemocracyandfreemediardquo(CityPages2004)WantingtostrengthenthenonprofitcommunityrsquosInternetsavvyMTNcreatedandeventuallyspunofftheRiverProjecttoofferInternetdial-upaccessandwebhostingtononprofits
PublicbroadcastershavealsoofferedstrongmodelsofcommunitycollaborationintheTwinCities Twin Cities Public Television(TPT)isthepublictelevisionstationservingtheMinneapolisndashStPaulregionIn2004TPTbegandedicatingtimeononeofitsdigitalchan-nelstoMinnesota-relatedprogrammingAnumberoftheprogramsontheMinnesota Channel(someofwhicharethencablecastonpublicaccesstelevision)aretargetedatLatinoHmongHindiMiddleEasternChineseandVietnamesecommunitiesandproducedinpartnershipwithnonprofitorganizationsTPTisapartnerintheMinnesotaCommunityCampaignthatencouragesurbanandruralareasinandaroundtheTwinCitiestowelcomethetensofthousandsofimmigrantsandrefugeesthathavesettledthereinthepastseveraldecadesSeekingtoeffectpositivechangeonimmigrantissuesthroughartmediaeducationsocialserviceandpolicymakingthecampaignproducedtheldquoTheNewMinnesotansrdquoasixty-minuteprogramthatoriginallyairedonTPTbasedontheKartemquinseriesldquoTheNewAmericansrdquo
InadditiontocommunityradiostationKFAItheTwinCitiesishometoMinnesota Public Radio(MPR)
whichhaspioneeredafreshapproachtojournalismcalledpublicinsightjournalism(PIJ)PIJtapsintothecollectiveknowledgeofMPRrsquosdiverseaudiencetoenrichitsreport-ingCreatingaten-thousand-personPublicInsightNetworkviathewebthestationinvitesthepublictobesourcesofstoryideasreactionsandperspectivesandbrainstormingonpublicissues
TheindependentfilmandvideocommunityworkscollaborativelyintheTwinCitiestosupportandpromoteartistandcommunityperspectivesIFP Minnesota Center for Media Arts Intermedia ArtsandtheWalker Art Center areamongthemulti-disciplinaryvenuesfordiscus-sionandproduction
AndtheInternetishometoanewaggregationofcommunitymediasourcesAccordingtoitswebsitethe Twin Cities Daily PlanetaprojectoftheTwinCitiesMediaAllianceisldquoacommunitynewswireandsyndicationserviceshowcasingthebestworkoftheneighborhoodandcommunitypressaswellasworkbyTwinCitiesindepen-dentjournalistsandthevoicesofengagedcitizensThepremiseoftheTC Daily PlanetisthatnewtechnologiesaremakingitpossibleforthesecitizenstobecomemoreactiveandpowerfulparticipantsinthenewsproductionprocessrdquoModeledafterKorearsquosOhmyNewstheTC Daily Planetseekstoimprovethequalitydiversityandaccount-abilityofthelocalmediaandtoinvolvetherapidlygrowingimmigrantandethniccommunitiesItrecruitsandofferstrainingtocitizenjournalistsandhaspartnershipswithoverfortyneighborhoodandcommunitymedia
Chicago IllinoisChicago Access Network Television(CAN-TV)offersfivepublicaccesschannelstoChicagolandresidentsThispublicspaceprovidesChicagoansanopportunitytodiscussissuesoflocalconcernpromotehealtheducationalandeconomicresourcesinthecommunityandcelebratelocaltalentandinitiativesCAN-TVprovidesvideotrainingequipmentandfacilitiesforarearesidentsandnonprofitgroupsItvideotapesandcablecastspublicforumstownhallmeetingscommunityeventsandotheractivitiesoflocalinterestThroughthisservicethestationprovidesChicagoanswithaccesstoinformationtheymaynototh-erwisehavethroughcommercialtelevisionForinstanceCAN-TVworkedwitheighttotenAIDSagenciestodissemi-natebasiceducationaboutAIDSpreventionvialivecall-inprograms
CAN-TVsupportsChicagorsquosassociationsandnonprof-itsthroughserviceslikeliveldquohot-linerdquocall-inshowsfrom
automatedstudiosthatonepersoncanoperateproductionservicesthatgenerateprogrammingforcommunityeventsandstrategiccommunicationsplanningworkshopsCAN-TVhasrefusedtofollowasimplisticldquoneutralityrdquoprogram-mingphilosophyinwhichtheaccesscentertransmitsonlyprogrammingthatrandomlycomesfromthecommunityInsteadCAN-TVactivelycreatesprogrammingimportanttocommunitydevelopmentInadditiontoitsfocusonnonprofitsCAN-TVactivelycreatespartnershipswithcon-tent-richgroupssuchaslocalmuseumsandartsgroupsItalsopartnerswithlocalmediaactivistproductiongroupslikeVideoMacheteandStreetLevelYouthMedia(profiledbelow)SimilarlyCAN-TVaggressivelyengagesinprogram-mingforlocalelectionsatypicalelectionseasonwillgeneratearoundtwohundredhoursoforiginalprogram-mingeachmonthandnearlyallthecandidateswillbefeaturedoractuallycreatetheirownCAN-TVprogrammingtocarryouttheircampaigns
Street-Level Youth MediaprovidesopportunitiesforChicagorsquosurbanyouthtousemediaartsandemergingtechnologiesforself-expressioncommunicationandsocialchangeItsstaffprovidesinstructioninvideoandaudioproductioncomputerartandtheInternettohelpyouthaddresscommunityissuesaccessadvancedcommunica-tionstechnologyandgaininclusioninsocietyInoneprojectitcollaboratedwithtwoseventh-gradeteachersandanESLinstructortohelpstudentsresearchissuesaboutimmigrationinoneneighborhoodTheteachersweretrainedtousevideoandthentrainedotherteacherswhoguidedtheirstudentsinproducingvideosforscreeningattheschoolMorethanthirtyvideoswerecreatedandvideotrainingandusehasbeenincorporatedintotheschoolcurriculum
Radio Arte(WRTE)istheonlybilingual(Spanish-English)youth-operatedurbancommunitystationinthecountryItoperateswithafocusonyouthinChicagorsquosPilsenandLittleVillageneighborhoodsAninitiativeoftheNationalMuseumofMexicanArtthiseducationalradiostationhasservedChicagoformorethansixyearstrainingyouthwithapriorityondevelopingindividualandgroupcommunicationcompetenciesthatallowyoungpeopletoenterpubliclifewithconfidencethroughthebroadcastmediumProvidingaforumforyoungpeopletobecreativeandresponsibletothelargestMexicancommunityintheMidwestRadioArteiscommittedtotrainingyoungpeopleintheartofbroadcastingRadioArtersquosuniquetwo-yeartrainingprogramprovidesyouthwithspecialcoursesonwritingforradioandjournalismvoicetrainingand
FCCregulationsaswellasbasiccomputerskillsproduc-tionskillsandon-airtrainingParticipatingintwograntroundsofSoundPartnersforCommunityHealththestationrsquosldquoRadioVidardquoproducedprogrammingonsubstanceabuseandaddictionbyandforLatinoyouth
Casa Guatemala Media Projectisanonprofitcommunity-basedorganizationthatservestheGuatemalanandbroaderLatinAmericancommunityinChicagoandtheMidwestSinceitsfoundingin1986ithasusedmediaincludingwebprintTVandradiotoraiseconsciousnessaboutissuesaffectingcommunitiesfromLatinAmericaInparticularitworkswithCAN-TVtoprovidetheeducationalcomponentofself-authoredmediathatwillpositivelytrans-formcommunitiesthroughworkshopsontheproductionandalternativeusesofemergingtechnologies
Beyond Media EducationworkswithunderservedandunderrepresentedcommunitiesprimarilywomenandyouthtotelltheirstoriesandorganizeforsocialjusticethroughthecreationanddistributionofalternativemediaandartsInarecenteffortitworkedwithaChicagosheltertohelpstreetwalkerstelltheirownstoriesinanefforttoraisepublicawarenessandpromotestate-levelreformsTheorganizationorganizedasix-monthworkshopthatincludedteachingandpracticingstorytellingpublicspeak-ingandvideoproductionskillstooveradozenprostitutesTheirgroundbreakingvideogivesinsightsintoChicagorsquossextradeindustryandrecountsthetriumphofthepar-ticipantsoverhomelessnessviolenceanddiscriminationTheirlobbyinginthestatecapitolresultedinpassageofabilltodestigmatizeanddecriminalizesexworkers
Keepingtabsonandshowcasingmuchofthecom-munitymediaactivityfromajournalisticperspectiveistheCommunity Media Workshop (CMW) CMWservesasabridgebetweensocialactivistscommunitymediaprac-titionersandjournalistsIthostsanannualacademyforprogressiveorganizationsintheChicagoareathatbringsactivistsandjournaliststogethertoshareideasandatti-tudesProminentareatelevisionandnewspaperjournalistsarerecruitedtoserveonpanelsleadworkshopsandgenerallysharetheirideasofhowprogressivegroupscaneffectivelygaintheattentionofthepressThisapproach
leadstobuy-infromkeypersonnelinChicagorsquosmainstreammediawhocannowbetterunderstandthegrassrootsgroupsthatapproachthemandtheirissuesItalsogivescommunityparticipantsattheworkshopstheopportunitytodevelopmorepersonalrelationshipswithkeymembersofthemediaThisapproachalsoenablescommunitygroupstobetterunderstandwhatmotivateseditorsandreporters
ThesethreecommunitiesshowcommondevelopmentpatternsandfactorsCommunitymediaorganizationshavebeguntounderstandtheirmissionsintermsofasharedcultureofcommunitymedialookingbeyondtheirindivid-ualmissionstothecommonsocialandpoliticalvaluestheyhaveincommonThisapproachopensthewayforcommu-nityradiomediaartscenterscommunitymediacentersandcableaccesstocreatecommunity-wideprograminitiativesinwhichseveralmediaplatformsareengagedItcreatestheconditionsinwhichitispossibleforcommunitymediaorganizationstoactwithunifiedstancesinpoliticaladvocacyregardingmediaissuesandotherissuescriticaltotheircommunitiesThiskindofcross-platformnetworkingalsocreatesopportunitiesforcommunitymediatoreceivemorediversefundingandsupportfromthecommunityastheyextendthenetworkorcultureofcollaborationtocom-munitydevelopmentgroupsandofficialsintheirregions
Communitymediaorganizationshavebeguntounderstandtheirmissionsintermsofasharedcultureofcommunitymedialookingbeyondtheirindividualmissionstothecommonsocialandpoliticalvaluestheyhaveincommon
ldquoThe boldest experiments in public telecommunica-tions take place when technologies are new and their commercial potential not yet fully apparentrdquo mdash Ralph Engelman 1996
Acrosstheirmanyplatformsandmanycommunitiescommunitymediahavebecomecentralculturalinstitutionsinthecivicculturalandeconomiclife
ofourcommunitiesprovidinginvaluablemediaprogram-mingaccessandeducationTheycaninsuchinstancesenablecommunitiestodevelopinformedcitizensartistsandactivistswhopossesstheskillsandknowledgeneededtograpplewithcomplexmedialiteracyanddevelopmentissuesatthelocallevel
Fordecadescommunitymediaorganizationshaveaddressedtheurgentneedtocreatelocalinstitutionsthatfacilitatecitizenaccesstomedianetworksandeffectiveparticipationinmediacultureforbothcitizensandwork-ersTheyareprovingthemselvesvitaltothepoliticalandeconomiclifeoftheircommunitiesTheyplaymultiplerolessimultaneouslyascriticalculturalenhancementstothequalityofciviclifeasemployersandaseducationalsitesforworkforcedevelopment
difficultyNeworganizationalformsandnewmediaformatslikestreamingarchivingpodcastingandbloggingarebecomingthenormpartofldquoblendedrdquoproductionanddis-seminationpracticesincommunitymedia
neW communicAtion spAces cyberjournAlismTheincreaseinInternetbandwidthandtheavailabilityofonlinesocialnetworkingsoftwarehavequalitativelychangedtherelationshipofjournaliststotheiraudiencesNewwebdestinationslikeMySpaceShutterflyFriendsterFlikrEviteandGooglearedevelopingvirtualcommuni-tiesforsharingvideoattractingyoungeraudiencesandmakingcontentmorethanpassiveandone-directionalSocialnetworkingsoftwareenablespeopletorendezvousconnectorcollaboratethroughcomputer-mediatedcom-municationandformonlinecommunities(Spannerworks2007)PopularsocialnetworksoftwareapplicationslikeweblogsorblogsseemparticularlywellsuitedtoparticipatorycitizenjournalismallowingeasypublishingofinteractivetextphotoaudioandvideocontentTheneweasewithwhichvideoclipscanbepreparedforuseonthewebhasbroughtontheriseofldquovlogsrdquoandsitesthatfacilitatethesharingofvideoclipsandaccompanyingcontentAnenormousrangeofblogsandcyberjournalisticsiteshavesprungupontheWorldWideWebinthepastfiveyearswithanequallywiderangeofeditorialstandardsandpracticesTechnoraticomcurrentlytracksseventeenmillionblogssharingoneandahalfmillionhyperlinks(Rennie2006)APewCenterInternetstudyestimatesthatthenumberofregularblogreadersintheUnitedStatesisequivalenttoalmosthalftheentireradioaudiencewhichisaboutaquarteroftheUSnewspaperreadership(Rennie2006)
Combinedwithaffordablenewdigitalmediaproduc-tioncamerasandrecorderstheseweb-baseddisseminationtoolsmakeitpossibleforcitizensandconsumerstoparticipateactivelyinnewsgatheringNonprofessionalshavebeguntoplayamoreactiveroleintheprocessesofjournalismfromcollectinginformationandreportingtoanalysisanddisseminationJanSchafferwhodirectsJ-LabaUniversityofMarylandincubatorforinteractivejournalismprojectsexplainsthatmanypeoplearebecom-ingmoreactivecitizensthroughjournalisticactivitybutdonotnecessarilyaspiretobejournalistsThenewtechnical
envisioning the future of community mediA
Communitymediaorganizationsareprovingthemselvesvitaltothepoliticalandeconomiclifeoftheircommunities
Communitymediaarealsocontributingimportantvaluespracticesandorganizationalmethodologiestotheemergingcollaborativemediaenvironmentsoftheblogo-sphereWecanlooktothesecontributionsastechnologicalandorganizationalopportunitiesforstrengtheningandexpandingcommunitymediapracticeWiththeInternetamediacultureisemergingthatismoreconsistentwiththenoncommercialpracticesofcommunitymediaproductioncollaborationanddemocraticparticipationinmediamak-inganddistributionConsequentlymanycommunitymediaorganizationsareintegratingthecapacitiesoftheInternetandnewmediaintotheirpracticeswithoutmuchfanfareor
0
capacityforcommunicationsheobservesallowspeopletoldquoparticipateinnewsandinformationinvariouswaysmdashparticipateininteractingwithitquestioningittruth-squadingitandcreatingitAndnowthattheyhavethetechtoolsandthetechskillstodothattheappetitehasonlyincreasedrdquo(Schaffer2005b)
SuchconditionshavesetthestageforintensepopularinterestinwhathasbeenbrandedldquowemediardquoorldquoparticipatoryjournalismrdquoTodaynumerousonlinejournalisticexperimentsbringtogetherprofessionaljour-nalistswithcitizenmediaactivistsandthoseinvolvedineventsMoreandmoretheearliestimagesandinformationregardingbreakingnewsarecomingfromnon-journalistspresentatthemomentoftheeventAsaresultjournalistsarebeginningtoconceptualizethemselvesnotsomuchasgatekeepersofnewsbutasmoderatorsinaconversationwithlicenseandtimetospeakfrequentlyandhopefullyaccurately(BowmanandWillis2003)
Thiskindofcommunity-centeredcoveragemayentailthere-balancingofeditorialpoliciesndashcommittingtodiversityembracingegalitarianvaluesandreassessingthevalueofeditorialneutralityItputsintoquestiontheroleandsignificanceofofteninnovativeldquopersonalmediardquoexemplifiedbythemillionsofbloggingsitesontheWebIsthiskindofldquonewsrdquoservingapubliccivicpurposeofcommunityproblemsolvingorindividualprivateexpres-sionInaWashington PostopinionpieceonDecember212006GeorgeKWillvoicedskepticismoftheseriousnessofmuchofthewebrsquosamateurjournalisminresponsetoTimemagazinersquosnamingallofusPersonoftheYear
Itisdifficulttopredictthefutureofcyberjournal-ismandbloggingpreciselyintheseearlystagesbutthreeoutcomesseemlikelyFirstbloggingwillcontinueitsrapidintegrationintomainstreammediacontentSecondblog-gingandotherformsofsocialnetworkingsoftwarewillgiverisetonewmediaentitiesthatwillchallengemainstreammedialocallynationallyandglobally
ThethirdoutcomeistheonemostrelevanttoacommunitymediascanCyberjournalismandparticipatory
citizenjournalismseemparticularlywellsuitedtoaddressthecurrentUSmassmediarsquosdifficultyinprovidingcoverageoflocaleventsinsmallercommunitiessuburbanregionsandcommutercommunitiesthataredevelopingoutsideformalpoliticaljurisdictionsCommunity-basedonlinejournalismsiteshavesprungupinhundredsofcom-munitiesaroundtheUnitedStatesTheyaremanagedandorganizedinwidelydivergentways
AnexperimentincyberjournalismandcommunitynetworkingtheTwin Cities Daily PlanetaggregatessomeofthebestjournalismfromMinnesotarsquosTwinCitiesneighborhoodandcommunitypressandindependentjour-nalistsaswellasthevoicesofengagedcitizenspresentingthemtothepublicthroughaninteractivewebsiteandcommunitydatabaseByaggregatingcitizenandneighbor-hoodjournalisminonesiteitincreasesthecapacityofsmallneighborhoodmediatoreachbeyondtheirborderstoawiderregionalaudienceUsingRealSimpleSyndication(RSS)softwaretheTC Daily Planetcanpotentiallyreachaglobalaudience
AprojectoftheTwinCitiesMediaAlliancetheTC Daily PlanetisaverynewformofcommunitymediaemergingfromtherestructuringofthenewspaperindustryandtheuseofbloggingandsocialnetworkingsoftwareAlthoughearlyinitsdevelopmenttheTC Daily Planetisgivingvoicetoanincreasingnumberofethnicimmi-grantandnon-mainstreamjournalistswhilefocusingthecommunityrsquosattentiononafargreaterrangeofpublicationsandideas
TheearliestexpressionsofcyberjournalismaretheIndependent Media Centers (IMCs)orIndymediaIndymediacameintobeingaspartoftheprotestsanddemonstrationsaroundtheWorldTradeOrganizationtalksheldinSeattleWashingtonin1999ThisfirstIMCwasaconvergenceoftheemerginginteractivityoftheInternetwiththeintenseneedofprotesterstogetindependentinformationouttotheworldabouttheprotestsAnetworkofindependentcommunitymediamakersactivistsandjournalistsbandedtogethertopoolresourcesandinforma-tion(Howley2005)
TheIMCsforeshadowedthebloggingandvideodis-tributionthatwasshortlytoemergebyusingtheInternetandtheWorldWideWebinconjunctionwithvideoandaudiodistributiontocreateatrulyunprecedentedmulti-mediaenvironmentIntermsofbothqualityandquantitytheSeattleIMCwasanimpressiveperformancebyanynewsandcurrentaffairsstandardsOverthecourseofthefive-dayprotestsadailynewspaperanddailyradioprogramwerecreatedandcountlessprintstoriesweredisseminated
Journalistsarebeginningtoconceptualizethemselvesnotsomuchasgatekeepersofnewsbutasmoderatorsinaconversation
globallyalsovideofeedsweresentthroughtheInternettopublicaccessandcommunitychannelsaroundtheworldSixyearsaftertheSeattleproteststherewere149Indymediawebsitesinabout45countriesonsixcontinents(Whitney2005)
TheopenformofcommunicationpracticedbymostIMCsiteshasnotbeenwithoutproblemsandcontra-dictionsManysitesarenowclutteredwithideologicaldiatribesanduneditedcontent(Halleck2002Whitney2005)ButthereareanumberofIndymediasitesthatprovidealternativenewsandinformationregardingaglobalscopeofconcernsthatwouldbeverydifficulttoobtainanywhereelseinthemediaAnumberofsitesinplacessuchasNewYorkCityPortlandOregonandtheSanFranciscoBayareahaveestablishedthemselvesasstablepartsoftheircommunityrsquosmediaculture
companiesspecializedsuppliersserviceprovidersandassociatedinstitutionsinaparticularfieldthatarepresentinanationorregionrdquo(Porter2000)Thecompaniesinanindustryclusterhaveacomplexwebofmutuallysupportingrelationshipsthatencompassbothcompetitiveandcollab-orativerelationshipsTheylinkacrossprofitandnonprofitpracticesutilizecommoninfrastructuremakecommoncontributionstothedevelopmentofahighlyskilledwork-forcesharefundingandinsomecasestalentedstaff
Increasinglycommunitydevelopmentpractitionersandanalystsarecomingtounderstandindustryclustersaspowerfulstrategiesforbotheconomicandcommunitydevelopmentinthetwenty-firstcenturyThisisprovingdoublytruefornonprofitcommunitymediaorganizationswhoseroleitistobringpowerfultoolsandknowledgetoanycommunityrsquosdeliberationsaroundcommunityandeco-nomicdevelopmentBroadbandandwirelessnetworksareprovidingthepracticalmeansoflinkingcommunitymediaorganizationswithincommunitiesofferingakeystrategicadvantagebyenhancingtheeffectivenessofcollaborationandpartnershipbuilding
AstheexamplesinthepreviouschaptershowcommunitymediaorganizationsaretakingonnewrolesincludingcombiningproductionandtrainingtakingonworkforcedevelopmentfunctionsandbecomingtechnologycentersfordiffusionofnewmediaBeyondtheseexampleslongstandingsuccessfulcommunitymediaorganiza-tionsaremergingasnetworkclusterslinkingdifferentgroupsandorganizationswithincommunitiestocreateentirelynewcommunitymediaorganizationsorblurringtheboundariesbetweentheirorganizationsOthersarebringinghistoricallyseparatecommunitymediagroupswithinoneorganizationalstructureorunderonerooftosharebuildingsandcommunicationsinfrastructuresinacost-effectivemanner
TheorganizationsthatemergefromthisintegrationmaybesimilarinfunctionthoughtheirnamesremaindifferentAcommunity-basedsiteforcitizenmediaandcyberjournalismforexampleandacommunitynetworklikeMAINinAshevilleNorthCarolinaoracutting-edgecableaccesscenterlikeGrandRapidsCommunityTelevisionbegintolookverymuchalikeintermsof
Increasinglycommunitymediadevelopmentishappeningthroughnetworksoflocalnonprofitmediaorganizationsratherthanwithinsingleorganizations
neW orgAnizAtionAl spAces netWorked clusters Perhapsthemostpromisingtrendonthehorizonforcom-munitymediaistheemergenceofnewhighlyintegratedorganizationalstructuresandcollaborativeprocessesIncreasinglycommunitymediadevelopmentishappeningthroughnetworksoflocalnonprofitmediaorganizationsratherthanwithinsingleorganizations
Inmanywaysthesereorganizationsatthecom-munitylevelparalleltherestructuringtakingplaceintheprivatecorporatesectorTherecommunicationsnetworksarebeingusedtosupportcomplexpartnershipsandjointcompanyprojectdevelopmentinteractivenetworkseasetheaggregationoflargeorstrategiccapitalandemployeeskillsetsacrossgeographicandorganizationalboundariesforthepurposesofinnovationandmarketdevelopmentInthelanguageofcommunityandeconomicdevelop-mentthesecomplexpartnershipsareknownasldquocreativeclustersrdquoorldquoindustryclustersrdquoMichaelPorteraleadingtheoristandproponentoftheconceptofclustersdefinesthemasldquogeographicconcentrationsofinterconnected
Successfulcommunitymediaorganizationsaremergingasnetworkclusters
technologyprogrammingactivitiesandtheexperienceofcommunityaudiencesvolunteersandparticipantsEachorganizationreliesonnoncommercialaffordablebandwidtheachplayssomeroleinadvocatingforsupportivegovern-mentpoliciesandeachisexperimentingwiththepotentialofnewcollaborativemediatoolsOftencommittedtoengagingandtrainingvolunteersandcommunitymembersinsomemannertheymayoffertrainingandvolunteerpro-gramsthatrequiresimilarsharableonlinetutorialsandonlineoutreachandschedulemanagementtools
TheexamplesthatfollowdemonstratethewayscommunitymediacreativeclustersaremakinguniquecontributionstotheircommunitiesrsquoqualityoflifeandeconomicwellbeingTheyaredoingsointhreeimportantwaysbullfirstbyamplifyingtherolethatartsandculturalgroups
playinenhancingthequalityoflifeandattractingatalentedworkforceandcapitaltothecommunitymdasharolethatisgaininginsignificanceinthetwenty-firstcentury
bullsecondascontributorstocoreeconomicdevelopmentfunctionsinthecommunityincludingworkforcedevelop-mentandtrainingasmicro-enterpriseincubatorsandascreatorsofnewknowledgeandeducationalexperiencesand
bullthirdasfacilitatorsandcatalystsofcommunitydialoguecommittedtoembracingmarginalizedvoicesandallow-ingthecommunitytoundertakeitsowndevelopmentdemocratically
Lowell MassachusettsLowell Telecommunications Center(LTC)isapublicandgovernmentaccesschannelandmediaandtechnologycen-terItprovideseducationandtraininginmediacreationincludingwebdesigndigitalphotographyandtelevisionproductionLTCworksincollaborationwithotherlocalcommunity-basedorganizationsmunicipaldepartmentsandeducationalentitiestoproducediversemulticulturalprogrammingthatmeetsthecommunityrsquoscommunica-tionandinformationneedsLTChasbecomeaconvening
organizationforbuildingcapacityamongLowellrsquosnonprofitcommunity-basedorganizationsintheiruseofparticipatorymediaandcivicengagementstrategies
LTCismorefocusedthanothercommunitymediaorganizationsoncommunitybuildingandcommunicationtechnologyThecorporationisworkingtobuildanetworkforparticipatorymediaandcivicengagementthroughouttheMerrimacRiverValleyThroughaUSDepartmentofEducationgrantLTCacquiredfundingandstafftohelpitspartnerorganizationsbecomeInternet-capableassesstheirinformationtechnologyneedsacquiretechnologyupgradestoaddressthoseneedsandundertakethetrainingtousethetechnologyeffectively
RatherthanwaitingforgroupstocometoitscenterLTCcreatedacircuitridertrainingprogramthattookthetrainingprogramintothecommunityThroughLTCrsquosinformationtechnologycenterscoresofcommunitygroupshavereceivedtrainingdesignedandcreatedwebsitesanddevelopedstrategiccommunicationsplansforthefutureThosedevelopmentsincludeweb-basedhistoricalarchivesGISmappingsystemsmultimediamaterialsandInternetvideoTohelporganizationsacquirethesoftwaretheyneedtocarryouttheirmissionsLTCcreatedtheCommunitySoftwareLabwhichdevelopsuniquesoftwaretofittheneedsofareanonprofitsThelabhasbeenspunofftocreateaseparatenonprofitentityjoiningthegrowingnumberofindependentorganizationsthatnetworkthroughLTC
ThemostrecentLTCinitiativeisldquoDigitalBicyclerdquoapeer-to-peernetworkthatallowsmediacentersworldwidetodownloadandsharelocalcontentLTCstaffenvisionDigitalBicycleasanonlinecommunityforcableaccessmediaartsindependentmediaandothernoncommercialmedia
Grand Rapids MichiganldquoBuildingcommunitythroughmediardquoThissimplemissionstatementguidedtheGrand Rapids Community Media Center(GRCMC)asitevolvedfromatypicalcableaccessoperationtobecomeabroad-basedmultimediacenterandamodelforthedevelopmentofcommunitymultimediacentersintheUnitedStatesOverthepasttwentyyears
Communitymediacreativeclustersaremakinguniquecon-tributionstotheircommunitiesrsquoqualityoflifeandeconomicwellbeing
LTCisworkingtobuildanetworkforparticipatorymediaandcivicengagementthroughouttheMerrimacRiverValley
GRCMChaspulledthediversecommunitymediaactivitiesofGrandRapidsunderoneorganizationalumbrellaandtakentheleadinarticulatingthepotentialforaggregatingnoncommercialnetworkedcommunicationsthere
Theevolvingnetworkofmediaplatformsdis-ciplinesandculturalgroupsthatconvergetobecomeGRCMCnowincludesthefollowingcentersofpracticeGRTVacommunitytelevisioncenterthatprogramsmultiplecableaccesschannelsWYCEacommunityradiostationGrandnetacommunitytechnologyandnetworkcenterthatprovidescitizenandnonprofitaccesstotheInternetandtheGrandRapidsInstituteforInformationDemocracyacriticalmediaeducationandresearchcenterthattracksmediaandlocalpublicinterestissuesandpub-lishesinformationonmediaaccountabilityandreform
ButtheGrandRapidsCommunityMediaCenterismorethanthesumofitspartsThecomponentsofthecenterworktogetherinamutuallyreinforcingwholethatcreatesapowerfulcommunitymediapresenceinGrandRapidsandallowsthecentertoundertakefarmoreambitiousprojectsandprogrammingthanwouldbethecaseseparatelyOneexcellentexampleistheMobileOn-LineLearningLabforInformationEducationKnownasMOLLIEtheprogramprovidesskilledtrainersanddigitalvideoproductionequipmenttoschoolsandcommunityorganizationsforspecialprojectsOriginallyfundedbyafederalDepartmentofEducationgrantMOLLIEfillsintechnologygapsinGrandRapidseducationalinstitutionsandnonprofitsInthehandsofalessintegratedinstitutiontheMOLLIEprojectcouldeasilybeatechnicallyorientedequipmentloanandtrainingprogramInthehandsofthecenterMOLLIEhasbecomeasophisticatedmediaandtechnologyeducationalinitiativeprovidingatrainingprogramthataddressesmediaeducationfromtheperspec-tiveofallthecomponentsoftheGrandRapidsCommunityMediaCenter
Asheville North CarolinaOneofthemostarticulateeffortsmergingthecreativeclustersideawithparticipatorycommunicationhascomeaboutinAshevilleNorthCarolinaThroughapersistent
collaborationbetweenforwardlookingregionalgroupsandorganizationsndashinvolvingabroadnetworkofindi-vidualscommunitymediaandmediaartsgroupsintheAshevilleregionndashAshevillehaslaidthefoundationforacommunitymediadevelopmentcenterthatwillfunctionasacableaccesscentermediaartscenterandnewmediamicro-enterpriseincubatorAtthecenterofthiseffortisaninformalcoalitionoffourimportantgroupsinAshevilleMountainAreaInformationNetworkMediaArtsProjectBoncombeCountyEconomicDevelopmentCommissionandURTVThegroupsrepresentdistinctpointsofviewandconcernsaswellasconverginginterests
Eachgroupsharedtheinsightthatcivicparticipa-tionandeconomicsuccessinthetwenty-firstcenturyaredirectlyrelatedtohavingaccesstocommunicationstechnologyandknowledgeEachalsounderstoodthattherenegotiationofthecablefranchisesintheCityofAshevilleandsurroundingBoncombeCountywasastrategicmomenttocatalyzeandassociateanumberofcommunity-basedinformationandmediaartsactivitiesalreadyinplaceorplannedinAshevilleThegroupsusedthecablefranchisingprocesstocreateacommonorganizationalandfacilitiesinfrastructuresupportingtheuseofmediaforbothcivicandeconomicdevelopment
The Media Arts Project(MAP)isanetworkofmediaartiststhatcultivatesinnovativeartsandtechnol-ogyinwesternNorthCarolinaMAPworkedtirelesslytoframecableaccessasacommunitydevelopmentissuebridgingthemediaactivistcommunitiesandthemoreforward-thinkingfactionsamongeconomicdevelopmentprofessionalsintheregionWiththerecentopeningofURTV IncAshvillersquoscableaccessorganizationandfacilityMAPanditsnetworkofpartnersarenowturningtheirattentiontofundingthemediaartsandeconomicincubatorelementsofthevision
AshevillersquosinterestinsupportingcommunitymediaarisesfromthepresenceoftheMountain Area Information Network(MAIN)Inthetraditionoftheruralcooperativesthathelpedspreadthereachofelectricityinthe1930sMAINisanonprofitInternetserviceproviderofferingreliablelow-costInternetservicebothinwesternNorthCarolinaandnationwideItisauniquecommunitynetworkwithabroadvisionofitsroleinthecommunitythatencompassesmedialiteracyeconomicdevelopmentstrategiescommunitylow-powerradioacommunity-basedwebportalandtheprovisionofInternetconnectivitytoruralwesternNorthCarolinaMAINislargelyresponsiblefortheremarkableexpansionofInternetaccessibilityinwesternNorthCarolinaallowingthousandsofpeopleto
GRCMChaspulledthediversecommunitymediaactivitiesofGrandRapidsunderoneorganizationalumbrella
spendtheirInternetaccessdollarswithalocallycontrolledandaccountableorganizationMAINdemonstratesthevalueofthecommunitynetworkingconcepttoareasthatarelagginginconnectivityduetofailuresofthemarket
MAINhastakenaleadershiproleinbuildingacommunitymediacultureinAshevillethatdemonstratestheeasewithwhichdigitalmedialeapsorganizationalboundariesItscommunitynetworkrunstheBlueRidgeWebMarketwhichprovidesafreecustomizableInternetpresencetohundredsofsmallbusinessesthroughoutwesternNorthCarolinaItsLatinoDigitalLiteracyProjectofferstrainingtohelpthearearsquosgrowingLatinopopula-tionsaccesstheInternetMAINhasbeenoneofthekeypartnersinbringingacableaccesscentertoAshevilleandhasbeenthedrivingforcebehindWPVMWNCrsquoslow-powerFMradiostationbroadcastinglocalnewsviewsandmusicover-the-airintheAshevilleregion(andtheworldviawebcast)
Cleveland OhioPerhapsthemostrobustcommunity-basednonprofitnetworkintheUnitedStatesOne ClevelandprovideswhatitcallsldquoultrabroadbandnetworkingservicesrdquotoClevelandareaeducationgovernmentresearchartscultureandhealthcareorganizationsOneClevelandoperatesafibernetworkringthatcoversmuchofthecityofClevelandandmanyofitssurroundingsuburbsSubscriberstothenetworkconnectatgigabitspeeds
OneClevelandrepresentswhatcanhappenwhenpowerfulcommunitydevelopmentforcescometoaconsensusregardingtheircommunityrsquosneedforhigh-speedconnectivitytoglobaleconomiesandmediaItsfoundersareClevelandmainstreaminstitutionsCaseWesternReserveUniversityCuyahogaCommunityCollegeClevelandStateUniversityTheCityofClevelandGreaterClevelandRegionalTransitAuthorityideastreamCuyahogaCountyPublicLibraryandNorTechThenetworkhasformedrelationshipswithtechnologycompaniestomaintainup-to-dateapplicationsthatleveragethepotentialofsuchapowerfulnetwork
Oneofthenetworkrsquoskeypartners ideastream illustratesthesignificanceofworkingtogethertomakehigh-speedconnectivitypubliclyavailablethroughoutacommunityonitsowntermsBybuildingahigh-speednet-workOneClevelandhascreatedacivicnetworkspaceandinfrastructurethatallowsanewkindofmultimediapublicmediaorganizationtobecreatedIdeastreamresultedwhenWVIZPBSTelevisionand903WCPNRadiopublicbroad-castersmergedtoformanewnonprofitldquomultimediapublicserviceorganizationrdquoIdeastreamisabletoextenditsmediaexpertisebeyondbroadcastingtoonlinetechnologiesandapplicationsofalltypesmdashwhenyouareconnectingtothenetworkatthegigabitspeedsofOneClevelandrsquostherangeofapplicationsandtheirpotentialarehuge
MAINhastakenaleadershiproleinbuildingacommunitymediacultureinAshevillethatdemonstratestheeasewithwhichdigitalmedialeapsorganizationalboundaries
OneClevelandrepresentswhatcanhappenwhenpowerfulcommunitydevelopmentforcescometoaconsensusregardingtheircommunityrsquosneedforhigh-speedconnectivitytoglobaleconomiesandmedia
Inthecourseofpreparingthisreportndashpouringovertheliteratureandsynthesizinghoursofstructuredround-tableconversationsandone-on-oneinterviewswith
opinionleadersandsuccessfulpractitionersofcommunitymediandashonethingisextremelyclearThewayoursocietymakesandsharesinformationknowledgeandcultureisinaheightenedstateofchangeTheinteractivenatureoftheInternethasdemonstratedthatitispossibletoorganizecommunicationsinamuchmoredemocraticfashionSomehaveconcludedwearewitnessingthetransitionfromanindustrializedinformationenvironmenttoanetworkedinformationenvironmentTheoldindustrialmediastruc-turesbasedonexclusivehigh-costproductionprocessesarebeingchallengedbyanemergingmediasectorinwhichthecostofcreatinginformationknowledgeandculturehasbeenprofoundlyreducedandtheproductsareintercon-nectedwidelythroughnetworksliketheInternet(Benkler2006)IndeedthereisincreasingevidencethatthesenewmediaanddigitalnetworksareparticularlyconducivetononcommercialandnonprofitculturalproductionaswellasmoreparticipatoryandcollaborativemediapracticesInmanywaysthelong-standingvaluesandintentofcommu-nitymediaforeshadowthisnewmediaenvironment
ThescanresearchfocusedonfourkeyareasofinquiryWhataretheuniquecharacteristicsthatdistin-guishcommunitymediaWhatmakesmedia-communitycollaborationssuccessfulWhattypesofcommunitymediaorganizationsbestleveragenewtechnologiesHowmightcommunitymediaengageunderservedpopulationsinprogrammingtailoredtotheirneedsIneachinstancewefoundthatcommunitymediacombinedwithgreaterafford-ablebandwidthandopen-sourceapproachestoproductiondohavetremendouscommunitydevelopmentpotentialHowevernoneofthatpotentialwillcomeaboutmagicallyThecommunitymediasectorisfacingthechallengingtaskofmanagingextensivechangeandtransformation
chAllengesThesuccessdisappointmentsandsocialvalueofthepastsixtyyearsofcommunitymediainitiativesmustbejudgedinhistoricalcontextConsistentmisrepresentationinthemainstreammediaandlimitedunaccommodatingsocialpolicyhaveresultedininadequatevisibilityandfinancialsupportforcommunitymediaAnydiscussionofitssuccessesorfailuresmustincorporateanunderstand-
ingoftheseexternalconstraintsInthislighttheexistingexpressionsofcommunitymediaattheirbestarewildlysuccessfulsocialexperimentsgivingcauseforgreatoptimism
NeverthelesscommunitymediafacebothexternalandinternalchallengesTheinternalchallengesarisefromstructuraltensionsthatoccurinanyattempttocreateorganizationsandculturesthatembodydiversitydemocraticexpressionandequitableaccessRatherthanbeingexpressedasldquoweaknessesrdquoasissooftenthecaseinmainstreammediaandacademiatheseinternaltensionsaremoreproperlyunderstoodaspredictabledevelopmentalproblemsandopportunitiesthatpractitionersshouldbepreparedtograpplewithinanycommunitymediasetting
Balancing Free Expression and Audience Development CommunityradioandpublicaccesscablehavehistoricallyprivilegedtheinterestsofproducersbygrantingthemgreatpoliticalfreedominmakingdecisionsregardingwhatprogrammingtocreateandwhataestheticandformattingapproachestouseThetrade-offforacultureofactivistvolunteerismandfreeexpressionhasbeensmalleraudi-encesandlowerlevelsofproductionandprogramsupportProgramproducerscarryanintensecommitmenttoindi-vidualownershipoftheirprogramminginitiativesthatmaynottaketheaudiencersquosinterestsfullytoheart
Whiletheseapproachesinradioandcableaccesshaveresultedinadiversityofprogrammingandpoliticalviewpointstheyhavealsopreventedradiostationpro-grammersorcableaccessorganizationsfrombuildingaflowofprogramsthatcandefineandconstructanongoingaudienceinthecommunityEachprogramorscheduledprogramslotcarriesitsownmicroaudienceldquofragmentedpublicsrdquothatareoftennotpartofanintegratedflowofpro-grammingthatattractsanaudiencetothechannelsoverall(Higgins2002)
Freeexpressionandaudiencedevelopmentarenotmutuallyexclusivenordoparticipatorymanagementstructuresvolunteerinvolvementandproducertrain-ingprogramsneedtoimpedeaudiencedevelopmentThesuccessofAmyGoodmanandDemocracyNowsoundlydemonstratesthisInfactmanycommunitymediaorgani-zationshavecreatedprogramminginitiativesthatcombinesophisticatedmeasurementsofsocialoutcomeswith
conclusions
trainingandparticipatoryprogramplanningTheyhavenotonlyraisedthesocialvalueoftheirprogrammingtotheircommunitiestheyhavealsoincreasedthesizeandloyaltyoftheiraudiences(Aufderheide2003)Asinteractivemediabegintocreatetheconditionswherenicheprogram-mingcanbefarmoresuccessfulthetensionbetweenfreeexpressionandaudiencedevelopmentisnotonlyachal-lengebutalsoatremendousopportunity
Programming MetricsStillroundtableparticipantsrepeatedlynotedthatevenwhenprogrammingmeetscommunityneedscommunitymediaorganizationscanfinditdifficulttodocumentimpactTheyfeltthatfundershavegenerallynotyetaddressedtheroleofmediainpopularcultureorthepowerofpopularcultureinaddressingsocialproblemsInaddi-tionfundersfindithardtoestablishcost-benefitmeasuresofsocialimpactfortheirmediaexpenditures
ParticipantsaskedformodelsofaudiencefeedbackandoutcomesmeasurementthatgobeyondaudiencenumbersTheyacknowledgedthedifficultyofquantify-ingnotionsofsuccesswhichtendtobeverysubjectiveandofusingsuccessstoriesinthecommonprogrammingmetricsofthedayManyrecognizedskepticismamongfundersabouttheimportanceofcommunitymediaasuspicionaboutagendasandafearofthecostsinvolvedmakingcommunitymediaahardsellEventhoughafewgoodevaluationeffortswereacknowledgedtheircollectiveresultshavenotbeenincorporatedintothethinkingofthewiderfundingcommunity
FundingMulti-yearstablefundingsupportforcommunitymediainitiativesiscriticaltostabilityinnovationandgrowthRoundtableparticipantsdiscussednumerousinstancesinwhichprojectswithmulti-yearsupporthadpowerfulpositiveimpactsextendingbeyondtheinitialprojectgoalsMulti-yearfundingcreatesthestabilitytoundertakeproperstrategicplanningandpartnershipdevelopment
Thereissomeearlyevidencethatamultiple-plat-formnonprofit-orientednichemarketcouldemergeasasignificantopportunitytoprovideenhancedrevenueforthecommunityandnoncommercialmediasectorsTheinterac-tivecapacityofthenewnetworkssignificantlyincreasestherevenuepotentialforcooperativeandsubscription-styleprogrammingflowsHoweverstrongmarketsforcommer-ciallyfundedparticipatorycommunityexpressionhavenotyetemergedinthedigitaleraduetothelimitedsizeofpopulationsandavailableadvertisingsupportIfthereistobeavitalsectorofcommunity-basedmediasomeformofsignificantpublicfundingwillbenecessaryevenininstanceswherecommunitymediaorganizationsmightrealizesignificantrevenuefromnewmarketsInordertomakethemostefficientuseofpublicfundingcommuni-tiesmustevolvefundingandgovernancestructuresforcommunitymediathatcanfacilitatetheaggregationoffundscoordinatemultiple-organizationprojectsandactastrustedconvenersofprogramminganddevelopmentdiscus-sionsincommunities
Policy ThreatsWhiletheconvergenceoftechnologyandpracticescreatesincreasingpotentialsforaunifiedcommunitymediasectorthereisunfortunatelynocohesiveandunifiednationalpolicyframeworkforcommunitymediaThegovernmentpoliciesandregulationsthatexistforcommunitymediahavebeenretrofittedinthearenasofUSbroadcastingandtelephonypolicyWhiletheyrepresenthard-wonpoliticalvictoriesandstrategicinsighttheydonotaddresstheneedsofcommunitymediainaholisticway
Inthecurrentpoliticalclimatebroadcastmediaownershipcontrolandprogrammingwillcontinuetobecentralizedinfewercorporationsleavingcommunitieswithlessoptionsforcontrollingtheirlocalmediaenviron-mentsAtthesametimethetelephonecompanieswillenterthemarketforvideotelephonyandbroadbandbydeployinghigh-capacitydigitaltelevisionnetworksinmanycommunitiesintheUnitedStates
ThecurrenttrendofcentralizationinUStele-communicationspolicyisthreateningtheabilityoflocal
Freeexpressionandaudiencedevelopmentarenotmutuallyexclusivenordoparticipatorymanagementstructuresvolunteerinvolvementandproducertrainingprogramsneedtoimpedeaudiencedevelopment
Communitymediaorganizationscanfinditdifficulttodocumentimpact
governmentstomandatecommunity-basedcommunica-tionsnetworksandprogramminginitiativesasrentonthepublicrights-of-wayThesefundingmechanismscurrentlysupportPublicEducationandGovernment(PEG)accesscabletelevisioncentersmediaartscentersandmanymunicipalcommunicationnetworksWhilefarfromperfectregulatorymechanismstheyareoneofthemostsuccess-fulformsofpublicmediasupporttoariseinthelastthirtyyears
Overthenextfiveyearsthesesuccessfulfundingstrategieswillbeunderheavyattackbythetelephonecom-paniesandthecabletelevisionindustryinastrugglewithgovernmentsforcommunitycontrolofthepublicrights-of-wayThesamedynamicthreatensequitableInternetaccessIncreasinglybroadbandcommunitynetworksaremunicipallyownedormandatedWhilesomeofthesemunicipalbroadbandnetworksweredeployedforinternalmunicipalpurposestimehasshownthatsuchnetworkscanserveanumberofnon-governmentalcommunity-basedpurposesincludingwirelessISPconnectionsforresidentsbusinessesandvisitorsManycommunitiesareseeking(andsomehaveobtained)ldquoCommunityBenefitsAgreementsrdquowithproposedwirelessbroadbandvendorsthatsetasideasmallfranchisefeeongrossrevenuestosupportdigitalinclusionactivitiesfollowingtheexampleofcablecompaniessupportofPEGaccessHowevermunicipalbroadbandandmunicipalwirelessareunderattackbyindustriestryingtoreservethesedevelopmentrightsforthemselves
Theoutcomeofthedebatesaroundcontroloftherights-of-waywillhaveasignificantimpactonthefuturepathofcommunitymediadevelopmentThesedebateswillrangeacrosstheregulatoryspectrumtheyarenowbeingwagedinlocalstateandnationallegislativearenasandthecourtsTheresultingcommunicationsinfrastruc-tureandregulatoryframeworkwillbeabletorealizethepotentialsofcommunitymediaifandonlyifcommunitiesareabletotakeleadershipinprovidingsubstantialpublicaswellasprivatefundingAsanoldtruismnotesldquomoneyispolicyrdquo
Therearenopoliticalortechnicalguaranteesthatdigitalmedianetworkswillremainopenandparticipa-toryastheyevolveItisunlikelythatmarketforcesalone
willservetorealizethedemocraticpotentialoftodayrsquosparticipatorymediatechnologyBuildingarobustsectorofcommunity-baseddemocraticnewmediawillrequireeffectivecitizenactivismclearandresponsivegovern-mentpoliciesandeffectivepoliticalstrategiesCommunitymedianeedsseparaterecognitionandsupportwithinfed-eralstateandlocalcommunicationspolicyandregulatorystructuresinordertoensureequitableandstablefundinganddevelopment
models for the futureThegovernmentregulationsandsubsidiesthatunderpincommunitymediahaveevolvedinahodgepodgefashionoverthepastsixtyyearsItcanbearguedthatcommunitymediashouldbetreatedasaseparatesectorwithinte-gratedfundingstructuresconsistentinfrastructureandtaxandsubsidypoliciesthatareseparateanddistinctfromexistinglocalmediapoliciesandalsofromthepoliciesunderpinningpublicbroadcastingPossiblemodelsforamoreunifiedapproacharenumerousbuttwoappearpar-ticularlywellsuitedtocommunitymediarsquosdiverseformsorganizationsandprogrammingapproaches
Public Funding FindingappropriatemethodsofincreasingpublicfundingforcommunitymediainashiftingregulatoryenvironmentiscrucialCurrentlocalcablefranchisingregulationstosupportcableaccessandthecommunitybenefitsagree-mentsofmunicipalwirelessnetworksoffersuccessfulmodelsbutarenowbothunderattackThelawsrequiringcommercialcableproviderstosetasidebandwidthchan-nelcapacityforthepublicinadditiontooperatingfundingbasedonapercentageofcommercialrevenuescouldbeextendedtoincludevoicevideoanddataEssentiallythenanycommercialproviderusingthepublicrights-of-wayorthewirelessspectrumwouldberequiredtocontributeanequitablepercentageofbandwidthandrev-enuetosupportthecommunitycommunicationssector
Community Media DevelopmentAdequatelevelsoffundingareonlypartoftheequationWhilefundingshouldsupporttheoverallgrowthofthe
Thereisunfortunatelynocohesiveandunifiednationalpolicyframe-workforcommunitymedia
setasidebandwidthchannelcapacityforthepublicinadditiontooperatingfunding
communitymediasectorinasensiblefashionanyfundingsolutionmustaddressthedifficultynowexperiencedbyfundersindealingwithcommunitymediahowtoprovideoverallsupporttoasectormadeupofsmallindependentorganizationswithanextremelydiversesetoffundingsourcesandmissionsOneeconomicdevelopmentapproachseemsparticularlyusefulhereProgressivecommunityeconomicdevelopmentstrategieshaveevolvedtosupportthegrowthofadiversityofsmallenterpriseswithinacom-monsectorwhilerecognizingthattheseenterprisescanatdifferenttimesbecollaboratorspartnersorcompetitorsSimilarstrategiescanguidedevelopmentofthecommunitymediasector
Thereareatleasttwoshort-termstepsthatcouldassistinthedevelopmentofcommunitymediaorgani-zationsandsupporttheircitizensrsquoabilitytocopewithcommercialmediaandinformationsaturationOneisforcommunitiestobuildorsecureaffordablebroadbandandwirelessnetworkinfrastructurewithastrongcommu-nitybenefitsagreementinsupportofdigitalinclusionHundredsofcommunitiesacrossthecountryeitherhaveorarelaunchingsuchwirelesscommunitynetworksmanyincollaborationwithwirelessvendorswhoinordertowinaservicecontractwiththemunicipalityinquestionaresup-portingdigitalliteracytraininginexpensiverefurbishedcomputersandlocalcontentdevelopmentndashinshortprogramsofdigitalinclusionandexcellence
AsecondopportunityidentifiedbyroundtableparticipantsisthepotentialforanationalsupportnetworkforexistingcommunitymediaorganizationsAnationalsupportnetworklinkingcommunitiesandtheircommu-
nitymediapractitionersandinstitutionscouldfacilitatearangeofactivitiesincludinglocal-to-localcommunicationorexchangesofinformationandprogrammingbetweencommunitiesvirtualspaceforanationalnetworkofcommunitymediaorganizationstohelptoorganizeuni-fiedpolicyadvocacywiderdistributionofpastproductsformationofissue-responseteamstoadvanceinterestsofcommunitygroupsandtapintolocalresourcesandshareddirectoriesofpractitionerstrainersandfacilitiesConveningleadersfromtheaggregatorsandassociationsservingcommunitymediaintheirvariousforms(listedinAppendix2)mightbeagoodnextsteptoexplorethisopportunity
the promiseThepracticeofcommunitymediahasmanagedtogrowandevolveoverthepastsixtyyearsdespiteunevenandgenerallylowlevelsofsupportandinconsistentgovernmentpoliciesEllieRenniearesearchfellowattheInstituteforSocialResearchSwinburneUniversityofTechnologyhaswrittenthatcommunitymediaareoftendefinednegativelyforwhattheyareopposedtoratherthanpositivelyforwhattheyhaveachieved(Rennie2006)Weareawarethatcom-munitymediahaveoftenbeendismissedasmarginalandidiosyncraticbuttheexamplescitedinthisreportprovidepowerfulevidencetothecontraryItistimetodefinecommunitymediabywhattheyhaveachievedCommunitymediaattheirbesthaveconsistentlydemonstratedtheirpotentialtoempowercommunitiesandindividualstoparticipateascitizensincommunityandeconomicdevelop-mentartseducationcommunitydialogandpoliticaldebateInmanyinstancestheyhavebecomecentralcul-turalsurvivalinstitutionsasourcommunitiesdealwiththeimpactofcommercialmediasaturationandglobalization
Duringtheroundtablediscussionsthattookplaceaspartofthisscanitwasobviousthatthevalueofcom-munitymediatocommunitiestranscendsthemeasurableeffectsofcivicengagementandcommunitydevelopmentCommunitymediacanallowindividualsincommunitiestohaveprofoundexperiencesofactivelyexpressingthem-selvesthroughmediaForpeoplewhohaveseenthemselvesaspassivereceptorsatthebottomofacascadeofpackagedmediaexperiencesandmessagesactiverepresentationoftheirownlivesandcircumstanceshasatransformativeeffectthatgoesbeyondsimplephraseslikeldquocivicengage-mentrdquoThevalueofcommunitymediatoindividualsandthecommunitiestheyliveinisincalculable
hellipaffordablebroadbandandwirelessnetworkinfrastructurewithastrongcommunitybenefitsagreement
anationalsupportnetworkforexistingcommunitymediaorganizations
Appendix 1 Community media empowerment StrategieS
empoWerment Activity ApproAch infrAstructure or venue
AccessAccesstocommunicationsinfrastructureproductiontools
MakingavailablemediaproductiontoolscomputerstelevisionandradiodistributionInternetsoftwarecommunitycommunicationsinfrastructuremeetingspacewebservers
Democraticcitizenaccesstocommunicationstoolsanddisseminationinfrastructure
CablebroadbandmunicipaltelecomInternetWiFiWiMAXlocalandpublicservicebroadcasting
AlternativeContent CreationofvideoaudiofilmwebsitesInternet-basedcitizenmediaP2Pmediabloggingsocialnetworkingsoftwaredatabasesandprintproduction
Contentpositionedtocounterorsupplementmassmediacontentandinformationfrommainstreamsources
AllplatformswithanincreasingexpansionwithinIPNetworksandcross-platformproductionanddissemination
CompetencyLiteracyMedialiteracyinformationliteracydigitalliteracyandculturalliteracy
Mediaartsandaestheticeducationlearningtogainacivicvoiceinamediaculturearticulationofmediabiasesengaginginmediaandpoliticsunderstandingcommoditycultureparentinginamedia-saturatedhome
Interventioninthecomplexmanipulationofsymbolsandculture
Allmassmediaprintelectronic
CommunityBuilding Workforcetrainingandskillbuildingmicro-enterprisedevelopmentbusinessinfrastructuredevelopment
Communityorganizingparticipatoryplanningdemocraticeconomicdevelopmentworkforceandinfrastructuredevelopment
Localmediamunicipaltelecominfrastructurecomputerandtechnologyincubatorsandtechnologycenters
0
Itisdifficulttounderstandthefullscopeofcommu-nitymediaculturewithoutknowingofthefollowingorganizationswhichsupportcommunitymediaand
independentmediapracticesTheyplayanumberofrolesasnationalassociationsrepresentingnetworksofcommu-nitymediaorganizationsandmediaartsorganizationsasproducernetworksandstrategiccommunicationsplannerslinkingcommunityorganizationswithcommunitymediaorganizationsasorganizationsofcommunityactivistsandproducersworkingtomoreeffectivelysupportandusecommunitymediaandascollaboratorsandpartnersincommunitydevelopmenttrainingandeducation
ActiveVoicehttpwwwactivevoicenet
AllianceforCommunityMediahttpwwwalliancecmorg
AssociationforCommunityNetworking
httpwwwafcnorg
CommunityMediaWorkshophttpwwwnewstipsorg
CommunityTechnologyCentersrsquoNetwork
httpwwwctcnetorg
DeepDishTVhttpdeepdishtvorg
FreeSpeechTVhttpwwwfreespeechorg
IndependentTelevisionServicehttpwwwitvsorg
IndependentMediaCenterIndymedia
httpwwwindymediaorg
LatinoPublicBroadcastinghttpwwwlpbporg
LinkTVhttplinktvorg
LPFMDatabasecom
httpwwwangelfirecomnj2piratejimlpfmhtml
MediaTankhttpwwwmediatankorg
MediaWorkingGrouphttpwwwmwgorg
NationalAllianceforMediaArtsandCulture
httpwwwnamacorg
NationalAsianAmericanTelecommunicationsAssochttp
asianamericanmediaorgindexhtml
NativeAmericanPublicTelecommunications
httpasianamericanmediaorgindexhtml
NationalBlackProgrammingConsortium
httpwwwnbpctv
NationalFederationofCommunityBroadcasters
httpwwwnfcborg
NationalPublicRadiohttpwwwnpr
NationalPublicTelecomputingNetworkhttpwwwnptnorg
PaperTigerTelevisionhttpwwwpapertigerorg
PacificIslandersinCommunications
httpwwwpiccomorg
PewCenterforCivicJournalismhttpwwwpewcenterorg
PrometheusRadioProject
httpwwwprometheusradioorg
PublicBroadcastingServicehttpwwwpbsorg
PublicRadioExchangehttpwwwprxorg
ReclaimtheMediahttpwwwreclaimthemediaorg
StarfishTelevisionNetworkhttpwwwstarfishtvorg
WebsitesofUSPEGAccessChannels
httpwwwbevcamorgpeg
WorldAssociationofCommunityRadioBroadcasters
httpwwwamarcorg
Appendix 2 aggregatorS and aSSoCiationS
Appalshophttpwwwappalshoporg
BayAreaVideoCoalitionhttpwwwbavcorg
BeyondMediaEducationhttpwwwbeyondmediaorg
CambridgeCommunityTelevisionhttpwwwcctvcambridgeorg
CasaGuatemalaMediaProjecthttpwwwcasaguatemalaorg
CharlotteObserverhttpwwwcharlottecom
ChicagoAccessNetworkTelevisionhttpwwwcantvorg
GrandRapidsCommunityMediaCenterhttpgrcmcorg
GrandNethttpwwwgrcmcorgnposervicesitphp
GRTVhttpwwwgrcmcorgtv
ideastreamhttpwwwideastreamorg
IFPMinnesotaCenterforMediaArtshttpwwwifpnorthorgabouthtml
IntermediaArtshttpwwwintermediaartsorg
KartemquinFilmshttpwwwkartemquincom
KBOOhttpwwwkbooorg
KFAIhttpwwwkfaiorg
LowellTelecommunicationsCenterhttpltcorg
ManhattanNeighborhoodNetworkhttpmnnorg
MediaArtsProjecthttpwwwthemaporg
MetroGovernmentCommunityMediaInitiativehttpwwwmetro-regionorg
MetropolitanAustinInteractiveNetworkhttpwwwmainorg
MinneapolisTelevisionNetworkhttpwwwmtnorg
MinnesotaChannelhttpwwwtptorgmnchannelnew
MinnesotaPublicRadiohttpminnesotapublicradioorghttpminnesotapublicradioorgpublicinsightjournalism
MountainAreaInformationNetworkhttpmainncus
MtHoodCableRegulatoryCommissionhttpwwwmhcrcorg
NewAmericaMediahttpnewsnewamericamediaorgnews
NewRoutestoCommunityHealthhttpwwwnewroutesorg
NorthwestFilmandVideoCenterhttpwwwnwfilmorg
OneClevelandhttpwwwoneclevelandorg
OregonPublicBroadcastinghttpwwwopborg
PortlandCommunityMediahttpwwwpcmtvorg
RadioArtehttpwwwwrteorg
SaintPaulNeighborhoodNetworkhttpwwwspnnorg
ScribeVideoCenterhttpwwwscribeorg
SoundPartnersforCommunityHealthhttpwwwsoundpartnersorg
StreetLevelYouthMediahttpwwwstreet-levelorg
TwinCitiesDailyPlanethttpwwwtcdailyplanetnet
TwinCitiesMediaAlliancehttpwwwtcmediaallianceorg
TwinCitiesPublicTelevisionhttpwwwtptorg
URTVhttpwwwurtvorg
WalkerArtCenterhttpwwwwalkerartorgindexwac
WCIW-LPhttppacificanetworkorgradiocontentview17542httpwwwciw-onlineorg
WGBHhttpwwwwgbhorg
WHYYhttpwhyyorg
WPVMhttpwwwwpvmorg
WYBEhttpwwwwybeorg
WYCEhttpwwwgrcmcorgradio
YouthChannelhttpwwwyouthchannelorg
Appendix 3 Community media praCtitionerSWebsitesofthosepractitionersmentionedinthetext
AndersonRachelBenton Digital Beat Extra Noncommercial Networks on DBSWashingtonDCBentonFoundation2000
AufderheidePatricialdquoCableAccessTVandthePublicSphererdquoinThe Daily Planet A Critic on the Capitalist Culture BeatMinneapolisandLondonUniversityofMinnesotaPress2000a
AufderheidePatriciaIn The Battle for Reality Social Documentaries in the USWashingtonDCAmericanUniversityCenterforSocialMedia2003
AufderheidePatricialdquoTheWhatandHowofPublicBroadcastingrdquoinThe Daily Planet A Critic on the Capitalist Culture BeatMinneapolisandLondonUniversityofMinnesotaPress2000b
AynteAbdirahmanldquoSomaliWebsitesACompetitiveAlternativeMediaandaFarcetoReckonWithrdquoHiiraan Onlinehttpwwwhiiraancomnews2006aprsomali_websitesaspx
AzzouzBushraTomChamberlinandMarleneFarnumThe Community Media Project Building Community through Media(Aproposedmodelforafive-yearinitiativetoproducelocaltelevisionprogrammingthatbroadensthedialogueonissuesimportanttotheOregoncommunityandcreatesastrongsenseofplace)PortlandORMetroDecember2000
BarlowWilliamldquoCommunityRadiointheUSTheStruggleForADemocraticMediumrdquoinMedia Culture and SocietyVol10(1988)
BenklerYochaiThe Wealth of Networks How Social Production Transforms Markets and FreedomNewHavenYaleUniversityPress2006
BentonFoundationDigital Alliances Partners in Public
Service Models for CollaborationUniversityParkPAThePennsylvaniaStateUniversity2002
BlauAndrewDeep Focus A Report on the Future of Independent MediaSanFranciscoNationalAllianceforMediaArtsandCulture2004
BowmanShayneandChrisWillisWe Media How Audiences Are Shaping the Future of News and InformationEditedbyJDLasicaRestonVATheMediaCenteratTheAmericanPressInstitute2003httpwwwhypergenenetwemediadownloadwe_mediapdf
BurnettRonldquoFromCommunityMediatoInternationalNetworksrdquoCritical Approaches to Culture + Communications + HypermediaNovember182005httpwwweciadca~rburnettWeblogarchives200511from_communityhtml
CanoAndrealdquoMicroradioAToolforCommunityEmpowermentrdquoinPublic Broadcasting and the Public InterestEditedbyMichaelPMcCauleyEricEPetersonBLeeArtzandDeeDeeHalleckLondonMESharpe2003
CarnegieCommissiononEducationalTelevisionPublic Television A Program for ActionNewYorkBantam1967
CastellsManuelThe Rise of the Network Society The Information Age Economy Society and CultureVolumes12amp3MaldenMABlackwellPublishersInc2005
ChesterJeffBeyond Broadcast Expanding Public Media in the Digital AgeWashingtonDCCenterforDigitalDemocracyFebruary2006httpwwwdemocraticmediaorgBBBBfrontphp
ChristensenPaulNanMcIntyreandLynnPikholzldquoBridgingCommunityandEconomicDevelopmentAStrategyforUsingIndustryClusterstoLinkNeighborhoodsandtheRegionalEconomyrdquo(reportfundedbytheFordFoundation)ClevelandShorebankEnterpriseGroup2005
ldquoCitizenJournalismrdquoissueofNieman ReportsCambridgeMATheNiemanFoundationforJournalismatHarvardUniversityVol59No4Winter2005eMprintNewsbookhttpwwwniemanharvardedureports05-4NRwinterNR05W_Citizen_Journalismpdf
City PagesldquoBestPublicAccessCableTVProgramSomaliTVrdquoBestoftheTwinCities2004MNApril282004httpcitypagescombestof2004artsandentertainmentbestof2379asp
bibliogrAphy
CruzRossanaReguilloldquoTheOracleintheCityBeliefsPracticesandSymbolicGeographiesrdquoinGlobal Cities of the South (Social Text)EditedbyAshleyDawsonandBrentHayesEdwardsTranslatedbyBrentHayesEdwardsandNoraNicoliniDurhamNCDukeUniversityPress81(Volume22Number4)Winter2004
DeLasCasasLucywithSimonBurallJohnMorrisonDavidKaleteandJagadanandaldquoGlobalMediaReformandAccountabilityReportfromtheNationalMediaReformConferencerdquoStLouis2005httpwwwoneworldtrustorgpagesdownloadcfmdid=281
DevineRobertHldquoVideoAccessandAgencyrdquoConferencepresentationTheNationalFederationofLocalCableProgrammersStPaulMNJuly171992
DirlinMartyandCathyMelioldquoTheGrassrootsRadioMovementintheUnitedStatesrdquoinPublic Broadcasting and the Public InterestEditedbyMichaelPMcCauleyEricEPetersonBLeeArtzandDeeDeeHalleckLondonMESharpe2003
DowningJohnDHwithTamaraVillarealFordGeneveGilandLauraSteinRadical Media Rebellious Communication and Social MovementsThousandOaksCASagePublications2001
EgerJohnldquoCreativeClustersandtheUrbanEconomyrdquoGovernment and Technology(February62006)httpwwwgovtechnetnewsnewsphpid=98345
EgerJohnMThe Creative Community Forging The Links Between Art Culture Commerce amp CommunityTheCaliforniaInstituteforSmartCommunitiesSanDiegoStateUniversity2005httpwwwsmartcommunitiesorgcreativeCreativeCommBroFINALpdf
EngelmanRalphPublic Radio and Television in America A Political HistoryThousandOaksCASagePublications1996
GillespieGilbertPublic Access Television in the United States and CanadaNewYorkPraegerPublishers1975
GillmorDanWe the Media Grassroots Journalism by the People for the PeopleSebastopolCAOrsquoReillyMediaInc2006
GrahamStephenandSimonMarvinTelecommunications and the City Electronic Spaces Urban PlacesLondonandNewYorkRoutledge1996
HalleckDeeDeeHand-Held Visions The Impossible Possibilities of Community MediaNewYorkFordhamUniversityPress2002
HigginsJohnWldquoAlternativeMediaandtheCultofIndividualismExperiencesfromUSPublicAccessTVrdquoPaperpresentedattheldquoOurMediardquopre-conferenceoftheInternationalAssociationforMediaandCommunicationResearchCommunityCommunicationSectionBarcelonaSpainJuly202002httpwwwourmedianetorgpapersom2002Higginsom2002pdf
HowleyKevinCommunity Media People Places and Communication TechnologiesCambridgeCambridgeUniversityPress2005
HoynesWilliamldquoThePBSBrandandtheMerchandisingofthePublicServicerdquoinPublic Broadcasting and the Public InterestEditedbyMichaelPMcCauleyEricEPetersonBLeeArtzandDeeDeeHalleckLondonMESharpe2003
JankowskiNicholasWldquoCommunityMediaResearchAQuestforTheoreticallyGroundedModelsrdquoThePublicVol1015(2003)httpmokkbmehucentreconferencesreactivismFPfpNJ
JankowskiNicholasWandOlePrehnedsCommunity Media in the Information Age Perspectives and ProspectsCresskillNJHamptonPress2002
LashScottThe Critique of InformationLondonSagePublications2002
ListerMartinJonDoveySethGiddingsIainGrantandKieranKellyNew Media A critical IntroductionLondonandNewYorkRoutledge2003
LloydMarkldquoRadioandLocalismWhatWhenWrongrdquoinContext(publishedbytheCenterforCommunicationsandCommunityUCLA)IssueNo4(WinterSpring2006)
MacintyreBenldquoWelcometotheNewTomPainesrdquoTimesOnlineNovember132004httpwwwtimesonlinecouktolcommentarticle390484ece
MaherVincentTowards a Critical Media Studies Approach to the BlogosphereNewMediaLabPublicationSchoolofJournalismandMediaStudiesRhodesUniversitySouthAfrica2006
MetroCommunity Media Project Evaluation Report PortlandORMetroJuly2004
MostStephenldquoBAVCandTheBigPicturerdquoinA Closer Look Media Arts 2002EditedbyHelenDeMichielSanFranciscoNationalAllianceforMediaArtsandCulture2002
NewAmericaMedialdquoEthnicMediainAmericaTheGiantHiddeninPlainSightrdquoPollconductedbyBendixenampAssociates2005httpnewsnewamericamediaorgnewsview_articlehtmlarticle_id=0443821787ac0210cbecebe8b1f576a3
OlsonBillThe History of Public Access Television2000httpwwwgeocitiescomiconostarhistory-public-access-TVhtml200415
PewCenterforCivicJournalismldquoDoingCivicJournalismrdquo2007httpwwwpewcenterorgdoingcj
PierceSteveldquoDBSandthePublicInterestOpportunityinSatelliteTelevisionrdquoinPublic Broadcasting and the Public InterestEditedbyMichaelPMcCauleyEricEPetersonBLeeArtzandDeeDeeHalleckLondonMESharpe2003
PhilipsSusanldquoTrueCommunityTowardaCollaborativeEthosScribersquoslsquoTrueCommunityVisionrsquordquoinA Closer Look Media Arts 2002EditedbyHelenDeMichielSanFranciscoNationalAllianceforMediaArtsandCulture2002
PorterMichaelEldquoLocationCompetitionandEconomicDevelopmentLocalClustersinaGlobalEconomyrdquoEconomic Development Quarterly14no1(February2000)15-34
ProjectforExcellenceinJournalismldquoMajorTrendsrdquoinState of the News Media 2006 An Annual Report on American Journalismhttpwwwstateofthenewsmediaorg2006nar-rative_overview_eightaspcat=2ampmedia=1
PrometheusRadioProjectldquoOurFifthBarnraisingmdashWCIW-LPinImmokaleeFloridardquohttpprometheusradioorgcontentview48952006
RennieEllieCommunity Media A Global IntroductionLanhamMDRowmanandLittlefieldPublishers2006
RodriguezClemenciaFissures in the Mediascape An International Study of Citizenrsquos MediaCresskillNJHamptonPress2001
SchafferJanldquoCitizensMediaHasItReachedaTippingPointrdquoinldquoCitizenJournalismrdquoissueofNieman Reports CambridgeMATheNiemanFoundationforJournalismatHarvardUniversityVol59No4Winter2005aeMprintNewsbookhttpwwwniemanharvardedureports05-4NRwinterNR05W_Citizen_Journalismpdf
SchafferJanInterviewonThe NewsHour With Jim Lehrer PBSEveningNewsNovember162005b
SchulerDouglasldquoTheRiseofCommunityNetworksrdquoInternet WorldDecember1995
SchulerDougandPeterDayShaping the Network Society The New Role of Civil Society in CyberspaceCambridgeandLondonMITPress2004
ShirkyClayPower Laws Weblogs and Inequality EconomicsampCultureMediaampCommunityBlog2005OpenSourcehttpshirkycomwritingspowerlaw_webloghtml
ShirkyClaySocial Software and the Politics of GroupsEconomicsampCultureMediaampCommunityBlog2005OpenSourcehttpshirkycomwritingsgroup_politicshtml
Somerset-WardRichardBroadband Community Networks Building the Digital CommonsAreportfortheHaasCharitableTrustsPhiladelphia2005
Somerset-WardRichardConnecting Communities WashingtonDCBentonFoundation2000
Spannerworkse-bookWhat is Social MediaJanuary2007httpwwwspannerworkscomebooks
StarrJeroldMldquoPublicTelevisionintheDigitalAgeTownHallorCyberMallrdquoinPublic Broadcasting and the Public InterestEditedbyMichaelPMcCauleyEricEPetersonBLeeArtzandDeeDeeHalleckLondonMESharpe2003
SteinLauraldquoPublicAccessTelevisionandGrassrootsCommunicationintheUnitedStatesrdquoChapter20inRadical Media Rebellious Communication and Social MovmentsEditedbyJohnDowningThousandOaksCASagePublications2001
SussmanGeraldandJREstesldquoCommunityRadioinCommunityDevelopmentPortlandrsquosKBOORadiordquoinThe Portland Edge Challenges and Successes in Growing CommunitiesEditedbyConniePOzawaPortlandStateUniversityIslandPress2004
WhitneyJenniferldquoMakeMediaMakeRealTroubleWhatrsquosWrong(andRight)withIndymediardquoLiPMagazineJune212005httpwwwlipmagazine
orgarticlesfeatwhitney_indymedia_phtml
enablepeopletousemediatotelltheirownstoriesinordertoldquosolvetheirownproblemsrdquoIthasbecomeanationallyrecognizedmediacenterworkinginfilmvideoaudioandmusicrecordingsliteraturetheaterliveperformanceandradioallfocusedonAppalachiancultureItsworkdocumentstraditionalartsexploreshistoryandaddressessocialissuesthataffecttheAppalachianregiontodayAppalshopprovidesregionallyandnationallyfocusededu-cationandtrainingprogramsTwoofthemostnotablearetheAppalachianMediaInstituteayouthmediatraininginitiativeandCommunityMediaInstitutewhichworkswithgrassrootsgroupsandpublicinterestorganizationsfromtheregionandnationallytoaccomplishstrategiccom-municationplanningaroundsocialjusticeorganizing
TheNational Alliance for Media Arts and CulturehasconsistentlyprovidedthoughtfulleadershiptothemediaartsfieldthroughtechnicalassistanceprogramsandstrategicplanninginitiativesItsDeepFocusprojectin2004usedscenarioplanningtoenvisionthefutureofmediaarts(Blau2004)Asaresultofthiskindofworktheearlynetworkofmediaartsorganizationshasexpandedtoincludeover274mediaartsorganizationsThisrepre-sentsasignificantbroadeningofthefieldofmediaartsencompassingmanysmallermediaartsorganizationswithspecificartisticculturalorcommunityobjectivesThemediaartsfieldhasmostrecentlyseentheemergenceofmanyyouthmediaorganizationswiththecriticalmissionofcreatingmedialiteracysurvivalskillsforyoungpeopleastheynavigatethemediasaturatedsocialenvironmentofthetwenty-firstcentury
Ethnic MediaEthnicmediarepresentagrowingvitalsectorofAmericanelectronicmediathatintersectswithcommunitymediainanumberofimportantwaysHistoricallyethnicmediaout-letshavearisenontheperipheryofUSbroadcastingoftenwithoutnetworkaffiliationtoservepopulationsthatdonothaveaccesstomainstreammediaandpopularcultureThesehaveincludednewimmigrantgroupsnon-Englishlanguagegroupsthepoliticallyoppressedandpopulationsstrivingtomaintainculturaltraditionsandtiestotheirhomelandswhileadaptingtoanewsociety
ThatpatternhasrepeatedwaxedandwanedasdifferentpopulationshavecometotheUnitedStatesinthepastcenturyThekeyhistoricalintersectionbetweencommunitymediaandethnicmedialiesintheearlyyearsofcommunityradiofollowingWorldWarIIwhenawaveofBlackradiostationsandformatsfilledspacecreatedintheshiftingmedialandscapebytheintroductionoftelevision
ThisshiftbroughtawaveofBlackinvestmentandprogramexperimentationthatseriouslyinfluencedthekindsofcommunityradioprogrammingthatevolvedintheUnitedStatesToalargeextenttheimprovisationalradioformatscombiningmusicandpoliticaltalkcultureandcur-rentaffairswerefirstworkedoutinpost-warBlackradio(Barlow1988Lloyd2006)
Ethnicmediaencompassescommercialandnoncom-mercialmediahugemultinationalsandsmalllocallyownedoperationsEthnicandcommunitymediaoftenintersectgeographicallyEthnicgroupsoftenidentifywithaspecificplaceandusemediatoarticulateasenseofsolidarityinthoseplacesLikecommunitymediaethnicmediafrequentlyembodyparticipatoryapproachestopro-grammingandproductionandareoftenresponsestodeepdissatisfactionwiththeownershipstructuresandbiasesofthemainstreammedia
OneofthemostsignificantongoingsourcesforethnicmediahasbeentheCorporationforPublicBroadcastingthroughitsfundingofthefivemembersoftheNationalMinorityConsortiaNational Asian American Telecommunications Association National Black Programming Consortium Native American Public Telecommunications Pacific Islanders in Communications and Latino Public BroadcastingTheseethnicprogrammingnetworksandtheIndependent Television ServiceprovidemillionsofdollarseachyeartotheirnetworksofethnicandindependentprogrammakersforprogramstargetedtothePublicBroadcastingService
CurrentlyethnicmediaareundergoingexplosivegrowthacrosstheUnitedStatesconsistentwithdemo-graphicshiftsTherearesignificantincreasesintheproportionofnon-EnglishspeakersLatinosAsiansMiddleEasternersandPacificIslandersintheUSpopulationandcorrespondingincreasesinethnicmediaDuringthecommunitymediaroundtablesconductedforthisreportparticipantsrepeatedlyexpressedappreciationforthenumberofethnicmediaoutletsthatusedparticipatorystrategiesinsupportingtheimmigrationproteststhatoccurredthroughouttheUnitedStatesin2006
OneindicationofthegrowthandsophisticationofethnicmediaisNew America Media (NAM)thelargestnationalcollaborationofethnicnewsorganizationsintheUnitedStatesNAMldquoproducesandaggregateseditorialcontentfromandfortheethnicmediasectoranddevelopspioneeringmarketingservicesonbehalfofcorporationsfoundationsandnonprofitswhoaretargetingethnicmediaandethniccommunitiesrdquoNewAmericaMediaisanetworkedcommunitythatlinksthousandsofethnic
0
mediaorganizationsintheUnitedStatesItsrecentstudyldquoEthnicMediainAmericaTheGiantHiddeninPlainSightrdquosurveysHispanicAmericansAfricanAmericansAsianAmericansArabAmericansandNativeAmericans(NewAmericaMedia2005)NAMfoundthatmorethanaquarterofthenationrsquospopulationusesethnicmediainsomecapacity
NewonlinejournalismsitessuchastheTwin Cities Media AlliancersquosDaily PlanetprofiledinthisreportareemergingfromtherestructuringofthenewspaperindustryandtheuseofbloggingandsocialnetworkingsoftwareThe TC Daily Planetaggregatesincreasingnumbersofethnicimmigrantandnon-mainstreamjournalistsinMinneapolis-StPaulAnotherexamplementionedinthisreportRadio Arte (WRTE)maybetheonlybilingual(SpanishEnglish)youth-operatedurbancommunitystationinthecountryItoperateswithafocusonyouthinChicagorsquosPilsenLittleVillageneighborhoodsAninitiativeoftheMexicanFineArtsCenterMuseumthiseducationalradiostationhasayouthtrainingandproductiontrainingprogramandapowerfulwebpresenceinadditiontoitsurbanbroadcastfootprint
BothTC Daily PlanetandRadioArteunderscorethecommonalitiesbetweenethnicmediaandcommunitymediaInmanycircumstancesethnicmediaandcom-munitymediacanbevirtuallyindistinguishableThisconvergenceofvaluesgeographyandpoliticscouldeasilyserveasthefoundationforcollaborationandpartner-ingbetweencommunityandethnicmediainspecificcommunities
Civic JournalismBothcivicjournalismandpublicjournalismrefertoamovementwithinprofessionaljournalismthathonorsnewsorganizationsrsquoroleinconveningandfacilitatingpublicdeliberationanddebatesinwhichaudiencesaretreatedasactiveparticipantsratherthanpassiveconsumersThePew Center for Civic JournalismdefinescivicjournalismasldquobothaphilosophyandasetofvaluessupportedbysomeevolvingtechniquesAtitsheartisabeliefthatjournal-ismhasanobligationtopubliclifendashanobligationthatgoesbeyondjusttellingthenewsorunloadinglotsoffactsrdquo(PewCenter2007)Thisphilosophyemergesfromanunder-standingthatcitizensareincreasinglydisengagedinciviclifeandthatnewsorganizationscanreactivateanapatheticcitizenryNewsorganizationspracticingcivicjournal-ismaimtoestablishdeeperconversationswithbroadercross-sectionsoftheircommunitiesresultinginenhancedcredibilityimprovedcommunicationbetweenthemselves
andthecommunityandbettercoverageofissuesoflocalconcern
CommittedtosupportingjournalisticeffortstorevitalizecitizenshipwhileobjectivelyreportinghardtruthsthePewCenterestablishedtheBattenAwardforExcellenceinCivicJournalismin1995OneofthefirstawardswenttoThe Charlotte ObserverofCharlotteNorthCarolinaforanineteen-monthin-depthseriesoncrimeinnineneighborhoodsReportersspenttwoyearsincrime-riddenneighborhoodsencouragingresidentsinthoseneighborhoodstoreportontherootcausesofcrimeandtoparticipateinthesearchforsolutions
Community NetworkingWhilestillinitsearlytext-basedphasetheInternetwasbeingadoptedasacommunity-buildingtoolbyanumberofgeographicallybasedorganizationsManyoftheseearlycommunitynetworksevolvedfromldquofreenetsrdquoalliedthroughtheNational Public Telecomputing Network(NPTN)AtthattimeNPTNwasthefourthmostpopularpubliccom-puternetworkbehindCompuServeAmericaOnlineandProdigy(Schuler1995)
SomeoftheseearlycommunitynetworksweresimplyInternetdestinationswherecommunity-basedinformationwascollectedandpresentedOthersevolvedasadjunctstotheInternetconnectionsprovidedbylocalInternetserviceprovidersLikeothercommunitymediathepioneersofcommunitynetworkingweremotivatedtousethisnewcommunicationstechnologytostrengthentheircommunities
CommunitynetworkingwaschangedirrevocablywiththeadventoftheWorldWideWebandthesurgeindemandforInternetaccessTheWorldWideWebreplacedmostofthesoftwareapplicationsthatwerebeingusedatthattimetomakeinformationaccessibletopeoplethroughacommunitynetworkThisandthedemandsurgelow-eredthepriceofcommercialInternetaccesstothepointwheretherewaslittlemotivationtobecomeamemberofacommunitynetworkastheywerepracticedatthetimeAsaresultcommunitynetworkinghasbecomelessaboutInternetaccessandmoreabouttheculturalpracticeof
Newsorganizationspracticingcivicjournalismaimtoestablishdeeperconversationswithbroadercross-sectionsoftheircommunities
communitynetworkingwithafocusonsocialnetworkingsoftwaredevelopmentandutilizationCommunitynetwork-ershavealwaysenjoyedclosealignmentwithopensourcesoftwaredevelopersandnowareconcernedwithusingtheInternetintandemwithopensourcesocialnetworkingsoftwaretoaccomplishmanyofthegoalsofcommunitymedia(Schuler2004)
The Metropolitan Austin Interactive Network (MAIN)isanonprofitorganizationcommittedtoinfor-mationsharingandcommunicationamongpeopleandgovernmentaleducationalcommercialculturalreligiousandcivicorganizationsItoperatesacommunity-basedwebsitethatprovidesandaggregatesabroadarrayofinformationcriticaltoAustinresidentsfromemploymentinformationtoenvironmentalartsandculturalcontentMAINiscommittedtohelpingitscommunitymakeeffec-tiveuseoftheInternetandothernetworkcommunicationsstructuresbutdoesnotdirectlyprovidenetworkconnectiv-ityMAINprovidesfreewebhostingandwebdevelopmentassistancethroughabroaddigitalliteracyprogramthatincludestrainingingeneralcomputerandInternetusage
SatelliteWhilesatellitetelevisioncannotbeconsideredcommunitymediabecauseitisneitherlocalnorspecificallycom-munity-focuseditdeservesmentionherebecauseofitsexistingandpotentialcontributionstocommunitymediagoalsSatellitetelevisionisfocusedonnationalvideodistributionviacableanddirectbroadcastservicestohomesatellitedishesTofosterthepublicrsquosinterestindiverseprogrammingviasatellitetheFCCin1992imposedcertainpublicinterestobligationsonDirectBroadcastService(DBS)providersThecommissionruledthatDBSprovid-ersmustreservefourpercentoftheirchanneltranspondercapacityexclusivelyfornoncommercialprogrammingofaneducationalorinformationalnatureUnfortunatelytheFCCleftituptotheDBScompaniestodecidewhichprogram-merswouldbeselectedfromeligibleprogrammersManyfeelthepotentialofDBStoservethepublicinteresthasbeensignificantlycurtailedasaresult(Anderson2000)
Neverthelesssatellitehasbecomehometosomeprogrammersthatembodythevaluesandpracticesofcom-munitymediaNotablyDeepDishTVFreeSpeechTVLinkTVandasofApril2007StarfishTelevisionNetworkarealldistributedviasatelliteduetotheset-asiderulesadoptedbytheFCCEachoffersprogrammingthatembodiesvaluesofdiversityandempowermentwhiledemonstratingthenecessityofset-asidepoliciesfornoncommercialfrequency
andbandwidthatalllevelsofthemediainfrastructureifnoncommercialmediaistoflourishTheyconsistentlyrunprogramsproducedbycommunitymediaactivistsandindependentproducersandrepresentonepossiblewayforcommunitymediaorganizationstodevelopanationalprogrammingreachthatcouldfacilitateldquolocaltolocalrdquocommunicationswhiledevelopinganationalnetworkofprogressivecommunityprogramming
Deep Dish TVpioneeredtheuseofsatellitetoestablishacollaborativenetworkamongactivisttelevisionproducersandpublicaccesscablestationsin1986DrawingontheearlierexperimentsofthePublicInterestVideoNetworkDeepDishbegancreatingprograminstallmentsforsatellitedistributionVideoprogrammingselectedfromactivistandcommunitytapesaroundthecountrywerefedtosatellitetransponderswithanationalfootprintwheretheywerepickedupbyhundredsofcableaccessorganiza-tionsandcommunitymediacentersintheUnitedStates(Pierce2003)
DeepDishrsquos1991satellitebroadcastsoftheGulfCrisisTVProjectareconsideredbymanytobehistoricmomentsincommunitymediaandUScommunicationshistoryadirectinterventioninaninternationalcrisisbypublicaccesstelevisionandindependentmediaactivistsDeepDishTVassembledavideoanti-warteach-induringthefirstGulfWarandmadeitavailabletotheirnetworkviasatelliteThesuccessoftheGulfCrisisprojectexpandedDeepDishrsquosnetworktoincludeindependentpublictelevi-sionsitesanyonewithahomesatellitereceiverandothercommunitymediaandmediaartsorganizationsRalphEngelmanwritesthatDeepDishrsquosuseofsatelliteallowedcommunitymediaactiviststofulfilltwooftheircoreobjec-tivesldquograssrootsparticipationandthepresentationofdiversealternativeperspectivesrdquo(Engelman1996)
TheseearlysuccessesinnetworkingcommunitytelevisionviasatellitehavemorerecentlybeenextendedbyFree Speech TVandAmyGoodmanrsquosDemocracyNowprogrammingFreeSpeechTVextendedthetechnicalcapacitytonetworkwithcableaccessbyraisingfundstobuydirectsatellitereceiversforcableaccessfacilitiesinterestedincablecastingFreeSpeechTVprogram-mingThistechnicalnetworkthenbecameaprogressiveprogramnetworkcalledintoexistencealmostsingle-hand-edlybythehighlysought-afterprogressiveprogrammingofDemocracyNowInturnthepresenceofDemocracyNowprogrammingisconsistentlyservingtoincreasetheaudiencesandsupportforcableaccessincommunitiesthroughouttheUnitedStates
AttheirheartcommunitymediaareaboutmakingmediawithpeoplenotmerelyaboutorforpeopleIt
isasoneChicagoroundtableparticipantnotedlikeldquotheneighborhoodgoingouttodinnerrdquoButasanyonewhohaseverhostedalargedinnerpartyknowsthisisnotalwayseasilyaccomplishedInroundtablediscussionswithcommunitymediapractitionersthreestrategiesndashcollabo-ration across sectors and platforms training and outreach ndashemergedrepeatedlyaswaysofsuccessfullyengagingthebreadthanddiversityoftheircommunitiesInadditionafourthstrategyconnecting with immigrant populationsyieldedinsightsintosomeuniquechallengesandbenefits
strAtegies CollaborationMediainstitutionscanplaytheroleoffacilitatorsintheircommunitiesdemystifyingtheprocessofproductionpro-vidingpeoplewithaccesstotheresourcestheyneedandbuildingonthehistoryandgoalsofcivicjournalismThisrolerequiresmediainstitutionstorethinktraditionaljour-nalismandmayentailthere-balancingofeditorialpoliciesndashcommittingtodiversityembracingegalitarianvaluesandreassessingthevalueofeditorialneutralityInvitingcommunitymemberstohelpwithstoriesmakescover-agemorereflectiveofthecommunitymoreofatwo-wayconversationForinstanceTwin Cities Public Television(TPT)dedicatestimeononeofitsdigitalchannelstolocalandregionalprogrammingincludingprogramstargetedattheLatinoHmongHindiSomaliandVietnamesecommu-nitiesTocreateprogrammingfortheldquoMinnesotaChannelrdquothestationpartnerswithnonprofitorganizationswhopayTPTforproductionsupportandguaranteedbroadcastoftheprogramming
Sound Partners for Community HealthhasshownthatauthenticpartnershipsbetweenpublicbroadcastersandcommunityinstitutionsenableeachpartytoreachlargermorediverseandtargetedaudiencesonhealthissuesimportanttothecommunityCommunityinstitutionspromotedbroadcastsandpublicbroadcastersincreasedthevisibilityoftheirinstitutionalpartnerswhoofferedadditionalresourcesandreferralstoviewersandlistenersandhelpedtodisseminateprogrammingonCDsandDVDsInadditionbymarryingtheexpertiseofcommunity-basedhealthorganizationsandvoicesoflocalresidentswiththeproductionvaluesofhigh-qualityradioandtelevisionpro-grammingSoundPartnerspositionedcommunitymembersasproactiveplannersofandstakeholdersinmediainitia-tivesratherthanpassiverecipientsofmediaattention
Buttherewasinevitabletensioninseparatingjour-nalismfromadvocacywhichrequiredtrustonthepartofallparticipantstoresolveInthecaseoftheSoundPartnerscollaborationsincommunity-basedjournalismpublicbroadcastersneededtotrustthattheirnonprofitpartnerswouldnrsquotadvancetheirownorganizationalagendasattheexpenseoftruthandnonprofithealthorganizationsneededtotrustthattheirbroadcastpartnerswouldrespecttheirexpertise
TheSoundPartnersexperienceaffirmedwhatmanyroundtableparticipantspointedoutmdashtheneedtobuildbridgesacrossmediaaswellSoundPartnersfoundthatcommercialradiostationsandpublicaccesschannelswithcloselinkstoandinfluenceonthecommunityhelpedimplementstrongmediacampaignsincollaborationwithpublicbroadcastingRoundtableparticipantssawcommer-cialmediaoutletsasespeciallyimportantamongimmigrantgroups
Pointingtoanotheraspectofcollaborationround-tableparticipantsimploredmediainstitutionstobeopentosharinginfrastructuretoaccomplishtheirmissionsManynonprofitmediagroupsarestrugglingtosurvivebuthaveassetsthatcanbesharedorintegratedtobetterservetheircommunitiesinacoordinatedefficientwayCreatingcollaborativestructuresasbasicasco-locationoffacilitiesorascomplexasorganizationalmergerscanbeimportantfordisseminatingprogrammingsecuringfundingandprotectingpotentiallycontroversialissueprogrammingForexampleManhattan Neighborhood Networkhashistori-callyleverageditscablefranchise-securedcapitalfunding
engAging community WhAtrsquos Working
Invitingcommunitymemberstohelpwithstoriesmakescoveragemorereflectiveofthecommunitymoreofatwo-wayconversation
tobuildcapacityinothermediaorganizationssuchasastudioandpost-productionfacilitieswithDowntownCommunityTelevisioninChinatownAndinkeepingwiththesamenetwork-buildingapproachtofacilitatingpartici-pationMNNalsofeaturesaYouthChannelconsideredtobethefirstchannelcreatedforyouthbyyouthMNNhasbecomeoneofthecentralhubsinManhattanaroundwhichindependentandcommunitymediagatherforscreeningsadvancededucationalopportunitiesartisticandpoliticaldebatecommunitybuildingandsocialnetworkingcreat-inganexcitingdemocraticmediaculture
Manyparticipantsacknowledgedthatcollaborationishardexpensiveandtime-consumingItplacesdemandsonin-houseknowledgeandconfrontspartneringorganiza-tionsrsquodifferentgoalseditorialpoliciesandresourcesIftheyaretolastpartnershipsneedproperresearchonthefrontendandmulti-leveledsupportChangesinleader-shipcandisruptplanssopartneringcanrsquotbetiedtoonepersonrsquosrelationshiptoanotherpersonitrequiresanetworkofpeopleunderstandingandcontributingtothepartnershipMulti-yearprojectsareimportanttodevelopinfrastructureandsustainefforts
TrainingRoundtableparticipantssawcommunitymediainstitutionsasimportantsourcesbothforjobsandskillstrainingandforbuildingthecapacityoflocalnonprofitgroupsWhileacquiringmediaskillsmaybeacareerpathoutofpovertyironicallycommunitymediaworkisoftenunpaidandpoorpeoplemustprioritizepayingjobsoverparticipationincommunitymediamakingRoundtableparticipantsexpressedconcernthatthereisnotcurrentlyawaytoeconomicallysustaintheeffortsoflow-incomepeoplewhodovolunteerincommunitymedia
CableaccesscenterslikeChicagorsquos CAN-TVandManhattanNeighborhoodNetworkprovidegrantstrainingandequipmenttocommunitygroupswhothendevelopmultimediaproductsandshowcasethemindifferentvenuesThesecentersfacilitatetheexpressionofnon-technology-orientedcommunitymembersandprovidethemwithusefuljobskills
ThetrainingcomponentiscrucialfordevelopingauthenticvoicesinprogrammingBlessedwithadiversetechnology-savvycommunitythatincludesbothHarvard
andMITcampuspopulationsCambridge Community Television CCTVhasbroadeneditseducationalprogramstoincludeadvancedworkshopsandextendededucationalprogramsindocumentarymakingdigitalstorytellingwebsitedesignandstrategiccommunicationsplanningandimplementationCommunitymembersarealsoabletouseCCTVrsquoscomputertechnologycenterfortraininginavarietyofsoftwareapplicationsincludingphotoeditinganddesignandcomputernetworkingThecenterhasbroadeneditsdistributionofvideoprogrammingtoincludeweb-basedmediastreamingofpre-recordedprogrammingpodcastsaudiochannelsandldquoCambridgeCommunityRadiordquowherememberscansignupfortwo-hourblocksofliveradiotimeThecenterrsquosservicesaddresstheneedsofactivistsnonprofitcommunitygroupsmediaeducatorsandpeopleseekingjobskillsthatextendfarbeyondthoseneededtofillthepublicchannelswithvideoItsofferingsareexpand-ingtoincludeworkshopsinpodcastingdigitalaudioproductionvideobloggingandcyberjournalismCCTVtakesdigitalmediaconvergenceseriouslyunderstandingthatmediaproductiontrainingproductionanddistribu-tionarenowapplicableacrossanumberofplatformsandproductionskillsets
Bay Area Video Coalition(BAVC)isanotherorganizationthatmakesemergingvideotechnologyacces-sibletoindependentmediamakersIthasevolvedintoaninternationallyrenownedmediaartscenterthatleadsthefieldinitshigh-qualityproductionandprofessionaldevelopmentsupportfornoncommercialmediamakersThecenteralsoprovidesclassestolow-incomeyouthinmediaartsproductionaswellasworkshopsforcommunitygroupsandnonprofitsBAVChasconsistentlyoffereddevelopmentseminarsandtrainingprogramsthatbringcommercialpro-ducersandnoncommercialproducerstogetherinacommonsettingItoffersoneoftheregionrsquoskeycertifiedtrainingprogramsforcompanieslikeAppleAvidandDigidesignThroughagrantfromtheFordFoundationBAVChasundertakenanationalstudyonldquoDigitalWorkforceDevelopmentrdquoallowingtheorganizationtoestablishitselfasanationalandregionalleaderinprofessionaldevelop-ment(Most2002)Itsprofessionaldevelopmentprogramisasignificantforuminwhichcommercialandnoncom-mercialmediamakerscancometogetherforprofessionaldevelopmentactivitiesinsettingsthatrespectthepublicinterestandroleofmediainsocialdevelopment
OutreachOutreachakeytoolformediagroupsmovestherelation-shipbetweencommunityandmediabeyondconsumption
Collaborationishardexpensiveandtime-consuming
tosocialchangeItinvitespeopletointeractwithmediatobeaffectedbyitandtoaffectothersItaskspeoplewhattheyneedandinvitesthemtocometogethertomeetthoseneeds
Thekeytocreatingrelevantoutreachisresearch-ingwhatthecommunityneedsdetermininghowtoreachitmosteffectivelyandhiringstaffwhohaveoutreachskillsandarewellversedinthecultureandlanguageofthegroupsbeingtargetedAChicagofilmmakerrecountedhowtheseconsiderationsimpactedhisdocumentaryaboutworkersrsquorightsOutreachstaffconsideredthepotentialimpactontwoaudiencesalargeaudienceofPBSviewerssittingintheirlivingroomsandasmallerbutmoreengagedaudienceofsteelworkerswatchingthedocumentaryatalocalbarTheyconcludedthatthebarviewerswouldberivetedbecausetheinformationinthedocumentarywasgearedtothemSuccessfuloutreachasksWhatdogroupspayattentiontoWhomdotheytrustWhatplatformauthenticallyrepresentsthem
NationalprogrammingcanbeacatalystforlocaloutreachParticipantsinChicagoandMinneapolis-StPauldiscussedtheexampleofldquoTheNewAmericansrdquoanationalPBSseriesonimmigrantsproducedby Kartemquin Films Active VoiceanationalorganizationthatworkswithmediamakerstobringaboutpersonalandinstitutionalchangeworkedwithKartemquintopackageseriesfootagethatfocusedonnewarrivalstoMinnesotaTheresultwasalocalseriesldquoTheNewMinnesotansrdquoandapartnershipthatusedmediatoeducatethemainstreamcommunityaboutlocalimmigrantsandtodevelopdiscussionandactivityguidesforcommunityoutreach
Connecting with Immigrant PopulationsMinoritypopulationsandgroupsconcernedwithsupportingtheidentitiesofmarginalizedpopulationshaveincreasinglyturnedtocommunitymediaassourcesofinformationvali-dationofcultureandproductionsupportforthecreationoftheirowncontentCommunitymediahavehelpedcallattentiontothelivesandconcernsofimmigrantcommuni-tiesthatareotherwiseinvisibleoutsidetheirparticularcommunityBecausetheyoftenhavefoundinnovativewaystousecommunitymediafornetworkingandsocialchangeimmigrantpopulationsillustratethepowerofcommunity
mediaandpresentrichopportunitiesformakingcommu-nitymediaorganizationsmorediverseandparticipatoryRoundtableparticipantssharedlessonsinwhatworksandofferedspecificideasforframinganewcommunitymediaprogramaddressingtheneedsofimmigrantsandreceivingcommunitiescalledNew Routes to Community Health
Inreachingouttoimmigrantcommunitiesround-tableparticipantsnotedthatitiscriticaltoidentifyandworkwithexistingagenciesthatimmigrantstrustperhapsachurchorassociationforaparticularethnicgroupButthoughimmigrantgroupsarethemostappropriateconve-nersofsuchcollaborativestheymustalsohavethecapacitytoconvene
TheselectionofplatformalsodeservescarefulconsiderationRoundtableparticipantsnotedthatinadapt-ingtechnologiestotheirownpurposesspecificimmigrantgroupsoftenpreferoneplatformoveranotherForexampleChicagorsquosKorean-AmericancommunityhasbeensuccessfulinusingethnicprintmediatoaddresscommunityissuesThePersianstorytellingtraditionhasmadePersianahugeandgrowinglanguagesegmentonblogsPersianisnowthefourthmostwidelyusedlanguageonweblogs(Macintyre2004)A2000surveyofSomalianimmigrantsinMinnesotashowedthatoverfortypercenteventhenconsideredtheInternettheirmainnewssource(Aynte2006)
RadioinparticularhasshowntremendouspowerinthedevelopingworldpartlyasaresultoftheUnitedNationsrsquoemphasisonradioasthemediumsupportingthemostwidespreadpracticeofcommunitymediaintheworldBecausetheyarefamiliarwithradiobeforecomingtotheUnitedStatesimmigrantgroupsoftenquicklyembraceradiouponarrivalinthiscountryItisalsooneofthemostinexpensiveformsofmediaandthereforeoneofthemostaccessibleldquoIftheycomefromLatinAmericatheyknowthepowerofradiordquoChicagoparticipantsnotedenthusiasti-callyLocalcommercialSpanish-languageradiostationseffectivelyhelpedmobilizeturnoutforimmigrationprotestsinChicagoinMay2006
community spotlightManycommunitiesintheUnitedStatescanpointwithpridetotheachievementsoftheircommunitymediaorganizationsWhenattemptingtoidentifybestpracticesinthenetworkedmediaenvironmentsweseetodayhoweveritisusefultothinkintermsofinterconnectionandcol-laborationnottolooksimplyatindividualmediacentersorbroadcaststationsOftenthemostsuccessfulexamplesofcommunitymediaemergeoutofongoingalliancesandcollaborationsamonglocalcommunitymediagroupsThe
Thekeytocreatingrelevantoutreachisresearchingwhatthecommunityneeds
communitiesspotlightedbelowhavebegunincorporatingpartnershipsandcross-platformcollaborationintothepracticeofcommunitymediaandhavebeguntoreapthebenefitsofthatapproach
Portland OregonTheMetro Government Community Media InitiativeillustratesthepotentialpowerofcommunitiesworkingtogethertoproducetheirownmediaratherthanhavingtheirstoryframedbycommercialnewsorganizationsAlthoughtheprojecthasnowendeditisincludedherebecauseitprovidedsuchastrongmodelforfuturecommu-nitymediaeffortsTheinitiativewasrootedinaproposalbylocalindependentfilmmakerTomChamberlinthatlocalmediamakerscommunitymediaorganizationscommunitygroupsandgovernmentagenciescollaboratetoproducepublicaffairstelevisionprogramsonissuesofconcerntoOregoniansMetroauniqueregionalgovernmentprimarilyresponsibleforregionalland-useandtransportationplan-ningtookChamberlinrsquosideatoheartWithagrantfromtheFederalHighwayAdministrationMetroandanallianceofcommunityorganizationsandgovernmentagenciesdevel-opedldquoZigZagRealStoriesNewAnglesrdquoaprogrambylocalfilmmakersfeaturingpersonalstoriesfromadiversegroupofregionalresidentsastheygrappledwiththetransporta-tionchoicesaffectingtheirfamiliesneighborhoodsandcommunities
InadditiontothecenterpiecebroadcastonOregon Public BroadcastingtheprojectcreatedaninteractivewebsiteanddistributedaDVDoftheprogramtothearearsquoscableaccesschannelsElementsoftheprojectalsofoundtheirwayontoPortlandrsquoscommunityradiostationKBOOandpacketsincludingextensivesupportmaterialsandDVDsweremadeavailableforscreeninginneighborhoodcentersandindependentmediavenuesTherewasalsoaplanninganddeliberationprocesstostrategizeabouthowcitizensgovernmentsandmediamakerscancollaboratetocreatecommunitydialogueandsolvecivicproblems
Asurbanspaceisincreasinglydefinedbytelecom-municationsasmuchastransportationandlandusetheprojectalsoillustratesthepowerfuloutcomesthat
canresultwhenregionaltelecommunicationsplanningbecomesintegratedwithlanduseandtransportationplan-ningandwhencommunitymediaareintegratedintobothformalandinformalprocessesofplanninganddelibera-tionTheMetroCommunityMediaInitiativeresultedinasignificantandmeasurableriseinregionalawarenessofthetransportationplanningissuesaddressedbytheproj-ectViewershipandDVDusesofthemediaincommunitysettingsexceededexpectations(Metro2004)AlthoughtheprojectwasnotimmediatelyreplicatedPortlandnowenjoyscontinuingcollaborationsbetweenMetrogovern-mentanditsareacommunitymedia
ParticipationintheMetroGovernmentCommunityMediaInitiative isonlyoneofthemanywaysPortlandrsquosKBOOradiohasdemonstrateditsfullcommitmenttotheoriginaldemocraticintentionsofcommunityradiooverthecourseofitsforty-two-yearhistoryOlderthanNationalPublicRadioKBOOisamongthelongest-liv-ingcommunityradiostationsintheUnitedStatesOfthenoncommercialradiostationsinPortlandKBOOistheonlystationwhosemissioncontainsanexplicitcommit-menttominorityprogrammersandlisteners(SussmanandEstes2004)KBOOrsquoscommitmenttodemocraticpracticeextendstoaboardofdirectorselectedentirelyfromitsmembershipwhichisopentoanyoneandanaggressivetrainingprogramconsistentwiththestationrsquoscommitmenttovolunteer-producedprogrammingmdashallprogrammingisproducedbyvolunteerswithassistanceofpaidstaffTheparticipationofwomenandminoritiesfarexceedthecommunityrsquosracialdemographics(SussmanandEstes2004)
Portland Community Media (PCM)hasarichtwenty-three-yearhistoryinPortlandwhenitcomestousingmediatobuildcommunityPCMstartedoutasacabletelevisionaccesscenterandstillprovidestheadminis-trationandtrainingtoprogramPortlandrsquoscableaccesschannelsbuthasexpandeditsmissiontoembracetheuseofcommunitymediatobringaboutbroaderparticipationincivicandculturallifePCMrsquoswebsitedescribesthecenterldquowiththreewordsndashEducateCommunicateParticipaterdquoCurrentlyPCMhasanumberofcollaborativeprojectssup-portingmedialiteracyandmediaeducationinthepublicschoolsystemitregularlyprogramsmediaproductionsfromPortlandrsquosmediaartscentertheNorthwestFilmandVideoCenteranditisplanningtoexpanditscentertosupporteconomicdevelopmentofmicroenterprisesfornewmedia
The Mt Hood Cable Regulatory Commission(MHCRC)overseesacable-relatedtelecommunicationsdevelopmentforgreaterPortlandOregonServing
Oftenthemostsuccessfulexamplesofcommunitymediaemergeoutofongoingalliancesandcollaborationsamonglocalcommunitymediagroups
thecommunitiesresidentsandlocalgovernmentsofFairviewGreshamPortlandTroutdaleWoodVillageandMultnomahCountyOregonTheMtHoodCableRegulatoryCommissionnegotiatesandenforcescableservicefran-chiseandactsinthepublicinterestoncommunicationspolicyissuesatlocalstateandfederallevelsItwouldbehardtooverstatetheimportanceofMHCRCinfosteringthegrowthofcommunitymediaingreaterPortlandThroughclearandinsightfulregulationofthecablefranchiseithasassuredthatthenecessarynetworksandtelecommu-nicationsinfrastructureareavailabletoallowcommunitymediatogrow
MtHoodrsquosCommunityAccessCapitalGrantsProgramisparticularlynoteworthyTheCapitalGrantsprogramprovidescapitalfundingtocommunicationsprojectsthatsupportsocialjusticecommunityinvolve-mentandtheeffectivedeliveryofservicesthroughcostreductionTheprogramhasallowedscoresofcommunitygroupstoincreasetheircommunicationscapacitythroughtheacquisitionofskillsknowledgeandtechnologyInimplementingthisgrantprogramtheMtHoodCableRegulatoryCommissionhasbeenextremelystrategicinconveninggranteesandcreatingtheconditionsthatleadtopartnershipsandcollaborativerelationships
TheNorthwest Film and Video Centerisalong-standingregionalmediaartsorganizationservingtheNorthwestregionThecenterprovidesarichprogramnurturingmediaartscultureItfeaturesanactiveexhibi-tionprogramforexperimentalandindependentfilmsahighlyregardedfilmschoolandextensiveyouthmediaprogramsThecenterpresentsanumberofyearlyfilmfestivalsincludingthePortlandInternationalFilmFestivaltheNorthwestFilmandVideoFestivalandtheYoungPeoplersquosFilmampVideoFestivalThecenterrsquosproductionsoftenfindtheirwayontotothearearsquoscablechannelsThecenterisalsoatrustedsourceofequipmentaccessforareaindependentproducersactiveintherichmediacultureofPortlandaservicepartiallysupportedbytheMtHoodCableRegulatoryCommissionrsquosCapitalGrantsprogram
Minneapolis-St Paul MinnesotaTheSaint Paul Neighborhood Network(SPNN)isacableaccessstationservingStPaulresidentsThestationprovidesopportunitiestothepublictoproduceandairprogramsononeofitsfivechannelsdedicatedtomulti-faithpubliceducationcommunityandinternationalcontentrespectivelySPNNhasayoutheducationprogramandacommunityproductionsprogramwhichworkswithnonprofitorganizationstocreatepublicserviceadvertise-
mentsorprogrammingWorkshopsincludeproductiongrantproposalwritinglegalquestionsandlightingSPNNisparticularlyeffectiveasconvenerandcapacitybuilderinitscommunityItseducationandtrainingprogramsarefocusedoncommunitydevelopmentandonkeepingthetechnicaltrainingelementsofitsworkinasocialperspective
Minneapolis Television Network(MTN)isSPNNrsquossisteraccessstationservingMinneapoliswithasimilarcommitmenttoprovidingacommunitygatheringplaceOperatingthreepublicaccesschannelsMTNofferstelevi-siontrainingandmedialiteracyclassesandisespeciallyencouragingofyouthparticipationThechannelsserveasabridgeforimmigrantstouseinadaptingtotheirnewhomemanynewimmigrantsusethemtocommunicateintheirnativelanguageswiththeirSomaliEthiopianorVietnamesecompatriotsSomali-languageprogramsforinstanceoffereighthoursaweekofmusicentertainmentcommunitynewsandreligiousinstructiontooneofthelargestsettlementsofSomalipeopleoutsideSomaliaIntoutingSomalitelevisionasthebestpublicaccesscabletelevisionprogramintheTwinCitiesCity Pages saidldquoForsomepublicaccessisanearlyinspiringlessonindemocracyandfreemediardquo(CityPages2004)WantingtostrengthenthenonprofitcommunityrsquosInternetsavvyMTNcreatedandeventuallyspunofftheRiverProjecttoofferInternetdial-upaccessandwebhostingtononprofits
PublicbroadcastershavealsoofferedstrongmodelsofcommunitycollaborationintheTwinCities Twin Cities Public Television(TPT)isthepublictelevisionstationservingtheMinneapolisndashStPaulregionIn2004TPTbegandedicatingtimeononeofitsdigitalchan-nelstoMinnesota-relatedprogrammingAnumberoftheprogramsontheMinnesota Channel(someofwhicharethencablecastonpublicaccesstelevision)aretargetedatLatinoHmongHindiMiddleEasternChineseandVietnamesecommunitiesandproducedinpartnershipwithnonprofitorganizationsTPTisapartnerintheMinnesotaCommunityCampaignthatencouragesurbanandruralareasinandaroundtheTwinCitiestowelcomethetensofthousandsofimmigrantsandrefugeesthathavesettledthereinthepastseveraldecadesSeekingtoeffectpositivechangeonimmigrantissuesthroughartmediaeducationsocialserviceandpolicymakingthecampaignproducedtheldquoTheNewMinnesotansrdquoasixty-minuteprogramthatoriginallyairedonTPTbasedontheKartemquinseriesldquoTheNewAmericansrdquo
InadditiontocommunityradiostationKFAItheTwinCitiesishometoMinnesota Public Radio(MPR)
whichhaspioneeredafreshapproachtojournalismcalledpublicinsightjournalism(PIJ)PIJtapsintothecollectiveknowledgeofMPRrsquosdiverseaudiencetoenrichitsreport-ingCreatingaten-thousand-personPublicInsightNetworkviathewebthestationinvitesthepublictobesourcesofstoryideasreactionsandperspectivesandbrainstormingonpublicissues
TheindependentfilmandvideocommunityworkscollaborativelyintheTwinCitiestosupportandpromoteartistandcommunityperspectivesIFP Minnesota Center for Media Arts Intermedia ArtsandtheWalker Art Center areamongthemulti-disciplinaryvenuesfordiscus-sionandproduction
AndtheInternetishometoanewaggregationofcommunitymediasourcesAccordingtoitswebsitethe Twin Cities Daily PlanetaprojectoftheTwinCitiesMediaAllianceisldquoacommunitynewswireandsyndicationserviceshowcasingthebestworkoftheneighborhoodandcommunitypressaswellasworkbyTwinCitiesindepen-dentjournalistsandthevoicesofengagedcitizensThepremiseoftheTC Daily PlanetisthatnewtechnologiesaremakingitpossibleforthesecitizenstobecomemoreactiveandpowerfulparticipantsinthenewsproductionprocessrdquoModeledafterKorearsquosOhmyNewstheTC Daily Planetseekstoimprovethequalitydiversityandaccount-abilityofthelocalmediaandtoinvolvetherapidlygrowingimmigrantandethniccommunitiesItrecruitsandofferstrainingtocitizenjournalistsandhaspartnershipswithoverfortyneighborhoodandcommunitymedia
Chicago IllinoisChicago Access Network Television(CAN-TV)offersfivepublicaccesschannelstoChicagolandresidentsThispublicspaceprovidesChicagoansanopportunitytodiscussissuesoflocalconcernpromotehealtheducationalandeconomicresourcesinthecommunityandcelebratelocaltalentandinitiativesCAN-TVprovidesvideotrainingequipmentandfacilitiesforarearesidentsandnonprofitgroupsItvideotapesandcablecastspublicforumstownhallmeetingscommunityeventsandotheractivitiesoflocalinterestThroughthisservicethestationprovidesChicagoanswithaccesstoinformationtheymaynototh-erwisehavethroughcommercialtelevisionForinstanceCAN-TVworkedwitheighttotenAIDSagenciestodissemi-natebasiceducationaboutAIDSpreventionvialivecall-inprograms
CAN-TVsupportsChicagorsquosassociationsandnonprof-itsthroughserviceslikeliveldquohot-linerdquocall-inshowsfrom
automatedstudiosthatonepersoncanoperateproductionservicesthatgenerateprogrammingforcommunityeventsandstrategiccommunicationsplanningworkshopsCAN-TVhasrefusedtofollowasimplisticldquoneutralityrdquoprogram-mingphilosophyinwhichtheaccesscentertransmitsonlyprogrammingthatrandomlycomesfromthecommunityInsteadCAN-TVactivelycreatesprogrammingimportanttocommunitydevelopmentInadditiontoitsfocusonnonprofitsCAN-TVactivelycreatespartnershipswithcon-tent-richgroupssuchaslocalmuseumsandartsgroupsItalsopartnerswithlocalmediaactivistproductiongroupslikeVideoMacheteandStreetLevelYouthMedia(profiledbelow)SimilarlyCAN-TVaggressivelyengagesinprogram-mingforlocalelectionsatypicalelectionseasonwillgeneratearoundtwohundredhoursoforiginalprogram-mingeachmonthandnearlyallthecandidateswillbefeaturedoractuallycreatetheirownCAN-TVprogrammingtocarryouttheircampaigns
Street-Level Youth MediaprovidesopportunitiesforChicagorsquosurbanyouthtousemediaartsandemergingtechnologiesforself-expressioncommunicationandsocialchangeItsstaffprovidesinstructioninvideoandaudioproductioncomputerartandtheInternettohelpyouthaddresscommunityissuesaccessadvancedcommunica-tionstechnologyandgaininclusioninsocietyInoneprojectitcollaboratedwithtwoseventh-gradeteachersandanESLinstructortohelpstudentsresearchissuesaboutimmigrationinoneneighborhoodTheteachersweretrainedtousevideoandthentrainedotherteacherswhoguidedtheirstudentsinproducingvideosforscreeningattheschoolMorethanthirtyvideoswerecreatedandvideotrainingandusehasbeenincorporatedintotheschoolcurriculum
Radio Arte(WRTE)istheonlybilingual(Spanish-English)youth-operatedurbancommunitystationinthecountryItoperateswithafocusonyouthinChicagorsquosPilsenandLittleVillageneighborhoodsAninitiativeoftheNationalMuseumofMexicanArtthiseducationalradiostationhasservedChicagoformorethansixyearstrainingyouthwithapriorityondevelopingindividualandgroupcommunicationcompetenciesthatallowyoungpeopletoenterpubliclifewithconfidencethroughthebroadcastmediumProvidingaforumforyoungpeopletobecreativeandresponsibletothelargestMexicancommunityintheMidwestRadioArteiscommittedtotrainingyoungpeopleintheartofbroadcastingRadioArtersquosuniquetwo-yeartrainingprogramprovidesyouthwithspecialcoursesonwritingforradioandjournalismvoicetrainingand
FCCregulationsaswellasbasiccomputerskillsproduc-tionskillsandon-airtrainingParticipatingintwograntroundsofSoundPartnersforCommunityHealththestationrsquosldquoRadioVidardquoproducedprogrammingonsubstanceabuseandaddictionbyandforLatinoyouth
Casa Guatemala Media Projectisanonprofitcommunity-basedorganizationthatservestheGuatemalanandbroaderLatinAmericancommunityinChicagoandtheMidwestSinceitsfoundingin1986ithasusedmediaincludingwebprintTVandradiotoraiseconsciousnessaboutissuesaffectingcommunitiesfromLatinAmericaInparticularitworkswithCAN-TVtoprovidetheeducationalcomponentofself-authoredmediathatwillpositivelytrans-formcommunitiesthroughworkshopsontheproductionandalternativeusesofemergingtechnologies
Beyond Media EducationworkswithunderservedandunderrepresentedcommunitiesprimarilywomenandyouthtotelltheirstoriesandorganizeforsocialjusticethroughthecreationanddistributionofalternativemediaandartsInarecenteffortitworkedwithaChicagosheltertohelpstreetwalkerstelltheirownstoriesinanefforttoraisepublicawarenessandpromotestate-levelreformsTheorganizationorganizedasix-monthworkshopthatincludedteachingandpracticingstorytellingpublicspeak-ingandvideoproductionskillstooveradozenprostitutesTheirgroundbreakingvideogivesinsightsintoChicagorsquossextradeindustryandrecountsthetriumphofthepar-ticipantsoverhomelessnessviolenceanddiscriminationTheirlobbyinginthestatecapitolresultedinpassageofabilltodestigmatizeanddecriminalizesexworkers
Keepingtabsonandshowcasingmuchofthecom-munitymediaactivityfromajournalisticperspectiveistheCommunity Media Workshop (CMW) CMWservesasabridgebetweensocialactivistscommunitymediaprac-titionersandjournalistsIthostsanannualacademyforprogressiveorganizationsintheChicagoareathatbringsactivistsandjournaliststogethertoshareideasandatti-tudesProminentareatelevisionandnewspaperjournalistsarerecruitedtoserveonpanelsleadworkshopsandgenerallysharetheirideasofhowprogressivegroupscaneffectivelygaintheattentionofthepressThisapproach
leadstobuy-infromkeypersonnelinChicagorsquosmainstreammediawhocannowbetterunderstandthegrassrootsgroupsthatapproachthemandtheirissuesItalsogivescommunityparticipantsattheworkshopstheopportunitytodevelopmorepersonalrelationshipswithkeymembersofthemediaThisapproachalsoenablescommunitygroupstobetterunderstandwhatmotivateseditorsandreporters
ThesethreecommunitiesshowcommondevelopmentpatternsandfactorsCommunitymediaorganizationshavebeguntounderstandtheirmissionsintermsofasharedcultureofcommunitymedialookingbeyondtheirindivid-ualmissionstothecommonsocialandpoliticalvaluestheyhaveincommonThisapproachopensthewayforcommu-nityradiomediaartscenterscommunitymediacentersandcableaccesstocreatecommunity-wideprograminitiativesinwhichseveralmediaplatformsareengagedItcreatestheconditionsinwhichitispossibleforcommunitymediaorganizationstoactwithunifiedstancesinpoliticaladvocacyregardingmediaissuesandotherissuescriticaltotheircommunitiesThiskindofcross-platformnetworkingalsocreatesopportunitiesforcommunitymediatoreceivemorediversefundingandsupportfromthecommunityastheyextendthenetworkorcultureofcollaborationtocom-munitydevelopmentgroupsandofficialsintheirregions
Communitymediaorganizationshavebeguntounderstandtheirmissionsintermsofasharedcultureofcommunitymedialookingbeyondtheirindividualmissionstothecommonsocialandpoliticalvaluestheyhaveincommon
ldquoThe boldest experiments in public telecommunica-tions take place when technologies are new and their commercial potential not yet fully apparentrdquo mdash Ralph Engelman 1996
Acrosstheirmanyplatformsandmanycommunitiescommunitymediahavebecomecentralculturalinstitutionsinthecivicculturalandeconomiclife
ofourcommunitiesprovidinginvaluablemediaprogram-mingaccessandeducationTheycaninsuchinstancesenablecommunitiestodevelopinformedcitizensartistsandactivistswhopossesstheskillsandknowledgeneededtograpplewithcomplexmedialiteracyanddevelopmentissuesatthelocallevel
Fordecadescommunitymediaorganizationshaveaddressedtheurgentneedtocreatelocalinstitutionsthatfacilitatecitizenaccesstomedianetworksandeffectiveparticipationinmediacultureforbothcitizensandwork-ersTheyareprovingthemselvesvitaltothepoliticalandeconomiclifeoftheircommunitiesTheyplaymultiplerolessimultaneouslyascriticalculturalenhancementstothequalityofciviclifeasemployersandaseducationalsitesforworkforcedevelopment
difficultyNeworganizationalformsandnewmediaformatslikestreamingarchivingpodcastingandbloggingarebecomingthenormpartofldquoblendedrdquoproductionanddis-seminationpracticesincommunitymedia
neW communicAtion spAces cyberjournAlismTheincreaseinInternetbandwidthandtheavailabilityofonlinesocialnetworkingsoftwarehavequalitativelychangedtherelationshipofjournaliststotheiraudiencesNewwebdestinationslikeMySpaceShutterflyFriendsterFlikrEviteandGooglearedevelopingvirtualcommuni-tiesforsharingvideoattractingyoungeraudiencesandmakingcontentmorethanpassiveandone-directionalSocialnetworkingsoftwareenablespeopletorendezvousconnectorcollaboratethroughcomputer-mediatedcom-municationandformonlinecommunities(Spannerworks2007)PopularsocialnetworksoftwareapplicationslikeweblogsorblogsseemparticularlywellsuitedtoparticipatorycitizenjournalismallowingeasypublishingofinteractivetextphotoaudioandvideocontentTheneweasewithwhichvideoclipscanbepreparedforuseonthewebhasbroughtontheriseofldquovlogsrdquoandsitesthatfacilitatethesharingofvideoclipsandaccompanyingcontentAnenormousrangeofblogsandcyberjournalisticsiteshavesprungupontheWorldWideWebinthepastfiveyearswithanequallywiderangeofeditorialstandardsandpracticesTechnoraticomcurrentlytracksseventeenmillionblogssharingoneandahalfmillionhyperlinks(Rennie2006)APewCenterInternetstudyestimatesthatthenumberofregularblogreadersintheUnitedStatesisequivalenttoalmosthalftheentireradioaudiencewhichisaboutaquarteroftheUSnewspaperreadership(Rennie2006)
Combinedwithaffordablenewdigitalmediaproduc-tioncamerasandrecorderstheseweb-baseddisseminationtoolsmakeitpossibleforcitizensandconsumerstoparticipateactivelyinnewsgatheringNonprofessionalshavebeguntoplayamoreactiveroleintheprocessesofjournalismfromcollectinginformationandreportingtoanalysisanddisseminationJanSchafferwhodirectsJ-LabaUniversityofMarylandincubatorforinteractivejournalismprojectsexplainsthatmanypeoplearebecom-ingmoreactivecitizensthroughjournalisticactivitybutdonotnecessarilyaspiretobejournalistsThenewtechnical
envisioning the future of community mediA
Communitymediaorganizationsareprovingthemselvesvitaltothepoliticalandeconomiclifeoftheircommunities
Communitymediaarealsocontributingimportantvaluespracticesandorganizationalmethodologiestotheemergingcollaborativemediaenvironmentsoftheblogo-sphereWecanlooktothesecontributionsastechnologicalandorganizationalopportunitiesforstrengtheningandexpandingcommunitymediapracticeWiththeInternetamediacultureisemergingthatismoreconsistentwiththenoncommercialpracticesofcommunitymediaproductioncollaborationanddemocraticparticipationinmediamak-inganddistributionConsequentlymanycommunitymediaorganizationsareintegratingthecapacitiesoftheInternetandnewmediaintotheirpracticeswithoutmuchfanfareor
0
capacityforcommunicationsheobservesallowspeopletoldquoparticipateinnewsandinformationinvariouswaysmdashparticipateininteractingwithitquestioningittruth-squadingitandcreatingitAndnowthattheyhavethetechtoolsandthetechskillstodothattheappetitehasonlyincreasedrdquo(Schaffer2005b)
SuchconditionshavesetthestageforintensepopularinterestinwhathasbeenbrandedldquowemediardquoorldquoparticipatoryjournalismrdquoTodaynumerousonlinejournalisticexperimentsbringtogetherprofessionaljour-nalistswithcitizenmediaactivistsandthoseinvolvedineventsMoreandmoretheearliestimagesandinformationregardingbreakingnewsarecomingfromnon-journalistspresentatthemomentoftheeventAsaresultjournalistsarebeginningtoconceptualizethemselvesnotsomuchasgatekeepersofnewsbutasmoderatorsinaconversationwithlicenseandtimetospeakfrequentlyandhopefullyaccurately(BowmanandWillis2003)
Thiskindofcommunity-centeredcoveragemayentailthere-balancingofeditorialpoliciesndashcommittingtodiversityembracingegalitarianvaluesandreassessingthevalueofeditorialneutralityItputsintoquestiontheroleandsignificanceofofteninnovativeldquopersonalmediardquoexemplifiedbythemillionsofbloggingsitesontheWebIsthiskindofldquonewsrdquoservingapubliccivicpurposeofcommunityproblemsolvingorindividualprivateexpres-sionInaWashington PostopinionpieceonDecember212006GeorgeKWillvoicedskepticismoftheseriousnessofmuchofthewebrsquosamateurjournalisminresponsetoTimemagazinersquosnamingallofusPersonoftheYear
Itisdifficulttopredictthefutureofcyberjournal-ismandbloggingpreciselyintheseearlystagesbutthreeoutcomesseemlikelyFirstbloggingwillcontinueitsrapidintegrationintomainstreammediacontentSecondblog-gingandotherformsofsocialnetworkingsoftwarewillgiverisetonewmediaentitiesthatwillchallengemainstreammedialocallynationallyandglobally
ThethirdoutcomeistheonemostrelevanttoacommunitymediascanCyberjournalismandparticipatory
citizenjournalismseemparticularlywellsuitedtoaddressthecurrentUSmassmediarsquosdifficultyinprovidingcoverageoflocaleventsinsmallercommunitiessuburbanregionsandcommutercommunitiesthataredevelopingoutsideformalpoliticaljurisdictionsCommunity-basedonlinejournalismsiteshavesprungupinhundredsofcom-munitiesaroundtheUnitedStatesTheyaremanagedandorganizedinwidelydivergentways
AnexperimentincyberjournalismandcommunitynetworkingtheTwin Cities Daily PlanetaggregatessomeofthebestjournalismfromMinnesotarsquosTwinCitiesneighborhoodandcommunitypressandindependentjour-nalistsaswellasthevoicesofengagedcitizenspresentingthemtothepublicthroughaninteractivewebsiteandcommunitydatabaseByaggregatingcitizenandneighbor-hoodjournalisminonesiteitincreasesthecapacityofsmallneighborhoodmediatoreachbeyondtheirborderstoawiderregionalaudienceUsingRealSimpleSyndication(RSS)softwaretheTC Daily Planetcanpotentiallyreachaglobalaudience
AprojectoftheTwinCitiesMediaAlliancetheTC Daily PlanetisaverynewformofcommunitymediaemergingfromtherestructuringofthenewspaperindustryandtheuseofbloggingandsocialnetworkingsoftwareAlthoughearlyinitsdevelopmenttheTC Daily Planetisgivingvoicetoanincreasingnumberofethnicimmi-grantandnon-mainstreamjournalistswhilefocusingthecommunityrsquosattentiononafargreaterrangeofpublicationsandideas
TheearliestexpressionsofcyberjournalismaretheIndependent Media Centers (IMCs)orIndymediaIndymediacameintobeingaspartoftheprotestsanddemonstrationsaroundtheWorldTradeOrganizationtalksheldinSeattleWashingtonin1999ThisfirstIMCwasaconvergenceoftheemerginginteractivityoftheInternetwiththeintenseneedofprotesterstogetindependentinformationouttotheworldabouttheprotestsAnetworkofindependentcommunitymediamakersactivistsandjournalistsbandedtogethertopoolresourcesandinforma-tion(Howley2005)
TheIMCsforeshadowedthebloggingandvideodis-tributionthatwasshortlytoemergebyusingtheInternetandtheWorldWideWebinconjunctionwithvideoandaudiodistributiontocreateatrulyunprecedentedmulti-mediaenvironmentIntermsofbothqualityandquantitytheSeattleIMCwasanimpressiveperformancebyanynewsandcurrentaffairsstandardsOverthecourseofthefive-dayprotestsadailynewspaperanddailyradioprogramwerecreatedandcountlessprintstoriesweredisseminated
Journalistsarebeginningtoconceptualizethemselvesnotsomuchasgatekeepersofnewsbutasmoderatorsinaconversation
globallyalsovideofeedsweresentthroughtheInternettopublicaccessandcommunitychannelsaroundtheworldSixyearsaftertheSeattleproteststherewere149Indymediawebsitesinabout45countriesonsixcontinents(Whitney2005)
TheopenformofcommunicationpracticedbymostIMCsiteshasnotbeenwithoutproblemsandcontra-dictionsManysitesarenowclutteredwithideologicaldiatribesanduneditedcontent(Halleck2002Whitney2005)ButthereareanumberofIndymediasitesthatprovidealternativenewsandinformationregardingaglobalscopeofconcernsthatwouldbeverydifficulttoobtainanywhereelseinthemediaAnumberofsitesinplacessuchasNewYorkCityPortlandOregonandtheSanFranciscoBayareahaveestablishedthemselvesasstablepartsoftheircommunityrsquosmediaculture
companiesspecializedsuppliersserviceprovidersandassociatedinstitutionsinaparticularfieldthatarepresentinanationorregionrdquo(Porter2000)Thecompaniesinanindustryclusterhaveacomplexwebofmutuallysupportingrelationshipsthatencompassbothcompetitiveandcollab-orativerelationshipsTheylinkacrossprofitandnonprofitpracticesutilizecommoninfrastructuremakecommoncontributionstothedevelopmentofahighlyskilledwork-forcesharefundingandinsomecasestalentedstaff
Increasinglycommunitydevelopmentpractitionersandanalystsarecomingtounderstandindustryclustersaspowerfulstrategiesforbotheconomicandcommunitydevelopmentinthetwenty-firstcenturyThisisprovingdoublytruefornonprofitcommunitymediaorganizationswhoseroleitistobringpowerfultoolsandknowledgetoanycommunityrsquosdeliberationsaroundcommunityandeco-nomicdevelopmentBroadbandandwirelessnetworksareprovidingthepracticalmeansoflinkingcommunitymediaorganizationswithincommunitiesofferingakeystrategicadvantagebyenhancingtheeffectivenessofcollaborationandpartnershipbuilding
AstheexamplesinthepreviouschaptershowcommunitymediaorganizationsaretakingonnewrolesincludingcombiningproductionandtrainingtakingonworkforcedevelopmentfunctionsandbecomingtechnologycentersfordiffusionofnewmediaBeyondtheseexampleslongstandingsuccessfulcommunitymediaorganiza-tionsaremergingasnetworkclusterslinkingdifferentgroupsandorganizationswithincommunitiestocreateentirelynewcommunitymediaorganizationsorblurringtheboundariesbetweentheirorganizationsOthersarebringinghistoricallyseparatecommunitymediagroupswithinoneorganizationalstructureorunderonerooftosharebuildingsandcommunicationsinfrastructuresinacost-effectivemanner
TheorganizationsthatemergefromthisintegrationmaybesimilarinfunctionthoughtheirnamesremaindifferentAcommunity-basedsiteforcitizenmediaandcyberjournalismforexampleandacommunitynetworklikeMAINinAshevilleNorthCarolinaoracutting-edgecableaccesscenterlikeGrandRapidsCommunityTelevisionbegintolookverymuchalikeintermsof
Increasinglycommunitymediadevelopmentishappeningthroughnetworksoflocalnonprofitmediaorganizationsratherthanwithinsingleorganizations
neW orgAnizAtionAl spAces netWorked clusters Perhapsthemostpromisingtrendonthehorizonforcom-munitymediaistheemergenceofnewhighlyintegratedorganizationalstructuresandcollaborativeprocessesIncreasinglycommunitymediadevelopmentishappeningthroughnetworksoflocalnonprofitmediaorganizationsratherthanwithinsingleorganizations
Inmanywaysthesereorganizationsatthecom-munitylevelparalleltherestructuringtakingplaceintheprivatecorporatesectorTherecommunicationsnetworksarebeingusedtosupportcomplexpartnershipsandjointcompanyprojectdevelopmentinteractivenetworkseasetheaggregationoflargeorstrategiccapitalandemployeeskillsetsacrossgeographicandorganizationalboundariesforthepurposesofinnovationandmarketdevelopmentInthelanguageofcommunityandeconomicdevelop-mentthesecomplexpartnershipsareknownasldquocreativeclustersrdquoorldquoindustryclustersrdquoMichaelPorteraleadingtheoristandproponentoftheconceptofclustersdefinesthemasldquogeographicconcentrationsofinterconnected
Successfulcommunitymediaorganizationsaremergingasnetworkclusters
technologyprogrammingactivitiesandtheexperienceofcommunityaudiencesvolunteersandparticipantsEachorganizationreliesonnoncommercialaffordablebandwidtheachplayssomeroleinadvocatingforsupportivegovern-mentpoliciesandeachisexperimentingwiththepotentialofnewcollaborativemediatoolsOftencommittedtoengagingandtrainingvolunteersandcommunitymembersinsomemannertheymayoffertrainingandvolunteerpro-gramsthatrequiresimilarsharableonlinetutorialsandonlineoutreachandschedulemanagementtools
TheexamplesthatfollowdemonstratethewayscommunitymediacreativeclustersaremakinguniquecontributionstotheircommunitiesrsquoqualityoflifeandeconomicwellbeingTheyaredoingsointhreeimportantwaysbullfirstbyamplifyingtherolethatartsandculturalgroups
playinenhancingthequalityoflifeandattractingatalentedworkforceandcapitaltothecommunitymdasharolethatisgaininginsignificanceinthetwenty-firstcentury
bullsecondascontributorstocoreeconomicdevelopmentfunctionsinthecommunityincludingworkforcedevelop-mentandtrainingasmicro-enterpriseincubatorsandascreatorsofnewknowledgeandeducationalexperiencesand
bullthirdasfacilitatorsandcatalystsofcommunitydialoguecommittedtoembracingmarginalizedvoicesandallow-ingthecommunitytoundertakeitsowndevelopmentdemocratically
Lowell MassachusettsLowell Telecommunications Center(LTC)isapublicandgovernmentaccesschannelandmediaandtechnologycen-terItprovideseducationandtraininginmediacreationincludingwebdesigndigitalphotographyandtelevisionproductionLTCworksincollaborationwithotherlocalcommunity-basedorganizationsmunicipaldepartmentsandeducationalentitiestoproducediversemulticulturalprogrammingthatmeetsthecommunityrsquoscommunica-tionandinformationneedsLTChasbecomeaconvening
organizationforbuildingcapacityamongLowellrsquosnonprofitcommunity-basedorganizationsintheiruseofparticipatorymediaandcivicengagementstrategies
LTCismorefocusedthanothercommunitymediaorganizationsoncommunitybuildingandcommunicationtechnologyThecorporationisworkingtobuildanetworkforparticipatorymediaandcivicengagementthroughouttheMerrimacRiverValleyThroughaUSDepartmentofEducationgrantLTCacquiredfundingandstafftohelpitspartnerorganizationsbecomeInternet-capableassesstheirinformationtechnologyneedsacquiretechnologyupgradestoaddressthoseneedsandundertakethetrainingtousethetechnologyeffectively
RatherthanwaitingforgroupstocometoitscenterLTCcreatedacircuitridertrainingprogramthattookthetrainingprogramintothecommunityThroughLTCrsquosinformationtechnologycenterscoresofcommunitygroupshavereceivedtrainingdesignedandcreatedwebsitesanddevelopedstrategiccommunicationsplansforthefutureThosedevelopmentsincludeweb-basedhistoricalarchivesGISmappingsystemsmultimediamaterialsandInternetvideoTohelporganizationsacquirethesoftwaretheyneedtocarryouttheirmissionsLTCcreatedtheCommunitySoftwareLabwhichdevelopsuniquesoftwaretofittheneedsofareanonprofitsThelabhasbeenspunofftocreateaseparatenonprofitentityjoiningthegrowingnumberofindependentorganizationsthatnetworkthroughLTC
ThemostrecentLTCinitiativeisldquoDigitalBicyclerdquoapeer-to-peernetworkthatallowsmediacentersworldwidetodownloadandsharelocalcontentLTCstaffenvisionDigitalBicycleasanonlinecommunityforcableaccessmediaartsindependentmediaandothernoncommercialmedia
Grand Rapids MichiganldquoBuildingcommunitythroughmediardquoThissimplemissionstatementguidedtheGrand Rapids Community Media Center(GRCMC)asitevolvedfromatypicalcableaccessoperationtobecomeabroad-basedmultimediacenterandamodelforthedevelopmentofcommunitymultimediacentersintheUnitedStatesOverthepasttwentyyears
Communitymediacreativeclustersaremakinguniquecon-tributionstotheircommunitiesrsquoqualityoflifeandeconomicwellbeing
LTCisworkingtobuildanetworkforparticipatorymediaandcivicengagementthroughouttheMerrimacRiverValley
GRCMChaspulledthediversecommunitymediaactivitiesofGrandRapidsunderoneorganizationalumbrellaandtakentheleadinarticulatingthepotentialforaggregatingnoncommercialnetworkedcommunicationsthere
Theevolvingnetworkofmediaplatformsdis-ciplinesandculturalgroupsthatconvergetobecomeGRCMCnowincludesthefollowingcentersofpracticeGRTVacommunitytelevisioncenterthatprogramsmultiplecableaccesschannelsWYCEacommunityradiostationGrandnetacommunitytechnologyandnetworkcenterthatprovidescitizenandnonprofitaccesstotheInternetandtheGrandRapidsInstituteforInformationDemocracyacriticalmediaeducationandresearchcenterthattracksmediaandlocalpublicinterestissuesandpub-lishesinformationonmediaaccountabilityandreform
ButtheGrandRapidsCommunityMediaCenterismorethanthesumofitspartsThecomponentsofthecenterworktogetherinamutuallyreinforcingwholethatcreatesapowerfulcommunitymediapresenceinGrandRapidsandallowsthecentertoundertakefarmoreambitiousprojectsandprogrammingthanwouldbethecaseseparatelyOneexcellentexampleistheMobileOn-LineLearningLabforInformationEducationKnownasMOLLIEtheprogramprovidesskilledtrainersanddigitalvideoproductionequipmenttoschoolsandcommunityorganizationsforspecialprojectsOriginallyfundedbyafederalDepartmentofEducationgrantMOLLIEfillsintechnologygapsinGrandRapidseducationalinstitutionsandnonprofitsInthehandsofalessintegratedinstitutiontheMOLLIEprojectcouldeasilybeatechnicallyorientedequipmentloanandtrainingprogramInthehandsofthecenterMOLLIEhasbecomeasophisticatedmediaandtechnologyeducationalinitiativeprovidingatrainingprogramthataddressesmediaeducationfromtheperspec-tiveofallthecomponentsoftheGrandRapidsCommunityMediaCenter
Asheville North CarolinaOneofthemostarticulateeffortsmergingthecreativeclustersideawithparticipatorycommunicationhascomeaboutinAshevilleNorthCarolinaThroughapersistent
collaborationbetweenforwardlookingregionalgroupsandorganizationsndashinvolvingabroadnetworkofindi-vidualscommunitymediaandmediaartsgroupsintheAshevilleregionndashAshevillehaslaidthefoundationforacommunitymediadevelopmentcenterthatwillfunctionasacableaccesscentermediaartscenterandnewmediamicro-enterpriseincubatorAtthecenterofthiseffortisaninformalcoalitionoffourimportantgroupsinAshevilleMountainAreaInformationNetworkMediaArtsProjectBoncombeCountyEconomicDevelopmentCommissionandURTVThegroupsrepresentdistinctpointsofviewandconcernsaswellasconverginginterests
Eachgroupsharedtheinsightthatcivicparticipa-tionandeconomicsuccessinthetwenty-firstcenturyaredirectlyrelatedtohavingaccesstocommunicationstechnologyandknowledgeEachalsounderstoodthattherenegotiationofthecablefranchisesintheCityofAshevilleandsurroundingBoncombeCountywasastrategicmomenttocatalyzeandassociateanumberofcommunity-basedinformationandmediaartsactivitiesalreadyinplaceorplannedinAshevilleThegroupsusedthecablefranchisingprocesstocreateacommonorganizationalandfacilitiesinfrastructuresupportingtheuseofmediaforbothcivicandeconomicdevelopment
The Media Arts Project(MAP)isanetworkofmediaartiststhatcultivatesinnovativeartsandtechnol-ogyinwesternNorthCarolinaMAPworkedtirelesslytoframecableaccessasacommunitydevelopmentissuebridgingthemediaactivistcommunitiesandthemoreforward-thinkingfactionsamongeconomicdevelopmentprofessionalsintheregionWiththerecentopeningofURTV IncAshvillersquoscableaccessorganizationandfacilityMAPanditsnetworkofpartnersarenowturningtheirattentiontofundingthemediaartsandeconomicincubatorelementsofthevision
AshevillersquosinterestinsupportingcommunitymediaarisesfromthepresenceoftheMountain Area Information Network(MAIN)Inthetraditionoftheruralcooperativesthathelpedspreadthereachofelectricityinthe1930sMAINisanonprofitInternetserviceproviderofferingreliablelow-costInternetservicebothinwesternNorthCarolinaandnationwideItisauniquecommunitynetworkwithabroadvisionofitsroleinthecommunitythatencompassesmedialiteracyeconomicdevelopmentstrategiescommunitylow-powerradioacommunity-basedwebportalandtheprovisionofInternetconnectivitytoruralwesternNorthCarolinaMAINislargelyresponsiblefortheremarkableexpansionofInternetaccessibilityinwesternNorthCarolinaallowingthousandsofpeopleto
GRCMChaspulledthediversecommunitymediaactivitiesofGrandRapidsunderoneorganizationalumbrella
spendtheirInternetaccessdollarswithalocallycontrolledandaccountableorganizationMAINdemonstratesthevalueofthecommunitynetworkingconcepttoareasthatarelagginginconnectivityduetofailuresofthemarket
MAINhastakenaleadershiproleinbuildingacommunitymediacultureinAshevillethatdemonstratestheeasewithwhichdigitalmedialeapsorganizationalboundariesItscommunitynetworkrunstheBlueRidgeWebMarketwhichprovidesafreecustomizableInternetpresencetohundredsofsmallbusinessesthroughoutwesternNorthCarolinaItsLatinoDigitalLiteracyProjectofferstrainingtohelpthearearsquosgrowingLatinopopula-tionsaccesstheInternetMAINhasbeenoneofthekeypartnersinbringingacableaccesscentertoAshevilleandhasbeenthedrivingforcebehindWPVMWNCrsquoslow-powerFMradiostationbroadcastinglocalnewsviewsandmusicover-the-airintheAshevilleregion(andtheworldviawebcast)
Cleveland OhioPerhapsthemostrobustcommunity-basednonprofitnetworkintheUnitedStatesOne ClevelandprovideswhatitcallsldquoultrabroadbandnetworkingservicesrdquotoClevelandareaeducationgovernmentresearchartscultureandhealthcareorganizationsOneClevelandoperatesafibernetworkringthatcoversmuchofthecityofClevelandandmanyofitssurroundingsuburbsSubscriberstothenetworkconnectatgigabitspeeds
OneClevelandrepresentswhatcanhappenwhenpowerfulcommunitydevelopmentforcescometoaconsensusregardingtheircommunityrsquosneedforhigh-speedconnectivitytoglobaleconomiesandmediaItsfoundersareClevelandmainstreaminstitutionsCaseWesternReserveUniversityCuyahogaCommunityCollegeClevelandStateUniversityTheCityofClevelandGreaterClevelandRegionalTransitAuthorityideastreamCuyahogaCountyPublicLibraryandNorTechThenetworkhasformedrelationshipswithtechnologycompaniestomaintainup-to-dateapplicationsthatleveragethepotentialofsuchapowerfulnetwork
Oneofthenetworkrsquoskeypartners ideastream illustratesthesignificanceofworkingtogethertomakehigh-speedconnectivitypubliclyavailablethroughoutacommunityonitsowntermsBybuildingahigh-speednet-workOneClevelandhascreatedacivicnetworkspaceandinfrastructurethatallowsanewkindofmultimediapublicmediaorganizationtobecreatedIdeastreamresultedwhenWVIZPBSTelevisionand903WCPNRadiopublicbroad-castersmergedtoformanewnonprofitldquomultimediapublicserviceorganizationrdquoIdeastreamisabletoextenditsmediaexpertisebeyondbroadcastingtoonlinetechnologiesandapplicationsofalltypesmdashwhenyouareconnectingtothenetworkatthegigabitspeedsofOneClevelandrsquostherangeofapplicationsandtheirpotentialarehuge
MAINhastakenaleadershiproleinbuildingacommunitymediacultureinAshevillethatdemonstratestheeasewithwhichdigitalmedialeapsorganizationalboundaries
OneClevelandrepresentswhatcanhappenwhenpowerfulcommunitydevelopmentforcescometoaconsensusregardingtheircommunityrsquosneedforhigh-speedconnectivitytoglobaleconomiesandmedia
Inthecourseofpreparingthisreportndashpouringovertheliteratureandsynthesizinghoursofstructuredround-tableconversationsandone-on-oneinterviewswith
opinionleadersandsuccessfulpractitionersofcommunitymediandashonethingisextremelyclearThewayoursocietymakesandsharesinformationknowledgeandcultureisinaheightenedstateofchangeTheinteractivenatureoftheInternethasdemonstratedthatitispossibletoorganizecommunicationsinamuchmoredemocraticfashionSomehaveconcludedwearewitnessingthetransitionfromanindustrializedinformationenvironmenttoanetworkedinformationenvironmentTheoldindustrialmediastruc-turesbasedonexclusivehigh-costproductionprocessesarebeingchallengedbyanemergingmediasectorinwhichthecostofcreatinginformationknowledgeandculturehasbeenprofoundlyreducedandtheproductsareintercon-nectedwidelythroughnetworksliketheInternet(Benkler2006)IndeedthereisincreasingevidencethatthesenewmediaanddigitalnetworksareparticularlyconducivetononcommercialandnonprofitculturalproductionaswellasmoreparticipatoryandcollaborativemediapracticesInmanywaysthelong-standingvaluesandintentofcommu-nitymediaforeshadowthisnewmediaenvironment
ThescanresearchfocusedonfourkeyareasofinquiryWhataretheuniquecharacteristicsthatdistin-guishcommunitymediaWhatmakesmedia-communitycollaborationssuccessfulWhattypesofcommunitymediaorganizationsbestleveragenewtechnologiesHowmightcommunitymediaengageunderservedpopulationsinprogrammingtailoredtotheirneedsIneachinstancewefoundthatcommunitymediacombinedwithgreaterafford-ablebandwidthandopen-sourceapproachestoproductiondohavetremendouscommunitydevelopmentpotentialHowevernoneofthatpotentialwillcomeaboutmagicallyThecommunitymediasectorisfacingthechallengingtaskofmanagingextensivechangeandtransformation
chAllengesThesuccessdisappointmentsandsocialvalueofthepastsixtyyearsofcommunitymediainitiativesmustbejudgedinhistoricalcontextConsistentmisrepresentationinthemainstreammediaandlimitedunaccommodatingsocialpolicyhaveresultedininadequatevisibilityandfinancialsupportforcommunitymediaAnydiscussionofitssuccessesorfailuresmustincorporateanunderstand-
ingoftheseexternalconstraintsInthislighttheexistingexpressionsofcommunitymediaattheirbestarewildlysuccessfulsocialexperimentsgivingcauseforgreatoptimism
NeverthelesscommunitymediafacebothexternalandinternalchallengesTheinternalchallengesarisefromstructuraltensionsthatoccurinanyattempttocreateorganizationsandculturesthatembodydiversitydemocraticexpressionandequitableaccessRatherthanbeingexpressedasldquoweaknessesrdquoasissooftenthecaseinmainstreammediaandacademiatheseinternaltensionsaremoreproperlyunderstoodaspredictabledevelopmentalproblemsandopportunitiesthatpractitionersshouldbepreparedtograpplewithinanycommunitymediasetting
Balancing Free Expression and Audience Development CommunityradioandpublicaccesscablehavehistoricallyprivilegedtheinterestsofproducersbygrantingthemgreatpoliticalfreedominmakingdecisionsregardingwhatprogrammingtocreateandwhataestheticandformattingapproachestouseThetrade-offforacultureofactivistvolunteerismandfreeexpressionhasbeensmalleraudi-encesandlowerlevelsofproductionandprogramsupportProgramproducerscarryanintensecommitmenttoindi-vidualownershipoftheirprogramminginitiativesthatmaynottaketheaudiencersquosinterestsfullytoheart
Whiletheseapproachesinradioandcableaccesshaveresultedinadiversityofprogrammingandpoliticalviewpointstheyhavealsopreventedradiostationpro-grammersorcableaccessorganizationsfrombuildingaflowofprogramsthatcandefineandconstructanongoingaudienceinthecommunityEachprogramorscheduledprogramslotcarriesitsownmicroaudienceldquofragmentedpublicsrdquothatareoftennotpartofanintegratedflowofpro-grammingthatattractsanaudiencetothechannelsoverall(Higgins2002)
Freeexpressionandaudiencedevelopmentarenotmutuallyexclusivenordoparticipatorymanagementstructuresvolunteerinvolvementandproducertrain-ingprogramsneedtoimpedeaudiencedevelopmentThesuccessofAmyGoodmanandDemocracyNowsoundlydemonstratesthisInfactmanycommunitymediaorgani-zationshavecreatedprogramminginitiativesthatcombinesophisticatedmeasurementsofsocialoutcomeswith
conclusions
trainingandparticipatoryprogramplanningTheyhavenotonlyraisedthesocialvalueoftheirprogrammingtotheircommunitiestheyhavealsoincreasedthesizeandloyaltyoftheiraudiences(Aufderheide2003)Asinteractivemediabegintocreatetheconditionswherenicheprogram-mingcanbefarmoresuccessfulthetensionbetweenfreeexpressionandaudiencedevelopmentisnotonlyachal-lengebutalsoatremendousopportunity
Programming MetricsStillroundtableparticipantsrepeatedlynotedthatevenwhenprogrammingmeetscommunityneedscommunitymediaorganizationscanfinditdifficulttodocumentimpactTheyfeltthatfundershavegenerallynotyetaddressedtheroleofmediainpopularcultureorthepowerofpopularcultureinaddressingsocialproblemsInaddi-tionfundersfindithardtoestablishcost-benefitmeasuresofsocialimpactfortheirmediaexpenditures
ParticipantsaskedformodelsofaudiencefeedbackandoutcomesmeasurementthatgobeyondaudiencenumbersTheyacknowledgedthedifficultyofquantify-ingnotionsofsuccesswhichtendtobeverysubjectiveandofusingsuccessstoriesinthecommonprogrammingmetricsofthedayManyrecognizedskepticismamongfundersabouttheimportanceofcommunitymediaasuspicionaboutagendasandafearofthecostsinvolvedmakingcommunitymediaahardsellEventhoughafewgoodevaluationeffortswereacknowledgedtheircollectiveresultshavenotbeenincorporatedintothethinkingofthewiderfundingcommunity
FundingMulti-yearstablefundingsupportforcommunitymediainitiativesiscriticaltostabilityinnovationandgrowthRoundtableparticipantsdiscussednumerousinstancesinwhichprojectswithmulti-yearsupporthadpowerfulpositiveimpactsextendingbeyondtheinitialprojectgoalsMulti-yearfundingcreatesthestabilitytoundertakeproperstrategicplanningandpartnershipdevelopment
Thereissomeearlyevidencethatamultiple-plat-formnonprofit-orientednichemarketcouldemergeasasignificantopportunitytoprovideenhancedrevenueforthecommunityandnoncommercialmediasectorsTheinterac-tivecapacityofthenewnetworkssignificantlyincreasestherevenuepotentialforcooperativeandsubscription-styleprogrammingflowsHoweverstrongmarketsforcommer-ciallyfundedparticipatorycommunityexpressionhavenotyetemergedinthedigitaleraduetothelimitedsizeofpopulationsandavailableadvertisingsupportIfthereistobeavitalsectorofcommunity-basedmediasomeformofsignificantpublicfundingwillbenecessaryevenininstanceswherecommunitymediaorganizationsmightrealizesignificantrevenuefromnewmarketsInordertomakethemostefficientuseofpublicfundingcommuni-tiesmustevolvefundingandgovernancestructuresforcommunitymediathatcanfacilitatetheaggregationoffundscoordinatemultiple-organizationprojectsandactastrustedconvenersofprogramminganddevelopmentdiscus-sionsincommunities
Policy ThreatsWhiletheconvergenceoftechnologyandpracticescreatesincreasingpotentialsforaunifiedcommunitymediasectorthereisunfortunatelynocohesiveandunifiednationalpolicyframeworkforcommunitymediaThegovernmentpoliciesandregulationsthatexistforcommunitymediahavebeenretrofittedinthearenasofUSbroadcastingandtelephonypolicyWhiletheyrepresenthard-wonpoliticalvictoriesandstrategicinsighttheydonotaddresstheneedsofcommunitymediainaholisticway
Inthecurrentpoliticalclimatebroadcastmediaownershipcontrolandprogrammingwillcontinuetobecentralizedinfewercorporationsleavingcommunitieswithlessoptionsforcontrollingtheirlocalmediaenviron-mentsAtthesametimethetelephonecompanieswillenterthemarketforvideotelephonyandbroadbandbydeployinghigh-capacitydigitaltelevisionnetworksinmanycommunitiesintheUnitedStates
ThecurrenttrendofcentralizationinUStele-communicationspolicyisthreateningtheabilityoflocal
Freeexpressionandaudiencedevelopmentarenotmutuallyexclusivenordoparticipatorymanagementstructuresvolunteerinvolvementandproducertrainingprogramsneedtoimpedeaudiencedevelopment
Communitymediaorganizationscanfinditdifficulttodocumentimpact
governmentstomandatecommunity-basedcommunica-tionsnetworksandprogramminginitiativesasrentonthepublicrights-of-wayThesefundingmechanismscurrentlysupportPublicEducationandGovernment(PEG)accesscabletelevisioncentersmediaartscentersandmanymunicipalcommunicationnetworksWhilefarfromperfectregulatorymechanismstheyareoneofthemostsuccess-fulformsofpublicmediasupporttoariseinthelastthirtyyears
Overthenextfiveyearsthesesuccessfulfundingstrategieswillbeunderheavyattackbythetelephonecom-paniesandthecabletelevisionindustryinastrugglewithgovernmentsforcommunitycontrolofthepublicrights-of-wayThesamedynamicthreatensequitableInternetaccessIncreasinglybroadbandcommunitynetworksaremunicipallyownedormandatedWhilesomeofthesemunicipalbroadbandnetworksweredeployedforinternalmunicipalpurposestimehasshownthatsuchnetworkscanserveanumberofnon-governmentalcommunity-basedpurposesincludingwirelessISPconnectionsforresidentsbusinessesandvisitorsManycommunitiesareseeking(andsomehaveobtained)ldquoCommunityBenefitsAgreementsrdquowithproposedwirelessbroadbandvendorsthatsetasideasmallfranchisefeeongrossrevenuestosupportdigitalinclusionactivitiesfollowingtheexampleofcablecompaniessupportofPEGaccessHowevermunicipalbroadbandandmunicipalwirelessareunderattackbyindustriestryingtoreservethesedevelopmentrightsforthemselves
Theoutcomeofthedebatesaroundcontroloftherights-of-waywillhaveasignificantimpactonthefuturepathofcommunitymediadevelopmentThesedebateswillrangeacrosstheregulatoryspectrumtheyarenowbeingwagedinlocalstateandnationallegislativearenasandthecourtsTheresultingcommunicationsinfrastruc-tureandregulatoryframeworkwillbeabletorealizethepotentialsofcommunitymediaifandonlyifcommunitiesareabletotakeleadershipinprovidingsubstantialpublicaswellasprivatefundingAsanoldtruismnotesldquomoneyispolicyrdquo
Therearenopoliticalortechnicalguaranteesthatdigitalmedianetworkswillremainopenandparticipa-toryastheyevolveItisunlikelythatmarketforcesalone
willservetorealizethedemocraticpotentialoftodayrsquosparticipatorymediatechnologyBuildingarobustsectorofcommunity-baseddemocraticnewmediawillrequireeffectivecitizenactivismclearandresponsivegovern-mentpoliciesandeffectivepoliticalstrategiesCommunitymedianeedsseparaterecognitionandsupportwithinfed-eralstateandlocalcommunicationspolicyandregulatorystructuresinordertoensureequitableandstablefundinganddevelopment
models for the futureThegovernmentregulationsandsubsidiesthatunderpincommunitymediahaveevolvedinahodgepodgefashionoverthepastsixtyyearsItcanbearguedthatcommunitymediashouldbetreatedasaseparatesectorwithinte-gratedfundingstructuresconsistentinfrastructureandtaxandsubsidypoliciesthatareseparateanddistinctfromexistinglocalmediapoliciesandalsofromthepoliciesunderpinningpublicbroadcastingPossiblemodelsforamoreunifiedapproacharenumerousbuttwoappearpar-ticularlywellsuitedtocommunitymediarsquosdiverseformsorganizationsandprogrammingapproaches
Public Funding FindingappropriatemethodsofincreasingpublicfundingforcommunitymediainashiftingregulatoryenvironmentiscrucialCurrentlocalcablefranchisingregulationstosupportcableaccessandthecommunitybenefitsagree-mentsofmunicipalwirelessnetworksoffersuccessfulmodelsbutarenowbothunderattackThelawsrequiringcommercialcableproviderstosetasidebandwidthchan-nelcapacityforthepublicinadditiontooperatingfundingbasedonapercentageofcommercialrevenuescouldbeextendedtoincludevoicevideoanddataEssentiallythenanycommercialproviderusingthepublicrights-of-wayorthewirelessspectrumwouldberequiredtocontributeanequitablepercentageofbandwidthandrev-enuetosupportthecommunitycommunicationssector
Community Media DevelopmentAdequatelevelsoffundingareonlypartoftheequationWhilefundingshouldsupporttheoverallgrowthofthe
Thereisunfortunatelynocohesiveandunifiednationalpolicyframe-workforcommunitymedia
setasidebandwidthchannelcapacityforthepublicinadditiontooperatingfunding
communitymediasectorinasensiblefashionanyfundingsolutionmustaddressthedifficultynowexperiencedbyfundersindealingwithcommunitymediahowtoprovideoverallsupporttoasectormadeupofsmallindependentorganizationswithanextremelydiversesetoffundingsourcesandmissionsOneeconomicdevelopmentapproachseemsparticularlyusefulhereProgressivecommunityeconomicdevelopmentstrategieshaveevolvedtosupportthegrowthofadiversityofsmallenterpriseswithinacom-monsectorwhilerecognizingthattheseenterprisescanatdifferenttimesbecollaboratorspartnersorcompetitorsSimilarstrategiescanguidedevelopmentofthecommunitymediasector
Thereareatleasttwoshort-termstepsthatcouldassistinthedevelopmentofcommunitymediaorgani-zationsandsupporttheircitizensrsquoabilitytocopewithcommercialmediaandinformationsaturationOneisforcommunitiestobuildorsecureaffordablebroadbandandwirelessnetworkinfrastructurewithastrongcommu-nitybenefitsagreementinsupportofdigitalinclusionHundredsofcommunitiesacrossthecountryeitherhaveorarelaunchingsuchwirelesscommunitynetworksmanyincollaborationwithwirelessvendorswhoinordertowinaservicecontractwiththemunicipalityinquestionaresup-portingdigitalliteracytraininginexpensiverefurbishedcomputersandlocalcontentdevelopmentndashinshortprogramsofdigitalinclusionandexcellence
AsecondopportunityidentifiedbyroundtableparticipantsisthepotentialforanationalsupportnetworkforexistingcommunitymediaorganizationsAnationalsupportnetworklinkingcommunitiesandtheircommu-
nitymediapractitionersandinstitutionscouldfacilitatearangeofactivitiesincludinglocal-to-localcommunicationorexchangesofinformationandprogrammingbetweencommunitiesvirtualspaceforanationalnetworkofcommunitymediaorganizationstohelptoorganizeuni-fiedpolicyadvocacywiderdistributionofpastproductsformationofissue-responseteamstoadvanceinterestsofcommunitygroupsandtapintolocalresourcesandshareddirectoriesofpractitionerstrainersandfacilitiesConveningleadersfromtheaggregatorsandassociationsservingcommunitymediaintheirvariousforms(listedinAppendix2)mightbeagoodnextsteptoexplorethisopportunity
the promiseThepracticeofcommunitymediahasmanagedtogrowandevolveoverthepastsixtyyearsdespiteunevenandgenerallylowlevelsofsupportandinconsistentgovernmentpoliciesEllieRenniearesearchfellowattheInstituteforSocialResearchSwinburneUniversityofTechnologyhaswrittenthatcommunitymediaareoftendefinednegativelyforwhattheyareopposedtoratherthanpositivelyforwhattheyhaveachieved(Rennie2006)Weareawarethatcom-munitymediahaveoftenbeendismissedasmarginalandidiosyncraticbuttheexamplescitedinthisreportprovidepowerfulevidencetothecontraryItistimetodefinecommunitymediabywhattheyhaveachievedCommunitymediaattheirbesthaveconsistentlydemonstratedtheirpotentialtoempowercommunitiesandindividualstoparticipateascitizensincommunityandeconomicdevelop-mentartseducationcommunitydialogandpoliticaldebateInmanyinstancestheyhavebecomecentralcul-turalsurvivalinstitutionsasourcommunitiesdealwiththeimpactofcommercialmediasaturationandglobalization
Duringtheroundtablediscussionsthattookplaceaspartofthisscanitwasobviousthatthevalueofcom-munitymediatocommunitiestranscendsthemeasurableeffectsofcivicengagementandcommunitydevelopmentCommunitymediacanallowindividualsincommunitiestohaveprofoundexperiencesofactivelyexpressingthem-selvesthroughmediaForpeoplewhohaveseenthemselvesaspassivereceptorsatthebottomofacascadeofpackagedmediaexperiencesandmessagesactiverepresentationoftheirownlivesandcircumstanceshasatransformativeeffectthatgoesbeyondsimplephraseslikeldquocivicengage-mentrdquoThevalueofcommunitymediatoindividualsandthecommunitiestheyliveinisincalculable
hellipaffordablebroadbandandwirelessnetworkinfrastructurewithastrongcommunitybenefitsagreement
anationalsupportnetworkforexistingcommunitymediaorganizations
Appendix 1 Community media empowerment StrategieS
empoWerment Activity ApproAch infrAstructure or venue
AccessAccesstocommunicationsinfrastructureproductiontools
MakingavailablemediaproductiontoolscomputerstelevisionandradiodistributionInternetsoftwarecommunitycommunicationsinfrastructuremeetingspacewebservers
Democraticcitizenaccesstocommunicationstoolsanddisseminationinfrastructure
CablebroadbandmunicipaltelecomInternetWiFiWiMAXlocalandpublicservicebroadcasting
AlternativeContent CreationofvideoaudiofilmwebsitesInternet-basedcitizenmediaP2Pmediabloggingsocialnetworkingsoftwaredatabasesandprintproduction
Contentpositionedtocounterorsupplementmassmediacontentandinformationfrommainstreamsources
AllplatformswithanincreasingexpansionwithinIPNetworksandcross-platformproductionanddissemination
CompetencyLiteracyMedialiteracyinformationliteracydigitalliteracyandculturalliteracy
Mediaartsandaestheticeducationlearningtogainacivicvoiceinamediaculturearticulationofmediabiasesengaginginmediaandpoliticsunderstandingcommoditycultureparentinginamedia-saturatedhome
Interventioninthecomplexmanipulationofsymbolsandculture
Allmassmediaprintelectronic
CommunityBuilding Workforcetrainingandskillbuildingmicro-enterprisedevelopmentbusinessinfrastructuredevelopment
Communityorganizingparticipatoryplanningdemocraticeconomicdevelopmentworkforceandinfrastructuredevelopment
Localmediamunicipaltelecominfrastructurecomputerandtechnologyincubatorsandtechnologycenters
0
Itisdifficulttounderstandthefullscopeofcommu-nitymediaculturewithoutknowingofthefollowingorganizationswhichsupportcommunitymediaand
independentmediapracticesTheyplayanumberofrolesasnationalassociationsrepresentingnetworksofcommu-nitymediaorganizationsandmediaartsorganizationsasproducernetworksandstrategiccommunicationsplannerslinkingcommunityorganizationswithcommunitymediaorganizationsasorganizationsofcommunityactivistsandproducersworkingtomoreeffectivelysupportandusecommunitymediaandascollaboratorsandpartnersincommunitydevelopmenttrainingandeducation
ActiveVoicehttpwwwactivevoicenet
AllianceforCommunityMediahttpwwwalliancecmorg
AssociationforCommunityNetworking
httpwwwafcnorg
CommunityMediaWorkshophttpwwwnewstipsorg
CommunityTechnologyCentersrsquoNetwork
httpwwwctcnetorg
DeepDishTVhttpdeepdishtvorg
FreeSpeechTVhttpwwwfreespeechorg
IndependentTelevisionServicehttpwwwitvsorg
IndependentMediaCenterIndymedia
httpwwwindymediaorg
LatinoPublicBroadcastinghttpwwwlpbporg
LinkTVhttplinktvorg
LPFMDatabasecom
httpwwwangelfirecomnj2piratejimlpfmhtml
MediaTankhttpwwwmediatankorg
MediaWorkingGrouphttpwwwmwgorg
NationalAllianceforMediaArtsandCulture
httpwwwnamacorg
NationalAsianAmericanTelecommunicationsAssochttp
asianamericanmediaorgindexhtml
NativeAmericanPublicTelecommunications
httpasianamericanmediaorgindexhtml
NationalBlackProgrammingConsortium
httpwwwnbpctv
NationalFederationofCommunityBroadcasters
httpwwwnfcborg
NationalPublicRadiohttpwwwnpr
NationalPublicTelecomputingNetworkhttpwwwnptnorg
PaperTigerTelevisionhttpwwwpapertigerorg
PacificIslandersinCommunications
httpwwwpiccomorg
PewCenterforCivicJournalismhttpwwwpewcenterorg
PrometheusRadioProject
httpwwwprometheusradioorg
PublicBroadcastingServicehttpwwwpbsorg
PublicRadioExchangehttpwwwprxorg
ReclaimtheMediahttpwwwreclaimthemediaorg
StarfishTelevisionNetworkhttpwwwstarfishtvorg
WebsitesofUSPEGAccessChannels
httpwwwbevcamorgpeg
WorldAssociationofCommunityRadioBroadcasters
httpwwwamarcorg
Appendix 2 aggregatorS and aSSoCiationS
Appalshophttpwwwappalshoporg
BayAreaVideoCoalitionhttpwwwbavcorg
BeyondMediaEducationhttpwwwbeyondmediaorg
CambridgeCommunityTelevisionhttpwwwcctvcambridgeorg
CasaGuatemalaMediaProjecthttpwwwcasaguatemalaorg
CharlotteObserverhttpwwwcharlottecom
ChicagoAccessNetworkTelevisionhttpwwwcantvorg
GrandRapidsCommunityMediaCenterhttpgrcmcorg
GrandNethttpwwwgrcmcorgnposervicesitphp
GRTVhttpwwwgrcmcorgtv
ideastreamhttpwwwideastreamorg
IFPMinnesotaCenterforMediaArtshttpwwwifpnorthorgabouthtml
IntermediaArtshttpwwwintermediaartsorg
KartemquinFilmshttpwwwkartemquincom
KBOOhttpwwwkbooorg
KFAIhttpwwwkfaiorg
LowellTelecommunicationsCenterhttpltcorg
ManhattanNeighborhoodNetworkhttpmnnorg
MediaArtsProjecthttpwwwthemaporg
MetroGovernmentCommunityMediaInitiativehttpwwwmetro-regionorg
MetropolitanAustinInteractiveNetworkhttpwwwmainorg
MinneapolisTelevisionNetworkhttpwwwmtnorg
MinnesotaChannelhttpwwwtptorgmnchannelnew
MinnesotaPublicRadiohttpminnesotapublicradioorghttpminnesotapublicradioorgpublicinsightjournalism
MountainAreaInformationNetworkhttpmainncus
MtHoodCableRegulatoryCommissionhttpwwwmhcrcorg
NewAmericaMediahttpnewsnewamericamediaorgnews
NewRoutestoCommunityHealthhttpwwwnewroutesorg
NorthwestFilmandVideoCenterhttpwwwnwfilmorg
OneClevelandhttpwwwoneclevelandorg
OregonPublicBroadcastinghttpwwwopborg
PortlandCommunityMediahttpwwwpcmtvorg
RadioArtehttpwwwwrteorg
SaintPaulNeighborhoodNetworkhttpwwwspnnorg
ScribeVideoCenterhttpwwwscribeorg
SoundPartnersforCommunityHealthhttpwwwsoundpartnersorg
StreetLevelYouthMediahttpwwwstreet-levelorg
TwinCitiesDailyPlanethttpwwwtcdailyplanetnet
TwinCitiesMediaAlliancehttpwwwtcmediaallianceorg
TwinCitiesPublicTelevisionhttpwwwtptorg
URTVhttpwwwurtvorg
WalkerArtCenterhttpwwwwalkerartorgindexwac
WCIW-LPhttppacificanetworkorgradiocontentview17542httpwwwciw-onlineorg
WGBHhttpwwwwgbhorg
WHYYhttpwhyyorg
WPVMhttpwwwwpvmorg
WYBEhttpwwwwybeorg
WYCEhttpwwwgrcmcorgradio
YouthChannelhttpwwwyouthchannelorg
Appendix 3 Community media praCtitionerSWebsitesofthosepractitionersmentionedinthetext
AndersonRachelBenton Digital Beat Extra Noncommercial Networks on DBSWashingtonDCBentonFoundation2000
AufderheidePatricialdquoCableAccessTVandthePublicSphererdquoinThe Daily Planet A Critic on the Capitalist Culture BeatMinneapolisandLondonUniversityofMinnesotaPress2000a
AufderheidePatriciaIn The Battle for Reality Social Documentaries in the USWashingtonDCAmericanUniversityCenterforSocialMedia2003
AufderheidePatricialdquoTheWhatandHowofPublicBroadcastingrdquoinThe Daily Planet A Critic on the Capitalist Culture BeatMinneapolisandLondonUniversityofMinnesotaPress2000b
AynteAbdirahmanldquoSomaliWebsitesACompetitiveAlternativeMediaandaFarcetoReckonWithrdquoHiiraan Onlinehttpwwwhiiraancomnews2006aprsomali_websitesaspx
AzzouzBushraTomChamberlinandMarleneFarnumThe Community Media Project Building Community through Media(Aproposedmodelforafive-yearinitiativetoproducelocaltelevisionprogrammingthatbroadensthedialogueonissuesimportanttotheOregoncommunityandcreatesastrongsenseofplace)PortlandORMetroDecember2000
BarlowWilliamldquoCommunityRadiointheUSTheStruggleForADemocraticMediumrdquoinMedia Culture and SocietyVol10(1988)
BenklerYochaiThe Wealth of Networks How Social Production Transforms Markets and FreedomNewHavenYaleUniversityPress2006
BentonFoundationDigital Alliances Partners in Public
Service Models for CollaborationUniversityParkPAThePennsylvaniaStateUniversity2002
BlauAndrewDeep Focus A Report on the Future of Independent MediaSanFranciscoNationalAllianceforMediaArtsandCulture2004
BowmanShayneandChrisWillisWe Media How Audiences Are Shaping the Future of News and InformationEditedbyJDLasicaRestonVATheMediaCenteratTheAmericanPressInstitute2003httpwwwhypergenenetwemediadownloadwe_mediapdf
BurnettRonldquoFromCommunityMediatoInternationalNetworksrdquoCritical Approaches to Culture + Communications + HypermediaNovember182005httpwwweciadca~rburnettWeblogarchives200511from_communityhtml
CanoAndrealdquoMicroradioAToolforCommunityEmpowermentrdquoinPublic Broadcasting and the Public InterestEditedbyMichaelPMcCauleyEricEPetersonBLeeArtzandDeeDeeHalleckLondonMESharpe2003
CarnegieCommissiononEducationalTelevisionPublic Television A Program for ActionNewYorkBantam1967
CastellsManuelThe Rise of the Network Society The Information Age Economy Society and CultureVolumes12amp3MaldenMABlackwellPublishersInc2005
ChesterJeffBeyond Broadcast Expanding Public Media in the Digital AgeWashingtonDCCenterforDigitalDemocracyFebruary2006httpwwwdemocraticmediaorgBBBBfrontphp
ChristensenPaulNanMcIntyreandLynnPikholzldquoBridgingCommunityandEconomicDevelopmentAStrategyforUsingIndustryClusterstoLinkNeighborhoodsandtheRegionalEconomyrdquo(reportfundedbytheFordFoundation)ClevelandShorebankEnterpriseGroup2005
ldquoCitizenJournalismrdquoissueofNieman ReportsCambridgeMATheNiemanFoundationforJournalismatHarvardUniversityVol59No4Winter2005eMprintNewsbookhttpwwwniemanharvardedureports05-4NRwinterNR05W_Citizen_Journalismpdf
City PagesldquoBestPublicAccessCableTVProgramSomaliTVrdquoBestoftheTwinCities2004MNApril282004httpcitypagescombestof2004artsandentertainmentbestof2379asp
bibliogrAphy
CruzRossanaReguilloldquoTheOracleintheCityBeliefsPracticesandSymbolicGeographiesrdquoinGlobal Cities of the South (Social Text)EditedbyAshleyDawsonandBrentHayesEdwardsTranslatedbyBrentHayesEdwardsandNoraNicoliniDurhamNCDukeUniversityPress81(Volume22Number4)Winter2004
DeLasCasasLucywithSimonBurallJohnMorrisonDavidKaleteandJagadanandaldquoGlobalMediaReformandAccountabilityReportfromtheNationalMediaReformConferencerdquoStLouis2005httpwwwoneworldtrustorgpagesdownloadcfmdid=281
DevineRobertHldquoVideoAccessandAgencyrdquoConferencepresentationTheNationalFederationofLocalCableProgrammersStPaulMNJuly171992
DirlinMartyandCathyMelioldquoTheGrassrootsRadioMovementintheUnitedStatesrdquoinPublic Broadcasting and the Public InterestEditedbyMichaelPMcCauleyEricEPetersonBLeeArtzandDeeDeeHalleckLondonMESharpe2003
DowningJohnDHwithTamaraVillarealFordGeneveGilandLauraSteinRadical Media Rebellious Communication and Social MovementsThousandOaksCASagePublications2001
EgerJohnldquoCreativeClustersandtheUrbanEconomyrdquoGovernment and Technology(February62006)httpwwwgovtechnetnewsnewsphpid=98345
EgerJohnMThe Creative Community Forging The Links Between Art Culture Commerce amp CommunityTheCaliforniaInstituteforSmartCommunitiesSanDiegoStateUniversity2005httpwwwsmartcommunitiesorgcreativeCreativeCommBroFINALpdf
EngelmanRalphPublic Radio and Television in America A Political HistoryThousandOaksCASagePublications1996
GillespieGilbertPublic Access Television in the United States and CanadaNewYorkPraegerPublishers1975
GillmorDanWe the Media Grassroots Journalism by the People for the PeopleSebastopolCAOrsquoReillyMediaInc2006
GrahamStephenandSimonMarvinTelecommunications and the City Electronic Spaces Urban PlacesLondonandNewYorkRoutledge1996
HalleckDeeDeeHand-Held Visions The Impossible Possibilities of Community MediaNewYorkFordhamUniversityPress2002
HigginsJohnWldquoAlternativeMediaandtheCultofIndividualismExperiencesfromUSPublicAccessTVrdquoPaperpresentedattheldquoOurMediardquopre-conferenceoftheInternationalAssociationforMediaandCommunicationResearchCommunityCommunicationSectionBarcelonaSpainJuly202002httpwwwourmedianetorgpapersom2002Higginsom2002pdf
HowleyKevinCommunity Media People Places and Communication TechnologiesCambridgeCambridgeUniversityPress2005
HoynesWilliamldquoThePBSBrandandtheMerchandisingofthePublicServicerdquoinPublic Broadcasting and the Public InterestEditedbyMichaelPMcCauleyEricEPetersonBLeeArtzandDeeDeeHalleckLondonMESharpe2003
JankowskiNicholasWldquoCommunityMediaResearchAQuestforTheoreticallyGroundedModelsrdquoThePublicVol1015(2003)httpmokkbmehucentreconferencesreactivismFPfpNJ
JankowskiNicholasWandOlePrehnedsCommunity Media in the Information Age Perspectives and ProspectsCresskillNJHamptonPress2002
LashScottThe Critique of InformationLondonSagePublications2002
ListerMartinJonDoveySethGiddingsIainGrantandKieranKellyNew Media A critical IntroductionLondonandNewYorkRoutledge2003
LloydMarkldquoRadioandLocalismWhatWhenWrongrdquoinContext(publishedbytheCenterforCommunicationsandCommunityUCLA)IssueNo4(WinterSpring2006)
MacintyreBenldquoWelcometotheNewTomPainesrdquoTimesOnlineNovember132004httpwwwtimesonlinecouktolcommentarticle390484ece
MaherVincentTowards a Critical Media Studies Approach to the BlogosphereNewMediaLabPublicationSchoolofJournalismandMediaStudiesRhodesUniversitySouthAfrica2006
MetroCommunity Media Project Evaluation Report PortlandORMetroJuly2004
MostStephenldquoBAVCandTheBigPicturerdquoinA Closer Look Media Arts 2002EditedbyHelenDeMichielSanFranciscoNationalAllianceforMediaArtsandCulture2002
NewAmericaMedialdquoEthnicMediainAmericaTheGiantHiddeninPlainSightrdquoPollconductedbyBendixenampAssociates2005httpnewsnewamericamediaorgnewsview_articlehtmlarticle_id=0443821787ac0210cbecebe8b1f576a3
OlsonBillThe History of Public Access Television2000httpwwwgeocitiescomiconostarhistory-public-access-TVhtml200415
PewCenterforCivicJournalismldquoDoingCivicJournalismrdquo2007httpwwwpewcenterorgdoingcj
PierceSteveldquoDBSandthePublicInterestOpportunityinSatelliteTelevisionrdquoinPublic Broadcasting and the Public InterestEditedbyMichaelPMcCauleyEricEPetersonBLeeArtzandDeeDeeHalleckLondonMESharpe2003
PhilipsSusanldquoTrueCommunityTowardaCollaborativeEthosScribersquoslsquoTrueCommunityVisionrsquordquoinA Closer Look Media Arts 2002EditedbyHelenDeMichielSanFranciscoNationalAllianceforMediaArtsandCulture2002
PorterMichaelEldquoLocationCompetitionandEconomicDevelopmentLocalClustersinaGlobalEconomyrdquoEconomic Development Quarterly14no1(February2000)15-34
ProjectforExcellenceinJournalismldquoMajorTrendsrdquoinState of the News Media 2006 An Annual Report on American Journalismhttpwwwstateofthenewsmediaorg2006nar-rative_overview_eightaspcat=2ampmedia=1
PrometheusRadioProjectldquoOurFifthBarnraisingmdashWCIW-LPinImmokaleeFloridardquohttpprometheusradioorgcontentview48952006
RennieEllieCommunity Media A Global IntroductionLanhamMDRowmanandLittlefieldPublishers2006
RodriguezClemenciaFissures in the Mediascape An International Study of Citizenrsquos MediaCresskillNJHamptonPress2001
SchafferJanldquoCitizensMediaHasItReachedaTippingPointrdquoinldquoCitizenJournalismrdquoissueofNieman Reports CambridgeMATheNiemanFoundationforJournalismatHarvardUniversityVol59No4Winter2005aeMprintNewsbookhttpwwwniemanharvardedureports05-4NRwinterNR05W_Citizen_Journalismpdf
SchafferJanInterviewonThe NewsHour With Jim Lehrer PBSEveningNewsNovember162005b
SchulerDouglasldquoTheRiseofCommunityNetworksrdquoInternet WorldDecember1995
SchulerDougandPeterDayShaping the Network Society The New Role of Civil Society in CyberspaceCambridgeandLondonMITPress2004
ShirkyClayPower Laws Weblogs and Inequality EconomicsampCultureMediaampCommunityBlog2005OpenSourcehttpshirkycomwritingspowerlaw_webloghtml
ShirkyClaySocial Software and the Politics of GroupsEconomicsampCultureMediaampCommunityBlog2005OpenSourcehttpshirkycomwritingsgroup_politicshtml
Somerset-WardRichardBroadband Community Networks Building the Digital CommonsAreportfortheHaasCharitableTrustsPhiladelphia2005
Somerset-WardRichardConnecting Communities WashingtonDCBentonFoundation2000
Spannerworkse-bookWhat is Social MediaJanuary2007httpwwwspannerworkscomebooks
StarrJeroldMldquoPublicTelevisionintheDigitalAgeTownHallorCyberMallrdquoinPublic Broadcasting and the Public InterestEditedbyMichaelPMcCauleyEricEPetersonBLeeArtzandDeeDeeHalleckLondonMESharpe2003
SteinLauraldquoPublicAccessTelevisionandGrassrootsCommunicationintheUnitedStatesrdquoChapter20inRadical Media Rebellious Communication and Social MovmentsEditedbyJohnDowningThousandOaksCASagePublications2001
SussmanGeraldandJREstesldquoCommunityRadioinCommunityDevelopmentPortlandrsquosKBOORadiordquoinThe Portland Edge Challenges and Successes in Growing CommunitiesEditedbyConniePOzawaPortlandStateUniversityIslandPress2004
WhitneyJenniferldquoMakeMediaMakeRealTroubleWhatrsquosWrong(andRight)withIndymediardquoLiPMagazineJune212005httpwwwlipmagazine
orgarticlesfeatwhitney_indymedia_phtml
0
mediaorganizationsintheUnitedStatesItsrecentstudyldquoEthnicMediainAmericaTheGiantHiddeninPlainSightrdquosurveysHispanicAmericansAfricanAmericansAsianAmericansArabAmericansandNativeAmericans(NewAmericaMedia2005)NAMfoundthatmorethanaquarterofthenationrsquospopulationusesethnicmediainsomecapacity
NewonlinejournalismsitessuchastheTwin Cities Media AlliancersquosDaily PlanetprofiledinthisreportareemergingfromtherestructuringofthenewspaperindustryandtheuseofbloggingandsocialnetworkingsoftwareThe TC Daily Planetaggregatesincreasingnumbersofethnicimmigrantandnon-mainstreamjournalistsinMinneapolis-StPaulAnotherexamplementionedinthisreportRadio Arte (WRTE)maybetheonlybilingual(SpanishEnglish)youth-operatedurbancommunitystationinthecountryItoperateswithafocusonyouthinChicagorsquosPilsenLittleVillageneighborhoodsAninitiativeoftheMexicanFineArtsCenterMuseumthiseducationalradiostationhasayouthtrainingandproductiontrainingprogramandapowerfulwebpresenceinadditiontoitsurbanbroadcastfootprint
BothTC Daily PlanetandRadioArteunderscorethecommonalitiesbetweenethnicmediaandcommunitymediaInmanycircumstancesethnicmediaandcom-munitymediacanbevirtuallyindistinguishableThisconvergenceofvaluesgeographyandpoliticscouldeasilyserveasthefoundationforcollaborationandpartner-ingbetweencommunityandethnicmediainspecificcommunities
Civic JournalismBothcivicjournalismandpublicjournalismrefertoamovementwithinprofessionaljournalismthathonorsnewsorganizationsrsquoroleinconveningandfacilitatingpublicdeliberationanddebatesinwhichaudiencesaretreatedasactiveparticipantsratherthanpassiveconsumersThePew Center for Civic JournalismdefinescivicjournalismasldquobothaphilosophyandasetofvaluessupportedbysomeevolvingtechniquesAtitsheartisabeliefthatjournal-ismhasanobligationtopubliclifendashanobligationthatgoesbeyondjusttellingthenewsorunloadinglotsoffactsrdquo(PewCenter2007)Thisphilosophyemergesfromanunder-standingthatcitizensareincreasinglydisengagedinciviclifeandthatnewsorganizationscanreactivateanapatheticcitizenryNewsorganizationspracticingcivicjournal-ismaimtoestablishdeeperconversationswithbroadercross-sectionsoftheircommunitiesresultinginenhancedcredibilityimprovedcommunicationbetweenthemselves
andthecommunityandbettercoverageofissuesoflocalconcern
CommittedtosupportingjournalisticeffortstorevitalizecitizenshipwhileobjectivelyreportinghardtruthsthePewCenterestablishedtheBattenAwardforExcellenceinCivicJournalismin1995OneofthefirstawardswenttoThe Charlotte ObserverofCharlotteNorthCarolinaforanineteen-monthin-depthseriesoncrimeinnineneighborhoodsReportersspenttwoyearsincrime-riddenneighborhoodsencouragingresidentsinthoseneighborhoodstoreportontherootcausesofcrimeandtoparticipateinthesearchforsolutions
Community NetworkingWhilestillinitsearlytext-basedphasetheInternetwasbeingadoptedasacommunity-buildingtoolbyanumberofgeographicallybasedorganizationsManyoftheseearlycommunitynetworksevolvedfromldquofreenetsrdquoalliedthroughtheNational Public Telecomputing Network(NPTN)AtthattimeNPTNwasthefourthmostpopularpubliccom-puternetworkbehindCompuServeAmericaOnlineandProdigy(Schuler1995)
SomeoftheseearlycommunitynetworksweresimplyInternetdestinationswherecommunity-basedinformationwascollectedandpresentedOthersevolvedasadjunctstotheInternetconnectionsprovidedbylocalInternetserviceprovidersLikeothercommunitymediathepioneersofcommunitynetworkingweremotivatedtousethisnewcommunicationstechnologytostrengthentheircommunities
CommunitynetworkingwaschangedirrevocablywiththeadventoftheWorldWideWebandthesurgeindemandforInternetaccessTheWorldWideWebreplacedmostofthesoftwareapplicationsthatwerebeingusedatthattimetomakeinformationaccessibletopeoplethroughacommunitynetworkThisandthedemandsurgelow-eredthepriceofcommercialInternetaccesstothepointwheretherewaslittlemotivationtobecomeamemberofacommunitynetworkastheywerepracticedatthetimeAsaresultcommunitynetworkinghasbecomelessaboutInternetaccessandmoreabouttheculturalpracticeof
Newsorganizationspracticingcivicjournalismaimtoestablishdeeperconversationswithbroadercross-sectionsoftheircommunities
communitynetworkingwithafocusonsocialnetworkingsoftwaredevelopmentandutilizationCommunitynetwork-ershavealwaysenjoyedclosealignmentwithopensourcesoftwaredevelopersandnowareconcernedwithusingtheInternetintandemwithopensourcesocialnetworkingsoftwaretoaccomplishmanyofthegoalsofcommunitymedia(Schuler2004)
The Metropolitan Austin Interactive Network (MAIN)isanonprofitorganizationcommittedtoinfor-mationsharingandcommunicationamongpeopleandgovernmentaleducationalcommercialculturalreligiousandcivicorganizationsItoperatesacommunity-basedwebsitethatprovidesandaggregatesabroadarrayofinformationcriticaltoAustinresidentsfromemploymentinformationtoenvironmentalartsandculturalcontentMAINiscommittedtohelpingitscommunitymakeeffec-tiveuseoftheInternetandothernetworkcommunicationsstructuresbutdoesnotdirectlyprovidenetworkconnectiv-ityMAINprovidesfreewebhostingandwebdevelopmentassistancethroughabroaddigitalliteracyprogramthatincludestrainingingeneralcomputerandInternetusage
SatelliteWhilesatellitetelevisioncannotbeconsideredcommunitymediabecauseitisneitherlocalnorspecificallycom-munity-focuseditdeservesmentionherebecauseofitsexistingandpotentialcontributionstocommunitymediagoalsSatellitetelevisionisfocusedonnationalvideodistributionviacableanddirectbroadcastservicestohomesatellitedishesTofosterthepublicrsquosinterestindiverseprogrammingviasatellitetheFCCin1992imposedcertainpublicinterestobligationsonDirectBroadcastService(DBS)providersThecommissionruledthatDBSprovid-ersmustreservefourpercentoftheirchanneltranspondercapacityexclusivelyfornoncommercialprogrammingofaneducationalorinformationalnatureUnfortunatelytheFCCleftituptotheDBScompaniestodecidewhichprogram-merswouldbeselectedfromeligibleprogrammersManyfeelthepotentialofDBStoservethepublicinteresthasbeensignificantlycurtailedasaresult(Anderson2000)
Neverthelesssatellitehasbecomehometosomeprogrammersthatembodythevaluesandpracticesofcom-munitymediaNotablyDeepDishTVFreeSpeechTVLinkTVandasofApril2007StarfishTelevisionNetworkarealldistributedviasatelliteduetotheset-asiderulesadoptedbytheFCCEachoffersprogrammingthatembodiesvaluesofdiversityandempowermentwhiledemonstratingthenecessityofset-asidepoliciesfornoncommercialfrequency
andbandwidthatalllevelsofthemediainfrastructureifnoncommercialmediaistoflourishTheyconsistentlyrunprogramsproducedbycommunitymediaactivistsandindependentproducersandrepresentonepossiblewayforcommunitymediaorganizationstodevelopanationalprogrammingreachthatcouldfacilitateldquolocaltolocalrdquocommunicationswhiledevelopinganationalnetworkofprogressivecommunityprogramming
Deep Dish TVpioneeredtheuseofsatellitetoestablishacollaborativenetworkamongactivisttelevisionproducersandpublicaccesscablestationsin1986DrawingontheearlierexperimentsofthePublicInterestVideoNetworkDeepDishbegancreatingprograminstallmentsforsatellitedistributionVideoprogrammingselectedfromactivistandcommunitytapesaroundthecountrywerefedtosatellitetransponderswithanationalfootprintwheretheywerepickedupbyhundredsofcableaccessorganiza-tionsandcommunitymediacentersintheUnitedStates(Pierce2003)
DeepDishrsquos1991satellitebroadcastsoftheGulfCrisisTVProjectareconsideredbymanytobehistoricmomentsincommunitymediaandUScommunicationshistoryadirectinterventioninaninternationalcrisisbypublicaccesstelevisionandindependentmediaactivistsDeepDishTVassembledavideoanti-warteach-induringthefirstGulfWarandmadeitavailabletotheirnetworkviasatelliteThesuccessoftheGulfCrisisprojectexpandedDeepDishrsquosnetworktoincludeindependentpublictelevi-sionsitesanyonewithahomesatellitereceiverandothercommunitymediaandmediaartsorganizationsRalphEngelmanwritesthatDeepDishrsquosuseofsatelliteallowedcommunitymediaactiviststofulfilltwooftheircoreobjec-tivesldquograssrootsparticipationandthepresentationofdiversealternativeperspectivesrdquo(Engelman1996)
TheseearlysuccessesinnetworkingcommunitytelevisionviasatellitehavemorerecentlybeenextendedbyFree Speech TVandAmyGoodmanrsquosDemocracyNowprogrammingFreeSpeechTVextendedthetechnicalcapacitytonetworkwithcableaccessbyraisingfundstobuydirectsatellitereceiversforcableaccessfacilitiesinterestedincablecastingFreeSpeechTVprogram-mingThistechnicalnetworkthenbecameaprogressiveprogramnetworkcalledintoexistencealmostsingle-hand-edlybythehighlysought-afterprogressiveprogrammingofDemocracyNowInturnthepresenceofDemocracyNowprogrammingisconsistentlyservingtoincreasetheaudiencesandsupportforcableaccessincommunitiesthroughouttheUnitedStates
AttheirheartcommunitymediaareaboutmakingmediawithpeoplenotmerelyaboutorforpeopleIt
isasoneChicagoroundtableparticipantnotedlikeldquotheneighborhoodgoingouttodinnerrdquoButasanyonewhohaseverhostedalargedinnerpartyknowsthisisnotalwayseasilyaccomplishedInroundtablediscussionswithcommunitymediapractitionersthreestrategiesndashcollabo-ration across sectors and platforms training and outreach ndashemergedrepeatedlyaswaysofsuccessfullyengagingthebreadthanddiversityoftheircommunitiesInadditionafourthstrategyconnecting with immigrant populationsyieldedinsightsintosomeuniquechallengesandbenefits
strAtegies CollaborationMediainstitutionscanplaytheroleoffacilitatorsintheircommunitiesdemystifyingtheprocessofproductionpro-vidingpeoplewithaccesstotheresourcestheyneedandbuildingonthehistoryandgoalsofcivicjournalismThisrolerequiresmediainstitutionstorethinktraditionaljour-nalismandmayentailthere-balancingofeditorialpoliciesndashcommittingtodiversityembracingegalitarianvaluesandreassessingthevalueofeditorialneutralityInvitingcommunitymemberstohelpwithstoriesmakescover-agemorereflectiveofthecommunitymoreofatwo-wayconversationForinstanceTwin Cities Public Television(TPT)dedicatestimeononeofitsdigitalchannelstolocalandregionalprogrammingincludingprogramstargetedattheLatinoHmongHindiSomaliandVietnamesecommu-nitiesTocreateprogrammingfortheldquoMinnesotaChannelrdquothestationpartnerswithnonprofitorganizationswhopayTPTforproductionsupportandguaranteedbroadcastoftheprogramming
Sound Partners for Community HealthhasshownthatauthenticpartnershipsbetweenpublicbroadcastersandcommunityinstitutionsenableeachpartytoreachlargermorediverseandtargetedaudiencesonhealthissuesimportanttothecommunityCommunityinstitutionspromotedbroadcastsandpublicbroadcastersincreasedthevisibilityoftheirinstitutionalpartnerswhoofferedadditionalresourcesandreferralstoviewersandlistenersandhelpedtodisseminateprogrammingonCDsandDVDsInadditionbymarryingtheexpertiseofcommunity-basedhealthorganizationsandvoicesoflocalresidentswiththeproductionvaluesofhigh-qualityradioandtelevisionpro-grammingSoundPartnerspositionedcommunitymembersasproactiveplannersofandstakeholdersinmediainitia-tivesratherthanpassiverecipientsofmediaattention
Buttherewasinevitabletensioninseparatingjour-nalismfromadvocacywhichrequiredtrustonthepartofallparticipantstoresolveInthecaseoftheSoundPartnerscollaborationsincommunity-basedjournalismpublicbroadcastersneededtotrustthattheirnonprofitpartnerswouldnrsquotadvancetheirownorganizationalagendasattheexpenseoftruthandnonprofithealthorganizationsneededtotrustthattheirbroadcastpartnerswouldrespecttheirexpertise
TheSoundPartnersexperienceaffirmedwhatmanyroundtableparticipantspointedoutmdashtheneedtobuildbridgesacrossmediaaswellSoundPartnersfoundthatcommercialradiostationsandpublicaccesschannelswithcloselinkstoandinfluenceonthecommunityhelpedimplementstrongmediacampaignsincollaborationwithpublicbroadcastingRoundtableparticipantssawcommer-cialmediaoutletsasespeciallyimportantamongimmigrantgroups
Pointingtoanotheraspectofcollaborationround-tableparticipantsimploredmediainstitutionstobeopentosharinginfrastructuretoaccomplishtheirmissionsManynonprofitmediagroupsarestrugglingtosurvivebuthaveassetsthatcanbesharedorintegratedtobetterservetheircommunitiesinacoordinatedefficientwayCreatingcollaborativestructuresasbasicasco-locationoffacilitiesorascomplexasorganizationalmergerscanbeimportantfordisseminatingprogrammingsecuringfundingandprotectingpotentiallycontroversialissueprogrammingForexampleManhattan Neighborhood Networkhashistori-callyleverageditscablefranchise-securedcapitalfunding
engAging community WhAtrsquos Working
Invitingcommunitymemberstohelpwithstoriesmakescoveragemorereflectiveofthecommunitymoreofatwo-wayconversation
tobuildcapacityinothermediaorganizationssuchasastudioandpost-productionfacilitieswithDowntownCommunityTelevisioninChinatownAndinkeepingwiththesamenetwork-buildingapproachtofacilitatingpartici-pationMNNalsofeaturesaYouthChannelconsideredtobethefirstchannelcreatedforyouthbyyouthMNNhasbecomeoneofthecentralhubsinManhattanaroundwhichindependentandcommunitymediagatherforscreeningsadvancededucationalopportunitiesartisticandpoliticaldebatecommunitybuildingandsocialnetworkingcreat-inganexcitingdemocraticmediaculture
Manyparticipantsacknowledgedthatcollaborationishardexpensiveandtime-consumingItplacesdemandsonin-houseknowledgeandconfrontspartneringorganiza-tionsrsquodifferentgoalseditorialpoliciesandresourcesIftheyaretolastpartnershipsneedproperresearchonthefrontendandmulti-leveledsupportChangesinleader-shipcandisruptplanssopartneringcanrsquotbetiedtoonepersonrsquosrelationshiptoanotherpersonitrequiresanetworkofpeopleunderstandingandcontributingtothepartnershipMulti-yearprojectsareimportanttodevelopinfrastructureandsustainefforts
TrainingRoundtableparticipantssawcommunitymediainstitutionsasimportantsourcesbothforjobsandskillstrainingandforbuildingthecapacityoflocalnonprofitgroupsWhileacquiringmediaskillsmaybeacareerpathoutofpovertyironicallycommunitymediaworkisoftenunpaidandpoorpeoplemustprioritizepayingjobsoverparticipationincommunitymediamakingRoundtableparticipantsexpressedconcernthatthereisnotcurrentlyawaytoeconomicallysustaintheeffortsoflow-incomepeoplewhodovolunteerincommunitymedia
CableaccesscenterslikeChicagorsquos CAN-TVandManhattanNeighborhoodNetworkprovidegrantstrainingandequipmenttocommunitygroupswhothendevelopmultimediaproductsandshowcasethemindifferentvenuesThesecentersfacilitatetheexpressionofnon-technology-orientedcommunitymembersandprovidethemwithusefuljobskills
ThetrainingcomponentiscrucialfordevelopingauthenticvoicesinprogrammingBlessedwithadiversetechnology-savvycommunitythatincludesbothHarvard
andMITcampuspopulationsCambridge Community Television CCTVhasbroadeneditseducationalprogramstoincludeadvancedworkshopsandextendededucationalprogramsindocumentarymakingdigitalstorytellingwebsitedesignandstrategiccommunicationsplanningandimplementationCommunitymembersarealsoabletouseCCTVrsquoscomputertechnologycenterfortraininginavarietyofsoftwareapplicationsincludingphotoeditinganddesignandcomputernetworkingThecenterhasbroadeneditsdistributionofvideoprogrammingtoincludeweb-basedmediastreamingofpre-recordedprogrammingpodcastsaudiochannelsandldquoCambridgeCommunityRadiordquowherememberscansignupfortwo-hourblocksofliveradiotimeThecenterrsquosservicesaddresstheneedsofactivistsnonprofitcommunitygroupsmediaeducatorsandpeopleseekingjobskillsthatextendfarbeyondthoseneededtofillthepublicchannelswithvideoItsofferingsareexpand-ingtoincludeworkshopsinpodcastingdigitalaudioproductionvideobloggingandcyberjournalismCCTVtakesdigitalmediaconvergenceseriouslyunderstandingthatmediaproductiontrainingproductionanddistribu-tionarenowapplicableacrossanumberofplatformsandproductionskillsets
Bay Area Video Coalition(BAVC)isanotherorganizationthatmakesemergingvideotechnologyacces-sibletoindependentmediamakersIthasevolvedintoaninternationallyrenownedmediaartscenterthatleadsthefieldinitshigh-qualityproductionandprofessionaldevelopmentsupportfornoncommercialmediamakersThecenteralsoprovidesclassestolow-incomeyouthinmediaartsproductionaswellasworkshopsforcommunitygroupsandnonprofitsBAVChasconsistentlyoffereddevelopmentseminarsandtrainingprogramsthatbringcommercialpro-ducersandnoncommercialproducerstogetherinacommonsettingItoffersoneoftheregionrsquoskeycertifiedtrainingprogramsforcompanieslikeAppleAvidandDigidesignThroughagrantfromtheFordFoundationBAVChasundertakenanationalstudyonldquoDigitalWorkforceDevelopmentrdquoallowingtheorganizationtoestablishitselfasanationalandregionalleaderinprofessionaldevelop-ment(Most2002)Itsprofessionaldevelopmentprogramisasignificantforuminwhichcommercialandnoncom-mercialmediamakerscancometogetherforprofessionaldevelopmentactivitiesinsettingsthatrespectthepublicinterestandroleofmediainsocialdevelopment
OutreachOutreachakeytoolformediagroupsmovestherelation-shipbetweencommunityandmediabeyondconsumption
Collaborationishardexpensiveandtime-consuming
tosocialchangeItinvitespeopletointeractwithmediatobeaffectedbyitandtoaffectothersItaskspeoplewhattheyneedandinvitesthemtocometogethertomeetthoseneeds
Thekeytocreatingrelevantoutreachisresearch-ingwhatthecommunityneedsdetermininghowtoreachitmosteffectivelyandhiringstaffwhohaveoutreachskillsandarewellversedinthecultureandlanguageofthegroupsbeingtargetedAChicagofilmmakerrecountedhowtheseconsiderationsimpactedhisdocumentaryaboutworkersrsquorightsOutreachstaffconsideredthepotentialimpactontwoaudiencesalargeaudienceofPBSviewerssittingintheirlivingroomsandasmallerbutmoreengagedaudienceofsteelworkerswatchingthedocumentaryatalocalbarTheyconcludedthatthebarviewerswouldberivetedbecausetheinformationinthedocumentarywasgearedtothemSuccessfuloutreachasksWhatdogroupspayattentiontoWhomdotheytrustWhatplatformauthenticallyrepresentsthem
NationalprogrammingcanbeacatalystforlocaloutreachParticipantsinChicagoandMinneapolis-StPauldiscussedtheexampleofldquoTheNewAmericansrdquoanationalPBSseriesonimmigrantsproducedby Kartemquin Films Active VoiceanationalorganizationthatworkswithmediamakerstobringaboutpersonalandinstitutionalchangeworkedwithKartemquintopackageseriesfootagethatfocusedonnewarrivalstoMinnesotaTheresultwasalocalseriesldquoTheNewMinnesotansrdquoandapartnershipthatusedmediatoeducatethemainstreamcommunityaboutlocalimmigrantsandtodevelopdiscussionandactivityguidesforcommunityoutreach
Connecting with Immigrant PopulationsMinoritypopulationsandgroupsconcernedwithsupportingtheidentitiesofmarginalizedpopulationshaveincreasinglyturnedtocommunitymediaassourcesofinformationvali-dationofcultureandproductionsupportforthecreationoftheirowncontentCommunitymediahavehelpedcallattentiontothelivesandconcernsofimmigrantcommuni-tiesthatareotherwiseinvisibleoutsidetheirparticularcommunityBecausetheyoftenhavefoundinnovativewaystousecommunitymediafornetworkingandsocialchangeimmigrantpopulationsillustratethepowerofcommunity
mediaandpresentrichopportunitiesformakingcommu-nitymediaorganizationsmorediverseandparticipatoryRoundtableparticipantssharedlessonsinwhatworksandofferedspecificideasforframinganewcommunitymediaprogramaddressingtheneedsofimmigrantsandreceivingcommunitiescalledNew Routes to Community Health
Inreachingouttoimmigrantcommunitiesround-tableparticipantsnotedthatitiscriticaltoidentifyandworkwithexistingagenciesthatimmigrantstrustperhapsachurchorassociationforaparticularethnicgroupButthoughimmigrantgroupsarethemostappropriateconve-nersofsuchcollaborativestheymustalsohavethecapacitytoconvene
TheselectionofplatformalsodeservescarefulconsiderationRoundtableparticipantsnotedthatinadapt-ingtechnologiestotheirownpurposesspecificimmigrantgroupsoftenpreferoneplatformoveranotherForexampleChicagorsquosKorean-AmericancommunityhasbeensuccessfulinusingethnicprintmediatoaddresscommunityissuesThePersianstorytellingtraditionhasmadePersianahugeandgrowinglanguagesegmentonblogsPersianisnowthefourthmostwidelyusedlanguageonweblogs(Macintyre2004)A2000surveyofSomalianimmigrantsinMinnesotashowedthatoverfortypercenteventhenconsideredtheInternettheirmainnewssource(Aynte2006)
RadioinparticularhasshowntremendouspowerinthedevelopingworldpartlyasaresultoftheUnitedNationsrsquoemphasisonradioasthemediumsupportingthemostwidespreadpracticeofcommunitymediaintheworldBecausetheyarefamiliarwithradiobeforecomingtotheUnitedStatesimmigrantgroupsoftenquicklyembraceradiouponarrivalinthiscountryItisalsooneofthemostinexpensiveformsofmediaandthereforeoneofthemostaccessibleldquoIftheycomefromLatinAmericatheyknowthepowerofradiordquoChicagoparticipantsnotedenthusiasti-callyLocalcommercialSpanish-languageradiostationseffectivelyhelpedmobilizeturnoutforimmigrationprotestsinChicagoinMay2006
community spotlightManycommunitiesintheUnitedStatescanpointwithpridetotheachievementsoftheircommunitymediaorganizationsWhenattemptingtoidentifybestpracticesinthenetworkedmediaenvironmentsweseetodayhoweveritisusefultothinkintermsofinterconnectionandcol-laborationnottolooksimplyatindividualmediacentersorbroadcaststationsOftenthemostsuccessfulexamplesofcommunitymediaemergeoutofongoingalliancesandcollaborationsamonglocalcommunitymediagroupsThe
Thekeytocreatingrelevantoutreachisresearchingwhatthecommunityneeds
communitiesspotlightedbelowhavebegunincorporatingpartnershipsandcross-platformcollaborationintothepracticeofcommunitymediaandhavebeguntoreapthebenefitsofthatapproach
Portland OregonTheMetro Government Community Media InitiativeillustratesthepotentialpowerofcommunitiesworkingtogethertoproducetheirownmediaratherthanhavingtheirstoryframedbycommercialnewsorganizationsAlthoughtheprojecthasnowendeditisincludedherebecauseitprovidedsuchastrongmodelforfuturecommu-nitymediaeffortsTheinitiativewasrootedinaproposalbylocalindependentfilmmakerTomChamberlinthatlocalmediamakerscommunitymediaorganizationscommunitygroupsandgovernmentagenciescollaboratetoproducepublicaffairstelevisionprogramsonissuesofconcerntoOregoniansMetroauniqueregionalgovernmentprimarilyresponsibleforregionalland-useandtransportationplan-ningtookChamberlinrsquosideatoheartWithagrantfromtheFederalHighwayAdministrationMetroandanallianceofcommunityorganizationsandgovernmentagenciesdevel-opedldquoZigZagRealStoriesNewAnglesrdquoaprogrambylocalfilmmakersfeaturingpersonalstoriesfromadiversegroupofregionalresidentsastheygrappledwiththetransporta-tionchoicesaffectingtheirfamiliesneighborhoodsandcommunities
InadditiontothecenterpiecebroadcastonOregon Public BroadcastingtheprojectcreatedaninteractivewebsiteanddistributedaDVDoftheprogramtothearearsquoscableaccesschannelsElementsoftheprojectalsofoundtheirwayontoPortlandrsquoscommunityradiostationKBOOandpacketsincludingextensivesupportmaterialsandDVDsweremadeavailableforscreeninginneighborhoodcentersandindependentmediavenuesTherewasalsoaplanninganddeliberationprocesstostrategizeabouthowcitizensgovernmentsandmediamakerscancollaboratetocreatecommunitydialogueandsolvecivicproblems
Asurbanspaceisincreasinglydefinedbytelecom-municationsasmuchastransportationandlandusetheprojectalsoillustratesthepowerfuloutcomesthat
canresultwhenregionaltelecommunicationsplanningbecomesintegratedwithlanduseandtransportationplan-ningandwhencommunitymediaareintegratedintobothformalandinformalprocessesofplanninganddelibera-tionTheMetroCommunityMediaInitiativeresultedinasignificantandmeasurableriseinregionalawarenessofthetransportationplanningissuesaddressedbytheproj-ectViewershipandDVDusesofthemediaincommunitysettingsexceededexpectations(Metro2004)AlthoughtheprojectwasnotimmediatelyreplicatedPortlandnowenjoyscontinuingcollaborationsbetweenMetrogovern-mentanditsareacommunitymedia
ParticipationintheMetroGovernmentCommunityMediaInitiative isonlyoneofthemanywaysPortlandrsquosKBOOradiohasdemonstrateditsfullcommitmenttotheoriginaldemocraticintentionsofcommunityradiooverthecourseofitsforty-two-yearhistoryOlderthanNationalPublicRadioKBOOisamongthelongest-liv-ingcommunityradiostationsintheUnitedStatesOfthenoncommercialradiostationsinPortlandKBOOistheonlystationwhosemissioncontainsanexplicitcommit-menttominorityprogrammersandlisteners(SussmanandEstes2004)KBOOrsquoscommitmenttodemocraticpracticeextendstoaboardofdirectorselectedentirelyfromitsmembershipwhichisopentoanyoneandanaggressivetrainingprogramconsistentwiththestationrsquoscommitmenttovolunteer-producedprogrammingmdashallprogrammingisproducedbyvolunteerswithassistanceofpaidstaffTheparticipationofwomenandminoritiesfarexceedthecommunityrsquosracialdemographics(SussmanandEstes2004)
Portland Community Media (PCM)hasarichtwenty-three-yearhistoryinPortlandwhenitcomestousingmediatobuildcommunityPCMstartedoutasacabletelevisionaccesscenterandstillprovidestheadminis-trationandtrainingtoprogramPortlandrsquoscableaccesschannelsbuthasexpandeditsmissiontoembracetheuseofcommunitymediatobringaboutbroaderparticipationincivicandculturallifePCMrsquoswebsitedescribesthecenterldquowiththreewordsndashEducateCommunicateParticipaterdquoCurrentlyPCMhasanumberofcollaborativeprojectssup-portingmedialiteracyandmediaeducationinthepublicschoolsystemitregularlyprogramsmediaproductionsfromPortlandrsquosmediaartscentertheNorthwestFilmandVideoCenteranditisplanningtoexpanditscentertosupporteconomicdevelopmentofmicroenterprisesfornewmedia
The Mt Hood Cable Regulatory Commission(MHCRC)overseesacable-relatedtelecommunicationsdevelopmentforgreaterPortlandOregonServing
Oftenthemostsuccessfulexamplesofcommunitymediaemergeoutofongoingalliancesandcollaborationsamonglocalcommunitymediagroups
thecommunitiesresidentsandlocalgovernmentsofFairviewGreshamPortlandTroutdaleWoodVillageandMultnomahCountyOregonTheMtHoodCableRegulatoryCommissionnegotiatesandenforcescableservicefran-chiseandactsinthepublicinterestoncommunicationspolicyissuesatlocalstateandfederallevelsItwouldbehardtooverstatetheimportanceofMHCRCinfosteringthegrowthofcommunitymediaingreaterPortlandThroughclearandinsightfulregulationofthecablefranchiseithasassuredthatthenecessarynetworksandtelecommu-nicationsinfrastructureareavailabletoallowcommunitymediatogrow
MtHoodrsquosCommunityAccessCapitalGrantsProgramisparticularlynoteworthyTheCapitalGrantsprogramprovidescapitalfundingtocommunicationsprojectsthatsupportsocialjusticecommunityinvolve-mentandtheeffectivedeliveryofservicesthroughcostreductionTheprogramhasallowedscoresofcommunitygroupstoincreasetheircommunicationscapacitythroughtheacquisitionofskillsknowledgeandtechnologyInimplementingthisgrantprogramtheMtHoodCableRegulatoryCommissionhasbeenextremelystrategicinconveninggranteesandcreatingtheconditionsthatleadtopartnershipsandcollaborativerelationships
TheNorthwest Film and Video Centerisalong-standingregionalmediaartsorganizationservingtheNorthwestregionThecenterprovidesarichprogramnurturingmediaartscultureItfeaturesanactiveexhibi-tionprogramforexperimentalandindependentfilmsahighlyregardedfilmschoolandextensiveyouthmediaprogramsThecenterpresentsanumberofyearlyfilmfestivalsincludingthePortlandInternationalFilmFestivaltheNorthwestFilmandVideoFestivalandtheYoungPeoplersquosFilmampVideoFestivalThecenterrsquosproductionsoftenfindtheirwayontotothearearsquoscablechannelsThecenterisalsoatrustedsourceofequipmentaccessforareaindependentproducersactiveintherichmediacultureofPortlandaservicepartiallysupportedbytheMtHoodCableRegulatoryCommissionrsquosCapitalGrantsprogram
Minneapolis-St Paul MinnesotaTheSaint Paul Neighborhood Network(SPNN)isacableaccessstationservingStPaulresidentsThestationprovidesopportunitiestothepublictoproduceandairprogramsononeofitsfivechannelsdedicatedtomulti-faithpubliceducationcommunityandinternationalcontentrespectivelySPNNhasayoutheducationprogramandacommunityproductionsprogramwhichworkswithnonprofitorganizationstocreatepublicserviceadvertise-
mentsorprogrammingWorkshopsincludeproductiongrantproposalwritinglegalquestionsandlightingSPNNisparticularlyeffectiveasconvenerandcapacitybuilderinitscommunityItseducationandtrainingprogramsarefocusedoncommunitydevelopmentandonkeepingthetechnicaltrainingelementsofitsworkinasocialperspective
Minneapolis Television Network(MTN)isSPNNrsquossisteraccessstationservingMinneapoliswithasimilarcommitmenttoprovidingacommunitygatheringplaceOperatingthreepublicaccesschannelsMTNofferstelevi-siontrainingandmedialiteracyclassesandisespeciallyencouragingofyouthparticipationThechannelsserveasabridgeforimmigrantstouseinadaptingtotheirnewhomemanynewimmigrantsusethemtocommunicateintheirnativelanguageswiththeirSomaliEthiopianorVietnamesecompatriotsSomali-languageprogramsforinstanceoffereighthoursaweekofmusicentertainmentcommunitynewsandreligiousinstructiontooneofthelargestsettlementsofSomalipeopleoutsideSomaliaIntoutingSomalitelevisionasthebestpublicaccesscabletelevisionprogramintheTwinCitiesCity Pages saidldquoForsomepublicaccessisanearlyinspiringlessonindemocracyandfreemediardquo(CityPages2004)WantingtostrengthenthenonprofitcommunityrsquosInternetsavvyMTNcreatedandeventuallyspunofftheRiverProjecttoofferInternetdial-upaccessandwebhostingtononprofits
PublicbroadcastershavealsoofferedstrongmodelsofcommunitycollaborationintheTwinCities Twin Cities Public Television(TPT)isthepublictelevisionstationservingtheMinneapolisndashStPaulregionIn2004TPTbegandedicatingtimeononeofitsdigitalchan-nelstoMinnesota-relatedprogrammingAnumberoftheprogramsontheMinnesota Channel(someofwhicharethencablecastonpublicaccesstelevision)aretargetedatLatinoHmongHindiMiddleEasternChineseandVietnamesecommunitiesandproducedinpartnershipwithnonprofitorganizationsTPTisapartnerintheMinnesotaCommunityCampaignthatencouragesurbanandruralareasinandaroundtheTwinCitiestowelcomethetensofthousandsofimmigrantsandrefugeesthathavesettledthereinthepastseveraldecadesSeekingtoeffectpositivechangeonimmigrantissuesthroughartmediaeducationsocialserviceandpolicymakingthecampaignproducedtheldquoTheNewMinnesotansrdquoasixty-minuteprogramthatoriginallyairedonTPTbasedontheKartemquinseriesldquoTheNewAmericansrdquo
InadditiontocommunityradiostationKFAItheTwinCitiesishometoMinnesota Public Radio(MPR)
whichhaspioneeredafreshapproachtojournalismcalledpublicinsightjournalism(PIJ)PIJtapsintothecollectiveknowledgeofMPRrsquosdiverseaudiencetoenrichitsreport-ingCreatingaten-thousand-personPublicInsightNetworkviathewebthestationinvitesthepublictobesourcesofstoryideasreactionsandperspectivesandbrainstormingonpublicissues
TheindependentfilmandvideocommunityworkscollaborativelyintheTwinCitiestosupportandpromoteartistandcommunityperspectivesIFP Minnesota Center for Media Arts Intermedia ArtsandtheWalker Art Center areamongthemulti-disciplinaryvenuesfordiscus-sionandproduction
AndtheInternetishometoanewaggregationofcommunitymediasourcesAccordingtoitswebsitethe Twin Cities Daily PlanetaprojectoftheTwinCitiesMediaAllianceisldquoacommunitynewswireandsyndicationserviceshowcasingthebestworkoftheneighborhoodandcommunitypressaswellasworkbyTwinCitiesindepen-dentjournalistsandthevoicesofengagedcitizensThepremiseoftheTC Daily PlanetisthatnewtechnologiesaremakingitpossibleforthesecitizenstobecomemoreactiveandpowerfulparticipantsinthenewsproductionprocessrdquoModeledafterKorearsquosOhmyNewstheTC Daily Planetseekstoimprovethequalitydiversityandaccount-abilityofthelocalmediaandtoinvolvetherapidlygrowingimmigrantandethniccommunitiesItrecruitsandofferstrainingtocitizenjournalistsandhaspartnershipswithoverfortyneighborhoodandcommunitymedia
Chicago IllinoisChicago Access Network Television(CAN-TV)offersfivepublicaccesschannelstoChicagolandresidentsThispublicspaceprovidesChicagoansanopportunitytodiscussissuesoflocalconcernpromotehealtheducationalandeconomicresourcesinthecommunityandcelebratelocaltalentandinitiativesCAN-TVprovidesvideotrainingequipmentandfacilitiesforarearesidentsandnonprofitgroupsItvideotapesandcablecastspublicforumstownhallmeetingscommunityeventsandotheractivitiesoflocalinterestThroughthisservicethestationprovidesChicagoanswithaccesstoinformationtheymaynototh-erwisehavethroughcommercialtelevisionForinstanceCAN-TVworkedwitheighttotenAIDSagenciestodissemi-natebasiceducationaboutAIDSpreventionvialivecall-inprograms
CAN-TVsupportsChicagorsquosassociationsandnonprof-itsthroughserviceslikeliveldquohot-linerdquocall-inshowsfrom
automatedstudiosthatonepersoncanoperateproductionservicesthatgenerateprogrammingforcommunityeventsandstrategiccommunicationsplanningworkshopsCAN-TVhasrefusedtofollowasimplisticldquoneutralityrdquoprogram-mingphilosophyinwhichtheaccesscentertransmitsonlyprogrammingthatrandomlycomesfromthecommunityInsteadCAN-TVactivelycreatesprogrammingimportanttocommunitydevelopmentInadditiontoitsfocusonnonprofitsCAN-TVactivelycreatespartnershipswithcon-tent-richgroupssuchaslocalmuseumsandartsgroupsItalsopartnerswithlocalmediaactivistproductiongroupslikeVideoMacheteandStreetLevelYouthMedia(profiledbelow)SimilarlyCAN-TVaggressivelyengagesinprogram-mingforlocalelectionsatypicalelectionseasonwillgeneratearoundtwohundredhoursoforiginalprogram-mingeachmonthandnearlyallthecandidateswillbefeaturedoractuallycreatetheirownCAN-TVprogrammingtocarryouttheircampaigns
Street-Level Youth MediaprovidesopportunitiesforChicagorsquosurbanyouthtousemediaartsandemergingtechnologiesforself-expressioncommunicationandsocialchangeItsstaffprovidesinstructioninvideoandaudioproductioncomputerartandtheInternettohelpyouthaddresscommunityissuesaccessadvancedcommunica-tionstechnologyandgaininclusioninsocietyInoneprojectitcollaboratedwithtwoseventh-gradeteachersandanESLinstructortohelpstudentsresearchissuesaboutimmigrationinoneneighborhoodTheteachersweretrainedtousevideoandthentrainedotherteacherswhoguidedtheirstudentsinproducingvideosforscreeningattheschoolMorethanthirtyvideoswerecreatedandvideotrainingandusehasbeenincorporatedintotheschoolcurriculum
Radio Arte(WRTE)istheonlybilingual(Spanish-English)youth-operatedurbancommunitystationinthecountryItoperateswithafocusonyouthinChicagorsquosPilsenandLittleVillageneighborhoodsAninitiativeoftheNationalMuseumofMexicanArtthiseducationalradiostationhasservedChicagoformorethansixyearstrainingyouthwithapriorityondevelopingindividualandgroupcommunicationcompetenciesthatallowyoungpeopletoenterpubliclifewithconfidencethroughthebroadcastmediumProvidingaforumforyoungpeopletobecreativeandresponsibletothelargestMexicancommunityintheMidwestRadioArteiscommittedtotrainingyoungpeopleintheartofbroadcastingRadioArtersquosuniquetwo-yeartrainingprogramprovidesyouthwithspecialcoursesonwritingforradioandjournalismvoicetrainingand
FCCregulationsaswellasbasiccomputerskillsproduc-tionskillsandon-airtrainingParticipatingintwograntroundsofSoundPartnersforCommunityHealththestationrsquosldquoRadioVidardquoproducedprogrammingonsubstanceabuseandaddictionbyandforLatinoyouth
Casa Guatemala Media Projectisanonprofitcommunity-basedorganizationthatservestheGuatemalanandbroaderLatinAmericancommunityinChicagoandtheMidwestSinceitsfoundingin1986ithasusedmediaincludingwebprintTVandradiotoraiseconsciousnessaboutissuesaffectingcommunitiesfromLatinAmericaInparticularitworkswithCAN-TVtoprovidetheeducationalcomponentofself-authoredmediathatwillpositivelytrans-formcommunitiesthroughworkshopsontheproductionandalternativeusesofemergingtechnologies
Beyond Media EducationworkswithunderservedandunderrepresentedcommunitiesprimarilywomenandyouthtotelltheirstoriesandorganizeforsocialjusticethroughthecreationanddistributionofalternativemediaandartsInarecenteffortitworkedwithaChicagosheltertohelpstreetwalkerstelltheirownstoriesinanefforttoraisepublicawarenessandpromotestate-levelreformsTheorganizationorganizedasix-monthworkshopthatincludedteachingandpracticingstorytellingpublicspeak-ingandvideoproductionskillstooveradozenprostitutesTheirgroundbreakingvideogivesinsightsintoChicagorsquossextradeindustryandrecountsthetriumphofthepar-ticipantsoverhomelessnessviolenceanddiscriminationTheirlobbyinginthestatecapitolresultedinpassageofabilltodestigmatizeanddecriminalizesexworkers
Keepingtabsonandshowcasingmuchofthecom-munitymediaactivityfromajournalisticperspectiveistheCommunity Media Workshop (CMW) CMWservesasabridgebetweensocialactivistscommunitymediaprac-titionersandjournalistsIthostsanannualacademyforprogressiveorganizationsintheChicagoareathatbringsactivistsandjournaliststogethertoshareideasandatti-tudesProminentareatelevisionandnewspaperjournalistsarerecruitedtoserveonpanelsleadworkshopsandgenerallysharetheirideasofhowprogressivegroupscaneffectivelygaintheattentionofthepressThisapproach
leadstobuy-infromkeypersonnelinChicagorsquosmainstreammediawhocannowbetterunderstandthegrassrootsgroupsthatapproachthemandtheirissuesItalsogivescommunityparticipantsattheworkshopstheopportunitytodevelopmorepersonalrelationshipswithkeymembersofthemediaThisapproachalsoenablescommunitygroupstobetterunderstandwhatmotivateseditorsandreporters
ThesethreecommunitiesshowcommondevelopmentpatternsandfactorsCommunitymediaorganizationshavebeguntounderstandtheirmissionsintermsofasharedcultureofcommunitymedialookingbeyondtheirindivid-ualmissionstothecommonsocialandpoliticalvaluestheyhaveincommonThisapproachopensthewayforcommu-nityradiomediaartscenterscommunitymediacentersandcableaccesstocreatecommunity-wideprograminitiativesinwhichseveralmediaplatformsareengagedItcreatestheconditionsinwhichitispossibleforcommunitymediaorganizationstoactwithunifiedstancesinpoliticaladvocacyregardingmediaissuesandotherissuescriticaltotheircommunitiesThiskindofcross-platformnetworkingalsocreatesopportunitiesforcommunitymediatoreceivemorediversefundingandsupportfromthecommunityastheyextendthenetworkorcultureofcollaborationtocom-munitydevelopmentgroupsandofficialsintheirregions
Communitymediaorganizationshavebeguntounderstandtheirmissionsintermsofasharedcultureofcommunitymedialookingbeyondtheirindividualmissionstothecommonsocialandpoliticalvaluestheyhaveincommon
ldquoThe boldest experiments in public telecommunica-tions take place when technologies are new and their commercial potential not yet fully apparentrdquo mdash Ralph Engelman 1996
Acrosstheirmanyplatformsandmanycommunitiescommunitymediahavebecomecentralculturalinstitutionsinthecivicculturalandeconomiclife
ofourcommunitiesprovidinginvaluablemediaprogram-mingaccessandeducationTheycaninsuchinstancesenablecommunitiestodevelopinformedcitizensartistsandactivistswhopossesstheskillsandknowledgeneededtograpplewithcomplexmedialiteracyanddevelopmentissuesatthelocallevel
Fordecadescommunitymediaorganizationshaveaddressedtheurgentneedtocreatelocalinstitutionsthatfacilitatecitizenaccesstomedianetworksandeffectiveparticipationinmediacultureforbothcitizensandwork-ersTheyareprovingthemselvesvitaltothepoliticalandeconomiclifeoftheircommunitiesTheyplaymultiplerolessimultaneouslyascriticalculturalenhancementstothequalityofciviclifeasemployersandaseducationalsitesforworkforcedevelopment
difficultyNeworganizationalformsandnewmediaformatslikestreamingarchivingpodcastingandbloggingarebecomingthenormpartofldquoblendedrdquoproductionanddis-seminationpracticesincommunitymedia
neW communicAtion spAces cyberjournAlismTheincreaseinInternetbandwidthandtheavailabilityofonlinesocialnetworkingsoftwarehavequalitativelychangedtherelationshipofjournaliststotheiraudiencesNewwebdestinationslikeMySpaceShutterflyFriendsterFlikrEviteandGooglearedevelopingvirtualcommuni-tiesforsharingvideoattractingyoungeraudiencesandmakingcontentmorethanpassiveandone-directionalSocialnetworkingsoftwareenablespeopletorendezvousconnectorcollaboratethroughcomputer-mediatedcom-municationandformonlinecommunities(Spannerworks2007)PopularsocialnetworksoftwareapplicationslikeweblogsorblogsseemparticularlywellsuitedtoparticipatorycitizenjournalismallowingeasypublishingofinteractivetextphotoaudioandvideocontentTheneweasewithwhichvideoclipscanbepreparedforuseonthewebhasbroughtontheriseofldquovlogsrdquoandsitesthatfacilitatethesharingofvideoclipsandaccompanyingcontentAnenormousrangeofblogsandcyberjournalisticsiteshavesprungupontheWorldWideWebinthepastfiveyearswithanequallywiderangeofeditorialstandardsandpracticesTechnoraticomcurrentlytracksseventeenmillionblogssharingoneandahalfmillionhyperlinks(Rennie2006)APewCenterInternetstudyestimatesthatthenumberofregularblogreadersintheUnitedStatesisequivalenttoalmosthalftheentireradioaudiencewhichisaboutaquarteroftheUSnewspaperreadership(Rennie2006)
Combinedwithaffordablenewdigitalmediaproduc-tioncamerasandrecorderstheseweb-baseddisseminationtoolsmakeitpossibleforcitizensandconsumerstoparticipateactivelyinnewsgatheringNonprofessionalshavebeguntoplayamoreactiveroleintheprocessesofjournalismfromcollectinginformationandreportingtoanalysisanddisseminationJanSchafferwhodirectsJ-LabaUniversityofMarylandincubatorforinteractivejournalismprojectsexplainsthatmanypeoplearebecom-ingmoreactivecitizensthroughjournalisticactivitybutdonotnecessarilyaspiretobejournalistsThenewtechnical
envisioning the future of community mediA
Communitymediaorganizationsareprovingthemselvesvitaltothepoliticalandeconomiclifeoftheircommunities
Communitymediaarealsocontributingimportantvaluespracticesandorganizationalmethodologiestotheemergingcollaborativemediaenvironmentsoftheblogo-sphereWecanlooktothesecontributionsastechnologicalandorganizationalopportunitiesforstrengtheningandexpandingcommunitymediapracticeWiththeInternetamediacultureisemergingthatismoreconsistentwiththenoncommercialpracticesofcommunitymediaproductioncollaborationanddemocraticparticipationinmediamak-inganddistributionConsequentlymanycommunitymediaorganizationsareintegratingthecapacitiesoftheInternetandnewmediaintotheirpracticeswithoutmuchfanfareor
0
capacityforcommunicationsheobservesallowspeopletoldquoparticipateinnewsandinformationinvariouswaysmdashparticipateininteractingwithitquestioningittruth-squadingitandcreatingitAndnowthattheyhavethetechtoolsandthetechskillstodothattheappetitehasonlyincreasedrdquo(Schaffer2005b)
SuchconditionshavesetthestageforintensepopularinterestinwhathasbeenbrandedldquowemediardquoorldquoparticipatoryjournalismrdquoTodaynumerousonlinejournalisticexperimentsbringtogetherprofessionaljour-nalistswithcitizenmediaactivistsandthoseinvolvedineventsMoreandmoretheearliestimagesandinformationregardingbreakingnewsarecomingfromnon-journalistspresentatthemomentoftheeventAsaresultjournalistsarebeginningtoconceptualizethemselvesnotsomuchasgatekeepersofnewsbutasmoderatorsinaconversationwithlicenseandtimetospeakfrequentlyandhopefullyaccurately(BowmanandWillis2003)
Thiskindofcommunity-centeredcoveragemayentailthere-balancingofeditorialpoliciesndashcommittingtodiversityembracingegalitarianvaluesandreassessingthevalueofeditorialneutralityItputsintoquestiontheroleandsignificanceofofteninnovativeldquopersonalmediardquoexemplifiedbythemillionsofbloggingsitesontheWebIsthiskindofldquonewsrdquoservingapubliccivicpurposeofcommunityproblemsolvingorindividualprivateexpres-sionInaWashington PostopinionpieceonDecember212006GeorgeKWillvoicedskepticismoftheseriousnessofmuchofthewebrsquosamateurjournalisminresponsetoTimemagazinersquosnamingallofusPersonoftheYear
Itisdifficulttopredictthefutureofcyberjournal-ismandbloggingpreciselyintheseearlystagesbutthreeoutcomesseemlikelyFirstbloggingwillcontinueitsrapidintegrationintomainstreammediacontentSecondblog-gingandotherformsofsocialnetworkingsoftwarewillgiverisetonewmediaentitiesthatwillchallengemainstreammedialocallynationallyandglobally
ThethirdoutcomeistheonemostrelevanttoacommunitymediascanCyberjournalismandparticipatory
citizenjournalismseemparticularlywellsuitedtoaddressthecurrentUSmassmediarsquosdifficultyinprovidingcoverageoflocaleventsinsmallercommunitiessuburbanregionsandcommutercommunitiesthataredevelopingoutsideformalpoliticaljurisdictionsCommunity-basedonlinejournalismsiteshavesprungupinhundredsofcom-munitiesaroundtheUnitedStatesTheyaremanagedandorganizedinwidelydivergentways
AnexperimentincyberjournalismandcommunitynetworkingtheTwin Cities Daily PlanetaggregatessomeofthebestjournalismfromMinnesotarsquosTwinCitiesneighborhoodandcommunitypressandindependentjour-nalistsaswellasthevoicesofengagedcitizenspresentingthemtothepublicthroughaninteractivewebsiteandcommunitydatabaseByaggregatingcitizenandneighbor-hoodjournalisminonesiteitincreasesthecapacityofsmallneighborhoodmediatoreachbeyondtheirborderstoawiderregionalaudienceUsingRealSimpleSyndication(RSS)softwaretheTC Daily Planetcanpotentiallyreachaglobalaudience
AprojectoftheTwinCitiesMediaAlliancetheTC Daily PlanetisaverynewformofcommunitymediaemergingfromtherestructuringofthenewspaperindustryandtheuseofbloggingandsocialnetworkingsoftwareAlthoughearlyinitsdevelopmenttheTC Daily Planetisgivingvoicetoanincreasingnumberofethnicimmi-grantandnon-mainstreamjournalistswhilefocusingthecommunityrsquosattentiononafargreaterrangeofpublicationsandideas
TheearliestexpressionsofcyberjournalismaretheIndependent Media Centers (IMCs)orIndymediaIndymediacameintobeingaspartoftheprotestsanddemonstrationsaroundtheWorldTradeOrganizationtalksheldinSeattleWashingtonin1999ThisfirstIMCwasaconvergenceoftheemerginginteractivityoftheInternetwiththeintenseneedofprotesterstogetindependentinformationouttotheworldabouttheprotestsAnetworkofindependentcommunitymediamakersactivistsandjournalistsbandedtogethertopoolresourcesandinforma-tion(Howley2005)
TheIMCsforeshadowedthebloggingandvideodis-tributionthatwasshortlytoemergebyusingtheInternetandtheWorldWideWebinconjunctionwithvideoandaudiodistributiontocreateatrulyunprecedentedmulti-mediaenvironmentIntermsofbothqualityandquantitytheSeattleIMCwasanimpressiveperformancebyanynewsandcurrentaffairsstandardsOverthecourseofthefive-dayprotestsadailynewspaperanddailyradioprogramwerecreatedandcountlessprintstoriesweredisseminated
Journalistsarebeginningtoconceptualizethemselvesnotsomuchasgatekeepersofnewsbutasmoderatorsinaconversation
globallyalsovideofeedsweresentthroughtheInternettopublicaccessandcommunitychannelsaroundtheworldSixyearsaftertheSeattleproteststherewere149Indymediawebsitesinabout45countriesonsixcontinents(Whitney2005)
TheopenformofcommunicationpracticedbymostIMCsiteshasnotbeenwithoutproblemsandcontra-dictionsManysitesarenowclutteredwithideologicaldiatribesanduneditedcontent(Halleck2002Whitney2005)ButthereareanumberofIndymediasitesthatprovidealternativenewsandinformationregardingaglobalscopeofconcernsthatwouldbeverydifficulttoobtainanywhereelseinthemediaAnumberofsitesinplacessuchasNewYorkCityPortlandOregonandtheSanFranciscoBayareahaveestablishedthemselvesasstablepartsoftheircommunityrsquosmediaculture
companiesspecializedsuppliersserviceprovidersandassociatedinstitutionsinaparticularfieldthatarepresentinanationorregionrdquo(Porter2000)Thecompaniesinanindustryclusterhaveacomplexwebofmutuallysupportingrelationshipsthatencompassbothcompetitiveandcollab-orativerelationshipsTheylinkacrossprofitandnonprofitpracticesutilizecommoninfrastructuremakecommoncontributionstothedevelopmentofahighlyskilledwork-forcesharefundingandinsomecasestalentedstaff
Increasinglycommunitydevelopmentpractitionersandanalystsarecomingtounderstandindustryclustersaspowerfulstrategiesforbotheconomicandcommunitydevelopmentinthetwenty-firstcenturyThisisprovingdoublytruefornonprofitcommunitymediaorganizationswhoseroleitistobringpowerfultoolsandknowledgetoanycommunityrsquosdeliberationsaroundcommunityandeco-nomicdevelopmentBroadbandandwirelessnetworksareprovidingthepracticalmeansoflinkingcommunitymediaorganizationswithincommunitiesofferingakeystrategicadvantagebyenhancingtheeffectivenessofcollaborationandpartnershipbuilding
AstheexamplesinthepreviouschaptershowcommunitymediaorganizationsaretakingonnewrolesincludingcombiningproductionandtrainingtakingonworkforcedevelopmentfunctionsandbecomingtechnologycentersfordiffusionofnewmediaBeyondtheseexampleslongstandingsuccessfulcommunitymediaorganiza-tionsaremergingasnetworkclusterslinkingdifferentgroupsandorganizationswithincommunitiestocreateentirelynewcommunitymediaorganizationsorblurringtheboundariesbetweentheirorganizationsOthersarebringinghistoricallyseparatecommunitymediagroupswithinoneorganizationalstructureorunderonerooftosharebuildingsandcommunicationsinfrastructuresinacost-effectivemanner
TheorganizationsthatemergefromthisintegrationmaybesimilarinfunctionthoughtheirnamesremaindifferentAcommunity-basedsiteforcitizenmediaandcyberjournalismforexampleandacommunitynetworklikeMAINinAshevilleNorthCarolinaoracutting-edgecableaccesscenterlikeGrandRapidsCommunityTelevisionbegintolookverymuchalikeintermsof
Increasinglycommunitymediadevelopmentishappeningthroughnetworksoflocalnonprofitmediaorganizationsratherthanwithinsingleorganizations
neW orgAnizAtionAl spAces netWorked clusters Perhapsthemostpromisingtrendonthehorizonforcom-munitymediaistheemergenceofnewhighlyintegratedorganizationalstructuresandcollaborativeprocessesIncreasinglycommunitymediadevelopmentishappeningthroughnetworksoflocalnonprofitmediaorganizationsratherthanwithinsingleorganizations
Inmanywaysthesereorganizationsatthecom-munitylevelparalleltherestructuringtakingplaceintheprivatecorporatesectorTherecommunicationsnetworksarebeingusedtosupportcomplexpartnershipsandjointcompanyprojectdevelopmentinteractivenetworkseasetheaggregationoflargeorstrategiccapitalandemployeeskillsetsacrossgeographicandorganizationalboundariesforthepurposesofinnovationandmarketdevelopmentInthelanguageofcommunityandeconomicdevelop-mentthesecomplexpartnershipsareknownasldquocreativeclustersrdquoorldquoindustryclustersrdquoMichaelPorteraleadingtheoristandproponentoftheconceptofclustersdefinesthemasldquogeographicconcentrationsofinterconnected
Successfulcommunitymediaorganizationsaremergingasnetworkclusters
technologyprogrammingactivitiesandtheexperienceofcommunityaudiencesvolunteersandparticipantsEachorganizationreliesonnoncommercialaffordablebandwidtheachplayssomeroleinadvocatingforsupportivegovern-mentpoliciesandeachisexperimentingwiththepotentialofnewcollaborativemediatoolsOftencommittedtoengagingandtrainingvolunteersandcommunitymembersinsomemannertheymayoffertrainingandvolunteerpro-gramsthatrequiresimilarsharableonlinetutorialsandonlineoutreachandschedulemanagementtools
TheexamplesthatfollowdemonstratethewayscommunitymediacreativeclustersaremakinguniquecontributionstotheircommunitiesrsquoqualityoflifeandeconomicwellbeingTheyaredoingsointhreeimportantwaysbullfirstbyamplifyingtherolethatartsandculturalgroups
playinenhancingthequalityoflifeandattractingatalentedworkforceandcapitaltothecommunitymdasharolethatisgaininginsignificanceinthetwenty-firstcentury
bullsecondascontributorstocoreeconomicdevelopmentfunctionsinthecommunityincludingworkforcedevelop-mentandtrainingasmicro-enterpriseincubatorsandascreatorsofnewknowledgeandeducationalexperiencesand
bullthirdasfacilitatorsandcatalystsofcommunitydialoguecommittedtoembracingmarginalizedvoicesandallow-ingthecommunitytoundertakeitsowndevelopmentdemocratically
Lowell MassachusettsLowell Telecommunications Center(LTC)isapublicandgovernmentaccesschannelandmediaandtechnologycen-terItprovideseducationandtraininginmediacreationincludingwebdesigndigitalphotographyandtelevisionproductionLTCworksincollaborationwithotherlocalcommunity-basedorganizationsmunicipaldepartmentsandeducationalentitiestoproducediversemulticulturalprogrammingthatmeetsthecommunityrsquoscommunica-tionandinformationneedsLTChasbecomeaconvening
organizationforbuildingcapacityamongLowellrsquosnonprofitcommunity-basedorganizationsintheiruseofparticipatorymediaandcivicengagementstrategies
LTCismorefocusedthanothercommunitymediaorganizationsoncommunitybuildingandcommunicationtechnologyThecorporationisworkingtobuildanetworkforparticipatorymediaandcivicengagementthroughouttheMerrimacRiverValleyThroughaUSDepartmentofEducationgrantLTCacquiredfundingandstafftohelpitspartnerorganizationsbecomeInternet-capableassesstheirinformationtechnologyneedsacquiretechnologyupgradestoaddressthoseneedsandundertakethetrainingtousethetechnologyeffectively
RatherthanwaitingforgroupstocometoitscenterLTCcreatedacircuitridertrainingprogramthattookthetrainingprogramintothecommunityThroughLTCrsquosinformationtechnologycenterscoresofcommunitygroupshavereceivedtrainingdesignedandcreatedwebsitesanddevelopedstrategiccommunicationsplansforthefutureThosedevelopmentsincludeweb-basedhistoricalarchivesGISmappingsystemsmultimediamaterialsandInternetvideoTohelporganizationsacquirethesoftwaretheyneedtocarryouttheirmissionsLTCcreatedtheCommunitySoftwareLabwhichdevelopsuniquesoftwaretofittheneedsofareanonprofitsThelabhasbeenspunofftocreateaseparatenonprofitentityjoiningthegrowingnumberofindependentorganizationsthatnetworkthroughLTC
ThemostrecentLTCinitiativeisldquoDigitalBicyclerdquoapeer-to-peernetworkthatallowsmediacentersworldwidetodownloadandsharelocalcontentLTCstaffenvisionDigitalBicycleasanonlinecommunityforcableaccessmediaartsindependentmediaandothernoncommercialmedia
Grand Rapids MichiganldquoBuildingcommunitythroughmediardquoThissimplemissionstatementguidedtheGrand Rapids Community Media Center(GRCMC)asitevolvedfromatypicalcableaccessoperationtobecomeabroad-basedmultimediacenterandamodelforthedevelopmentofcommunitymultimediacentersintheUnitedStatesOverthepasttwentyyears
Communitymediacreativeclustersaremakinguniquecon-tributionstotheircommunitiesrsquoqualityoflifeandeconomicwellbeing
LTCisworkingtobuildanetworkforparticipatorymediaandcivicengagementthroughouttheMerrimacRiverValley
GRCMChaspulledthediversecommunitymediaactivitiesofGrandRapidsunderoneorganizationalumbrellaandtakentheleadinarticulatingthepotentialforaggregatingnoncommercialnetworkedcommunicationsthere
Theevolvingnetworkofmediaplatformsdis-ciplinesandculturalgroupsthatconvergetobecomeGRCMCnowincludesthefollowingcentersofpracticeGRTVacommunitytelevisioncenterthatprogramsmultiplecableaccesschannelsWYCEacommunityradiostationGrandnetacommunitytechnologyandnetworkcenterthatprovidescitizenandnonprofitaccesstotheInternetandtheGrandRapidsInstituteforInformationDemocracyacriticalmediaeducationandresearchcenterthattracksmediaandlocalpublicinterestissuesandpub-lishesinformationonmediaaccountabilityandreform
ButtheGrandRapidsCommunityMediaCenterismorethanthesumofitspartsThecomponentsofthecenterworktogetherinamutuallyreinforcingwholethatcreatesapowerfulcommunitymediapresenceinGrandRapidsandallowsthecentertoundertakefarmoreambitiousprojectsandprogrammingthanwouldbethecaseseparatelyOneexcellentexampleistheMobileOn-LineLearningLabforInformationEducationKnownasMOLLIEtheprogramprovidesskilledtrainersanddigitalvideoproductionequipmenttoschoolsandcommunityorganizationsforspecialprojectsOriginallyfundedbyafederalDepartmentofEducationgrantMOLLIEfillsintechnologygapsinGrandRapidseducationalinstitutionsandnonprofitsInthehandsofalessintegratedinstitutiontheMOLLIEprojectcouldeasilybeatechnicallyorientedequipmentloanandtrainingprogramInthehandsofthecenterMOLLIEhasbecomeasophisticatedmediaandtechnologyeducationalinitiativeprovidingatrainingprogramthataddressesmediaeducationfromtheperspec-tiveofallthecomponentsoftheGrandRapidsCommunityMediaCenter
Asheville North CarolinaOneofthemostarticulateeffortsmergingthecreativeclustersideawithparticipatorycommunicationhascomeaboutinAshevilleNorthCarolinaThroughapersistent
collaborationbetweenforwardlookingregionalgroupsandorganizationsndashinvolvingabroadnetworkofindi-vidualscommunitymediaandmediaartsgroupsintheAshevilleregionndashAshevillehaslaidthefoundationforacommunitymediadevelopmentcenterthatwillfunctionasacableaccesscentermediaartscenterandnewmediamicro-enterpriseincubatorAtthecenterofthiseffortisaninformalcoalitionoffourimportantgroupsinAshevilleMountainAreaInformationNetworkMediaArtsProjectBoncombeCountyEconomicDevelopmentCommissionandURTVThegroupsrepresentdistinctpointsofviewandconcernsaswellasconverginginterests
Eachgroupsharedtheinsightthatcivicparticipa-tionandeconomicsuccessinthetwenty-firstcenturyaredirectlyrelatedtohavingaccesstocommunicationstechnologyandknowledgeEachalsounderstoodthattherenegotiationofthecablefranchisesintheCityofAshevilleandsurroundingBoncombeCountywasastrategicmomenttocatalyzeandassociateanumberofcommunity-basedinformationandmediaartsactivitiesalreadyinplaceorplannedinAshevilleThegroupsusedthecablefranchisingprocesstocreateacommonorganizationalandfacilitiesinfrastructuresupportingtheuseofmediaforbothcivicandeconomicdevelopment
The Media Arts Project(MAP)isanetworkofmediaartiststhatcultivatesinnovativeartsandtechnol-ogyinwesternNorthCarolinaMAPworkedtirelesslytoframecableaccessasacommunitydevelopmentissuebridgingthemediaactivistcommunitiesandthemoreforward-thinkingfactionsamongeconomicdevelopmentprofessionalsintheregionWiththerecentopeningofURTV IncAshvillersquoscableaccessorganizationandfacilityMAPanditsnetworkofpartnersarenowturningtheirattentiontofundingthemediaartsandeconomicincubatorelementsofthevision
AshevillersquosinterestinsupportingcommunitymediaarisesfromthepresenceoftheMountain Area Information Network(MAIN)Inthetraditionoftheruralcooperativesthathelpedspreadthereachofelectricityinthe1930sMAINisanonprofitInternetserviceproviderofferingreliablelow-costInternetservicebothinwesternNorthCarolinaandnationwideItisauniquecommunitynetworkwithabroadvisionofitsroleinthecommunitythatencompassesmedialiteracyeconomicdevelopmentstrategiescommunitylow-powerradioacommunity-basedwebportalandtheprovisionofInternetconnectivitytoruralwesternNorthCarolinaMAINislargelyresponsiblefortheremarkableexpansionofInternetaccessibilityinwesternNorthCarolinaallowingthousandsofpeopleto
GRCMChaspulledthediversecommunitymediaactivitiesofGrandRapidsunderoneorganizationalumbrella
spendtheirInternetaccessdollarswithalocallycontrolledandaccountableorganizationMAINdemonstratesthevalueofthecommunitynetworkingconcepttoareasthatarelagginginconnectivityduetofailuresofthemarket
MAINhastakenaleadershiproleinbuildingacommunitymediacultureinAshevillethatdemonstratestheeasewithwhichdigitalmedialeapsorganizationalboundariesItscommunitynetworkrunstheBlueRidgeWebMarketwhichprovidesafreecustomizableInternetpresencetohundredsofsmallbusinessesthroughoutwesternNorthCarolinaItsLatinoDigitalLiteracyProjectofferstrainingtohelpthearearsquosgrowingLatinopopula-tionsaccesstheInternetMAINhasbeenoneofthekeypartnersinbringingacableaccesscentertoAshevilleandhasbeenthedrivingforcebehindWPVMWNCrsquoslow-powerFMradiostationbroadcastinglocalnewsviewsandmusicover-the-airintheAshevilleregion(andtheworldviawebcast)
Cleveland OhioPerhapsthemostrobustcommunity-basednonprofitnetworkintheUnitedStatesOne ClevelandprovideswhatitcallsldquoultrabroadbandnetworkingservicesrdquotoClevelandareaeducationgovernmentresearchartscultureandhealthcareorganizationsOneClevelandoperatesafibernetworkringthatcoversmuchofthecityofClevelandandmanyofitssurroundingsuburbsSubscriberstothenetworkconnectatgigabitspeeds
OneClevelandrepresentswhatcanhappenwhenpowerfulcommunitydevelopmentforcescometoaconsensusregardingtheircommunityrsquosneedforhigh-speedconnectivitytoglobaleconomiesandmediaItsfoundersareClevelandmainstreaminstitutionsCaseWesternReserveUniversityCuyahogaCommunityCollegeClevelandStateUniversityTheCityofClevelandGreaterClevelandRegionalTransitAuthorityideastreamCuyahogaCountyPublicLibraryandNorTechThenetworkhasformedrelationshipswithtechnologycompaniestomaintainup-to-dateapplicationsthatleveragethepotentialofsuchapowerfulnetwork
Oneofthenetworkrsquoskeypartners ideastream illustratesthesignificanceofworkingtogethertomakehigh-speedconnectivitypubliclyavailablethroughoutacommunityonitsowntermsBybuildingahigh-speednet-workOneClevelandhascreatedacivicnetworkspaceandinfrastructurethatallowsanewkindofmultimediapublicmediaorganizationtobecreatedIdeastreamresultedwhenWVIZPBSTelevisionand903WCPNRadiopublicbroad-castersmergedtoformanewnonprofitldquomultimediapublicserviceorganizationrdquoIdeastreamisabletoextenditsmediaexpertisebeyondbroadcastingtoonlinetechnologiesandapplicationsofalltypesmdashwhenyouareconnectingtothenetworkatthegigabitspeedsofOneClevelandrsquostherangeofapplicationsandtheirpotentialarehuge
MAINhastakenaleadershiproleinbuildingacommunitymediacultureinAshevillethatdemonstratestheeasewithwhichdigitalmedialeapsorganizationalboundaries
OneClevelandrepresentswhatcanhappenwhenpowerfulcommunitydevelopmentforcescometoaconsensusregardingtheircommunityrsquosneedforhigh-speedconnectivitytoglobaleconomiesandmedia
Inthecourseofpreparingthisreportndashpouringovertheliteratureandsynthesizinghoursofstructuredround-tableconversationsandone-on-oneinterviewswith
opinionleadersandsuccessfulpractitionersofcommunitymediandashonethingisextremelyclearThewayoursocietymakesandsharesinformationknowledgeandcultureisinaheightenedstateofchangeTheinteractivenatureoftheInternethasdemonstratedthatitispossibletoorganizecommunicationsinamuchmoredemocraticfashionSomehaveconcludedwearewitnessingthetransitionfromanindustrializedinformationenvironmenttoanetworkedinformationenvironmentTheoldindustrialmediastruc-turesbasedonexclusivehigh-costproductionprocessesarebeingchallengedbyanemergingmediasectorinwhichthecostofcreatinginformationknowledgeandculturehasbeenprofoundlyreducedandtheproductsareintercon-nectedwidelythroughnetworksliketheInternet(Benkler2006)IndeedthereisincreasingevidencethatthesenewmediaanddigitalnetworksareparticularlyconducivetononcommercialandnonprofitculturalproductionaswellasmoreparticipatoryandcollaborativemediapracticesInmanywaysthelong-standingvaluesandintentofcommu-nitymediaforeshadowthisnewmediaenvironment
ThescanresearchfocusedonfourkeyareasofinquiryWhataretheuniquecharacteristicsthatdistin-guishcommunitymediaWhatmakesmedia-communitycollaborationssuccessfulWhattypesofcommunitymediaorganizationsbestleveragenewtechnologiesHowmightcommunitymediaengageunderservedpopulationsinprogrammingtailoredtotheirneedsIneachinstancewefoundthatcommunitymediacombinedwithgreaterafford-ablebandwidthandopen-sourceapproachestoproductiondohavetremendouscommunitydevelopmentpotentialHowevernoneofthatpotentialwillcomeaboutmagicallyThecommunitymediasectorisfacingthechallengingtaskofmanagingextensivechangeandtransformation
chAllengesThesuccessdisappointmentsandsocialvalueofthepastsixtyyearsofcommunitymediainitiativesmustbejudgedinhistoricalcontextConsistentmisrepresentationinthemainstreammediaandlimitedunaccommodatingsocialpolicyhaveresultedininadequatevisibilityandfinancialsupportforcommunitymediaAnydiscussionofitssuccessesorfailuresmustincorporateanunderstand-
ingoftheseexternalconstraintsInthislighttheexistingexpressionsofcommunitymediaattheirbestarewildlysuccessfulsocialexperimentsgivingcauseforgreatoptimism
NeverthelesscommunitymediafacebothexternalandinternalchallengesTheinternalchallengesarisefromstructuraltensionsthatoccurinanyattempttocreateorganizationsandculturesthatembodydiversitydemocraticexpressionandequitableaccessRatherthanbeingexpressedasldquoweaknessesrdquoasissooftenthecaseinmainstreammediaandacademiatheseinternaltensionsaremoreproperlyunderstoodaspredictabledevelopmentalproblemsandopportunitiesthatpractitionersshouldbepreparedtograpplewithinanycommunitymediasetting
Balancing Free Expression and Audience Development CommunityradioandpublicaccesscablehavehistoricallyprivilegedtheinterestsofproducersbygrantingthemgreatpoliticalfreedominmakingdecisionsregardingwhatprogrammingtocreateandwhataestheticandformattingapproachestouseThetrade-offforacultureofactivistvolunteerismandfreeexpressionhasbeensmalleraudi-encesandlowerlevelsofproductionandprogramsupportProgramproducerscarryanintensecommitmenttoindi-vidualownershipoftheirprogramminginitiativesthatmaynottaketheaudiencersquosinterestsfullytoheart
Whiletheseapproachesinradioandcableaccesshaveresultedinadiversityofprogrammingandpoliticalviewpointstheyhavealsopreventedradiostationpro-grammersorcableaccessorganizationsfrombuildingaflowofprogramsthatcandefineandconstructanongoingaudienceinthecommunityEachprogramorscheduledprogramslotcarriesitsownmicroaudienceldquofragmentedpublicsrdquothatareoftennotpartofanintegratedflowofpro-grammingthatattractsanaudiencetothechannelsoverall(Higgins2002)
Freeexpressionandaudiencedevelopmentarenotmutuallyexclusivenordoparticipatorymanagementstructuresvolunteerinvolvementandproducertrain-ingprogramsneedtoimpedeaudiencedevelopmentThesuccessofAmyGoodmanandDemocracyNowsoundlydemonstratesthisInfactmanycommunitymediaorgani-zationshavecreatedprogramminginitiativesthatcombinesophisticatedmeasurementsofsocialoutcomeswith
conclusions
trainingandparticipatoryprogramplanningTheyhavenotonlyraisedthesocialvalueoftheirprogrammingtotheircommunitiestheyhavealsoincreasedthesizeandloyaltyoftheiraudiences(Aufderheide2003)Asinteractivemediabegintocreatetheconditionswherenicheprogram-mingcanbefarmoresuccessfulthetensionbetweenfreeexpressionandaudiencedevelopmentisnotonlyachal-lengebutalsoatremendousopportunity
Programming MetricsStillroundtableparticipantsrepeatedlynotedthatevenwhenprogrammingmeetscommunityneedscommunitymediaorganizationscanfinditdifficulttodocumentimpactTheyfeltthatfundershavegenerallynotyetaddressedtheroleofmediainpopularcultureorthepowerofpopularcultureinaddressingsocialproblemsInaddi-tionfundersfindithardtoestablishcost-benefitmeasuresofsocialimpactfortheirmediaexpenditures
ParticipantsaskedformodelsofaudiencefeedbackandoutcomesmeasurementthatgobeyondaudiencenumbersTheyacknowledgedthedifficultyofquantify-ingnotionsofsuccesswhichtendtobeverysubjectiveandofusingsuccessstoriesinthecommonprogrammingmetricsofthedayManyrecognizedskepticismamongfundersabouttheimportanceofcommunitymediaasuspicionaboutagendasandafearofthecostsinvolvedmakingcommunitymediaahardsellEventhoughafewgoodevaluationeffortswereacknowledgedtheircollectiveresultshavenotbeenincorporatedintothethinkingofthewiderfundingcommunity
FundingMulti-yearstablefundingsupportforcommunitymediainitiativesiscriticaltostabilityinnovationandgrowthRoundtableparticipantsdiscussednumerousinstancesinwhichprojectswithmulti-yearsupporthadpowerfulpositiveimpactsextendingbeyondtheinitialprojectgoalsMulti-yearfundingcreatesthestabilitytoundertakeproperstrategicplanningandpartnershipdevelopment
Thereissomeearlyevidencethatamultiple-plat-formnonprofit-orientednichemarketcouldemergeasasignificantopportunitytoprovideenhancedrevenueforthecommunityandnoncommercialmediasectorsTheinterac-tivecapacityofthenewnetworkssignificantlyincreasestherevenuepotentialforcooperativeandsubscription-styleprogrammingflowsHoweverstrongmarketsforcommer-ciallyfundedparticipatorycommunityexpressionhavenotyetemergedinthedigitaleraduetothelimitedsizeofpopulationsandavailableadvertisingsupportIfthereistobeavitalsectorofcommunity-basedmediasomeformofsignificantpublicfundingwillbenecessaryevenininstanceswherecommunitymediaorganizationsmightrealizesignificantrevenuefromnewmarketsInordertomakethemostefficientuseofpublicfundingcommuni-tiesmustevolvefundingandgovernancestructuresforcommunitymediathatcanfacilitatetheaggregationoffundscoordinatemultiple-organizationprojectsandactastrustedconvenersofprogramminganddevelopmentdiscus-sionsincommunities
Policy ThreatsWhiletheconvergenceoftechnologyandpracticescreatesincreasingpotentialsforaunifiedcommunitymediasectorthereisunfortunatelynocohesiveandunifiednationalpolicyframeworkforcommunitymediaThegovernmentpoliciesandregulationsthatexistforcommunitymediahavebeenretrofittedinthearenasofUSbroadcastingandtelephonypolicyWhiletheyrepresenthard-wonpoliticalvictoriesandstrategicinsighttheydonotaddresstheneedsofcommunitymediainaholisticway
Inthecurrentpoliticalclimatebroadcastmediaownershipcontrolandprogrammingwillcontinuetobecentralizedinfewercorporationsleavingcommunitieswithlessoptionsforcontrollingtheirlocalmediaenviron-mentsAtthesametimethetelephonecompanieswillenterthemarketforvideotelephonyandbroadbandbydeployinghigh-capacitydigitaltelevisionnetworksinmanycommunitiesintheUnitedStates
ThecurrenttrendofcentralizationinUStele-communicationspolicyisthreateningtheabilityoflocal
Freeexpressionandaudiencedevelopmentarenotmutuallyexclusivenordoparticipatorymanagementstructuresvolunteerinvolvementandproducertrainingprogramsneedtoimpedeaudiencedevelopment
Communitymediaorganizationscanfinditdifficulttodocumentimpact
governmentstomandatecommunity-basedcommunica-tionsnetworksandprogramminginitiativesasrentonthepublicrights-of-wayThesefundingmechanismscurrentlysupportPublicEducationandGovernment(PEG)accesscabletelevisioncentersmediaartscentersandmanymunicipalcommunicationnetworksWhilefarfromperfectregulatorymechanismstheyareoneofthemostsuccess-fulformsofpublicmediasupporttoariseinthelastthirtyyears
Overthenextfiveyearsthesesuccessfulfundingstrategieswillbeunderheavyattackbythetelephonecom-paniesandthecabletelevisionindustryinastrugglewithgovernmentsforcommunitycontrolofthepublicrights-of-wayThesamedynamicthreatensequitableInternetaccessIncreasinglybroadbandcommunitynetworksaremunicipallyownedormandatedWhilesomeofthesemunicipalbroadbandnetworksweredeployedforinternalmunicipalpurposestimehasshownthatsuchnetworkscanserveanumberofnon-governmentalcommunity-basedpurposesincludingwirelessISPconnectionsforresidentsbusinessesandvisitorsManycommunitiesareseeking(andsomehaveobtained)ldquoCommunityBenefitsAgreementsrdquowithproposedwirelessbroadbandvendorsthatsetasideasmallfranchisefeeongrossrevenuestosupportdigitalinclusionactivitiesfollowingtheexampleofcablecompaniessupportofPEGaccessHowevermunicipalbroadbandandmunicipalwirelessareunderattackbyindustriestryingtoreservethesedevelopmentrightsforthemselves
Theoutcomeofthedebatesaroundcontroloftherights-of-waywillhaveasignificantimpactonthefuturepathofcommunitymediadevelopmentThesedebateswillrangeacrosstheregulatoryspectrumtheyarenowbeingwagedinlocalstateandnationallegislativearenasandthecourtsTheresultingcommunicationsinfrastruc-tureandregulatoryframeworkwillbeabletorealizethepotentialsofcommunitymediaifandonlyifcommunitiesareabletotakeleadershipinprovidingsubstantialpublicaswellasprivatefundingAsanoldtruismnotesldquomoneyispolicyrdquo
Therearenopoliticalortechnicalguaranteesthatdigitalmedianetworkswillremainopenandparticipa-toryastheyevolveItisunlikelythatmarketforcesalone
willservetorealizethedemocraticpotentialoftodayrsquosparticipatorymediatechnologyBuildingarobustsectorofcommunity-baseddemocraticnewmediawillrequireeffectivecitizenactivismclearandresponsivegovern-mentpoliciesandeffectivepoliticalstrategiesCommunitymedianeedsseparaterecognitionandsupportwithinfed-eralstateandlocalcommunicationspolicyandregulatorystructuresinordertoensureequitableandstablefundinganddevelopment
models for the futureThegovernmentregulationsandsubsidiesthatunderpincommunitymediahaveevolvedinahodgepodgefashionoverthepastsixtyyearsItcanbearguedthatcommunitymediashouldbetreatedasaseparatesectorwithinte-gratedfundingstructuresconsistentinfrastructureandtaxandsubsidypoliciesthatareseparateanddistinctfromexistinglocalmediapoliciesandalsofromthepoliciesunderpinningpublicbroadcastingPossiblemodelsforamoreunifiedapproacharenumerousbuttwoappearpar-ticularlywellsuitedtocommunitymediarsquosdiverseformsorganizationsandprogrammingapproaches
Public Funding FindingappropriatemethodsofincreasingpublicfundingforcommunitymediainashiftingregulatoryenvironmentiscrucialCurrentlocalcablefranchisingregulationstosupportcableaccessandthecommunitybenefitsagree-mentsofmunicipalwirelessnetworksoffersuccessfulmodelsbutarenowbothunderattackThelawsrequiringcommercialcableproviderstosetasidebandwidthchan-nelcapacityforthepublicinadditiontooperatingfundingbasedonapercentageofcommercialrevenuescouldbeextendedtoincludevoicevideoanddataEssentiallythenanycommercialproviderusingthepublicrights-of-wayorthewirelessspectrumwouldberequiredtocontributeanequitablepercentageofbandwidthandrev-enuetosupportthecommunitycommunicationssector
Community Media DevelopmentAdequatelevelsoffundingareonlypartoftheequationWhilefundingshouldsupporttheoverallgrowthofthe
Thereisunfortunatelynocohesiveandunifiednationalpolicyframe-workforcommunitymedia
setasidebandwidthchannelcapacityforthepublicinadditiontooperatingfunding
communitymediasectorinasensiblefashionanyfundingsolutionmustaddressthedifficultynowexperiencedbyfundersindealingwithcommunitymediahowtoprovideoverallsupporttoasectormadeupofsmallindependentorganizationswithanextremelydiversesetoffundingsourcesandmissionsOneeconomicdevelopmentapproachseemsparticularlyusefulhereProgressivecommunityeconomicdevelopmentstrategieshaveevolvedtosupportthegrowthofadiversityofsmallenterpriseswithinacom-monsectorwhilerecognizingthattheseenterprisescanatdifferenttimesbecollaboratorspartnersorcompetitorsSimilarstrategiescanguidedevelopmentofthecommunitymediasector
Thereareatleasttwoshort-termstepsthatcouldassistinthedevelopmentofcommunitymediaorgani-zationsandsupporttheircitizensrsquoabilitytocopewithcommercialmediaandinformationsaturationOneisforcommunitiestobuildorsecureaffordablebroadbandandwirelessnetworkinfrastructurewithastrongcommu-nitybenefitsagreementinsupportofdigitalinclusionHundredsofcommunitiesacrossthecountryeitherhaveorarelaunchingsuchwirelesscommunitynetworksmanyincollaborationwithwirelessvendorswhoinordertowinaservicecontractwiththemunicipalityinquestionaresup-portingdigitalliteracytraininginexpensiverefurbishedcomputersandlocalcontentdevelopmentndashinshortprogramsofdigitalinclusionandexcellence
AsecondopportunityidentifiedbyroundtableparticipantsisthepotentialforanationalsupportnetworkforexistingcommunitymediaorganizationsAnationalsupportnetworklinkingcommunitiesandtheircommu-
nitymediapractitionersandinstitutionscouldfacilitatearangeofactivitiesincludinglocal-to-localcommunicationorexchangesofinformationandprogrammingbetweencommunitiesvirtualspaceforanationalnetworkofcommunitymediaorganizationstohelptoorganizeuni-fiedpolicyadvocacywiderdistributionofpastproductsformationofissue-responseteamstoadvanceinterestsofcommunitygroupsandtapintolocalresourcesandshareddirectoriesofpractitionerstrainersandfacilitiesConveningleadersfromtheaggregatorsandassociationsservingcommunitymediaintheirvariousforms(listedinAppendix2)mightbeagoodnextsteptoexplorethisopportunity
the promiseThepracticeofcommunitymediahasmanagedtogrowandevolveoverthepastsixtyyearsdespiteunevenandgenerallylowlevelsofsupportandinconsistentgovernmentpoliciesEllieRenniearesearchfellowattheInstituteforSocialResearchSwinburneUniversityofTechnologyhaswrittenthatcommunitymediaareoftendefinednegativelyforwhattheyareopposedtoratherthanpositivelyforwhattheyhaveachieved(Rennie2006)Weareawarethatcom-munitymediahaveoftenbeendismissedasmarginalandidiosyncraticbuttheexamplescitedinthisreportprovidepowerfulevidencetothecontraryItistimetodefinecommunitymediabywhattheyhaveachievedCommunitymediaattheirbesthaveconsistentlydemonstratedtheirpotentialtoempowercommunitiesandindividualstoparticipateascitizensincommunityandeconomicdevelop-mentartseducationcommunitydialogandpoliticaldebateInmanyinstancestheyhavebecomecentralcul-turalsurvivalinstitutionsasourcommunitiesdealwiththeimpactofcommercialmediasaturationandglobalization
Duringtheroundtablediscussionsthattookplaceaspartofthisscanitwasobviousthatthevalueofcom-munitymediatocommunitiestranscendsthemeasurableeffectsofcivicengagementandcommunitydevelopmentCommunitymediacanallowindividualsincommunitiestohaveprofoundexperiencesofactivelyexpressingthem-selvesthroughmediaForpeoplewhohaveseenthemselvesaspassivereceptorsatthebottomofacascadeofpackagedmediaexperiencesandmessagesactiverepresentationoftheirownlivesandcircumstanceshasatransformativeeffectthatgoesbeyondsimplephraseslikeldquocivicengage-mentrdquoThevalueofcommunitymediatoindividualsandthecommunitiestheyliveinisincalculable
hellipaffordablebroadbandandwirelessnetworkinfrastructurewithastrongcommunitybenefitsagreement
anationalsupportnetworkforexistingcommunitymediaorganizations
Appendix 1 Community media empowerment StrategieS
empoWerment Activity ApproAch infrAstructure or venue
AccessAccesstocommunicationsinfrastructureproductiontools
MakingavailablemediaproductiontoolscomputerstelevisionandradiodistributionInternetsoftwarecommunitycommunicationsinfrastructuremeetingspacewebservers
Democraticcitizenaccesstocommunicationstoolsanddisseminationinfrastructure
CablebroadbandmunicipaltelecomInternetWiFiWiMAXlocalandpublicservicebroadcasting
AlternativeContent CreationofvideoaudiofilmwebsitesInternet-basedcitizenmediaP2Pmediabloggingsocialnetworkingsoftwaredatabasesandprintproduction
Contentpositionedtocounterorsupplementmassmediacontentandinformationfrommainstreamsources
AllplatformswithanincreasingexpansionwithinIPNetworksandcross-platformproductionanddissemination
CompetencyLiteracyMedialiteracyinformationliteracydigitalliteracyandculturalliteracy
Mediaartsandaestheticeducationlearningtogainacivicvoiceinamediaculturearticulationofmediabiasesengaginginmediaandpoliticsunderstandingcommoditycultureparentinginamedia-saturatedhome
Interventioninthecomplexmanipulationofsymbolsandculture
Allmassmediaprintelectronic
CommunityBuilding Workforcetrainingandskillbuildingmicro-enterprisedevelopmentbusinessinfrastructuredevelopment
Communityorganizingparticipatoryplanningdemocraticeconomicdevelopmentworkforceandinfrastructuredevelopment
Localmediamunicipaltelecominfrastructurecomputerandtechnologyincubatorsandtechnologycenters
0
Itisdifficulttounderstandthefullscopeofcommu-nitymediaculturewithoutknowingofthefollowingorganizationswhichsupportcommunitymediaand
independentmediapracticesTheyplayanumberofrolesasnationalassociationsrepresentingnetworksofcommu-nitymediaorganizationsandmediaartsorganizationsasproducernetworksandstrategiccommunicationsplannerslinkingcommunityorganizationswithcommunitymediaorganizationsasorganizationsofcommunityactivistsandproducersworkingtomoreeffectivelysupportandusecommunitymediaandascollaboratorsandpartnersincommunitydevelopmenttrainingandeducation
ActiveVoicehttpwwwactivevoicenet
AllianceforCommunityMediahttpwwwalliancecmorg
AssociationforCommunityNetworking
httpwwwafcnorg
CommunityMediaWorkshophttpwwwnewstipsorg
CommunityTechnologyCentersrsquoNetwork
httpwwwctcnetorg
DeepDishTVhttpdeepdishtvorg
FreeSpeechTVhttpwwwfreespeechorg
IndependentTelevisionServicehttpwwwitvsorg
IndependentMediaCenterIndymedia
httpwwwindymediaorg
LatinoPublicBroadcastinghttpwwwlpbporg
LinkTVhttplinktvorg
LPFMDatabasecom
httpwwwangelfirecomnj2piratejimlpfmhtml
MediaTankhttpwwwmediatankorg
MediaWorkingGrouphttpwwwmwgorg
NationalAllianceforMediaArtsandCulture
httpwwwnamacorg
NationalAsianAmericanTelecommunicationsAssochttp
asianamericanmediaorgindexhtml
NativeAmericanPublicTelecommunications
httpasianamericanmediaorgindexhtml
NationalBlackProgrammingConsortium
httpwwwnbpctv
NationalFederationofCommunityBroadcasters
httpwwwnfcborg
NationalPublicRadiohttpwwwnpr
NationalPublicTelecomputingNetworkhttpwwwnptnorg
PaperTigerTelevisionhttpwwwpapertigerorg
PacificIslandersinCommunications
httpwwwpiccomorg
PewCenterforCivicJournalismhttpwwwpewcenterorg
PrometheusRadioProject
httpwwwprometheusradioorg
PublicBroadcastingServicehttpwwwpbsorg
PublicRadioExchangehttpwwwprxorg
ReclaimtheMediahttpwwwreclaimthemediaorg
StarfishTelevisionNetworkhttpwwwstarfishtvorg
WebsitesofUSPEGAccessChannels
httpwwwbevcamorgpeg
WorldAssociationofCommunityRadioBroadcasters
httpwwwamarcorg
Appendix 2 aggregatorS and aSSoCiationS
Appalshophttpwwwappalshoporg
BayAreaVideoCoalitionhttpwwwbavcorg
BeyondMediaEducationhttpwwwbeyondmediaorg
CambridgeCommunityTelevisionhttpwwwcctvcambridgeorg
CasaGuatemalaMediaProjecthttpwwwcasaguatemalaorg
CharlotteObserverhttpwwwcharlottecom
ChicagoAccessNetworkTelevisionhttpwwwcantvorg
GrandRapidsCommunityMediaCenterhttpgrcmcorg
GrandNethttpwwwgrcmcorgnposervicesitphp
GRTVhttpwwwgrcmcorgtv
ideastreamhttpwwwideastreamorg
IFPMinnesotaCenterforMediaArtshttpwwwifpnorthorgabouthtml
IntermediaArtshttpwwwintermediaartsorg
KartemquinFilmshttpwwwkartemquincom
KBOOhttpwwwkbooorg
KFAIhttpwwwkfaiorg
LowellTelecommunicationsCenterhttpltcorg
ManhattanNeighborhoodNetworkhttpmnnorg
MediaArtsProjecthttpwwwthemaporg
MetroGovernmentCommunityMediaInitiativehttpwwwmetro-regionorg
MetropolitanAustinInteractiveNetworkhttpwwwmainorg
MinneapolisTelevisionNetworkhttpwwwmtnorg
MinnesotaChannelhttpwwwtptorgmnchannelnew
MinnesotaPublicRadiohttpminnesotapublicradioorghttpminnesotapublicradioorgpublicinsightjournalism
MountainAreaInformationNetworkhttpmainncus
MtHoodCableRegulatoryCommissionhttpwwwmhcrcorg
NewAmericaMediahttpnewsnewamericamediaorgnews
NewRoutestoCommunityHealthhttpwwwnewroutesorg
NorthwestFilmandVideoCenterhttpwwwnwfilmorg
OneClevelandhttpwwwoneclevelandorg
OregonPublicBroadcastinghttpwwwopborg
PortlandCommunityMediahttpwwwpcmtvorg
RadioArtehttpwwwwrteorg
SaintPaulNeighborhoodNetworkhttpwwwspnnorg
ScribeVideoCenterhttpwwwscribeorg
SoundPartnersforCommunityHealthhttpwwwsoundpartnersorg
StreetLevelYouthMediahttpwwwstreet-levelorg
TwinCitiesDailyPlanethttpwwwtcdailyplanetnet
TwinCitiesMediaAlliancehttpwwwtcmediaallianceorg
TwinCitiesPublicTelevisionhttpwwwtptorg
URTVhttpwwwurtvorg
WalkerArtCenterhttpwwwwalkerartorgindexwac
WCIW-LPhttppacificanetworkorgradiocontentview17542httpwwwciw-onlineorg
WGBHhttpwwwwgbhorg
WHYYhttpwhyyorg
WPVMhttpwwwwpvmorg
WYBEhttpwwwwybeorg
WYCEhttpwwwgrcmcorgradio
YouthChannelhttpwwwyouthchannelorg
Appendix 3 Community media praCtitionerSWebsitesofthosepractitionersmentionedinthetext
AndersonRachelBenton Digital Beat Extra Noncommercial Networks on DBSWashingtonDCBentonFoundation2000
AufderheidePatricialdquoCableAccessTVandthePublicSphererdquoinThe Daily Planet A Critic on the Capitalist Culture BeatMinneapolisandLondonUniversityofMinnesotaPress2000a
AufderheidePatriciaIn The Battle for Reality Social Documentaries in the USWashingtonDCAmericanUniversityCenterforSocialMedia2003
AufderheidePatricialdquoTheWhatandHowofPublicBroadcastingrdquoinThe Daily Planet A Critic on the Capitalist Culture BeatMinneapolisandLondonUniversityofMinnesotaPress2000b
AynteAbdirahmanldquoSomaliWebsitesACompetitiveAlternativeMediaandaFarcetoReckonWithrdquoHiiraan Onlinehttpwwwhiiraancomnews2006aprsomali_websitesaspx
AzzouzBushraTomChamberlinandMarleneFarnumThe Community Media Project Building Community through Media(Aproposedmodelforafive-yearinitiativetoproducelocaltelevisionprogrammingthatbroadensthedialogueonissuesimportanttotheOregoncommunityandcreatesastrongsenseofplace)PortlandORMetroDecember2000
BarlowWilliamldquoCommunityRadiointheUSTheStruggleForADemocraticMediumrdquoinMedia Culture and SocietyVol10(1988)
BenklerYochaiThe Wealth of Networks How Social Production Transforms Markets and FreedomNewHavenYaleUniversityPress2006
BentonFoundationDigital Alliances Partners in Public
Service Models for CollaborationUniversityParkPAThePennsylvaniaStateUniversity2002
BlauAndrewDeep Focus A Report on the Future of Independent MediaSanFranciscoNationalAllianceforMediaArtsandCulture2004
BowmanShayneandChrisWillisWe Media How Audiences Are Shaping the Future of News and InformationEditedbyJDLasicaRestonVATheMediaCenteratTheAmericanPressInstitute2003httpwwwhypergenenetwemediadownloadwe_mediapdf
BurnettRonldquoFromCommunityMediatoInternationalNetworksrdquoCritical Approaches to Culture + Communications + HypermediaNovember182005httpwwweciadca~rburnettWeblogarchives200511from_communityhtml
CanoAndrealdquoMicroradioAToolforCommunityEmpowermentrdquoinPublic Broadcasting and the Public InterestEditedbyMichaelPMcCauleyEricEPetersonBLeeArtzandDeeDeeHalleckLondonMESharpe2003
CarnegieCommissiononEducationalTelevisionPublic Television A Program for ActionNewYorkBantam1967
CastellsManuelThe Rise of the Network Society The Information Age Economy Society and CultureVolumes12amp3MaldenMABlackwellPublishersInc2005
ChesterJeffBeyond Broadcast Expanding Public Media in the Digital AgeWashingtonDCCenterforDigitalDemocracyFebruary2006httpwwwdemocraticmediaorgBBBBfrontphp
ChristensenPaulNanMcIntyreandLynnPikholzldquoBridgingCommunityandEconomicDevelopmentAStrategyforUsingIndustryClusterstoLinkNeighborhoodsandtheRegionalEconomyrdquo(reportfundedbytheFordFoundation)ClevelandShorebankEnterpriseGroup2005
ldquoCitizenJournalismrdquoissueofNieman ReportsCambridgeMATheNiemanFoundationforJournalismatHarvardUniversityVol59No4Winter2005eMprintNewsbookhttpwwwniemanharvardedureports05-4NRwinterNR05W_Citizen_Journalismpdf
City PagesldquoBestPublicAccessCableTVProgramSomaliTVrdquoBestoftheTwinCities2004MNApril282004httpcitypagescombestof2004artsandentertainmentbestof2379asp
bibliogrAphy
CruzRossanaReguilloldquoTheOracleintheCityBeliefsPracticesandSymbolicGeographiesrdquoinGlobal Cities of the South (Social Text)EditedbyAshleyDawsonandBrentHayesEdwardsTranslatedbyBrentHayesEdwardsandNoraNicoliniDurhamNCDukeUniversityPress81(Volume22Number4)Winter2004
DeLasCasasLucywithSimonBurallJohnMorrisonDavidKaleteandJagadanandaldquoGlobalMediaReformandAccountabilityReportfromtheNationalMediaReformConferencerdquoStLouis2005httpwwwoneworldtrustorgpagesdownloadcfmdid=281
DevineRobertHldquoVideoAccessandAgencyrdquoConferencepresentationTheNationalFederationofLocalCableProgrammersStPaulMNJuly171992
DirlinMartyandCathyMelioldquoTheGrassrootsRadioMovementintheUnitedStatesrdquoinPublic Broadcasting and the Public InterestEditedbyMichaelPMcCauleyEricEPetersonBLeeArtzandDeeDeeHalleckLondonMESharpe2003
DowningJohnDHwithTamaraVillarealFordGeneveGilandLauraSteinRadical Media Rebellious Communication and Social MovementsThousandOaksCASagePublications2001
EgerJohnldquoCreativeClustersandtheUrbanEconomyrdquoGovernment and Technology(February62006)httpwwwgovtechnetnewsnewsphpid=98345
EgerJohnMThe Creative Community Forging The Links Between Art Culture Commerce amp CommunityTheCaliforniaInstituteforSmartCommunitiesSanDiegoStateUniversity2005httpwwwsmartcommunitiesorgcreativeCreativeCommBroFINALpdf
EngelmanRalphPublic Radio and Television in America A Political HistoryThousandOaksCASagePublications1996
GillespieGilbertPublic Access Television in the United States and CanadaNewYorkPraegerPublishers1975
GillmorDanWe the Media Grassroots Journalism by the People for the PeopleSebastopolCAOrsquoReillyMediaInc2006
GrahamStephenandSimonMarvinTelecommunications and the City Electronic Spaces Urban PlacesLondonandNewYorkRoutledge1996
HalleckDeeDeeHand-Held Visions The Impossible Possibilities of Community MediaNewYorkFordhamUniversityPress2002
HigginsJohnWldquoAlternativeMediaandtheCultofIndividualismExperiencesfromUSPublicAccessTVrdquoPaperpresentedattheldquoOurMediardquopre-conferenceoftheInternationalAssociationforMediaandCommunicationResearchCommunityCommunicationSectionBarcelonaSpainJuly202002httpwwwourmedianetorgpapersom2002Higginsom2002pdf
HowleyKevinCommunity Media People Places and Communication TechnologiesCambridgeCambridgeUniversityPress2005
HoynesWilliamldquoThePBSBrandandtheMerchandisingofthePublicServicerdquoinPublic Broadcasting and the Public InterestEditedbyMichaelPMcCauleyEricEPetersonBLeeArtzandDeeDeeHalleckLondonMESharpe2003
JankowskiNicholasWldquoCommunityMediaResearchAQuestforTheoreticallyGroundedModelsrdquoThePublicVol1015(2003)httpmokkbmehucentreconferencesreactivismFPfpNJ
JankowskiNicholasWandOlePrehnedsCommunity Media in the Information Age Perspectives and ProspectsCresskillNJHamptonPress2002
LashScottThe Critique of InformationLondonSagePublications2002
ListerMartinJonDoveySethGiddingsIainGrantandKieranKellyNew Media A critical IntroductionLondonandNewYorkRoutledge2003
LloydMarkldquoRadioandLocalismWhatWhenWrongrdquoinContext(publishedbytheCenterforCommunicationsandCommunityUCLA)IssueNo4(WinterSpring2006)
MacintyreBenldquoWelcometotheNewTomPainesrdquoTimesOnlineNovember132004httpwwwtimesonlinecouktolcommentarticle390484ece
MaherVincentTowards a Critical Media Studies Approach to the BlogosphereNewMediaLabPublicationSchoolofJournalismandMediaStudiesRhodesUniversitySouthAfrica2006
MetroCommunity Media Project Evaluation Report PortlandORMetroJuly2004
MostStephenldquoBAVCandTheBigPicturerdquoinA Closer Look Media Arts 2002EditedbyHelenDeMichielSanFranciscoNationalAllianceforMediaArtsandCulture2002
NewAmericaMedialdquoEthnicMediainAmericaTheGiantHiddeninPlainSightrdquoPollconductedbyBendixenampAssociates2005httpnewsnewamericamediaorgnewsview_articlehtmlarticle_id=0443821787ac0210cbecebe8b1f576a3
OlsonBillThe History of Public Access Television2000httpwwwgeocitiescomiconostarhistory-public-access-TVhtml200415
PewCenterforCivicJournalismldquoDoingCivicJournalismrdquo2007httpwwwpewcenterorgdoingcj
PierceSteveldquoDBSandthePublicInterestOpportunityinSatelliteTelevisionrdquoinPublic Broadcasting and the Public InterestEditedbyMichaelPMcCauleyEricEPetersonBLeeArtzandDeeDeeHalleckLondonMESharpe2003
PhilipsSusanldquoTrueCommunityTowardaCollaborativeEthosScribersquoslsquoTrueCommunityVisionrsquordquoinA Closer Look Media Arts 2002EditedbyHelenDeMichielSanFranciscoNationalAllianceforMediaArtsandCulture2002
PorterMichaelEldquoLocationCompetitionandEconomicDevelopmentLocalClustersinaGlobalEconomyrdquoEconomic Development Quarterly14no1(February2000)15-34
ProjectforExcellenceinJournalismldquoMajorTrendsrdquoinState of the News Media 2006 An Annual Report on American Journalismhttpwwwstateofthenewsmediaorg2006nar-rative_overview_eightaspcat=2ampmedia=1
PrometheusRadioProjectldquoOurFifthBarnraisingmdashWCIW-LPinImmokaleeFloridardquohttpprometheusradioorgcontentview48952006
RennieEllieCommunity Media A Global IntroductionLanhamMDRowmanandLittlefieldPublishers2006
RodriguezClemenciaFissures in the Mediascape An International Study of Citizenrsquos MediaCresskillNJHamptonPress2001
SchafferJanldquoCitizensMediaHasItReachedaTippingPointrdquoinldquoCitizenJournalismrdquoissueofNieman Reports CambridgeMATheNiemanFoundationforJournalismatHarvardUniversityVol59No4Winter2005aeMprintNewsbookhttpwwwniemanharvardedureports05-4NRwinterNR05W_Citizen_Journalismpdf
SchafferJanInterviewonThe NewsHour With Jim Lehrer PBSEveningNewsNovember162005b
SchulerDouglasldquoTheRiseofCommunityNetworksrdquoInternet WorldDecember1995
SchulerDougandPeterDayShaping the Network Society The New Role of Civil Society in CyberspaceCambridgeandLondonMITPress2004
ShirkyClayPower Laws Weblogs and Inequality EconomicsampCultureMediaampCommunityBlog2005OpenSourcehttpshirkycomwritingspowerlaw_webloghtml
ShirkyClaySocial Software and the Politics of GroupsEconomicsampCultureMediaampCommunityBlog2005OpenSourcehttpshirkycomwritingsgroup_politicshtml
Somerset-WardRichardBroadband Community Networks Building the Digital CommonsAreportfortheHaasCharitableTrustsPhiladelphia2005
Somerset-WardRichardConnecting Communities WashingtonDCBentonFoundation2000
Spannerworkse-bookWhat is Social MediaJanuary2007httpwwwspannerworkscomebooks
StarrJeroldMldquoPublicTelevisionintheDigitalAgeTownHallorCyberMallrdquoinPublic Broadcasting and the Public InterestEditedbyMichaelPMcCauleyEricEPetersonBLeeArtzandDeeDeeHalleckLondonMESharpe2003
SteinLauraldquoPublicAccessTelevisionandGrassrootsCommunicationintheUnitedStatesrdquoChapter20inRadical Media Rebellious Communication and Social MovmentsEditedbyJohnDowningThousandOaksCASagePublications2001
SussmanGeraldandJREstesldquoCommunityRadioinCommunityDevelopmentPortlandrsquosKBOORadiordquoinThe Portland Edge Challenges and Successes in Growing CommunitiesEditedbyConniePOzawaPortlandStateUniversityIslandPress2004
WhitneyJenniferldquoMakeMediaMakeRealTroubleWhatrsquosWrong(andRight)withIndymediardquoLiPMagazineJune212005httpwwwlipmagazine
orgarticlesfeatwhitney_indymedia_phtml
communitynetworkingwithafocusonsocialnetworkingsoftwaredevelopmentandutilizationCommunitynetwork-ershavealwaysenjoyedclosealignmentwithopensourcesoftwaredevelopersandnowareconcernedwithusingtheInternetintandemwithopensourcesocialnetworkingsoftwaretoaccomplishmanyofthegoalsofcommunitymedia(Schuler2004)
The Metropolitan Austin Interactive Network (MAIN)isanonprofitorganizationcommittedtoinfor-mationsharingandcommunicationamongpeopleandgovernmentaleducationalcommercialculturalreligiousandcivicorganizationsItoperatesacommunity-basedwebsitethatprovidesandaggregatesabroadarrayofinformationcriticaltoAustinresidentsfromemploymentinformationtoenvironmentalartsandculturalcontentMAINiscommittedtohelpingitscommunitymakeeffec-tiveuseoftheInternetandothernetworkcommunicationsstructuresbutdoesnotdirectlyprovidenetworkconnectiv-ityMAINprovidesfreewebhostingandwebdevelopmentassistancethroughabroaddigitalliteracyprogramthatincludestrainingingeneralcomputerandInternetusage
SatelliteWhilesatellitetelevisioncannotbeconsideredcommunitymediabecauseitisneitherlocalnorspecificallycom-munity-focuseditdeservesmentionherebecauseofitsexistingandpotentialcontributionstocommunitymediagoalsSatellitetelevisionisfocusedonnationalvideodistributionviacableanddirectbroadcastservicestohomesatellitedishesTofosterthepublicrsquosinterestindiverseprogrammingviasatellitetheFCCin1992imposedcertainpublicinterestobligationsonDirectBroadcastService(DBS)providersThecommissionruledthatDBSprovid-ersmustreservefourpercentoftheirchanneltranspondercapacityexclusivelyfornoncommercialprogrammingofaneducationalorinformationalnatureUnfortunatelytheFCCleftituptotheDBScompaniestodecidewhichprogram-merswouldbeselectedfromeligibleprogrammersManyfeelthepotentialofDBStoservethepublicinteresthasbeensignificantlycurtailedasaresult(Anderson2000)
Neverthelesssatellitehasbecomehometosomeprogrammersthatembodythevaluesandpracticesofcom-munitymediaNotablyDeepDishTVFreeSpeechTVLinkTVandasofApril2007StarfishTelevisionNetworkarealldistributedviasatelliteduetotheset-asiderulesadoptedbytheFCCEachoffersprogrammingthatembodiesvaluesofdiversityandempowermentwhiledemonstratingthenecessityofset-asidepoliciesfornoncommercialfrequency
andbandwidthatalllevelsofthemediainfrastructureifnoncommercialmediaistoflourishTheyconsistentlyrunprogramsproducedbycommunitymediaactivistsandindependentproducersandrepresentonepossiblewayforcommunitymediaorganizationstodevelopanationalprogrammingreachthatcouldfacilitateldquolocaltolocalrdquocommunicationswhiledevelopinganationalnetworkofprogressivecommunityprogramming
Deep Dish TVpioneeredtheuseofsatellitetoestablishacollaborativenetworkamongactivisttelevisionproducersandpublicaccesscablestationsin1986DrawingontheearlierexperimentsofthePublicInterestVideoNetworkDeepDishbegancreatingprograminstallmentsforsatellitedistributionVideoprogrammingselectedfromactivistandcommunitytapesaroundthecountrywerefedtosatellitetransponderswithanationalfootprintwheretheywerepickedupbyhundredsofcableaccessorganiza-tionsandcommunitymediacentersintheUnitedStates(Pierce2003)
DeepDishrsquos1991satellitebroadcastsoftheGulfCrisisTVProjectareconsideredbymanytobehistoricmomentsincommunitymediaandUScommunicationshistoryadirectinterventioninaninternationalcrisisbypublicaccesstelevisionandindependentmediaactivistsDeepDishTVassembledavideoanti-warteach-induringthefirstGulfWarandmadeitavailabletotheirnetworkviasatelliteThesuccessoftheGulfCrisisprojectexpandedDeepDishrsquosnetworktoincludeindependentpublictelevi-sionsitesanyonewithahomesatellitereceiverandothercommunitymediaandmediaartsorganizationsRalphEngelmanwritesthatDeepDishrsquosuseofsatelliteallowedcommunitymediaactiviststofulfilltwooftheircoreobjec-tivesldquograssrootsparticipationandthepresentationofdiversealternativeperspectivesrdquo(Engelman1996)
TheseearlysuccessesinnetworkingcommunitytelevisionviasatellitehavemorerecentlybeenextendedbyFree Speech TVandAmyGoodmanrsquosDemocracyNowprogrammingFreeSpeechTVextendedthetechnicalcapacitytonetworkwithcableaccessbyraisingfundstobuydirectsatellitereceiversforcableaccessfacilitiesinterestedincablecastingFreeSpeechTVprogram-mingThistechnicalnetworkthenbecameaprogressiveprogramnetworkcalledintoexistencealmostsingle-hand-edlybythehighlysought-afterprogressiveprogrammingofDemocracyNowInturnthepresenceofDemocracyNowprogrammingisconsistentlyservingtoincreasetheaudiencesandsupportforcableaccessincommunitiesthroughouttheUnitedStates
AttheirheartcommunitymediaareaboutmakingmediawithpeoplenotmerelyaboutorforpeopleIt
isasoneChicagoroundtableparticipantnotedlikeldquotheneighborhoodgoingouttodinnerrdquoButasanyonewhohaseverhostedalargedinnerpartyknowsthisisnotalwayseasilyaccomplishedInroundtablediscussionswithcommunitymediapractitionersthreestrategiesndashcollabo-ration across sectors and platforms training and outreach ndashemergedrepeatedlyaswaysofsuccessfullyengagingthebreadthanddiversityoftheircommunitiesInadditionafourthstrategyconnecting with immigrant populationsyieldedinsightsintosomeuniquechallengesandbenefits
strAtegies CollaborationMediainstitutionscanplaytheroleoffacilitatorsintheircommunitiesdemystifyingtheprocessofproductionpro-vidingpeoplewithaccesstotheresourcestheyneedandbuildingonthehistoryandgoalsofcivicjournalismThisrolerequiresmediainstitutionstorethinktraditionaljour-nalismandmayentailthere-balancingofeditorialpoliciesndashcommittingtodiversityembracingegalitarianvaluesandreassessingthevalueofeditorialneutralityInvitingcommunitymemberstohelpwithstoriesmakescover-agemorereflectiveofthecommunitymoreofatwo-wayconversationForinstanceTwin Cities Public Television(TPT)dedicatestimeononeofitsdigitalchannelstolocalandregionalprogrammingincludingprogramstargetedattheLatinoHmongHindiSomaliandVietnamesecommu-nitiesTocreateprogrammingfortheldquoMinnesotaChannelrdquothestationpartnerswithnonprofitorganizationswhopayTPTforproductionsupportandguaranteedbroadcastoftheprogramming
Sound Partners for Community HealthhasshownthatauthenticpartnershipsbetweenpublicbroadcastersandcommunityinstitutionsenableeachpartytoreachlargermorediverseandtargetedaudiencesonhealthissuesimportanttothecommunityCommunityinstitutionspromotedbroadcastsandpublicbroadcastersincreasedthevisibilityoftheirinstitutionalpartnerswhoofferedadditionalresourcesandreferralstoviewersandlistenersandhelpedtodisseminateprogrammingonCDsandDVDsInadditionbymarryingtheexpertiseofcommunity-basedhealthorganizationsandvoicesoflocalresidentswiththeproductionvaluesofhigh-qualityradioandtelevisionpro-grammingSoundPartnerspositionedcommunitymembersasproactiveplannersofandstakeholdersinmediainitia-tivesratherthanpassiverecipientsofmediaattention
Buttherewasinevitabletensioninseparatingjour-nalismfromadvocacywhichrequiredtrustonthepartofallparticipantstoresolveInthecaseoftheSoundPartnerscollaborationsincommunity-basedjournalismpublicbroadcastersneededtotrustthattheirnonprofitpartnerswouldnrsquotadvancetheirownorganizationalagendasattheexpenseoftruthandnonprofithealthorganizationsneededtotrustthattheirbroadcastpartnerswouldrespecttheirexpertise
TheSoundPartnersexperienceaffirmedwhatmanyroundtableparticipantspointedoutmdashtheneedtobuildbridgesacrossmediaaswellSoundPartnersfoundthatcommercialradiostationsandpublicaccesschannelswithcloselinkstoandinfluenceonthecommunityhelpedimplementstrongmediacampaignsincollaborationwithpublicbroadcastingRoundtableparticipantssawcommer-cialmediaoutletsasespeciallyimportantamongimmigrantgroups
Pointingtoanotheraspectofcollaborationround-tableparticipantsimploredmediainstitutionstobeopentosharinginfrastructuretoaccomplishtheirmissionsManynonprofitmediagroupsarestrugglingtosurvivebuthaveassetsthatcanbesharedorintegratedtobetterservetheircommunitiesinacoordinatedefficientwayCreatingcollaborativestructuresasbasicasco-locationoffacilitiesorascomplexasorganizationalmergerscanbeimportantfordisseminatingprogrammingsecuringfundingandprotectingpotentiallycontroversialissueprogrammingForexampleManhattan Neighborhood Networkhashistori-callyleverageditscablefranchise-securedcapitalfunding
engAging community WhAtrsquos Working
Invitingcommunitymemberstohelpwithstoriesmakescoveragemorereflectiveofthecommunitymoreofatwo-wayconversation
tobuildcapacityinothermediaorganizationssuchasastudioandpost-productionfacilitieswithDowntownCommunityTelevisioninChinatownAndinkeepingwiththesamenetwork-buildingapproachtofacilitatingpartici-pationMNNalsofeaturesaYouthChannelconsideredtobethefirstchannelcreatedforyouthbyyouthMNNhasbecomeoneofthecentralhubsinManhattanaroundwhichindependentandcommunitymediagatherforscreeningsadvancededucationalopportunitiesartisticandpoliticaldebatecommunitybuildingandsocialnetworkingcreat-inganexcitingdemocraticmediaculture
Manyparticipantsacknowledgedthatcollaborationishardexpensiveandtime-consumingItplacesdemandsonin-houseknowledgeandconfrontspartneringorganiza-tionsrsquodifferentgoalseditorialpoliciesandresourcesIftheyaretolastpartnershipsneedproperresearchonthefrontendandmulti-leveledsupportChangesinleader-shipcandisruptplanssopartneringcanrsquotbetiedtoonepersonrsquosrelationshiptoanotherpersonitrequiresanetworkofpeopleunderstandingandcontributingtothepartnershipMulti-yearprojectsareimportanttodevelopinfrastructureandsustainefforts
TrainingRoundtableparticipantssawcommunitymediainstitutionsasimportantsourcesbothforjobsandskillstrainingandforbuildingthecapacityoflocalnonprofitgroupsWhileacquiringmediaskillsmaybeacareerpathoutofpovertyironicallycommunitymediaworkisoftenunpaidandpoorpeoplemustprioritizepayingjobsoverparticipationincommunitymediamakingRoundtableparticipantsexpressedconcernthatthereisnotcurrentlyawaytoeconomicallysustaintheeffortsoflow-incomepeoplewhodovolunteerincommunitymedia
CableaccesscenterslikeChicagorsquos CAN-TVandManhattanNeighborhoodNetworkprovidegrantstrainingandequipmenttocommunitygroupswhothendevelopmultimediaproductsandshowcasethemindifferentvenuesThesecentersfacilitatetheexpressionofnon-technology-orientedcommunitymembersandprovidethemwithusefuljobskills
ThetrainingcomponentiscrucialfordevelopingauthenticvoicesinprogrammingBlessedwithadiversetechnology-savvycommunitythatincludesbothHarvard
andMITcampuspopulationsCambridge Community Television CCTVhasbroadeneditseducationalprogramstoincludeadvancedworkshopsandextendededucationalprogramsindocumentarymakingdigitalstorytellingwebsitedesignandstrategiccommunicationsplanningandimplementationCommunitymembersarealsoabletouseCCTVrsquoscomputertechnologycenterfortraininginavarietyofsoftwareapplicationsincludingphotoeditinganddesignandcomputernetworkingThecenterhasbroadeneditsdistributionofvideoprogrammingtoincludeweb-basedmediastreamingofpre-recordedprogrammingpodcastsaudiochannelsandldquoCambridgeCommunityRadiordquowherememberscansignupfortwo-hourblocksofliveradiotimeThecenterrsquosservicesaddresstheneedsofactivistsnonprofitcommunitygroupsmediaeducatorsandpeopleseekingjobskillsthatextendfarbeyondthoseneededtofillthepublicchannelswithvideoItsofferingsareexpand-ingtoincludeworkshopsinpodcastingdigitalaudioproductionvideobloggingandcyberjournalismCCTVtakesdigitalmediaconvergenceseriouslyunderstandingthatmediaproductiontrainingproductionanddistribu-tionarenowapplicableacrossanumberofplatformsandproductionskillsets
Bay Area Video Coalition(BAVC)isanotherorganizationthatmakesemergingvideotechnologyacces-sibletoindependentmediamakersIthasevolvedintoaninternationallyrenownedmediaartscenterthatleadsthefieldinitshigh-qualityproductionandprofessionaldevelopmentsupportfornoncommercialmediamakersThecenteralsoprovidesclassestolow-incomeyouthinmediaartsproductionaswellasworkshopsforcommunitygroupsandnonprofitsBAVChasconsistentlyoffereddevelopmentseminarsandtrainingprogramsthatbringcommercialpro-ducersandnoncommercialproducerstogetherinacommonsettingItoffersoneoftheregionrsquoskeycertifiedtrainingprogramsforcompanieslikeAppleAvidandDigidesignThroughagrantfromtheFordFoundationBAVChasundertakenanationalstudyonldquoDigitalWorkforceDevelopmentrdquoallowingtheorganizationtoestablishitselfasanationalandregionalleaderinprofessionaldevelop-ment(Most2002)Itsprofessionaldevelopmentprogramisasignificantforuminwhichcommercialandnoncom-mercialmediamakerscancometogetherforprofessionaldevelopmentactivitiesinsettingsthatrespectthepublicinterestandroleofmediainsocialdevelopment
OutreachOutreachakeytoolformediagroupsmovestherelation-shipbetweencommunityandmediabeyondconsumption
Collaborationishardexpensiveandtime-consuming
tosocialchangeItinvitespeopletointeractwithmediatobeaffectedbyitandtoaffectothersItaskspeoplewhattheyneedandinvitesthemtocometogethertomeetthoseneeds
Thekeytocreatingrelevantoutreachisresearch-ingwhatthecommunityneedsdetermininghowtoreachitmosteffectivelyandhiringstaffwhohaveoutreachskillsandarewellversedinthecultureandlanguageofthegroupsbeingtargetedAChicagofilmmakerrecountedhowtheseconsiderationsimpactedhisdocumentaryaboutworkersrsquorightsOutreachstaffconsideredthepotentialimpactontwoaudiencesalargeaudienceofPBSviewerssittingintheirlivingroomsandasmallerbutmoreengagedaudienceofsteelworkerswatchingthedocumentaryatalocalbarTheyconcludedthatthebarviewerswouldberivetedbecausetheinformationinthedocumentarywasgearedtothemSuccessfuloutreachasksWhatdogroupspayattentiontoWhomdotheytrustWhatplatformauthenticallyrepresentsthem
NationalprogrammingcanbeacatalystforlocaloutreachParticipantsinChicagoandMinneapolis-StPauldiscussedtheexampleofldquoTheNewAmericansrdquoanationalPBSseriesonimmigrantsproducedby Kartemquin Films Active VoiceanationalorganizationthatworkswithmediamakerstobringaboutpersonalandinstitutionalchangeworkedwithKartemquintopackageseriesfootagethatfocusedonnewarrivalstoMinnesotaTheresultwasalocalseriesldquoTheNewMinnesotansrdquoandapartnershipthatusedmediatoeducatethemainstreamcommunityaboutlocalimmigrantsandtodevelopdiscussionandactivityguidesforcommunityoutreach
Connecting with Immigrant PopulationsMinoritypopulationsandgroupsconcernedwithsupportingtheidentitiesofmarginalizedpopulationshaveincreasinglyturnedtocommunitymediaassourcesofinformationvali-dationofcultureandproductionsupportforthecreationoftheirowncontentCommunitymediahavehelpedcallattentiontothelivesandconcernsofimmigrantcommuni-tiesthatareotherwiseinvisibleoutsidetheirparticularcommunityBecausetheyoftenhavefoundinnovativewaystousecommunitymediafornetworkingandsocialchangeimmigrantpopulationsillustratethepowerofcommunity
mediaandpresentrichopportunitiesformakingcommu-nitymediaorganizationsmorediverseandparticipatoryRoundtableparticipantssharedlessonsinwhatworksandofferedspecificideasforframinganewcommunitymediaprogramaddressingtheneedsofimmigrantsandreceivingcommunitiescalledNew Routes to Community Health
Inreachingouttoimmigrantcommunitiesround-tableparticipantsnotedthatitiscriticaltoidentifyandworkwithexistingagenciesthatimmigrantstrustperhapsachurchorassociationforaparticularethnicgroupButthoughimmigrantgroupsarethemostappropriateconve-nersofsuchcollaborativestheymustalsohavethecapacitytoconvene
TheselectionofplatformalsodeservescarefulconsiderationRoundtableparticipantsnotedthatinadapt-ingtechnologiestotheirownpurposesspecificimmigrantgroupsoftenpreferoneplatformoveranotherForexampleChicagorsquosKorean-AmericancommunityhasbeensuccessfulinusingethnicprintmediatoaddresscommunityissuesThePersianstorytellingtraditionhasmadePersianahugeandgrowinglanguagesegmentonblogsPersianisnowthefourthmostwidelyusedlanguageonweblogs(Macintyre2004)A2000surveyofSomalianimmigrantsinMinnesotashowedthatoverfortypercenteventhenconsideredtheInternettheirmainnewssource(Aynte2006)
RadioinparticularhasshowntremendouspowerinthedevelopingworldpartlyasaresultoftheUnitedNationsrsquoemphasisonradioasthemediumsupportingthemostwidespreadpracticeofcommunitymediaintheworldBecausetheyarefamiliarwithradiobeforecomingtotheUnitedStatesimmigrantgroupsoftenquicklyembraceradiouponarrivalinthiscountryItisalsooneofthemostinexpensiveformsofmediaandthereforeoneofthemostaccessibleldquoIftheycomefromLatinAmericatheyknowthepowerofradiordquoChicagoparticipantsnotedenthusiasti-callyLocalcommercialSpanish-languageradiostationseffectivelyhelpedmobilizeturnoutforimmigrationprotestsinChicagoinMay2006
community spotlightManycommunitiesintheUnitedStatescanpointwithpridetotheachievementsoftheircommunitymediaorganizationsWhenattemptingtoidentifybestpracticesinthenetworkedmediaenvironmentsweseetodayhoweveritisusefultothinkintermsofinterconnectionandcol-laborationnottolooksimplyatindividualmediacentersorbroadcaststationsOftenthemostsuccessfulexamplesofcommunitymediaemergeoutofongoingalliancesandcollaborationsamonglocalcommunitymediagroupsThe
Thekeytocreatingrelevantoutreachisresearchingwhatthecommunityneeds
communitiesspotlightedbelowhavebegunincorporatingpartnershipsandcross-platformcollaborationintothepracticeofcommunitymediaandhavebeguntoreapthebenefitsofthatapproach
Portland OregonTheMetro Government Community Media InitiativeillustratesthepotentialpowerofcommunitiesworkingtogethertoproducetheirownmediaratherthanhavingtheirstoryframedbycommercialnewsorganizationsAlthoughtheprojecthasnowendeditisincludedherebecauseitprovidedsuchastrongmodelforfuturecommu-nitymediaeffortsTheinitiativewasrootedinaproposalbylocalindependentfilmmakerTomChamberlinthatlocalmediamakerscommunitymediaorganizationscommunitygroupsandgovernmentagenciescollaboratetoproducepublicaffairstelevisionprogramsonissuesofconcerntoOregoniansMetroauniqueregionalgovernmentprimarilyresponsibleforregionalland-useandtransportationplan-ningtookChamberlinrsquosideatoheartWithagrantfromtheFederalHighwayAdministrationMetroandanallianceofcommunityorganizationsandgovernmentagenciesdevel-opedldquoZigZagRealStoriesNewAnglesrdquoaprogrambylocalfilmmakersfeaturingpersonalstoriesfromadiversegroupofregionalresidentsastheygrappledwiththetransporta-tionchoicesaffectingtheirfamiliesneighborhoodsandcommunities
InadditiontothecenterpiecebroadcastonOregon Public BroadcastingtheprojectcreatedaninteractivewebsiteanddistributedaDVDoftheprogramtothearearsquoscableaccesschannelsElementsoftheprojectalsofoundtheirwayontoPortlandrsquoscommunityradiostationKBOOandpacketsincludingextensivesupportmaterialsandDVDsweremadeavailableforscreeninginneighborhoodcentersandindependentmediavenuesTherewasalsoaplanninganddeliberationprocesstostrategizeabouthowcitizensgovernmentsandmediamakerscancollaboratetocreatecommunitydialogueandsolvecivicproblems
Asurbanspaceisincreasinglydefinedbytelecom-municationsasmuchastransportationandlandusetheprojectalsoillustratesthepowerfuloutcomesthat
canresultwhenregionaltelecommunicationsplanningbecomesintegratedwithlanduseandtransportationplan-ningandwhencommunitymediaareintegratedintobothformalandinformalprocessesofplanninganddelibera-tionTheMetroCommunityMediaInitiativeresultedinasignificantandmeasurableriseinregionalawarenessofthetransportationplanningissuesaddressedbytheproj-ectViewershipandDVDusesofthemediaincommunitysettingsexceededexpectations(Metro2004)AlthoughtheprojectwasnotimmediatelyreplicatedPortlandnowenjoyscontinuingcollaborationsbetweenMetrogovern-mentanditsareacommunitymedia
ParticipationintheMetroGovernmentCommunityMediaInitiative isonlyoneofthemanywaysPortlandrsquosKBOOradiohasdemonstrateditsfullcommitmenttotheoriginaldemocraticintentionsofcommunityradiooverthecourseofitsforty-two-yearhistoryOlderthanNationalPublicRadioKBOOisamongthelongest-liv-ingcommunityradiostationsintheUnitedStatesOfthenoncommercialradiostationsinPortlandKBOOistheonlystationwhosemissioncontainsanexplicitcommit-menttominorityprogrammersandlisteners(SussmanandEstes2004)KBOOrsquoscommitmenttodemocraticpracticeextendstoaboardofdirectorselectedentirelyfromitsmembershipwhichisopentoanyoneandanaggressivetrainingprogramconsistentwiththestationrsquoscommitmenttovolunteer-producedprogrammingmdashallprogrammingisproducedbyvolunteerswithassistanceofpaidstaffTheparticipationofwomenandminoritiesfarexceedthecommunityrsquosracialdemographics(SussmanandEstes2004)
Portland Community Media (PCM)hasarichtwenty-three-yearhistoryinPortlandwhenitcomestousingmediatobuildcommunityPCMstartedoutasacabletelevisionaccesscenterandstillprovidestheadminis-trationandtrainingtoprogramPortlandrsquoscableaccesschannelsbuthasexpandeditsmissiontoembracetheuseofcommunitymediatobringaboutbroaderparticipationincivicandculturallifePCMrsquoswebsitedescribesthecenterldquowiththreewordsndashEducateCommunicateParticipaterdquoCurrentlyPCMhasanumberofcollaborativeprojectssup-portingmedialiteracyandmediaeducationinthepublicschoolsystemitregularlyprogramsmediaproductionsfromPortlandrsquosmediaartscentertheNorthwestFilmandVideoCenteranditisplanningtoexpanditscentertosupporteconomicdevelopmentofmicroenterprisesfornewmedia
The Mt Hood Cable Regulatory Commission(MHCRC)overseesacable-relatedtelecommunicationsdevelopmentforgreaterPortlandOregonServing
Oftenthemostsuccessfulexamplesofcommunitymediaemergeoutofongoingalliancesandcollaborationsamonglocalcommunitymediagroups
thecommunitiesresidentsandlocalgovernmentsofFairviewGreshamPortlandTroutdaleWoodVillageandMultnomahCountyOregonTheMtHoodCableRegulatoryCommissionnegotiatesandenforcescableservicefran-chiseandactsinthepublicinterestoncommunicationspolicyissuesatlocalstateandfederallevelsItwouldbehardtooverstatetheimportanceofMHCRCinfosteringthegrowthofcommunitymediaingreaterPortlandThroughclearandinsightfulregulationofthecablefranchiseithasassuredthatthenecessarynetworksandtelecommu-nicationsinfrastructureareavailabletoallowcommunitymediatogrow
MtHoodrsquosCommunityAccessCapitalGrantsProgramisparticularlynoteworthyTheCapitalGrantsprogramprovidescapitalfundingtocommunicationsprojectsthatsupportsocialjusticecommunityinvolve-mentandtheeffectivedeliveryofservicesthroughcostreductionTheprogramhasallowedscoresofcommunitygroupstoincreasetheircommunicationscapacitythroughtheacquisitionofskillsknowledgeandtechnologyInimplementingthisgrantprogramtheMtHoodCableRegulatoryCommissionhasbeenextremelystrategicinconveninggranteesandcreatingtheconditionsthatleadtopartnershipsandcollaborativerelationships
TheNorthwest Film and Video Centerisalong-standingregionalmediaartsorganizationservingtheNorthwestregionThecenterprovidesarichprogramnurturingmediaartscultureItfeaturesanactiveexhibi-tionprogramforexperimentalandindependentfilmsahighlyregardedfilmschoolandextensiveyouthmediaprogramsThecenterpresentsanumberofyearlyfilmfestivalsincludingthePortlandInternationalFilmFestivaltheNorthwestFilmandVideoFestivalandtheYoungPeoplersquosFilmampVideoFestivalThecenterrsquosproductionsoftenfindtheirwayontotothearearsquoscablechannelsThecenterisalsoatrustedsourceofequipmentaccessforareaindependentproducersactiveintherichmediacultureofPortlandaservicepartiallysupportedbytheMtHoodCableRegulatoryCommissionrsquosCapitalGrantsprogram
Minneapolis-St Paul MinnesotaTheSaint Paul Neighborhood Network(SPNN)isacableaccessstationservingStPaulresidentsThestationprovidesopportunitiestothepublictoproduceandairprogramsononeofitsfivechannelsdedicatedtomulti-faithpubliceducationcommunityandinternationalcontentrespectivelySPNNhasayoutheducationprogramandacommunityproductionsprogramwhichworkswithnonprofitorganizationstocreatepublicserviceadvertise-
mentsorprogrammingWorkshopsincludeproductiongrantproposalwritinglegalquestionsandlightingSPNNisparticularlyeffectiveasconvenerandcapacitybuilderinitscommunityItseducationandtrainingprogramsarefocusedoncommunitydevelopmentandonkeepingthetechnicaltrainingelementsofitsworkinasocialperspective
Minneapolis Television Network(MTN)isSPNNrsquossisteraccessstationservingMinneapoliswithasimilarcommitmenttoprovidingacommunitygatheringplaceOperatingthreepublicaccesschannelsMTNofferstelevi-siontrainingandmedialiteracyclassesandisespeciallyencouragingofyouthparticipationThechannelsserveasabridgeforimmigrantstouseinadaptingtotheirnewhomemanynewimmigrantsusethemtocommunicateintheirnativelanguageswiththeirSomaliEthiopianorVietnamesecompatriotsSomali-languageprogramsforinstanceoffereighthoursaweekofmusicentertainmentcommunitynewsandreligiousinstructiontooneofthelargestsettlementsofSomalipeopleoutsideSomaliaIntoutingSomalitelevisionasthebestpublicaccesscabletelevisionprogramintheTwinCitiesCity Pages saidldquoForsomepublicaccessisanearlyinspiringlessonindemocracyandfreemediardquo(CityPages2004)WantingtostrengthenthenonprofitcommunityrsquosInternetsavvyMTNcreatedandeventuallyspunofftheRiverProjecttoofferInternetdial-upaccessandwebhostingtononprofits
PublicbroadcastershavealsoofferedstrongmodelsofcommunitycollaborationintheTwinCities Twin Cities Public Television(TPT)isthepublictelevisionstationservingtheMinneapolisndashStPaulregionIn2004TPTbegandedicatingtimeononeofitsdigitalchan-nelstoMinnesota-relatedprogrammingAnumberoftheprogramsontheMinnesota Channel(someofwhicharethencablecastonpublicaccesstelevision)aretargetedatLatinoHmongHindiMiddleEasternChineseandVietnamesecommunitiesandproducedinpartnershipwithnonprofitorganizationsTPTisapartnerintheMinnesotaCommunityCampaignthatencouragesurbanandruralareasinandaroundtheTwinCitiestowelcomethetensofthousandsofimmigrantsandrefugeesthathavesettledthereinthepastseveraldecadesSeekingtoeffectpositivechangeonimmigrantissuesthroughartmediaeducationsocialserviceandpolicymakingthecampaignproducedtheldquoTheNewMinnesotansrdquoasixty-minuteprogramthatoriginallyairedonTPTbasedontheKartemquinseriesldquoTheNewAmericansrdquo
InadditiontocommunityradiostationKFAItheTwinCitiesishometoMinnesota Public Radio(MPR)
whichhaspioneeredafreshapproachtojournalismcalledpublicinsightjournalism(PIJ)PIJtapsintothecollectiveknowledgeofMPRrsquosdiverseaudiencetoenrichitsreport-ingCreatingaten-thousand-personPublicInsightNetworkviathewebthestationinvitesthepublictobesourcesofstoryideasreactionsandperspectivesandbrainstormingonpublicissues
TheindependentfilmandvideocommunityworkscollaborativelyintheTwinCitiestosupportandpromoteartistandcommunityperspectivesIFP Minnesota Center for Media Arts Intermedia ArtsandtheWalker Art Center areamongthemulti-disciplinaryvenuesfordiscus-sionandproduction
AndtheInternetishometoanewaggregationofcommunitymediasourcesAccordingtoitswebsitethe Twin Cities Daily PlanetaprojectoftheTwinCitiesMediaAllianceisldquoacommunitynewswireandsyndicationserviceshowcasingthebestworkoftheneighborhoodandcommunitypressaswellasworkbyTwinCitiesindepen-dentjournalistsandthevoicesofengagedcitizensThepremiseoftheTC Daily PlanetisthatnewtechnologiesaremakingitpossibleforthesecitizenstobecomemoreactiveandpowerfulparticipantsinthenewsproductionprocessrdquoModeledafterKorearsquosOhmyNewstheTC Daily Planetseekstoimprovethequalitydiversityandaccount-abilityofthelocalmediaandtoinvolvetherapidlygrowingimmigrantandethniccommunitiesItrecruitsandofferstrainingtocitizenjournalistsandhaspartnershipswithoverfortyneighborhoodandcommunitymedia
Chicago IllinoisChicago Access Network Television(CAN-TV)offersfivepublicaccesschannelstoChicagolandresidentsThispublicspaceprovidesChicagoansanopportunitytodiscussissuesoflocalconcernpromotehealtheducationalandeconomicresourcesinthecommunityandcelebratelocaltalentandinitiativesCAN-TVprovidesvideotrainingequipmentandfacilitiesforarearesidentsandnonprofitgroupsItvideotapesandcablecastspublicforumstownhallmeetingscommunityeventsandotheractivitiesoflocalinterestThroughthisservicethestationprovidesChicagoanswithaccesstoinformationtheymaynototh-erwisehavethroughcommercialtelevisionForinstanceCAN-TVworkedwitheighttotenAIDSagenciestodissemi-natebasiceducationaboutAIDSpreventionvialivecall-inprograms
CAN-TVsupportsChicagorsquosassociationsandnonprof-itsthroughserviceslikeliveldquohot-linerdquocall-inshowsfrom
automatedstudiosthatonepersoncanoperateproductionservicesthatgenerateprogrammingforcommunityeventsandstrategiccommunicationsplanningworkshopsCAN-TVhasrefusedtofollowasimplisticldquoneutralityrdquoprogram-mingphilosophyinwhichtheaccesscentertransmitsonlyprogrammingthatrandomlycomesfromthecommunityInsteadCAN-TVactivelycreatesprogrammingimportanttocommunitydevelopmentInadditiontoitsfocusonnonprofitsCAN-TVactivelycreatespartnershipswithcon-tent-richgroupssuchaslocalmuseumsandartsgroupsItalsopartnerswithlocalmediaactivistproductiongroupslikeVideoMacheteandStreetLevelYouthMedia(profiledbelow)SimilarlyCAN-TVaggressivelyengagesinprogram-mingforlocalelectionsatypicalelectionseasonwillgeneratearoundtwohundredhoursoforiginalprogram-mingeachmonthandnearlyallthecandidateswillbefeaturedoractuallycreatetheirownCAN-TVprogrammingtocarryouttheircampaigns
Street-Level Youth MediaprovidesopportunitiesforChicagorsquosurbanyouthtousemediaartsandemergingtechnologiesforself-expressioncommunicationandsocialchangeItsstaffprovidesinstructioninvideoandaudioproductioncomputerartandtheInternettohelpyouthaddresscommunityissuesaccessadvancedcommunica-tionstechnologyandgaininclusioninsocietyInoneprojectitcollaboratedwithtwoseventh-gradeteachersandanESLinstructortohelpstudentsresearchissuesaboutimmigrationinoneneighborhoodTheteachersweretrainedtousevideoandthentrainedotherteacherswhoguidedtheirstudentsinproducingvideosforscreeningattheschoolMorethanthirtyvideoswerecreatedandvideotrainingandusehasbeenincorporatedintotheschoolcurriculum
Radio Arte(WRTE)istheonlybilingual(Spanish-English)youth-operatedurbancommunitystationinthecountryItoperateswithafocusonyouthinChicagorsquosPilsenandLittleVillageneighborhoodsAninitiativeoftheNationalMuseumofMexicanArtthiseducationalradiostationhasservedChicagoformorethansixyearstrainingyouthwithapriorityondevelopingindividualandgroupcommunicationcompetenciesthatallowyoungpeopletoenterpubliclifewithconfidencethroughthebroadcastmediumProvidingaforumforyoungpeopletobecreativeandresponsibletothelargestMexicancommunityintheMidwestRadioArteiscommittedtotrainingyoungpeopleintheartofbroadcastingRadioArtersquosuniquetwo-yeartrainingprogramprovidesyouthwithspecialcoursesonwritingforradioandjournalismvoicetrainingand
FCCregulationsaswellasbasiccomputerskillsproduc-tionskillsandon-airtrainingParticipatingintwograntroundsofSoundPartnersforCommunityHealththestationrsquosldquoRadioVidardquoproducedprogrammingonsubstanceabuseandaddictionbyandforLatinoyouth
Casa Guatemala Media Projectisanonprofitcommunity-basedorganizationthatservestheGuatemalanandbroaderLatinAmericancommunityinChicagoandtheMidwestSinceitsfoundingin1986ithasusedmediaincludingwebprintTVandradiotoraiseconsciousnessaboutissuesaffectingcommunitiesfromLatinAmericaInparticularitworkswithCAN-TVtoprovidetheeducationalcomponentofself-authoredmediathatwillpositivelytrans-formcommunitiesthroughworkshopsontheproductionandalternativeusesofemergingtechnologies
Beyond Media EducationworkswithunderservedandunderrepresentedcommunitiesprimarilywomenandyouthtotelltheirstoriesandorganizeforsocialjusticethroughthecreationanddistributionofalternativemediaandartsInarecenteffortitworkedwithaChicagosheltertohelpstreetwalkerstelltheirownstoriesinanefforttoraisepublicawarenessandpromotestate-levelreformsTheorganizationorganizedasix-monthworkshopthatincludedteachingandpracticingstorytellingpublicspeak-ingandvideoproductionskillstooveradozenprostitutesTheirgroundbreakingvideogivesinsightsintoChicagorsquossextradeindustryandrecountsthetriumphofthepar-ticipantsoverhomelessnessviolenceanddiscriminationTheirlobbyinginthestatecapitolresultedinpassageofabilltodestigmatizeanddecriminalizesexworkers
Keepingtabsonandshowcasingmuchofthecom-munitymediaactivityfromajournalisticperspectiveistheCommunity Media Workshop (CMW) CMWservesasabridgebetweensocialactivistscommunitymediaprac-titionersandjournalistsIthostsanannualacademyforprogressiveorganizationsintheChicagoareathatbringsactivistsandjournaliststogethertoshareideasandatti-tudesProminentareatelevisionandnewspaperjournalistsarerecruitedtoserveonpanelsleadworkshopsandgenerallysharetheirideasofhowprogressivegroupscaneffectivelygaintheattentionofthepressThisapproach
leadstobuy-infromkeypersonnelinChicagorsquosmainstreammediawhocannowbetterunderstandthegrassrootsgroupsthatapproachthemandtheirissuesItalsogivescommunityparticipantsattheworkshopstheopportunitytodevelopmorepersonalrelationshipswithkeymembersofthemediaThisapproachalsoenablescommunitygroupstobetterunderstandwhatmotivateseditorsandreporters
ThesethreecommunitiesshowcommondevelopmentpatternsandfactorsCommunitymediaorganizationshavebeguntounderstandtheirmissionsintermsofasharedcultureofcommunitymedialookingbeyondtheirindivid-ualmissionstothecommonsocialandpoliticalvaluestheyhaveincommonThisapproachopensthewayforcommu-nityradiomediaartscenterscommunitymediacentersandcableaccesstocreatecommunity-wideprograminitiativesinwhichseveralmediaplatformsareengagedItcreatestheconditionsinwhichitispossibleforcommunitymediaorganizationstoactwithunifiedstancesinpoliticaladvocacyregardingmediaissuesandotherissuescriticaltotheircommunitiesThiskindofcross-platformnetworkingalsocreatesopportunitiesforcommunitymediatoreceivemorediversefundingandsupportfromthecommunityastheyextendthenetworkorcultureofcollaborationtocom-munitydevelopmentgroupsandofficialsintheirregions
Communitymediaorganizationshavebeguntounderstandtheirmissionsintermsofasharedcultureofcommunitymedialookingbeyondtheirindividualmissionstothecommonsocialandpoliticalvaluestheyhaveincommon
ldquoThe boldest experiments in public telecommunica-tions take place when technologies are new and their commercial potential not yet fully apparentrdquo mdash Ralph Engelman 1996
Acrosstheirmanyplatformsandmanycommunitiescommunitymediahavebecomecentralculturalinstitutionsinthecivicculturalandeconomiclife
ofourcommunitiesprovidinginvaluablemediaprogram-mingaccessandeducationTheycaninsuchinstancesenablecommunitiestodevelopinformedcitizensartistsandactivistswhopossesstheskillsandknowledgeneededtograpplewithcomplexmedialiteracyanddevelopmentissuesatthelocallevel
Fordecadescommunitymediaorganizationshaveaddressedtheurgentneedtocreatelocalinstitutionsthatfacilitatecitizenaccesstomedianetworksandeffectiveparticipationinmediacultureforbothcitizensandwork-ersTheyareprovingthemselvesvitaltothepoliticalandeconomiclifeoftheircommunitiesTheyplaymultiplerolessimultaneouslyascriticalculturalenhancementstothequalityofciviclifeasemployersandaseducationalsitesforworkforcedevelopment
difficultyNeworganizationalformsandnewmediaformatslikestreamingarchivingpodcastingandbloggingarebecomingthenormpartofldquoblendedrdquoproductionanddis-seminationpracticesincommunitymedia
neW communicAtion spAces cyberjournAlismTheincreaseinInternetbandwidthandtheavailabilityofonlinesocialnetworkingsoftwarehavequalitativelychangedtherelationshipofjournaliststotheiraudiencesNewwebdestinationslikeMySpaceShutterflyFriendsterFlikrEviteandGooglearedevelopingvirtualcommuni-tiesforsharingvideoattractingyoungeraudiencesandmakingcontentmorethanpassiveandone-directionalSocialnetworkingsoftwareenablespeopletorendezvousconnectorcollaboratethroughcomputer-mediatedcom-municationandformonlinecommunities(Spannerworks2007)PopularsocialnetworksoftwareapplicationslikeweblogsorblogsseemparticularlywellsuitedtoparticipatorycitizenjournalismallowingeasypublishingofinteractivetextphotoaudioandvideocontentTheneweasewithwhichvideoclipscanbepreparedforuseonthewebhasbroughtontheriseofldquovlogsrdquoandsitesthatfacilitatethesharingofvideoclipsandaccompanyingcontentAnenormousrangeofblogsandcyberjournalisticsiteshavesprungupontheWorldWideWebinthepastfiveyearswithanequallywiderangeofeditorialstandardsandpracticesTechnoraticomcurrentlytracksseventeenmillionblogssharingoneandahalfmillionhyperlinks(Rennie2006)APewCenterInternetstudyestimatesthatthenumberofregularblogreadersintheUnitedStatesisequivalenttoalmosthalftheentireradioaudiencewhichisaboutaquarteroftheUSnewspaperreadership(Rennie2006)
Combinedwithaffordablenewdigitalmediaproduc-tioncamerasandrecorderstheseweb-baseddisseminationtoolsmakeitpossibleforcitizensandconsumerstoparticipateactivelyinnewsgatheringNonprofessionalshavebeguntoplayamoreactiveroleintheprocessesofjournalismfromcollectinginformationandreportingtoanalysisanddisseminationJanSchafferwhodirectsJ-LabaUniversityofMarylandincubatorforinteractivejournalismprojectsexplainsthatmanypeoplearebecom-ingmoreactivecitizensthroughjournalisticactivitybutdonotnecessarilyaspiretobejournalistsThenewtechnical
envisioning the future of community mediA
Communitymediaorganizationsareprovingthemselvesvitaltothepoliticalandeconomiclifeoftheircommunities
Communitymediaarealsocontributingimportantvaluespracticesandorganizationalmethodologiestotheemergingcollaborativemediaenvironmentsoftheblogo-sphereWecanlooktothesecontributionsastechnologicalandorganizationalopportunitiesforstrengtheningandexpandingcommunitymediapracticeWiththeInternetamediacultureisemergingthatismoreconsistentwiththenoncommercialpracticesofcommunitymediaproductioncollaborationanddemocraticparticipationinmediamak-inganddistributionConsequentlymanycommunitymediaorganizationsareintegratingthecapacitiesoftheInternetandnewmediaintotheirpracticeswithoutmuchfanfareor
0
capacityforcommunicationsheobservesallowspeopletoldquoparticipateinnewsandinformationinvariouswaysmdashparticipateininteractingwithitquestioningittruth-squadingitandcreatingitAndnowthattheyhavethetechtoolsandthetechskillstodothattheappetitehasonlyincreasedrdquo(Schaffer2005b)
SuchconditionshavesetthestageforintensepopularinterestinwhathasbeenbrandedldquowemediardquoorldquoparticipatoryjournalismrdquoTodaynumerousonlinejournalisticexperimentsbringtogetherprofessionaljour-nalistswithcitizenmediaactivistsandthoseinvolvedineventsMoreandmoretheearliestimagesandinformationregardingbreakingnewsarecomingfromnon-journalistspresentatthemomentoftheeventAsaresultjournalistsarebeginningtoconceptualizethemselvesnotsomuchasgatekeepersofnewsbutasmoderatorsinaconversationwithlicenseandtimetospeakfrequentlyandhopefullyaccurately(BowmanandWillis2003)
Thiskindofcommunity-centeredcoveragemayentailthere-balancingofeditorialpoliciesndashcommittingtodiversityembracingegalitarianvaluesandreassessingthevalueofeditorialneutralityItputsintoquestiontheroleandsignificanceofofteninnovativeldquopersonalmediardquoexemplifiedbythemillionsofbloggingsitesontheWebIsthiskindofldquonewsrdquoservingapubliccivicpurposeofcommunityproblemsolvingorindividualprivateexpres-sionInaWashington PostopinionpieceonDecember212006GeorgeKWillvoicedskepticismoftheseriousnessofmuchofthewebrsquosamateurjournalisminresponsetoTimemagazinersquosnamingallofusPersonoftheYear
Itisdifficulttopredictthefutureofcyberjournal-ismandbloggingpreciselyintheseearlystagesbutthreeoutcomesseemlikelyFirstbloggingwillcontinueitsrapidintegrationintomainstreammediacontentSecondblog-gingandotherformsofsocialnetworkingsoftwarewillgiverisetonewmediaentitiesthatwillchallengemainstreammedialocallynationallyandglobally
ThethirdoutcomeistheonemostrelevanttoacommunitymediascanCyberjournalismandparticipatory
citizenjournalismseemparticularlywellsuitedtoaddressthecurrentUSmassmediarsquosdifficultyinprovidingcoverageoflocaleventsinsmallercommunitiessuburbanregionsandcommutercommunitiesthataredevelopingoutsideformalpoliticaljurisdictionsCommunity-basedonlinejournalismsiteshavesprungupinhundredsofcom-munitiesaroundtheUnitedStatesTheyaremanagedandorganizedinwidelydivergentways
AnexperimentincyberjournalismandcommunitynetworkingtheTwin Cities Daily PlanetaggregatessomeofthebestjournalismfromMinnesotarsquosTwinCitiesneighborhoodandcommunitypressandindependentjour-nalistsaswellasthevoicesofengagedcitizenspresentingthemtothepublicthroughaninteractivewebsiteandcommunitydatabaseByaggregatingcitizenandneighbor-hoodjournalisminonesiteitincreasesthecapacityofsmallneighborhoodmediatoreachbeyondtheirborderstoawiderregionalaudienceUsingRealSimpleSyndication(RSS)softwaretheTC Daily Planetcanpotentiallyreachaglobalaudience
AprojectoftheTwinCitiesMediaAlliancetheTC Daily PlanetisaverynewformofcommunitymediaemergingfromtherestructuringofthenewspaperindustryandtheuseofbloggingandsocialnetworkingsoftwareAlthoughearlyinitsdevelopmenttheTC Daily Planetisgivingvoicetoanincreasingnumberofethnicimmi-grantandnon-mainstreamjournalistswhilefocusingthecommunityrsquosattentiononafargreaterrangeofpublicationsandideas
TheearliestexpressionsofcyberjournalismaretheIndependent Media Centers (IMCs)orIndymediaIndymediacameintobeingaspartoftheprotestsanddemonstrationsaroundtheWorldTradeOrganizationtalksheldinSeattleWashingtonin1999ThisfirstIMCwasaconvergenceoftheemerginginteractivityoftheInternetwiththeintenseneedofprotesterstogetindependentinformationouttotheworldabouttheprotestsAnetworkofindependentcommunitymediamakersactivistsandjournalistsbandedtogethertopoolresourcesandinforma-tion(Howley2005)
TheIMCsforeshadowedthebloggingandvideodis-tributionthatwasshortlytoemergebyusingtheInternetandtheWorldWideWebinconjunctionwithvideoandaudiodistributiontocreateatrulyunprecedentedmulti-mediaenvironmentIntermsofbothqualityandquantitytheSeattleIMCwasanimpressiveperformancebyanynewsandcurrentaffairsstandardsOverthecourseofthefive-dayprotestsadailynewspaperanddailyradioprogramwerecreatedandcountlessprintstoriesweredisseminated
Journalistsarebeginningtoconceptualizethemselvesnotsomuchasgatekeepersofnewsbutasmoderatorsinaconversation
globallyalsovideofeedsweresentthroughtheInternettopublicaccessandcommunitychannelsaroundtheworldSixyearsaftertheSeattleproteststherewere149Indymediawebsitesinabout45countriesonsixcontinents(Whitney2005)
TheopenformofcommunicationpracticedbymostIMCsiteshasnotbeenwithoutproblemsandcontra-dictionsManysitesarenowclutteredwithideologicaldiatribesanduneditedcontent(Halleck2002Whitney2005)ButthereareanumberofIndymediasitesthatprovidealternativenewsandinformationregardingaglobalscopeofconcernsthatwouldbeverydifficulttoobtainanywhereelseinthemediaAnumberofsitesinplacessuchasNewYorkCityPortlandOregonandtheSanFranciscoBayareahaveestablishedthemselvesasstablepartsoftheircommunityrsquosmediaculture
companiesspecializedsuppliersserviceprovidersandassociatedinstitutionsinaparticularfieldthatarepresentinanationorregionrdquo(Porter2000)Thecompaniesinanindustryclusterhaveacomplexwebofmutuallysupportingrelationshipsthatencompassbothcompetitiveandcollab-orativerelationshipsTheylinkacrossprofitandnonprofitpracticesutilizecommoninfrastructuremakecommoncontributionstothedevelopmentofahighlyskilledwork-forcesharefundingandinsomecasestalentedstaff
Increasinglycommunitydevelopmentpractitionersandanalystsarecomingtounderstandindustryclustersaspowerfulstrategiesforbotheconomicandcommunitydevelopmentinthetwenty-firstcenturyThisisprovingdoublytruefornonprofitcommunitymediaorganizationswhoseroleitistobringpowerfultoolsandknowledgetoanycommunityrsquosdeliberationsaroundcommunityandeco-nomicdevelopmentBroadbandandwirelessnetworksareprovidingthepracticalmeansoflinkingcommunitymediaorganizationswithincommunitiesofferingakeystrategicadvantagebyenhancingtheeffectivenessofcollaborationandpartnershipbuilding
AstheexamplesinthepreviouschaptershowcommunitymediaorganizationsaretakingonnewrolesincludingcombiningproductionandtrainingtakingonworkforcedevelopmentfunctionsandbecomingtechnologycentersfordiffusionofnewmediaBeyondtheseexampleslongstandingsuccessfulcommunitymediaorganiza-tionsaremergingasnetworkclusterslinkingdifferentgroupsandorganizationswithincommunitiestocreateentirelynewcommunitymediaorganizationsorblurringtheboundariesbetweentheirorganizationsOthersarebringinghistoricallyseparatecommunitymediagroupswithinoneorganizationalstructureorunderonerooftosharebuildingsandcommunicationsinfrastructuresinacost-effectivemanner
TheorganizationsthatemergefromthisintegrationmaybesimilarinfunctionthoughtheirnamesremaindifferentAcommunity-basedsiteforcitizenmediaandcyberjournalismforexampleandacommunitynetworklikeMAINinAshevilleNorthCarolinaoracutting-edgecableaccesscenterlikeGrandRapidsCommunityTelevisionbegintolookverymuchalikeintermsof
Increasinglycommunitymediadevelopmentishappeningthroughnetworksoflocalnonprofitmediaorganizationsratherthanwithinsingleorganizations
neW orgAnizAtionAl spAces netWorked clusters Perhapsthemostpromisingtrendonthehorizonforcom-munitymediaistheemergenceofnewhighlyintegratedorganizationalstructuresandcollaborativeprocessesIncreasinglycommunitymediadevelopmentishappeningthroughnetworksoflocalnonprofitmediaorganizationsratherthanwithinsingleorganizations
Inmanywaysthesereorganizationsatthecom-munitylevelparalleltherestructuringtakingplaceintheprivatecorporatesectorTherecommunicationsnetworksarebeingusedtosupportcomplexpartnershipsandjointcompanyprojectdevelopmentinteractivenetworkseasetheaggregationoflargeorstrategiccapitalandemployeeskillsetsacrossgeographicandorganizationalboundariesforthepurposesofinnovationandmarketdevelopmentInthelanguageofcommunityandeconomicdevelop-mentthesecomplexpartnershipsareknownasldquocreativeclustersrdquoorldquoindustryclustersrdquoMichaelPorteraleadingtheoristandproponentoftheconceptofclustersdefinesthemasldquogeographicconcentrationsofinterconnected
Successfulcommunitymediaorganizationsaremergingasnetworkclusters
technologyprogrammingactivitiesandtheexperienceofcommunityaudiencesvolunteersandparticipantsEachorganizationreliesonnoncommercialaffordablebandwidtheachplayssomeroleinadvocatingforsupportivegovern-mentpoliciesandeachisexperimentingwiththepotentialofnewcollaborativemediatoolsOftencommittedtoengagingandtrainingvolunteersandcommunitymembersinsomemannertheymayoffertrainingandvolunteerpro-gramsthatrequiresimilarsharableonlinetutorialsandonlineoutreachandschedulemanagementtools
TheexamplesthatfollowdemonstratethewayscommunitymediacreativeclustersaremakinguniquecontributionstotheircommunitiesrsquoqualityoflifeandeconomicwellbeingTheyaredoingsointhreeimportantwaysbullfirstbyamplifyingtherolethatartsandculturalgroups
playinenhancingthequalityoflifeandattractingatalentedworkforceandcapitaltothecommunitymdasharolethatisgaininginsignificanceinthetwenty-firstcentury
bullsecondascontributorstocoreeconomicdevelopmentfunctionsinthecommunityincludingworkforcedevelop-mentandtrainingasmicro-enterpriseincubatorsandascreatorsofnewknowledgeandeducationalexperiencesand
bullthirdasfacilitatorsandcatalystsofcommunitydialoguecommittedtoembracingmarginalizedvoicesandallow-ingthecommunitytoundertakeitsowndevelopmentdemocratically
Lowell MassachusettsLowell Telecommunications Center(LTC)isapublicandgovernmentaccesschannelandmediaandtechnologycen-terItprovideseducationandtraininginmediacreationincludingwebdesigndigitalphotographyandtelevisionproductionLTCworksincollaborationwithotherlocalcommunity-basedorganizationsmunicipaldepartmentsandeducationalentitiestoproducediversemulticulturalprogrammingthatmeetsthecommunityrsquoscommunica-tionandinformationneedsLTChasbecomeaconvening
organizationforbuildingcapacityamongLowellrsquosnonprofitcommunity-basedorganizationsintheiruseofparticipatorymediaandcivicengagementstrategies
LTCismorefocusedthanothercommunitymediaorganizationsoncommunitybuildingandcommunicationtechnologyThecorporationisworkingtobuildanetworkforparticipatorymediaandcivicengagementthroughouttheMerrimacRiverValleyThroughaUSDepartmentofEducationgrantLTCacquiredfundingandstafftohelpitspartnerorganizationsbecomeInternet-capableassesstheirinformationtechnologyneedsacquiretechnologyupgradestoaddressthoseneedsandundertakethetrainingtousethetechnologyeffectively
RatherthanwaitingforgroupstocometoitscenterLTCcreatedacircuitridertrainingprogramthattookthetrainingprogramintothecommunityThroughLTCrsquosinformationtechnologycenterscoresofcommunitygroupshavereceivedtrainingdesignedandcreatedwebsitesanddevelopedstrategiccommunicationsplansforthefutureThosedevelopmentsincludeweb-basedhistoricalarchivesGISmappingsystemsmultimediamaterialsandInternetvideoTohelporganizationsacquirethesoftwaretheyneedtocarryouttheirmissionsLTCcreatedtheCommunitySoftwareLabwhichdevelopsuniquesoftwaretofittheneedsofareanonprofitsThelabhasbeenspunofftocreateaseparatenonprofitentityjoiningthegrowingnumberofindependentorganizationsthatnetworkthroughLTC
ThemostrecentLTCinitiativeisldquoDigitalBicyclerdquoapeer-to-peernetworkthatallowsmediacentersworldwidetodownloadandsharelocalcontentLTCstaffenvisionDigitalBicycleasanonlinecommunityforcableaccessmediaartsindependentmediaandothernoncommercialmedia
Grand Rapids MichiganldquoBuildingcommunitythroughmediardquoThissimplemissionstatementguidedtheGrand Rapids Community Media Center(GRCMC)asitevolvedfromatypicalcableaccessoperationtobecomeabroad-basedmultimediacenterandamodelforthedevelopmentofcommunitymultimediacentersintheUnitedStatesOverthepasttwentyyears
Communitymediacreativeclustersaremakinguniquecon-tributionstotheircommunitiesrsquoqualityoflifeandeconomicwellbeing
LTCisworkingtobuildanetworkforparticipatorymediaandcivicengagementthroughouttheMerrimacRiverValley
GRCMChaspulledthediversecommunitymediaactivitiesofGrandRapidsunderoneorganizationalumbrellaandtakentheleadinarticulatingthepotentialforaggregatingnoncommercialnetworkedcommunicationsthere
Theevolvingnetworkofmediaplatformsdis-ciplinesandculturalgroupsthatconvergetobecomeGRCMCnowincludesthefollowingcentersofpracticeGRTVacommunitytelevisioncenterthatprogramsmultiplecableaccesschannelsWYCEacommunityradiostationGrandnetacommunitytechnologyandnetworkcenterthatprovidescitizenandnonprofitaccesstotheInternetandtheGrandRapidsInstituteforInformationDemocracyacriticalmediaeducationandresearchcenterthattracksmediaandlocalpublicinterestissuesandpub-lishesinformationonmediaaccountabilityandreform
ButtheGrandRapidsCommunityMediaCenterismorethanthesumofitspartsThecomponentsofthecenterworktogetherinamutuallyreinforcingwholethatcreatesapowerfulcommunitymediapresenceinGrandRapidsandallowsthecentertoundertakefarmoreambitiousprojectsandprogrammingthanwouldbethecaseseparatelyOneexcellentexampleistheMobileOn-LineLearningLabforInformationEducationKnownasMOLLIEtheprogramprovidesskilledtrainersanddigitalvideoproductionequipmenttoschoolsandcommunityorganizationsforspecialprojectsOriginallyfundedbyafederalDepartmentofEducationgrantMOLLIEfillsintechnologygapsinGrandRapidseducationalinstitutionsandnonprofitsInthehandsofalessintegratedinstitutiontheMOLLIEprojectcouldeasilybeatechnicallyorientedequipmentloanandtrainingprogramInthehandsofthecenterMOLLIEhasbecomeasophisticatedmediaandtechnologyeducationalinitiativeprovidingatrainingprogramthataddressesmediaeducationfromtheperspec-tiveofallthecomponentsoftheGrandRapidsCommunityMediaCenter
Asheville North CarolinaOneofthemostarticulateeffortsmergingthecreativeclustersideawithparticipatorycommunicationhascomeaboutinAshevilleNorthCarolinaThroughapersistent
collaborationbetweenforwardlookingregionalgroupsandorganizationsndashinvolvingabroadnetworkofindi-vidualscommunitymediaandmediaartsgroupsintheAshevilleregionndashAshevillehaslaidthefoundationforacommunitymediadevelopmentcenterthatwillfunctionasacableaccesscentermediaartscenterandnewmediamicro-enterpriseincubatorAtthecenterofthiseffortisaninformalcoalitionoffourimportantgroupsinAshevilleMountainAreaInformationNetworkMediaArtsProjectBoncombeCountyEconomicDevelopmentCommissionandURTVThegroupsrepresentdistinctpointsofviewandconcernsaswellasconverginginterests
Eachgroupsharedtheinsightthatcivicparticipa-tionandeconomicsuccessinthetwenty-firstcenturyaredirectlyrelatedtohavingaccesstocommunicationstechnologyandknowledgeEachalsounderstoodthattherenegotiationofthecablefranchisesintheCityofAshevilleandsurroundingBoncombeCountywasastrategicmomenttocatalyzeandassociateanumberofcommunity-basedinformationandmediaartsactivitiesalreadyinplaceorplannedinAshevilleThegroupsusedthecablefranchisingprocesstocreateacommonorganizationalandfacilitiesinfrastructuresupportingtheuseofmediaforbothcivicandeconomicdevelopment
The Media Arts Project(MAP)isanetworkofmediaartiststhatcultivatesinnovativeartsandtechnol-ogyinwesternNorthCarolinaMAPworkedtirelesslytoframecableaccessasacommunitydevelopmentissuebridgingthemediaactivistcommunitiesandthemoreforward-thinkingfactionsamongeconomicdevelopmentprofessionalsintheregionWiththerecentopeningofURTV IncAshvillersquoscableaccessorganizationandfacilityMAPanditsnetworkofpartnersarenowturningtheirattentiontofundingthemediaartsandeconomicincubatorelementsofthevision
AshevillersquosinterestinsupportingcommunitymediaarisesfromthepresenceoftheMountain Area Information Network(MAIN)Inthetraditionoftheruralcooperativesthathelpedspreadthereachofelectricityinthe1930sMAINisanonprofitInternetserviceproviderofferingreliablelow-costInternetservicebothinwesternNorthCarolinaandnationwideItisauniquecommunitynetworkwithabroadvisionofitsroleinthecommunitythatencompassesmedialiteracyeconomicdevelopmentstrategiescommunitylow-powerradioacommunity-basedwebportalandtheprovisionofInternetconnectivitytoruralwesternNorthCarolinaMAINislargelyresponsiblefortheremarkableexpansionofInternetaccessibilityinwesternNorthCarolinaallowingthousandsofpeopleto
GRCMChaspulledthediversecommunitymediaactivitiesofGrandRapidsunderoneorganizationalumbrella
spendtheirInternetaccessdollarswithalocallycontrolledandaccountableorganizationMAINdemonstratesthevalueofthecommunitynetworkingconcepttoareasthatarelagginginconnectivityduetofailuresofthemarket
MAINhastakenaleadershiproleinbuildingacommunitymediacultureinAshevillethatdemonstratestheeasewithwhichdigitalmedialeapsorganizationalboundariesItscommunitynetworkrunstheBlueRidgeWebMarketwhichprovidesafreecustomizableInternetpresencetohundredsofsmallbusinessesthroughoutwesternNorthCarolinaItsLatinoDigitalLiteracyProjectofferstrainingtohelpthearearsquosgrowingLatinopopula-tionsaccesstheInternetMAINhasbeenoneofthekeypartnersinbringingacableaccesscentertoAshevilleandhasbeenthedrivingforcebehindWPVMWNCrsquoslow-powerFMradiostationbroadcastinglocalnewsviewsandmusicover-the-airintheAshevilleregion(andtheworldviawebcast)
Cleveland OhioPerhapsthemostrobustcommunity-basednonprofitnetworkintheUnitedStatesOne ClevelandprovideswhatitcallsldquoultrabroadbandnetworkingservicesrdquotoClevelandareaeducationgovernmentresearchartscultureandhealthcareorganizationsOneClevelandoperatesafibernetworkringthatcoversmuchofthecityofClevelandandmanyofitssurroundingsuburbsSubscriberstothenetworkconnectatgigabitspeeds
OneClevelandrepresentswhatcanhappenwhenpowerfulcommunitydevelopmentforcescometoaconsensusregardingtheircommunityrsquosneedforhigh-speedconnectivitytoglobaleconomiesandmediaItsfoundersareClevelandmainstreaminstitutionsCaseWesternReserveUniversityCuyahogaCommunityCollegeClevelandStateUniversityTheCityofClevelandGreaterClevelandRegionalTransitAuthorityideastreamCuyahogaCountyPublicLibraryandNorTechThenetworkhasformedrelationshipswithtechnologycompaniestomaintainup-to-dateapplicationsthatleveragethepotentialofsuchapowerfulnetwork
Oneofthenetworkrsquoskeypartners ideastream illustratesthesignificanceofworkingtogethertomakehigh-speedconnectivitypubliclyavailablethroughoutacommunityonitsowntermsBybuildingahigh-speednet-workOneClevelandhascreatedacivicnetworkspaceandinfrastructurethatallowsanewkindofmultimediapublicmediaorganizationtobecreatedIdeastreamresultedwhenWVIZPBSTelevisionand903WCPNRadiopublicbroad-castersmergedtoformanewnonprofitldquomultimediapublicserviceorganizationrdquoIdeastreamisabletoextenditsmediaexpertisebeyondbroadcastingtoonlinetechnologiesandapplicationsofalltypesmdashwhenyouareconnectingtothenetworkatthegigabitspeedsofOneClevelandrsquostherangeofapplicationsandtheirpotentialarehuge
MAINhastakenaleadershiproleinbuildingacommunitymediacultureinAshevillethatdemonstratestheeasewithwhichdigitalmedialeapsorganizationalboundaries
OneClevelandrepresentswhatcanhappenwhenpowerfulcommunitydevelopmentforcescometoaconsensusregardingtheircommunityrsquosneedforhigh-speedconnectivitytoglobaleconomiesandmedia
Inthecourseofpreparingthisreportndashpouringovertheliteratureandsynthesizinghoursofstructuredround-tableconversationsandone-on-oneinterviewswith
opinionleadersandsuccessfulpractitionersofcommunitymediandashonethingisextremelyclearThewayoursocietymakesandsharesinformationknowledgeandcultureisinaheightenedstateofchangeTheinteractivenatureoftheInternethasdemonstratedthatitispossibletoorganizecommunicationsinamuchmoredemocraticfashionSomehaveconcludedwearewitnessingthetransitionfromanindustrializedinformationenvironmenttoanetworkedinformationenvironmentTheoldindustrialmediastruc-turesbasedonexclusivehigh-costproductionprocessesarebeingchallengedbyanemergingmediasectorinwhichthecostofcreatinginformationknowledgeandculturehasbeenprofoundlyreducedandtheproductsareintercon-nectedwidelythroughnetworksliketheInternet(Benkler2006)IndeedthereisincreasingevidencethatthesenewmediaanddigitalnetworksareparticularlyconducivetononcommercialandnonprofitculturalproductionaswellasmoreparticipatoryandcollaborativemediapracticesInmanywaysthelong-standingvaluesandintentofcommu-nitymediaforeshadowthisnewmediaenvironment
ThescanresearchfocusedonfourkeyareasofinquiryWhataretheuniquecharacteristicsthatdistin-guishcommunitymediaWhatmakesmedia-communitycollaborationssuccessfulWhattypesofcommunitymediaorganizationsbestleveragenewtechnologiesHowmightcommunitymediaengageunderservedpopulationsinprogrammingtailoredtotheirneedsIneachinstancewefoundthatcommunitymediacombinedwithgreaterafford-ablebandwidthandopen-sourceapproachestoproductiondohavetremendouscommunitydevelopmentpotentialHowevernoneofthatpotentialwillcomeaboutmagicallyThecommunitymediasectorisfacingthechallengingtaskofmanagingextensivechangeandtransformation
chAllengesThesuccessdisappointmentsandsocialvalueofthepastsixtyyearsofcommunitymediainitiativesmustbejudgedinhistoricalcontextConsistentmisrepresentationinthemainstreammediaandlimitedunaccommodatingsocialpolicyhaveresultedininadequatevisibilityandfinancialsupportforcommunitymediaAnydiscussionofitssuccessesorfailuresmustincorporateanunderstand-
ingoftheseexternalconstraintsInthislighttheexistingexpressionsofcommunitymediaattheirbestarewildlysuccessfulsocialexperimentsgivingcauseforgreatoptimism
NeverthelesscommunitymediafacebothexternalandinternalchallengesTheinternalchallengesarisefromstructuraltensionsthatoccurinanyattempttocreateorganizationsandculturesthatembodydiversitydemocraticexpressionandequitableaccessRatherthanbeingexpressedasldquoweaknessesrdquoasissooftenthecaseinmainstreammediaandacademiatheseinternaltensionsaremoreproperlyunderstoodaspredictabledevelopmentalproblemsandopportunitiesthatpractitionersshouldbepreparedtograpplewithinanycommunitymediasetting
Balancing Free Expression and Audience Development CommunityradioandpublicaccesscablehavehistoricallyprivilegedtheinterestsofproducersbygrantingthemgreatpoliticalfreedominmakingdecisionsregardingwhatprogrammingtocreateandwhataestheticandformattingapproachestouseThetrade-offforacultureofactivistvolunteerismandfreeexpressionhasbeensmalleraudi-encesandlowerlevelsofproductionandprogramsupportProgramproducerscarryanintensecommitmenttoindi-vidualownershipoftheirprogramminginitiativesthatmaynottaketheaudiencersquosinterestsfullytoheart
Whiletheseapproachesinradioandcableaccesshaveresultedinadiversityofprogrammingandpoliticalviewpointstheyhavealsopreventedradiostationpro-grammersorcableaccessorganizationsfrombuildingaflowofprogramsthatcandefineandconstructanongoingaudienceinthecommunityEachprogramorscheduledprogramslotcarriesitsownmicroaudienceldquofragmentedpublicsrdquothatareoftennotpartofanintegratedflowofpro-grammingthatattractsanaudiencetothechannelsoverall(Higgins2002)
Freeexpressionandaudiencedevelopmentarenotmutuallyexclusivenordoparticipatorymanagementstructuresvolunteerinvolvementandproducertrain-ingprogramsneedtoimpedeaudiencedevelopmentThesuccessofAmyGoodmanandDemocracyNowsoundlydemonstratesthisInfactmanycommunitymediaorgani-zationshavecreatedprogramminginitiativesthatcombinesophisticatedmeasurementsofsocialoutcomeswith
conclusions
trainingandparticipatoryprogramplanningTheyhavenotonlyraisedthesocialvalueoftheirprogrammingtotheircommunitiestheyhavealsoincreasedthesizeandloyaltyoftheiraudiences(Aufderheide2003)Asinteractivemediabegintocreatetheconditionswherenicheprogram-mingcanbefarmoresuccessfulthetensionbetweenfreeexpressionandaudiencedevelopmentisnotonlyachal-lengebutalsoatremendousopportunity
Programming MetricsStillroundtableparticipantsrepeatedlynotedthatevenwhenprogrammingmeetscommunityneedscommunitymediaorganizationscanfinditdifficulttodocumentimpactTheyfeltthatfundershavegenerallynotyetaddressedtheroleofmediainpopularcultureorthepowerofpopularcultureinaddressingsocialproblemsInaddi-tionfundersfindithardtoestablishcost-benefitmeasuresofsocialimpactfortheirmediaexpenditures
ParticipantsaskedformodelsofaudiencefeedbackandoutcomesmeasurementthatgobeyondaudiencenumbersTheyacknowledgedthedifficultyofquantify-ingnotionsofsuccesswhichtendtobeverysubjectiveandofusingsuccessstoriesinthecommonprogrammingmetricsofthedayManyrecognizedskepticismamongfundersabouttheimportanceofcommunitymediaasuspicionaboutagendasandafearofthecostsinvolvedmakingcommunitymediaahardsellEventhoughafewgoodevaluationeffortswereacknowledgedtheircollectiveresultshavenotbeenincorporatedintothethinkingofthewiderfundingcommunity
FundingMulti-yearstablefundingsupportforcommunitymediainitiativesiscriticaltostabilityinnovationandgrowthRoundtableparticipantsdiscussednumerousinstancesinwhichprojectswithmulti-yearsupporthadpowerfulpositiveimpactsextendingbeyondtheinitialprojectgoalsMulti-yearfundingcreatesthestabilitytoundertakeproperstrategicplanningandpartnershipdevelopment
Thereissomeearlyevidencethatamultiple-plat-formnonprofit-orientednichemarketcouldemergeasasignificantopportunitytoprovideenhancedrevenueforthecommunityandnoncommercialmediasectorsTheinterac-tivecapacityofthenewnetworkssignificantlyincreasestherevenuepotentialforcooperativeandsubscription-styleprogrammingflowsHoweverstrongmarketsforcommer-ciallyfundedparticipatorycommunityexpressionhavenotyetemergedinthedigitaleraduetothelimitedsizeofpopulationsandavailableadvertisingsupportIfthereistobeavitalsectorofcommunity-basedmediasomeformofsignificantpublicfundingwillbenecessaryevenininstanceswherecommunitymediaorganizationsmightrealizesignificantrevenuefromnewmarketsInordertomakethemostefficientuseofpublicfundingcommuni-tiesmustevolvefundingandgovernancestructuresforcommunitymediathatcanfacilitatetheaggregationoffundscoordinatemultiple-organizationprojectsandactastrustedconvenersofprogramminganddevelopmentdiscus-sionsincommunities
Policy ThreatsWhiletheconvergenceoftechnologyandpracticescreatesincreasingpotentialsforaunifiedcommunitymediasectorthereisunfortunatelynocohesiveandunifiednationalpolicyframeworkforcommunitymediaThegovernmentpoliciesandregulationsthatexistforcommunitymediahavebeenretrofittedinthearenasofUSbroadcastingandtelephonypolicyWhiletheyrepresenthard-wonpoliticalvictoriesandstrategicinsighttheydonotaddresstheneedsofcommunitymediainaholisticway
Inthecurrentpoliticalclimatebroadcastmediaownershipcontrolandprogrammingwillcontinuetobecentralizedinfewercorporationsleavingcommunitieswithlessoptionsforcontrollingtheirlocalmediaenviron-mentsAtthesametimethetelephonecompanieswillenterthemarketforvideotelephonyandbroadbandbydeployinghigh-capacitydigitaltelevisionnetworksinmanycommunitiesintheUnitedStates
ThecurrenttrendofcentralizationinUStele-communicationspolicyisthreateningtheabilityoflocal
Freeexpressionandaudiencedevelopmentarenotmutuallyexclusivenordoparticipatorymanagementstructuresvolunteerinvolvementandproducertrainingprogramsneedtoimpedeaudiencedevelopment
Communitymediaorganizationscanfinditdifficulttodocumentimpact
governmentstomandatecommunity-basedcommunica-tionsnetworksandprogramminginitiativesasrentonthepublicrights-of-wayThesefundingmechanismscurrentlysupportPublicEducationandGovernment(PEG)accesscabletelevisioncentersmediaartscentersandmanymunicipalcommunicationnetworksWhilefarfromperfectregulatorymechanismstheyareoneofthemostsuccess-fulformsofpublicmediasupporttoariseinthelastthirtyyears
Overthenextfiveyearsthesesuccessfulfundingstrategieswillbeunderheavyattackbythetelephonecom-paniesandthecabletelevisionindustryinastrugglewithgovernmentsforcommunitycontrolofthepublicrights-of-wayThesamedynamicthreatensequitableInternetaccessIncreasinglybroadbandcommunitynetworksaremunicipallyownedormandatedWhilesomeofthesemunicipalbroadbandnetworksweredeployedforinternalmunicipalpurposestimehasshownthatsuchnetworkscanserveanumberofnon-governmentalcommunity-basedpurposesincludingwirelessISPconnectionsforresidentsbusinessesandvisitorsManycommunitiesareseeking(andsomehaveobtained)ldquoCommunityBenefitsAgreementsrdquowithproposedwirelessbroadbandvendorsthatsetasideasmallfranchisefeeongrossrevenuestosupportdigitalinclusionactivitiesfollowingtheexampleofcablecompaniessupportofPEGaccessHowevermunicipalbroadbandandmunicipalwirelessareunderattackbyindustriestryingtoreservethesedevelopmentrightsforthemselves
Theoutcomeofthedebatesaroundcontroloftherights-of-waywillhaveasignificantimpactonthefuturepathofcommunitymediadevelopmentThesedebateswillrangeacrosstheregulatoryspectrumtheyarenowbeingwagedinlocalstateandnationallegislativearenasandthecourtsTheresultingcommunicationsinfrastruc-tureandregulatoryframeworkwillbeabletorealizethepotentialsofcommunitymediaifandonlyifcommunitiesareabletotakeleadershipinprovidingsubstantialpublicaswellasprivatefundingAsanoldtruismnotesldquomoneyispolicyrdquo
Therearenopoliticalortechnicalguaranteesthatdigitalmedianetworkswillremainopenandparticipa-toryastheyevolveItisunlikelythatmarketforcesalone
willservetorealizethedemocraticpotentialoftodayrsquosparticipatorymediatechnologyBuildingarobustsectorofcommunity-baseddemocraticnewmediawillrequireeffectivecitizenactivismclearandresponsivegovern-mentpoliciesandeffectivepoliticalstrategiesCommunitymedianeedsseparaterecognitionandsupportwithinfed-eralstateandlocalcommunicationspolicyandregulatorystructuresinordertoensureequitableandstablefundinganddevelopment
models for the futureThegovernmentregulationsandsubsidiesthatunderpincommunitymediahaveevolvedinahodgepodgefashionoverthepastsixtyyearsItcanbearguedthatcommunitymediashouldbetreatedasaseparatesectorwithinte-gratedfundingstructuresconsistentinfrastructureandtaxandsubsidypoliciesthatareseparateanddistinctfromexistinglocalmediapoliciesandalsofromthepoliciesunderpinningpublicbroadcastingPossiblemodelsforamoreunifiedapproacharenumerousbuttwoappearpar-ticularlywellsuitedtocommunitymediarsquosdiverseformsorganizationsandprogrammingapproaches
Public Funding FindingappropriatemethodsofincreasingpublicfundingforcommunitymediainashiftingregulatoryenvironmentiscrucialCurrentlocalcablefranchisingregulationstosupportcableaccessandthecommunitybenefitsagree-mentsofmunicipalwirelessnetworksoffersuccessfulmodelsbutarenowbothunderattackThelawsrequiringcommercialcableproviderstosetasidebandwidthchan-nelcapacityforthepublicinadditiontooperatingfundingbasedonapercentageofcommercialrevenuescouldbeextendedtoincludevoicevideoanddataEssentiallythenanycommercialproviderusingthepublicrights-of-wayorthewirelessspectrumwouldberequiredtocontributeanequitablepercentageofbandwidthandrev-enuetosupportthecommunitycommunicationssector
Community Media DevelopmentAdequatelevelsoffundingareonlypartoftheequationWhilefundingshouldsupporttheoverallgrowthofthe
Thereisunfortunatelynocohesiveandunifiednationalpolicyframe-workforcommunitymedia
setasidebandwidthchannelcapacityforthepublicinadditiontooperatingfunding
communitymediasectorinasensiblefashionanyfundingsolutionmustaddressthedifficultynowexperiencedbyfundersindealingwithcommunitymediahowtoprovideoverallsupporttoasectormadeupofsmallindependentorganizationswithanextremelydiversesetoffundingsourcesandmissionsOneeconomicdevelopmentapproachseemsparticularlyusefulhereProgressivecommunityeconomicdevelopmentstrategieshaveevolvedtosupportthegrowthofadiversityofsmallenterpriseswithinacom-monsectorwhilerecognizingthattheseenterprisescanatdifferenttimesbecollaboratorspartnersorcompetitorsSimilarstrategiescanguidedevelopmentofthecommunitymediasector
Thereareatleasttwoshort-termstepsthatcouldassistinthedevelopmentofcommunitymediaorgani-zationsandsupporttheircitizensrsquoabilitytocopewithcommercialmediaandinformationsaturationOneisforcommunitiestobuildorsecureaffordablebroadbandandwirelessnetworkinfrastructurewithastrongcommu-nitybenefitsagreementinsupportofdigitalinclusionHundredsofcommunitiesacrossthecountryeitherhaveorarelaunchingsuchwirelesscommunitynetworksmanyincollaborationwithwirelessvendorswhoinordertowinaservicecontractwiththemunicipalityinquestionaresup-portingdigitalliteracytraininginexpensiverefurbishedcomputersandlocalcontentdevelopmentndashinshortprogramsofdigitalinclusionandexcellence
AsecondopportunityidentifiedbyroundtableparticipantsisthepotentialforanationalsupportnetworkforexistingcommunitymediaorganizationsAnationalsupportnetworklinkingcommunitiesandtheircommu-
nitymediapractitionersandinstitutionscouldfacilitatearangeofactivitiesincludinglocal-to-localcommunicationorexchangesofinformationandprogrammingbetweencommunitiesvirtualspaceforanationalnetworkofcommunitymediaorganizationstohelptoorganizeuni-fiedpolicyadvocacywiderdistributionofpastproductsformationofissue-responseteamstoadvanceinterestsofcommunitygroupsandtapintolocalresourcesandshareddirectoriesofpractitionerstrainersandfacilitiesConveningleadersfromtheaggregatorsandassociationsservingcommunitymediaintheirvariousforms(listedinAppendix2)mightbeagoodnextsteptoexplorethisopportunity
the promiseThepracticeofcommunitymediahasmanagedtogrowandevolveoverthepastsixtyyearsdespiteunevenandgenerallylowlevelsofsupportandinconsistentgovernmentpoliciesEllieRenniearesearchfellowattheInstituteforSocialResearchSwinburneUniversityofTechnologyhaswrittenthatcommunitymediaareoftendefinednegativelyforwhattheyareopposedtoratherthanpositivelyforwhattheyhaveachieved(Rennie2006)Weareawarethatcom-munitymediahaveoftenbeendismissedasmarginalandidiosyncraticbuttheexamplescitedinthisreportprovidepowerfulevidencetothecontraryItistimetodefinecommunitymediabywhattheyhaveachievedCommunitymediaattheirbesthaveconsistentlydemonstratedtheirpotentialtoempowercommunitiesandindividualstoparticipateascitizensincommunityandeconomicdevelop-mentartseducationcommunitydialogandpoliticaldebateInmanyinstancestheyhavebecomecentralcul-turalsurvivalinstitutionsasourcommunitiesdealwiththeimpactofcommercialmediasaturationandglobalization
Duringtheroundtablediscussionsthattookplaceaspartofthisscanitwasobviousthatthevalueofcom-munitymediatocommunitiestranscendsthemeasurableeffectsofcivicengagementandcommunitydevelopmentCommunitymediacanallowindividualsincommunitiestohaveprofoundexperiencesofactivelyexpressingthem-selvesthroughmediaForpeoplewhohaveseenthemselvesaspassivereceptorsatthebottomofacascadeofpackagedmediaexperiencesandmessagesactiverepresentationoftheirownlivesandcircumstanceshasatransformativeeffectthatgoesbeyondsimplephraseslikeldquocivicengage-mentrdquoThevalueofcommunitymediatoindividualsandthecommunitiestheyliveinisincalculable
hellipaffordablebroadbandandwirelessnetworkinfrastructurewithastrongcommunitybenefitsagreement
anationalsupportnetworkforexistingcommunitymediaorganizations
Appendix 1 Community media empowerment StrategieS
empoWerment Activity ApproAch infrAstructure or venue
AccessAccesstocommunicationsinfrastructureproductiontools
MakingavailablemediaproductiontoolscomputerstelevisionandradiodistributionInternetsoftwarecommunitycommunicationsinfrastructuremeetingspacewebservers
Democraticcitizenaccesstocommunicationstoolsanddisseminationinfrastructure
CablebroadbandmunicipaltelecomInternetWiFiWiMAXlocalandpublicservicebroadcasting
AlternativeContent CreationofvideoaudiofilmwebsitesInternet-basedcitizenmediaP2Pmediabloggingsocialnetworkingsoftwaredatabasesandprintproduction
Contentpositionedtocounterorsupplementmassmediacontentandinformationfrommainstreamsources
AllplatformswithanincreasingexpansionwithinIPNetworksandcross-platformproductionanddissemination
CompetencyLiteracyMedialiteracyinformationliteracydigitalliteracyandculturalliteracy
Mediaartsandaestheticeducationlearningtogainacivicvoiceinamediaculturearticulationofmediabiasesengaginginmediaandpoliticsunderstandingcommoditycultureparentinginamedia-saturatedhome
Interventioninthecomplexmanipulationofsymbolsandculture
Allmassmediaprintelectronic
CommunityBuilding Workforcetrainingandskillbuildingmicro-enterprisedevelopmentbusinessinfrastructuredevelopment
Communityorganizingparticipatoryplanningdemocraticeconomicdevelopmentworkforceandinfrastructuredevelopment
Localmediamunicipaltelecominfrastructurecomputerandtechnologyincubatorsandtechnologycenters
0
Itisdifficulttounderstandthefullscopeofcommu-nitymediaculturewithoutknowingofthefollowingorganizationswhichsupportcommunitymediaand
independentmediapracticesTheyplayanumberofrolesasnationalassociationsrepresentingnetworksofcommu-nitymediaorganizationsandmediaartsorganizationsasproducernetworksandstrategiccommunicationsplannerslinkingcommunityorganizationswithcommunitymediaorganizationsasorganizationsofcommunityactivistsandproducersworkingtomoreeffectivelysupportandusecommunitymediaandascollaboratorsandpartnersincommunitydevelopmenttrainingandeducation
ActiveVoicehttpwwwactivevoicenet
AllianceforCommunityMediahttpwwwalliancecmorg
AssociationforCommunityNetworking
httpwwwafcnorg
CommunityMediaWorkshophttpwwwnewstipsorg
CommunityTechnologyCentersrsquoNetwork
httpwwwctcnetorg
DeepDishTVhttpdeepdishtvorg
FreeSpeechTVhttpwwwfreespeechorg
IndependentTelevisionServicehttpwwwitvsorg
IndependentMediaCenterIndymedia
httpwwwindymediaorg
LatinoPublicBroadcastinghttpwwwlpbporg
LinkTVhttplinktvorg
LPFMDatabasecom
httpwwwangelfirecomnj2piratejimlpfmhtml
MediaTankhttpwwwmediatankorg
MediaWorkingGrouphttpwwwmwgorg
NationalAllianceforMediaArtsandCulture
httpwwwnamacorg
NationalAsianAmericanTelecommunicationsAssochttp
asianamericanmediaorgindexhtml
NativeAmericanPublicTelecommunications
httpasianamericanmediaorgindexhtml
NationalBlackProgrammingConsortium
httpwwwnbpctv
NationalFederationofCommunityBroadcasters
httpwwwnfcborg
NationalPublicRadiohttpwwwnpr
NationalPublicTelecomputingNetworkhttpwwwnptnorg
PaperTigerTelevisionhttpwwwpapertigerorg
PacificIslandersinCommunications
httpwwwpiccomorg
PewCenterforCivicJournalismhttpwwwpewcenterorg
PrometheusRadioProject
httpwwwprometheusradioorg
PublicBroadcastingServicehttpwwwpbsorg
PublicRadioExchangehttpwwwprxorg
ReclaimtheMediahttpwwwreclaimthemediaorg
StarfishTelevisionNetworkhttpwwwstarfishtvorg
WebsitesofUSPEGAccessChannels
httpwwwbevcamorgpeg
WorldAssociationofCommunityRadioBroadcasters
httpwwwamarcorg
Appendix 2 aggregatorS and aSSoCiationS
Appalshophttpwwwappalshoporg
BayAreaVideoCoalitionhttpwwwbavcorg
BeyondMediaEducationhttpwwwbeyondmediaorg
CambridgeCommunityTelevisionhttpwwwcctvcambridgeorg
CasaGuatemalaMediaProjecthttpwwwcasaguatemalaorg
CharlotteObserverhttpwwwcharlottecom
ChicagoAccessNetworkTelevisionhttpwwwcantvorg
GrandRapidsCommunityMediaCenterhttpgrcmcorg
GrandNethttpwwwgrcmcorgnposervicesitphp
GRTVhttpwwwgrcmcorgtv
ideastreamhttpwwwideastreamorg
IFPMinnesotaCenterforMediaArtshttpwwwifpnorthorgabouthtml
IntermediaArtshttpwwwintermediaartsorg
KartemquinFilmshttpwwwkartemquincom
KBOOhttpwwwkbooorg
KFAIhttpwwwkfaiorg
LowellTelecommunicationsCenterhttpltcorg
ManhattanNeighborhoodNetworkhttpmnnorg
MediaArtsProjecthttpwwwthemaporg
MetroGovernmentCommunityMediaInitiativehttpwwwmetro-regionorg
MetropolitanAustinInteractiveNetworkhttpwwwmainorg
MinneapolisTelevisionNetworkhttpwwwmtnorg
MinnesotaChannelhttpwwwtptorgmnchannelnew
MinnesotaPublicRadiohttpminnesotapublicradioorghttpminnesotapublicradioorgpublicinsightjournalism
MountainAreaInformationNetworkhttpmainncus
MtHoodCableRegulatoryCommissionhttpwwwmhcrcorg
NewAmericaMediahttpnewsnewamericamediaorgnews
NewRoutestoCommunityHealthhttpwwwnewroutesorg
NorthwestFilmandVideoCenterhttpwwwnwfilmorg
OneClevelandhttpwwwoneclevelandorg
OregonPublicBroadcastinghttpwwwopborg
PortlandCommunityMediahttpwwwpcmtvorg
RadioArtehttpwwwwrteorg
SaintPaulNeighborhoodNetworkhttpwwwspnnorg
ScribeVideoCenterhttpwwwscribeorg
SoundPartnersforCommunityHealthhttpwwwsoundpartnersorg
StreetLevelYouthMediahttpwwwstreet-levelorg
TwinCitiesDailyPlanethttpwwwtcdailyplanetnet
TwinCitiesMediaAlliancehttpwwwtcmediaallianceorg
TwinCitiesPublicTelevisionhttpwwwtptorg
URTVhttpwwwurtvorg
WalkerArtCenterhttpwwwwalkerartorgindexwac
WCIW-LPhttppacificanetworkorgradiocontentview17542httpwwwciw-onlineorg
WGBHhttpwwwwgbhorg
WHYYhttpwhyyorg
WPVMhttpwwwwpvmorg
WYBEhttpwwwwybeorg
WYCEhttpwwwgrcmcorgradio
YouthChannelhttpwwwyouthchannelorg
Appendix 3 Community media praCtitionerSWebsitesofthosepractitionersmentionedinthetext
AndersonRachelBenton Digital Beat Extra Noncommercial Networks on DBSWashingtonDCBentonFoundation2000
AufderheidePatricialdquoCableAccessTVandthePublicSphererdquoinThe Daily Planet A Critic on the Capitalist Culture BeatMinneapolisandLondonUniversityofMinnesotaPress2000a
AufderheidePatriciaIn The Battle for Reality Social Documentaries in the USWashingtonDCAmericanUniversityCenterforSocialMedia2003
AufderheidePatricialdquoTheWhatandHowofPublicBroadcastingrdquoinThe Daily Planet A Critic on the Capitalist Culture BeatMinneapolisandLondonUniversityofMinnesotaPress2000b
AynteAbdirahmanldquoSomaliWebsitesACompetitiveAlternativeMediaandaFarcetoReckonWithrdquoHiiraan Onlinehttpwwwhiiraancomnews2006aprsomali_websitesaspx
AzzouzBushraTomChamberlinandMarleneFarnumThe Community Media Project Building Community through Media(Aproposedmodelforafive-yearinitiativetoproducelocaltelevisionprogrammingthatbroadensthedialogueonissuesimportanttotheOregoncommunityandcreatesastrongsenseofplace)PortlandORMetroDecember2000
BarlowWilliamldquoCommunityRadiointheUSTheStruggleForADemocraticMediumrdquoinMedia Culture and SocietyVol10(1988)
BenklerYochaiThe Wealth of Networks How Social Production Transforms Markets and FreedomNewHavenYaleUniversityPress2006
BentonFoundationDigital Alliances Partners in Public
Service Models for CollaborationUniversityParkPAThePennsylvaniaStateUniversity2002
BlauAndrewDeep Focus A Report on the Future of Independent MediaSanFranciscoNationalAllianceforMediaArtsandCulture2004
BowmanShayneandChrisWillisWe Media How Audiences Are Shaping the Future of News and InformationEditedbyJDLasicaRestonVATheMediaCenteratTheAmericanPressInstitute2003httpwwwhypergenenetwemediadownloadwe_mediapdf
BurnettRonldquoFromCommunityMediatoInternationalNetworksrdquoCritical Approaches to Culture + Communications + HypermediaNovember182005httpwwweciadca~rburnettWeblogarchives200511from_communityhtml
CanoAndrealdquoMicroradioAToolforCommunityEmpowermentrdquoinPublic Broadcasting and the Public InterestEditedbyMichaelPMcCauleyEricEPetersonBLeeArtzandDeeDeeHalleckLondonMESharpe2003
CarnegieCommissiononEducationalTelevisionPublic Television A Program for ActionNewYorkBantam1967
CastellsManuelThe Rise of the Network Society The Information Age Economy Society and CultureVolumes12amp3MaldenMABlackwellPublishersInc2005
ChesterJeffBeyond Broadcast Expanding Public Media in the Digital AgeWashingtonDCCenterforDigitalDemocracyFebruary2006httpwwwdemocraticmediaorgBBBBfrontphp
ChristensenPaulNanMcIntyreandLynnPikholzldquoBridgingCommunityandEconomicDevelopmentAStrategyforUsingIndustryClusterstoLinkNeighborhoodsandtheRegionalEconomyrdquo(reportfundedbytheFordFoundation)ClevelandShorebankEnterpriseGroup2005
ldquoCitizenJournalismrdquoissueofNieman ReportsCambridgeMATheNiemanFoundationforJournalismatHarvardUniversityVol59No4Winter2005eMprintNewsbookhttpwwwniemanharvardedureports05-4NRwinterNR05W_Citizen_Journalismpdf
City PagesldquoBestPublicAccessCableTVProgramSomaliTVrdquoBestoftheTwinCities2004MNApril282004httpcitypagescombestof2004artsandentertainmentbestof2379asp
bibliogrAphy
CruzRossanaReguilloldquoTheOracleintheCityBeliefsPracticesandSymbolicGeographiesrdquoinGlobal Cities of the South (Social Text)EditedbyAshleyDawsonandBrentHayesEdwardsTranslatedbyBrentHayesEdwardsandNoraNicoliniDurhamNCDukeUniversityPress81(Volume22Number4)Winter2004
DeLasCasasLucywithSimonBurallJohnMorrisonDavidKaleteandJagadanandaldquoGlobalMediaReformandAccountabilityReportfromtheNationalMediaReformConferencerdquoStLouis2005httpwwwoneworldtrustorgpagesdownloadcfmdid=281
DevineRobertHldquoVideoAccessandAgencyrdquoConferencepresentationTheNationalFederationofLocalCableProgrammersStPaulMNJuly171992
DirlinMartyandCathyMelioldquoTheGrassrootsRadioMovementintheUnitedStatesrdquoinPublic Broadcasting and the Public InterestEditedbyMichaelPMcCauleyEricEPetersonBLeeArtzandDeeDeeHalleckLondonMESharpe2003
DowningJohnDHwithTamaraVillarealFordGeneveGilandLauraSteinRadical Media Rebellious Communication and Social MovementsThousandOaksCASagePublications2001
EgerJohnldquoCreativeClustersandtheUrbanEconomyrdquoGovernment and Technology(February62006)httpwwwgovtechnetnewsnewsphpid=98345
EgerJohnMThe Creative Community Forging The Links Between Art Culture Commerce amp CommunityTheCaliforniaInstituteforSmartCommunitiesSanDiegoStateUniversity2005httpwwwsmartcommunitiesorgcreativeCreativeCommBroFINALpdf
EngelmanRalphPublic Radio and Television in America A Political HistoryThousandOaksCASagePublications1996
GillespieGilbertPublic Access Television in the United States and CanadaNewYorkPraegerPublishers1975
GillmorDanWe the Media Grassroots Journalism by the People for the PeopleSebastopolCAOrsquoReillyMediaInc2006
GrahamStephenandSimonMarvinTelecommunications and the City Electronic Spaces Urban PlacesLondonandNewYorkRoutledge1996
HalleckDeeDeeHand-Held Visions The Impossible Possibilities of Community MediaNewYorkFordhamUniversityPress2002
HigginsJohnWldquoAlternativeMediaandtheCultofIndividualismExperiencesfromUSPublicAccessTVrdquoPaperpresentedattheldquoOurMediardquopre-conferenceoftheInternationalAssociationforMediaandCommunicationResearchCommunityCommunicationSectionBarcelonaSpainJuly202002httpwwwourmedianetorgpapersom2002Higginsom2002pdf
HowleyKevinCommunity Media People Places and Communication TechnologiesCambridgeCambridgeUniversityPress2005
HoynesWilliamldquoThePBSBrandandtheMerchandisingofthePublicServicerdquoinPublic Broadcasting and the Public InterestEditedbyMichaelPMcCauleyEricEPetersonBLeeArtzandDeeDeeHalleckLondonMESharpe2003
JankowskiNicholasWldquoCommunityMediaResearchAQuestforTheoreticallyGroundedModelsrdquoThePublicVol1015(2003)httpmokkbmehucentreconferencesreactivismFPfpNJ
JankowskiNicholasWandOlePrehnedsCommunity Media in the Information Age Perspectives and ProspectsCresskillNJHamptonPress2002
LashScottThe Critique of InformationLondonSagePublications2002
ListerMartinJonDoveySethGiddingsIainGrantandKieranKellyNew Media A critical IntroductionLondonandNewYorkRoutledge2003
LloydMarkldquoRadioandLocalismWhatWhenWrongrdquoinContext(publishedbytheCenterforCommunicationsandCommunityUCLA)IssueNo4(WinterSpring2006)
MacintyreBenldquoWelcometotheNewTomPainesrdquoTimesOnlineNovember132004httpwwwtimesonlinecouktolcommentarticle390484ece
MaherVincentTowards a Critical Media Studies Approach to the BlogosphereNewMediaLabPublicationSchoolofJournalismandMediaStudiesRhodesUniversitySouthAfrica2006
MetroCommunity Media Project Evaluation Report PortlandORMetroJuly2004
MostStephenldquoBAVCandTheBigPicturerdquoinA Closer Look Media Arts 2002EditedbyHelenDeMichielSanFranciscoNationalAllianceforMediaArtsandCulture2002
NewAmericaMedialdquoEthnicMediainAmericaTheGiantHiddeninPlainSightrdquoPollconductedbyBendixenampAssociates2005httpnewsnewamericamediaorgnewsview_articlehtmlarticle_id=0443821787ac0210cbecebe8b1f576a3
OlsonBillThe History of Public Access Television2000httpwwwgeocitiescomiconostarhistory-public-access-TVhtml200415
PewCenterforCivicJournalismldquoDoingCivicJournalismrdquo2007httpwwwpewcenterorgdoingcj
PierceSteveldquoDBSandthePublicInterestOpportunityinSatelliteTelevisionrdquoinPublic Broadcasting and the Public InterestEditedbyMichaelPMcCauleyEricEPetersonBLeeArtzandDeeDeeHalleckLondonMESharpe2003
PhilipsSusanldquoTrueCommunityTowardaCollaborativeEthosScribersquoslsquoTrueCommunityVisionrsquordquoinA Closer Look Media Arts 2002EditedbyHelenDeMichielSanFranciscoNationalAllianceforMediaArtsandCulture2002
PorterMichaelEldquoLocationCompetitionandEconomicDevelopmentLocalClustersinaGlobalEconomyrdquoEconomic Development Quarterly14no1(February2000)15-34
ProjectforExcellenceinJournalismldquoMajorTrendsrdquoinState of the News Media 2006 An Annual Report on American Journalismhttpwwwstateofthenewsmediaorg2006nar-rative_overview_eightaspcat=2ampmedia=1
PrometheusRadioProjectldquoOurFifthBarnraisingmdashWCIW-LPinImmokaleeFloridardquohttpprometheusradioorgcontentview48952006
RennieEllieCommunity Media A Global IntroductionLanhamMDRowmanandLittlefieldPublishers2006
RodriguezClemenciaFissures in the Mediascape An International Study of Citizenrsquos MediaCresskillNJHamptonPress2001
SchafferJanldquoCitizensMediaHasItReachedaTippingPointrdquoinldquoCitizenJournalismrdquoissueofNieman Reports CambridgeMATheNiemanFoundationforJournalismatHarvardUniversityVol59No4Winter2005aeMprintNewsbookhttpwwwniemanharvardedureports05-4NRwinterNR05W_Citizen_Journalismpdf
SchafferJanInterviewonThe NewsHour With Jim Lehrer PBSEveningNewsNovember162005b
SchulerDouglasldquoTheRiseofCommunityNetworksrdquoInternet WorldDecember1995
SchulerDougandPeterDayShaping the Network Society The New Role of Civil Society in CyberspaceCambridgeandLondonMITPress2004
ShirkyClayPower Laws Weblogs and Inequality EconomicsampCultureMediaampCommunityBlog2005OpenSourcehttpshirkycomwritingspowerlaw_webloghtml
ShirkyClaySocial Software and the Politics of GroupsEconomicsampCultureMediaampCommunityBlog2005OpenSourcehttpshirkycomwritingsgroup_politicshtml
Somerset-WardRichardBroadband Community Networks Building the Digital CommonsAreportfortheHaasCharitableTrustsPhiladelphia2005
Somerset-WardRichardConnecting Communities WashingtonDCBentonFoundation2000
Spannerworkse-bookWhat is Social MediaJanuary2007httpwwwspannerworkscomebooks
StarrJeroldMldquoPublicTelevisionintheDigitalAgeTownHallorCyberMallrdquoinPublic Broadcasting and the Public InterestEditedbyMichaelPMcCauleyEricEPetersonBLeeArtzandDeeDeeHalleckLondonMESharpe2003
SteinLauraldquoPublicAccessTelevisionandGrassrootsCommunicationintheUnitedStatesrdquoChapter20inRadical Media Rebellious Communication and Social MovmentsEditedbyJohnDowningThousandOaksCASagePublications2001
SussmanGeraldandJREstesldquoCommunityRadioinCommunityDevelopmentPortlandrsquosKBOORadiordquoinThe Portland Edge Challenges and Successes in Growing CommunitiesEditedbyConniePOzawaPortlandStateUniversityIslandPress2004
WhitneyJenniferldquoMakeMediaMakeRealTroubleWhatrsquosWrong(andRight)withIndymediardquoLiPMagazineJune212005httpwwwlipmagazine
orgarticlesfeatwhitney_indymedia_phtml
AttheirheartcommunitymediaareaboutmakingmediawithpeoplenotmerelyaboutorforpeopleIt
isasoneChicagoroundtableparticipantnotedlikeldquotheneighborhoodgoingouttodinnerrdquoButasanyonewhohaseverhostedalargedinnerpartyknowsthisisnotalwayseasilyaccomplishedInroundtablediscussionswithcommunitymediapractitionersthreestrategiesndashcollabo-ration across sectors and platforms training and outreach ndashemergedrepeatedlyaswaysofsuccessfullyengagingthebreadthanddiversityoftheircommunitiesInadditionafourthstrategyconnecting with immigrant populationsyieldedinsightsintosomeuniquechallengesandbenefits
strAtegies CollaborationMediainstitutionscanplaytheroleoffacilitatorsintheircommunitiesdemystifyingtheprocessofproductionpro-vidingpeoplewithaccesstotheresourcestheyneedandbuildingonthehistoryandgoalsofcivicjournalismThisrolerequiresmediainstitutionstorethinktraditionaljour-nalismandmayentailthere-balancingofeditorialpoliciesndashcommittingtodiversityembracingegalitarianvaluesandreassessingthevalueofeditorialneutralityInvitingcommunitymemberstohelpwithstoriesmakescover-agemorereflectiveofthecommunitymoreofatwo-wayconversationForinstanceTwin Cities Public Television(TPT)dedicatestimeononeofitsdigitalchannelstolocalandregionalprogrammingincludingprogramstargetedattheLatinoHmongHindiSomaliandVietnamesecommu-nitiesTocreateprogrammingfortheldquoMinnesotaChannelrdquothestationpartnerswithnonprofitorganizationswhopayTPTforproductionsupportandguaranteedbroadcastoftheprogramming
Sound Partners for Community HealthhasshownthatauthenticpartnershipsbetweenpublicbroadcastersandcommunityinstitutionsenableeachpartytoreachlargermorediverseandtargetedaudiencesonhealthissuesimportanttothecommunityCommunityinstitutionspromotedbroadcastsandpublicbroadcastersincreasedthevisibilityoftheirinstitutionalpartnerswhoofferedadditionalresourcesandreferralstoviewersandlistenersandhelpedtodisseminateprogrammingonCDsandDVDsInadditionbymarryingtheexpertiseofcommunity-basedhealthorganizationsandvoicesoflocalresidentswiththeproductionvaluesofhigh-qualityradioandtelevisionpro-grammingSoundPartnerspositionedcommunitymembersasproactiveplannersofandstakeholdersinmediainitia-tivesratherthanpassiverecipientsofmediaattention
Buttherewasinevitabletensioninseparatingjour-nalismfromadvocacywhichrequiredtrustonthepartofallparticipantstoresolveInthecaseoftheSoundPartnerscollaborationsincommunity-basedjournalismpublicbroadcastersneededtotrustthattheirnonprofitpartnerswouldnrsquotadvancetheirownorganizationalagendasattheexpenseoftruthandnonprofithealthorganizationsneededtotrustthattheirbroadcastpartnerswouldrespecttheirexpertise
TheSoundPartnersexperienceaffirmedwhatmanyroundtableparticipantspointedoutmdashtheneedtobuildbridgesacrossmediaaswellSoundPartnersfoundthatcommercialradiostationsandpublicaccesschannelswithcloselinkstoandinfluenceonthecommunityhelpedimplementstrongmediacampaignsincollaborationwithpublicbroadcastingRoundtableparticipantssawcommer-cialmediaoutletsasespeciallyimportantamongimmigrantgroups
Pointingtoanotheraspectofcollaborationround-tableparticipantsimploredmediainstitutionstobeopentosharinginfrastructuretoaccomplishtheirmissionsManynonprofitmediagroupsarestrugglingtosurvivebuthaveassetsthatcanbesharedorintegratedtobetterservetheircommunitiesinacoordinatedefficientwayCreatingcollaborativestructuresasbasicasco-locationoffacilitiesorascomplexasorganizationalmergerscanbeimportantfordisseminatingprogrammingsecuringfundingandprotectingpotentiallycontroversialissueprogrammingForexampleManhattan Neighborhood Networkhashistori-callyleverageditscablefranchise-securedcapitalfunding
engAging community WhAtrsquos Working
Invitingcommunitymemberstohelpwithstoriesmakescoveragemorereflectiveofthecommunitymoreofatwo-wayconversation
tobuildcapacityinothermediaorganizationssuchasastudioandpost-productionfacilitieswithDowntownCommunityTelevisioninChinatownAndinkeepingwiththesamenetwork-buildingapproachtofacilitatingpartici-pationMNNalsofeaturesaYouthChannelconsideredtobethefirstchannelcreatedforyouthbyyouthMNNhasbecomeoneofthecentralhubsinManhattanaroundwhichindependentandcommunitymediagatherforscreeningsadvancededucationalopportunitiesartisticandpoliticaldebatecommunitybuildingandsocialnetworkingcreat-inganexcitingdemocraticmediaculture
Manyparticipantsacknowledgedthatcollaborationishardexpensiveandtime-consumingItplacesdemandsonin-houseknowledgeandconfrontspartneringorganiza-tionsrsquodifferentgoalseditorialpoliciesandresourcesIftheyaretolastpartnershipsneedproperresearchonthefrontendandmulti-leveledsupportChangesinleader-shipcandisruptplanssopartneringcanrsquotbetiedtoonepersonrsquosrelationshiptoanotherpersonitrequiresanetworkofpeopleunderstandingandcontributingtothepartnershipMulti-yearprojectsareimportanttodevelopinfrastructureandsustainefforts
TrainingRoundtableparticipantssawcommunitymediainstitutionsasimportantsourcesbothforjobsandskillstrainingandforbuildingthecapacityoflocalnonprofitgroupsWhileacquiringmediaskillsmaybeacareerpathoutofpovertyironicallycommunitymediaworkisoftenunpaidandpoorpeoplemustprioritizepayingjobsoverparticipationincommunitymediamakingRoundtableparticipantsexpressedconcernthatthereisnotcurrentlyawaytoeconomicallysustaintheeffortsoflow-incomepeoplewhodovolunteerincommunitymedia
CableaccesscenterslikeChicagorsquos CAN-TVandManhattanNeighborhoodNetworkprovidegrantstrainingandequipmenttocommunitygroupswhothendevelopmultimediaproductsandshowcasethemindifferentvenuesThesecentersfacilitatetheexpressionofnon-technology-orientedcommunitymembersandprovidethemwithusefuljobskills
ThetrainingcomponentiscrucialfordevelopingauthenticvoicesinprogrammingBlessedwithadiversetechnology-savvycommunitythatincludesbothHarvard
andMITcampuspopulationsCambridge Community Television CCTVhasbroadeneditseducationalprogramstoincludeadvancedworkshopsandextendededucationalprogramsindocumentarymakingdigitalstorytellingwebsitedesignandstrategiccommunicationsplanningandimplementationCommunitymembersarealsoabletouseCCTVrsquoscomputertechnologycenterfortraininginavarietyofsoftwareapplicationsincludingphotoeditinganddesignandcomputernetworkingThecenterhasbroadeneditsdistributionofvideoprogrammingtoincludeweb-basedmediastreamingofpre-recordedprogrammingpodcastsaudiochannelsandldquoCambridgeCommunityRadiordquowherememberscansignupfortwo-hourblocksofliveradiotimeThecenterrsquosservicesaddresstheneedsofactivistsnonprofitcommunitygroupsmediaeducatorsandpeopleseekingjobskillsthatextendfarbeyondthoseneededtofillthepublicchannelswithvideoItsofferingsareexpand-ingtoincludeworkshopsinpodcastingdigitalaudioproductionvideobloggingandcyberjournalismCCTVtakesdigitalmediaconvergenceseriouslyunderstandingthatmediaproductiontrainingproductionanddistribu-tionarenowapplicableacrossanumberofplatformsandproductionskillsets
Bay Area Video Coalition(BAVC)isanotherorganizationthatmakesemergingvideotechnologyacces-sibletoindependentmediamakersIthasevolvedintoaninternationallyrenownedmediaartscenterthatleadsthefieldinitshigh-qualityproductionandprofessionaldevelopmentsupportfornoncommercialmediamakersThecenteralsoprovidesclassestolow-incomeyouthinmediaartsproductionaswellasworkshopsforcommunitygroupsandnonprofitsBAVChasconsistentlyoffereddevelopmentseminarsandtrainingprogramsthatbringcommercialpro-ducersandnoncommercialproducerstogetherinacommonsettingItoffersoneoftheregionrsquoskeycertifiedtrainingprogramsforcompanieslikeAppleAvidandDigidesignThroughagrantfromtheFordFoundationBAVChasundertakenanationalstudyonldquoDigitalWorkforceDevelopmentrdquoallowingtheorganizationtoestablishitselfasanationalandregionalleaderinprofessionaldevelop-ment(Most2002)Itsprofessionaldevelopmentprogramisasignificantforuminwhichcommercialandnoncom-mercialmediamakerscancometogetherforprofessionaldevelopmentactivitiesinsettingsthatrespectthepublicinterestandroleofmediainsocialdevelopment
OutreachOutreachakeytoolformediagroupsmovestherelation-shipbetweencommunityandmediabeyondconsumption
Collaborationishardexpensiveandtime-consuming
tosocialchangeItinvitespeopletointeractwithmediatobeaffectedbyitandtoaffectothersItaskspeoplewhattheyneedandinvitesthemtocometogethertomeetthoseneeds
Thekeytocreatingrelevantoutreachisresearch-ingwhatthecommunityneedsdetermininghowtoreachitmosteffectivelyandhiringstaffwhohaveoutreachskillsandarewellversedinthecultureandlanguageofthegroupsbeingtargetedAChicagofilmmakerrecountedhowtheseconsiderationsimpactedhisdocumentaryaboutworkersrsquorightsOutreachstaffconsideredthepotentialimpactontwoaudiencesalargeaudienceofPBSviewerssittingintheirlivingroomsandasmallerbutmoreengagedaudienceofsteelworkerswatchingthedocumentaryatalocalbarTheyconcludedthatthebarviewerswouldberivetedbecausetheinformationinthedocumentarywasgearedtothemSuccessfuloutreachasksWhatdogroupspayattentiontoWhomdotheytrustWhatplatformauthenticallyrepresentsthem
NationalprogrammingcanbeacatalystforlocaloutreachParticipantsinChicagoandMinneapolis-StPauldiscussedtheexampleofldquoTheNewAmericansrdquoanationalPBSseriesonimmigrantsproducedby Kartemquin Films Active VoiceanationalorganizationthatworkswithmediamakerstobringaboutpersonalandinstitutionalchangeworkedwithKartemquintopackageseriesfootagethatfocusedonnewarrivalstoMinnesotaTheresultwasalocalseriesldquoTheNewMinnesotansrdquoandapartnershipthatusedmediatoeducatethemainstreamcommunityaboutlocalimmigrantsandtodevelopdiscussionandactivityguidesforcommunityoutreach
Connecting with Immigrant PopulationsMinoritypopulationsandgroupsconcernedwithsupportingtheidentitiesofmarginalizedpopulationshaveincreasinglyturnedtocommunitymediaassourcesofinformationvali-dationofcultureandproductionsupportforthecreationoftheirowncontentCommunitymediahavehelpedcallattentiontothelivesandconcernsofimmigrantcommuni-tiesthatareotherwiseinvisibleoutsidetheirparticularcommunityBecausetheyoftenhavefoundinnovativewaystousecommunitymediafornetworkingandsocialchangeimmigrantpopulationsillustratethepowerofcommunity
mediaandpresentrichopportunitiesformakingcommu-nitymediaorganizationsmorediverseandparticipatoryRoundtableparticipantssharedlessonsinwhatworksandofferedspecificideasforframinganewcommunitymediaprogramaddressingtheneedsofimmigrantsandreceivingcommunitiescalledNew Routes to Community Health
Inreachingouttoimmigrantcommunitiesround-tableparticipantsnotedthatitiscriticaltoidentifyandworkwithexistingagenciesthatimmigrantstrustperhapsachurchorassociationforaparticularethnicgroupButthoughimmigrantgroupsarethemostappropriateconve-nersofsuchcollaborativestheymustalsohavethecapacitytoconvene
TheselectionofplatformalsodeservescarefulconsiderationRoundtableparticipantsnotedthatinadapt-ingtechnologiestotheirownpurposesspecificimmigrantgroupsoftenpreferoneplatformoveranotherForexampleChicagorsquosKorean-AmericancommunityhasbeensuccessfulinusingethnicprintmediatoaddresscommunityissuesThePersianstorytellingtraditionhasmadePersianahugeandgrowinglanguagesegmentonblogsPersianisnowthefourthmostwidelyusedlanguageonweblogs(Macintyre2004)A2000surveyofSomalianimmigrantsinMinnesotashowedthatoverfortypercenteventhenconsideredtheInternettheirmainnewssource(Aynte2006)
RadioinparticularhasshowntremendouspowerinthedevelopingworldpartlyasaresultoftheUnitedNationsrsquoemphasisonradioasthemediumsupportingthemostwidespreadpracticeofcommunitymediaintheworldBecausetheyarefamiliarwithradiobeforecomingtotheUnitedStatesimmigrantgroupsoftenquicklyembraceradiouponarrivalinthiscountryItisalsooneofthemostinexpensiveformsofmediaandthereforeoneofthemostaccessibleldquoIftheycomefromLatinAmericatheyknowthepowerofradiordquoChicagoparticipantsnotedenthusiasti-callyLocalcommercialSpanish-languageradiostationseffectivelyhelpedmobilizeturnoutforimmigrationprotestsinChicagoinMay2006
community spotlightManycommunitiesintheUnitedStatescanpointwithpridetotheachievementsoftheircommunitymediaorganizationsWhenattemptingtoidentifybestpracticesinthenetworkedmediaenvironmentsweseetodayhoweveritisusefultothinkintermsofinterconnectionandcol-laborationnottolooksimplyatindividualmediacentersorbroadcaststationsOftenthemostsuccessfulexamplesofcommunitymediaemergeoutofongoingalliancesandcollaborationsamonglocalcommunitymediagroupsThe
Thekeytocreatingrelevantoutreachisresearchingwhatthecommunityneeds
communitiesspotlightedbelowhavebegunincorporatingpartnershipsandcross-platformcollaborationintothepracticeofcommunitymediaandhavebeguntoreapthebenefitsofthatapproach
Portland OregonTheMetro Government Community Media InitiativeillustratesthepotentialpowerofcommunitiesworkingtogethertoproducetheirownmediaratherthanhavingtheirstoryframedbycommercialnewsorganizationsAlthoughtheprojecthasnowendeditisincludedherebecauseitprovidedsuchastrongmodelforfuturecommu-nitymediaeffortsTheinitiativewasrootedinaproposalbylocalindependentfilmmakerTomChamberlinthatlocalmediamakerscommunitymediaorganizationscommunitygroupsandgovernmentagenciescollaboratetoproducepublicaffairstelevisionprogramsonissuesofconcerntoOregoniansMetroauniqueregionalgovernmentprimarilyresponsibleforregionalland-useandtransportationplan-ningtookChamberlinrsquosideatoheartWithagrantfromtheFederalHighwayAdministrationMetroandanallianceofcommunityorganizationsandgovernmentagenciesdevel-opedldquoZigZagRealStoriesNewAnglesrdquoaprogrambylocalfilmmakersfeaturingpersonalstoriesfromadiversegroupofregionalresidentsastheygrappledwiththetransporta-tionchoicesaffectingtheirfamiliesneighborhoodsandcommunities
InadditiontothecenterpiecebroadcastonOregon Public BroadcastingtheprojectcreatedaninteractivewebsiteanddistributedaDVDoftheprogramtothearearsquoscableaccesschannelsElementsoftheprojectalsofoundtheirwayontoPortlandrsquoscommunityradiostationKBOOandpacketsincludingextensivesupportmaterialsandDVDsweremadeavailableforscreeninginneighborhoodcentersandindependentmediavenuesTherewasalsoaplanninganddeliberationprocesstostrategizeabouthowcitizensgovernmentsandmediamakerscancollaboratetocreatecommunitydialogueandsolvecivicproblems
Asurbanspaceisincreasinglydefinedbytelecom-municationsasmuchastransportationandlandusetheprojectalsoillustratesthepowerfuloutcomesthat
canresultwhenregionaltelecommunicationsplanningbecomesintegratedwithlanduseandtransportationplan-ningandwhencommunitymediaareintegratedintobothformalandinformalprocessesofplanninganddelibera-tionTheMetroCommunityMediaInitiativeresultedinasignificantandmeasurableriseinregionalawarenessofthetransportationplanningissuesaddressedbytheproj-ectViewershipandDVDusesofthemediaincommunitysettingsexceededexpectations(Metro2004)AlthoughtheprojectwasnotimmediatelyreplicatedPortlandnowenjoyscontinuingcollaborationsbetweenMetrogovern-mentanditsareacommunitymedia
ParticipationintheMetroGovernmentCommunityMediaInitiative isonlyoneofthemanywaysPortlandrsquosKBOOradiohasdemonstrateditsfullcommitmenttotheoriginaldemocraticintentionsofcommunityradiooverthecourseofitsforty-two-yearhistoryOlderthanNationalPublicRadioKBOOisamongthelongest-liv-ingcommunityradiostationsintheUnitedStatesOfthenoncommercialradiostationsinPortlandKBOOistheonlystationwhosemissioncontainsanexplicitcommit-menttominorityprogrammersandlisteners(SussmanandEstes2004)KBOOrsquoscommitmenttodemocraticpracticeextendstoaboardofdirectorselectedentirelyfromitsmembershipwhichisopentoanyoneandanaggressivetrainingprogramconsistentwiththestationrsquoscommitmenttovolunteer-producedprogrammingmdashallprogrammingisproducedbyvolunteerswithassistanceofpaidstaffTheparticipationofwomenandminoritiesfarexceedthecommunityrsquosracialdemographics(SussmanandEstes2004)
Portland Community Media (PCM)hasarichtwenty-three-yearhistoryinPortlandwhenitcomestousingmediatobuildcommunityPCMstartedoutasacabletelevisionaccesscenterandstillprovidestheadminis-trationandtrainingtoprogramPortlandrsquoscableaccesschannelsbuthasexpandeditsmissiontoembracetheuseofcommunitymediatobringaboutbroaderparticipationincivicandculturallifePCMrsquoswebsitedescribesthecenterldquowiththreewordsndashEducateCommunicateParticipaterdquoCurrentlyPCMhasanumberofcollaborativeprojectssup-portingmedialiteracyandmediaeducationinthepublicschoolsystemitregularlyprogramsmediaproductionsfromPortlandrsquosmediaartscentertheNorthwestFilmandVideoCenteranditisplanningtoexpanditscentertosupporteconomicdevelopmentofmicroenterprisesfornewmedia
The Mt Hood Cable Regulatory Commission(MHCRC)overseesacable-relatedtelecommunicationsdevelopmentforgreaterPortlandOregonServing
Oftenthemostsuccessfulexamplesofcommunitymediaemergeoutofongoingalliancesandcollaborationsamonglocalcommunitymediagroups
thecommunitiesresidentsandlocalgovernmentsofFairviewGreshamPortlandTroutdaleWoodVillageandMultnomahCountyOregonTheMtHoodCableRegulatoryCommissionnegotiatesandenforcescableservicefran-chiseandactsinthepublicinterestoncommunicationspolicyissuesatlocalstateandfederallevelsItwouldbehardtooverstatetheimportanceofMHCRCinfosteringthegrowthofcommunitymediaingreaterPortlandThroughclearandinsightfulregulationofthecablefranchiseithasassuredthatthenecessarynetworksandtelecommu-nicationsinfrastructureareavailabletoallowcommunitymediatogrow
MtHoodrsquosCommunityAccessCapitalGrantsProgramisparticularlynoteworthyTheCapitalGrantsprogramprovidescapitalfundingtocommunicationsprojectsthatsupportsocialjusticecommunityinvolve-mentandtheeffectivedeliveryofservicesthroughcostreductionTheprogramhasallowedscoresofcommunitygroupstoincreasetheircommunicationscapacitythroughtheacquisitionofskillsknowledgeandtechnologyInimplementingthisgrantprogramtheMtHoodCableRegulatoryCommissionhasbeenextremelystrategicinconveninggranteesandcreatingtheconditionsthatleadtopartnershipsandcollaborativerelationships
TheNorthwest Film and Video Centerisalong-standingregionalmediaartsorganizationservingtheNorthwestregionThecenterprovidesarichprogramnurturingmediaartscultureItfeaturesanactiveexhibi-tionprogramforexperimentalandindependentfilmsahighlyregardedfilmschoolandextensiveyouthmediaprogramsThecenterpresentsanumberofyearlyfilmfestivalsincludingthePortlandInternationalFilmFestivaltheNorthwestFilmandVideoFestivalandtheYoungPeoplersquosFilmampVideoFestivalThecenterrsquosproductionsoftenfindtheirwayontotothearearsquoscablechannelsThecenterisalsoatrustedsourceofequipmentaccessforareaindependentproducersactiveintherichmediacultureofPortlandaservicepartiallysupportedbytheMtHoodCableRegulatoryCommissionrsquosCapitalGrantsprogram
Minneapolis-St Paul MinnesotaTheSaint Paul Neighborhood Network(SPNN)isacableaccessstationservingStPaulresidentsThestationprovidesopportunitiestothepublictoproduceandairprogramsononeofitsfivechannelsdedicatedtomulti-faithpubliceducationcommunityandinternationalcontentrespectivelySPNNhasayoutheducationprogramandacommunityproductionsprogramwhichworkswithnonprofitorganizationstocreatepublicserviceadvertise-
mentsorprogrammingWorkshopsincludeproductiongrantproposalwritinglegalquestionsandlightingSPNNisparticularlyeffectiveasconvenerandcapacitybuilderinitscommunityItseducationandtrainingprogramsarefocusedoncommunitydevelopmentandonkeepingthetechnicaltrainingelementsofitsworkinasocialperspective
Minneapolis Television Network(MTN)isSPNNrsquossisteraccessstationservingMinneapoliswithasimilarcommitmenttoprovidingacommunitygatheringplaceOperatingthreepublicaccesschannelsMTNofferstelevi-siontrainingandmedialiteracyclassesandisespeciallyencouragingofyouthparticipationThechannelsserveasabridgeforimmigrantstouseinadaptingtotheirnewhomemanynewimmigrantsusethemtocommunicateintheirnativelanguageswiththeirSomaliEthiopianorVietnamesecompatriotsSomali-languageprogramsforinstanceoffereighthoursaweekofmusicentertainmentcommunitynewsandreligiousinstructiontooneofthelargestsettlementsofSomalipeopleoutsideSomaliaIntoutingSomalitelevisionasthebestpublicaccesscabletelevisionprogramintheTwinCitiesCity Pages saidldquoForsomepublicaccessisanearlyinspiringlessonindemocracyandfreemediardquo(CityPages2004)WantingtostrengthenthenonprofitcommunityrsquosInternetsavvyMTNcreatedandeventuallyspunofftheRiverProjecttoofferInternetdial-upaccessandwebhostingtononprofits
PublicbroadcastershavealsoofferedstrongmodelsofcommunitycollaborationintheTwinCities Twin Cities Public Television(TPT)isthepublictelevisionstationservingtheMinneapolisndashStPaulregionIn2004TPTbegandedicatingtimeononeofitsdigitalchan-nelstoMinnesota-relatedprogrammingAnumberoftheprogramsontheMinnesota Channel(someofwhicharethencablecastonpublicaccesstelevision)aretargetedatLatinoHmongHindiMiddleEasternChineseandVietnamesecommunitiesandproducedinpartnershipwithnonprofitorganizationsTPTisapartnerintheMinnesotaCommunityCampaignthatencouragesurbanandruralareasinandaroundtheTwinCitiestowelcomethetensofthousandsofimmigrantsandrefugeesthathavesettledthereinthepastseveraldecadesSeekingtoeffectpositivechangeonimmigrantissuesthroughartmediaeducationsocialserviceandpolicymakingthecampaignproducedtheldquoTheNewMinnesotansrdquoasixty-minuteprogramthatoriginallyairedonTPTbasedontheKartemquinseriesldquoTheNewAmericansrdquo
InadditiontocommunityradiostationKFAItheTwinCitiesishometoMinnesota Public Radio(MPR)
whichhaspioneeredafreshapproachtojournalismcalledpublicinsightjournalism(PIJ)PIJtapsintothecollectiveknowledgeofMPRrsquosdiverseaudiencetoenrichitsreport-ingCreatingaten-thousand-personPublicInsightNetworkviathewebthestationinvitesthepublictobesourcesofstoryideasreactionsandperspectivesandbrainstormingonpublicissues
TheindependentfilmandvideocommunityworkscollaborativelyintheTwinCitiestosupportandpromoteartistandcommunityperspectivesIFP Minnesota Center for Media Arts Intermedia ArtsandtheWalker Art Center areamongthemulti-disciplinaryvenuesfordiscus-sionandproduction
AndtheInternetishometoanewaggregationofcommunitymediasourcesAccordingtoitswebsitethe Twin Cities Daily PlanetaprojectoftheTwinCitiesMediaAllianceisldquoacommunitynewswireandsyndicationserviceshowcasingthebestworkoftheneighborhoodandcommunitypressaswellasworkbyTwinCitiesindepen-dentjournalistsandthevoicesofengagedcitizensThepremiseoftheTC Daily PlanetisthatnewtechnologiesaremakingitpossibleforthesecitizenstobecomemoreactiveandpowerfulparticipantsinthenewsproductionprocessrdquoModeledafterKorearsquosOhmyNewstheTC Daily Planetseekstoimprovethequalitydiversityandaccount-abilityofthelocalmediaandtoinvolvetherapidlygrowingimmigrantandethniccommunitiesItrecruitsandofferstrainingtocitizenjournalistsandhaspartnershipswithoverfortyneighborhoodandcommunitymedia
Chicago IllinoisChicago Access Network Television(CAN-TV)offersfivepublicaccesschannelstoChicagolandresidentsThispublicspaceprovidesChicagoansanopportunitytodiscussissuesoflocalconcernpromotehealtheducationalandeconomicresourcesinthecommunityandcelebratelocaltalentandinitiativesCAN-TVprovidesvideotrainingequipmentandfacilitiesforarearesidentsandnonprofitgroupsItvideotapesandcablecastspublicforumstownhallmeetingscommunityeventsandotheractivitiesoflocalinterestThroughthisservicethestationprovidesChicagoanswithaccesstoinformationtheymaynototh-erwisehavethroughcommercialtelevisionForinstanceCAN-TVworkedwitheighttotenAIDSagenciestodissemi-natebasiceducationaboutAIDSpreventionvialivecall-inprograms
CAN-TVsupportsChicagorsquosassociationsandnonprof-itsthroughserviceslikeliveldquohot-linerdquocall-inshowsfrom
automatedstudiosthatonepersoncanoperateproductionservicesthatgenerateprogrammingforcommunityeventsandstrategiccommunicationsplanningworkshopsCAN-TVhasrefusedtofollowasimplisticldquoneutralityrdquoprogram-mingphilosophyinwhichtheaccesscentertransmitsonlyprogrammingthatrandomlycomesfromthecommunityInsteadCAN-TVactivelycreatesprogrammingimportanttocommunitydevelopmentInadditiontoitsfocusonnonprofitsCAN-TVactivelycreatespartnershipswithcon-tent-richgroupssuchaslocalmuseumsandartsgroupsItalsopartnerswithlocalmediaactivistproductiongroupslikeVideoMacheteandStreetLevelYouthMedia(profiledbelow)SimilarlyCAN-TVaggressivelyengagesinprogram-mingforlocalelectionsatypicalelectionseasonwillgeneratearoundtwohundredhoursoforiginalprogram-mingeachmonthandnearlyallthecandidateswillbefeaturedoractuallycreatetheirownCAN-TVprogrammingtocarryouttheircampaigns
Street-Level Youth MediaprovidesopportunitiesforChicagorsquosurbanyouthtousemediaartsandemergingtechnologiesforself-expressioncommunicationandsocialchangeItsstaffprovidesinstructioninvideoandaudioproductioncomputerartandtheInternettohelpyouthaddresscommunityissuesaccessadvancedcommunica-tionstechnologyandgaininclusioninsocietyInoneprojectitcollaboratedwithtwoseventh-gradeteachersandanESLinstructortohelpstudentsresearchissuesaboutimmigrationinoneneighborhoodTheteachersweretrainedtousevideoandthentrainedotherteacherswhoguidedtheirstudentsinproducingvideosforscreeningattheschoolMorethanthirtyvideoswerecreatedandvideotrainingandusehasbeenincorporatedintotheschoolcurriculum
Radio Arte(WRTE)istheonlybilingual(Spanish-English)youth-operatedurbancommunitystationinthecountryItoperateswithafocusonyouthinChicagorsquosPilsenandLittleVillageneighborhoodsAninitiativeoftheNationalMuseumofMexicanArtthiseducationalradiostationhasservedChicagoformorethansixyearstrainingyouthwithapriorityondevelopingindividualandgroupcommunicationcompetenciesthatallowyoungpeopletoenterpubliclifewithconfidencethroughthebroadcastmediumProvidingaforumforyoungpeopletobecreativeandresponsibletothelargestMexicancommunityintheMidwestRadioArteiscommittedtotrainingyoungpeopleintheartofbroadcastingRadioArtersquosuniquetwo-yeartrainingprogramprovidesyouthwithspecialcoursesonwritingforradioandjournalismvoicetrainingand
FCCregulationsaswellasbasiccomputerskillsproduc-tionskillsandon-airtrainingParticipatingintwograntroundsofSoundPartnersforCommunityHealththestationrsquosldquoRadioVidardquoproducedprogrammingonsubstanceabuseandaddictionbyandforLatinoyouth
Casa Guatemala Media Projectisanonprofitcommunity-basedorganizationthatservestheGuatemalanandbroaderLatinAmericancommunityinChicagoandtheMidwestSinceitsfoundingin1986ithasusedmediaincludingwebprintTVandradiotoraiseconsciousnessaboutissuesaffectingcommunitiesfromLatinAmericaInparticularitworkswithCAN-TVtoprovidetheeducationalcomponentofself-authoredmediathatwillpositivelytrans-formcommunitiesthroughworkshopsontheproductionandalternativeusesofemergingtechnologies
Beyond Media EducationworkswithunderservedandunderrepresentedcommunitiesprimarilywomenandyouthtotelltheirstoriesandorganizeforsocialjusticethroughthecreationanddistributionofalternativemediaandartsInarecenteffortitworkedwithaChicagosheltertohelpstreetwalkerstelltheirownstoriesinanefforttoraisepublicawarenessandpromotestate-levelreformsTheorganizationorganizedasix-monthworkshopthatincludedteachingandpracticingstorytellingpublicspeak-ingandvideoproductionskillstooveradozenprostitutesTheirgroundbreakingvideogivesinsightsintoChicagorsquossextradeindustryandrecountsthetriumphofthepar-ticipantsoverhomelessnessviolenceanddiscriminationTheirlobbyinginthestatecapitolresultedinpassageofabilltodestigmatizeanddecriminalizesexworkers
Keepingtabsonandshowcasingmuchofthecom-munitymediaactivityfromajournalisticperspectiveistheCommunity Media Workshop (CMW) CMWservesasabridgebetweensocialactivistscommunitymediaprac-titionersandjournalistsIthostsanannualacademyforprogressiveorganizationsintheChicagoareathatbringsactivistsandjournaliststogethertoshareideasandatti-tudesProminentareatelevisionandnewspaperjournalistsarerecruitedtoserveonpanelsleadworkshopsandgenerallysharetheirideasofhowprogressivegroupscaneffectivelygaintheattentionofthepressThisapproach
leadstobuy-infromkeypersonnelinChicagorsquosmainstreammediawhocannowbetterunderstandthegrassrootsgroupsthatapproachthemandtheirissuesItalsogivescommunityparticipantsattheworkshopstheopportunitytodevelopmorepersonalrelationshipswithkeymembersofthemediaThisapproachalsoenablescommunitygroupstobetterunderstandwhatmotivateseditorsandreporters
ThesethreecommunitiesshowcommondevelopmentpatternsandfactorsCommunitymediaorganizationshavebeguntounderstandtheirmissionsintermsofasharedcultureofcommunitymedialookingbeyondtheirindivid-ualmissionstothecommonsocialandpoliticalvaluestheyhaveincommonThisapproachopensthewayforcommu-nityradiomediaartscenterscommunitymediacentersandcableaccesstocreatecommunity-wideprograminitiativesinwhichseveralmediaplatformsareengagedItcreatestheconditionsinwhichitispossibleforcommunitymediaorganizationstoactwithunifiedstancesinpoliticaladvocacyregardingmediaissuesandotherissuescriticaltotheircommunitiesThiskindofcross-platformnetworkingalsocreatesopportunitiesforcommunitymediatoreceivemorediversefundingandsupportfromthecommunityastheyextendthenetworkorcultureofcollaborationtocom-munitydevelopmentgroupsandofficialsintheirregions
Communitymediaorganizationshavebeguntounderstandtheirmissionsintermsofasharedcultureofcommunitymedialookingbeyondtheirindividualmissionstothecommonsocialandpoliticalvaluestheyhaveincommon
ldquoThe boldest experiments in public telecommunica-tions take place when technologies are new and their commercial potential not yet fully apparentrdquo mdash Ralph Engelman 1996
Acrosstheirmanyplatformsandmanycommunitiescommunitymediahavebecomecentralculturalinstitutionsinthecivicculturalandeconomiclife
ofourcommunitiesprovidinginvaluablemediaprogram-mingaccessandeducationTheycaninsuchinstancesenablecommunitiestodevelopinformedcitizensartistsandactivistswhopossesstheskillsandknowledgeneededtograpplewithcomplexmedialiteracyanddevelopmentissuesatthelocallevel
Fordecadescommunitymediaorganizationshaveaddressedtheurgentneedtocreatelocalinstitutionsthatfacilitatecitizenaccesstomedianetworksandeffectiveparticipationinmediacultureforbothcitizensandwork-ersTheyareprovingthemselvesvitaltothepoliticalandeconomiclifeoftheircommunitiesTheyplaymultiplerolessimultaneouslyascriticalculturalenhancementstothequalityofciviclifeasemployersandaseducationalsitesforworkforcedevelopment
difficultyNeworganizationalformsandnewmediaformatslikestreamingarchivingpodcastingandbloggingarebecomingthenormpartofldquoblendedrdquoproductionanddis-seminationpracticesincommunitymedia
neW communicAtion spAces cyberjournAlismTheincreaseinInternetbandwidthandtheavailabilityofonlinesocialnetworkingsoftwarehavequalitativelychangedtherelationshipofjournaliststotheiraudiencesNewwebdestinationslikeMySpaceShutterflyFriendsterFlikrEviteandGooglearedevelopingvirtualcommuni-tiesforsharingvideoattractingyoungeraudiencesandmakingcontentmorethanpassiveandone-directionalSocialnetworkingsoftwareenablespeopletorendezvousconnectorcollaboratethroughcomputer-mediatedcom-municationandformonlinecommunities(Spannerworks2007)PopularsocialnetworksoftwareapplicationslikeweblogsorblogsseemparticularlywellsuitedtoparticipatorycitizenjournalismallowingeasypublishingofinteractivetextphotoaudioandvideocontentTheneweasewithwhichvideoclipscanbepreparedforuseonthewebhasbroughtontheriseofldquovlogsrdquoandsitesthatfacilitatethesharingofvideoclipsandaccompanyingcontentAnenormousrangeofblogsandcyberjournalisticsiteshavesprungupontheWorldWideWebinthepastfiveyearswithanequallywiderangeofeditorialstandardsandpracticesTechnoraticomcurrentlytracksseventeenmillionblogssharingoneandahalfmillionhyperlinks(Rennie2006)APewCenterInternetstudyestimatesthatthenumberofregularblogreadersintheUnitedStatesisequivalenttoalmosthalftheentireradioaudiencewhichisaboutaquarteroftheUSnewspaperreadership(Rennie2006)
Combinedwithaffordablenewdigitalmediaproduc-tioncamerasandrecorderstheseweb-baseddisseminationtoolsmakeitpossibleforcitizensandconsumerstoparticipateactivelyinnewsgatheringNonprofessionalshavebeguntoplayamoreactiveroleintheprocessesofjournalismfromcollectinginformationandreportingtoanalysisanddisseminationJanSchafferwhodirectsJ-LabaUniversityofMarylandincubatorforinteractivejournalismprojectsexplainsthatmanypeoplearebecom-ingmoreactivecitizensthroughjournalisticactivitybutdonotnecessarilyaspiretobejournalistsThenewtechnical
envisioning the future of community mediA
Communitymediaorganizationsareprovingthemselvesvitaltothepoliticalandeconomiclifeoftheircommunities
Communitymediaarealsocontributingimportantvaluespracticesandorganizationalmethodologiestotheemergingcollaborativemediaenvironmentsoftheblogo-sphereWecanlooktothesecontributionsastechnologicalandorganizationalopportunitiesforstrengtheningandexpandingcommunitymediapracticeWiththeInternetamediacultureisemergingthatismoreconsistentwiththenoncommercialpracticesofcommunitymediaproductioncollaborationanddemocraticparticipationinmediamak-inganddistributionConsequentlymanycommunitymediaorganizationsareintegratingthecapacitiesoftheInternetandnewmediaintotheirpracticeswithoutmuchfanfareor
0
capacityforcommunicationsheobservesallowspeopletoldquoparticipateinnewsandinformationinvariouswaysmdashparticipateininteractingwithitquestioningittruth-squadingitandcreatingitAndnowthattheyhavethetechtoolsandthetechskillstodothattheappetitehasonlyincreasedrdquo(Schaffer2005b)
SuchconditionshavesetthestageforintensepopularinterestinwhathasbeenbrandedldquowemediardquoorldquoparticipatoryjournalismrdquoTodaynumerousonlinejournalisticexperimentsbringtogetherprofessionaljour-nalistswithcitizenmediaactivistsandthoseinvolvedineventsMoreandmoretheearliestimagesandinformationregardingbreakingnewsarecomingfromnon-journalistspresentatthemomentoftheeventAsaresultjournalistsarebeginningtoconceptualizethemselvesnotsomuchasgatekeepersofnewsbutasmoderatorsinaconversationwithlicenseandtimetospeakfrequentlyandhopefullyaccurately(BowmanandWillis2003)
Thiskindofcommunity-centeredcoveragemayentailthere-balancingofeditorialpoliciesndashcommittingtodiversityembracingegalitarianvaluesandreassessingthevalueofeditorialneutralityItputsintoquestiontheroleandsignificanceofofteninnovativeldquopersonalmediardquoexemplifiedbythemillionsofbloggingsitesontheWebIsthiskindofldquonewsrdquoservingapubliccivicpurposeofcommunityproblemsolvingorindividualprivateexpres-sionInaWashington PostopinionpieceonDecember212006GeorgeKWillvoicedskepticismoftheseriousnessofmuchofthewebrsquosamateurjournalisminresponsetoTimemagazinersquosnamingallofusPersonoftheYear
Itisdifficulttopredictthefutureofcyberjournal-ismandbloggingpreciselyintheseearlystagesbutthreeoutcomesseemlikelyFirstbloggingwillcontinueitsrapidintegrationintomainstreammediacontentSecondblog-gingandotherformsofsocialnetworkingsoftwarewillgiverisetonewmediaentitiesthatwillchallengemainstreammedialocallynationallyandglobally
ThethirdoutcomeistheonemostrelevanttoacommunitymediascanCyberjournalismandparticipatory
citizenjournalismseemparticularlywellsuitedtoaddressthecurrentUSmassmediarsquosdifficultyinprovidingcoverageoflocaleventsinsmallercommunitiessuburbanregionsandcommutercommunitiesthataredevelopingoutsideformalpoliticaljurisdictionsCommunity-basedonlinejournalismsiteshavesprungupinhundredsofcom-munitiesaroundtheUnitedStatesTheyaremanagedandorganizedinwidelydivergentways
AnexperimentincyberjournalismandcommunitynetworkingtheTwin Cities Daily PlanetaggregatessomeofthebestjournalismfromMinnesotarsquosTwinCitiesneighborhoodandcommunitypressandindependentjour-nalistsaswellasthevoicesofengagedcitizenspresentingthemtothepublicthroughaninteractivewebsiteandcommunitydatabaseByaggregatingcitizenandneighbor-hoodjournalisminonesiteitincreasesthecapacityofsmallneighborhoodmediatoreachbeyondtheirborderstoawiderregionalaudienceUsingRealSimpleSyndication(RSS)softwaretheTC Daily Planetcanpotentiallyreachaglobalaudience
AprojectoftheTwinCitiesMediaAlliancetheTC Daily PlanetisaverynewformofcommunitymediaemergingfromtherestructuringofthenewspaperindustryandtheuseofbloggingandsocialnetworkingsoftwareAlthoughearlyinitsdevelopmenttheTC Daily Planetisgivingvoicetoanincreasingnumberofethnicimmi-grantandnon-mainstreamjournalistswhilefocusingthecommunityrsquosattentiononafargreaterrangeofpublicationsandideas
TheearliestexpressionsofcyberjournalismaretheIndependent Media Centers (IMCs)orIndymediaIndymediacameintobeingaspartoftheprotestsanddemonstrationsaroundtheWorldTradeOrganizationtalksheldinSeattleWashingtonin1999ThisfirstIMCwasaconvergenceoftheemerginginteractivityoftheInternetwiththeintenseneedofprotesterstogetindependentinformationouttotheworldabouttheprotestsAnetworkofindependentcommunitymediamakersactivistsandjournalistsbandedtogethertopoolresourcesandinforma-tion(Howley2005)
TheIMCsforeshadowedthebloggingandvideodis-tributionthatwasshortlytoemergebyusingtheInternetandtheWorldWideWebinconjunctionwithvideoandaudiodistributiontocreateatrulyunprecedentedmulti-mediaenvironmentIntermsofbothqualityandquantitytheSeattleIMCwasanimpressiveperformancebyanynewsandcurrentaffairsstandardsOverthecourseofthefive-dayprotestsadailynewspaperanddailyradioprogramwerecreatedandcountlessprintstoriesweredisseminated
Journalistsarebeginningtoconceptualizethemselvesnotsomuchasgatekeepersofnewsbutasmoderatorsinaconversation
globallyalsovideofeedsweresentthroughtheInternettopublicaccessandcommunitychannelsaroundtheworldSixyearsaftertheSeattleproteststherewere149Indymediawebsitesinabout45countriesonsixcontinents(Whitney2005)
TheopenformofcommunicationpracticedbymostIMCsiteshasnotbeenwithoutproblemsandcontra-dictionsManysitesarenowclutteredwithideologicaldiatribesanduneditedcontent(Halleck2002Whitney2005)ButthereareanumberofIndymediasitesthatprovidealternativenewsandinformationregardingaglobalscopeofconcernsthatwouldbeverydifficulttoobtainanywhereelseinthemediaAnumberofsitesinplacessuchasNewYorkCityPortlandOregonandtheSanFranciscoBayareahaveestablishedthemselvesasstablepartsoftheircommunityrsquosmediaculture
companiesspecializedsuppliersserviceprovidersandassociatedinstitutionsinaparticularfieldthatarepresentinanationorregionrdquo(Porter2000)Thecompaniesinanindustryclusterhaveacomplexwebofmutuallysupportingrelationshipsthatencompassbothcompetitiveandcollab-orativerelationshipsTheylinkacrossprofitandnonprofitpracticesutilizecommoninfrastructuremakecommoncontributionstothedevelopmentofahighlyskilledwork-forcesharefundingandinsomecasestalentedstaff
Increasinglycommunitydevelopmentpractitionersandanalystsarecomingtounderstandindustryclustersaspowerfulstrategiesforbotheconomicandcommunitydevelopmentinthetwenty-firstcenturyThisisprovingdoublytruefornonprofitcommunitymediaorganizationswhoseroleitistobringpowerfultoolsandknowledgetoanycommunityrsquosdeliberationsaroundcommunityandeco-nomicdevelopmentBroadbandandwirelessnetworksareprovidingthepracticalmeansoflinkingcommunitymediaorganizationswithincommunitiesofferingakeystrategicadvantagebyenhancingtheeffectivenessofcollaborationandpartnershipbuilding
AstheexamplesinthepreviouschaptershowcommunitymediaorganizationsaretakingonnewrolesincludingcombiningproductionandtrainingtakingonworkforcedevelopmentfunctionsandbecomingtechnologycentersfordiffusionofnewmediaBeyondtheseexampleslongstandingsuccessfulcommunitymediaorganiza-tionsaremergingasnetworkclusterslinkingdifferentgroupsandorganizationswithincommunitiestocreateentirelynewcommunitymediaorganizationsorblurringtheboundariesbetweentheirorganizationsOthersarebringinghistoricallyseparatecommunitymediagroupswithinoneorganizationalstructureorunderonerooftosharebuildingsandcommunicationsinfrastructuresinacost-effectivemanner
TheorganizationsthatemergefromthisintegrationmaybesimilarinfunctionthoughtheirnamesremaindifferentAcommunity-basedsiteforcitizenmediaandcyberjournalismforexampleandacommunitynetworklikeMAINinAshevilleNorthCarolinaoracutting-edgecableaccesscenterlikeGrandRapidsCommunityTelevisionbegintolookverymuchalikeintermsof
Increasinglycommunitymediadevelopmentishappeningthroughnetworksoflocalnonprofitmediaorganizationsratherthanwithinsingleorganizations
neW orgAnizAtionAl spAces netWorked clusters Perhapsthemostpromisingtrendonthehorizonforcom-munitymediaistheemergenceofnewhighlyintegratedorganizationalstructuresandcollaborativeprocessesIncreasinglycommunitymediadevelopmentishappeningthroughnetworksoflocalnonprofitmediaorganizationsratherthanwithinsingleorganizations
Inmanywaysthesereorganizationsatthecom-munitylevelparalleltherestructuringtakingplaceintheprivatecorporatesectorTherecommunicationsnetworksarebeingusedtosupportcomplexpartnershipsandjointcompanyprojectdevelopmentinteractivenetworkseasetheaggregationoflargeorstrategiccapitalandemployeeskillsetsacrossgeographicandorganizationalboundariesforthepurposesofinnovationandmarketdevelopmentInthelanguageofcommunityandeconomicdevelop-mentthesecomplexpartnershipsareknownasldquocreativeclustersrdquoorldquoindustryclustersrdquoMichaelPorteraleadingtheoristandproponentoftheconceptofclustersdefinesthemasldquogeographicconcentrationsofinterconnected
Successfulcommunitymediaorganizationsaremergingasnetworkclusters
technologyprogrammingactivitiesandtheexperienceofcommunityaudiencesvolunteersandparticipantsEachorganizationreliesonnoncommercialaffordablebandwidtheachplayssomeroleinadvocatingforsupportivegovern-mentpoliciesandeachisexperimentingwiththepotentialofnewcollaborativemediatoolsOftencommittedtoengagingandtrainingvolunteersandcommunitymembersinsomemannertheymayoffertrainingandvolunteerpro-gramsthatrequiresimilarsharableonlinetutorialsandonlineoutreachandschedulemanagementtools
TheexamplesthatfollowdemonstratethewayscommunitymediacreativeclustersaremakinguniquecontributionstotheircommunitiesrsquoqualityoflifeandeconomicwellbeingTheyaredoingsointhreeimportantwaysbullfirstbyamplifyingtherolethatartsandculturalgroups
playinenhancingthequalityoflifeandattractingatalentedworkforceandcapitaltothecommunitymdasharolethatisgaininginsignificanceinthetwenty-firstcentury
bullsecondascontributorstocoreeconomicdevelopmentfunctionsinthecommunityincludingworkforcedevelop-mentandtrainingasmicro-enterpriseincubatorsandascreatorsofnewknowledgeandeducationalexperiencesand
bullthirdasfacilitatorsandcatalystsofcommunitydialoguecommittedtoembracingmarginalizedvoicesandallow-ingthecommunitytoundertakeitsowndevelopmentdemocratically
Lowell MassachusettsLowell Telecommunications Center(LTC)isapublicandgovernmentaccesschannelandmediaandtechnologycen-terItprovideseducationandtraininginmediacreationincludingwebdesigndigitalphotographyandtelevisionproductionLTCworksincollaborationwithotherlocalcommunity-basedorganizationsmunicipaldepartmentsandeducationalentitiestoproducediversemulticulturalprogrammingthatmeetsthecommunityrsquoscommunica-tionandinformationneedsLTChasbecomeaconvening
organizationforbuildingcapacityamongLowellrsquosnonprofitcommunity-basedorganizationsintheiruseofparticipatorymediaandcivicengagementstrategies
LTCismorefocusedthanothercommunitymediaorganizationsoncommunitybuildingandcommunicationtechnologyThecorporationisworkingtobuildanetworkforparticipatorymediaandcivicengagementthroughouttheMerrimacRiverValleyThroughaUSDepartmentofEducationgrantLTCacquiredfundingandstafftohelpitspartnerorganizationsbecomeInternet-capableassesstheirinformationtechnologyneedsacquiretechnologyupgradestoaddressthoseneedsandundertakethetrainingtousethetechnologyeffectively
RatherthanwaitingforgroupstocometoitscenterLTCcreatedacircuitridertrainingprogramthattookthetrainingprogramintothecommunityThroughLTCrsquosinformationtechnologycenterscoresofcommunitygroupshavereceivedtrainingdesignedandcreatedwebsitesanddevelopedstrategiccommunicationsplansforthefutureThosedevelopmentsincludeweb-basedhistoricalarchivesGISmappingsystemsmultimediamaterialsandInternetvideoTohelporganizationsacquirethesoftwaretheyneedtocarryouttheirmissionsLTCcreatedtheCommunitySoftwareLabwhichdevelopsuniquesoftwaretofittheneedsofareanonprofitsThelabhasbeenspunofftocreateaseparatenonprofitentityjoiningthegrowingnumberofindependentorganizationsthatnetworkthroughLTC
ThemostrecentLTCinitiativeisldquoDigitalBicyclerdquoapeer-to-peernetworkthatallowsmediacentersworldwidetodownloadandsharelocalcontentLTCstaffenvisionDigitalBicycleasanonlinecommunityforcableaccessmediaartsindependentmediaandothernoncommercialmedia
Grand Rapids MichiganldquoBuildingcommunitythroughmediardquoThissimplemissionstatementguidedtheGrand Rapids Community Media Center(GRCMC)asitevolvedfromatypicalcableaccessoperationtobecomeabroad-basedmultimediacenterandamodelforthedevelopmentofcommunitymultimediacentersintheUnitedStatesOverthepasttwentyyears
Communitymediacreativeclustersaremakinguniquecon-tributionstotheircommunitiesrsquoqualityoflifeandeconomicwellbeing
LTCisworkingtobuildanetworkforparticipatorymediaandcivicengagementthroughouttheMerrimacRiverValley
GRCMChaspulledthediversecommunitymediaactivitiesofGrandRapidsunderoneorganizationalumbrellaandtakentheleadinarticulatingthepotentialforaggregatingnoncommercialnetworkedcommunicationsthere
Theevolvingnetworkofmediaplatformsdis-ciplinesandculturalgroupsthatconvergetobecomeGRCMCnowincludesthefollowingcentersofpracticeGRTVacommunitytelevisioncenterthatprogramsmultiplecableaccesschannelsWYCEacommunityradiostationGrandnetacommunitytechnologyandnetworkcenterthatprovidescitizenandnonprofitaccesstotheInternetandtheGrandRapidsInstituteforInformationDemocracyacriticalmediaeducationandresearchcenterthattracksmediaandlocalpublicinterestissuesandpub-lishesinformationonmediaaccountabilityandreform
ButtheGrandRapidsCommunityMediaCenterismorethanthesumofitspartsThecomponentsofthecenterworktogetherinamutuallyreinforcingwholethatcreatesapowerfulcommunitymediapresenceinGrandRapidsandallowsthecentertoundertakefarmoreambitiousprojectsandprogrammingthanwouldbethecaseseparatelyOneexcellentexampleistheMobileOn-LineLearningLabforInformationEducationKnownasMOLLIEtheprogramprovidesskilledtrainersanddigitalvideoproductionequipmenttoschoolsandcommunityorganizationsforspecialprojectsOriginallyfundedbyafederalDepartmentofEducationgrantMOLLIEfillsintechnologygapsinGrandRapidseducationalinstitutionsandnonprofitsInthehandsofalessintegratedinstitutiontheMOLLIEprojectcouldeasilybeatechnicallyorientedequipmentloanandtrainingprogramInthehandsofthecenterMOLLIEhasbecomeasophisticatedmediaandtechnologyeducationalinitiativeprovidingatrainingprogramthataddressesmediaeducationfromtheperspec-tiveofallthecomponentsoftheGrandRapidsCommunityMediaCenter
Asheville North CarolinaOneofthemostarticulateeffortsmergingthecreativeclustersideawithparticipatorycommunicationhascomeaboutinAshevilleNorthCarolinaThroughapersistent
collaborationbetweenforwardlookingregionalgroupsandorganizationsndashinvolvingabroadnetworkofindi-vidualscommunitymediaandmediaartsgroupsintheAshevilleregionndashAshevillehaslaidthefoundationforacommunitymediadevelopmentcenterthatwillfunctionasacableaccesscentermediaartscenterandnewmediamicro-enterpriseincubatorAtthecenterofthiseffortisaninformalcoalitionoffourimportantgroupsinAshevilleMountainAreaInformationNetworkMediaArtsProjectBoncombeCountyEconomicDevelopmentCommissionandURTVThegroupsrepresentdistinctpointsofviewandconcernsaswellasconverginginterests
Eachgroupsharedtheinsightthatcivicparticipa-tionandeconomicsuccessinthetwenty-firstcenturyaredirectlyrelatedtohavingaccesstocommunicationstechnologyandknowledgeEachalsounderstoodthattherenegotiationofthecablefranchisesintheCityofAshevilleandsurroundingBoncombeCountywasastrategicmomenttocatalyzeandassociateanumberofcommunity-basedinformationandmediaartsactivitiesalreadyinplaceorplannedinAshevilleThegroupsusedthecablefranchisingprocesstocreateacommonorganizationalandfacilitiesinfrastructuresupportingtheuseofmediaforbothcivicandeconomicdevelopment
The Media Arts Project(MAP)isanetworkofmediaartiststhatcultivatesinnovativeartsandtechnol-ogyinwesternNorthCarolinaMAPworkedtirelesslytoframecableaccessasacommunitydevelopmentissuebridgingthemediaactivistcommunitiesandthemoreforward-thinkingfactionsamongeconomicdevelopmentprofessionalsintheregionWiththerecentopeningofURTV IncAshvillersquoscableaccessorganizationandfacilityMAPanditsnetworkofpartnersarenowturningtheirattentiontofundingthemediaartsandeconomicincubatorelementsofthevision
AshevillersquosinterestinsupportingcommunitymediaarisesfromthepresenceoftheMountain Area Information Network(MAIN)Inthetraditionoftheruralcooperativesthathelpedspreadthereachofelectricityinthe1930sMAINisanonprofitInternetserviceproviderofferingreliablelow-costInternetservicebothinwesternNorthCarolinaandnationwideItisauniquecommunitynetworkwithabroadvisionofitsroleinthecommunitythatencompassesmedialiteracyeconomicdevelopmentstrategiescommunitylow-powerradioacommunity-basedwebportalandtheprovisionofInternetconnectivitytoruralwesternNorthCarolinaMAINislargelyresponsiblefortheremarkableexpansionofInternetaccessibilityinwesternNorthCarolinaallowingthousandsofpeopleto
GRCMChaspulledthediversecommunitymediaactivitiesofGrandRapidsunderoneorganizationalumbrella
spendtheirInternetaccessdollarswithalocallycontrolledandaccountableorganizationMAINdemonstratesthevalueofthecommunitynetworkingconcepttoareasthatarelagginginconnectivityduetofailuresofthemarket
MAINhastakenaleadershiproleinbuildingacommunitymediacultureinAshevillethatdemonstratestheeasewithwhichdigitalmedialeapsorganizationalboundariesItscommunitynetworkrunstheBlueRidgeWebMarketwhichprovidesafreecustomizableInternetpresencetohundredsofsmallbusinessesthroughoutwesternNorthCarolinaItsLatinoDigitalLiteracyProjectofferstrainingtohelpthearearsquosgrowingLatinopopula-tionsaccesstheInternetMAINhasbeenoneofthekeypartnersinbringingacableaccesscentertoAshevilleandhasbeenthedrivingforcebehindWPVMWNCrsquoslow-powerFMradiostationbroadcastinglocalnewsviewsandmusicover-the-airintheAshevilleregion(andtheworldviawebcast)
Cleveland OhioPerhapsthemostrobustcommunity-basednonprofitnetworkintheUnitedStatesOne ClevelandprovideswhatitcallsldquoultrabroadbandnetworkingservicesrdquotoClevelandareaeducationgovernmentresearchartscultureandhealthcareorganizationsOneClevelandoperatesafibernetworkringthatcoversmuchofthecityofClevelandandmanyofitssurroundingsuburbsSubscriberstothenetworkconnectatgigabitspeeds
OneClevelandrepresentswhatcanhappenwhenpowerfulcommunitydevelopmentforcescometoaconsensusregardingtheircommunityrsquosneedforhigh-speedconnectivitytoglobaleconomiesandmediaItsfoundersareClevelandmainstreaminstitutionsCaseWesternReserveUniversityCuyahogaCommunityCollegeClevelandStateUniversityTheCityofClevelandGreaterClevelandRegionalTransitAuthorityideastreamCuyahogaCountyPublicLibraryandNorTechThenetworkhasformedrelationshipswithtechnologycompaniestomaintainup-to-dateapplicationsthatleveragethepotentialofsuchapowerfulnetwork
Oneofthenetworkrsquoskeypartners ideastream illustratesthesignificanceofworkingtogethertomakehigh-speedconnectivitypubliclyavailablethroughoutacommunityonitsowntermsBybuildingahigh-speednet-workOneClevelandhascreatedacivicnetworkspaceandinfrastructurethatallowsanewkindofmultimediapublicmediaorganizationtobecreatedIdeastreamresultedwhenWVIZPBSTelevisionand903WCPNRadiopublicbroad-castersmergedtoformanewnonprofitldquomultimediapublicserviceorganizationrdquoIdeastreamisabletoextenditsmediaexpertisebeyondbroadcastingtoonlinetechnologiesandapplicationsofalltypesmdashwhenyouareconnectingtothenetworkatthegigabitspeedsofOneClevelandrsquostherangeofapplicationsandtheirpotentialarehuge
MAINhastakenaleadershiproleinbuildingacommunitymediacultureinAshevillethatdemonstratestheeasewithwhichdigitalmedialeapsorganizationalboundaries
OneClevelandrepresentswhatcanhappenwhenpowerfulcommunitydevelopmentforcescometoaconsensusregardingtheircommunityrsquosneedforhigh-speedconnectivitytoglobaleconomiesandmedia
Inthecourseofpreparingthisreportndashpouringovertheliteratureandsynthesizinghoursofstructuredround-tableconversationsandone-on-oneinterviewswith
opinionleadersandsuccessfulpractitionersofcommunitymediandashonethingisextremelyclearThewayoursocietymakesandsharesinformationknowledgeandcultureisinaheightenedstateofchangeTheinteractivenatureoftheInternethasdemonstratedthatitispossibletoorganizecommunicationsinamuchmoredemocraticfashionSomehaveconcludedwearewitnessingthetransitionfromanindustrializedinformationenvironmenttoanetworkedinformationenvironmentTheoldindustrialmediastruc-turesbasedonexclusivehigh-costproductionprocessesarebeingchallengedbyanemergingmediasectorinwhichthecostofcreatinginformationknowledgeandculturehasbeenprofoundlyreducedandtheproductsareintercon-nectedwidelythroughnetworksliketheInternet(Benkler2006)IndeedthereisincreasingevidencethatthesenewmediaanddigitalnetworksareparticularlyconducivetononcommercialandnonprofitculturalproductionaswellasmoreparticipatoryandcollaborativemediapracticesInmanywaysthelong-standingvaluesandintentofcommu-nitymediaforeshadowthisnewmediaenvironment
ThescanresearchfocusedonfourkeyareasofinquiryWhataretheuniquecharacteristicsthatdistin-guishcommunitymediaWhatmakesmedia-communitycollaborationssuccessfulWhattypesofcommunitymediaorganizationsbestleveragenewtechnologiesHowmightcommunitymediaengageunderservedpopulationsinprogrammingtailoredtotheirneedsIneachinstancewefoundthatcommunitymediacombinedwithgreaterafford-ablebandwidthandopen-sourceapproachestoproductiondohavetremendouscommunitydevelopmentpotentialHowevernoneofthatpotentialwillcomeaboutmagicallyThecommunitymediasectorisfacingthechallengingtaskofmanagingextensivechangeandtransformation
chAllengesThesuccessdisappointmentsandsocialvalueofthepastsixtyyearsofcommunitymediainitiativesmustbejudgedinhistoricalcontextConsistentmisrepresentationinthemainstreammediaandlimitedunaccommodatingsocialpolicyhaveresultedininadequatevisibilityandfinancialsupportforcommunitymediaAnydiscussionofitssuccessesorfailuresmustincorporateanunderstand-
ingoftheseexternalconstraintsInthislighttheexistingexpressionsofcommunitymediaattheirbestarewildlysuccessfulsocialexperimentsgivingcauseforgreatoptimism
NeverthelesscommunitymediafacebothexternalandinternalchallengesTheinternalchallengesarisefromstructuraltensionsthatoccurinanyattempttocreateorganizationsandculturesthatembodydiversitydemocraticexpressionandequitableaccessRatherthanbeingexpressedasldquoweaknessesrdquoasissooftenthecaseinmainstreammediaandacademiatheseinternaltensionsaremoreproperlyunderstoodaspredictabledevelopmentalproblemsandopportunitiesthatpractitionersshouldbepreparedtograpplewithinanycommunitymediasetting
Balancing Free Expression and Audience Development CommunityradioandpublicaccesscablehavehistoricallyprivilegedtheinterestsofproducersbygrantingthemgreatpoliticalfreedominmakingdecisionsregardingwhatprogrammingtocreateandwhataestheticandformattingapproachestouseThetrade-offforacultureofactivistvolunteerismandfreeexpressionhasbeensmalleraudi-encesandlowerlevelsofproductionandprogramsupportProgramproducerscarryanintensecommitmenttoindi-vidualownershipoftheirprogramminginitiativesthatmaynottaketheaudiencersquosinterestsfullytoheart
Whiletheseapproachesinradioandcableaccesshaveresultedinadiversityofprogrammingandpoliticalviewpointstheyhavealsopreventedradiostationpro-grammersorcableaccessorganizationsfrombuildingaflowofprogramsthatcandefineandconstructanongoingaudienceinthecommunityEachprogramorscheduledprogramslotcarriesitsownmicroaudienceldquofragmentedpublicsrdquothatareoftennotpartofanintegratedflowofpro-grammingthatattractsanaudiencetothechannelsoverall(Higgins2002)
Freeexpressionandaudiencedevelopmentarenotmutuallyexclusivenordoparticipatorymanagementstructuresvolunteerinvolvementandproducertrain-ingprogramsneedtoimpedeaudiencedevelopmentThesuccessofAmyGoodmanandDemocracyNowsoundlydemonstratesthisInfactmanycommunitymediaorgani-zationshavecreatedprogramminginitiativesthatcombinesophisticatedmeasurementsofsocialoutcomeswith
conclusions
trainingandparticipatoryprogramplanningTheyhavenotonlyraisedthesocialvalueoftheirprogrammingtotheircommunitiestheyhavealsoincreasedthesizeandloyaltyoftheiraudiences(Aufderheide2003)Asinteractivemediabegintocreatetheconditionswherenicheprogram-mingcanbefarmoresuccessfulthetensionbetweenfreeexpressionandaudiencedevelopmentisnotonlyachal-lengebutalsoatremendousopportunity
Programming MetricsStillroundtableparticipantsrepeatedlynotedthatevenwhenprogrammingmeetscommunityneedscommunitymediaorganizationscanfinditdifficulttodocumentimpactTheyfeltthatfundershavegenerallynotyetaddressedtheroleofmediainpopularcultureorthepowerofpopularcultureinaddressingsocialproblemsInaddi-tionfundersfindithardtoestablishcost-benefitmeasuresofsocialimpactfortheirmediaexpenditures
ParticipantsaskedformodelsofaudiencefeedbackandoutcomesmeasurementthatgobeyondaudiencenumbersTheyacknowledgedthedifficultyofquantify-ingnotionsofsuccesswhichtendtobeverysubjectiveandofusingsuccessstoriesinthecommonprogrammingmetricsofthedayManyrecognizedskepticismamongfundersabouttheimportanceofcommunitymediaasuspicionaboutagendasandafearofthecostsinvolvedmakingcommunitymediaahardsellEventhoughafewgoodevaluationeffortswereacknowledgedtheircollectiveresultshavenotbeenincorporatedintothethinkingofthewiderfundingcommunity
FundingMulti-yearstablefundingsupportforcommunitymediainitiativesiscriticaltostabilityinnovationandgrowthRoundtableparticipantsdiscussednumerousinstancesinwhichprojectswithmulti-yearsupporthadpowerfulpositiveimpactsextendingbeyondtheinitialprojectgoalsMulti-yearfundingcreatesthestabilitytoundertakeproperstrategicplanningandpartnershipdevelopment
Thereissomeearlyevidencethatamultiple-plat-formnonprofit-orientednichemarketcouldemergeasasignificantopportunitytoprovideenhancedrevenueforthecommunityandnoncommercialmediasectorsTheinterac-tivecapacityofthenewnetworkssignificantlyincreasestherevenuepotentialforcooperativeandsubscription-styleprogrammingflowsHoweverstrongmarketsforcommer-ciallyfundedparticipatorycommunityexpressionhavenotyetemergedinthedigitaleraduetothelimitedsizeofpopulationsandavailableadvertisingsupportIfthereistobeavitalsectorofcommunity-basedmediasomeformofsignificantpublicfundingwillbenecessaryevenininstanceswherecommunitymediaorganizationsmightrealizesignificantrevenuefromnewmarketsInordertomakethemostefficientuseofpublicfundingcommuni-tiesmustevolvefundingandgovernancestructuresforcommunitymediathatcanfacilitatetheaggregationoffundscoordinatemultiple-organizationprojectsandactastrustedconvenersofprogramminganddevelopmentdiscus-sionsincommunities
Policy ThreatsWhiletheconvergenceoftechnologyandpracticescreatesincreasingpotentialsforaunifiedcommunitymediasectorthereisunfortunatelynocohesiveandunifiednationalpolicyframeworkforcommunitymediaThegovernmentpoliciesandregulationsthatexistforcommunitymediahavebeenretrofittedinthearenasofUSbroadcastingandtelephonypolicyWhiletheyrepresenthard-wonpoliticalvictoriesandstrategicinsighttheydonotaddresstheneedsofcommunitymediainaholisticway
Inthecurrentpoliticalclimatebroadcastmediaownershipcontrolandprogrammingwillcontinuetobecentralizedinfewercorporationsleavingcommunitieswithlessoptionsforcontrollingtheirlocalmediaenviron-mentsAtthesametimethetelephonecompanieswillenterthemarketforvideotelephonyandbroadbandbydeployinghigh-capacitydigitaltelevisionnetworksinmanycommunitiesintheUnitedStates
ThecurrenttrendofcentralizationinUStele-communicationspolicyisthreateningtheabilityoflocal
Freeexpressionandaudiencedevelopmentarenotmutuallyexclusivenordoparticipatorymanagementstructuresvolunteerinvolvementandproducertrainingprogramsneedtoimpedeaudiencedevelopment
Communitymediaorganizationscanfinditdifficulttodocumentimpact
governmentstomandatecommunity-basedcommunica-tionsnetworksandprogramminginitiativesasrentonthepublicrights-of-wayThesefundingmechanismscurrentlysupportPublicEducationandGovernment(PEG)accesscabletelevisioncentersmediaartscentersandmanymunicipalcommunicationnetworksWhilefarfromperfectregulatorymechanismstheyareoneofthemostsuccess-fulformsofpublicmediasupporttoariseinthelastthirtyyears
Overthenextfiveyearsthesesuccessfulfundingstrategieswillbeunderheavyattackbythetelephonecom-paniesandthecabletelevisionindustryinastrugglewithgovernmentsforcommunitycontrolofthepublicrights-of-wayThesamedynamicthreatensequitableInternetaccessIncreasinglybroadbandcommunitynetworksaremunicipallyownedormandatedWhilesomeofthesemunicipalbroadbandnetworksweredeployedforinternalmunicipalpurposestimehasshownthatsuchnetworkscanserveanumberofnon-governmentalcommunity-basedpurposesincludingwirelessISPconnectionsforresidentsbusinessesandvisitorsManycommunitiesareseeking(andsomehaveobtained)ldquoCommunityBenefitsAgreementsrdquowithproposedwirelessbroadbandvendorsthatsetasideasmallfranchisefeeongrossrevenuestosupportdigitalinclusionactivitiesfollowingtheexampleofcablecompaniessupportofPEGaccessHowevermunicipalbroadbandandmunicipalwirelessareunderattackbyindustriestryingtoreservethesedevelopmentrightsforthemselves
Theoutcomeofthedebatesaroundcontroloftherights-of-waywillhaveasignificantimpactonthefuturepathofcommunitymediadevelopmentThesedebateswillrangeacrosstheregulatoryspectrumtheyarenowbeingwagedinlocalstateandnationallegislativearenasandthecourtsTheresultingcommunicationsinfrastruc-tureandregulatoryframeworkwillbeabletorealizethepotentialsofcommunitymediaifandonlyifcommunitiesareabletotakeleadershipinprovidingsubstantialpublicaswellasprivatefundingAsanoldtruismnotesldquomoneyispolicyrdquo
Therearenopoliticalortechnicalguaranteesthatdigitalmedianetworkswillremainopenandparticipa-toryastheyevolveItisunlikelythatmarketforcesalone
willservetorealizethedemocraticpotentialoftodayrsquosparticipatorymediatechnologyBuildingarobustsectorofcommunity-baseddemocraticnewmediawillrequireeffectivecitizenactivismclearandresponsivegovern-mentpoliciesandeffectivepoliticalstrategiesCommunitymedianeedsseparaterecognitionandsupportwithinfed-eralstateandlocalcommunicationspolicyandregulatorystructuresinordertoensureequitableandstablefundinganddevelopment
models for the futureThegovernmentregulationsandsubsidiesthatunderpincommunitymediahaveevolvedinahodgepodgefashionoverthepastsixtyyearsItcanbearguedthatcommunitymediashouldbetreatedasaseparatesectorwithinte-gratedfundingstructuresconsistentinfrastructureandtaxandsubsidypoliciesthatareseparateanddistinctfromexistinglocalmediapoliciesandalsofromthepoliciesunderpinningpublicbroadcastingPossiblemodelsforamoreunifiedapproacharenumerousbuttwoappearpar-ticularlywellsuitedtocommunitymediarsquosdiverseformsorganizationsandprogrammingapproaches
Public Funding FindingappropriatemethodsofincreasingpublicfundingforcommunitymediainashiftingregulatoryenvironmentiscrucialCurrentlocalcablefranchisingregulationstosupportcableaccessandthecommunitybenefitsagree-mentsofmunicipalwirelessnetworksoffersuccessfulmodelsbutarenowbothunderattackThelawsrequiringcommercialcableproviderstosetasidebandwidthchan-nelcapacityforthepublicinadditiontooperatingfundingbasedonapercentageofcommercialrevenuescouldbeextendedtoincludevoicevideoanddataEssentiallythenanycommercialproviderusingthepublicrights-of-wayorthewirelessspectrumwouldberequiredtocontributeanequitablepercentageofbandwidthandrev-enuetosupportthecommunitycommunicationssector
Community Media DevelopmentAdequatelevelsoffundingareonlypartoftheequationWhilefundingshouldsupporttheoverallgrowthofthe
Thereisunfortunatelynocohesiveandunifiednationalpolicyframe-workforcommunitymedia
setasidebandwidthchannelcapacityforthepublicinadditiontooperatingfunding
communitymediasectorinasensiblefashionanyfundingsolutionmustaddressthedifficultynowexperiencedbyfundersindealingwithcommunitymediahowtoprovideoverallsupporttoasectormadeupofsmallindependentorganizationswithanextremelydiversesetoffundingsourcesandmissionsOneeconomicdevelopmentapproachseemsparticularlyusefulhereProgressivecommunityeconomicdevelopmentstrategieshaveevolvedtosupportthegrowthofadiversityofsmallenterpriseswithinacom-monsectorwhilerecognizingthattheseenterprisescanatdifferenttimesbecollaboratorspartnersorcompetitorsSimilarstrategiescanguidedevelopmentofthecommunitymediasector
Thereareatleasttwoshort-termstepsthatcouldassistinthedevelopmentofcommunitymediaorgani-zationsandsupporttheircitizensrsquoabilitytocopewithcommercialmediaandinformationsaturationOneisforcommunitiestobuildorsecureaffordablebroadbandandwirelessnetworkinfrastructurewithastrongcommu-nitybenefitsagreementinsupportofdigitalinclusionHundredsofcommunitiesacrossthecountryeitherhaveorarelaunchingsuchwirelesscommunitynetworksmanyincollaborationwithwirelessvendorswhoinordertowinaservicecontractwiththemunicipalityinquestionaresup-portingdigitalliteracytraininginexpensiverefurbishedcomputersandlocalcontentdevelopmentndashinshortprogramsofdigitalinclusionandexcellence
AsecondopportunityidentifiedbyroundtableparticipantsisthepotentialforanationalsupportnetworkforexistingcommunitymediaorganizationsAnationalsupportnetworklinkingcommunitiesandtheircommu-
nitymediapractitionersandinstitutionscouldfacilitatearangeofactivitiesincludinglocal-to-localcommunicationorexchangesofinformationandprogrammingbetweencommunitiesvirtualspaceforanationalnetworkofcommunitymediaorganizationstohelptoorganizeuni-fiedpolicyadvocacywiderdistributionofpastproductsformationofissue-responseteamstoadvanceinterestsofcommunitygroupsandtapintolocalresourcesandshareddirectoriesofpractitionerstrainersandfacilitiesConveningleadersfromtheaggregatorsandassociationsservingcommunitymediaintheirvariousforms(listedinAppendix2)mightbeagoodnextsteptoexplorethisopportunity
the promiseThepracticeofcommunitymediahasmanagedtogrowandevolveoverthepastsixtyyearsdespiteunevenandgenerallylowlevelsofsupportandinconsistentgovernmentpoliciesEllieRenniearesearchfellowattheInstituteforSocialResearchSwinburneUniversityofTechnologyhaswrittenthatcommunitymediaareoftendefinednegativelyforwhattheyareopposedtoratherthanpositivelyforwhattheyhaveachieved(Rennie2006)Weareawarethatcom-munitymediahaveoftenbeendismissedasmarginalandidiosyncraticbuttheexamplescitedinthisreportprovidepowerfulevidencetothecontraryItistimetodefinecommunitymediabywhattheyhaveachievedCommunitymediaattheirbesthaveconsistentlydemonstratedtheirpotentialtoempowercommunitiesandindividualstoparticipateascitizensincommunityandeconomicdevelop-mentartseducationcommunitydialogandpoliticaldebateInmanyinstancestheyhavebecomecentralcul-turalsurvivalinstitutionsasourcommunitiesdealwiththeimpactofcommercialmediasaturationandglobalization
Duringtheroundtablediscussionsthattookplaceaspartofthisscanitwasobviousthatthevalueofcom-munitymediatocommunitiestranscendsthemeasurableeffectsofcivicengagementandcommunitydevelopmentCommunitymediacanallowindividualsincommunitiestohaveprofoundexperiencesofactivelyexpressingthem-selvesthroughmediaForpeoplewhohaveseenthemselvesaspassivereceptorsatthebottomofacascadeofpackagedmediaexperiencesandmessagesactiverepresentationoftheirownlivesandcircumstanceshasatransformativeeffectthatgoesbeyondsimplephraseslikeldquocivicengage-mentrdquoThevalueofcommunitymediatoindividualsandthecommunitiestheyliveinisincalculable
hellipaffordablebroadbandandwirelessnetworkinfrastructurewithastrongcommunitybenefitsagreement
anationalsupportnetworkforexistingcommunitymediaorganizations
Appendix 1 Community media empowerment StrategieS
empoWerment Activity ApproAch infrAstructure or venue
AccessAccesstocommunicationsinfrastructureproductiontools
MakingavailablemediaproductiontoolscomputerstelevisionandradiodistributionInternetsoftwarecommunitycommunicationsinfrastructuremeetingspacewebservers
Democraticcitizenaccesstocommunicationstoolsanddisseminationinfrastructure
CablebroadbandmunicipaltelecomInternetWiFiWiMAXlocalandpublicservicebroadcasting
AlternativeContent CreationofvideoaudiofilmwebsitesInternet-basedcitizenmediaP2Pmediabloggingsocialnetworkingsoftwaredatabasesandprintproduction
Contentpositionedtocounterorsupplementmassmediacontentandinformationfrommainstreamsources
AllplatformswithanincreasingexpansionwithinIPNetworksandcross-platformproductionanddissemination
CompetencyLiteracyMedialiteracyinformationliteracydigitalliteracyandculturalliteracy
Mediaartsandaestheticeducationlearningtogainacivicvoiceinamediaculturearticulationofmediabiasesengaginginmediaandpoliticsunderstandingcommoditycultureparentinginamedia-saturatedhome
Interventioninthecomplexmanipulationofsymbolsandculture
Allmassmediaprintelectronic
CommunityBuilding Workforcetrainingandskillbuildingmicro-enterprisedevelopmentbusinessinfrastructuredevelopment
Communityorganizingparticipatoryplanningdemocraticeconomicdevelopmentworkforceandinfrastructuredevelopment
Localmediamunicipaltelecominfrastructurecomputerandtechnologyincubatorsandtechnologycenters
0
Itisdifficulttounderstandthefullscopeofcommu-nitymediaculturewithoutknowingofthefollowingorganizationswhichsupportcommunitymediaand
independentmediapracticesTheyplayanumberofrolesasnationalassociationsrepresentingnetworksofcommu-nitymediaorganizationsandmediaartsorganizationsasproducernetworksandstrategiccommunicationsplannerslinkingcommunityorganizationswithcommunitymediaorganizationsasorganizationsofcommunityactivistsandproducersworkingtomoreeffectivelysupportandusecommunitymediaandascollaboratorsandpartnersincommunitydevelopmenttrainingandeducation
ActiveVoicehttpwwwactivevoicenet
AllianceforCommunityMediahttpwwwalliancecmorg
AssociationforCommunityNetworking
httpwwwafcnorg
CommunityMediaWorkshophttpwwwnewstipsorg
CommunityTechnologyCentersrsquoNetwork
httpwwwctcnetorg
DeepDishTVhttpdeepdishtvorg
FreeSpeechTVhttpwwwfreespeechorg
IndependentTelevisionServicehttpwwwitvsorg
IndependentMediaCenterIndymedia
httpwwwindymediaorg
LatinoPublicBroadcastinghttpwwwlpbporg
LinkTVhttplinktvorg
LPFMDatabasecom
httpwwwangelfirecomnj2piratejimlpfmhtml
MediaTankhttpwwwmediatankorg
MediaWorkingGrouphttpwwwmwgorg
NationalAllianceforMediaArtsandCulture
httpwwwnamacorg
NationalAsianAmericanTelecommunicationsAssochttp
asianamericanmediaorgindexhtml
NativeAmericanPublicTelecommunications
httpasianamericanmediaorgindexhtml
NationalBlackProgrammingConsortium
httpwwwnbpctv
NationalFederationofCommunityBroadcasters
httpwwwnfcborg
NationalPublicRadiohttpwwwnpr
NationalPublicTelecomputingNetworkhttpwwwnptnorg
PaperTigerTelevisionhttpwwwpapertigerorg
PacificIslandersinCommunications
httpwwwpiccomorg
PewCenterforCivicJournalismhttpwwwpewcenterorg
PrometheusRadioProject
httpwwwprometheusradioorg
PublicBroadcastingServicehttpwwwpbsorg
PublicRadioExchangehttpwwwprxorg
ReclaimtheMediahttpwwwreclaimthemediaorg
StarfishTelevisionNetworkhttpwwwstarfishtvorg
WebsitesofUSPEGAccessChannels
httpwwwbevcamorgpeg
WorldAssociationofCommunityRadioBroadcasters
httpwwwamarcorg
Appendix 2 aggregatorS and aSSoCiationS
Appalshophttpwwwappalshoporg
BayAreaVideoCoalitionhttpwwwbavcorg
BeyondMediaEducationhttpwwwbeyondmediaorg
CambridgeCommunityTelevisionhttpwwwcctvcambridgeorg
CasaGuatemalaMediaProjecthttpwwwcasaguatemalaorg
CharlotteObserverhttpwwwcharlottecom
ChicagoAccessNetworkTelevisionhttpwwwcantvorg
GrandRapidsCommunityMediaCenterhttpgrcmcorg
GrandNethttpwwwgrcmcorgnposervicesitphp
GRTVhttpwwwgrcmcorgtv
ideastreamhttpwwwideastreamorg
IFPMinnesotaCenterforMediaArtshttpwwwifpnorthorgabouthtml
IntermediaArtshttpwwwintermediaartsorg
KartemquinFilmshttpwwwkartemquincom
KBOOhttpwwwkbooorg
KFAIhttpwwwkfaiorg
LowellTelecommunicationsCenterhttpltcorg
ManhattanNeighborhoodNetworkhttpmnnorg
MediaArtsProjecthttpwwwthemaporg
MetroGovernmentCommunityMediaInitiativehttpwwwmetro-regionorg
MetropolitanAustinInteractiveNetworkhttpwwwmainorg
MinneapolisTelevisionNetworkhttpwwwmtnorg
MinnesotaChannelhttpwwwtptorgmnchannelnew
MinnesotaPublicRadiohttpminnesotapublicradioorghttpminnesotapublicradioorgpublicinsightjournalism
MountainAreaInformationNetworkhttpmainncus
MtHoodCableRegulatoryCommissionhttpwwwmhcrcorg
NewAmericaMediahttpnewsnewamericamediaorgnews
NewRoutestoCommunityHealthhttpwwwnewroutesorg
NorthwestFilmandVideoCenterhttpwwwnwfilmorg
OneClevelandhttpwwwoneclevelandorg
OregonPublicBroadcastinghttpwwwopborg
PortlandCommunityMediahttpwwwpcmtvorg
RadioArtehttpwwwwrteorg
SaintPaulNeighborhoodNetworkhttpwwwspnnorg
ScribeVideoCenterhttpwwwscribeorg
SoundPartnersforCommunityHealthhttpwwwsoundpartnersorg
StreetLevelYouthMediahttpwwwstreet-levelorg
TwinCitiesDailyPlanethttpwwwtcdailyplanetnet
TwinCitiesMediaAlliancehttpwwwtcmediaallianceorg
TwinCitiesPublicTelevisionhttpwwwtptorg
URTVhttpwwwurtvorg
WalkerArtCenterhttpwwwwalkerartorgindexwac
WCIW-LPhttppacificanetworkorgradiocontentview17542httpwwwciw-onlineorg
WGBHhttpwwwwgbhorg
WHYYhttpwhyyorg
WPVMhttpwwwwpvmorg
WYBEhttpwwwwybeorg
WYCEhttpwwwgrcmcorgradio
YouthChannelhttpwwwyouthchannelorg
Appendix 3 Community media praCtitionerSWebsitesofthosepractitionersmentionedinthetext
AndersonRachelBenton Digital Beat Extra Noncommercial Networks on DBSWashingtonDCBentonFoundation2000
AufderheidePatricialdquoCableAccessTVandthePublicSphererdquoinThe Daily Planet A Critic on the Capitalist Culture BeatMinneapolisandLondonUniversityofMinnesotaPress2000a
AufderheidePatriciaIn The Battle for Reality Social Documentaries in the USWashingtonDCAmericanUniversityCenterforSocialMedia2003
AufderheidePatricialdquoTheWhatandHowofPublicBroadcastingrdquoinThe Daily Planet A Critic on the Capitalist Culture BeatMinneapolisandLondonUniversityofMinnesotaPress2000b
AynteAbdirahmanldquoSomaliWebsitesACompetitiveAlternativeMediaandaFarcetoReckonWithrdquoHiiraan Onlinehttpwwwhiiraancomnews2006aprsomali_websitesaspx
AzzouzBushraTomChamberlinandMarleneFarnumThe Community Media Project Building Community through Media(Aproposedmodelforafive-yearinitiativetoproducelocaltelevisionprogrammingthatbroadensthedialogueonissuesimportanttotheOregoncommunityandcreatesastrongsenseofplace)PortlandORMetroDecember2000
BarlowWilliamldquoCommunityRadiointheUSTheStruggleForADemocraticMediumrdquoinMedia Culture and SocietyVol10(1988)
BenklerYochaiThe Wealth of Networks How Social Production Transforms Markets and FreedomNewHavenYaleUniversityPress2006
BentonFoundationDigital Alliances Partners in Public
Service Models for CollaborationUniversityParkPAThePennsylvaniaStateUniversity2002
BlauAndrewDeep Focus A Report on the Future of Independent MediaSanFranciscoNationalAllianceforMediaArtsandCulture2004
BowmanShayneandChrisWillisWe Media How Audiences Are Shaping the Future of News and InformationEditedbyJDLasicaRestonVATheMediaCenteratTheAmericanPressInstitute2003httpwwwhypergenenetwemediadownloadwe_mediapdf
BurnettRonldquoFromCommunityMediatoInternationalNetworksrdquoCritical Approaches to Culture + Communications + HypermediaNovember182005httpwwweciadca~rburnettWeblogarchives200511from_communityhtml
CanoAndrealdquoMicroradioAToolforCommunityEmpowermentrdquoinPublic Broadcasting and the Public InterestEditedbyMichaelPMcCauleyEricEPetersonBLeeArtzandDeeDeeHalleckLondonMESharpe2003
CarnegieCommissiononEducationalTelevisionPublic Television A Program for ActionNewYorkBantam1967
CastellsManuelThe Rise of the Network Society The Information Age Economy Society and CultureVolumes12amp3MaldenMABlackwellPublishersInc2005
ChesterJeffBeyond Broadcast Expanding Public Media in the Digital AgeWashingtonDCCenterforDigitalDemocracyFebruary2006httpwwwdemocraticmediaorgBBBBfrontphp
ChristensenPaulNanMcIntyreandLynnPikholzldquoBridgingCommunityandEconomicDevelopmentAStrategyforUsingIndustryClusterstoLinkNeighborhoodsandtheRegionalEconomyrdquo(reportfundedbytheFordFoundation)ClevelandShorebankEnterpriseGroup2005
ldquoCitizenJournalismrdquoissueofNieman ReportsCambridgeMATheNiemanFoundationforJournalismatHarvardUniversityVol59No4Winter2005eMprintNewsbookhttpwwwniemanharvardedureports05-4NRwinterNR05W_Citizen_Journalismpdf
City PagesldquoBestPublicAccessCableTVProgramSomaliTVrdquoBestoftheTwinCities2004MNApril282004httpcitypagescombestof2004artsandentertainmentbestof2379asp
bibliogrAphy
CruzRossanaReguilloldquoTheOracleintheCityBeliefsPracticesandSymbolicGeographiesrdquoinGlobal Cities of the South (Social Text)EditedbyAshleyDawsonandBrentHayesEdwardsTranslatedbyBrentHayesEdwardsandNoraNicoliniDurhamNCDukeUniversityPress81(Volume22Number4)Winter2004
DeLasCasasLucywithSimonBurallJohnMorrisonDavidKaleteandJagadanandaldquoGlobalMediaReformandAccountabilityReportfromtheNationalMediaReformConferencerdquoStLouis2005httpwwwoneworldtrustorgpagesdownloadcfmdid=281
DevineRobertHldquoVideoAccessandAgencyrdquoConferencepresentationTheNationalFederationofLocalCableProgrammersStPaulMNJuly171992
DirlinMartyandCathyMelioldquoTheGrassrootsRadioMovementintheUnitedStatesrdquoinPublic Broadcasting and the Public InterestEditedbyMichaelPMcCauleyEricEPetersonBLeeArtzandDeeDeeHalleckLondonMESharpe2003
DowningJohnDHwithTamaraVillarealFordGeneveGilandLauraSteinRadical Media Rebellious Communication and Social MovementsThousandOaksCASagePublications2001
EgerJohnldquoCreativeClustersandtheUrbanEconomyrdquoGovernment and Technology(February62006)httpwwwgovtechnetnewsnewsphpid=98345
EgerJohnMThe Creative Community Forging The Links Between Art Culture Commerce amp CommunityTheCaliforniaInstituteforSmartCommunitiesSanDiegoStateUniversity2005httpwwwsmartcommunitiesorgcreativeCreativeCommBroFINALpdf
EngelmanRalphPublic Radio and Television in America A Political HistoryThousandOaksCASagePublications1996
GillespieGilbertPublic Access Television in the United States and CanadaNewYorkPraegerPublishers1975
GillmorDanWe the Media Grassroots Journalism by the People for the PeopleSebastopolCAOrsquoReillyMediaInc2006
GrahamStephenandSimonMarvinTelecommunications and the City Electronic Spaces Urban PlacesLondonandNewYorkRoutledge1996
HalleckDeeDeeHand-Held Visions The Impossible Possibilities of Community MediaNewYorkFordhamUniversityPress2002
HigginsJohnWldquoAlternativeMediaandtheCultofIndividualismExperiencesfromUSPublicAccessTVrdquoPaperpresentedattheldquoOurMediardquopre-conferenceoftheInternationalAssociationforMediaandCommunicationResearchCommunityCommunicationSectionBarcelonaSpainJuly202002httpwwwourmedianetorgpapersom2002Higginsom2002pdf
HowleyKevinCommunity Media People Places and Communication TechnologiesCambridgeCambridgeUniversityPress2005
HoynesWilliamldquoThePBSBrandandtheMerchandisingofthePublicServicerdquoinPublic Broadcasting and the Public InterestEditedbyMichaelPMcCauleyEricEPetersonBLeeArtzandDeeDeeHalleckLondonMESharpe2003
JankowskiNicholasWldquoCommunityMediaResearchAQuestforTheoreticallyGroundedModelsrdquoThePublicVol1015(2003)httpmokkbmehucentreconferencesreactivismFPfpNJ
JankowskiNicholasWandOlePrehnedsCommunity Media in the Information Age Perspectives and ProspectsCresskillNJHamptonPress2002
LashScottThe Critique of InformationLondonSagePublications2002
ListerMartinJonDoveySethGiddingsIainGrantandKieranKellyNew Media A critical IntroductionLondonandNewYorkRoutledge2003
LloydMarkldquoRadioandLocalismWhatWhenWrongrdquoinContext(publishedbytheCenterforCommunicationsandCommunityUCLA)IssueNo4(WinterSpring2006)
MacintyreBenldquoWelcometotheNewTomPainesrdquoTimesOnlineNovember132004httpwwwtimesonlinecouktolcommentarticle390484ece
MaherVincentTowards a Critical Media Studies Approach to the BlogosphereNewMediaLabPublicationSchoolofJournalismandMediaStudiesRhodesUniversitySouthAfrica2006
MetroCommunity Media Project Evaluation Report PortlandORMetroJuly2004
MostStephenldquoBAVCandTheBigPicturerdquoinA Closer Look Media Arts 2002EditedbyHelenDeMichielSanFranciscoNationalAllianceforMediaArtsandCulture2002
NewAmericaMedialdquoEthnicMediainAmericaTheGiantHiddeninPlainSightrdquoPollconductedbyBendixenampAssociates2005httpnewsnewamericamediaorgnewsview_articlehtmlarticle_id=0443821787ac0210cbecebe8b1f576a3
OlsonBillThe History of Public Access Television2000httpwwwgeocitiescomiconostarhistory-public-access-TVhtml200415
PewCenterforCivicJournalismldquoDoingCivicJournalismrdquo2007httpwwwpewcenterorgdoingcj
PierceSteveldquoDBSandthePublicInterestOpportunityinSatelliteTelevisionrdquoinPublic Broadcasting and the Public InterestEditedbyMichaelPMcCauleyEricEPetersonBLeeArtzandDeeDeeHalleckLondonMESharpe2003
PhilipsSusanldquoTrueCommunityTowardaCollaborativeEthosScribersquoslsquoTrueCommunityVisionrsquordquoinA Closer Look Media Arts 2002EditedbyHelenDeMichielSanFranciscoNationalAllianceforMediaArtsandCulture2002
PorterMichaelEldquoLocationCompetitionandEconomicDevelopmentLocalClustersinaGlobalEconomyrdquoEconomic Development Quarterly14no1(February2000)15-34
ProjectforExcellenceinJournalismldquoMajorTrendsrdquoinState of the News Media 2006 An Annual Report on American Journalismhttpwwwstateofthenewsmediaorg2006nar-rative_overview_eightaspcat=2ampmedia=1
PrometheusRadioProjectldquoOurFifthBarnraisingmdashWCIW-LPinImmokaleeFloridardquohttpprometheusradioorgcontentview48952006
RennieEllieCommunity Media A Global IntroductionLanhamMDRowmanandLittlefieldPublishers2006
RodriguezClemenciaFissures in the Mediascape An International Study of Citizenrsquos MediaCresskillNJHamptonPress2001
SchafferJanldquoCitizensMediaHasItReachedaTippingPointrdquoinldquoCitizenJournalismrdquoissueofNieman Reports CambridgeMATheNiemanFoundationforJournalismatHarvardUniversityVol59No4Winter2005aeMprintNewsbookhttpwwwniemanharvardedureports05-4NRwinterNR05W_Citizen_Journalismpdf
SchafferJanInterviewonThe NewsHour With Jim Lehrer PBSEveningNewsNovember162005b
SchulerDouglasldquoTheRiseofCommunityNetworksrdquoInternet WorldDecember1995
SchulerDougandPeterDayShaping the Network Society The New Role of Civil Society in CyberspaceCambridgeandLondonMITPress2004
ShirkyClayPower Laws Weblogs and Inequality EconomicsampCultureMediaampCommunityBlog2005OpenSourcehttpshirkycomwritingspowerlaw_webloghtml
ShirkyClaySocial Software and the Politics of GroupsEconomicsampCultureMediaampCommunityBlog2005OpenSourcehttpshirkycomwritingsgroup_politicshtml
Somerset-WardRichardBroadband Community Networks Building the Digital CommonsAreportfortheHaasCharitableTrustsPhiladelphia2005
Somerset-WardRichardConnecting Communities WashingtonDCBentonFoundation2000
Spannerworkse-bookWhat is Social MediaJanuary2007httpwwwspannerworkscomebooks
StarrJeroldMldquoPublicTelevisionintheDigitalAgeTownHallorCyberMallrdquoinPublic Broadcasting and the Public InterestEditedbyMichaelPMcCauleyEricEPetersonBLeeArtzandDeeDeeHalleckLondonMESharpe2003
SteinLauraldquoPublicAccessTelevisionandGrassrootsCommunicationintheUnitedStatesrdquoChapter20inRadical Media Rebellious Communication and Social MovmentsEditedbyJohnDowningThousandOaksCASagePublications2001
SussmanGeraldandJREstesldquoCommunityRadioinCommunityDevelopmentPortlandrsquosKBOORadiordquoinThe Portland Edge Challenges and Successes in Growing CommunitiesEditedbyConniePOzawaPortlandStateUniversityIslandPress2004
WhitneyJenniferldquoMakeMediaMakeRealTroubleWhatrsquosWrong(andRight)withIndymediardquoLiPMagazineJune212005httpwwwlipmagazine
orgarticlesfeatwhitney_indymedia_phtml
tobuildcapacityinothermediaorganizationssuchasastudioandpost-productionfacilitieswithDowntownCommunityTelevisioninChinatownAndinkeepingwiththesamenetwork-buildingapproachtofacilitatingpartici-pationMNNalsofeaturesaYouthChannelconsideredtobethefirstchannelcreatedforyouthbyyouthMNNhasbecomeoneofthecentralhubsinManhattanaroundwhichindependentandcommunitymediagatherforscreeningsadvancededucationalopportunitiesartisticandpoliticaldebatecommunitybuildingandsocialnetworkingcreat-inganexcitingdemocraticmediaculture
Manyparticipantsacknowledgedthatcollaborationishardexpensiveandtime-consumingItplacesdemandsonin-houseknowledgeandconfrontspartneringorganiza-tionsrsquodifferentgoalseditorialpoliciesandresourcesIftheyaretolastpartnershipsneedproperresearchonthefrontendandmulti-leveledsupportChangesinleader-shipcandisruptplanssopartneringcanrsquotbetiedtoonepersonrsquosrelationshiptoanotherpersonitrequiresanetworkofpeopleunderstandingandcontributingtothepartnershipMulti-yearprojectsareimportanttodevelopinfrastructureandsustainefforts
TrainingRoundtableparticipantssawcommunitymediainstitutionsasimportantsourcesbothforjobsandskillstrainingandforbuildingthecapacityoflocalnonprofitgroupsWhileacquiringmediaskillsmaybeacareerpathoutofpovertyironicallycommunitymediaworkisoftenunpaidandpoorpeoplemustprioritizepayingjobsoverparticipationincommunitymediamakingRoundtableparticipantsexpressedconcernthatthereisnotcurrentlyawaytoeconomicallysustaintheeffortsoflow-incomepeoplewhodovolunteerincommunitymedia
CableaccesscenterslikeChicagorsquos CAN-TVandManhattanNeighborhoodNetworkprovidegrantstrainingandequipmenttocommunitygroupswhothendevelopmultimediaproductsandshowcasethemindifferentvenuesThesecentersfacilitatetheexpressionofnon-technology-orientedcommunitymembersandprovidethemwithusefuljobskills
ThetrainingcomponentiscrucialfordevelopingauthenticvoicesinprogrammingBlessedwithadiversetechnology-savvycommunitythatincludesbothHarvard
andMITcampuspopulationsCambridge Community Television CCTVhasbroadeneditseducationalprogramstoincludeadvancedworkshopsandextendededucationalprogramsindocumentarymakingdigitalstorytellingwebsitedesignandstrategiccommunicationsplanningandimplementationCommunitymembersarealsoabletouseCCTVrsquoscomputertechnologycenterfortraininginavarietyofsoftwareapplicationsincludingphotoeditinganddesignandcomputernetworkingThecenterhasbroadeneditsdistributionofvideoprogrammingtoincludeweb-basedmediastreamingofpre-recordedprogrammingpodcastsaudiochannelsandldquoCambridgeCommunityRadiordquowherememberscansignupfortwo-hourblocksofliveradiotimeThecenterrsquosservicesaddresstheneedsofactivistsnonprofitcommunitygroupsmediaeducatorsandpeopleseekingjobskillsthatextendfarbeyondthoseneededtofillthepublicchannelswithvideoItsofferingsareexpand-ingtoincludeworkshopsinpodcastingdigitalaudioproductionvideobloggingandcyberjournalismCCTVtakesdigitalmediaconvergenceseriouslyunderstandingthatmediaproductiontrainingproductionanddistribu-tionarenowapplicableacrossanumberofplatformsandproductionskillsets
Bay Area Video Coalition(BAVC)isanotherorganizationthatmakesemergingvideotechnologyacces-sibletoindependentmediamakersIthasevolvedintoaninternationallyrenownedmediaartscenterthatleadsthefieldinitshigh-qualityproductionandprofessionaldevelopmentsupportfornoncommercialmediamakersThecenteralsoprovidesclassestolow-incomeyouthinmediaartsproductionaswellasworkshopsforcommunitygroupsandnonprofitsBAVChasconsistentlyoffereddevelopmentseminarsandtrainingprogramsthatbringcommercialpro-ducersandnoncommercialproducerstogetherinacommonsettingItoffersoneoftheregionrsquoskeycertifiedtrainingprogramsforcompanieslikeAppleAvidandDigidesignThroughagrantfromtheFordFoundationBAVChasundertakenanationalstudyonldquoDigitalWorkforceDevelopmentrdquoallowingtheorganizationtoestablishitselfasanationalandregionalleaderinprofessionaldevelop-ment(Most2002)Itsprofessionaldevelopmentprogramisasignificantforuminwhichcommercialandnoncom-mercialmediamakerscancometogetherforprofessionaldevelopmentactivitiesinsettingsthatrespectthepublicinterestandroleofmediainsocialdevelopment
OutreachOutreachakeytoolformediagroupsmovestherelation-shipbetweencommunityandmediabeyondconsumption
Collaborationishardexpensiveandtime-consuming
tosocialchangeItinvitespeopletointeractwithmediatobeaffectedbyitandtoaffectothersItaskspeoplewhattheyneedandinvitesthemtocometogethertomeetthoseneeds
Thekeytocreatingrelevantoutreachisresearch-ingwhatthecommunityneedsdetermininghowtoreachitmosteffectivelyandhiringstaffwhohaveoutreachskillsandarewellversedinthecultureandlanguageofthegroupsbeingtargetedAChicagofilmmakerrecountedhowtheseconsiderationsimpactedhisdocumentaryaboutworkersrsquorightsOutreachstaffconsideredthepotentialimpactontwoaudiencesalargeaudienceofPBSviewerssittingintheirlivingroomsandasmallerbutmoreengagedaudienceofsteelworkerswatchingthedocumentaryatalocalbarTheyconcludedthatthebarviewerswouldberivetedbecausetheinformationinthedocumentarywasgearedtothemSuccessfuloutreachasksWhatdogroupspayattentiontoWhomdotheytrustWhatplatformauthenticallyrepresentsthem
NationalprogrammingcanbeacatalystforlocaloutreachParticipantsinChicagoandMinneapolis-StPauldiscussedtheexampleofldquoTheNewAmericansrdquoanationalPBSseriesonimmigrantsproducedby Kartemquin Films Active VoiceanationalorganizationthatworkswithmediamakerstobringaboutpersonalandinstitutionalchangeworkedwithKartemquintopackageseriesfootagethatfocusedonnewarrivalstoMinnesotaTheresultwasalocalseriesldquoTheNewMinnesotansrdquoandapartnershipthatusedmediatoeducatethemainstreamcommunityaboutlocalimmigrantsandtodevelopdiscussionandactivityguidesforcommunityoutreach
Connecting with Immigrant PopulationsMinoritypopulationsandgroupsconcernedwithsupportingtheidentitiesofmarginalizedpopulationshaveincreasinglyturnedtocommunitymediaassourcesofinformationvali-dationofcultureandproductionsupportforthecreationoftheirowncontentCommunitymediahavehelpedcallattentiontothelivesandconcernsofimmigrantcommuni-tiesthatareotherwiseinvisibleoutsidetheirparticularcommunityBecausetheyoftenhavefoundinnovativewaystousecommunitymediafornetworkingandsocialchangeimmigrantpopulationsillustratethepowerofcommunity
mediaandpresentrichopportunitiesformakingcommu-nitymediaorganizationsmorediverseandparticipatoryRoundtableparticipantssharedlessonsinwhatworksandofferedspecificideasforframinganewcommunitymediaprogramaddressingtheneedsofimmigrantsandreceivingcommunitiescalledNew Routes to Community Health
Inreachingouttoimmigrantcommunitiesround-tableparticipantsnotedthatitiscriticaltoidentifyandworkwithexistingagenciesthatimmigrantstrustperhapsachurchorassociationforaparticularethnicgroupButthoughimmigrantgroupsarethemostappropriateconve-nersofsuchcollaborativestheymustalsohavethecapacitytoconvene
TheselectionofplatformalsodeservescarefulconsiderationRoundtableparticipantsnotedthatinadapt-ingtechnologiestotheirownpurposesspecificimmigrantgroupsoftenpreferoneplatformoveranotherForexampleChicagorsquosKorean-AmericancommunityhasbeensuccessfulinusingethnicprintmediatoaddresscommunityissuesThePersianstorytellingtraditionhasmadePersianahugeandgrowinglanguagesegmentonblogsPersianisnowthefourthmostwidelyusedlanguageonweblogs(Macintyre2004)A2000surveyofSomalianimmigrantsinMinnesotashowedthatoverfortypercenteventhenconsideredtheInternettheirmainnewssource(Aynte2006)
RadioinparticularhasshowntremendouspowerinthedevelopingworldpartlyasaresultoftheUnitedNationsrsquoemphasisonradioasthemediumsupportingthemostwidespreadpracticeofcommunitymediaintheworldBecausetheyarefamiliarwithradiobeforecomingtotheUnitedStatesimmigrantgroupsoftenquicklyembraceradiouponarrivalinthiscountryItisalsooneofthemostinexpensiveformsofmediaandthereforeoneofthemostaccessibleldquoIftheycomefromLatinAmericatheyknowthepowerofradiordquoChicagoparticipantsnotedenthusiasti-callyLocalcommercialSpanish-languageradiostationseffectivelyhelpedmobilizeturnoutforimmigrationprotestsinChicagoinMay2006
community spotlightManycommunitiesintheUnitedStatescanpointwithpridetotheachievementsoftheircommunitymediaorganizationsWhenattemptingtoidentifybestpracticesinthenetworkedmediaenvironmentsweseetodayhoweveritisusefultothinkintermsofinterconnectionandcol-laborationnottolooksimplyatindividualmediacentersorbroadcaststationsOftenthemostsuccessfulexamplesofcommunitymediaemergeoutofongoingalliancesandcollaborationsamonglocalcommunitymediagroupsThe
Thekeytocreatingrelevantoutreachisresearchingwhatthecommunityneeds
communitiesspotlightedbelowhavebegunincorporatingpartnershipsandcross-platformcollaborationintothepracticeofcommunitymediaandhavebeguntoreapthebenefitsofthatapproach
Portland OregonTheMetro Government Community Media InitiativeillustratesthepotentialpowerofcommunitiesworkingtogethertoproducetheirownmediaratherthanhavingtheirstoryframedbycommercialnewsorganizationsAlthoughtheprojecthasnowendeditisincludedherebecauseitprovidedsuchastrongmodelforfuturecommu-nitymediaeffortsTheinitiativewasrootedinaproposalbylocalindependentfilmmakerTomChamberlinthatlocalmediamakerscommunitymediaorganizationscommunitygroupsandgovernmentagenciescollaboratetoproducepublicaffairstelevisionprogramsonissuesofconcerntoOregoniansMetroauniqueregionalgovernmentprimarilyresponsibleforregionalland-useandtransportationplan-ningtookChamberlinrsquosideatoheartWithagrantfromtheFederalHighwayAdministrationMetroandanallianceofcommunityorganizationsandgovernmentagenciesdevel-opedldquoZigZagRealStoriesNewAnglesrdquoaprogrambylocalfilmmakersfeaturingpersonalstoriesfromadiversegroupofregionalresidentsastheygrappledwiththetransporta-tionchoicesaffectingtheirfamiliesneighborhoodsandcommunities
InadditiontothecenterpiecebroadcastonOregon Public BroadcastingtheprojectcreatedaninteractivewebsiteanddistributedaDVDoftheprogramtothearearsquoscableaccesschannelsElementsoftheprojectalsofoundtheirwayontoPortlandrsquoscommunityradiostationKBOOandpacketsincludingextensivesupportmaterialsandDVDsweremadeavailableforscreeninginneighborhoodcentersandindependentmediavenuesTherewasalsoaplanninganddeliberationprocesstostrategizeabouthowcitizensgovernmentsandmediamakerscancollaboratetocreatecommunitydialogueandsolvecivicproblems
Asurbanspaceisincreasinglydefinedbytelecom-municationsasmuchastransportationandlandusetheprojectalsoillustratesthepowerfuloutcomesthat
canresultwhenregionaltelecommunicationsplanningbecomesintegratedwithlanduseandtransportationplan-ningandwhencommunitymediaareintegratedintobothformalandinformalprocessesofplanninganddelibera-tionTheMetroCommunityMediaInitiativeresultedinasignificantandmeasurableriseinregionalawarenessofthetransportationplanningissuesaddressedbytheproj-ectViewershipandDVDusesofthemediaincommunitysettingsexceededexpectations(Metro2004)AlthoughtheprojectwasnotimmediatelyreplicatedPortlandnowenjoyscontinuingcollaborationsbetweenMetrogovern-mentanditsareacommunitymedia
ParticipationintheMetroGovernmentCommunityMediaInitiative isonlyoneofthemanywaysPortlandrsquosKBOOradiohasdemonstrateditsfullcommitmenttotheoriginaldemocraticintentionsofcommunityradiooverthecourseofitsforty-two-yearhistoryOlderthanNationalPublicRadioKBOOisamongthelongest-liv-ingcommunityradiostationsintheUnitedStatesOfthenoncommercialradiostationsinPortlandKBOOistheonlystationwhosemissioncontainsanexplicitcommit-menttominorityprogrammersandlisteners(SussmanandEstes2004)KBOOrsquoscommitmenttodemocraticpracticeextendstoaboardofdirectorselectedentirelyfromitsmembershipwhichisopentoanyoneandanaggressivetrainingprogramconsistentwiththestationrsquoscommitmenttovolunteer-producedprogrammingmdashallprogrammingisproducedbyvolunteerswithassistanceofpaidstaffTheparticipationofwomenandminoritiesfarexceedthecommunityrsquosracialdemographics(SussmanandEstes2004)
Portland Community Media (PCM)hasarichtwenty-three-yearhistoryinPortlandwhenitcomestousingmediatobuildcommunityPCMstartedoutasacabletelevisionaccesscenterandstillprovidestheadminis-trationandtrainingtoprogramPortlandrsquoscableaccesschannelsbuthasexpandeditsmissiontoembracetheuseofcommunitymediatobringaboutbroaderparticipationincivicandculturallifePCMrsquoswebsitedescribesthecenterldquowiththreewordsndashEducateCommunicateParticipaterdquoCurrentlyPCMhasanumberofcollaborativeprojectssup-portingmedialiteracyandmediaeducationinthepublicschoolsystemitregularlyprogramsmediaproductionsfromPortlandrsquosmediaartscentertheNorthwestFilmandVideoCenteranditisplanningtoexpanditscentertosupporteconomicdevelopmentofmicroenterprisesfornewmedia
The Mt Hood Cable Regulatory Commission(MHCRC)overseesacable-relatedtelecommunicationsdevelopmentforgreaterPortlandOregonServing
Oftenthemostsuccessfulexamplesofcommunitymediaemergeoutofongoingalliancesandcollaborationsamonglocalcommunitymediagroups
thecommunitiesresidentsandlocalgovernmentsofFairviewGreshamPortlandTroutdaleWoodVillageandMultnomahCountyOregonTheMtHoodCableRegulatoryCommissionnegotiatesandenforcescableservicefran-chiseandactsinthepublicinterestoncommunicationspolicyissuesatlocalstateandfederallevelsItwouldbehardtooverstatetheimportanceofMHCRCinfosteringthegrowthofcommunitymediaingreaterPortlandThroughclearandinsightfulregulationofthecablefranchiseithasassuredthatthenecessarynetworksandtelecommu-nicationsinfrastructureareavailabletoallowcommunitymediatogrow
MtHoodrsquosCommunityAccessCapitalGrantsProgramisparticularlynoteworthyTheCapitalGrantsprogramprovidescapitalfundingtocommunicationsprojectsthatsupportsocialjusticecommunityinvolve-mentandtheeffectivedeliveryofservicesthroughcostreductionTheprogramhasallowedscoresofcommunitygroupstoincreasetheircommunicationscapacitythroughtheacquisitionofskillsknowledgeandtechnologyInimplementingthisgrantprogramtheMtHoodCableRegulatoryCommissionhasbeenextremelystrategicinconveninggranteesandcreatingtheconditionsthatleadtopartnershipsandcollaborativerelationships
TheNorthwest Film and Video Centerisalong-standingregionalmediaartsorganizationservingtheNorthwestregionThecenterprovidesarichprogramnurturingmediaartscultureItfeaturesanactiveexhibi-tionprogramforexperimentalandindependentfilmsahighlyregardedfilmschoolandextensiveyouthmediaprogramsThecenterpresentsanumberofyearlyfilmfestivalsincludingthePortlandInternationalFilmFestivaltheNorthwestFilmandVideoFestivalandtheYoungPeoplersquosFilmampVideoFestivalThecenterrsquosproductionsoftenfindtheirwayontotothearearsquoscablechannelsThecenterisalsoatrustedsourceofequipmentaccessforareaindependentproducersactiveintherichmediacultureofPortlandaservicepartiallysupportedbytheMtHoodCableRegulatoryCommissionrsquosCapitalGrantsprogram
Minneapolis-St Paul MinnesotaTheSaint Paul Neighborhood Network(SPNN)isacableaccessstationservingStPaulresidentsThestationprovidesopportunitiestothepublictoproduceandairprogramsononeofitsfivechannelsdedicatedtomulti-faithpubliceducationcommunityandinternationalcontentrespectivelySPNNhasayoutheducationprogramandacommunityproductionsprogramwhichworkswithnonprofitorganizationstocreatepublicserviceadvertise-
mentsorprogrammingWorkshopsincludeproductiongrantproposalwritinglegalquestionsandlightingSPNNisparticularlyeffectiveasconvenerandcapacitybuilderinitscommunityItseducationandtrainingprogramsarefocusedoncommunitydevelopmentandonkeepingthetechnicaltrainingelementsofitsworkinasocialperspective
Minneapolis Television Network(MTN)isSPNNrsquossisteraccessstationservingMinneapoliswithasimilarcommitmenttoprovidingacommunitygatheringplaceOperatingthreepublicaccesschannelsMTNofferstelevi-siontrainingandmedialiteracyclassesandisespeciallyencouragingofyouthparticipationThechannelsserveasabridgeforimmigrantstouseinadaptingtotheirnewhomemanynewimmigrantsusethemtocommunicateintheirnativelanguageswiththeirSomaliEthiopianorVietnamesecompatriotsSomali-languageprogramsforinstanceoffereighthoursaweekofmusicentertainmentcommunitynewsandreligiousinstructiontooneofthelargestsettlementsofSomalipeopleoutsideSomaliaIntoutingSomalitelevisionasthebestpublicaccesscabletelevisionprogramintheTwinCitiesCity Pages saidldquoForsomepublicaccessisanearlyinspiringlessonindemocracyandfreemediardquo(CityPages2004)WantingtostrengthenthenonprofitcommunityrsquosInternetsavvyMTNcreatedandeventuallyspunofftheRiverProjecttoofferInternetdial-upaccessandwebhostingtononprofits
PublicbroadcastershavealsoofferedstrongmodelsofcommunitycollaborationintheTwinCities Twin Cities Public Television(TPT)isthepublictelevisionstationservingtheMinneapolisndashStPaulregionIn2004TPTbegandedicatingtimeononeofitsdigitalchan-nelstoMinnesota-relatedprogrammingAnumberoftheprogramsontheMinnesota Channel(someofwhicharethencablecastonpublicaccesstelevision)aretargetedatLatinoHmongHindiMiddleEasternChineseandVietnamesecommunitiesandproducedinpartnershipwithnonprofitorganizationsTPTisapartnerintheMinnesotaCommunityCampaignthatencouragesurbanandruralareasinandaroundtheTwinCitiestowelcomethetensofthousandsofimmigrantsandrefugeesthathavesettledthereinthepastseveraldecadesSeekingtoeffectpositivechangeonimmigrantissuesthroughartmediaeducationsocialserviceandpolicymakingthecampaignproducedtheldquoTheNewMinnesotansrdquoasixty-minuteprogramthatoriginallyairedonTPTbasedontheKartemquinseriesldquoTheNewAmericansrdquo
InadditiontocommunityradiostationKFAItheTwinCitiesishometoMinnesota Public Radio(MPR)
whichhaspioneeredafreshapproachtojournalismcalledpublicinsightjournalism(PIJ)PIJtapsintothecollectiveknowledgeofMPRrsquosdiverseaudiencetoenrichitsreport-ingCreatingaten-thousand-personPublicInsightNetworkviathewebthestationinvitesthepublictobesourcesofstoryideasreactionsandperspectivesandbrainstormingonpublicissues
TheindependentfilmandvideocommunityworkscollaborativelyintheTwinCitiestosupportandpromoteartistandcommunityperspectivesIFP Minnesota Center for Media Arts Intermedia ArtsandtheWalker Art Center areamongthemulti-disciplinaryvenuesfordiscus-sionandproduction
AndtheInternetishometoanewaggregationofcommunitymediasourcesAccordingtoitswebsitethe Twin Cities Daily PlanetaprojectoftheTwinCitiesMediaAllianceisldquoacommunitynewswireandsyndicationserviceshowcasingthebestworkoftheneighborhoodandcommunitypressaswellasworkbyTwinCitiesindepen-dentjournalistsandthevoicesofengagedcitizensThepremiseoftheTC Daily PlanetisthatnewtechnologiesaremakingitpossibleforthesecitizenstobecomemoreactiveandpowerfulparticipantsinthenewsproductionprocessrdquoModeledafterKorearsquosOhmyNewstheTC Daily Planetseekstoimprovethequalitydiversityandaccount-abilityofthelocalmediaandtoinvolvetherapidlygrowingimmigrantandethniccommunitiesItrecruitsandofferstrainingtocitizenjournalistsandhaspartnershipswithoverfortyneighborhoodandcommunitymedia
Chicago IllinoisChicago Access Network Television(CAN-TV)offersfivepublicaccesschannelstoChicagolandresidentsThispublicspaceprovidesChicagoansanopportunitytodiscussissuesoflocalconcernpromotehealtheducationalandeconomicresourcesinthecommunityandcelebratelocaltalentandinitiativesCAN-TVprovidesvideotrainingequipmentandfacilitiesforarearesidentsandnonprofitgroupsItvideotapesandcablecastspublicforumstownhallmeetingscommunityeventsandotheractivitiesoflocalinterestThroughthisservicethestationprovidesChicagoanswithaccesstoinformationtheymaynototh-erwisehavethroughcommercialtelevisionForinstanceCAN-TVworkedwitheighttotenAIDSagenciestodissemi-natebasiceducationaboutAIDSpreventionvialivecall-inprograms
CAN-TVsupportsChicagorsquosassociationsandnonprof-itsthroughserviceslikeliveldquohot-linerdquocall-inshowsfrom
automatedstudiosthatonepersoncanoperateproductionservicesthatgenerateprogrammingforcommunityeventsandstrategiccommunicationsplanningworkshopsCAN-TVhasrefusedtofollowasimplisticldquoneutralityrdquoprogram-mingphilosophyinwhichtheaccesscentertransmitsonlyprogrammingthatrandomlycomesfromthecommunityInsteadCAN-TVactivelycreatesprogrammingimportanttocommunitydevelopmentInadditiontoitsfocusonnonprofitsCAN-TVactivelycreatespartnershipswithcon-tent-richgroupssuchaslocalmuseumsandartsgroupsItalsopartnerswithlocalmediaactivistproductiongroupslikeVideoMacheteandStreetLevelYouthMedia(profiledbelow)SimilarlyCAN-TVaggressivelyengagesinprogram-mingforlocalelectionsatypicalelectionseasonwillgeneratearoundtwohundredhoursoforiginalprogram-mingeachmonthandnearlyallthecandidateswillbefeaturedoractuallycreatetheirownCAN-TVprogrammingtocarryouttheircampaigns
Street-Level Youth MediaprovidesopportunitiesforChicagorsquosurbanyouthtousemediaartsandemergingtechnologiesforself-expressioncommunicationandsocialchangeItsstaffprovidesinstructioninvideoandaudioproductioncomputerartandtheInternettohelpyouthaddresscommunityissuesaccessadvancedcommunica-tionstechnologyandgaininclusioninsocietyInoneprojectitcollaboratedwithtwoseventh-gradeteachersandanESLinstructortohelpstudentsresearchissuesaboutimmigrationinoneneighborhoodTheteachersweretrainedtousevideoandthentrainedotherteacherswhoguidedtheirstudentsinproducingvideosforscreeningattheschoolMorethanthirtyvideoswerecreatedandvideotrainingandusehasbeenincorporatedintotheschoolcurriculum
Radio Arte(WRTE)istheonlybilingual(Spanish-English)youth-operatedurbancommunitystationinthecountryItoperateswithafocusonyouthinChicagorsquosPilsenandLittleVillageneighborhoodsAninitiativeoftheNationalMuseumofMexicanArtthiseducationalradiostationhasservedChicagoformorethansixyearstrainingyouthwithapriorityondevelopingindividualandgroupcommunicationcompetenciesthatallowyoungpeopletoenterpubliclifewithconfidencethroughthebroadcastmediumProvidingaforumforyoungpeopletobecreativeandresponsibletothelargestMexicancommunityintheMidwestRadioArteiscommittedtotrainingyoungpeopleintheartofbroadcastingRadioArtersquosuniquetwo-yeartrainingprogramprovidesyouthwithspecialcoursesonwritingforradioandjournalismvoicetrainingand
FCCregulationsaswellasbasiccomputerskillsproduc-tionskillsandon-airtrainingParticipatingintwograntroundsofSoundPartnersforCommunityHealththestationrsquosldquoRadioVidardquoproducedprogrammingonsubstanceabuseandaddictionbyandforLatinoyouth
Casa Guatemala Media Projectisanonprofitcommunity-basedorganizationthatservestheGuatemalanandbroaderLatinAmericancommunityinChicagoandtheMidwestSinceitsfoundingin1986ithasusedmediaincludingwebprintTVandradiotoraiseconsciousnessaboutissuesaffectingcommunitiesfromLatinAmericaInparticularitworkswithCAN-TVtoprovidetheeducationalcomponentofself-authoredmediathatwillpositivelytrans-formcommunitiesthroughworkshopsontheproductionandalternativeusesofemergingtechnologies
Beyond Media EducationworkswithunderservedandunderrepresentedcommunitiesprimarilywomenandyouthtotelltheirstoriesandorganizeforsocialjusticethroughthecreationanddistributionofalternativemediaandartsInarecenteffortitworkedwithaChicagosheltertohelpstreetwalkerstelltheirownstoriesinanefforttoraisepublicawarenessandpromotestate-levelreformsTheorganizationorganizedasix-monthworkshopthatincludedteachingandpracticingstorytellingpublicspeak-ingandvideoproductionskillstooveradozenprostitutesTheirgroundbreakingvideogivesinsightsintoChicagorsquossextradeindustryandrecountsthetriumphofthepar-ticipantsoverhomelessnessviolenceanddiscriminationTheirlobbyinginthestatecapitolresultedinpassageofabilltodestigmatizeanddecriminalizesexworkers
Keepingtabsonandshowcasingmuchofthecom-munitymediaactivityfromajournalisticperspectiveistheCommunity Media Workshop (CMW) CMWservesasabridgebetweensocialactivistscommunitymediaprac-titionersandjournalistsIthostsanannualacademyforprogressiveorganizationsintheChicagoareathatbringsactivistsandjournaliststogethertoshareideasandatti-tudesProminentareatelevisionandnewspaperjournalistsarerecruitedtoserveonpanelsleadworkshopsandgenerallysharetheirideasofhowprogressivegroupscaneffectivelygaintheattentionofthepressThisapproach
leadstobuy-infromkeypersonnelinChicagorsquosmainstreammediawhocannowbetterunderstandthegrassrootsgroupsthatapproachthemandtheirissuesItalsogivescommunityparticipantsattheworkshopstheopportunitytodevelopmorepersonalrelationshipswithkeymembersofthemediaThisapproachalsoenablescommunitygroupstobetterunderstandwhatmotivateseditorsandreporters
ThesethreecommunitiesshowcommondevelopmentpatternsandfactorsCommunitymediaorganizationshavebeguntounderstandtheirmissionsintermsofasharedcultureofcommunitymedialookingbeyondtheirindivid-ualmissionstothecommonsocialandpoliticalvaluestheyhaveincommonThisapproachopensthewayforcommu-nityradiomediaartscenterscommunitymediacentersandcableaccesstocreatecommunity-wideprograminitiativesinwhichseveralmediaplatformsareengagedItcreatestheconditionsinwhichitispossibleforcommunitymediaorganizationstoactwithunifiedstancesinpoliticaladvocacyregardingmediaissuesandotherissuescriticaltotheircommunitiesThiskindofcross-platformnetworkingalsocreatesopportunitiesforcommunitymediatoreceivemorediversefundingandsupportfromthecommunityastheyextendthenetworkorcultureofcollaborationtocom-munitydevelopmentgroupsandofficialsintheirregions
Communitymediaorganizationshavebeguntounderstandtheirmissionsintermsofasharedcultureofcommunitymedialookingbeyondtheirindividualmissionstothecommonsocialandpoliticalvaluestheyhaveincommon
ldquoThe boldest experiments in public telecommunica-tions take place when technologies are new and their commercial potential not yet fully apparentrdquo mdash Ralph Engelman 1996
Acrosstheirmanyplatformsandmanycommunitiescommunitymediahavebecomecentralculturalinstitutionsinthecivicculturalandeconomiclife
ofourcommunitiesprovidinginvaluablemediaprogram-mingaccessandeducationTheycaninsuchinstancesenablecommunitiestodevelopinformedcitizensartistsandactivistswhopossesstheskillsandknowledgeneededtograpplewithcomplexmedialiteracyanddevelopmentissuesatthelocallevel
Fordecadescommunitymediaorganizationshaveaddressedtheurgentneedtocreatelocalinstitutionsthatfacilitatecitizenaccesstomedianetworksandeffectiveparticipationinmediacultureforbothcitizensandwork-ersTheyareprovingthemselvesvitaltothepoliticalandeconomiclifeoftheircommunitiesTheyplaymultiplerolessimultaneouslyascriticalculturalenhancementstothequalityofciviclifeasemployersandaseducationalsitesforworkforcedevelopment
difficultyNeworganizationalformsandnewmediaformatslikestreamingarchivingpodcastingandbloggingarebecomingthenormpartofldquoblendedrdquoproductionanddis-seminationpracticesincommunitymedia
neW communicAtion spAces cyberjournAlismTheincreaseinInternetbandwidthandtheavailabilityofonlinesocialnetworkingsoftwarehavequalitativelychangedtherelationshipofjournaliststotheiraudiencesNewwebdestinationslikeMySpaceShutterflyFriendsterFlikrEviteandGooglearedevelopingvirtualcommuni-tiesforsharingvideoattractingyoungeraudiencesandmakingcontentmorethanpassiveandone-directionalSocialnetworkingsoftwareenablespeopletorendezvousconnectorcollaboratethroughcomputer-mediatedcom-municationandformonlinecommunities(Spannerworks2007)PopularsocialnetworksoftwareapplicationslikeweblogsorblogsseemparticularlywellsuitedtoparticipatorycitizenjournalismallowingeasypublishingofinteractivetextphotoaudioandvideocontentTheneweasewithwhichvideoclipscanbepreparedforuseonthewebhasbroughtontheriseofldquovlogsrdquoandsitesthatfacilitatethesharingofvideoclipsandaccompanyingcontentAnenormousrangeofblogsandcyberjournalisticsiteshavesprungupontheWorldWideWebinthepastfiveyearswithanequallywiderangeofeditorialstandardsandpracticesTechnoraticomcurrentlytracksseventeenmillionblogssharingoneandahalfmillionhyperlinks(Rennie2006)APewCenterInternetstudyestimatesthatthenumberofregularblogreadersintheUnitedStatesisequivalenttoalmosthalftheentireradioaudiencewhichisaboutaquarteroftheUSnewspaperreadership(Rennie2006)
Combinedwithaffordablenewdigitalmediaproduc-tioncamerasandrecorderstheseweb-baseddisseminationtoolsmakeitpossibleforcitizensandconsumerstoparticipateactivelyinnewsgatheringNonprofessionalshavebeguntoplayamoreactiveroleintheprocessesofjournalismfromcollectinginformationandreportingtoanalysisanddisseminationJanSchafferwhodirectsJ-LabaUniversityofMarylandincubatorforinteractivejournalismprojectsexplainsthatmanypeoplearebecom-ingmoreactivecitizensthroughjournalisticactivitybutdonotnecessarilyaspiretobejournalistsThenewtechnical
envisioning the future of community mediA
Communitymediaorganizationsareprovingthemselvesvitaltothepoliticalandeconomiclifeoftheircommunities
Communitymediaarealsocontributingimportantvaluespracticesandorganizationalmethodologiestotheemergingcollaborativemediaenvironmentsoftheblogo-sphereWecanlooktothesecontributionsastechnologicalandorganizationalopportunitiesforstrengtheningandexpandingcommunitymediapracticeWiththeInternetamediacultureisemergingthatismoreconsistentwiththenoncommercialpracticesofcommunitymediaproductioncollaborationanddemocraticparticipationinmediamak-inganddistributionConsequentlymanycommunitymediaorganizationsareintegratingthecapacitiesoftheInternetandnewmediaintotheirpracticeswithoutmuchfanfareor
0
capacityforcommunicationsheobservesallowspeopletoldquoparticipateinnewsandinformationinvariouswaysmdashparticipateininteractingwithitquestioningittruth-squadingitandcreatingitAndnowthattheyhavethetechtoolsandthetechskillstodothattheappetitehasonlyincreasedrdquo(Schaffer2005b)
SuchconditionshavesetthestageforintensepopularinterestinwhathasbeenbrandedldquowemediardquoorldquoparticipatoryjournalismrdquoTodaynumerousonlinejournalisticexperimentsbringtogetherprofessionaljour-nalistswithcitizenmediaactivistsandthoseinvolvedineventsMoreandmoretheearliestimagesandinformationregardingbreakingnewsarecomingfromnon-journalistspresentatthemomentoftheeventAsaresultjournalistsarebeginningtoconceptualizethemselvesnotsomuchasgatekeepersofnewsbutasmoderatorsinaconversationwithlicenseandtimetospeakfrequentlyandhopefullyaccurately(BowmanandWillis2003)
Thiskindofcommunity-centeredcoveragemayentailthere-balancingofeditorialpoliciesndashcommittingtodiversityembracingegalitarianvaluesandreassessingthevalueofeditorialneutralityItputsintoquestiontheroleandsignificanceofofteninnovativeldquopersonalmediardquoexemplifiedbythemillionsofbloggingsitesontheWebIsthiskindofldquonewsrdquoservingapubliccivicpurposeofcommunityproblemsolvingorindividualprivateexpres-sionInaWashington PostopinionpieceonDecember212006GeorgeKWillvoicedskepticismoftheseriousnessofmuchofthewebrsquosamateurjournalisminresponsetoTimemagazinersquosnamingallofusPersonoftheYear
Itisdifficulttopredictthefutureofcyberjournal-ismandbloggingpreciselyintheseearlystagesbutthreeoutcomesseemlikelyFirstbloggingwillcontinueitsrapidintegrationintomainstreammediacontentSecondblog-gingandotherformsofsocialnetworkingsoftwarewillgiverisetonewmediaentitiesthatwillchallengemainstreammedialocallynationallyandglobally
ThethirdoutcomeistheonemostrelevanttoacommunitymediascanCyberjournalismandparticipatory
citizenjournalismseemparticularlywellsuitedtoaddressthecurrentUSmassmediarsquosdifficultyinprovidingcoverageoflocaleventsinsmallercommunitiessuburbanregionsandcommutercommunitiesthataredevelopingoutsideformalpoliticaljurisdictionsCommunity-basedonlinejournalismsiteshavesprungupinhundredsofcom-munitiesaroundtheUnitedStatesTheyaremanagedandorganizedinwidelydivergentways
AnexperimentincyberjournalismandcommunitynetworkingtheTwin Cities Daily PlanetaggregatessomeofthebestjournalismfromMinnesotarsquosTwinCitiesneighborhoodandcommunitypressandindependentjour-nalistsaswellasthevoicesofengagedcitizenspresentingthemtothepublicthroughaninteractivewebsiteandcommunitydatabaseByaggregatingcitizenandneighbor-hoodjournalisminonesiteitincreasesthecapacityofsmallneighborhoodmediatoreachbeyondtheirborderstoawiderregionalaudienceUsingRealSimpleSyndication(RSS)softwaretheTC Daily Planetcanpotentiallyreachaglobalaudience
AprojectoftheTwinCitiesMediaAlliancetheTC Daily PlanetisaverynewformofcommunitymediaemergingfromtherestructuringofthenewspaperindustryandtheuseofbloggingandsocialnetworkingsoftwareAlthoughearlyinitsdevelopmenttheTC Daily Planetisgivingvoicetoanincreasingnumberofethnicimmi-grantandnon-mainstreamjournalistswhilefocusingthecommunityrsquosattentiononafargreaterrangeofpublicationsandideas
TheearliestexpressionsofcyberjournalismaretheIndependent Media Centers (IMCs)orIndymediaIndymediacameintobeingaspartoftheprotestsanddemonstrationsaroundtheWorldTradeOrganizationtalksheldinSeattleWashingtonin1999ThisfirstIMCwasaconvergenceoftheemerginginteractivityoftheInternetwiththeintenseneedofprotesterstogetindependentinformationouttotheworldabouttheprotestsAnetworkofindependentcommunitymediamakersactivistsandjournalistsbandedtogethertopoolresourcesandinforma-tion(Howley2005)
TheIMCsforeshadowedthebloggingandvideodis-tributionthatwasshortlytoemergebyusingtheInternetandtheWorldWideWebinconjunctionwithvideoandaudiodistributiontocreateatrulyunprecedentedmulti-mediaenvironmentIntermsofbothqualityandquantitytheSeattleIMCwasanimpressiveperformancebyanynewsandcurrentaffairsstandardsOverthecourseofthefive-dayprotestsadailynewspaperanddailyradioprogramwerecreatedandcountlessprintstoriesweredisseminated
Journalistsarebeginningtoconceptualizethemselvesnotsomuchasgatekeepersofnewsbutasmoderatorsinaconversation
globallyalsovideofeedsweresentthroughtheInternettopublicaccessandcommunitychannelsaroundtheworldSixyearsaftertheSeattleproteststherewere149Indymediawebsitesinabout45countriesonsixcontinents(Whitney2005)
TheopenformofcommunicationpracticedbymostIMCsiteshasnotbeenwithoutproblemsandcontra-dictionsManysitesarenowclutteredwithideologicaldiatribesanduneditedcontent(Halleck2002Whitney2005)ButthereareanumberofIndymediasitesthatprovidealternativenewsandinformationregardingaglobalscopeofconcernsthatwouldbeverydifficulttoobtainanywhereelseinthemediaAnumberofsitesinplacessuchasNewYorkCityPortlandOregonandtheSanFranciscoBayareahaveestablishedthemselvesasstablepartsoftheircommunityrsquosmediaculture
companiesspecializedsuppliersserviceprovidersandassociatedinstitutionsinaparticularfieldthatarepresentinanationorregionrdquo(Porter2000)Thecompaniesinanindustryclusterhaveacomplexwebofmutuallysupportingrelationshipsthatencompassbothcompetitiveandcollab-orativerelationshipsTheylinkacrossprofitandnonprofitpracticesutilizecommoninfrastructuremakecommoncontributionstothedevelopmentofahighlyskilledwork-forcesharefundingandinsomecasestalentedstaff
Increasinglycommunitydevelopmentpractitionersandanalystsarecomingtounderstandindustryclustersaspowerfulstrategiesforbotheconomicandcommunitydevelopmentinthetwenty-firstcenturyThisisprovingdoublytruefornonprofitcommunitymediaorganizationswhoseroleitistobringpowerfultoolsandknowledgetoanycommunityrsquosdeliberationsaroundcommunityandeco-nomicdevelopmentBroadbandandwirelessnetworksareprovidingthepracticalmeansoflinkingcommunitymediaorganizationswithincommunitiesofferingakeystrategicadvantagebyenhancingtheeffectivenessofcollaborationandpartnershipbuilding
AstheexamplesinthepreviouschaptershowcommunitymediaorganizationsaretakingonnewrolesincludingcombiningproductionandtrainingtakingonworkforcedevelopmentfunctionsandbecomingtechnologycentersfordiffusionofnewmediaBeyondtheseexampleslongstandingsuccessfulcommunitymediaorganiza-tionsaremergingasnetworkclusterslinkingdifferentgroupsandorganizationswithincommunitiestocreateentirelynewcommunitymediaorganizationsorblurringtheboundariesbetweentheirorganizationsOthersarebringinghistoricallyseparatecommunitymediagroupswithinoneorganizationalstructureorunderonerooftosharebuildingsandcommunicationsinfrastructuresinacost-effectivemanner
TheorganizationsthatemergefromthisintegrationmaybesimilarinfunctionthoughtheirnamesremaindifferentAcommunity-basedsiteforcitizenmediaandcyberjournalismforexampleandacommunitynetworklikeMAINinAshevilleNorthCarolinaoracutting-edgecableaccesscenterlikeGrandRapidsCommunityTelevisionbegintolookverymuchalikeintermsof
Increasinglycommunitymediadevelopmentishappeningthroughnetworksoflocalnonprofitmediaorganizationsratherthanwithinsingleorganizations
neW orgAnizAtionAl spAces netWorked clusters Perhapsthemostpromisingtrendonthehorizonforcom-munitymediaistheemergenceofnewhighlyintegratedorganizationalstructuresandcollaborativeprocessesIncreasinglycommunitymediadevelopmentishappeningthroughnetworksoflocalnonprofitmediaorganizationsratherthanwithinsingleorganizations
Inmanywaysthesereorganizationsatthecom-munitylevelparalleltherestructuringtakingplaceintheprivatecorporatesectorTherecommunicationsnetworksarebeingusedtosupportcomplexpartnershipsandjointcompanyprojectdevelopmentinteractivenetworkseasetheaggregationoflargeorstrategiccapitalandemployeeskillsetsacrossgeographicandorganizationalboundariesforthepurposesofinnovationandmarketdevelopmentInthelanguageofcommunityandeconomicdevelop-mentthesecomplexpartnershipsareknownasldquocreativeclustersrdquoorldquoindustryclustersrdquoMichaelPorteraleadingtheoristandproponentoftheconceptofclustersdefinesthemasldquogeographicconcentrationsofinterconnected
Successfulcommunitymediaorganizationsaremergingasnetworkclusters
technologyprogrammingactivitiesandtheexperienceofcommunityaudiencesvolunteersandparticipantsEachorganizationreliesonnoncommercialaffordablebandwidtheachplayssomeroleinadvocatingforsupportivegovern-mentpoliciesandeachisexperimentingwiththepotentialofnewcollaborativemediatoolsOftencommittedtoengagingandtrainingvolunteersandcommunitymembersinsomemannertheymayoffertrainingandvolunteerpro-gramsthatrequiresimilarsharableonlinetutorialsandonlineoutreachandschedulemanagementtools
TheexamplesthatfollowdemonstratethewayscommunitymediacreativeclustersaremakinguniquecontributionstotheircommunitiesrsquoqualityoflifeandeconomicwellbeingTheyaredoingsointhreeimportantwaysbullfirstbyamplifyingtherolethatartsandculturalgroups
playinenhancingthequalityoflifeandattractingatalentedworkforceandcapitaltothecommunitymdasharolethatisgaininginsignificanceinthetwenty-firstcentury
bullsecondascontributorstocoreeconomicdevelopmentfunctionsinthecommunityincludingworkforcedevelop-mentandtrainingasmicro-enterpriseincubatorsandascreatorsofnewknowledgeandeducationalexperiencesand
bullthirdasfacilitatorsandcatalystsofcommunitydialoguecommittedtoembracingmarginalizedvoicesandallow-ingthecommunitytoundertakeitsowndevelopmentdemocratically
Lowell MassachusettsLowell Telecommunications Center(LTC)isapublicandgovernmentaccesschannelandmediaandtechnologycen-terItprovideseducationandtraininginmediacreationincludingwebdesigndigitalphotographyandtelevisionproductionLTCworksincollaborationwithotherlocalcommunity-basedorganizationsmunicipaldepartmentsandeducationalentitiestoproducediversemulticulturalprogrammingthatmeetsthecommunityrsquoscommunica-tionandinformationneedsLTChasbecomeaconvening
organizationforbuildingcapacityamongLowellrsquosnonprofitcommunity-basedorganizationsintheiruseofparticipatorymediaandcivicengagementstrategies
LTCismorefocusedthanothercommunitymediaorganizationsoncommunitybuildingandcommunicationtechnologyThecorporationisworkingtobuildanetworkforparticipatorymediaandcivicengagementthroughouttheMerrimacRiverValleyThroughaUSDepartmentofEducationgrantLTCacquiredfundingandstafftohelpitspartnerorganizationsbecomeInternet-capableassesstheirinformationtechnologyneedsacquiretechnologyupgradestoaddressthoseneedsandundertakethetrainingtousethetechnologyeffectively
RatherthanwaitingforgroupstocometoitscenterLTCcreatedacircuitridertrainingprogramthattookthetrainingprogramintothecommunityThroughLTCrsquosinformationtechnologycenterscoresofcommunitygroupshavereceivedtrainingdesignedandcreatedwebsitesanddevelopedstrategiccommunicationsplansforthefutureThosedevelopmentsincludeweb-basedhistoricalarchivesGISmappingsystemsmultimediamaterialsandInternetvideoTohelporganizationsacquirethesoftwaretheyneedtocarryouttheirmissionsLTCcreatedtheCommunitySoftwareLabwhichdevelopsuniquesoftwaretofittheneedsofareanonprofitsThelabhasbeenspunofftocreateaseparatenonprofitentityjoiningthegrowingnumberofindependentorganizationsthatnetworkthroughLTC
ThemostrecentLTCinitiativeisldquoDigitalBicyclerdquoapeer-to-peernetworkthatallowsmediacentersworldwidetodownloadandsharelocalcontentLTCstaffenvisionDigitalBicycleasanonlinecommunityforcableaccessmediaartsindependentmediaandothernoncommercialmedia
Grand Rapids MichiganldquoBuildingcommunitythroughmediardquoThissimplemissionstatementguidedtheGrand Rapids Community Media Center(GRCMC)asitevolvedfromatypicalcableaccessoperationtobecomeabroad-basedmultimediacenterandamodelforthedevelopmentofcommunitymultimediacentersintheUnitedStatesOverthepasttwentyyears
Communitymediacreativeclustersaremakinguniquecon-tributionstotheircommunitiesrsquoqualityoflifeandeconomicwellbeing
LTCisworkingtobuildanetworkforparticipatorymediaandcivicengagementthroughouttheMerrimacRiverValley
GRCMChaspulledthediversecommunitymediaactivitiesofGrandRapidsunderoneorganizationalumbrellaandtakentheleadinarticulatingthepotentialforaggregatingnoncommercialnetworkedcommunicationsthere
Theevolvingnetworkofmediaplatformsdis-ciplinesandculturalgroupsthatconvergetobecomeGRCMCnowincludesthefollowingcentersofpracticeGRTVacommunitytelevisioncenterthatprogramsmultiplecableaccesschannelsWYCEacommunityradiostationGrandnetacommunitytechnologyandnetworkcenterthatprovidescitizenandnonprofitaccesstotheInternetandtheGrandRapidsInstituteforInformationDemocracyacriticalmediaeducationandresearchcenterthattracksmediaandlocalpublicinterestissuesandpub-lishesinformationonmediaaccountabilityandreform
ButtheGrandRapidsCommunityMediaCenterismorethanthesumofitspartsThecomponentsofthecenterworktogetherinamutuallyreinforcingwholethatcreatesapowerfulcommunitymediapresenceinGrandRapidsandallowsthecentertoundertakefarmoreambitiousprojectsandprogrammingthanwouldbethecaseseparatelyOneexcellentexampleistheMobileOn-LineLearningLabforInformationEducationKnownasMOLLIEtheprogramprovidesskilledtrainersanddigitalvideoproductionequipmenttoschoolsandcommunityorganizationsforspecialprojectsOriginallyfundedbyafederalDepartmentofEducationgrantMOLLIEfillsintechnologygapsinGrandRapidseducationalinstitutionsandnonprofitsInthehandsofalessintegratedinstitutiontheMOLLIEprojectcouldeasilybeatechnicallyorientedequipmentloanandtrainingprogramInthehandsofthecenterMOLLIEhasbecomeasophisticatedmediaandtechnologyeducationalinitiativeprovidingatrainingprogramthataddressesmediaeducationfromtheperspec-tiveofallthecomponentsoftheGrandRapidsCommunityMediaCenter
Asheville North CarolinaOneofthemostarticulateeffortsmergingthecreativeclustersideawithparticipatorycommunicationhascomeaboutinAshevilleNorthCarolinaThroughapersistent
collaborationbetweenforwardlookingregionalgroupsandorganizationsndashinvolvingabroadnetworkofindi-vidualscommunitymediaandmediaartsgroupsintheAshevilleregionndashAshevillehaslaidthefoundationforacommunitymediadevelopmentcenterthatwillfunctionasacableaccesscentermediaartscenterandnewmediamicro-enterpriseincubatorAtthecenterofthiseffortisaninformalcoalitionoffourimportantgroupsinAshevilleMountainAreaInformationNetworkMediaArtsProjectBoncombeCountyEconomicDevelopmentCommissionandURTVThegroupsrepresentdistinctpointsofviewandconcernsaswellasconverginginterests
Eachgroupsharedtheinsightthatcivicparticipa-tionandeconomicsuccessinthetwenty-firstcenturyaredirectlyrelatedtohavingaccesstocommunicationstechnologyandknowledgeEachalsounderstoodthattherenegotiationofthecablefranchisesintheCityofAshevilleandsurroundingBoncombeCountywasastrategicmomenttocatalyzeandassociateanumberofcommunity-basedinformationandmediaartsactivitiesalreadyinplaceorplannedinAshevilleThegroupsusedthecablefranchisingprocesstocreateacommonorganizationalandfacilitiesinfrastructuresupportingtheuseofmediaforbothcivicandeconomicdevelopment
The Media Arts Project(MAP)isanetworkofmediaartiststhatcultivatesinnovativeartsandtechnol-ogyinwesternNorthCarolinaMAPworkedtirelesslytoframecableaccessasacommunitydevelopmentissuebridgingthemediaactivistcommunitiesandthemoreforward-thinkingfactionsamongeconomicdevelopmentprofessionalsintheregionWiththerecentopeningofURTV IncAshvillersquoscableaccessorganizationandfacilityMAPanditsnetworkofpartnersarenowturningtheirattentiontofundingthemediaartsandeconomicincubatorelementsofthevision
AshevillersquosinterestinsupportingcommunitymediaarisesfromthepresenceoftheMountain Area Information Network(MAIN)Inthetraditionoftheruralcooperativesthathelpedspreadthereachofelectricityinthe1930sMAINisanonprofitInternetserviceproviderofferingreliablelow-costInternetservicebothinwesternNorthCarolinaandnationwideItisauniquecommunitynetworkwithabroadvisionofitsroleinthecommunitythatencompassesmedialiteracyeconomicdevelopmentstrategiescommunitylow-powerradioacommunity-basedwebportalandtheprovisionofInternetconnectivitytoruralwesternNorthCarolinaMAINislargelyresponsiblefortheremarkableexpansionofInternetaccessibilityinwesternNorthCarolinaallowingthousandsofpeopleto
GRCMChaspulledthediversecommunitymediaactivitiesofGrandRapidsunderoneorganizationalumbrella
spendtheirInternetaccessdollarswithalocallycontrolledandaccountableorganizationMAINdemonstratesthevalueofthecommunitynetworkingconcepttoareasthatarelagginginconnectivityduetofailuresofthemarket
MAINhastakenaleadershiproleinbuildingacommunitymediacultureinAshevillethatdemonstratestheeasewithwhichdigitalmedialeapsorganizationalboundariesItscommunitynetworkrunstheBlueRidgeWebMarketwhichprovidesafreecustomizableInternetpresencetohundredsofsmallbusinessesthroughoutwesternNorthCarolinaItsLatinoDigitalLiteracyProjectofferstrainingtohelpthearearsquosgrowingLatinopopula-tionsaccesstheInternetMAINhasbeenoneofthekeypartnersinbringingacableaccesscentertoAshevilleandhasbeenthedrivingforcebehindWPVMWNCrsquoslow-powerFMradiostationbroadcastinglocalnewsviewsandmusicover-the-airintheAshevilleregion(andtheworldviawebcast)
Cleveland OhioPerhapsthemostrobustcommunity-basednonprofitnetworkintheUnitedStatesOne ClevelandprovideswhatitcallsldquoultrabroadbandnetworkingservicesrdquotoClevelandareaeducationgovernmentresearchartscultureandhealthcareorganizationsOneClevelandoperatesafibernetworkringthatcoversmuchofthecityofClevelandandmanyofitssurroundingsuburbsSubscriberstothenetworkconnectatgigabitspeeds
OneClevelandrepresentswhatcanhappenwhenpowerfulcommunitydevelopmentforcescometoaconsensusregardingtheircommunityrsquosneedforhigh-speedconnectivitytoglobaleconomiesandmediaItsfoundersareClevelandmainstreaminstitutionsCaseWesternReserveUniversityCuyahogaCommunityCollegeClevelandStateUniversityTheCityofClevelandGreaterClevelandRegionalTransitAuthorityideastreamCuyahogaCountyPublicLibraryandNorTechThenetworkhasformedrelationshipswithtechnologycompaniestomaintainup-to-dateapplicationsthatleveragethepotentialofsuchapowerfulnetwork
Oneofthenetworkrsquoskeypartners ideastream illustratesthesignificanceofworkingtogethertomakehigh-speedconnectivitypubliclyavailablethroughoutacommunityonitsowntermsBybuildingahigh-speednet-workOneClevelandhascreatedacivicnetworkspaceandinfrastructurethatallowsanewkindofmultimediapublicmediaorganizationtobecreatedIdeastreamresultedwhenWVIZPBSTelevisionand903WCPNRadiopublicbroad-castersmergedtoformanewnonprofitldquomultimediapublicserviceorganizationrdquoIdeastreamisabletoextenditsmediaexpertisebeyondbroadcastingtoonlinetechnologiesandapplicationsofalltypesmdashwhenyouareconnectingtothenetworkatthegigabitspeedsofOneClevelandrsquostherangeofapplicationsandtheirpotentialarehuge
MAINhastakenaleadershiproleinbuildingacommunitymediacultureinAshevillethatdemonstratestheeasewithwhichdigitalmedialeapsorganizationalboundaries
OneClevelandrepresentswhatcanhappenwhenpowerfulcommunitydevelopmentforcescometoaconsensusregardingtheircommunityrsquosneedforhigh-speedconnectivitytoglobaleconomiesandmedia
Inthecourseofpreparingthisreportndashpouringovertheliteratureandsynthesizinghoursofstructuredround-tableconversationsandone-on-oneinterviewswith
opinionleadersandsuccessfulpractitionersofcommunitymediandashonethingisextremelyclearThewayoursocietymakesandsharesinformationknowledgeandcultureisinaheightenedstateofchangeTheinteractivenatureoftheInternethasdemonstratedthatitispossibletoorganizecommunicationsinamuchmoredemocraticfashionSomehaveconcludedwearewitnessingthetransitionfromanindustrializedinformationenvironmenttoanetworkedinformationenvironmentTheoldindustrialmediastruc-turesbasedonexclusivehigh-costproductionprocessesarebeingchallengedbyanemergingmediasectorinwhichthecostofcreatinginformationknowledgeandculturehasbeenprofoundlyreducedandtheproductsareintercon-nectedwidelythroughnetworksliketheInternet(Benkler2006)IndeedthereisincreasingevidencethatthesenewmediaanddigitalnetworksareparticularlyconducivetononcommercialandnonprofitculturalproductionaswellasmoreparticipatoryandcollaborativemediapracticesInmanywaysthelong-standingvaluesandintentofcommu-nitymediaforeshadowthisnewmediaenvironment
ThescanresearchfocusedonfourkeyareasofinquiryWhataretheuniquecharacteristicsthatdistin-guishcommunitymediaWhatmakesmedia-communitycollaborationssuccessfulWhattypesofcommunitymediaorganizationsbestleveragenewtechnologiesHowmightcommunitymediaengageunderservedpopulationsinprogrammingtailoredtotheirneedsIneachinstancewefoundthatcommunitymediacombinedwithgreaterafford-ablebandwidthandopen-sourceapproachestoproductiondohavetremendouscommunitydevelopmentpotentialHowevernoneofthatpotentialwillcomeaboutmagicallyThecommunitymediasectorisfacingthechallengingtaskofmanagingextensivechangeandtransformation
chAllengesThesuccessdisappointmentsandsocialvalueofthepastsixtyyearsofcommunitymediainitiativesmustbejudgedinhistoricalcontextConsistentmisrepresentationinthemainstreammediaandlimitedunaccommodatingsocialpolicyhaveresultedininadequatevisibilityandfinancialsupportforcommunitymediaAnydiscussionofitssuccessesorfailuresmustincorporateanunderstand-
ingoftheseexternalconstraintsInthislighttheexistingexpressionsofcommunitymediaattheirbestarewildlysuccessfulsocialexperimentsgivingcauseforgreatoptimism
NeverthelesscommunitymediafacebothexternalandinternalchallengesTheinternalchallengesarisefromstructuraltensionsthatoccurinanyattempttocreateorganizationsandculturesthatembodydiversitydemocraticexpressionandequitableaccessRatherthanbeingexpressedasldquoweaknessesrdquoasissooftenthecaseinmainstreammediaandacademiatheseinternaltensionsaremoreproperlyunderstoodaspredictabledevelopmentalproblemsandopportunitiesthatpractitionersshouldbepreparedtograpplewithinanycommunitymediasetting
Balancing Free Expression and Audience Development CommunityradioandpublicaccesscablehavehistoricallyprivilegedtheinterestsofproducersbygrantingthemgreatpoliticalfreedominmakingdecisionsregardingwhatprogrammingtocreateandwhataestheticandformattingapproachestouseThetrade-offforacultureofactivistvolunteerismandfreeexpressionhasbeensmalleraudi-encesandlowerlevelsofproductionandprogramsupportProgramproducerscarryanintensecommitmenttoindi-vidualownershipoftheirprogramminginitiativesthatmaynottaketheaudiencersquosinterestsfullytoheart
Whiletheseapproachesinradioandcableaccesshaveresultedinadiversityofprogrammingandpoliticalviewpointstheyhavealsopreventedradiostationpro-grammersorcableaccessorganizationsfrombuildingaflowofprogramsthatcandefineandconstructanongoingaudienceinthecommunityEachprogramorscheduledprogramslotcarriesitsownmicroaudienceldquofragmentedpublicsrdquothatareoftennotpartofanintegratedflowofpro-grammingthatattractsanaudiencetothechannelsoverall(Higgins2002)
Freeexpressionandaudiencedevelopmentarenotmutuallyexclusivenordoparticipatorymanagementstructuresvolunteerinvolvementandproducertrain-ingprogramsneedtoimpedeaudiencedevelopmentThesuccessofAmyGoodmanandDemocracyNowsoundlydemonstratesthisInfactmanycommunitymediaorgani-zationshavecreatedprogramminginitiativesthatcombinesophisticatedmeasurementsofsocialoutcomeswith
conclusions
trainingandparticipatoryprogramplanningTheyhavenotonlyraisedthesocialvalueoftheirprogrammingtotheircommunitiestheyhavealsoincreasedthesizeandloyaltyoftheiraudiences(Aufderheide2003)Asinteractivemediabegintocreatetheconditionswherenicheprogram-mingcanbefarmoresuccessfulthetensionbetweenfreeexpressionandaudiencedevelopmentisnotonlyachal-lengebutalsoatremendousopportunity
Programming MetricsStillroundtableparticipantsrepeatedlynotedthatevenwhenprogrammingmeetscommunityneedscommunitymediaorganizationscanfinditdifficulttodocumentimpactTheyfeltthatfundershavegenerallynotyetaddressedtheroleofmediainpopularcultureorthepowerofpopularcultureinaddressingsocialproblemsInaddi-tionfundersfindithardtoestablishcost-benefitmeasuresofsocialimpactfortheirmediaexpenditures
ParticipantsaskedformodelsofaudiencefeedbackandoutcomesmeasurementthatgobeyondaudiencenumbersTheyacknowledgedthedifficultyofquantify-ingnotionsofsuccesswhichtendtobeverysubjectiveandofusingsuccessstoriesinthecommonprogrammingmetricsofthedayManyrecognizedskepticismamongfundersabouttheimportanceofcommunitymediaasuspicionaboutagendasandafearofthecostsinvolvedmakingcommunitymediaahardsellEventhoughafewgoodevaluationeffortswereacknowledgedtheircollectiveresultshavenotbeenincorporatedintothethinkingofthewiderfundingcommunity
FundingMulti-yearstablefundingsupportforcommunitymediainitiativesiscriticaltostabilityinnovationandgrowthRoundtableparticipantsdiscussednumerousinstancesinwhichprojectswithmulti-yearsupporthadpowerfulpositiveimpactsextendingbeyondtheinitialprojectgoalsMulti-yearfundingcreatesthestabilitytoundertakeproperstrategicplanningandpartnershipdevelopment
Thereissomeearlyevidencethatamultiple-plat-formnonprofit-orientednichemarketcouldemergeasasignificantopportunitytoprovideenhancedrevenueforthecommunityandnoncommercialmediasectorsTheinterac-tivecapacityofthenewnetworkssignificantlyincreasestherevenuepotentialforcooperativeandsubscription-styleprogrammingflowsHoweverstrongmarketsforcommer-ciallyfundedparticipatorycommunityexpressionhavenotyetemergedinthedigitaleraduetothelimitedsizeofpopulationsandavailableadvertisingsupportIfthereistobeavitalsectorofcommunity-basedmediasomeformofsignificantpublicfundingwillbenecessaryevenininstanceswherecommunitymediaorganizationsmightrealizesignificantrevenuefromnewmarketsInordertomakethemostefficientuseofpublicfundingcommuni-tiesmustevolvefundingandgovernancestructuresforcommunitymediathatcanfacilitatetheaggregationoffundscoordinatemultiple-organizationprojectsandactastrustedconvenersofprogramminganddevelopmentdiscus-sionsincommunities
Policy ThreatsWhiletheconvergenceoftechnologyandpracticescreatesincreasingpotentialsforaunifiedcommunitymediasectorthereisunfortunatelynocohesiveandunifiednationalpolicyframeworkforcommunitymediaThegovernmentpoliciesandregulationsthatexistforcommunitymediahavebeenretrofittedinthearenasofUSbroadcastingandtelephonypolicyWhiletheyrepresenthard-wonpoliticalvictoriesandstrategicinsighttheydonotaddresstheneedsofcommunitymediainaholisticway
Inthecurrentpoliticalclimatebroadcastmediaownershipcontrolandprogrammingwillcontinuetobecentralizedinfewercorporationsleavingcommunitieswithlessoptionsforcontrollingtheirlocalmediaenviron-mentsAtthesametimethetelephonecompanieswillenterthemarketforvideotelephonyandbroadbandbydeployinghigh-capacitydigitaltelevisionnetworksinmanycommunitiesintheUnitedStates
ThecurrenttrendofcentralizationinUStele-communicationspolicyisthreateningtheabilityoflocal
Freeexpressionandaudiencedevelopmentarenotmutuallyexclusivenordoparticipatorymanagementstructuresvolunteerinvolvementandproducertrainingprogramsneedtoimpedeaudiencedevelopment
Communitymediaorganizationscanfinditdifficulttodocumentimpact
governmentstomandatecommunity-basedcommunica-tionsnetworksandprogramminginitiativesasrentonthepublicrights-of-wayThesefundingmechanismscurrentlysupportPublicEducationandGovernment(PEG)accesscabletelevisioncentersmediaartscentersandmanymunicipalcommunicationnetworksWhilefarfromperfectregulatorymechanismstheyareoneofthemostsuccess-fulformsofpublicmediasupporttoariseinthelastthirtyyears
Overthenextfiveyearsthesesuccessfulfundingstrategieswillbeunderheavyattackbythetelephonecom-paniesandthecabletelevisionindustryinastrugglewithgovernmentsforcommunitycontrolofthepublicrights-of-wayThesamedynamicthreatensequitableInternetaccessIncreasinglybroadbandcommunitynetworksaremunicipallyownedormandatedWhilesomeofthesemunicipalbroadbandnetworksweredeployedforinternalmunicipalpurposestimehasshownthatsuchnetworkscanserveanumberofnon-governmentalcommunity-basedpurposesincludingwirelessISPconnectionsforresidentsbusinessesandvisitorsManycommunitiesareseeking(andsomehaveobtained)ldquoCommunityBenefitsAgreementsrdquowithproposedwirelessbroadbandvendorsthatsetasideasmallfranchisefeeongrossrevenuestosupportdigitalinclusionactivitiesfollowingtheexampleofcablecompaniessupportofPEGaccessHowevermunicipalbroadbandandmunicipalwirelessareunderattackbyindustriestryingtoreservethesedevelopmentrightsforthemselves
Theoutcomeofthedebatesaroundcontroloftherights-of-waywillhaveasignificantimpactonthefuturepathofcommunitymediadevelopmentThesedebateswillrangeacrosstheregulatoryspectrumtheyarenowbeingwagedinlocalstateandnationallegislativearenasandthecourtsTheresultingcommunicationsinfrastruc-tureandregulatoryframeworkwillbeabletorealizethepotentialsofcommunitymediaifandonlyifcommunitiesareabletotakeleadershipinprovidingsubstantialpublicaswellasprivatefundingAsanoldtruismnotesldquomoneyispolicyrdquo
Therearenopoliticalortechnicalguaranteesthatdigitalmedianetworkswillremainopenandparticipa-toryastheyevolveItisunlikelythatmarketforcesalone
willservetorealizethedemocraticpotentialoftodayrsquosparticipatorymediatechnologyBuildingarobustsectorofcommunity-baseddemocraticnewmediawillrequireeffectivecitizenactivismclearandresponsivegovern-mentpoliciesandeffectivepoliticalstrategiesCommunitymedianeedsseparaterecognitionandsupportwithinfed-eralstateandlocalcommunicationspolicyandregulatorystructuresinordertoensureequitableandstablefundinganddevelopment
models for the futureThegovernmentregulationsandsubsidiesthatunderpincommunitymediahaveevolvedinahodgepodgefashionoverthepastsixtyyearsItcanbearguedthatcommunitymediashouldbetreatedasaseparatesectorwithinte-gratedfundingstructuresconsistentinfrastructureandtaxandsubsidypoliciesthatareseparateanddistinctfromexistinglocalmediapoliciesandalsofromthepoliciesunderpinningpublicbroadcastingPossiblemodelsforamoreunifiedapproacharenumerousbuttwoappearpar-ticularlywellsuitedtocommunitymediarsquosdiverseformsorganizationsandprogrammingapproaches
Public Funding FindingappropriatemethodsofincreasingpublicfundingforcommunitymediainashiftingregulatoryenvironmentiscrucialCurrentlocalcablefranchisingregulationstosupportcableaccessandthecommunitybenefitsagree-mentsofmunicipalwirelessnetworksoffersuccessfulmodelsbutarenowbothunderattackThelawsrequiringcommercialcableproviderstosetasidebandwidthchan-nelcapacityforthepublicinadditiontooperatingfundingbasedonapercentageofcommercialrevenuescouldbeextendedtoincludevoicevideoanddataEssentiallythenanycommercialproviderusingthepublicrights-of-wayorthewirelessspectrumwouldberequiredtocontributeanequitablepercentageofbandwidthandrev-enuetosupportthecommunitycommunicationssector
Community Media DevelopmentAdequatelevelsoffundingareonlypartoftheequationWhilefundingshouldsupporttheoverallgrowthofthe
Thereisunfortunatelynocohesiveandunifiednationalpolicyframe-workforcommunitymedia
setasidebandwidthchannelcapacityforthepublicinadditiontooperatingfunding
communitymediasectorinasensiblefashionanyfundingsolutionmustaddressthedifficultynowexperiencedbyfundersindealingwithcommunitymediahowtoprovideoverallsupporttoasectormadeupofsmallindependentorganizationswithanextremelydiversesetoffundingsourcesandmissionsOneeconomicdevelopmentapproachseemsparticularlyusefulhereProgressivecommunityeconomicdevelopmentstrategieshaveevolvedtosupportthegrowthofadiversityofsmallenterpriseswithinacom-monsectorwhilerecognizingthattheseenterprisescanatdifferenttimesbecollaboratorspartnersorcompetitorsSimilarstrategiescanguidedevelopmentofthecommunitymediasector
Thereareatleasttwoshort-termstepsthatcouldassistinthedevelopmentofcommunitymediaorgani-zationsandsupporttheircitizensrsquoabilitytocopewithcommercialmediaandinformationsaturationOneisforcommunitiestobuildorsecureaffordablebroadbandandwirelessnetworkinfrastructurewithastrongcommu-nitybenefitsagreementinsupportofdigitalinclusionHundredsofcommunitiesacrossthecountryeitherhaveorarelaunchingsuchwirelesscommunitynetworksmanyincollaborationwithwirelessvendorswhoinordertowinaservicecontractwiththemunicipalityinquestionaresup-portingdigitalliteracytraininginexpensiverefurbishedcomputersandlocalcontentdevelopmentndashinshortprogramsofdigitalinclusionandexcellence
AsecondopportunityidentifiedbyroundtableparticipantsisthepotentialforanationalsupportnetworkforexistingcommunitymediaorganizationsAnationalsupportnetworklinkingcommunitiesandtheircommu-
nitymediapractitionersandinstitutionscouldfacilitatearangeofactivitiesincludinglocal-to-localcommunicationorexchangesofinformationandprogrammingbetweencommunitiesvirtualspaceforanationalnetworkofcommunitymediaorganizationstohelptoorganizeuni-fiedpolicyadvocacywiderdistributionofpastproductsformationofissue-responseteamstoadvanceinterestsofcommunitygroupsandtapintolocalresourcesandshareddirectoriesofpractitionerstrainersandfacilitiesConveningleadersfromtheaggregatorsandassociationsservingcommunitymediaintheirvariousforms(listedinAppendix2)mightbeagoodnextsteptoexplorethisopportunity
the promiseThepracticeofcommunitymediahasmanagedtogrowandevolveoverthepastsixtyyearsdespiteunevenandgenerallylowlevelsofsupportandinconsistentgovernmentpoliciesEllieRenniearesearchfellowattheInstituteforSocialResearchSwinburneUniversityofTechnologyhaswrittenthatcommunitymediaareoftendefinednegativelyforwhattheyareopposedtoratherthanpositivelyforwhattheyhaveachieved(Rennie2006)Weareawarethatcom-munitymediahaveoftenbeendismissedasmarginalandidiosyncraticbuttheexamplescitedinthisreportprovidepowerfulevidencetothecontraryItistimetodefinecommunitymediabywhattheyhaveachievedCommunitymediaattheirbesthaveconsistentlydemonstratedtheirpotentialtoempowercommunitiesandindividualstoparticipateascitizensincommunityandeconomicdevelop-mentartseducationcommunitydialogandpoliticaldebateInmanyinstancestheyhavebecomecentralcul-turalsurvivalinstitutionsasourcommunitiesdealwiththeimpactofcommercialmediasaturationandglobalization
Duringtheroundtablediscussionsthattookplaceaspartofthisscanitwasobviousthatthevalueofcom-munitymediatocommunitiestranscendsthemeasurableeffectsofcivicengagementandcommunitydevelopmentCommunitymediacanallowindividualsincommunitiestohaveprofoundexperiencesofactivelyexpressingthem-selvesthroughmediaForpeoplewhohaveseenthemselvesaspassivereceptorsatthebottomofacascadeofpackagedmediaexperiencesandmessagesactiverepresentationoftheirownlivesandcircumstanceshasatransformativeeffectthatgoesbeyondsimplephraseslikeldquocivicengage-mentrdquoThevalueofcommunitymediatoindividualsandthecommunitiestheyliveinisincalculable
hellipaffordablebroadbandandwirelessnetworkinfrastructurewithastrongcommunitybenefitsagreement
anationalsupportnetworkforexistingcommunitymediaorganizations
Appendix 1 Community media empowerment StrategieS
empoWerment Activity ApproAch infrAstructure or venue
AccessAccesstocommunicationsinfrastructureproductiontools
MakingavailablemediaproductiontoolscomputerstelevisionandradiodistributionInternetsoftwarecommunitycommunicationsinfrastructuremeetingspacewebservers
Democraticcitizenaccesstocommunicationstoolsanddisseminationinfrastructure
CablebroadbandmunicipaltelecomInternetWiFiWiMAXlocalandpublicservicebroadcasting
AlternativeContent CreationofvideoaudiofilmwebsitesInternet-basedcitizenmediaP2Pmediabloggingsocialnetworkingsoftwaredatabasesandprintproduction
Contentpositionedtocounterorsupplementmassmediacontentandinformationfrommainstreamsources
AllplatformswithanincreasingexpansionwithinIPNetworksandcross-platformproductionanddissemination
CompetencyLiteracyMedialiteracyinformationliteracydigitalliteracyandculturalliteracy
Mediaartsandaestheticeducationlearningtogainacivicvoiceinamediaculturearticulationofmediabiasesengaginginmediaandpoliticsunderstandingcommoditycultureparentinginamedia-saturatedhome
Interventioninthecomplexmanipulationofsymbolsandculture
Allmassmediaprintelectronic
CommunityBuilding Workforcetrainingandskillbuildingmicro-enterprisedevelopmentbusinessinfrastructuredevelopment
Communityorganizingparticipatoryplanningdemocraticeconomicdevelopmentworkforceandinfrastructuredevelopment
Localmediamunicipaltelecominfrastructurecomputerandtechnologyincubatorsandtechnologycenters
0
Itisdifficulttounderstandthefullscopeofcommu-nitymediaculturewithoutknowingofthefollowingorganizationswhichsupportcommunitymediaand
independentmediapracticesTheyplayanumberofrolesasnationalassociationsrepresentingnetworksofcommu-nitymediaorganizationsandmediaartsorganizationsasproducernetworksandstrategiccommunicationsplannerslinkingcommunityorganizationswithcommunitymediaorganizationsasorganizationsofcommunityactivistsandproducersworkingtomoreeffectivelysupportandusecommunitymediaandascollaboratorsandpartnersincommunitydevelopmenttrainingandeducation
ActiveVoicehttpwwwactivevoicenet
AllianceforCommunityMediahttpwwwalliancecmorg
AssociationforCommunityNetworking
httpwwwafcnorg
CommunityMediaWorkshophttpwwwnewstipsorg
CommunityTechnologyCentersrsquoNetwork
httpwwwctcnetorg
DeepDishTVhttpdeepdishtvorg
FreeSpeechTVhttpwwwfreespeechorg
IndependentTelevisionServicehttpwwwitvsorg
IndependentMediaCenterIndymedia
httpwwwindymediaorg
LatinoPublicBroadcastinghttpwwwlpbporg
LinkTVhttplinktvorg
LPFMDatabasecom
httpwwwangelfirecomnj2piratejimlpfmhtml
MediaTankhttpwwwmediatankorg
MediaWorkingGrouphttpwwwmwgorg
NationalAllianceforMediaArtsandCulture
httpwwwnamacorg
NationalAsianAmericanTelecommunicationsAssochttp
asianamericanmediaorgindexhtml
NativeAmericanPublicTelecommunications
httpasianamericanmediaorgindexhtml
NationalBlackProgrammingConsortium
httpwwwnbpctv
NationalFederationofCommunityBroadcasters
httpwwwnfcborg
NationalPublicRadiohttpwwwnpr
NationalPublicTelecomputingNetworkhttpwwwnptnorg
PaperTigerTelevisionhttpwwwpapertigerorg
PacificIslandersinCommunications
httpwwwpiccomorg
PewCenterforCivicJournalismhttpwwwpewcenterorg
PrometheusRadioProject
httpwwwprometheusradioorg
PublicBroadcastingServicehttpwwwpbsorg
PublicRadioExchangehttpwwwprxorg
ReclaimtheMediahttpwwwreclaimthemediaorg
StarfishTelevisionNetworkhttpwwwstarfishtvorg
WebsitesofUSPEGAccessChannels
httpwwwbevcamorgpeg
WorldAssociationofCommunityRadioBroadcasters
httpwwwamarcorg
Appendix 2 aggregatorS and aSSoCiationS
Appalshophttpwwwappalshoporg
BayAreaVideoCoalitionhttpwwwbavcorg
BeyondMediaEducationhttpwwwbeyondmediaorg
CambridgeCommunityTelevisionhttpwwwcctvcambridgeorg
CasaGuatemalaMediaProjecthttpwwwcasaguatemalaorg
CharlotteObserverhttpwwwcharlottecom
ChicagoAccessNetworkTelevisionhttpwwwcantvorg
GrandRapidsCommunityMediaCenterhttpgrcmcorg
GrandNethttpwwwgrcmcorgnposervicesitphp
GRTVhttpwwwgrcmcorgtv
ideastreamhttpwwwideastreamorg
IFPMinnesotaCenterforMediaArtshttpwwwifpnorthorgabouthtml
IntermediaArtshttpwwwintermediaartsorg
KartemquinFilmshttpwwwkartemquincom
KBOOhttpwwwkbooorg
KFAIhttpwwwkfaiorg
LowellTelecommunicationsCenterhttpltcorg
ManhattanNeighborhoodNetworkhttpmnnorg
MediaArtsProjecthttpwwwthemaporg
MetroGovernmentCommunityMediaInitiativehttpwwwmetro-regionorg
MetropolitanAustinInteractiveNetworkhttpwwwmainorg
MinneapolisTelevisionNetworkhttpwwwmtnorg
MinnesotaChannelhttpwwwtptorgmnchannelnew
MinnesotaPublicRadiohttpminnesotapublicradioorghttpminnesotapublicradioorgpublicinsightjournalism
MountainAreaInformationNetworkhttpmainncus
MtHoodCableRegulatoryCommissionhttpwwwmhcrcorg
NewAmericaMediahttpnewsnewamericamediaorgnews
NewRoutestoCommunityHealthhttpwwwnewroutesorg
NorthwestFilmandVideoCenterhttpwwwnwfilmorg
OneClevelandhttpwwwoneclevelandorg
OregonPublicBroadcastinghttpwwwopborg
PortlandCommunityMediahttpwwwpcmtvorg
RadioArtehttpwwwwrteorg
SaintPaulNeighborhoodNetworkhttpwwwspnnorg
ScribeVideoCenterhttpwwwscribeorg
SoundPartnersforCommunityHealthhttpwwwsoundpartnersorg
StreetLevelYouthMediahttpwwwstreet-levelorg
TwinCitiesDailyPlanethttpwwwtcdailyplanetnet
TwinCitiesMediaAlliancehttpwwwtcmediaallianceorg
TwinCitiesPublicTelevisionhttpwwwtptorg
URTVhttpwwwurtvorg
WalkerArtCenterhttpwwwwalkerartorgindexwac
WCIW-LPhttppacificanetworkorgradiocontentview17542httpwwwciw-onlineorg
WGBHhttpwwwwgbhorg
WHYYhttpwhyyorg
WPVMhttpwwwwpvmorg
WYBEhttpwwwwybeorg
WYCEhttpwwwgrcmcorgradio
YouthChannelhttpwwwyouthchannelorg
Appendix 3 Community media praCtitionerSWebsitesofthosepractitionersmentionedinthetext
AndersonRachelBenton Digital Beat Extra Noncommercial Networks on DBSWashingtonDCBentonFoundation2000
AufderheidePatricialdquoCableAccessTVandthePublicSphererdquoinThe Daily Planet A Critic on the Capitalist Culture BeatMinneapolisandLondonUniversityofMinnesotaPress2000a
AufderheidePatriciaIn The Battle for Reality Social Documentaries in the USWashingtonDCAmericanUniversityCenterforSocialMedia2003
AufderheidePatricialdquoTheWhatandHowofPublicBroadcastingrdquoinThe Daily Planet A Critic on the Capitalist Culture BeatMinneapolisandLondonUniversityofMinnesotaPress2000b
AynteAbdirahmanldquoSomaliWebsitesACompetitiveAlternativeMediaandaFarcetoReckonWithrdquoHiiraan Onlinehttpwwwhiiraancomnews2006aprsomali_websitesaspx
AzzouzBushraTomChamberlinandMarleneFarnumThe Community Media Project Building Community through Media(Aproposedmodelforafive-yearinitiativetoproducelocaltelevisionprogrammingthatbroadensthedialogueonissuesimportanttotheOregoncommunityandcreatesastrongsenseofplace)PortlandORMetroDecember2000
BarlowWilliamldquoCommunityRadiointheUSTheStruggleForADemocraticMediumrdquoinMedia Culture and SocietyVol10(1988)
BenklerYochaiThe Wealth of Networks How Social Production Transforms Markets and FreedomNewHavenYaleUniversityPress2006
BentonFoundationDigital Alliances Partners in Public
Service Models for CollaborationUniversityParkPAThePennsylvaniaStateUniversity2002
BlauAndrewDeep Focus A Report on the Future of Independent MediaSanFranciscoNationalAllianceforMediaArtsandCulture2004
BowmanShayneandChrisWillisWe Media How Audiences Are Shaping the Future of News and InformationEditedbyJDLasicaRestonVATheMediaCenteratTheAmericanPressInstitute2003httpwwwhypergenenetwemediadownloadwe_mediapdf
BurnettRonldquoFromCommunityMediatoInternationalNetworksrdquoCritical Approaches to Culture + Communications + HypermediaNovember182005httpwwweciadca~rburnettWeblogarchives200511from_communityhtml
CanoAndrealdquoMicroradioAToolforCommunityEmpowermentrdquoinPublic Broadcasting and the Public InterestEditedbyMichaelPMcCauleyEricEPetersonBLeeArtzandDeeDeeHalleckLondonMESharpe2003
CarnegieCommissiononEducationalTelevisionPublic Television A Program for ActionNewYorkBantam1967
CastellsManuelThe Rise of the Network Society The Information Age Economy Society and CultureVolumes12amp3MaldenMABlackwellPublishersInc2005
ChesterJeffBeyond Broadcast Expanding Public Media in the Digital AgeWashingtonDCCenterforDigitalDemocracyFebruary2006httpwwwdemocraticmediaorgBBBBfrontphp
ChristensenPaulNanMcIntyreandLynnPikholzldquoBridgingCommunityandEconomicDevelopmentAStrategyforUsingIndustryClusterstoLinkNeighborhoodsandtheRegionalEconomyrdquo(reportfundedbytheFordFoundation)ClevelandShorebankEnterpriseGroup2005
ldquoCitizenJournalismrdquoissueofNieman ReportsCambridgeMATheNiemanFoundationforJournalismatHarvardUniversityVol59No4Winter2005eMprintNewsbookhttpwwwniemanharvardedureports05-4NRwinterNR05W_Citizen_Journalismpdf
City PagesldquoBestPublicAccessCableTVProgramSomaliTVrdquoBestoftheTwinCities2004MNApril282004httpcitypagescombestof2004artsandentertainmentbestof2379asp
bibliogrAphy
CruzRossanaReguilloldquoTheOracleintheCityBeliefsPracticesandSymbolicGeographiesrdquoinGlobal Cities of the South (Social Text)EditedbyAshleyDawsonandBrentHayesEdwardsTranslatedbyBrentHayesEdwardsandNoraNicoliniDurhamNCDukeUniversityPress81(Volume22Number4)Winter2004
DeLasCasasLucywithSimonBurallJohnMorrisonDavidKaleteandJagadanandaldquoGlobalMediaReformandAccountabilityReportfromtheNationalMediaReformConferencerdquoStLouis2005httpwwwoneworldtrustorgpagesdownloadcfmdid=281
DevineRobertHldquoVideoAccessandAgencyrdquoConferencepresentationTheNationalFederationofLocalCableProgrammersStPaulMNJuly171992
DirlinMartyandCathyMelioldquoTheGrassrootsRadioMovementintheUnitedStatesrdquoinPublic Broadcasting and the Public InterestEditedbyMichaelPMcCauleyEricEPetersonBLeeArtzandDeeDeeHalleckLondonMESharpe2003
DowningJohnDHwithTamaraVillarealFordGeneveGilandLauraSteinRadical Media Rebellious Communication and Social MovementsThousandOaksCASagePublications2001
EgerJohnldquoCreativeClustersandtheUrbanEconomyrdquoGovernment and Technology(February62006)httpwwwgovtechnetnewsnewsphpid=98345
EgerJohnMThe Creative Community Forging The Links Between Art Culture Commerce amp CommunityTheCaliforniaInstituteforSmartCommunitiesSanDiegoStateUniversity2005httpwwwsmartcommunitiesorgcreativeCreativeCommBroFINALpdf
EngelmanRalphPublic Radio and Television in America A Political HistoryThousandOaksCASagePublications1996
GillespieGilbertPublic Access Television in the United States and CanadaNewYorkPraegerPublishers1975
GillmorDanWe the Media Grassroots Journalism by the People for the PeopleSebastopolCAOrsquoReillyMediaInc2006
GrahamStephenandSimonMarvinTelecommunications and the City Electronic Spaces Urban PlacesLondonandNewYorkRoutledge1996
HalleckDeeDeeHand-Held Visions The Impossible Possibilities of Community MediaNewYorkFordhamUniversityPress2002
HigginsJohnWldquoAlternativeMediaandtheCultofIndividualismExperiencesfromUSPublicAccessTVrdquoPaperpresentedattheldquoOurMediardquopre-conferenceoftheInternationalAssociationforMediaandCommunicationResearchCommunityCommunicationSectionBarcelonaSpainJuly202002httpwwwourmedianetorgpapersom2002Higginsom2002pdf
HowleyKevinCommunity Media People Places and Communication TechnologiesCambridgeCambridgeUniversityPress2005
HoynesWilliamldquoThePBSBrandandtheMerchandisingofthePublicServicerdquoinPublic Broadcasting and the Public InterestEditedbyMichaelPMcCauleyEricEPetersonBLeeArtzandDeeDeeHalleckLondonMESharpe2003
JankowskiNicholasWldquoCommunityMediaResearchAQuestforTheoreticallyGroundedModelsrdquoThePublicVol1015(2003)httpmokkbmehucentreconferencesreactivismFPfpNJ
JankowskiNicholasWandOlePrehnedsCommunity Media in the Information Age Perspectives and ProspectsCresskillNJHamptonPress2002
LashScottThe Critique of InformationLondonSagePublications2002
ListerMartinJonDoveySethGiddingsIainGrantandKieranKellyNew Media A critical IntroductionLondonandNewYorkRoutledge2003
LloydMarkldquoRadioandLocalismWhatWhenWrongrdquoinContext(publishedbytheCenterforCommunicationsandCommunityUCLA)IssueNo4(WinterSpring2006)
MacintyreBenldquoWelcometotheNewTomPainesrdquoTimesOnlineNovember132004httpwwwtimesonlinecouktolcommentarticle390484ece
MaherVincentTowards a Critical Media Studies Approach to the BlogosphereNewMediaLabPublicationSchoolofJournalismandMediaStudiesRhodesUniversitySouthAfrica2006
MetroCommunity Media Project Evaluation Report PortlandORMetroJuly2004
MostStephenldquoBAVCandTheBigPicturerdquoinA Closer Look Media Arts 2002EditedbyHelenDeMichielSanFranciscoNationalAllianceforMediaArtsandCulture2002
NewAmericaMedialdquoEthnicMediainAmericaTheGiantHiddeninPlainSightrdquoPollconductedbyBendixenampAssociates2005httpnewsnewamericamediaorgnewsview_articlehtmlarticle_id=0443821787ac0210cbecebe8b1f576a3
OlsonBillThe History of Public Access Television2000httpwwwgeocitiescomiconostarhistory-public-access-TVhtml200415
PewCenterforCivicJournalismldquoDoingCivicJournalismrdquo2007httpwwwpewcenterorgdoingcj
PierceSteveldquoDBSandthePublicInterestOpportunityinSatelliteTelevisionrdquoinPublic Broadcasting and the Public InterestEditedbyMichaelPMcCauleyEricEPetersonBLeeArtzandDeeDeeHalleckLondonMESharpe2003
PhilipsSusanldquoTrueCommunityTowardaCollaborativeEthosScribersquoslsquoTrueCommunityVisionrsquordquoinA Closer Look Media Arts 2002EditedbyHelenDeMichielSanFranciscoNationalAllianceforMediaArtsandCulture2002
PorterMichaelEldquoLocationCompetitionandEconomicDevelopmentLocalClustersinaGlobalEconomyrdquoEconomic Development Quarterly14no1(February2000)15-34
ProjectforExcellenceinJournalismldquoMajorTrendsrdquoinState of the News Media 2006 An Annual Report on American Journalismhttpwwwstateofthenewsmediaorg2006nar-rative_overview_eightaspcat=2ampmedia=1
PrometheusRadioProjectldquoOurFifthBarnraisingmdashWCIW-LPinImmokaleeFloridardquohttpprometheusradioorgcontentview48952006
RennieEllieCommunity Media A Global IntroductionLanhamMDRowmanandLittlefieldPublishers2006
RodriguezClemenciaFissures in the Mediascape An International Study of Citizenrsquos MediaCresskillNJHamptonPress2001
SchafferJanldquoCitizensMediaHasItReachedaTippingPointrdquoinldquoCitizenJournalismrdquoissueofNieman Reports CambridgeMATheNiemanFoundationforJournalismatHarvardUniversityVol59No4Winter2005aeMprintNewsbookhttpwwwniemanharvardedureports05-4NRwinterNR05W_Citizen_Journalismpdf
SchafferJanInterviewonThe NewsHour With Jim Lehrer PBSEveningNewsNovember162005b
SchulerDouglasldquoTheRiseofCommunityNetworksrdquoInternet WorldDecember1995
SchulerDougandPeterDayShaping the Network Society The New Role of Civil Society in CyberspaceCambridgeandLondonMITPress2004
ShirkyClayPower Laws Weblogs and Inequality EconomicsampCultureMediaampCommunityBlog2005OpenSourcehttpshirkycomwritingspowerlaw_webloghtml
ShirkyClaySocial Software and the Politics of GroupsEconomicsampCultureMediaampCommunityBlog2005OpenSourcehttpshirkycomwritingsgroup_politicshtml
Somerset-WardRichardBroadband Community Networks Building the Digital CommonsAreportfortheHaasCharitableTrustsPhiladelphia2005
Somerset-WardRichardConnecting Communities WashingtonDCBentonFoundation2000
Spannerworkse-bookWhat is Social MediaJanuary2007httpwwwspannerworkscomebooks
StarrJeroldMldquoPublicTelevisionintheDigitalAgeTownHallorCyberMallrdquoinPublic Broadcasting and the Public InterestEditedbyMichaelPMcCauleyEricEPetersonBLeeArtzandDeeDeeHalleckLondonMESharpe2003
SteinLauraldquoPublicAccessTelevisionandGrassrootsCommunicationintheUnitedStatesrdquoChapter20inRadical Media Rebellious Communication and Social MovmentsEditedbyJohnDowningThousandOaksCASagePublications2001
SussmanGeraldandJREstesldquoCommunityRadioinCommunityDevelopmentPortlandrsquosKBOORadiordquoinThe Portland Edge Challenges and Successes in Growing CommunitiesEditedbyConniePOzawaPortlandStateUniversityIslandPress2004
WhitneyJenniferldquoMakeMediaMakeRealTroubleWhatrsquosWrong(andRight)withIndymediardquoLiPMagazineJune212005httpwwwlipmagazine
orgarticlesfeatwhitney_indymedia_phtml
tosocialchangeItinvitespeopletointeractwithmediatobeaffectedbyitandtoaffectothersItaskspeoplewhattheyneedandinvitesthemtocometogethertomeetthoseneeds
Thekeytocreatingrelevantoutreachisresearch-ingwhatthecommunityneedsdetermininghowtoreachitmosteffectivelyandhiringstaffwhohaveoutreachskillsandarewellversedinthecultureandlanguageofthegroupsbeingtargetedAChicagofilmmakerrecountedhowtheseconsiderationsimpactedhisdocumentaryaboutworkersrsquorightsOutreachstaffconsideredthepotentialimpactontwoaudiencesalargeaudienceofPBSviewerssittingintheirlivingroomsandasmallerbutmoreengagedaudienceofsteelworkerswatchingthedocumentaryatalocalbarTheyconcludedthatthebarviewerswouldberivetedbecausetheinformationinthedocumentarywasgearedtothemSuccessfuloutreachasksWhatdogroupspayattentiontoWhomdotheytrustWhatplatformauthenticallyrepresentsthem
NationalprogrammingcanbeacatalystforlocaloutreachParticipantsinChicagoandMinneapolis-StPauldiscussedtheexampleofldquoTheNewAmericansrdquoanationalPBSseriesonimmigrantsproducedby Kartemquin Films Active VoiceanationalorganizationthatworkswithmediamakerstobringaboutpersonalandinstitutionalchangeworkedwithKartemquintopackageseriesfootagethatfocusedonnewarrivalstoMinnesotaTheresultwasalocalseriesldquoTheNewMinnesotansrdquoandapartnershipthatusedmediatoeducatethemainstreamcommunityaboutlocalimmigrantsandtodevelopdiscussionandactivityguidesforcommunityoutreach
Connecting with Immigrant PopulationsMinoritypopulationsandgroupsconcernedwithsupportingtheidentitiesofmarginalizedpopulationshaveincreasinglyturnedtocommunitymediaassourcesofinformationvali-dationofcultureandproductionsupportforthecreationoftheirowncontentCommunitymediahavehelpedcallattentiontothelivesandconcernsofimmigrantcommuni-tiesthatareotherwiseinvisibleoutsidetheirparticularcommunityBecausetheyoftenhavefoundinnovativewaystousecommunitymediafornetworkingandsocialchangeimmigrantpopulationsillustratethepowerofcommunity
mediaandpresentrichopportunitiesformakingcommu-nitymediaorganizationsmorediverseandparticipatoryRoundtableparticipantssharedlessonsinwhatworksandofferedspecificideasforframinganewcommunitymediaprogramaddressingtheneedsofimmigrantsandreceivingcommunitiescalledNew Routes to Community Health
Inreachingouttoimmigrantcommunitiesround-tableparticipantsnotedthatitiscriticaltoidentifyandworkwithexistingagenciesthatimmigrantstrustperhapsachurchorassociationforaparticularethnicgroupButthoughimmigrantgroupsarethemostappropriateconve-nersofsuchcollaborativestheymustalsohavethecapacitytoconvene
TheselectionofplatformalsodeservescarefulconsiderationRoundtableparticipantsnotedthatinadapt-ingtechnologiestotheirownpurposesspecificimmigrantgroupsoftenpreferoneplatformoveranotherForexampleChicagorsquosKorean-AmericancommunityhasbeensuccessfulinusingethnicprintmediatoaddresscommunityissuesThePersianstorytellingtraditionhasmadePersianahugeandgrowinglanguagesegmentonblogsPersianisnowthefourthmostwidelyusedlanguageonweblogs(Macintyre2004)A2000surveyofSomalianimmigrantsinMinnesotashowedthatoverfortypercenteventhenconsideredtheInternettheirmainnewssource(Aynte2006)
RadioinparticularhasshowntremendouspowerinthedevelopingworldpartlyasaresultoftheUnitedNationsrsquoemphasisonradioasthemediumsupportingthemostwidespreadpracticeofcommunitymediaintheworldBecausetheyarefamiliarwithradiobeforecomingtotheUnitedStatesimmigrantgroupsoftenquicklyembraceradiouponarrivalinthiscountryItisalsooneofthemostinexpensiveformsofmediaandthereforeoneofthemostaccessibleldquoIftheycomefromLatinAmericatheyknowthepowerofradiordquoChicagoparticipantsnotedenthusiasti-callyLocalcommercialSpanish-languageradiostationseffectivelyhelpedmobilizeturnoutforimmigrationprotestsinChicagoinMay2006
community spotlightManycommunitiesintheUnitedStatescanpointwithpridetotheachievementsoftheircommunitymediaorganizationsWhenattemptingtoidentifybestpracticesinthenetworkedmediaenvironmentsweseetodayhoweveritisusefultothinkintermsofinterconnectionandcol-laborationnottolooksimplyatindividualmediacentersorbroadcaststationsOftenthemostsuccessfulexamplesofcommunitymediaemergeoutofongoingalliancesandcollaborationsamonglocalcommunitymediagroupsThe
Thekeytocreatingrelevantoutreachisresearchingwhatthecommunityneeds
communitiesspotlightedbelowhavebegunincorporatingpartnershipsandcross-platformcollaborationintothepracticeofcommunitymediaandhavebeguntoreapthebenefitsofthatapproach
Portland OregonTheMetro Government Community Media InitiativeillustratesthepotentialpowerofcommunitiesworkingtogethertoproducetheirownmediaratherthanhavingtheirstoryframedbycommercialnewsorganizationsAlthoughtheprojecthasnowendeditisincludedherebecauseitprovidedsuchastrongmodelforfuturecommu-nitymediaeffortsTheinitiativewasrootedinaproposalbylocalindependentfilmmakerTomChamberlinthatlocalmediamakerscommunitymediaorganizationscommunitygroupsandgovernmentagenciescollaboratetoproducepublicaffairstelevisionprogramsonissuesofconcerntoOregoniansMetroauniqueregionalgovernmentprimarilyresponsibleforregionalland-useandtransportationplan-ningtookChamberlinrsquosideatoheartWithagrantfromtheFederalHighwayAdministrationMetroandanallianceofcommunityorganizationsandgovernmentagenciesdevel-opedldquoZigZagRealStoriesNewAnglesrdquoaprogrambylocalfilmmakersfeaturingpersonalstoriesfromadiversegroupofregionalresidentsastheygrappledwiththetransporta-tionchoicesaffectingtheirfamiliesneighborhoodsandcommunities
InadditiontothecenterpiecebroadcastonOregon Public BroadcastingtheprojectcreatedaninteractivewebsiteanddistributedaDVDoftheprogramtothearearsquoscableaccesschannelsElementsoftheprojectalsofoundtheirwayontoPortlandrsquoscommunityradiostationKBOOandpacketsincludingextensivesupportmaterialsandDVDsweremadeavailableforscreeninginneighborhoodcentersandindependentmediavenuesTherewasalsoaplanninganddeliberationprocesstostrategizeabouthowcitizensgovernmentsandmediamakerscancollaboratetocreatecommunitydialogueandsolvecivicproblems
Asurbanspaceisincreasinglydefinedbytelecom-municationsasmuchastransportationandlandusetheprojectalsoillustratesthepowerfuloutcomesthat
canresultwhenregionaltelecommunicationsplanningbecomesintegratedwithlanduseandtransportationplan-ningandwhencommunitymediaareintegratedintobothformalandinformalprocessesofplanninganddelibera-tionTheMetroCommunityMediaInitiativeresultedinasignificantandmeasurableriseinregionalawarenessofthetransportationplanningissuesaddressedbytheproj-ectViewershipandDVDusesofthemediaincommunitysettingsexceededexpectations(Metro2004)AlthoughtheprojectwasnotimmediatelyreplicatedPortlandnowenjoyscontinuingcollaborationsbetweenMetrogovern-mentanditsareacommunitymedia
ParticipationintheMetroGovernmentCommunityMediaInitiative isonlyoneofthemanywaysPortlandrsquosKBOOradiohasdemonstrateditsfullcommitmenttotheoriginaldemocraticintentionsofcommunityradiooverthecourseofitsforty-two-yearhistoryOlderthanNationalPublicRadioKBOOisamongthelongest-liv-ingcommunityradiostationsintheUnitedStatesOfthenoncommercialradiostationsinPortlandKBOOistheonlystationwhosemissioncontainsanexplicitcommit-menttominorityprogrammersandlisteners(SussmanandEstes2004)KBOOrsquoscommitmenttodemocraticpracticeextendstoaboardofdirectorselectedentirelyfromitsmembershipwhichisopentoanyoneandanaggressivetrainingprogramconsistentwiththestationrsquoscommitmenttovolunteer-producedprogrammingmdashallprogrammingisproducedbyvolunteerswithassistanceofpaidstaffTheparticipationofwomenandminoritiesfarexceedthecommunityrsquosracialdemographics(SussmanandEstes2004)
Portland Community Media (PCM)hasarichtwenty-three-yearhistoryinPortlandwhenitcomestousingmediatobuildcommunityPCMstartedoutasacabletelevisionaccesscenterandstillprovidestheadminis-trationandtrainingtoprogramPortlandrsquoscableaccesschannelsbuthasexpandeditsmissiontoembracetheuseofcommunitymediatobringaboutbroaderparticipationincivicandculturallifePCMrsquoswebsitedescribesthecenterldquowiththreewordsndashEducateCommunicateParticipaterdquoCurrentlyPCMhasanumberofcollaborativeprojectssup-portingmedialiteracyandmediaeducationinthepublicschoolsystemitregularlyprogramsmediaproductionsfromPortlandrsquosmediaartscentertheNorthwestFilmandVideoCenteranditisplanningtoexpanditscentertosupporteconomicdevelopmentofmicroenterprisesfornewmedia
The Mt Hood Cable Regulatory Commission(MHCRC)overseesacable-relatedtelecommunicationsdevelopmentforgreaterPortlandOregonServing
Oftenthemostsuccessfulexamplesofcommunitymediaemergeoutofongoingalliancesandcollaborationsamonglocalcommunitymediagroups
thecommunitiesresidentsandlocalgovernmentsofFairviewGreshamPortlandTroutdaleWoodVillageandMultnomahCountyOregonTheMtHoodCableRegulatoryCommissionnegotiatesandenforcescableservicefran-chiseandactsinthepublicinterestoncommunicationspolicyissuesatlocalstateandfederallevelsItwouldbehardtooverstatetheimportanceofMHCRCinfosteringthegrowthofcommunitymediaingreaterPortlandThroughclearandinsightfulregulationofthecablefranchiseithasassuredthatthenecessarynetworksandtelecommu-nicationsinfrastructureareavailabletoallowcommunitymediatogrow
MtHoodrsquosCommunityAccessCapitalGrantsProgramisparticularlynoteworthyTheCapitalGrantsprogramprovidescapitalfundingtocommunicationsprojectsthatsupportsocialjusticecommunityinvolve-mentandtheeffectivedeliveryofservicesthroughcostreductionTheprogramhasallowedscoresofcommunitygroupstoincreasetheircommunicationscapacitythroughtheacquisitionofskillsknowledgeandtechnologyInimplementingthisgrantprogramtheMtHoodCableRegulatoryCommissionhasbeenextremelystrategicinconveninggranteesandcreatingtheconditionsthatleadtopartnershipsandcollaborativerelationships
TheNorthwest Film and Video Centerisalong-standingregionalmediaartsorganizationservingtheNorthwestregionThecenterprovidesarichprogramnurturingmediaartscultureItfeaturesanactiveexhibi-tionprogramforexperimentalandindependentfilmsahighlyregardedfilmschoolandextensiveyouthmediaprogramsThecenterpresentsanumberofyearlyfilmfestivalsincludingthePortlandInternationalFilmFestivaltheNorthwestFilmandVideoFestivalandtheYoungPeoplersquosFilmampVideoFestivalThecenterrsquosproductionsoftenfindtheirwayontotothearearsquoscablechannelsThecenterisalsoatrustedsourceofequipmentaccessforareaindependentproducersactiveintherichmediacultureofPortlandaservicepartiallysupportedbytheMtHoodCableRegulatoryCommissionrsquosCapitalGrantsprogram
Minneapolis-St Paul MinnesotaTheSaint Paul Neighborhood Network(SPNN)isacableaccessstationservingStPaulresidentsThestationprovidesopportunitiestothepublictoproduceandairprogramsononeofitsfivechannelsdedicatedtomulti-faithpubliceducationcommunityandinternationalcontentrespectivelySPNNhasayoutheducationprogramandacommunityproductionsprogramwhichworkswithnonprofitorganizationstocreatepublicserviceadvertise-
mentsorprogrammingWorkshopsincludeproductiongrantproposalwritinglegalquestionsandlightingSPNNisparticularlyeffectiveasconvenerandcapacitybuilderinitscommunityItseducationandtrainingprogramsarefocusedoncommunitydevelopmentandonkeepingthetechnicaltrainingelementsofitsworkinasocialperspective
Minneapolis Television Network(MTN)isSPNNrsquossisteraccessstationservingMinneapoliswithasimilarcommitmenttoprovidingacommunitygatheringplaceOperatingthreepublicaccesschannelsMTNofferstelevi-siontrainingandmedialiteracyclassesandisespeciallyencouragingofyouthparticipationThechannelsserveasabridgeforimmigrantstouseinadaptingtotheirnewhomemanynewimmigrantsusethemtocommunicateintheirnativelanguageswiththeirSomaliEthiopianorVietnamesecompatriotsSomali-languageprogramsforinstanceoffereighthoursaweekofmusicentertainmentcommunitynewsandreligiousinstructiontooneofthelargestsettlementsofSomalipeopleoutsideSomaliaIntoutingSomalitelevisionasthebestpublicaccesscabletelevisionprogramintheTwinCitiesCity Pages saidldquoForsomepublicaccessisanearlyinspiringlessonindemocracyandfreemediardquo(CityPages2004)WantingtostrengthenthenonprofitcommunityrsquosInternetsavvyMTNcreatedandeventuallyspunofftheRiverProjecttoofferInternetdial-upaccessandwebhostingtononprofits
PublicbroadcastershavealsoofferedstrongmodelsofcommunitycollaborationintheTwinCities Twin Cities Public Television(TPT)isthepublictelevisionstationservingtheMinneapolisndashStPaulregionIn2004TPTbegandedicatingtimeononeofitsdigitalchan-nelstoMinnesota-relatedprogrammingAnumberoftheprogramsontheMinnesota Channel(someofwhicharethencablecastonpublicaccesstelevision)aretargetedatLatinoHmongHindiMiddleEasternChineseandVietnamesecommunitiesandproducedinpartnershipwithnonprofitorganizationsTPTisapartnerintheMinnesotaCommunityCampaignthatencouragesurbanandruralareasinandaroundtheTwinCitiestowelcomethetensofthousandsofimmigrantsandrefugeesthathavesettledthereinthepastseveraldecadesSeekingtoeffectpositivechangeonimmigrantissuesthroughartmediaeducationsocialserviceandpolicymakingthecampaignproducedtheldquoTheNewMinnesotansrdquoasixty-minuteprogramthatoriginallyairedonTPTbasedontheKartemquinseriesldquoTheNewAmericansrdquo
InadditiontocommunityradiostationKFAItheTwinCitiesishometoMinnesota Public Radio(MPR)
whichhaspioneeredafreshapproachtojournalismcalledpublicinsightjournalism(PIJ)PIJtapsintothecollectiveknowledgeofMPRrsquosdiverseaudiencetoenrichitsreport-ingCreatingaten-thousand-personPublicInsightNetworkviathewebthestationinvitesthepublictobesourcesofstoryideasreactionsandperspectivesandbrainstormingonpublicissues
TheindependentfilmandvideocommunityworkscollaborativelyintheTwinCitiestosupportandpromoteartistandcommunityperspectivesIFP Minnesota Center for Media Arts Intermedia ArtsandtheWalker Art Center areamongthemulti-disciplinaryvenuesfordiscus-sionandproduction
AndtheInternetishometoanewaggregationofcommunitymediasourcesAccordingtoitswebsitethe Twin Cities Daily PlanetaprojectoftheTwinCitiesMediaAllianceisldquoacommunitynewswireandsyndicationserviceshowcasingthebestworkoftheneighborhoodandcommunitypressaswellasworkbyTwinCitiesindepen-dentjournalistsandthevoicesofengagedcitizensThepremiseoftheTC Daily PlanetisthatnewtechnologiesaremakingitpossibleforthesecitizenstobecomemoreactiveandpowerfulparticipantsinthenewsproductionprocessrdquoModeledafterKorearsquosOhmyNewstheTC Daily Planetseekstoimprovethequalitydiversityandaccount-abilityofthelocalmediaandtoinvolvetherapidlygrowingimmigrantandethniccommunitiesItrecruitsandofferstrainingtocitizenjournalistsandhaspartnershipswithoverfortyneighborhoodandcommunitymedia
Chicago IllinoisChicago Access Network Television(CAN-TV)offersfivepublicaccesschannelstoChicagolandresidentsThispublicspaceprovidesChicagoansanopportunitytodiscussissuesoflocalconcernpromotehealtheducationalandeconomicresourcesinthecommunityandcelebratelocaltalentandinitiativesCAN-TVprovidesvideotrainingequipmentandfacilitiesforarearesidentsandnonprofitgroupsItvideotapesandcablecastspublicforumstownhallmeetingscommunityeventsandotheractivitiesoflocalinterestThroughthisservicethestationprovidesChicagoanswithaccesstoinformationtheymaynototh-erwisehavethroughcommercialtelevisionForinstanceCAN-TVworkedwitheighttotenAIDSagenciestodissemi-natebasiceducationaboutAIDSpreventionvialivecall-inprograms
CAN-TVsupportsChicagorsquosassociationsandnonprof-itsthroughserviceslikeliveldquohot-linerdquocall-inshowsfrom
automatedstudiosthatonepersoncanoperateproductionservicesthatgenerateprogrammingforcommunityeventsandstrategiccommunicationsplanningworkshopsCAN-TVhasrefusedtofollowasimplisticldquoneutralityrdquoprogram-mingphilosophyinwhichtheaccesscentertransmitsonlyprogrammingthatrandomlycomesfromthecommunityInsteadCAN-TVactivelycreatesprogrammingimportanttocommunitydevelopmentInadditiontoitsfocusonnonprofitsCAN-TVactivelycreatespartnershipswithcon-tent-richgroupssuchaslocalmuseumsandartsgroupsItalsopartnerswithlocalmediaactivistproductiongroupslikeVideoMacheteandStreetLevelYouthMedia(profiledbelow)SimilarlyCAN-TVaggressivelyengagesinprogram-mingforlocalelectionsatypicalelectionseasonwillgeneratearoundtwohundredhoursoforiginalprogram-mingeachmonthandnearlyallthecandidateswillbefeaturedoractuallycreatetheirownCAN-TVprogrammingtocarryouttheircampaigns
Street-Level Youth MediaprovidesopportunitiesforChicagorsquosurbanyouthtousemediaartsandemergingtechnologiesforself-expressioncommunicationandsocialchangeItsstaffprovidesinstructioninvideoandaudioproductioncomputerartandtheInternettohelpyouthaddresscommunityissuesaccessadvancedcommunica-tionstechnologyandgaininclusioninsocietyInoneprojectitcollaboratedwithtwoseventh-gradeteachersandanESLinstructortohelpstudentsresearchissuesaboutimmigrationinoneneighborhoodTheteachersweretrainedtousevideoandthentrainedotherteacherswhoguidedtheirstudentsinproducingvideosforscreeningattheschoolMorethanthirtyvideoswerecreatedandvideotrainingandusehasbeenincorporatedintotheschoolcurriculum
Radio Arte(WRTE)istheonlybilingual(Spanish-English)youth-operatedurbancommunitystationinthecountryItoperateswithafocusonyouthinChicagorsquosPilsenandLittleVillageneighborhoodsAninitiativeoftheNationalMuseumofMexicanArtthiseducationalradiostationhasservedChicagoformorethansixyearstrainingyouthwithapriorityondevelopingindividualandgroupcommunicationcompetenciesthatallowyoungpeopletoenterpubliclifewithconfidencethroughthebroadcastmediumProvidingaforumforyoungpeopletobecreativeandresponsibletothelargestMexicancommunityintheMidwestRadioArteiscommittedtotrainingyoungpeopleintheartofbroadcastingRadioArtersquosuniquetwo-yeartrainingprogramprovidesyouthwithspecialcoursesonwritingforradioandjournalismvoicetrainingand
FCCregulationsaswellasbasiccomputerskillsproduc-tionskillsandon-airtrainingParticipatingintwograntroundsofSoundPartnersforCommunityHealththestationrsquosldquoRadioVidardquoproducedprogrammingonsubstanceabuseandaddictionbyandforLatinoyouth
Casa Guatemala Media Projectisanonprofitcommunity-basedorganizationthatservestheGuatemalanandbroaderLatinAmericancommunityinChicagoandtheMidwestSinceitsfoundingin1986ithasusedmediaincludingwebprintTVandradiotoraiseconsciousnessaboutissuesaffectingcommunitiesfromLatinAmericaInparticularitworkswithCAN-TVtoprovidetheeducationalcomponentofself-authoredmediathatwillpositivelytrans-formcommunitiesthroughworkshopsontheproductionandalternativeusesofemergingtechnologies
Beyond Media EducationworkswithunderservedandunderrepresentedcommunitiesprimarilywomenandyouthtotelltheirstoriesandorganizeforsocialjusticethroughthecreationanddistributionofalternativemediaandartsInarecenteffortitworkedwithaChicagosheltertohelpstreetwalkerstelltheirownstoriesinanefforttoraisepublicawarenessandpromotestate-levelreformsTheorganizationorganizedasix-monthworkshopthatincludedteachingandpracticingstorytellingpublicspeak-ingandvideoproductionskillstooveradozenprostitutesTheirgroundbreakingvideogivesinsightsintoChicagorsquossextradeindustryandrecountsthetriumphofthepar-ticipantsoverhomelessnessviolenceanddiscriminationTheirlobbyinginthestatecapitolresultedinpassageofabilltodestigmatizeanddecriminalizesexworkers
Keepingtabsonandshowcasingmuchofthecom-munitymediaactivityfromajournalisticperspectiveistheCommunity Media Workshop (CMW) CMWservesasabridgebetweensocialactivistscommunitymediaprac-titionersandjournalistsIthostsanannualacademyforprogressiveorganizationsintheChicagoareathatbringsactivistsandjournaliststogethertoshareideasandatti-tudesProminentareatelevisionandnewspaperjournalistsarerecruitedtoserveonpanelsleadworkshopsandgenerallysharetheirideasofhowprogressivegroupscaneffectivelygaintheattentionofthepressThisapproach
leadstobuy-infromkeypersonnelinChicagorsquosmainstreammediawhocannowbetterunderstandthegrassrootsgroupsthatapproachthemandtheirissuesItalsogivescommunityparticipantsattheworkshopstheopportunitytodevelopmorepersonalrelationshipswithkeymembersofthemediaThisapproachalsoenablescommunitygroupstobetterunderstandwhatmotivateseditorsandreporters
ThesethreecommunitiesshowcommondevelopmentpatternsandfactorsCommunitymediaorganizationshavebeguntounderstandtheirmissionsintermsofasharedcultureofcommunitymedialookingbeyondtheirindivid-ualmissionstothecommonsocialandpoliticalvaluestheyhaveincommonThisapproachopensthewayforcommu-nityradiomediaartscenterscommunitymediacentersandcableaccesstocreatecommunity-wideprograminitiativesinwhichseveralmediaplatformsareengagedItcreatestheconditionsinwhichitispossibleforcommunitymediaorganizationstoactwithunifiedstancesinpoliticaladvocacyregardingmediaissuesandotherissuescriticaltotheircommunitiesThiskindofcross-platformnetworkingalsocreatesopportunitiesforcommunitymediatoreceivemorediversefundingandsupportfromthecommunityastheyextendthenetworkorcultureofcollaborationtocom-munitydevelopmentgroupsandofficialsintheirregions
Communitymediaorganizationshavebeguntounderstandtheirmissionsintermsofasharedcultureofcommunitymedialookingbeyondtheirindividualmissionstothecommonsocialandpoliticalvaluestheyhaveincommon
ldquoThe boldest experiments in public telecommunica-tions take place when technologies are new and their commercial potential not yet fully apparentrdquo mdash Ralph Engelman 1996
Acrosstheirmanyplatformsandmanycommunitiescommunitymediahavebecomecentralculturalinstitutionsinthecivicculturalandeconomiclife
ofourcommunitiesprovidinginvaluablemediaprogram-mingaccessandeducationTheycaninsuchinstancesenablecommunitiestodevelopinformedcitizensartistsandactivistswhopossesstheskillsandknowledgeneededtograpplewithcomplexmedialiteracyanddevelopmentissuesatthelocallevel
Fordecadescommunitymediaorganizationshaveaddressedtheurgentneedtocreatelocalinstitutionsthatfacilitatecitizenaccesstomedianetworksandeffectiveparticipationinmediacultureforbothcitizensandwork-ersTheyareprovingthemselvesvitaltothepoliticalandeconomiclifeoftheircommunitiesTheyplaymultiplerolessimultaneouslyascriticalculturalenhancementstothequalityofciviclifeasemployersandaseducationalsitesforworkforcedevelopment
difficultyNeworganizationalformsandnewmediaformatslikestreamingarchivingpodcastingandbloggingarebecomingthenormpartofldquoblendedrdquoproductionanddis-seminationpracticesincommunitymedia
neW communicAtion spAces cyberjournAlismTheincreaseinInternetbandwidthandtheavailabilityofonlinesocialnetworkingsoftwarehavequalitativelychangedtherelationshipofjournaliststotheiraudiencesNewwebdestinationslikeMySpaceShutterflyFriendsterFlikrEviteandGooglearedevelopingvirtualcommuni-tiesforsharingvideoattractingyoungeraudiencesandmakingcontentmorethanpassiveandone-directionalSocialnetworkingsoftwareenablespeopletorendezvousconnectorcollaboratethroughcomputer-mediatedcom-municationandformonlinecommunities(Spannerworks2007)PopularsocialnetworksoftwareapplicationslikeweblogsorblogsseemparticularlywellsuitedtoparticipatorycitizenjournalismallowingeasypublishingofinteractivetextphotoaudioandvideocontentTheneweasewithwhichvideoclipscanbepreparedforuseonthewebhasbroughtontheriseofldquovlogsrdquoandsitesthatfacilitatethesharingofvideoclipsandaccompanyingcontentAnenormousrangeofblogsandcyberjournalisticsiteshavesprungupontheWorldWideWebinthepastfiveyearswithanequallywiderangeofeditorialstandardsandpracticesTechnoraticomcurrentlytracksseventeenmillionblogssharingoneandahalfmillionhyperlinks(Rennie2006)APewCenterInternetstudyestimatesthatthenumberofregularblogreadersintheUnitedStatesisequivalenttoalmosthalftheentireradioaudiencewhichisaboutaquarteroftheUSnewspaperreadership(Rennie2006)
Combinedwithaffordablenewdigitalmediaproduc-tioncamerasandrecorderstheseweb-baseddisseminationtoolsmakeitpossibleforcitizensandconsumerstoparticipateactivelyinnewsgatheringNonprofessionalshavebeguntoplayamoreactiveroleintheprocessesofjournalismfromcollectinginformationandreportingtoanalysisanddisseminationJanSchafferwhodirectsJ-LabaUniversityofMarylandincubatorforinteractivejournalismprojectsexplainsthatmanypeoplearebecom-ingmoreactivecitizensthroughjournalisticactivitybutdonotnecessarilyaspiretobejournalistsThenewtechnical
envisioning the future of community mediA
Communitymediaorganizationsareprovingthemselvesvitaltothepoliticalandeconomiclifeoftheircommunities
Communitymediaarealsocontributingimportantvaluespracticesandorganizationalmethodologiestotheemergingcollaborativemediaenvironmentsoftheblogo-sphereWecanlooktothesecontributionsastechnologicalandorganizationalopportunitiesforstrengtheningandexpandingcommunitymediapracticeWiththeInternetamediacultureisemergingthatismoreconsistentwiththenoncommercialpracticesofcommunitymediaproductioncollaborationanddemocraticparticipationinmediamak-inganddistributionConsequentlymanycommunitymediaorganizationsareintegratingthecapacitiesoftheInternetandnewmediaintotheirpracticeswithoutmuchfanfareor
0
capacityforcommunicationsheobservesallowspeopletoldquoparticipateinnewsandinformationinvariouswaysmdashparticipateininteractingwithitquestioningittruth-squadingitandcreatingitAndnowthattheyhavethetechtoolsandthetechskillstodothattheappetitehasonlyincreasedrdquo(Schaffer2005b)
SuchconditionshavesetthestageforintensepopularinterestinwhathasbeenbrandedldquowemediardquoorldquoparticipatoryjournalismrdquoTodaynumerousonlinejournalisticexperimentsbringtogetherprofessionaljour-nalistswithcitizenmediaactivistsandthoseinvolvedineventsMoreandmoretheearliestimagesandinformationregardingbreakingnewsarecomingfromnon-journalistspresentatthemomentoftheeventAsaresultjournalistsarebeginningtoconceptualizethemselvesnotsomuchasgatekeepersofnewsbutasmoderatorsinaconversationwithlicenseandtimetospeakfrequentlyandhopefullyaccurately(BowmanandWillis2003)
Thiskindofcommunity-centeredcoveragemayentailthere-balancingofeditorialpoliciesndashcommittingtodiversityembracingegalitarianvaluesandreassessingthevalueofeditorialneutralityItputsintoquestiontheroleandsignificanceofofteninnovativeldquopersonalmediardquoexemplifiedbythemillionsofbloggingsitesontheWebIsthiskindofldquonewsrdquoservingapubliccivicpurposeofcommunityproblemsolvingorindividualprivateexpres-sionInaWashington PostopinionpieceonDecember212006GeorgeKWillvoicedskepticismoftheseriousnessofmuchofthewebrsquosamateurjournalisminresponsetoTimemagazinersquosnamingallofusPersonoftheYear
Itisdifficulttopredictthefutureofcyberjournal-ismandbloggingpreciselyintheseearlystagesbutthreeoutcomesseemlikelyFirstbloggingwillcontinueitsrapidintegrationintomainstreammediacontentSecondblog-gingandotherformsofsocialnetworkingsoftwarewillgiverisetonewmediaentitiesthatwillchallengemainstreammedialocallynationallyandglobally
ThethirdoutcomeistheonemostrelevanttoacommunitymediascanCyberjournalismandparticipatory
citizenjournalismseemparticularlywellsuitedtoaddressthecurrentUSmassmediarsquosdifficultyinprovidingcoverageoflocaleventsinsmallercommunitiessuburbanregionsandcommutercommunitiesthataredevelopingoutsideformalpoliticaljurisdictionsCommunity-basedonlinejournalismsiteshavesprungupinhundredsofcom-munitiesaroundtheUnitedStatesTheyaremanagedandorganizedinwidelydivergentways
AnexperimentincyberjournalismandcommunitynetworkingtheTwin Cities Daily PlanetaggregatessomeofthebestjournalismfromMinnesotarsquosTwinCitiesneighborhoodandcommunitypressandindependentjour-nalistsaswellasthevoicesofengagedcitizenspresentingthemtothepublicthroughaninteractivewebsiteandcommunitydatabaseByaggregatingcitizenandneighbor-hoodjournalisminonesiteitincreasesthecapacityofsmallneighborhoodmediatoreachbeyondtheirborderstoawiderregionalaudienceUsingRealSimpleSyndication(RSS)softwaretheTC Daily Planetcanpotentiallyreachaglobalaudience
AprojectoftheTwinCitiesMediaAlliancetheTC Daily PlanetisaverynewformofcommunitymediaemergingfromtherestructuringofthenewspaperindustryandtheuseofbloggingandsocialnetworkingsoftwareAlthoughearlyinitsdevelopmenttheTC Daily Planetisgivingvoicetoanincreasingnumberofethnicimmi-grantandnon-mainstreamjournalistswhilefocusingthecommunityrsquosattentiononafargreaterrangeofpublicationsandideas
TheearliestexpressionsofcyberjournalismaretheIndependent Media Centers (IMCs)orIndymediaIndymediacameintobeingaspartoftheprotestsanddemonstrationsaroundtheWorldTradeOrganizationtalksheldinSeattleWashingtonin1999ThisfirstIMCwasaconvergenceoftheemerginginteractivityoftheInternetwiththeintenseneedofprotesterstogetindependentinformationouttotheworldabouttheprotestsAnetworkofindependentcommunitymediamakersactivistsandjournalistsbandedtogethertopoolresourcesandinforma-tion(Howley2005)
TheIMCsforeshadowedthebloggingandvideodis-tributionthatwasshortlytoemergebyusingtheInternetandtheWorldWideWebinconjunctionwithvideoandaudiodistributiontocreateatrulyunprecedentedmulti-mediaenvironmentIntermsofbothqualityandquantitytheSeattleIMCwasanimpressiveperformancebyanynewsandcurrentaffairsstandardsOverthecourseofthefive-dayprotestsadailynewspaperanddailyradioprogramwerecreatedandcountlessprintstoriesweredisseminated
Journalistsarebeginningtoconceptualizethemselvesnotsomuchasgatekeepersofnewsbutasmoderatorsinaconversation
globallyalsovideofeedsweresentthroughtheInternettopublicaccessandcommunitychannelsaroundtheworldSixyearsaftertheSeattleproteststherewere149Indymediawebsitesinabout45countriesonsixcontinents(Whitney2005)
TheopenformofcommunicationpracticedbymostIMCsiteshasnotbeenwithoutproblemsandcontra-dictionsManysitesarenowclutteredwithideologicaldiatribesanduneditedcontent(Halleck2002Whitney2005)ButthereareanumberofIndymediasitesthatprovidealternativenewsandinformationregardingaglobalscopeofconcernsthatwouldbeverydifficulttoobtainanywhereelseinthemediaAnumberofsitesinplacessuchasNewYorkCityPortlandOregonandtheSanFranciscoBayareahaveestablishedthemselvesasstablepartsoftheircommunityrsquosmediaculture
companiesspecializedsuppliersserviceprovidersandassociatedinstitutionsinaparticularfieldthatarepresentinanationorregionrdquo(Porter2000)Thecompaniesinanindustryclusterhaveacomplexwebofmutuallysupportingrelationshipsthatencompassbothcompetitiveandcollab-orativerelationshipsTheylinkacrossprofitandnonprofitpracticesutilizecommoninfrastructuremakecommoncontributionstothedevelopmentofahighlyskilledwork-forcesharefundingandinsomecasestalentedstaff
Increasinglycommunitydevelopmentpractitionersandanalystsarecomingtounderstandindustryclustersaspowerfulstrategiesforbotheconomicandcommunitydevelopmentinthetwenty-firstcenturyThisisprovingdoublytruefornonprofitcommunitymediaorganizationswhoseroleitistobringpowerfultoolsandknowledgetoanycommunityrsquosdeliberationsaroundcommunityandeco-nomicdevelopmentBroadbandandwirelessnetworksareprovidingthepracticalmeansoflinkingcommunitymediaorganizationswithincommunitiesofferingakeystrategicadvantagebyenhancingtheeffectivenessofcollaborationandpartnershipbuilding
AstheexamplesinthepreviouschaptershowcommunitymediaorganizationsaretakingonnewrolesincludingcombiningproductionandtrainingtakingonworkforcedevelopmentfunctionsandbecomingtechnologycentersfordiffusionofnewmediaBeyondtheseexampleslongstandingsuccessfulcommunitymediaorganiza-tionsaremergingasnetworkclusterslinkingdifferentgroupsandorganizationswithincommunitiestocreateentirelynewcommunitymediaorganizationsorblurringtheboundariesbetweentheirorganizationsOthersarebringinghistoricallyseparatecommunitymediagroupswithinoneorganizationalstructureorunderonerooftosharebuildingsandcommunicationsinfrastructuresinacost-effectivemanner
TheorganizationsthatemergefromthisintegrationmaybesimilarinfunctionthoughtheirnamesremaindifferentAcommunity-basedsiteforcitizenmediaandcyberjournalismforexampleandacommunitynetworklikeMAINinAshevilleNorthCarolinaoracutting-edgecableaccesscenterlikeGrandRapidsCommunityTelevisionbegintolookverymuchalikeintermsof
Increasinglycommunitymediadevelopmentishappeningthroughnetworksoflocalnonprofitmediaorganizationsratherthanwithinsingleorganizations
neW orgAnizAtionAl spAces netWorked clusters Perhapsthemostpromisingtrendonthehorizonforcom-munitymediaistheemergenceofnewhighlyintegratedorganizationalstructuresandcollaborativeprocessesIncreasinglycommunitymediadevelopmentishappeningthroughnetworksoflocalnonprofitmediaorganizationsratherthanwithinsingleorganizations
Inmanywaysthesereorganizationsatthecom-munitylevelparalleltherestructuringtakingplaceintheprivatecorporatesectorTherecommunicationsnetworksarebeingusedtosupportcomplexpartnershipsandjointcompanyprojectdevelopmentinteractivenetworkseasetheaggregationoflargeorstrategiccapitalandemployeeskillsetsacrossgeographicandorganizationalboundariesforthepurposesofinnovationandmarketdevelopmentInthelanguageofcommunityandeconomicdevelop-mentthesecomplexpartnershipsareknownasldquocreativeclustersrdquoorldquoindustryclustersrdquoMichaelPorteraleadingtheoristandproponentoftheconceptofclustersdefinesthemasldquogeographicconcentrationsofinterconnected
Successfulcommunitymediaorganizationsaremergingasnetworkclusters
technologyprogrammingactivitiesandtheexperienceofcommunityaudiencesvolunteersandparticipantsEachorganizationreliesonnoncommercialaffordablebandwidtheachplayssomeroleinadvocatingforsupportivegovern-mentpoliciesandeachisexperimentingwiththepotentialofnewcollaborativemediatoolsOftencommittedtoengagingandtrainingvolunteersandcommunitymembersinsomemannertheymayoffertrainingandvolunteerpro-gramsthatrequiresimilarsharableonlinetutorialsandonlineoutreachandschedulemanagementtools
TheexamplesthatfollowdemonstratethewayscommunitymediacreativeclustersaremakinguniquecontributionstotheircommunitiesrsquoqualityoflifeandeconomicwellbeingTheyaredoingsointhreeimportantwaysbullfirstbyamplifyingtherolethatartsandculturalgroups
playinenhancingthequalityoflifeandattractingatalentedworkforceandcapitaltothecommunitymdasharolethatisgaininginsignificanceinthetwenty-firstcentury
bullsecondascontributorstocoreeconomicdevelopmentfunctionsinthecommunityincludingworkforcedevelop-mentandtrainingasmicro-enterpriseincubatorsandascreatorsofnewknowledgeandeducationalexperiencesand
bullthirdasfacilitatorsandcatalystsofcommunitydialoguecommittedtoembracingmarginalizedvoicesandallow-ingthecommunitytoundertakeitsowndevelopmentdemocratically
Lowell MassachusettsLowell Telecommunications Center(LTC)isapublicandgovernmentaccesschannelandmediaandtechnologycen-terItprovideseducationandtraininginmediacreationincludingwebdesigndigitalphotographyandtelevisionproductionLTCworksincollaborationwithotherlocalcommunity-basedorganizationsmunicipaldepartmentsandeducationalentitiestoproducediversemulticulturalprogrammingthatmeetsthecommunityrsquoscommunica-tionandinformationneedsLTChasbecomeaconvening
organizationforbuildingcapacityamongLowellrsquosnonprofitcommunity-basedorganizationsintheiruseofparticipatorymediaandcivicengagementstrategies
LTCismorefocusedthanothercommunitymediaorganizationsoncommunitybuildingandcommunicationtechnologyThecorporationisworkingtobuildanetworkforparticipatorymediaandcivicengagementthroughouttheMerrimacRiverValleyThroughaUSDepartmentofEducationgrantLTCacquiredfundingandstafftohelpitspartnerorganizationsbecomeInternet-capableassesstheirinformationtechnologyneedsacquiretechnologyupgradestoaddressthoseneedsandundertakethetrainingtousethetechnologyeffectively
RatherthanwaitingforgroupstocometoitscenterLTCcreatedacircuitridertrainingprogramthattookthetrainingprogramintothecommunityThroughLTCrsquosinformationtechnologycenterscoresofcommunitygroupshavereceivedtrainingdesignedandcreatedwebsitesanddevelopedstrategiccommunicationsplansforthefutureThosedevelopmentsincludeweb-basedhistoricalarchivesGISmappingsystemsmultimediamaterialsandInternetvideoTohelporganizationsacquirethesoftwaretheyneedtocarryouttheirmissionsLTCcreatedtheCommunitySoftwareLabwhichdevelopsuniquesoftwaretofittheneedsofareanonprofitsThelabhasbeenspunofftocreateaseparatenonprofitentityjoiningthegrowingnumberofindependentorganizationsthatnetworkthroughLTC
ThemostrecentLTCinitiativeisldquoDigitalBicyclerdquoapeer-to-peernetworkthatallowsmediacentersworldwidetodownloadandsharelocalcontentLTCstaffenvisionDigitalBicycleasanonlinecommunityforcableaccessmediaartsindependentmediaandothernoncommercialmedia
Grand Rapids MichiganldquoBuildingcommunitythroughmediardquoThissimplemissionstatementguidedtheGrand Rapids Community Media Center(GRCMC)asitevolvedfromatypicalcableaccessoperationtobecomeabroad-basedmultimediacenterandamodelforthedevelopmentofcommunitymultimediacentersintheUnitedStatesOverthepasttwentyyears
Communitymediacreativeclustersaremakinguniquecon-tributionstotheircommunitiesrsquoqualityoflifeandeconomicwellbeing
LTCisworkingtobuildanetworkforparticipatorymediaandcivicengagementthroughouttheMerrimacRiverValley
GRCMChaspulledthediversecommunitymediaactivitiesofGrandRapidsunderoneorganizationalumbrellaandtakentheleadinarticulatingthepotentialforaggregatingnoncommercialnetworkedcommunicationsthere
Theevolvingnetworkofmediaplatformsdis-ciplinesandculturalgroupsthatconvergetobecomeGRCMCnowincludesthefollowingcentersofpracticeGRTVacommunitytelevisioncenterthatprogramsmultiplecableaccesschannelsWYCEacommunityradiostationGrandnetacommunitytechnologyandnetworkcenterthatprovidescitizenandnonprofitaccesstotheInternetandtheGrandRapidsInstituteforInformationDemocracyacriticalmediaeducationandresearchcenterthattracksmediaandlocalpublicinterestissuesandpub-lishesinformationonmediaaccountabilityandreform
ButtheGrandRapidsCommunityMediaCenterismorethanthesumofitspartsThecomponentsofthecenterworktogetherinamutuallyreinforcingwholethatcreatesapowerfulcommunitymediapresenceinGrandRapidsandallowsthecentertoundertakefarmoreambitiousprojectsandprogrammingthanwouldbethecaseseparatelyOneexcellentexampleistheMobileOn-LineLearningLabforInformationEducationKnownasMOLLIEtheprogramprovidesskilledtrainersanddigitalvideoproductionequipmenttoschoolsandcommunityorganizationsforspecialprojectsOriginallyfundedbyafederalDepartmentofEducationgrantMOLLIEfillsintechnologygapsinGrandRapidseducationalinstitutionsandnonprofitsInthehandsofalessintegratedinstitutiontheMOLLIEprojectcouldeasilybeatechnicallyorientedequipmentloanandtrainingprogramInthehandsofthecenterMOLLIEhasbecomeasophisticatedmediaandtechnologyeducationalinitiativeprovidingatrainingprogramthataddressesmediaeducationfromtheperspec-tiveofallthecomponentsoftheGrandRapidsCommunityMediaCenter
Asheville North CarolinaOneofthemostarticulateeffortsmergingthecreativeclustersideawithparticipatorycommunicationhascomeaboutinAshevilleNorthCarolinaThroughapersistent
collaborationbetweenforwardlookingregionalgroupsandorganizationsndashinvolvingabroadnetworkofindi-vidualscommunitymediaandmediaartsgroupsintheAshevilleregionndashAshevillehaslaidthefoundationforacommunitymediadevelopmentcenterthatwillfunctionasacableaccesscentermediaartscenterandnewmediamicro-enterpriseincubatorAtthecenterofthiseffortisaninformalcoalitionoffourimportantgroupsinAshevilleMountainAreaInformationNetworkMediaArtsProjectBoncombeCountyEconomicDevelopmentCommissionandURTVThegroupsrepresentdistinctpointsofviewandconcernsaswellasconverginginterests
Eachgroupsharedtheinsightthatcivicparticipa-tionandeconomicsuccessinthetwenty-firstcenturyaredirectlyrelatedtohavingaccesstocommunicationstechnologyandknowledgeEachalsounderstoodthattherenegotiationofthecablefranchisesintheCityofAshevilleandsurroundingBoncombeCountywasastrategicmomenttocatalyzeandassociateanumberofcommunity-basedinformationandmediaartsactivitiesalreadyinplaceorplannedinAshevilleThegroupsusedthecablefranchisingprocesstocreateacommonorganizationalandfacilitiesinfrastructuresupportingtheuseofmediaforbothcivicandeconomicdevelopment
The Media Arts Project(MAP)isanetworkofmediaartiststhatcultivatesinnovativeartsandtechnol-ogyinwesternNorthCarolinaMAPworkedtirelesslytoframecableaccessasacommunitydevelopmentissuebridgingthemediaactivistcommunitiesandthemoreforward-thinkingfactionsamongeconomicdevelopmentprofessionalsintheregionWiththerecentopeningofURTV IncAshvillersquoscableaccessorganizationandfacilityMAPanditsnetworkofpartnersarenowturningtheirattentiontofundingthemediaartsandeconomicincubatorelementsofthevision
AshevillersquosinterestinsupportingcommunitymediaarisesfromthepresenceoftheMountain Area Information Network(MAIN)Inthetraditionoftheruralcooperativesthathelpedspreadthereachofelectricityinthe1930sMAINisanonprofitInternetserviceproviderofferingreliablelow-costInternetservicebothinwesternNorthCarolinaandnationwideItisauniquecommunitynetworkwithabroadvisionofitsroleinthecommunitythatencompassesmedialiteracyeconomicdevelopmentstrategiescommunitylow-powerradioacommunity-basedwebportalandtheprovisionofInternetconnectivitytoruralwesternNorthCarolinaMAINislargelyresponsiblefortheremarkableexpansionofInternetaccessibilityinwesternNorthCarolinaallowingthousandsofpeopleto
GRCMChaspulledthediversecommunitymediaactivitiesofGrandRapidsunderoneorganizationalumbrella
spendtheirInternetaccessdollarswithalocallycontrolledandaccountableorganizationMAINdemonstratesthevalueofthecommunitynetworkingconcepttoareasthatarelagginginconnectivityduetofailuresofthemarket
MAINhastakenaleadershiproleinbuildingacommunitymediacultureinAshevillethatdemonstratestheeasewithwhichdigitalmedialeapsorganizationalboundariesItscommunitynetworkrunstheBlueRidgeWebMarketwhichprovidesafreecustomizableInternetpresencetohundredsofsmallbusinessesthroughoutwesternNorthCarolinaItsLatinoDigitalLiteracyProjectofferstrainingtohelpthearearsquosgrowingLatinopopula-tionsaccesstheInternetMAINhasbeenoneofthekeypartnersinbringingacableaccesscentertoAshevilleandhasbeenthedrivingforcebehindWPVMWNCrsquoslow-powerFMradiostationbroadcastinglocalnewsviewsandmusicover-the-airintheAshevilleregion(andtheworldviawebcast)
Cleveland OhioPerhapsthemostrobustcommunity-basednonprofitnetworkintheUnitedStatesOne ClevelandprovideswhatitcallsldquoultrabroadbandnetworkingservicesrdquotoClevelandareaeducationgovernmentresearchartscultureandhealthcareorganizationsOneClevelandoperatesafibernetworkringthatcoversmuchofthecityofClevelandandmanyofitssurroundingsuburbsSubscriberstothenetworkconnectatgigabitspeeds
OneClevelandrepresentswhatcanhappenwhenpowerfulcommunitydevelopmentforcescometoaconsensusregardingtheircommunityrsquosneedforhigh-speedconnectivitytoglobaleconomiesandmediaItsfoundersareClevelandmainstreaminstitutionsCaseWesternReserveUniversityCuyahogaCommunityCollegeClevelandStateUniversityTheCityofClevelandGreaterClevelandRegionalTransitAuthorityideastreamCuyahogaCountyPublicLibraryandNorTechThenetworkhasformedrelationshipswithtechnologycompaniestomaintainup-to-dateapplicationsthatleveragethepotentialofsuchapowerfulnetwork
Oneofthenetworkrsquoskeypartners ideastream illustratesthesignificanceofworkingtogethertomakehigh-speedconnectivitypubliclyavailablethroughoutacommunityonitsowntermsBybuildingahigh-speednet-workOneClevelandhascreatedacivicnetworkspaceandinfrastructurethatallowsanewkindofmultimediapublicmediaorganizationtobecreatedIdeastreamresultedwhenWVIZPBSTelevisionand903WCPNRadiopublicbroad-castersmergedtoformanewnonprofitldquomultimediapublicserviceorganizationrdquoIdeastreamisabletoextenditsmediaexpertisebeyondbroadcastingtoonlinetechnologiesandapplicationsofalltypesmdashwhenyouareconnectingtothenetworkatthegigabitspeedsofOneClevelandrsquostherangeofapplicationsandtheirpotentialarehuge
MAINhastakenaleadershiproleinbuildingacommunitymediacultureinAshevillethatdemonstratestheeasewithwhichdigitalmedialeapsorganizationalboundaries
OneClevelandrepresentswhatcanhappenwhenpowerfulcommunitydevelopmentforcescometoaconsensusregardingtheircommunityrsquosneedforhigh-speedconnectivitytoglobaleconomiesandmedia
Inthecourseofpreparingthisreportndashpouringovertheliteratureandsynthesizinghoursofstructuredround-tableconversationsandone-on-oneinterviewswith
opinionleadersandsuccessfulpractitionersofcommunitymediandashonethingisextremelyclearThewayoursocietymakesandsharesinformationknowledgeandcultureisinaheightenedstateofchangeTheinteractivenatureoftheInternethasdemonstratedthatitispossibletoorganizecommunicationsinamuchmoredemocraticfashionSomehaveconcludedwearewitnessingthetransitionfromanindustrializedinformationenvironmenttoanetworkedinformationenvironmentTheoldindustrialmediastruc-turesbasedonexclusivehigh-costproductionprocessesarebeingchallengedbyanemergingmediasectorinwhichthecostofcreatinginformationknowledgeandculturehasbeenprofoundlyreducedandtheproductsareintercon-nectedwidelythroughnetworksliketheInternet(Benkler2006)IndeedthereisincreasingevidencethatthesenewmediaanddigitalnetworksareparticularlyconducivetononcommercialandnonprofitculturalproductionaswellasmoreparticipatoryandcollaborativemediapracticesInmanywaysthelong-standingvaluesandintentofcommu-nitymediaforeshadowthisnewmediaenvironment
ThescanresearchfocusedonfourkeyareasofinquiryWhataretheuniquecharacteristicsthatdistin-guishcommunitymediaWhatmakesmedia-communitycollaborationssuccessfulWhattypesofcommunitymediaorganizationsbestleveragenewtechnologiesHowmightcommunitymediaengageunderservedpopulationsinprogrammingtailoredtotheirneedsIneachinstancewefoundthatcommunitymediacombinedwithgreaterafford-ablebandwidthandopen-sourceapproachestoproductiondohavetremendouscommunitydevelopmentpotentialHowevernoneofthatpotentialwillcomeaboutmagicallyThecommunitymediasectorisfacingthechallengingtaskofmanagingextensivechangeandtransformation
chAllengesThesuccessdisappointmentsandsocialvalueofthepastsixtyyearsofcommunitymediainitiativesmustbejudgedinhistoricalcontextConsistentmisrepresentationinthemainstreammediaandlimitedunaccommodatingsocialpolicyhaveresultedininadequatevisibilityandfinancialsupportforcommunitymediaAnydiscussionofitssuccessesorfailuresmustincorporateanunderstand-
ingoftheseexternalconstraintsInthislighttheexistingexpressionsofcommunitymediaattheirbestarewildlysuccessfulsocialexperimentsgivingcauseforgreatoptimism
NeverthelesscommunitymediafacebothexternalandinternalchallengesTheinternalchallengesarisefromstructuraltensionsthatoccurinanyattempttocreateorganizationsandculturesthatembodydiversitydemocraticexpressionandequitableaccessRatherthanbeingexpressedasldquoweaknessesrdquoasissooftenthecaseinmainstreammediaandacademiatheseinternaltensionsaremoreproperlyunderstoodaspredictabledevelopmentalproblemsandopportunitiesthatpractitionersshouldbepreparedtograpplewithinanycommunitymediasetting
Balancing Free Expression and Audience Development CommunityradioandpublicaccesscablehavehistoricallyprivilegedtheinterestsofproducersbygrantingthemgreatpoliticalfreedominmakingdecisionsregardingwhatprogrammingtocreateandwhataestheticandformattingapproachestouseThetrade-offforacultureofactivistvolunteerismandfreeexpressionhasbeensmalleraudi-encesandlowerlevelsofproductionandprogramsupportProgramproducerscarryanintensecommitmenttoindi-vidualownershipoftheirprogramminginitiativesthatmaynottaketheaudiencersquosinterestsfullytoheart
Whiletheseapproachesinradioandcableaccesshaveresultedinadiversityofprogrammingandpoliticalviewpointstheyhavealsopreventedradiostationpro-grammersorcableaccessorganizationsfrombuildingaflowofprogramsthatcandefineandconstructanongoingaudienceinthecommunityEachprogramorscheduledprogramslotcarriesitsownmicroaudienceldquofragmentedpublicsrdquothatareoftennotpartofanintegratedflowofpro-grammingthatattractsanaudiencetothechannelsoverall(Higgins2002)
Freeexpressionandaudiencedevelopmentarenotmutuallyexclusivenordoparticipatorymanagementstructuresvolunteerinvolvementandproducertrain-ingprogramsneedtoimpedeaudiencedevelopmentThesuccessofAmyGoodmanandDemocracyNowsoundlydemonstratesthisInfactmanycommunitymediaorgani-zationshavecreatedprogramminginitiativesthatcombinesophisticatedmeasurementsofsocialoutcomeswith
conclusions
trainingandparticipatoryprogramplanningTheyhavenotonlyraisedthesocialvalueoftheirprogrammingtotheircommunitiestheyhavealsoincreasedthesizeandloyaltyoftheiraudiences(Aufderheide2003)Asinteractivemediabegintocreatetheconditionswherenicheprogram-mingcanbefarmoresuccessfulthetensionbetweenfreeexpressionandaudiencedevelopmentisnotonlyachal-lengebutalsoatremendousopportunity
Programming MetricsStillroundtableparticipantsrepeatedlynotedthatevenwhenprogrammingmeetscommunityneedscommunitymediaorganizationscanfinditdifficulttodocumentimpactTheyfeltthatfundershavegenerallynotyetaddressedtheroleofmediainpopularcultureorthepowerofpopularcultureinaddressingsocialproblemsInaddi-tionfundersfindithardtoestablishcost-benefitmeasuresofsocialimpactfortheirmediaexpenditures
ParticipantsaskedformodelsofaudiencefeedbackandoutcomesmeasurementthatgobeyondaudiencenumbersTheyacknowledgedthedifficultyofquantify-ingnotionsofsuccesswhichtendtobeverysubjectiveandofusingsuccessstoriesinthecommonprogrammingmetricsofthedayManyrecognizedskepticismamongfundersabouttheimportanceofcommunitymediaasuspicionaboutagendasandafearofthecostsinvolvedmakingcommunitymediaahardsellEventhoughafewgoodevaluationeffortswereacknowledgedtheircollectiveresultshavenotbeenincorporatedintothethinkingofthewiderfundingcommunity
FundingMulti-yearstablefundingsupportforcommunitymediainitiativesiscriticaltostabilityinnovationandgrowthRoundtableparticipantsdiscussednumerousinstancesinwhichprojectswithmulti-yearsupporthadpowerfulpositiveimpactsextendingbeyondtheinitialprojectgoalsMulti-yearfundingcreatesthestabilitytoundertakeproperstrategicplanningandpartnershipdevelopment
Thereissomeearlyevidencethatamultiple-plat-formnonprofit-orientednichemarketcouldemergeasasignificantopportunitytoprovideenhancedrevenueforthecommunityandnoncommercialmediasectorsTheinterac-tivecapacityofthenewnetworkssignificantlyincreasestherevenuepotentialforcooperativeandsubscription-styleprogrammingflowsHoweverstrongmarketsforcommer-ciallyfundedparticipatorycommunityexpressionhavenotyetemergedinthedigitaleraduetothelimitedsizeofpopulationsandavailableadvertisingsupportIfthereistobeavitalsectorofcommunity-basedmediasomeformofsignificantpublicfundingwillbenecessaryevenininstanceswherecommunitymediaorganizationsmightrealizesignificantrevenuefromnewmarketsInordertomakethemostefficientuseofpublicfundingcommuni-tiesmustevolvefundingandgovernancestructuresforcommunitymediathatcanfacilitatetheaggregationoffundscoordinatemultiple-organizationprojectsandactastrustedconvenersofprogramminganddevelopmentdiscus-sionsincommunities
Policy ThreatsWhiletheconvergenceoftechnologyandpracticescreatesincreasingpotentialsforaunifiedcommunitymediasectorthereisunfortunatelynocohesiveandunifiednationalpolicyframeworkforcommunitymediaThegovernmentpoliciesandregulationsthatexistforcommunitymediahavebeenretrofittedinthearenasofUSbroadcastingandtelephonypolicyWhiletheyrepresenthard-wonpoliticalvictoriesandstrategicinsighttheydonotaddresstheneedsofcommunitymediainaholisticway
Inthecurrentpoliticalclimatebroadcastmediaownershipcontrolandprogrammingwillcontinuetobecentralizedinfewercorporationsleavingcommunitieswithlessoptionsforcontrollingtheirlocalmediaenviron-mentsAtthesametimethetelephonecompanieswillenterthemarketforvideotelephonyandbroadbandbydeployinghigh-capacitydigitaltelevisionnetworksinmanycommunitiesintheUnitedStates
ThecurrenttrendofcentralizationinUStele-communicationspolicyisthreateningtheabilityoflocal
Freeexpressionandaudiencedevelopmentarenotmutuallyexclusivenordoparticipatorymanagementstructuresvolunteerinvolvementandproducertrainingprogramsneedtoimpedeaudiencedevelopment
Communitymediaorganizationscanfinditdifficulttodocumentimpact
governmentstomandatecommunity-basedcommunica-tionsnetworksandprogramminginitiativesasrentonthepublicrights-of-wayThesefundingmechanismscurrentlysupportPublicEducationandGovernment(PEG)accesscabletelevisioncentersmediaartscentersandmanymunicipalcommunicationnetworksWhilefarfromperfectregulatorymechanismstheyareoneofthemostsuccess-fulformsofpublicmediasupporttoariseinthelastthirtyyears
Overthenextfiveyearsthesesuccessfulfundingstrategieswillbeunderheavyattackbythetelephonecom-paniesandthecabletelevisionindustryinastrugglewithgovernmentsforcommunitycontrolofthepublicrights-of-wayThesamedynamicthreatensequitableInternetaccessIncreasinglybroadbandcommunitynetworksaremunicipallyownedormandatedWhilesomeofthesemunicipalbroadbandnetworksweredeployedforinternalmunicipalpurposestimehasshownthatsuchnetworkscanserveanumberofnon-governmentalcommunity-basedpurposesincludingwirelessISPconnectionsforresidentsbusinessesandvisitorsManycommunitiesareseeking(andsomehaveobtained)ldquoCommunityBenefitsAgreementsrdquowithproposedwirelessbroadbandvendorsthatsetasideasmallfranchisefeeongrossrevenuestosupportdigitalinclusionactivitiesfollowingtheexampleofcablecompaniessupportofPEGaccessHowevermunicipalbroadbandandmunicipalwirelessareunderattackbyindustriestryingtoreservethesedevelopmentrightsforthemselves
Theoutcomeofthedebatesaroundcontroloftherights-of-waywillhaveasignificantimpactonthefuturepathofcommunitymediadevelopmentThesedebateswillrangeacrosstheregulatoryspectrumtheyarenowbeingwagedinlocalstateandnationallegislativearenasandthecourtsTheresultingcommunicationsinfrastruc-tureandregulatoryframeworkwillbeabletorealizethepotentialsofcommunitymediaifandonlyifcommunitiesareabletotakeleadershipinprovidingsubstantialpublicaswellasprivatefundingAsanoldtruismnotesldquomoneyispolicyrdquo
Therearenopoliticalortechnicalguaranteesthatdigitalmedianetworkswillremainopenandparticipa-toryastheyevolveItisunlikelythatmarketforcesalone
willservetorealizethedemocraticpotentialoftodayrsquosparticipatorymediatechnologyBuildingarobustsectorofcommunity-baseddemocraticnewmediawillrequireeffectivecitizenactivismclearandresponsivegovern-mentpoliciesandeffectivepoliticalstrategiesCommunitymedianeedsseparaterecognitionandsupportwithinfed-eralstateandlocalcommunicationspolicyandregulatorystructuresinordertoensureequitableandstablefundinganddevelopment
models for the futureThegovernmentregulationsandsubsidiesthatunderpincommunitymediahaveevolvedinahodgepodgefashionoverthepastsixtyyearsItcanbearguedthatcommunitymediashouldbetreatedasaseparatesectorwithinte-gratedfundingstructuresconsistentinfrastructureandtaxandsubsidypoliciesthatareseparateanddistinctfromexistinglocalmediapoliciesandalsofromthepoliciesunderpinningpublicbroadcastingPossiblemodelsforamoreunifiedapproacharenumerousbuttwoappearpar-ticularlywellsuitedtocommunitymediarsquosdiverseformsorganizationsandprogrammingapproaches
Public Funding FindingappropriatemethodsofincreasingpublicfundingforcommunitymediainashiftingregulatoryenvironmentiscrucialCurrentlocalcablefranchisingregulationstosupportcableaccessandthecommunitybenefitsagree-mentsofmunicipalwirelessnetworksoffersuccessfulmodelsbutarenowbothunderattackThelawsrequiringcommercialcableproviderstosetasidebandwidthchan-nelcapacityforthepublicinadditiontooperatingfundingbasedonapercentageofcommercialrevenuescouldbeextendedtoincludevoicevideoanddataEssentiallythenanycommercialproviderusingthepublicrights-of-wayorthewirelessspectrumwouldberequiredtocontributeanequitablepercentageofbandwidthandrev-enuetosupportthecommunitycommunicationssector
Community Media DevelopmentAdequatelevelsoffundingareonlypartoftheequationWhilefundingshouldsupporttheoverallgrowthofthe
Thereisunfortunatelynocohesiveandunifiednationalpolicyframe-workforcommunitymedia
setasidebandwidthchannelcapacityforthepublicinadditiontooperatingfunding
communitymediasectorinasensiblefashionanyfundingsolutionmustaddressthedifficultynowexperiencedbyfundersindealingwithcommunitymediahowtoprovideoverallsupporttoasectormadeupofsmallindependentorganizationswithanextremelydiversesetoffundingsourcesandmissionsOneeconomicdevelopmentapproachseemsparticularlyusefulhereProgressivecommunityeconomicdevelopmentstrategieshaveevolvedtosupportthegrowthofadiversityofsmallenterpriseswithinacom-monsectorwhilerecognizingthattheseenterprisescanatdifferenttimesbecollaboratorspartnersorcompetitorsSimilarstrategiescanguidedevelopmentofthecommunitymediasector
Thereareatleasttwoshort-termstepsthatcouldassistinthedevelopmentofcommunitymediaorgani-zationsandsupporttheircitizensrsquoabilitytocopewithcommercialmediaandinformationsaturationOneisforcommunitiestobuildorsecureaffordablebroadbandandwirelessnetworkinfrastructurewithastrongcommu-nitybenefitsagreementinsupportofdigitalinclusionHundredsofcommunitiesacrossthecountryeitherhaveorarelaunchingsuchwirelesscommunitynetworksmanyincollaborationwithwirelessvendorswhoinordertowinaservicecontractwiththemunicipalityinquestionaresup-portingdigitalliteracytraininginexpensiverefurbishedcomputersandlocalcontentdevelopmentndashinshortprogramsofdigitalinclusionandexcellence
AsecondopportunityidentifiedbyroundtableparticipantsisthepotentialforanationalsupportnetworkforexistingcommunitymediaorganizationsAnationalsupportnetworklinkingcommunitiesandtheircommu-
nitymediapractitionersandinstitutionscouldfacilitatearangeofactivitiesincludinglocal-to-localcommunicationorexchangesofinformationandprogrammingbetweencommunitiesvirtualspaceforanationalnetworkofcommunitymediaorganizationstohelptoorganizeuni-fiedpolicyadvocacywiderdistributionofpastproductsformationofissue-responseteamstoadvanceinterestsofcommunitygroupsandtapintolocalresourcesandshareddirectoriesofpractitionerstrainersandfacilitiesConveningleadersfromtheaggregatorsandassociationsservingcommunitymediaintheirvariousforms(listedinAppendix2)mightbeagoodnextsteptoexplorethisopportunity
the promiseThepracticeofcommunitymediahasmanagedtogrowandevolveoverthepastsixtyyearsdespiteunevenandgenerallylowlevelsofsupportandinconsistentgovernmentpoliciesEllieRenniearesearchfellowattheInstituteforSocialResearchSwinburneUniversityofTechnologyhaswrittenthatcommunitymediaareoftendefinednegativelyforwhattheyareopposedtoratherthanpositivelyforwhattheyhaveachieved(Rennie2006)Weareawarethatcom-munitymediahaveoftenbeendismissedasmarginalandidiosyncraticbuttheexamplescitedinthisreportprovidepowerfulevidencetothecontraryItistimetodefinecommunitymediabywhattheyhaveachievedCommunitymediaattheirbesthaveconsistentlydemonstratedtheirpotentialtoempowercommunitiesandindividualstoparticipateascitizensincommunityandeconomicdevelop-mentartseducationcommunitydialogandpoliticaldebateInmanyinstancestheyhavebecomecentralcul-turalsurvivalinstitutionsasourcommunitiesdealwiththeimpactofcommercialmediasaturationandglobalization
Duringtheroundtablediscussionsthattookplaceaspartofthisscanitwasobviousthatthevalueofcom-munitymediatocommunitiestranscendsthemeasurableeffectsofcivicengagementandcommunitydevelopmentCommunitymediacanallowindividualsincommunitiestohaveprofoundexperiencesofactivelyexpressingthem-selvesthroughmediaForpeoplewhohaveseenthemselvesaspassivereceptorsatthebottomofacascadeofpackagedmediaexperiencesandmessagesactiverepresentationoftheirownlivesandcircumstanceshasatransformativeeffectthatgoesbeyondsimplephraseslikeldquocivicengage-mentrdquoThevalueofcommunitymediatoindividualsandthecommunitiestheyliveinisincalculable
hellipaffordablebroadbandandwirelessnetworkinfrastructurewithastrongcommunitybenefitsagreement
anationalsupportnetworkforexistingcommunitymediaorganizations
Appendix 1 Community media empowerment StrategieS
empoWerment Activity ApproAch infrAstructure or venue
AccessAccesstocommunicationsinfrastructureproductiontools
MakingavailablemediaproductiontoolscomputerstelevisionandradiodistributionInternetsoftwarecommunitycommunicationsinfrastructuremeetingspacewebservers
Democraticcitizenaccesstocommunicationstoolsanddisseminationinfrastructure
CablebroadbandmunicipaltelecomInternetWiFiWiMAXlocalandpublicservicebroadcasting
AlternativeContent CreationofvideoaudiofilmwebsitesInternet-basedcitizenmediaP2Pmediabloggingsocialnetworkingsoftwaredatabasesandprintproduction
Contentpositionedtocounterorsupplementmassmediacontentandinformationfrommainstreamsources
AllplatformswithanincreasingexpansionwithinIPNetworksandcross-platformproductionanddissemination
CompetencyLiteracyMedialiteracyinformationliteracydigitalliteracyandculturalliteracy
Mediaartsandaestheticeducationlearningtogainacivicvoiceinamediaculturearticulationofmediabiasesengaginginmediaandpoliticsunderstandingcommoditycultureparentinginamedia-saturatedhome
Interventioninthecomplexmanipulationofsymbolsandculture
Allmassmediaprintelectronic
CommunityBuilding Workforcetrainingandskillbuildingmicro-enterprisedevelopmentbusinessinfrastructuredevelopment
Communityorganizingparticipatoryplanningdemocraticeconomicdevelopmentworkforceandinfrastructuredevelopment
Localmediamunicipaltelecominfrastructurecomputerandtechnologyincubatorsandtechnologycenters
0
Itisdifficulttounderstandthefullscopeofcommu-nitymediaculturewithoutknowingofthefollowingorganizationswhichsupportcommunitymediaand
independentmediapracticesTheyplayanumberofrolesasnationalassociationsrepresentingnetworksofcommu-nitymediaorganizationsandmediaartsorganizationsasproducernetworksandstrategiccommunicationsplannerslinkingcommunityorganizationswithcommunitymediaorganizationsasorganizationsofcommunityactivistsandproducersworkingtomoreeffectivelysupportandusecommunitymediaandascollaboratorsandpartnersincommunitydevelopmenttrainingandeducation
ActiveVoicehttpwwwactivevoicenet
AllianceforCommunityMediahttpwwwalliancecmorg
AssociationforCommunityNetworking
httpwwwafcnorg
CommunityMediaWorkshophttpwwwnewstipsorg
CommunityTechnologyCentersrsquoNetwork
httpwwwctcnetorg
DeepDishTVhttpdeepdishtvorg
FreeSpeechTVhttpwwwfreespeechorg
IndependentTelevisionServicehttpwwwitvsorg
IndependentMediaCenterIndymedia
httpwwwindymediaorg
LatinoPublicBroadcastinghttpwwwlpbporg
LinkTVhttplinktvorg
LPFMDatabasecom
httpwwwangelfirecomnj2piratejimlpfmhtml
MediaTankhttpwwwmediatankorg
MediaWorkingGrouphttpwwwmwgorg
NationalAllianceforMediaArtsandCulture
httpwwwnamacorg
NationalAsianAmericanTelecommunicationsAssochttp
asianamericanmediaorgindexhtml
NativeAmericanPublicTelecommunications
httpasianamericanmediaorgindexhtml
NationalBlackProgrammingConsortium
httpwwwnbpctv
NationalFederationofCommunityBroadcasters
httpwwwnfcborg
NationalPublicRadiohttpwwwnpr
NationalPublicTelecomputingNetworkhttpwwwnptnorg
PaperTigerTelevisionhttpwwwpapertigerorg
PacificIslandersinCommunications
httpwwwpiccomorg
PewCenterforCivicJournalismhttpwwwpewcenterorg
PrometheusRadioProject
httpwwwprometheusradioorg
PublicBroadcastingServicehttpwwwpbsorg
PublicRadioExchangehttpwwwprxorg
ReclaimtheMediahttpwwwreclaimthemediaorg
StarfishTelevisionNetworkhttpwwwstarfishtvorg
WebsitesofUSPEGAccessChannels
httpwwwbevcamorgpeg
WorldAssociationofCommunityRadioBroadcasters
httpwwwamarcorg
Appendix 2 aggregatorS and aSSoCiationS
Appalshophttpwwwappalshoporg
BayAreaVideoCoalitionhttpwwwbavcorg
BeyondMediaEducationhttpwwwbeyondmediaorg
CambridgeCommunityTelevisionhttpwwwcctvcambridgeorg
CasaGuatemalaMediaProjecthttpwwwcasaguatemalaorg
CharlotteObserverhttpwwwcharlottecom
ChicagoAccessNetworkTelevisionhttpwwwcantvorg
GrandRapidsCommunityMediaCenterhttpgrcmcorg
GrandNethttpwwwgrcmcorgnposervicesitphp
GRTVhttpwwwgrcmcorgtv
ideastreamhttpwwwideastreamorg
IFPMinnesotaCenterforMediaArtshttpwwwifpnorthorgabouthtml
IntermediaArtshttpwwwintermediaartsorg
KartemquinFilmshttpwwwkartemquincom
KBOOhttpwwwkbooorg
KFAIhttpwwwkfaiorg
LowellTelecommunicationsCenterhttpltcorg
ManhattanNeighborhoodNetworkhttpmnnorg
MediaArtsProjecthttpwwwthemaporg
MetroGovernmentCommunityMediaInitiativehttpwwwmetro-regionorg
MetropolitanAustinInteractiveNetworkhttpwwwmainorg
MinneapolisTelevisionNetworkhttpwwwmtnorg
MinnesotaChannelhttpwwwtptorgmnchannelnew
MinnesotaPublicRadiohttpminnesotapublicradioorghttpminnesotapublicradioorgpublicinsightjournalism
MountainAreaInformationNetworkhttpmainncus
MtHoodCableRegulatoryCommissionhttpwwwmhcrcorg
NewAmericaMediahttpnewsnewamericamediaorgnews
NewRoutestoCommunityHealthhttpwwwnewroutesorg
NorthwestFilmandVideoCenterhttpwwwnwfilmorg
OneClevelandhttpwwwoneclevelandorg
OregonPublicBroadcastinghttpwwwopborg
PortlandCommunityMediahttpwwwpcmtvorg
RadioArtehttpwwwwrteorg
SaintPaulNeighborhoodNetworkhttpwwwspnnorg
ScribeVideoCenterhttpwwwscribeorg
SoundPartnersforCommunityHealthhttpwwwsoundpartnersorg
StreetLevelYouthMediahttpwwwstreet-levelorg
TwinCitiesDailyPlanethttpwwwtcdailyplanetnet
TwinCitiesMediaAlliancehttpwwwtcmediaallianceorg
TwinCitiesPublicTelevisionhttpwwwtptorg
URTVhttpwwwurtvorg
WalkerArtCenterhttpwwwwalkerartorgindexwac
WCIW-LPhttppacificanetworkorgradiocontentview17542httpwwwciw-onlineorg
WGBHhttpwwwwgbhorg
WHYYhttpwhyyorg
WPVMhttpwwwwpvmorg
WYBEhttpwwwwybeorg
WYCEhttpwwwgrcmcorgradio
YouthChannelhttpwwwyouthchannelorg
Appendix 3 Community media praCtitionerSWebsitesofthosepractitionersmentionedinthetext
AndersonRachelBenton Digital Beat Extra Noncommercial Networks on DBSWashingtonDCBentonFoundation2000
AufderheidePatricialdquoCableAccessTVandthePublicSphererdquoinThe Daily Planet A Critic on the Capitalist Culture BeatMinneapolisandLondonUniversityofMinnesotaPress2000a
AufderheidePatriciaIn The Battle for Reality Social Documentaries in the USWashingtonDCAmericanUniversityCenterforSocialMedia2003
AufderheidePatricialdquoTheWhatandHowofPublicBroadcastingrdquoinThe Daily Planet A Critic on the Capitalist Culture BeatMinneapolisandLondonUniversityofMinnesotaPress2000b
AynteAbdirahmanldquoSomaliWebsitesACompetitiveAlternativeMediaandaFarcetoReckonWithrdquoHiiraan Onlinehttpwwwhiiraancomnews2006aprsomali_websitesaspx
AzzouzBushraTomChamberlinandMarleneFarnumThe Community Media Project Building Community through Media(Aproposedmodelforafive-yearinitiativetoproducelocaltelevisionprogrammingthatbroadensthedialogueonissuesimportanttotheOregoncommunityandcreatesastrongsenseofplace)PortlandORMetroDecember2000
BarlowWilliamldquoCommunityRadiointheUSTheStruggleForADemocraticMediumrdquoinMedia Culture and SocietyVol10(1988)
BenklerYochaiThe Wealth of Networks How Social Production Transforms Markets and FreedomNewHavenYaleUniversityPress2006
BentonFoundationDigital Alliances Partners in Public
Service Models for CollaborationUniversityParkPAThePennsylvaniaStateUniversity2002
BlauAndrewDeep Focus A Report on the Future of Independent MediaSanFranciscoNationalAllianceforMediaArtsandCulture2004
BowmanShayneandChrisWillisWe Media How Audiences Are Shaping the Future of News and InformationEditedbyJDLasicaRestonVATheMediaCenteratTheAmericanPressInstitute2003httpwwwhypergenenetwemediadownloadwe_mediapdf
BurnettRonldquoFromCommunityMediatoInternationalNetworksrdquoCritical Approaches to Culture + Communications + HypermediaNovember182005httpwwweciadca~rburnettWeblogarchives200511from_communityhtml
CanoAndrealdquoMicroradioAToolforCommunityEmpowermentrdquoinPublic Broadcasting and the Public InterestEditedbyMichaelPMcCauleyEricEPetersonBLeeArtzandDeeDeeHalleckLondonMESharpe2003
CarnegieCommissiononEducationalTelevisionPublic Television A Program for ActionNewYorkBantam1967
CastellsManuelThe Rise of the Network Society The Information Age Economy Society and CultureVolumes12amp3MaldenMABlackwellPublishersInc2005
ChesterJeffBeyond Broadcast Expanding Public Media in the Digital AgeWashingtonDCCenterforDigitalDemocracyFebruary2006httpwwwdemocraticmediaorgBBBBfrontphp
ChristensenPaulNanMcIntyreandLynnPikholzldquoBridgingCommunityandEconomicDevelopmentAStrategyforUsingIndustryClusterstoLinkNeighborhoodsandtheRegionalEconomyrdquo(reportfundedbytheFordFoundation)ClevelandShorebankEnterpriseGroup2005
ldquoCitizenJournalismrdquoissueofNieman ReportsCambridgeMATheNiemanFoundationforJournalismatHarvardUniversityVol59No4Winter2005eMprintNewsbookhttpwwwniemanharvardedureports05-4NRwinterNR05W_Citizen_Journalismpdf
City PagesldquoBestPublicAccessCableTVProgramSomaliTVrdquoBestoftheTwinCities2004MNApril282004httpcitypagescombestof2004artsandentertainmentbestof2379asp
bibliogrAphy
CruzRossanaReguilloldquoTheOracleintheCityBeliefsPracticesandSymbolicGeographiesrdquoinGlobal Cities of the South (Social Text)EditedbyAshleyDawsonandBrentHayesEdwardsTranslatedbyBrentHayesEdwardsandNoraNicoliniDurhamNCDukeUniversityPress81(Volume22Number4)Winter2004
DeLasCasasLucywithSimonBurallJohnMorrisonDavidKaleteandJagadanandaldquoGlobalMediaReformandAccountabilityReportfromtheNationalMediaReformConferencerdquoStLouis2005httpwwwoneworldtrustorgpagesdownloadcfmdid=281
DevineRobertHldquoVideoAccessandAgencyrdquoConferencepresentationTheNationalFederationofLocalCableProgrammersStPaulMNJuly171992
DirlinMartyandCathyMelioldquoTheGrassrootsRadioMovementintheUnitedStatesrdquoinPublic Broadcasting and the Public InterestEditedbyMichaelPMcCauleyEricEPetersonBLeeArtzandDeeDeeHalleckLondonMESharpe2003
DowningJohnDHwithTamaraVillarealFordGeneveGilandLauraSteinRadical Media Rebellious Communication and Social MovementsThousandOaksCASagePublications2001
EgerJohnldquoCreativeClustersandtheUrbanEconomyrdquoGovernment and Technology(February62006)httpwwwgovtechnetnewsnewsphpid=98345
EgerJohnMThe Creative Community Forging The Links Between Art Culture Commerce amp CommunityTheCaliforniaInstituteforSmartCommunitiesSanDiegoStateUniversity2005httpwwwsmartcommunitiesorgcreativeCreativeCommBroFINALpdf
EngelmanRalphPublic Radio and Television in America A Political HistoryThousandOaksCASagePublications1996
GillespieGilbertPublic Access Television in the United States and CanadaNewYorkPraegerPublishers1975
GillmorDanWe the Media Grassroots Journalism by the People for the PeopleSebastopolCAOrsquoReillyMediaInc2006
GrahamStephenandSimonMarvinTelecommunications and the City Electronic Spaces Urban PlacesLondonandNewYorkRoutledge1996
HalleckDeeDeeHand-Held Visions The Impossible Possibilities of Community MediaNewYorkFordhamUniversityPress2002
HigginsJohnWldquoAlternativeMediaandtheCultofIndividualismExperiencesfromUSPublicAccessTVrdquoPaperpresentedattheldquoOurMediardquopre-conferenceoftheInternationalAssociationforMediaandCommunicationResearchCommunityCommunicationSectionBarcelonaSpainJuly202002httpwwwourmedianetorgpapersom2002Higginsom2002pdf
HowleyKevinCommunity Media People Places and Communication TechnologiesCambridgeCambridgeUniversityPress2005
HoynesWilliamldquoThePBSBrandandtheMerchandisingofthePublicServicerdquoinPublic Broadcasting and the Public InterestEditedbyMichaelPMcCauleyEricEPetersonBLeeArtzandDeeDeeHalleckLondonMESharpe2003
JankowskiNicholasWldquoCommunityMediaResearchAQuestforTheoreticallyGroundedModelsrdquoThePublicVol1015(2003)httpmokkbmehucentreconferencesreactivismFPfpNJ
JankowskiNicholasWandOlePrehnedsCommunity Media in the Information Age Perspectives and ProspectsCresskillNJHamptonPress2002
LashScottThe Critique of InformationLondonSagePublications2002
ListerMartinJonDoveySethGiddingsIainGrantandKieranKellyNew Media A critical IntroductionLondonandNewYorkRoutledge2003
LloydMarkldquoRadioandLocalismWhatWhenWrongrdquoinContext(publishedbytheCenterforCommunicationsandCommunityUCLA)IssueNo4(WinterSpring2006)
MacintyreBenldquoWelcometotheNewTomPainesrdquoTimesOnlineNovember132004httpwwwtimesonlinecouktolcommentarticle390484ece
MaherVincentTowards a Critical Media Studies Approach to the BlogosphereNewMediaLabPublicationSchoolofJournalismandMediaStudiesRhodesUniversitySouthAfrica2006
MetroCommunity Media Project Evaluation Report PortlandORMetroJuly2004
MostStephenldquoBAVCandTheBigPicturerdquoinA Closer Look Media Arts 2002EditedbyHelenDeMichielSanFranciscoNationalAllianceforMediaArtsandCulture2002
NewAmericaMedialdquoEthnicMediainAmericaTheGiantHiddeninPlainSightrdquoPollconductedbyBendixenampAssociates2005httpnewsnewamericamediaorgnewsview_articlehtmlarticle_id=0443821787ac0210cbecebe8b1f576a3
OlsonBillThe History of Public Access Television2000httpwwwgeocitiescomiconostarhistory-public-access-TVhtml200415
PewCenterforCivicJournalismldquoDoingCivicJournalismrdquo2007httpwwwpewcenterorgdoingcj
PierceSteveldquoDBSandthePublicInterestOpportunityinSatelliteTelevisionrdquoinPublic Broadcasting and the Public InterestEditedbyMichaelPMcCauleyEricEPetersonBLeeArtzandDeeDeeHalleckLondonMESharpe2003
PhilipsSusanldquoTrueCommunityTowardaCollaborativeEthosScribersquoslsquoTrueCommunityVisionrsquordquoinA Closer Look Media Arts 2002EditedbyHelenDeMichielSanFranciscoNationalAllianceforMediaArtsandCulture2002
PorterMichaelEldquoLocationCompetitionandEconomicDevelopmentLocalClustersinaGlobalEconomyrdquoEconomic Development Quarterly14no1(February2000)15-34
ProjectforExcellenceinJournalismldquoMajorTrendsrdquoinState of the News Media 2006 An Annual Report on American Journalismhttpwwwstateofthenewsmediaorg2006nar-rative_overview_eightaspcat=2ampmedia=1
PrometheusRadioProjectldquoOurFifthBarnraisingmdashWCIW-LPinImmokaleeFloridardquohttpprometheusradioorgcontentview48952006
RennieEllieCommunity Media A Global IntroductionLanhamMDRowmanandLittlefieldPublishers2006
RodriguezClemenciaFissures in the Mediascape An International Study of Citizenrsquos MediaCresskillNJHamptonPress2001
SchafferJanldquoCitizensMediaHasItReachedaTippingPointrdquoinldquoCitizenJournalismrdquoissueofNieman Reports CambridgeMATheNiemanFoundationforJournalismatHarvardUniversityVol59No4Winter2005aeMprintNewsbookhttpwwwniemanharvardedureports05-4NRwinterNR05W_Citizen_Journalismpdf
SchafferJanInterviewonThe NewsHour With Jim Lehrer PBSEveningNewsNovember162005b
SchulerDouglasldquoTheRiseofCommunityNetworksrdquoInternet WorldDecember1995
SchulerDougandPeterDayShaping the Network Society The New Role of Civil Society in CyberspaceCambridgeandLondonMITPress2004
ShirkyClayPower Laws Weblogs and Inequality EconomicsampCultureMediaampCommunityBlog2005OpenSourcehttpshirkycomwritingspowerlaw_webloghtml
ShirkyClaySocial Software and the Politics of GroupsEconomicsampCultureMediaampCommunityBlog2005OpenSourcehttpshirkycomwritingsgroup_politicshtml
Somerset-WardRichardBroadband Community Networks Building the Digital CommonsAreportfortheHaasCharitableTrustsPhiladelphia2005
Somerset-WardRichardConnecting Communities WashingtonDCBentonFoundation2000
Spannerworkse-bookWhat is Social MediaJanuary2007httpwwwspannerworkscomebooks
StarrJeroldMldquoPublicTelevisionintheDigitalAgeTownHallorCyberMallrdquoinPublic Broadcasting and the Public InterestEditedbyMichaelPMcCauleyEricEPetersonBLeeArtzandDeeDeeHalleckLondonMESharpe2003
SteinLauraldquoPublicAccessTelevisionandGrassrootsCommunicationintheUnitedStatesrdquoChapter20inRadical Media Rebellious Communication and Social MovmentsEditedbyJohnDowningThousandOaksCASagePublications2001
SussmanGeraldandJREstesldquoCommunityRadioinCommunityDevelopmentPortlandrsquosKBOORadiordquoinThe Portland Edge Challenges and Successes in Growing CommunitiesEditedbyConniePOzawaPortlandStateUniversityIslandPress2004
WhitneyJenniferldquoMakeMediaMakeRealTroubleWhatrsquosWrong(andRight)withIndymediardquoLiPMagazineJune212005httpwwwlipmagazine
orgarticlesfeatwhitney_indymedia_phtml
communitiesspotlightedbelowhavebegunincorporatingpartnershipsandcross-platformcollaborationintothepracticeofcommunitymediaandhavebeguntoreapthebenefitsofthatapproach
Portland OregonTheMetro Government Community Media InitiativeillustratesthepotentialpowerofcommunitiesworkingtogethertoproducetheirownmediaratherthanhavingtheirstoryframedbycommercialnewsorganizationsAlthoughtheprojecthasnowendeditisincludedherebecauseitprovidedsuchastrongmodelforfuturecommu-nitymediaeffortsTheinitiativewasrootedinaproposalbylocalindependentfilmmakerTomChamberlinthatlocalmediamakerscommunitymediaorganizationscommunitygroupsandgovernmentagenciescollaboratetoproducepublicaffairstelevisionprogramsonissuesofconcerntoOregoniansMetroauniqueregionalgovernmentprimarilyresponsibleforregionalland-useandtransportationplan-ningtookChamberlinrsquosideatoheartWithagrantfromtheFederalHighwayAdministrationMetroandanallianceofcommunityorganizationsandgovernmentagenciesdevel-opedldquoZigZagRealStoriesNewAnglesrdquoaprogrambylocalfilmmakersfeaturingpersonalstoriesfromadiversegroupofregionalresidentsastheygrappledwiththetransporta-tionchoicesaffectingtheirfamiliesneighborhoodsandcommunities
InadditiontothecenterpiecebroadcastonOregon Public BroadcastingtheprojectcreatedaninteractivewebsiteanddistributedaDVDoftheprogramtothearearsquoscableaccesschannelsElementsoftheprojectalsofoundtheirwayontoPortlandrsquoscommunityradiostationKBOOandpacketsincludingextensivesupportmaterialsandDVDsweremadeavailableforscreeninginneighborhoodcentersandindependentmediavenuesTherewasalsoaplanninganddeliberationprocesstostrategizeabouthowcitizensgovernmentsandmediamakerscancollaboratetocreatecommunitydialogueandsolvecivicproblems
Asurbanspaceisincreasinglydefinedbytelecom-municationsasmuchastransportationandlandusetheprojectalsoillustratesthepowerfuloutcomesthat
canresultwhenregionaltelecommunicationsplanningbecomesintegratedwithlanduseandtransportationplan-ningandwhencommunitymediaareintegratedintobothformalandinformalprocessesofplanninganddelibera-tionTheMetroCommunityMediaInitiativeresultedinasignificantandmeasurableriseinregionalawarenessofthetransportationplanningissuesaddressedbytheproj-ectViewershipandDVDusesofthemediaincommunitysettingsexceededexpectations(Metro2004)AlthoughtheprojectwasnotimmediatelyreplicatedPortlandnowenjoyscontinuingcollaborationsbetweenMetrogovern-mentanditsareacommunitymedia
ParticipationintheMetroGovernmentCommunityMediaInitiative isonlyoneofthemanywaysPortlandrsquosKBOOradiohasdemonstrateditsfullcommitmenttotheoriginaldemocraticintentionsofcommunityradiooverthecourseofitsforty-two-yearhistoryOlderthanNationalPublicRadioKBOOisamongthelongest-liv-ingcommunityradiostationsintheUnitedStatesOfthenoncommercialradiostationsinPortlandKBOOistheonlystationwhosemissioncontainsanexplicitcommit-menttominorityprogrammersandlisteners(SussmanandEstes2004)KBOOrsquoscommitmenttodemocraticpracticeextendstoaboardofdirectorselectedentirelyfromitsmembershipwhichisopentoanyoneandanaggressivetrainingprogramconsistentwiththestationrsquoscommitmenttovolunteer-producedprogrammingmdashallprogrammingisproducedbyvolunteerswithassistanceofpaidstaffTheparticipationofwomenandminoritiesfarexceedthecommunityrsquosracialdemographics(SussmanandEstes2004)
Portland Community Media (PCM)hasarichtwenty-three-yearhistoryinPortlandwhenitcomestousingmediatobuildcommunityPCMstartedoutasacabletelevisionaccesscenterandstillprovidestheadminis-trationandtrainingtoprogramPortlandrsquoscableaccesschannelsbuthasexpandeditsmissiontoembracetheuseofcommunitymediatobringaboutbroaderparticipationincivicandculturallifePCMrsquoswebsitedescribesthecenterldquowiththreewordsndashEducateCommunicateParticipaterdquoCurrentlyPCMhasanumberofcollaborativeprojectssup-portingmedialiteracyandmediaeducationinthepublicschoolsystemitregularlyprogramsmediaproductionsfromPortlandrsquosmediaartscentertheNorthwestFilmandVideoCenteranditisplanningtoexpanditscentertosupporteconomicdevelopmentofmicroenterprisesfornewmedia
The Mt Hood Cable Regulatory Commission(MHCRC)overseesacable-relatedtelecommunicationsdevelopmentforgreaterPortlandOregonServing
Oftenthemostsuccessfulexamplesofcommunitymediaemergeoutofongoingalliancesandcollaborationsamonglocalcommunitymediagroups
thecommunitiesresidentsandlocalgovernmentsofFairviewGreshamPortlandTroutdaleWoodVillageandMultnomahCountyOregonTheMtHoodCableRegulatoryCommissionnegotiatesandenforcescableservicefran-chiseandactsinthepublicinterestoncommunicationspolicyissuesatlocalstateandfederallevelsItwouldbehardtooverstatetheimportanceofMHCRCinfosteringthegrowthofcommunitymediaingreaterPortlandThroughclearandinsightfulregulationofthecablefranchiseithasassuredthatthenecessarynetworksandtelecommu-nicationsinfrastructureareavailabletoallowcommunitymediatogrow
MtHoodrsquosCommunityAccessCapitalGrantsProgramisparticularlynoteworthyTheCapitalGrantsprogramprovidescapitalfundingtocommunicationsprojectsthatsupportsocialjusticecommunityinvolve-mentandtheeffectivedeliveryofservicesthroughcostreductionTheprogramhasallowedscoresofcommunitygroupstoincreasetheircommunicationscapacitythroughtheacquisitionofskillsknowledgeandtechnologyInimplementingthisgrantprogramtheMtHoodCableRegulatoryCommissionhasbeenextremelystrategicinconveninggranteesandcreatingtheconditionsthatleadtopartnershipsandcollaborativerelationships
TheNorthwest Film and Video Centerisalong-standingregionalmediaartsorganizationservingtheNorthwestregionThecenterprovidesarichprogramnurturingmediaartscultureItfeaturesanactiveexhibi-tionprogramforexperimentalandindependentfilmsahighlyregardedfilmschoolandextensiveyouthmediaprogramsThecenterpresentsanumberofyearlyfilmfestivalsincludingthePortlandInternationalFilmFestivaltheNorthwestFilmandVideoFestivalandtheYoungPeoplersquosFilmampVideoFestivalThecenterrsquosproductionsoftenfindtheirwayontotothearearsquoscablechannelsThecenterisalsoatrustedsourceofequipmentaccessforareaindependentproducersactiveintherichmediacultureofPortlandaservicepartiallysupportedbytheMtHoodCableRegulatoryCommissionrsquosCapitalGrantsprogram
Minneapolis-St Paul MinnesotaTheSaint Paul Neighborhood Network(SPNN)isacableaccessstationservingStPaulresidentsThestationprovidesopportunitiestothepublictoproduceandairprogramsononeofitsfivechannelsdedicatedtomulti-faithpubliceducationcommunityandinternationalcontentrespectivelySPNNhasayoutheducationprogramandacommunityproductionsprogramwhichworkswithnonprofitorganizationstocreatepublicserviceadvertise-
mentsorprogrammingWorkshopsincludeproductiongrantproposalwritinglegalquestionsandlightingSPNNisparticularlyeffectiveasconvenerandcapacitybuilderinitscommunityItseducationandtrainingprogramsarefocusedoncommunitydevelopmentandonkeepingthetechnicaltrainingelementsofitsworkinasocialperspective
Minneapolis Television Network(MTN)isSPNNrsquossisteraccessstationservingMinneapoliswithasimilarcommitmenttoprovidingacommunitygatheringplaceOperatingthreepublicaccesschannelsMTNofferstelevi-siontrainingandmedialiteracyclassesandisespeciallyencouragingofyouthparticipationThechannelsserveasabridgeforimmigrantstouseinadaptingtotheirnewhomemanynewimmigrantsusethemtocommunicateintheirnativelanguageswiththeirSomaliEthiopianorVietnamesecompatriotsSomali-languageprogramsforinstanceoffereighthoursaweekofmusicentertainmentcommunitynewsandreligiousinstructiontooneofthelargestsettlementsofSomalipeopleoutsideSomaliaIntoutingSomalitelevisionasthebestpublicaccesscabletelevisionprogramintheTwinCitiesCity Pages saidldquoForsomepublicaccessisanearlyinspiringlessonindemocracyandfreemediardquo(CityPages2004)WantingtostrengthenthenonprofitcommunityrsquosInternetsavvyMTNcreatedandeventuallyspunofftheRiverProjecttoofferInternetdial-upaccessandwebhostingtononprofits
PublicbroadcastershavealsoofferedstrongmodelsofcommunitycollaborationintheTwinCities Twin Cities Public Television(TPT)isthepublictelevisionstationservingtheMinneapolisndashStPaulregionIn2004TPTbegandedicatingtimeononeofitsdigitalchan-nelstoMinnesota-relatedprogrammingAnumberoftheprogramsontheMinnesota Channel(someofwhicharethencablecastonpublicaccesstelevision)aretargetedatLatinoHmongHindiMiddleEasternChineseandVietnamesecommunitiesandproducedinpartnershipwithnonprofitorganizationsTPTisapartnerintheMinnesotaCommunityCampaignthatencouragesurbanandruralareasinandaroundtheTwinCitiestowelcomethetensofthousandsofimmigrantsandrefugeesthathavesettledthereinthepastseveraldecadesSeekingtoeffectpositivechangeonimmigrantissuesthroughartmediaeducationsocialserviceandpolicymakingthecampaignproducedtheldquoTheNewMinnesotansrdquoasixty-minuteprogramthatoriginallyairedonTPTbasedontheKartemquinseriesldquoTheNewAmericansrdquo
InadditiontocommunityradiostationKFAItheTwinCitiesishometoMinnesota Public Radio(MPR)
whichhaspioneeredafreshapproachtojournalismcalledpublicinsightjournalism(PIJ)PIJtapsintothecollectiveknowledgeofMPRrsquosdiverseaudiencetoenrichitsreport-ingCreatingaten-thousand-personPublicInsightNetworkviathewebthestationinvitesthepublictobesourcesofstoryideasreactionsandperspectivesandbrainstormingonpublicissues
TheindependentfilmandvideocommunityworkscollaborativelyintheTwinCitiestosupportandpromoteartistandcommunityperspectivesIFP Minnesota Center for Media Arts Intermedia ArtsandtheWalker Art Center areamongthemulti-disciplinaryvenuesfordiscus-sionandproduction
AndtheInternetishometoanewaggregationofcommunitymediasourcesAccordingtoitswebsitethe Twin Cities Daily PlanetaprojectoftheTwinCitiesMediaAllianceisldquoacommunitynewswireandsyndicationserviceshowcasingthebestworkoftheneighborhoodandcommunitypressaswellasworkbyTwinCitiesindepen-dentjournalistsandthevoicesofengagedcitizensThepremiseoftheTC Daily PlanetisthatnewtechnologiesaremakingitpossibleforthesecitizenstobecomemoreactiveandpowerfulparticipantsinthenewsproductionprocessrdquoModeledafterKorearsquosOhmyNewstheTC Daily Planetseekstoimprovethequalitydiversityandaccount-abilityofthelocalmediaandtoinvolvetherapidlygrowingimmigrantandethniccommunitiesItrecruitsandofferstrainingtocitizenjournalistsandhaspartnershipswithoverfortyneighborhoodandcommunitymedia
Chicago IllinoisChicago Access Network Television(CAN-TV)offersfivepublicaccesschannelstoChicagolandresidentsThispublicspaceprovidesChicagoansanopportunitytodiscussissuesoflocalconcernpromotehealtheducationalandeconomicresourcesinthecommunityandcelebratelocaltalentandinitiativesCAN-TVprovidesvideotrainingequipmentandfacilitiesforarearesidentsandnonprofitgroupsItvideotapesandcablecastspublicforumstownhallmeetingscommunityeventsandotheractivitiesoflocalinterestThroughthisservicethestationprovidesChicagoanswithaccesstoinformationtheymaynototh-erwisehavethroughcommercialtelevisionForinstanceCAN-TVworkedwitheighttotenAIDSagenciestodissemi-natebasiceducationaboutAIDSpreventionvialivecall-inprograms
CAN-TVsupportsChicagorsquosassociationsandnonprof-itsthroughserviceslikeliveldquohot-linerdquocall-inshowsfrom
automatedstudiosthatonepersoncanoperateproductionservicesthatgenerateprogrammingforcommunityeventsandstrategiccommunicationsplanningworkshopsCAN-TVhasrefusedtofollowasimplisticldquoneutralityrdquoprogram-mingphilosophyinwhichtheaccesscentertransmitsonlyprogrammingthatrandomlycomesfromthecommunityInsteadCAN-TVactivelycreatesprogrammingimportanttocommunitydevelopmentInadditiontoitsfocusonnonprofitsCAN-TVactivelycreatespartnershipswithcon-tent-richgroupssuchaslocalmuseumsandartsgroupsItalsopartnerswithlocalmediaactivistproductiongroupslikeVideoMacheteandStreetLevelYouthMedia(profiledbelow)SimilarlyCAN-TVaggressivelyengagesinprogram-mingforlocalelectionsatypicalelectionseasonwillgeneratearoundtwohundredhoursoforiginalprogram-mingeachmonthandnearlyallthecandidateswillbefeaturedoractuallycreatetheirownCAN-TVprogrammingtocarryouttheircampaigns
Street-Level Youth MediaprovidesopportunitiesforChicagorsquosurbanyouthtousemediaartsandemergingtechnologiesforself-expressioncommunicationandsocialchangeItsstaffprovidesinstructioninvideoandaudioproductioncomputerartandtheInternettohelpyouthaddresscommunityissuesaccessadvancedcommunica-tionstechnologyandgaininclusioninsocietyInoneprojectitcollaboratedwithtwoseventh-gradeteachersandanESLinstructortohelpstudentsresearchissuesaboutimmigrationinoneneighborhoodTheteachersweretrainedtousevideoandthentrainedotherteacherswhoguidedtheirstudentsinproducingvideosforscreeningattheschoolMorethanthirtyvideoswerecreatedandvideotrainingandusehasbeenincorporatedintotheschoolcurriculum
Radio Arte(WRTE)istheonlybilingual(Spanish-English)youth-operatedurbancommunitystationinthecountryItoperateswithafocusonyouthinChicagorsquosPilsenandLittleVillageneighborhoodsAninitiativeoftheNationalMuseumofMexicanArtthiseducationalradiostationhasservedChicagoformorethansixyearstrainingyouthwithapriorityondevelopingindividualandgroupcommunicationcompetenciesthatallowyoungpeopletoenterpubliclifewithconfidencethroughthebroadcastmediumProvidingaforumforyoungpeopletobecreativeandresponsibletothelargestMexicancommunityintheMidwestRadioArteiscommittedtotrainingyoungpeopleintheartofbroadcastingRadioArtersquosuniquetwo-yeartrainingprogramprovidesyouthwithspecialcoursesonwritingforradioandjournalismvoicetrainingand
FCCregulationsaswellasbasiccomputerskillsproduc-tionskillsandon-airtrainingParticipatingintwograntroundsofSoundPartnersforCommunityHealththestationrsquosldquoRadioVidardquoproducedprogrammingonsubstanceabuseandaddictionbyandforLatinoyouth
Casa Guatemala Media Projectisanonprofitcommunity-basedorganizationthatservestheGuatemalanandbroaderLatinAmericancommunityinChicagoandtheMidwestSinceitsfoundingin1986ithasusedmediaincludingwebprintTVandradiotoraiseconsciousnessaboutissuesaffectingcommunitiesfromLatinAmericaInparticularitworkswithCAN-TVtoprovidetheeducationalcomponentofself-authoredmediathatwillpositivelytrans-formcommunitiesthroughworkshopsontheproductionandalternativeusesofemergingtechnologies
Beyond Media EducationworkswithunderservedandunderrepresentedcommunitiesprimarilywomenandyouthtotelltheirstoriesandorganizeforsocialjusticethroughthecreationanddistributionofalternativemediaandartsInarecenteffortitworkedwithaChicagosheltertohelpstreetwalkerstelltheirownstoriesinanefforttoraisepublicawarenessandpromotestate-levelreformsTheorganizationorganizedasix-monthworkshopthatincludedteachingandpracticingstorytellingpublicspeak-ingandvideoproductionskillstooveradozenprostitutesTheirgroundbreakingvideogivesinsightsintoChicagorsquossextradeindustryandrecountsthetriumphofthepar-ticipantsoverhomelessnessviolenceanddiscriminationTheirlobbyinginthestatecapitolresultedinpassageofabilltodestigmatizeanddecriminalizesexworkers
Keepingtabsonandshowcasingmuchofthecom-munitymediaactivityfromajournalisticperspectiveistheCommunity Media Workshop (CMW) CMWservesasabridgebetweensocialactivistscommunitymediaprac-titionersandjournalistsIthostsanannualacademyforprogressiveorganizationsintheChicagoareathatbringsactivistsandjournaliststogethertoshareideasandatti-tudesProminentareatelevisionandnewspaperjournalistsarerecruitedtoserveonpanelsleadworkshopsandgenerallysharetheirideasofhowprogressivegroupscaneffectivelygaintheattentionofthepressThisapproach
leadstobuy-infromkeypersonnelinChicagorsquosmainstreammediawhocannowbetterunderstandthegrassrootsgroupsthatapproachthemandtheirissuesItalsogivescommunityparticipantsattheworkshopstheopportunitytodevelopmorepersonalrelationshipswithkeymembersofthemediaThisapproachalsoenablescommunitygroupstobetterunderstandwhatmotivateseditorsandreporters
ThesethreecommunitiesshowcommondevelopmentpatternsandfactorsCommunitymediaorganizationshavebeguntounderstandtheirmissionsintermsofasharedcultureofcommunitymedialookingbeyondtheirindivid-ualmissionstothecommonsocialandpoliticalvaluestheyhaveincommonThisapproachopensthewayforcommu-nityradiomediaartscenterscommunitymediacentersandcableaccesstocreatecommunity-wideprograminitiativesinwhichseveralmediaplatformsareengagedItcreatestheconditionsinwhichitispossibleforcommunitymediaorganizationstoactwithunifiedstancesinpoliticaladvocacyregardingmediaissuesandotherissuescriticaltotheircommunitiesThiskindofcross-platformnetworkingalsocreatesopportunitiesforcommunitymediatoreceivemorediversefundingandsupportfromthecommunityastheyextendthenetworkorcultureofcollaborationtocom-munitydevelopmentgroupsandofficialsintheirregions
Communitymediaorganizationshavebeguntounderstandtheirmissionsintermsofasharedcultureofcommunitymedialookingbeyondtheirindividualmissionstothecommonsocialandpoliticalvaluestheyhaveincommon
ldquoThe boldest experiments in public telecommunica-tions take place when technologies are new and their commercial potential not yet fully apparentrdquo mdash Ralph Engelman 1996
Acrosstheirmanyplatformsandmanycommunitiescommunitymediahavebecomecentralculturalinstitutionsinthecivicculturalandeconomiclife
ofourcommunitiesprovidinginvaluablemediaprogram-mingaccessandeducationTheycaninsuchinstancesenablecommunitiestodevelopinformedcitizensartistsandactivistswhopossesstheskillsandknowledgeneededtograpplewithcomplexmedialiteracyanddevelopmentissuesatthelocallevel
Fordecadescommunitymediaorganizationshaveaddressedtheurgentneedtocreatelocalinstitutionsthatfacilitatecitizenaccesstomedianetworksandeffectiveparticipationinmediacultureforbothcitizensandwork-ersTheyareprovingthemselvesvitaltothepoliticalandeconomiclifeoftheircommunitiesTheyplaymultiplerolessimultaneouslyascriticalculturalenhancementstothequalityofciviclifeasemployersandaseducationalsitesforworkforcedevelopment
difficultyNeworganizationalformsandnewmediaformatslikestreamingarchivingpodcastingandbloggingarebecomingthenormpartofldquoblendedrdquoproductionanddis-seminationpracticesincommunitymedia
neW communicAtion spAces cyberjournAlismTheincreaseinInternetbandwidthandtheavailabilityofonlinesocialnetworkingsoftwarehavequalitativelychangedtherelationshipofjournaliststotheiraudiencesNewwebdestinationslikeMySpaceShutterflyFriendsterFlikrEviteandGooglearedevelopingvirtualcommuni-tiesforsharingvideoattractingyoungeraudiencesandmakingcontentmorethanpassiveandone-directionalSocialnetworkingsoftwareenablespeopletorendezvousconnectorcollaboratethroughcomputer-mediatedcom-municationandformonlinecommunities(Spannerworks2007)PopularsocialnetworksoftwareapplicationslikeweblogsorblogsseemparticularlywellsuitedtoparticipatorycitizenjournalismallowingeasypublishingofinteractivetextphotoaudioandvideocontentTheneweasewithwhichvideoclipscanbepreparedforuseonthewebhasbroughtontheriseofldquovlogsrdquoandsitesthatfacilitatethesharingofvideoclipsandaccompanyingcontentAnenormousrangeofblogsandcyberjournalisticsiteshavesprungupontheWorldWideWebinthepastfiveyearswithanequallywiderangeofeditorialstandardsandpracticesTechnoraticomcurrentlytracksseventeenmillionblogssharingoneandahalfmillionhyperlinks(Rennie2006)APewCenterInternetstudyestimatesthatthenumberofregularblogreadersintheUnitedStatesisequivalenttoalmosthalftheentireradioaudiencewhichisaboutaquarteroftheUSnewspaperreadership(Rennie2006)
Combinedwithaffordablenewdigitalmediaproduc-tioncamerasandrecorderstheseweb-baseddisseminationtoolsmakeitpossibleforcitizensandconsumerstoparticipateactivelyinnewsgatheringNonprofessionalshavebeguntoplayamoreactiveroleintheprocessesofjournalismfromcollectinginformationandreportingtoanalysisanddisseminationJanSchafferwhodirectsJ-LabaUniversityofMarylandincubatorforinteractivejournalismprojectsexplainsthatmanypeoplearebecom-ingmoreactivecitizensthroughjournalisticactivitybutdonotnecessarilyaspiretobejournalistsThenewtechnical
envisioning the future of community mediA
Communitymediaorganizationsareprovingthemselvesvitaltothepoliticalandeconomiclifeoftheircommunities
Communitymediaarealsocontributingimportantvaluespracticesandorganizationalmethodologiestotheemergingcollaborativemediaenvironmentsoftheblogo-sphereWecanlooktothesecontributionsastechnologicalandorganizationalopportunitiesforstrengtheningandexpandingcommunitymediapracticeWiththeInternetamediacultureisemergingthatismoreconsistentwiththenoncommercialpracticesofcommunitymediaproductioncollaborationanddemocraticparticipationinmediamak-inganddistributionConsequentlymanycommunitymediaorganizationsareintegratingthecapacitiesoftheInternetandnewmediaintotheirpracticeswithoutmuchfanfareor
0
capacityforcommunicationsheobservesallowspeopletoldquoparticipateinnewsandinformationinvariouswaysmdashparticipateininteractingwithitquestioningittruth-squadingitandcreatingitAndnowthattheyhavethetechtoolsandthetechskillstodothattheappetitehasonlyincreasedrdquo(Schaffer2005b)
SuchconditionshavesetthestageforintensepopularinterestinwhathasbeenbrandedldquowemediardquoorldquoparticipatoryjournalismrdquoTodaynumerousonlinejournalisticexperimentsbringtogetherprofessionaljour-nalistswithcitizenmediaactivistsandthoseinvolvedineventsMoreandmoretheearliestimagesandinformationregardingbreakingnewsarecomingfromnon-journalistspresentatthemomentoftheeventAsaresultjournalistsarebeginningtoconceptualizethemselvesnotsomuchasgatekeepersofnewsbutasmoderatorsinaconversationwithlicenseandtimetospeakfrequentlyandhopefullyaccurately(BowmanandWillis2003)
Thiskindofcommunity-centeredcoveragemayentailthere-balancingofeditorialpoliciesndashcommittingtodiversityembracingegalitarianvaluesandreassessingthevalueofeditorialneutralityItputsintoquestiontheroleandsignificanceofofteninnovativeldquopersonalmediardquoexemplifiedbythemillionsofbloggingsitesontheWebIsthiskindofldquonewsrdquoservingapubliccivicpurposeofcommunityproblemsolvingorindividualprivateexpres-sionInaWashington PostopinionpieceonDecember212006GeorgeKWillvoicedskepticismoftheseriousnessofmuchofthewebrsquosamateurjournalisminresponsetoTimemagazinersquosnamingallofusPersonoftheYear
Itisdifficulttopredictthefutureofcyberjournal-ismandbloggingpreciselyintheseearlystagesbutthreeoutcomesseemlikelyFirstbloggingwillcontinueitsrapidintegrationintomainstreammediacontentSecondblog-gingandotherformsofsocialnetworkingsoftwarewillgiverisetonewmediaentitiesthatwillchallengemainstreammedialocallynationallyandglobally
ThethirdoutcomeistheonemostrelevanttoacommunitymediascanCyberjournalismandparticipatory
citizenjournalismseemparticularlywellsuitedtoaddressthecurrentUSmassmediarsquosdifficultyinprovidingcoverageoflocaleventsinsmallercommunitiessuburbanregionsandcommutercommunitiesthataredevelopingoutsideformalpoliticaljurisdictionsCommunity-basedonlinejournalismsiteshavesprungupinhundredsofcom-munitiesaroundtheUnitedStatesTheyaremanagedandorganizedinwidelydivergentways
AnexperimentincyberjournalismandcommunitynetworkingtheTwin Cities Daily PlanetaggregatessomeofthebestjournalismfromMinnesotarsquosTwinCitiesneighborhoodandcommunitypressandindependentjour-nalistsaswellasthevoicesofengagedcitizenspresentingthemtothepublicthroughaninteractivewebsiteandcommunitydatabaseByaggregatingcitizenandneighbor-hoodjournalisminonesiteitincreasesthecapacityofsmallneighborhoodmediatoreachbeyondtheirborderstoawiderregionalaudienceUsingRealSimpleSyndication(RSS)softwaretheTC Daily Planetcanpotentiallyreachaglobalaudience
AprojectoftheTwinCitiesMediaAlliancetheTC Daily PlanetisaverynewformofcommunitymediaemergingfromtherestructuringofthenewspaperindustryandtheuseofbloggingandsocialnetworkingsoftwareAlthoughearlyinitsdevelopmenttheTC Daily Planetisgivingvoicetoanincreasingnumberofethnicimmi-grantandnon-mainstreamjournalistswhilefocusingthecommunityrsquosattentiononafargreaterrangeofpublicationsandideas
TheearliestexpressionsofcyberjournalismaretheIndependent Media Centers (IMCs)orIndymediaIndymediacameintobeingaspartoftheprotestsanddemonstrationsaroundtheWorldTradeOrganizationtalksheldinSeattleWashingtonin1999ThisfirstIMCwasaconvergenceoftheemerginginteractivityoftheInternetwiththeintenseneedofprotesterstogetindependentinformationouttotheworldabouttheprotestsAnetworkofindependentcommunitymediamakersactivistsandjournalistsbandedtogethertopoolresourcesandinforma-tion(Howley2005)
TheIMCsforeshadowedthebloggingandvideodis-tributionthatwasshortlytoemergebyusingtheInternetandtheWorldWideWebinconjunctionwithvideoandaudiodistributiontocreateatrulyunprecedentedmulti-mediaenvironmentIntermsofbothqualityandquantitytheSeattleIMCwasanimpressiveperformancebyanynewsandcurrentaffairsstandardsOverthecourseofthefive-dayprotestsadailynewspaperanddailyradioprogramwerecreatedandcountlessprintstoriesweredisseminated
Journalistsarebeginningtoconceptualizethemselvesnotsomuchasgatekeepersofnewsbutasmoderatorsinaconversation
globallyalsovideofeedsweresentthroughtheInternettopublicaccessandcommunitychannelsaroundtheworldSixyearsaftertheSeattleproteststherewere149Indymediawebsitesinabout45countriesonsixcontinents(Whitney2005)
TheopenformofcommunicationpracticedbymostIMCsiteshasnotbeenwithoutproblemsandcontra-dictionsManysitesarenowclutteredwithideologicaldiatribesanduneditedcontent(Halleck2002Whitney2005)ButthereareanumberofIndymediasitesthatprovidealternativenewsandinformationregardingaglobalscopeofconcernsthatwouldbeverydifficulttoobtainanywhereelseinthemediaAnumberofsitesinplacessuchasNewYorkCityPortlandOregonandtheSanFranciscoBayareahaveestablishedthemselvesasstablepartsoftheircommunityrsquosmediaculture
companiesspecializedsuppliersserviceprovidersandassociatedinstitutionsinaparticularfieldthatarepresentinanationorregionrdquo(Porter2000)Thecompaniesinanindustryclusterhaveacomplexwebofmutuallysupportingrelationshipsthatencompassbothcompetitiveandcollab-orativerelationshipsTheylinkacrossprofitandnonprofitpracticesutilizecommoninfrastructuremakecommoncontributionstothedevelopmentofahighlyskilledwork-forcesharefundingandinsomecasestalentedstaff
Increasinglycommunitydevelopmentpractitionersandanalystsarecomingtounderstandindustryclustersaspowerfulstrategiesforbotheconomicandcommunitydevelopmentinthetwenty-firstcenturyThisisprovingdoublytruefornonprofitcommunitymediaorganizationswhoseroleitistobringpowerfultoolsandknowledgetoanycommunityrsquosdeliberationsaroundcommunityandeco-nomicdevelopmentBroadbandandwirelessnetworksareprovidingthepracticalmeansoflinkingcommunitymediaorganizationswithincommunitiesofferingakeystrategicadvantagebyenhancingtheeffectivenessofcollaborationandpartnershipbuilding
AstheexamplesinthepreviouschaptershowcommunitymediaorganizationsaretakingonnewrolesincludingcombiningproductionandtrainingtakingonworkforcedevelopmentfunctionsandbecomingtechnologycentersfordiffusionofnewmediaBeyondtheseexampleslongstandingsuccessfulcommunitymediaorganiza-tionsaremergingasnetworkclusterslinkingdifferentgroupsandorganizationswithincommunitiestocreateentirelynewcommunitymediaorganizationsorblurringtheboundariesbetweentheirorganizationsOthersarebringinghistoricallyseparatecommunitymediagroupswithinoneorganizationalstructureorunderonerooftosharebuildingsandcommunicationsinfrastructuresinacost-effectivemanner
TheorganizationsthatemergefromthisintegrationmaybesimilarinfunctionthoughtheirnamesremaindifferentAcommunity-basedsiteforcitizenmediaandcyberjournalismforexampleandacommunitynetworklikeMAINinAshevilleNorthCarolinaoracutting-edgecableaccesscenterlikeGrandRapidsCommunityTelevisionbegintolookverymuchalikeintermsof
Increasinglycommunitymediadevelopmentishappeningthroughnetworksoflocalnonprofitmediaorganizationsratherthanwithinsingleorganizations
neW orgAnizAtionAl spAces netWorked clusters Perhapsthemostpromisingtrendonthehorizonforcom-munitymediaistheemergenceofnewhighlyintegratedorganizationalstructuresandcollaborativeprocessesIncreasinglycommunitymediadevelopmentishappeningthroughnetworksoflocalnonprofitmediaorganizationsratherthanwithinsingleorganizations
Inmanywaysthesereorganizationsatthecom-munitylevelparalleltherestructuringtakingplaceintheprivatecorporatesectorTherecommunicationsnetworksarebeingusedtosupportcomplexpartnershipsandjointcompanyprojectdevelopmentinteractivenetworkseasetheaggregationoflargeorstrategiccapitalandemployeeskillsetsacrossgeographicandorganizationalboundariesforthepurposesofinnovationandmarketdevelopmentInthelanguageofcommunityandeconomicdevelop-mentthesecomplexpartnershipsareknownasldquocreativeclustersrdquoorldquoindustryclustersrdquoMichaelPorteraleadingtheoristandproponentoftheconceptofclustersdefinesthemasldquogeographicconcentrationsofinterconnected
Successfulcommunitymediaorganizationsaremergingasnetworkclusters
technologyprogrammingactivitiesandtheexperienceofcommunityaudiencesvolunteersandparticipantsEachorganizationreliesonnoncommercialaffordablebandwidtheachplayssomeroleinadvocatingforsupportivegovern-mentpoliciesandeachisexperimentingwiththepotentialofnewcollaborativemediatoolsOftencommittedtoengagingandtrainingvolunteersandcommunitymembersinsomemannertheymayoffertrainingandvolunteerpro-gramsthatrequiresimilarsharableonlinetutorialsandonlineoutreachandschedulemanagementtools
TheexamplesthatfollowdemonstratethewayscommunitymediacreativeclustersaremakinguniquecontributionstotheircommunitiesrsquoqualityoflifeandeconomicwellbeingTheyaredoingsointhreeimportantwaysbullfirstbyamplifyingtherolethatartsandculturalgroups
playinenhancingthequalityoflifeandattractingatalentedworkforceandcapitaltothecommunitymdasharolethatisgaininginsignificanceinthetwenty-firstcentury
bullsecondascontributorstocoreeconomicdevelopmentfunctionsinthecommunityincludingworkforcedevelop-mentandtrainingasmicro-enterpriseincubatorsandascreatorsofnewknowledgeandeducationalexperiencesand
bullthirdasfacilitatorsandcatalystsofcommunitydialoguecommittedtoembracingmarginalizedvoicesandallow-ingthecommunitytoundertakeitsowndevelopmentdemocratically
Lowell MassachusettsLowell Telecommunications Center(LTC)isapublicandgovernmentaccesschannelandmediaandtechnologycen-terItprovideseducationandtraininginmediacreationincludingwebdesigndigitalphotographyandtelevisionproductionLTCworksincollaborationwithotherlocalcommunity-basedorganizationsmunicipaldepartmentsandeducationalentitiestoproducediversemulticulturalprogrammingthatmeetsthecommunityrsquoscommunica-tionandinformationneedsLTChasbecomeaconvening
organizationforbuildingcapacityamongLowellrsquosnonprofitcommunity-basedorganizationsintheiruseofparticipatorymediaandcivicengagementstrategies
LTCismorefocusedthanothercommunitymediaorganizationsoncommunitybuildingandcommunicationtechnologyThecorporationisworkingtobuildanetworkforparticipatorymediaandcivicengagementthroughouttheMerrimacRiverValleyThroughaUSDepartmentofEducationgrantLTCacquiredfundingandstafftohelpitspartnerorganizationsbecomeInternet-capableassesstheirinformationtechnologyneedsacquiretechnologyupgradestoaddressthoseneedsandundertakethetrainingtousethetechnologyeffectively
RatherthanwaitingforgroupstocometoitscenterLTCcreatedacircuitridertrainingprogramthattookthetrainingprogramintothecommunityThroughLTCrsquosinformationtechnologycenterscoresofcommunitygroupshavereceivedtrainingdesignedandcreatedwebsitesanddevelopedstrategiccommunicationsplansforthefutureThosedevelopmentsincludeweb-basedhistoricalarchivesGISmappingsystemsmultimediamaterialsandInternetvideoTohelporganizationsacquirethesoftwaretheyneedtocarryouttheirmissionsLTCcreatedtheCommunitySoftwareLabwhichdevelopsuniquesoftwaretofittheneedsofareanonprofitsThelabhasbeenspunofftocreateaseparatenonprofitentityjoiningthegrowingnumberofindependentorganizationsthatnetworkthroughLTC
ThemostrecentLTCinitiativeisldquoDigitalBicyclerdquoapeer-to-peernetworkthatallowsmediacentersworldwidetodownloadandsharelocalcontentLTCstaffenvisionDigitalBicycleasanonlinecommunityforcableaccessmediaartsindependentmediaandothernoncommercialmedia
Grand Rapids MichiganldquoBuildingcommunitythroughmediardquoThissimplemissionstatementguidedtheGrand Rapids Community Media Center(GRCMC)asitevolvedfromatypicalcableaccessoperationtobecomeabroad-basedmultimediacenterandamodelforthedevelopmentofcommunitymultimediacentersintheUnitedStatesOverthepasttwentyyears
Communitymediacreativeclustersaremakinguniquecon-tributionstotheircommunitiesrsquoqualityoflifeandeconomicwellbeing
LTCisworkingtobuildanetworkforparticipatorymediaandcivicengagementthroughouttheMerrimacRiverValley
GRCMChaspulledthediversecommunitymediaactivitiesofGrandRapidsunderoneorganizationalumbrellaandtakentheleadinarticulatingthepotentialforaggregatingnoncommercialnetworkedcommunicationsthere
Theevolvingnetworkofmediaplatformsdis-ciplinesandculturalgroupsthatconvergetobecomeGRCMCnowincludesthefollowingcentersofpracticeGRTVacommunitytelevisioncenterthatprogramsmultiplecableaccesschannelsWYCEacommunityradiostationGrandnetacommunitytechnologyandnetworkcenterthatprovidescitizenandnonprofitaccesstotheInternetandtheGrandRapidsInstituteforInformationDemocracyacriticalmediaeducationandresearchcenterthattracksmediaandlocalpublicinterestissuesandpub-lishesinformationonmediaaccountabilityandreform
ButtheGrandRapidsCommunityMediaCenterismorethanthesumofitspartsThecomponentsofthecenterworktogetherinamutuallyreinforcingwholethatcreatesapowerfulcommunitymediapresenceinGrandRapidsandallowsthecentertoundertakefarmoreambitiousprojectsandprogrammingthanwouldbethecaseseparatelyOneexcellentexampleistheMobileOn-LineLearningLabforInformationEducationKnownasMOLLIEtheprogramprovidesskilledtrainersanddigitalvideoproductionequipmenttoschoolsandcommunityorganizationsforspecialprojectsOriginallyfundedbyafederalDepartmentofEducationgrantMOLLIEfillsintechnologygapsinGrandRapidseducationalinstitutionsandnonprofitsInthehandsofalessintegratedinstitutiontheMOLLIEprojectcouldeasilybeatechnicallyorientedequipmentloanandtrainingprogramInthehandsofthecenterMOLLIEhasbecomeasophisticatedmediaandtechnologyeducationalinitiativeprovidingatrainingprogramthataddressesmediaeducationfromtheperspec-tiveofallthecomponentsoftheGrandRapidsCommunityMediaCenter
Asheville North CarolinaOneofthemostarticulateeffortsmergingthecreativeclustersideawithparticipatorycommunicationhascomeaboutinAshevilleNorthCarolinaThroughapersistent
collaborationbetweenforwardlookingregionalgroupsandorganizationsndashinvolvingabroadnetworkofindi-vidualscommunitymediaandmediaartsgroupsintheAshevilleregionndashAshevillehaslaidthefoundationforacommunitymediadevelopmentcenterthatwillfunctionasacableaccesscentermediaartscenterandnewmediamicro-enterpriseincubatorAtthecenterofthiseffortisaninformalcoalitionoffourimportantgroupsinAshevilleMountainAreaInformationNetworkMediaArtsProjectBoncombeCountyEconomicDevelopmentCommissionandURTVThegroupsrepresentdistinctpointsofviewandconcernsaswellasconverginginterests
Eachgroupsharedtheinsightthatcivicparticipa-tionandeconomicsuccessinthetwenty-firstcenturyaredirectlyrelatedtohavingaccesstocommunicationstechnologyandknowledgeEachalsounderstoodthattherenegotiationofthecablefranchisesintheCityofAshevilleandsurroundingBoncombeCountywasastrategicmomenttocatalyzeandassociateanumberofcommunity-basedinformationandmediaartsactivitiesalreadyinplaceorplannedinAshevilleThegroupsusedthecablefranchisingprocesstocreateacommonorganizationalandfacilitiesinfrastructuresupportingtheuseofmediaforbothcivicandeconomicdevelopment
The Media Arts Project(MAP)isanetworkofmediaartiststhatcultivatesinnovativeartsandtechnol-ogyinwesternNorthCarolinaMAPworkedtirelesslytoframecableaccessasacommunitydevelopmentissuebridgingthemediaactivistcommunitiesandthemoreforward-thinkingfactionsamongeconomicdevelopmentprofessionalsintheregionWiththerecentopeningofURTV IncAshvillersquoscableaccessorganizationandfacilityMAPanditsnetworkofpartnersarenowturningtheirattentiontofundingthemediaartsandeconomicincubatorelementsofthevision
AshevillersquosinterestinsupportingcommunitymediaarisesfromthepresenceoftheMountain Area Information Network(MAIN)Inthetraditionoftheruralcooperativesthathelpedspreadthereachofelectricityinthe1930sMAINisanonprofitInternetserviceproviderofferingreliablelow-costInternetservicebothinwesternNorthCarolinaandnationwideItisauniquecommunitynetworkwithabroadvisionofitsroleinthecommunitythatencompassesmedialiteracyeconomicdevelopmentstrategiescommunitylow-powerradioacommunity-basedwebportalandtheprovisionofInternetconnectivitytoruralwesternNorthCarolinaMAINislargelyresponsiblefortheremarkableexpansionofInternetaccessibilityinwesternNorthCarolinaallowingthousandsofpeopleto
GRCMChaspulledthediversecommunitymediaactivitiesofGrandRapidsunderoneorganizationalumbrella
spendtheirInternetaccessdollarswithalocallycontrolledandaccountableorganizationMAINdemonstratesthevalueofthecommunitynetworkingconcepttoareasthatarelagginginconnectivityduetofailuresofthemarket
MAINhastakenaleadershiproleinbuildingacommunitymediacultureinAshevillethatdemonstratestheeasewithwhichdigitalmedialeapsorganizationalboundariesItscommunitynetworkrunstheBlueRidgeWebMarketwhichprovidesafreecustomizableInternetpresencetohundredsofsmallbusinessesthroughoutwesternNorthCarolinaItsLatinoDigitalLiteracyProjectofferstrainingtohelpthearearsquosgrowingLatinopopula-tionsaccesstheInternetMAINhasbeenoneofthekeypartnersinbringingacableaccesscentertoAshevilleandhasbeenthedrivingforcebehindWPVMWNCrsquoslow-powerFMradiostationbroadcastinglocalnewsviewsandmusicover-the-airintheAshevilleregion(andtheworldviawebcast)
Cleveland OhioPerhapsthemostrobustcommunity-basednonprofitnetworkintheUnitedStatesOne ClevelandprovideswhatitcallsldquoultrabroadbandnetworkingservicesrdquotoClevelandareaeducationgovernmentresearchartscultureandhealthcareorganizationsOneClevelandoperatesafibernetworkringthatcoversmuchofthecityofClevelandandmanyofitssurroundingsuburbsSubscriberstothenetworkconnectatgigabitspeeds
OneClevelandrepresentswhatcanhappenwhenpowerfulcommunitydevelopmentforcescometoaconsensusregardingtheircommunityrsquosneedforhigh-speedconnectivitytoglobaleconomiesandmediaItsfoundersareClevelandmainstreaminstitutionsCaseWesternReserveUniversityCuyahogaCommunityCollegeClevelandStateUniversityTheCityofClevelandGreaterClevelandRegionalTransitAuthorityideastreamCuyahogaCountyPublicLibraryandNorTechThenetworkhasformedrelationshipswithtechnologycompaniestomaintainup-to-dateapplicationsthatleveragethepotentialofsuchapowerfulnetwork
Oneofthenetworkrsquoskeypartners ideastream illustratesthesignificanceofworkingtogethertomakehigh-speedconnectivitypubliclyavailablethroughoutacommunityonitsowntermsBybuildingahigh-speednet-workOneClevelandhascreatedacivicnetworkspaceandinfrastructurethatallowsanewkindofmultimediapublicmediaorganizationtobecreatedIdeastreamresultedwhenWVIZPBSTelevisionand903WCPNRadiopublicbroad-castersmergedtoformanewnonprofitldquomultimediapublicserviceorganizationrdquoIdeastreamisabletoextenditsmediaexpertisebeyondbroadcastingtoonlinetechnologiesandapplicationsofalltypesmdashwhenyouareconnectingtothenetworkatthegigabitspeedsofOneClevelandrsquostherangeofapplicationsandtheirpotentialarehuge
MAINhastakenaleadershiproleinbuildingacommunitymediacultureinAshevillethatdemonstratestheeasewithwhichdigitalmedialeapsorganizationalboundaries
OneClevelandrepresentswhatcanhappenwhenpowerfulcommunitydevelopmentforcescometoaconsensusregardingtheircommunityrsquosneedforhigh-speedconnectivitytoglobaleconomiesandmedia
Inthecourseofpreparingthisreportndashpouringovertheliteratureandsynthesizinghoursofstructuredround-tableconversationsandone-on-oneinterviewswith
opinionleadersandsuccessfulpractitionersofcommunitymediandashonethingisextremelyclearThewayoursocietymakesandsharesinformationknowledgeandcultureisinaheightenedstateofchangeTheinteractivenatureoftheInternethasdemonstratedthatitispossibletoorganizecommunicationsinamuchmoredemocraticfashionSomehaveconcludedwearewitnessingthetransitionfromanindustrializedinformationenvironmenttoanetworkedinformationenvironmentTheoldindustrialmediastruc-turesbasedonexclusivehigh-costproductionprocessesarebeingchallengedbyanemergingmediasectorinwhichthecostofcreatinginformationknowledgeandculturehasbeenprofoundlyreducedandtheproductsareintercon-nectedwidelythroughnetworksliketheInternet(Benkler2006)IndeedthereisincreasingevidencethatthesenewmediaanddigitalnetworksareparticularlyconducivetononcommercialandnonprofitculturalproductionaswellasmoreparticipatoryandcollaborativemediapracticesInmanywaysthelong-standingvaluesandintentofcommu-nitymediaforeshadowthisnewmediaenvironment
ThescanresearchfocusedonfourkeyareasofinquiryWhataretheuniquecharacteristicsthatdistin-guishcommunitymediaWhatmakesmedia-communitycollaborationssuccessfulWhattypesofcommunitymediaorganizationsbestleveragenewtechnologiesHowmightcommunitymediaengageunderservedpopulationsinprogrammingtailoredtotheirneedsIneachinstancewefoundthatcommunitymediacombinedwithgreaterafford-ablebandwidthandopen-sourceapproachestoproductiondohavetremendouscommunitydevelopmentpotentialHowevernoneofthatpotentialwillcomeaboutmagicallyThecommunitymediasectorisfacingthechallengingtaskofmanagingextensivechangeandtransformation
chAllengesThesuccessdisappointmentsandsocialvalueofthepastsixtyyearsofcommunitymediainitiativesmustbejudgedinhistoricalcontextConsistentmisrepresentationinthemainstreammediaandlimitedunaccommodatingsocialpolicyhaveresultedininadequatevisibilityandfinancialsupportforcommunitymediaAnydiscussionofitssuccessesorfailuresmustincorporateanunderstand-
ingoftheseexternalconstraintsInthislighttheexistingexpressionsofcommunitymediaattheirbestarewildlysuccessfulsocialexperimentsgivingcauseforgreatoptimism
NeverthelesscommunitymediafacebothexternalandinternalchallengesTheinternalchallengesarisefromstructuraltensionsthatoccurinanyattempttocreateorganizationsandculturesthatembodydiversitydemocraticexpressionandequitableaccessRatherthanbeingexpressedasldquoweaknessesrdquoasissooftenthecaseinmainstreammediaandacademiatheseinternaltensionsaremoreproperlyunderstoodaspredictabledevelopmentalproblemsandopportunitiesthatpractitionersshouldbepreparedtograpplewithinanycommunitymediasetting
Balancing Free Expression and Audience Development CommunityradioandpublicaccesscablehavehistoricallyprivilegedtheinterestsofproducersbygrantingthemgreatpoliticalfreedominmakingdecisionsregardingwhatprogrammingtocreateandwhataestheticandformattingapproachestouseThetrade-offforacultureofactivistvolunteerismandfreeexpressionhasbeensmalleraudi-encesandlowerlevelsofproductionandprogramsupportProgramproducerscarryanintensecommitmenttoindi-vidualownershipoftheirprogramminginitiativesthatmaynottaketheaudiencersquosinterestsfullytoheart
Whiletheseapproachesinradioandcableaccesshaveresultedinadiversityofprogrammingandpoliticalviewpointstheyhavealsopreventedradiostationpro-grammersorcableaccessorganizationsfrombuildingaflowofprogramsthatcandefineandconstructanongoingaudienceinthecommunityEachprogramorscheduledprogramslotcarriesitsownmicroaudienceldquofragmentedpublicsrdquothatareoftennotpartofanintegratedflowofpro-grammingthatattractsanaudiencetothechannelsoverall(Higgins2002)
Freeexpressionandaudiencedevelopmentarenotmutuallyexclusivenordoparticipatorymanagementstructuresvolunteerinvolvementandproducertrain-ingprogramsneedtoimpedeaudiencedevelopmentThesuccessofAmyGoodmanandDemocracyNowsoundlydemonstratesthisInfactmanycommunitymediaorgani-zationshavecreatedprogramminginitiativesthatcombinesophisticatedmeasurementsofsocialoutcomeswith
conclusions
trainingandparticipatoryprogramplanningTheyhavenotonlyraisedthesocialvalueoftheirprogrammingtotheircommunitiestheyhavealsoincreasedthesizeandloyaltyoftheiraudiences(Aufderheide2003)Asinteractivemediabegintocreatetheconditionswherenicheprogram-mingcanbefarmoresuccessfulthetensionbetweenfreeexpressionandaudiencedevelopmentisnotonlyachal-lengebutalsoatremendousopportunity
Programming MetricsStillroundtableparticipantsrepeatedlynotedthatevenwhenprogrammingmeetscommunityneedscommunitymediaorganizationscanfinditdifficulttodocumentimpactTheyfeltthatfundershavegenerallynotyetaddressedtheroleofmediainpopularcultureorthepowerofpopularcultureinaddressingsocialproblemsInaddi-tionfundersfindithardtoestablishcost-benefitmeasuresofsocialimpactfortheirmediaexpenditures
ParticipantsaskedformodelsofaudiencefeedbackandoutcomesmeasurementthatgobeyondaudiencenumbersTheyacknowledgedthedifficultyofquantify-ingnotionsofsuccesswhichtendtobeverysubjectiveandofusingsuccessstoriesinthecommonprogrammingmetricsofthedayManyrecognizedskepticismamongfundersabouttheimportanceofcommunitymediaasuspicionaboutagendasandafearofthecostsinvolvedmakingcommunitymediaahardsellEventhoughafewgoodevaluationeffortswereacknowledgedtheircollectiveresultshavenotbeenincorporatedintothethinkingofthewiderfundingcommunity
FundingMulti-yearstablefundingsupportforcommunitymediainitiativesiscriticaltostabilityinnovationandgrowthRoundtableparticipantsdiscussednumerousinstancesinwhichprojectswithmulti-yearsupporthadpowerfulpositiveimpactsextendingbeyondtheinitialprojectgoalsMulti-yearfundingcreatesthestabilitytoundertakeproperstrategicplanningandpartnershipdevelopment
Thereissomeearlyevidencethatamultiple-plat-formnonprofit-orientednichemarketcouldemergeasasignificantopportunitytoprovideenhancedrevenueforthecommunityandnoncommercialmediasectorsTheinterac-tivecapacityofthenewnetworkssignificantlyincreasestherevenuepotentialforcooperativeandsubscription-styleprogrammingflowsHoweverstrongmarketsforcommer-ciallyfundedparticipatorycommunityexpressionhavenotyetemergedinthedigitaleraduetothelimitedsizeofpopulationsandavailableadvertisingsupportIfthereistobeavitalsectorofcommunity-basedmediasomeformofsignificantpublicfundingwillbenecessaryevenininstanceswherecommunitymediaorganizationsmightrealizesignificantrevenuefromnewmarketsInordertomakethemostefficientuseofpublicfundingcommuni-tiesmustevolvefundingandgovernancestructuresforcommunitymediathatcanfacilitatetheaggregationoffundscoordinatemultiple-organizationprojectsandactastrustedconvenersofprogramminganddevelopmentdiscus-sionsincommunities
Policy ThreatsWhiletheconvergenceoftechnologyandpracticescreatesincreasingpotentialsforaunifiedcommunitymediasectorthereisunfortunatelynocohesiveandunifiednationalpolicyframeworkforcommunitymediaThegovernmentpoliciesandregulationsthatexistforcommunitymediahavebeenretrofittedinthearenasofUSbroadcastingandtelephonypolicyWhiletheyrepresenthard-wonpoliticalvictoriesandstrategicinsighttheydonotaddresstheneedsofcommunitymediainaholisticway
Inthecurrentpoliticalclimatebroadcastmediaownershipcontrolandprogrammingwillcontinuetobecentralizedinfewercorporationsleavingcommunitieswithlessoptionsforcontrollingtheirlocalmediaenviron-mentsAtthesametimethetelephonecompanieswillenterthemarketforvideotelephonyandbroadbandbydeployinghigh-capacitydigitaltelevisionnetworksinmanycommunitiesintheUnitedStates
ThecurrenttrendofcentralizationinUStele-communicationspolicyisthreateningtheabilityoflocal
Freeexpressionandaudiencedevelopmentarenotmutuallyexclusivenordoparticipatorymanagementstructuresvolunteerinvolvementandproducertrainingprogramsneedtoimpedeaudiencedevelopment
Communitymediaorganizationscanfinditdifficulttodocumentimpact
governmentstomandatecommunity-basedcommunica-tionsnetworksandprogramminginitiativesasrentonthepublicrights-of-wayThesefundingmechanismscurrentlysupportPublicEducationandGovernment(PEG)accesscabletelevisioncentersmediaartscentersandmanymunicipalcommunicationnetworksWhilefarfromperfectregulatorymechanismstheyareoneofthemostsuccess-fulformsofpublicmediasupporttoariseinthelastthirtyyears
Overthenextfiveyearsthesesuccessfulfundingstrategieswillbeunderheavyattackbythetelephonecom-paniesandthecabletelevisionindustryinastrugglewithgovernmentsforcommunitycontrolofthepublicrights-of-wayThesamedynamicthreatensequitableInternetaccessIncreasinglybroadbandcommunitynetworksaremunicipallyownedormandatedWhilesomeofthesemunicipalbroadbandnetworksweredeployedforinternalmunicipalpurposestimehasshownthatsuchnetworkscanserveanumberofnon-governmentalcommunity-basedpurposesincludingwirelessISPconnectionsforresidentsbusinessesandvisitorsManycommunitiesareseeking(andsomehaveobtained)ldquoCommunityBenefitsAgreementsrdquowithproposedwirelessbroadbandvendorsthatsetasideasmallfranchisefeeongrossrevenuestosupportdigitalinclusionactivitiesfollowingtheexampleofcablecompaniessupportofPEGaccessHowevermunicipalbroadbandandmunicipalwirelessareunderattackbyindustriestryingtoreservethesedevelopmentrightsforthemselves
Theoutcomeofthedebatesaroundcontroloftherights-of-waywillhaveasignificantimpactonthefuturepathofcommunitymediadevelopmentThesedebateswillrangeacrosstheregulatoryspectrumtheyarenowbeingwagedinlocalstateandnationallegislativearenasandthecourtsTheresultingcommunicationsinfrastruc-tureandregulatoryframeworkwillbeabletorealizethepotentialsofcommunitymediaifandonlyifcommunitiesareabletotakeleadershipinprovidingsubstantialpublicaswellasprivatefundingAsanoldtruismnotesldquomoneyispolicyrdquo
Therearenopoliticalortechnicalguaranteesthatdigitalmedianetworkswillremainopenandparticipa-toryastheyevolveItisunlikelythatmarketforcesalone
willservetorealizethedemocraticpotentialoftodayrsquosparticipatorymediatechnologyBuildingarobustsectorofcommunity-baseddemocraticnewmediawillrequireeffectivecitizenactivismclearandresponsivegovern-mentpoliciesandeffectivepoliticalstrategiesCommunitymedianeedsseparaterecognitionandsupportwithinfed-eralstateandlocalcommunicationspolicyandregulatorystructuresinordertoensureequitableandstablefundinganddevelopment
models for the futureThegovernmentregulationsandsubsidiesthatunderpincommunitymediahaveevolvedinahodgepodgefashionoverthepastsixtyyearsItcanbearguedthatcommunitymediashouldbetreatedasaseparatesectorwithinte-gratedfundingstructuresconsistentinfrastructureandtaxandsubsidypoliciesthatareseparateanddistinctfromexistinglocalmediapoliciesandalsofromthepoliciesunderpinningpublicbroadcastingPossiblemodelsforamoreunifiedapproacharenumerousbuttwoappearpar-ticularlywellsuitedtocommunitymediarsquosdiverseformsorganizationsandprogrammingapproaches
Public Funding FindingappropriatemethodsofincreasingpublicfundingforcommunitymediainashiftingregulatoryenvironmentiscrucialCurrentlocalcablefranchisingregulationstosupportcableaccessandthecommunitybenefitsagree-mentsofmunicipalwirelessnetworksoffersuccessfulmodelsbutarenowbothunderattackThelawsrequiringcommercialcableproviderstosetasidebandwidthchan-nelcapacityforthepublicinadditiontooperatingfundingbasedonapercentageofcommercialrevenuescouldbeextendedtoincludevoicevideoanddataEssentiallythenanycommercialproviderusingthepublicrights-of-wayorthewirelessspectrumwouldberequiredtocontributeanequitablepercentageofbandwidthandrev-enuetosupportthecommunitycommunicationssector
Community Media DevelopmentAdequatelevelsoffundingareonlypartoftheequationWhilefundingshouldsupporttheoverallgrowthofthe
Thereisunfortunatelynocohesiveandunifiednationalpolicyframe-workforcommunitymedia
setasidebandwidthchannelcapacityforthepublicinadditiontooperatingfunding
communitymediasectorinasensiblefashionanyfundingsolutionmustaddressthedifficultynowexperiencedbyfundersindealingwithcommunitymediahowtoprovideoverallsupporttoasectormadeupofsmallindependentorganizationswithanextremelydiversesetoffundingsourcesandmissionsOneeconomicdevelopmentapproachseemsparticularlyusefulhereProgressivecommunityeconomicdevelopmentstrategieshaveevolvedtosupportthegrowthofadiversityofsmallenterpriseswithinacom-monsectorwhilerecognizingthattheseenterprisescanatdifferenttimesbecollaboratorspartnersorcompetitorsSimilarstrategiescanguidedevelopmentofthecommunitymediasector
Thereareatleasttwoshort-termstepsthatcouldassistinthedevelopmentofcommunitymediaorgani-zationsandsupporttheircitizensrsquoabilitytocopewithcommercialmediaandinformationsaturationOneisforcommunitiestobuildorsecureaffordablebroadbandandwirelessnetworkinfrastructurewithastrongcommu-nitybenefitsagreementinsupportofdigitalinclusionHundredsofcommunitiesacrossthecountryeitherhaveorarelaunchingsuchwirelesscommunitynetworksmanyincollaborationwithwirelessvendorswhoinordertowinaservicecontractwiththemunicipalityinquestionaresup-portingdigitalliteracytraininginexpensiverefurbishedcomputersandlocalcontentdevelopmentndashinshortprogramsofdigitalinclusionandexcellence
AsecondopportunityidentifiedbyroundtableparticipantsisthepotentialforanationalsupportnetworkforexistingcommunitymediaorganizationsAnationalsupportnetworklinkingcommunitiesandtheircommu-
nitymediapractitionersandinstitutionscouldfacilitatearangeofactivitiesincludinglocal-to-localcommunicationorexchangesofinformationandprogrammingbetweencommunitiesvirtualspaceforanationalnetworkofcommunitymediaorganizationstohelptoorganizeuni-fiedpolicyadvocacywiderdistributionofpastproductsformationofissue-responseteamstoadvanceinterestsofcommunitygroupsandtapintolocalresourcesandshareddirectoriesofpractitionerstrainersandfacilitiesConveningleadersfromtheaggregatorsandassociationsservingcommunitymediaintheirvariousforms(listedinAppendix2)mightbeagoodnextsteptoexplorethisopportunity
the promiseThepracticeofcommunitymediahasmanagedtogrowandevolveoverthepastsixtyyearsdespiteunevenandgenerallylowlevelsofsupportandinconsistentgovernmentpoliciesEllieRenniearesearchfellowattheInstituteforSocialResearchSwinburneUniversityofTechnologyhaswrittenthatcommunitymediaareoftendefinednegativelyforwhattheyareopposedtoratherthanpositivelyforwhattheyhaveachieved(Rennie2006)Weareawarethatcom-munitymediahaveoftenbeendismissedasmarginalandidiosyncraticbuttheexamplescitedinthisreportprovidepowerfulevidencetothecontraryItistimetodefinecommunitymediabywhattheyhaveachievedCommunitymediaattheirbesthaveconsistentlydemonstratedtheirpotentialtoempowercommunitiesandindividualstoparticipateascitizensincommunityandeconomicdevelop-mentartseducationcommunitydialogandpoliticaldebateInmanyinstancestheyhavebecomecentralcul-turalsurvivalinstitutionsasourcommunitiesdealwiththeimpactofcommercialmediasaturationandglobalization
Duringtheroundtablediscussionsthattookplaceaspartofthisscanitwasobviousthatthevalueofcom-munitymediatocommunitiestranscendsthemeasurableeffectsofcivicengagementandcommunitydevelopmentCommunitymediacanallowindividualsincommunitiestohaveprofoundexperiencesofactivelyexpressingthem-selvesthroughmediaForpeoplewhohaveseenthemselvesaspassivereceptorsatthebottomofacascadeofpackagedmediaexperiencesandmessagesactiverepresentationoftheirownlivesandcircumstanceshasatransformativeeffectthatgoesbeyondsimplephraseslikeldquocivicengage-mentrdquoThevalueofcommunitymediatoindividualsandthecommunitiestheyliveinisincalculable
hellipaffordablebroadbandandwirelessnetworkinfrastructurewithastrongcommunitybenefitsagreement
anationalsupportnetworkforexistingcommunitymediaorganizations
Appendix 1 Community media empowerment StrategieS
empoWerment Activity ApproAch infrAstructure or venue
AccessAccesstocommunicationsinfrastructureproductiontools
MakingavailablemediaproductiontoolscomputerstelevisionandradiodistributionInternetsoftwarecommunitycommunicationsinfrastructuremeetingspacewebservers
Democraticcitizenaccesstocommunicationstoolsanddisseminationinfrastructure
CablebroadbandmunicipaltelecomInternetWiFiWiMAXlocalandpublicservicebroadcasting
AlternativeContent CreationofvideoaudiofilmwebsitesInternet-basedcitizenmediaP2Pmediabloggingsocialnetworkingsoftwaredatabasesandprintproduction
Contentpositionedtocounterorsupplementmassmediacontentandinformationfrommainstreamsources
AllplatformswithanincreasingexpansionwithinIPNetworksandcross-platformproductionanddissemination
CompetencyLiteracyMedialiteracyinformationliteracydigitalliteracyandculturalliteracy
Mediaartsandaestheticeducationlearningtogainacivicvoiceinamediaculturearticulationofmediabiasesengaginginmediaandpoliticsunderstandingcommoditycultureparentinginamedia-saturatedhome
Interventioninthecomplexmanipulationofsymbolsandculture
Allmassmediaprintelectronic
CommunityBuilding Workforcetrainingandskillbuildingmicro-enterprisedevelopmentbusinessinfrastructuredevelopment
Communityorganizingparticipatoryplanningdemocraticeconomicdevelopmentworkforceandinfrastructuredevelopment
Localmediamunicipaltelecominfrastructurecomputerandtechnologyincubatorsandtechnologycenters
0
Itisdifficulttounderstandthefullscopeofcommu-nitymediaculturewithoutknowingofthefollowingorganizationswhichsupportcommunitymediaand
independentmediapracticesTheyplayanumberofrolesasnationalassociationsrepresentingnetworksofcommu-nitymediaorganizationsandmediaartsorganizationsasproducernetworksandstrategiccommunicationsplannerslinkingcommunityorganizationswithcommunitymediaorganizationsasorganizationsofcommunityactivistsandproducersworkingtomoreeffectivelysupportandusecommunitymediaandascollaboratorsandpartnersincommunitydevelopmenttrainingandeducation
ActiveVoicehttpwwwactivevoicenet
AllianceforCommunityMediahttpwwwalliancecmorg
AssociationforCommunityNetworking
httpwwwafcnorg
CommunityMediaWorkshophttpwwwnewstipsorg
CommunityTechnologyCentersrsquoNetwork
httpwwwctcnetorg
DeepDishTVhttpdeepdishtvorg
FreeSpeechTVhttpwwwfreespeechorg
IndependentTelevisionServicehttpwwwitvsorg
IndependentMediaCenterIndymedia
httpwwwindymediaorg
LatinoPublicBroadcastinghttpwwwlpbporg
LinkTVhttplinktvorg
LPFMDatabasecom
httpwwwangelfirecomnj2piratejimlpfmhtml
MediaTankhttpwwwmediatankorg
MediaWorkingGrouphttpwwwmwgorg
NationalAllianceforMediaArtsandCulture
httpwwwnamacorg
NationalAsianAmericanTelecommunicationsAssochttp
asianamericanmediaorgindexhtml
NativeAmericanPublicTelecommunications
httpasianamericanmediaorgindexhtml
NationalBlackProgrammingConsortium
httpwwwnbpctv
NationalFederationofCommunityBroadcasters
httpwwwnfcborg
NationalPublicRadiohttpwwwnpr
NationalPublicTelecomputingNetworkhttpwwwnptnorg
PaperTigerTelevisionhttpwwwpapertigerorg
PacificIslandersinCommunications
httpwwwpiccomorg
PewCenterforCivicJournalismhttpwwwpewcenterorg
PrometheusRadioProject
httpwwwprometheusradioorg
PublicBroadcastingServicehttpwwwpbsorg
PublicRadioExchangehttpwwwprxorg
ReclaimtheMediahttpwwwreclaimthemediaorg
StarfishTelevisionNetworkhttpwwwstarfishtvorg
WebsitesofUSPEGAccessChannels
httpwwwbevcamorgpeg
WorldAssociationofCommunityRadioBroadcasters
httpwwwamarcorg
Appendix 2 aggregatorS and aSSoCiationS
Appalshophttpwwwappalshoporg
BayAreaVideoCoalitionhttpwwwbavcorg
BeyondMediaEducationhttpwwwbeyondmediaorg
CambridgeCommunityTelevisionhttpwwwcctvcambridgeorg
CasaGuatemalaMediaProjecthttpwwwcasaguatemalaorg
CharlotteObserverhttpwwwcharlottecom
ChicagoAccessNetworkTelevisionhttpwwwcantvorg
GrandRapidsCommunityMediaCenterhttpgrcmcorg
GrandNethttpwwwgrcmcorgnposervicesitphp
GRTVhttpwwwgrcmcorgtv
ideastreamhttpwwwideastreamorg
IFPMinnesotaCenterforMediaArtshttpwwwifpnorthorgabouthtml
IntermediaArtshttpwwwintermediaartsorg
KartemquinFilmshttpwwwkartemquincom
KBOOhttpwwwkbooorg
KFAIhttpwwwkfaiorg
LowellTelecommunicationsCenterhttpltcorg
ManhattanNeighborhoodNetworkhttpmnnorg
MediaArtsProjecthttpwwwthemaporg
MetroGovernmentCommunityMediaInitiativehttpwwwmetro-regionorg
MetropolitanAustinInteractiveNetworkhttpwwwmainorg
MinneapolisTelevisionNetworkhttpwwwmtnorg
MinnesotaChannelhttpwwwtptorgmnchannelnew
MinnesotaPublicRadiohttpminnesotapublicradioorghttpminnesotapublicradioorgpublicinsightjournalism
MountainAreaInformationNetworkhttpmainncus
MtHoodCableRegulatoryCommissionhttpwwwmhcrcorg
NewAmericaMediahttpnewsnewamericamediaorgnews
NewRoutestoCommunityHealthhttpwwwnewroutesorg
NorthwestFilmandVideoCenterhttpwwwnwfilmorg
OneClevelandhttpwwwoneclevelandorg
OregonPublicBroadcastinghttpwwwopborg
PortlandCommunityMediahttpwwwpcmtvorg
RadioArtehttpwwwwrteorg
SaintPaulNeighborhoodNetworkhttpwwwspnnorg
ScribeVideoCenterhttpwwwscribeorg
SoundPartnersforCommunityHealthhttpwwwsoundpartnersorg
StreetLevelYouthMediahttpwwwstreet-levelorg
TwinCitiesDailyPlanethttpwwwtcdailyplanetnet
TwinCitiesMediaAlliancehttpwwwtcmediaallianceorg
TwinCitiesPublicTelevisionhttpwwwtptorg
URTVhttpwwwurtvorg
WalkerArtCenterhttpwwwwalkerartorgindexwac
WCIW-LPhttppacificanetworkorgradiocontentview17542httpwwwciw-onlineorg
WGBHhttpwwwwgbhorg
WHYYhttpwhyyorg
WPVMhttpwwwwpvmorg
WYBEhttpwwwwybeorg
WYCEhttpwwwgrcmcorgradio
YouthChannelhttpwwwyouthchannelorg
Appendix 3 Community media praCtitionerSWebsitesofthosepractitionersmentionedinthetext
AndersonRachelBenton Digital Beat Extra Noncommercial Networks on DBSWashingtonDCBentonFoundation2000
AufderheidePatricialdquoCableAccessTVandthePublicSphererdquoinThe Daily Planet A Critic on the Capitalist Culture BeatMinneapolisandLondonUniversityofMinnesotaPress2000a
AufderheidePatriciaIn The Battle for Reality Social Documentaries in the USWashingtonDCAmericanUniversityCenterforSocialMedia2003
AufderheidePatricialdquoTheWhatandHowofPublicBroadcastingrdquoinThe Daily Planet A Critic on the Capitalist Culture BeatMinneapolisandLondonUniversityofMinnesotaPress2000b
AynteAbdirahmanldquoSomaliWebsitesACompetitiveAlternativeMediaandaFarcetoReckonWithrdquoHiiraan Onlinehttpwwwhiiraancomnews2006aprsomali_websitesaspx
AzzouzBushraTomChamberlinandMarleneFarnumThe Community Media Project Building Community through Media(Aproposedmodelforafive-yearinitiativetoproducelocaltelevisionprogrammingthatbroadensthedialogueonissuesimportanttotheOregoncommunityandcreatesastrongsenseofplace)PortlandORMetroDecember2000
BarlowWilliamldquoCommunityRadiointheUSTheStruggleForADemocraticMediumrdquoinMedia Culture and SocietyVol10(1988)
BenklerYochaiThe Wealth of Networks How Social Production Transforms Markets and FreedomNewHavenYaleUniversityPress2006
BentonFoundationDigital Alliances Partners in Public
Service Models for CollaborationUniversityParkPAThePennsylvaniaStateUniversity2002
BlauAndrewDeep Focus A Report on the Future of Independent MediaSanFranciscoNationalAllianceforMediaArtsandCulture2004
BowmanShayneandChrisWillisWe Media How Audiences Are Shaping the Future of News and InformationEditedbyJDLasicaRestonVATheMediaCenteratTheAmericanPressInstitute2003httpwwwhypergenenetwemediadownloadwe_mediapdf
BurnettRonldquoFromCommunityMediatoInternationalNetworksrdquoCritical Approaches to Culture + Communications + HypermediaNovember182005httpwwweciadca~rburnettWeblogarchives200511from_communityhtml
CanoAndrealdquoMicroradioAToolforCommunityEmpowermentrdquoinPublic Broadcasting and the Public InterestEditedbyMichaelPMcCauleyEricEPetersonBLeeArtzandDeeDeeHalleckLondonMESharpe2003
CarnegieCommissiononEducationalTelevisionPublic Television A Program for ActionNewYorkBantam1967
CastellsManuelThe Rise of the Network Society The Information Age Economy Society and CultureVolumes12amp3MaldenMABlackwellPublishersInc2005
ChesterJeffBeyond Broadcast Expanding Public Media in the Digital AgeWashingtonDCCenterforDigitalDemocracyFebruary2006httpwwwdemocraticmediaorgBBBBfrontphp
ChristensenPaulNanMcIntyreandLynnPikholzldquoBridgingCommunityandEconomicDevelopmentAStrategyforUsingIndustryClusterstoLinkNeighborhoodsandtheRegionalEconomyrdquo(reportfundedbytheFordFoundation)ClevelandShorebankEnterpriseGroup2005
ldquoCitizenJournalismrdquoissueofNieman ReportsCambridgeMATheNiemanFoundationforJournalismatHarvardUniversityVol59No4Winter2005eMprintNewsbookhttpwwwniemanharvardedureports05-4NRwinterNR05W_Citizen_Journalismpdf
City PagesldquoBestPublicAccessCableTVProgramSomaliTVrdquoBestoftheTwinCities2004MNApril282004httpcitypagescombestof2004artsandentertainmentbestof2379asp
bibliogrAphy
CruzRossanaReguilloldquoTheOracleintheCityBeliefsPracticesandSymbolicGeographiesrdquoinGlobal Cities of the South (Social Text)EditedbyAshleyDawsonandBrentHayesEdwardsTranslatedbyBrentHayesEdwardsandNoraNicoliniDurhamNCDukeUniversityPress81(Volume22Number4)Winter2004
DeLasCasasLucywithSimonBurallJohnMorrisonDavidKaleteandJagadanandaldquoGlobalMediaReformandAccountabilityReportfromtheNationalMediaReformConferencerdquoStLouis2005httpwwwoneworldtrustorgpagesdownloadcfmdid=281
DevineRobertHldquoVideoAccessandAgencyrdquoConferencepresentationTheNationalFederationofLocalCableProgrammersStPaulMNJuly171992
DirlinMartyandCathyMelioldquoTheGrassrootsRadioMovementintheUnitedStatesrdquoinPublic Broadcasting and the Public InterestEditedbyMichaelPMcCauleyEricEPetersonBLeeArtzandDeeDeeHalleckLondonMESharpe2003
DowningJohnDHwithTamaraVillarealFordGeneveGilandLauraSteinRadical Media Rebellious Communication and Social MovementsThousandOaksCASagePublications2001
EgerJohnldquoCreativeClustersandtheUrbanEconomyrdquoGovernment and Technology(February62006)httpwwwgovtechnetnewsnewsphpid=98345
EgerJohnMThe Creative Community Forging The Links Between Art Culture Commerce amp CommunityTheCaliforniaInstituteforSmartCommunitiesSanDiegoStateUniversity2005httpwwwsmartcommunitiesorgcreativeCreativeCommBroFINALpdf
EngelmanRalphPublic Radio and Television in America A Political HistoryThousandOaksCASagePublications1996
GillespieGilbertPublic Access Television in the United States and CanadaNewYorkPraegerPublishers1975
GillmorDanWe the Media Grassroots Journalism by the People for the PeopleSebastopolCAOrsquoReillyMediaInc2006
GrahamStephenandSimonMarvinTelecommunications and the City Electronic Spaces Urban PlacesLondonandNewYorkRoutledge1996
HalleckDeeDeeHand-Held Visions The Impossible Possibilities of Community MediaNewYorkFordhamUniversityPress2002
HigginsJohnWldquoAlternativeMediaandtheCultofIndividualismExperiencesfromUSPublicAccessTVrdquoPaperpresentedattheldquoOurMediardquopre-conferenceoftheInternationalAssociationforMediaandCommunicationResearchCommunityCommunicationSectionBarcelonaSpainJuly202002httpwwwourmedianetorgpapersom2002Higginsom2002pdf
HowleyKevinCommunity Media People Places and Communication TechnologiesCambridgeCambridgeUniversityPress2005
HoynesWilliamldquoThePBSBrandandtheMerchandisingofthePublicServicerdquoinPublic Broadcasting and the Public InterestEditedbyMichaelPMcCauleyEricEPetersonBLeeArtzandDeeDeeHalleckLondonMESharpe2003
JankowskiNicholasWldquoCommunityMediaResearchAQuestforTheoreticallyGroundedModelsrdquoThePublicVol1015(2003)httpmokkbmehucentreconferencesreactivismFPfpNJ
JankowskiNicholasWandOlePrehnedsCommunity Media in the Information Age Perspectives and ProspectsCresskillNJHamptonPress2002
LashScottThe Critique of InformationLondonSagePublications2002
ListerMartinJonDoveySethGiddingsIainGrantandKieranKellyNew Media A critical IntroductionLondonandNewYorkRoutledge2003
LloydMarkldquoRadioandLocalismWhatWhenWrongrdquoinContext(publishedbytheCenterforCommunicationsandCommunityUCLA)IssueNo4(WinterSpring2006)
MacintyreBenldquoWelcometotheNewTomPainesrdquoTimesOnlineNovember132004httpwwwtimesonlinecouktolcommentarticle390484ece
MaherVincentTowards a Critical Media Studies Approach to the BlogosphereNewMediaLabPublicationSchoolofJournalismandMediaStudiesRhodesUniversitySouthAfrica2006
MetroCommunity Media Project Evaluation Report PortlandORMetroJuly2004
MostStephenldquoBAVCandTheBigPicturerdquoinA Closer Look Media Arts 2002EditedbyHelenDeMichielSanFranciscoNationalAllianceforMediaArtsandCulture2002
NewAmericaMedialdquoEthnicMediainAmericaTheGiantHiddeninPlainSightrdquoPollconductedbyBendixenampAssociates2005httpnewsnewamericamediaorgnewsview_articlehtmlarticle_id=0443821787ac0210cbecebe8b1f576a3
OlsonBillThe History of Public Access Television2000httpwwwgeocitiescomiconostarhistory-public-access-TVhtml200415
PewCenterforCivicJournalismldquoDoingCivicJournalismrdquo2007httpwwwpewcenterorgdoingcj
PierceSteveldquoDBSandthePublicInterestOpportunityinSatelliteTelevisionrdquoinPublic Broadcasting and the Public InterestEditedbyMichaelPMcCauleyEricEPetersonBLeeArtzandDeeDeeHalleckLondonMESharpe2003
PhilipsSusanldquoTrueCommunityTowardaCollaborativeEthosScribersquoslsquoTrueCommunityVisionrsquordquoinA Closer Look Media Arts 2002EditedbyHelenDeMichielSanFranciscoNationalAllianceforMediaArtsandCulture2002
PorterMichaelEldquoLocationCompetitionandEconomicDevelopmentLocalClustersinaGlobalEconomyrdquoEconomic Development Quarterly14no1(February2000)15-34
ProjectforExcellenceinJournalismldquoMajorTrendsrdquoinState of the News Media 2006 An Annual Report on American Journalismhttpwwwstateofthenewsmediaorg2006nar-rative_overview_eightaspcat=2ampmedia=1
PrometheusRadioProjectldquoOurFifthBarnraisingmdashWCIW-LPinImmokaleeFloridardquohttpprometheusradioorgcontentview48952006
RennieEllieCommunity Media A Global IntroductionLanhamMDRowmanandLittlefieldPublishers2006
RodriguezClemenciaFissures in the Mediascape An International Study of Citizenrsquos MediaCresskillNJHamptonPress2001
SchafferJanldquoCitizensMediaHasItReachedaTippingPointrdquoinldquoCitizenJournalismrdquoissueofNieman Reports CambridgeMATheNiemanFoundationforJournalismatHarvardUniversityVol59No4Winter2005aeMprintNewsbookhttpwwwniemanharvardedureports05-4NRwinterNR05W_Citizen_Journalismpdf
SchafferJanInterviewonThe NewsHour With Jim Lehrer PBSEveningNewsNovember162005b
SchulerDouglasldquoTheRiseofCommunityNetworksrdquoInternet WorldDecember1995
SchulerDougandPeterDayShaping the Network Society The New Role of Civil Society in CyberspaceCambridgeandLondonMITPress2004
ShirkyClayPower Laws Weblogs and Inequality EconomicsampCultureMediaampCommunityBlog2005OpenSourcehttpshirkycomwritingspowerlaw_webloghtml
ShirkyClaySocial Software and the Politics of GroupsEconomicsampCultureMediaampCommunityBlog2005OpenSourcehttpshirkycomwritingsgroup_politicshtml
Somerset-WardRichardBroadband Community Networks Building the Digital CommonsAreportfortheHaasCharitableTrustsPhiladelphia2005
Somerset-WardRichardConnecting Communities WashingtonDCBentonFoundation2000
Spannerworkse-bookWhat is Social MediaJanuary2007httpwwwspannerworkscomebooks
StarrJeroldMldquoPublicTelevisionintheDigitalAgeTownHallorCyberMallrdquoinPublic Broadcasting and the Public InterestEditedbyMichaelPMcCauleyEricEPetersonBLeeArtzandDeeDeeHalleckLondonMESharpe2003
SteinLauraldquoPublicAccessTelevisionandGrassrootsCommunicationintheUnitedStatesrdquoChapter20inRadical Media Rebellious Communication and Social MovmentsEditedbyJohnDowningThousandOaksCASagePublications2001
SussmanGeraldandJREstesldquoCommunityRadioinCommunityDevelopmentPortlandrsquosKBOORadiordquoinThe Portland Edge Challenges and Successes in Growing CommunitiesEditedbyConniePOzawaPortlandStateUniversityIslandPress2004
WhitneyJenniferldquoMakeMediaMakeRealTroubleWhatrsquosWrong(andRight)withIndymediardquoLiPMagazineJune212005httpwwwlipmagazine
orgarticlesfeatwhitney_indymedia_phtml
thecommunitiesresidentsandlocalgovernmentsofFairviewGreshamPortlandTroutdaleWoodVillageandMultnomahCountyOregonTheMtHoodCableRegulatoryCommissionnegotiatesandenforcescableservicefran-chiseandactsinthepublicinterestoncommunicationspolicyissuesatlocalstateandfederallevelsItwouldbehardtooverstatetheimportanceofMHCRCinfosteringthegrowthofcommunitymediaingreaterPortlandThroughclearandinsightfulregulationofthecablefranchiseithasassuredthatthenecessarynetworksandtelecommu-nicationsinfrastructureareavailabletoallowcommunitymediatogrow
MtHoodrsquosCommunityAccessCapitalGrantsProgramisparticularlynoteworthyTheCapitalGrantsprogramprovidescapitalfundingtocommunicationsprojectsthatsupportsocialjusticecommunityinvolve-mentandtheeffectivedeliveryofservicesthroughcostreductionTheprogramhasallowedscoresofcommunitygroupstoincreasetheircommunicationscapacitythroughtheacquisitionofskillsknowledgeandtechnologyInimplementingthisgrantprogramtheMtHoodCableRegulatoryCommissionhasbeenextremelystrategicinconveninggranteesandcreatingtheconditionsthatleadtopartnershipsandcollaborativerelationships
TheNorthwest Film and Video Centerisalong-standingregionalmediaartsorganizationservingtheNorthwestregionThecenterprovidesarichprogramnurturingmediaartscultureItfeaturesanactiveexhibi-tionprogramforexperimentalandindependentfilmsahighlyregardedfilmschoolandextensiveyouthmediaprogramsThecenterpresentsanumberofyearlyfilmfestivalsincludingthePortlandInternationalFilmFestivaltheNorthwestFilmandVideoFestivalandtheYoungPeoplersquosFilmampVideoFestivalThecenterrsquosproductionsoftenfindtheirwayontotothearearsquoscablechannelsThecenterisalsoatrustedsourceofequipmentaccessforareaindependentproducersactiveintherichmediacultureofPortlandaservicepartiallysupportedbytheMtHoodCableRegulatoryCommissionrsquosCapitalGrantsprogram
Minneapolis-St Paul MinnesotaTheSaint Paul Neighborhood Network(SPNN)isacableaccessstationservingStPaulresidentsThestationprovidesopportunitiestothepublictoproduceandairprogramsononeofitsfivechannelsdedicatedtomulti-faithpubliceducationcommunityandinternationalcontentrespectivelySPNNhasayoutheducationprogramandacommunityproductionsprogramwhichworkswithnonprofitorganizationstocreatepublicserviceadvertise-
mentsorprogrammingWorkshopsincludeproductiongrantproposalwritinglegalquestionsandlightingSPNNisparticularlyeffectiveasconvenerandcapacitybuilderinitscommunityItseducationandtrainingprogramsarefocusedoncommunitydevelopmentandonkeepingthetechnicaltrainingelementsofitsworkinasocialperspective
Minneapolis Television Network(MTN)isSPNNrsquossisteraccessstationservingMinneapoliswithasimilarcommitmenttoprovidingacommunitygatheringplaceOperatingthreepublicaccesschannelsMTNofferstelevi-siontrainingandmedialiteracyclassesandisespeciallyencouragingofyouthparticipationThechannelsserveasabridgeforimmigrantstouseinadaptingtotheirnewhomemanynewimmigrantsusethemtocommunicateintheirnativelanguageswiththeirSomaliEthiopianorVietnamesecompatriotsSomali-languageprogramsforinstanceoffereighthoursaweekofmusicentertainmentcommunitynewsandreligiousinstructiontooneofthelargestsettlementsofSomalipeopleoutsideSomaliaIntoutingSomalitelevisionasthebestpublicaccesscabletelevisionprogramintheTwinCitiesCity Pages saidldquoForsomepublicaccessisanearlyinspiringlessonindemocracyandfreemediardquo(CityPages2004)WantingtostrengthenthenonprofitcommunityrsquosInternetsavvyMTNcreatedandeventuallyspunofftheRiverProjecttoofferInternetdial-upaccessandwebhostingtononprofits
PublicbroadcastershavealsoofferedstrongmodelsofcommunitycollaborationintheTwinCities Twin Cities Public Television(TPT)isthepublictelevisionstationservingtheMinneapolisndashStPaulregionIn2004TPTbegandedicatingtimeononeofitsdigitalchan-nelstoMinnesota-relatedprogrammingAnumberoftheprogramsontheMinnesota Channel(someofwhicharethencablecastonpublicaccesstelevision)aretargetedatLatinoHmongHindiMiddleEasternChineseandVietnamesecommunitiesandproducedinpartnershipwithnonprofitorganizationsTPTisapartnerintheMinnesotaCommunityCampaignthatencouragesurbanandruralareasinandaroundtheTwinCitiestowelcomethetensofthousandsofimmigrantsandrefugeesthathavesettledthereinthepastseveraldecadesSeekingtoeffectpositivechangeonimmigrantissuesthroughartmediaeducationsocialserviceandpolicymakingthecampaignproducedtheldquoTheNewMinnesotansrdquoasixty-minuteprogramthatoriginallyairedonTPTbasedontheKartemquinseriesldquoTheNewAmericansrdquo
InadditiontocommunityradiostationKFAItheTwinCitiesishometoMinnesota Public Radio(MPR)
whichhaspioneeredafreshapproachtojournalismcalledpublicinsightjournalism(PIJ)PIJtapsintothecollectiveknowledgeofMPRrsquosdiverseaudiencetoenrichitsreport-ingCreatingaten-thousand-personPublicInsightNetworkviathewebthestationinvitesthepublictobesourcesofstoryideasreactionsandperspectivesandbrainstormingonpublicissues
TheindependentfilmandvideocommunityworkscollaborativelyintheTwinCitiestosupportandpromoteartistandcommunityperspectivesIFP Minnesota Center for Media Arts Intermedia ArtsandtheWalker Art Center areamongthemulti-disciplinaryvenuesfordiscus-sionandproduction
AndtheInternetishometoanewaggregationofcommunitymediasourcesAccordingtoitswebsitethe Twin Cities Daily PlanetaprojectoftheTwinCitiesMediaAllianceisldquoacommunitynewswireandsyndicationserviceshowcasingthebestworkoftheneighborhoodandcommunitypressaswellasworkbyTwinCitiesindepen-dentjournalistsandthevoicesofengagedcitizensThepremiseoftheTC Daily PlanetisthatnewtechnologiesaremakingitpossibleforthesecitizenstobecomemoreactiveandpowerfulparticipantsinthenewsproductionprocessrdquoModeledafterKorearsquosOhmyNewstheTC Daily Planetseekstoimprovethequalitydiversityandaccount-abilityofthelocalmediaandtoinvolvetherapidlygrowingimmigrantandethniccommunitiesItrecruitsandofferstrainingtocitizenjournalistsandhaspartnershipswithoverfortyneighborhoodandcommunitymedia
Chicago IllinoisChicago Access Network Television(CAN-TV)offersfivepublicaccesschannelstoChicagolandresidentsThispublicspaceprovidesChicagoansanopportunitytodiscussissuesoflocalconcernpromotehealtheducationalandeconomicresourcesinthecommunityandcelebratelocaltalentandinitiativesCAN-TVprovidesvideotrainingequipmentandfacilitiesforarearesidentsandnonprofitgroupsItvideotapesandcablecastspublicforumstownhallmeetingscommunityeventsandotheractivitiesoflocalinterestThroughthisservicethestationprovidesChicagoanswithaccesstoinformationtheymaynototh-erwisehavethroughcommercialtelevisionForinstanceCAN-TVworkedwitheighttotenAIDSagenciestodissemi-natebasiceducationaboutAIDSpreventionvialivecall-inprograms
CAN-TVsupportsChicagorsquosassociationsandnonprof-itsthroughserviceslikeliveldquohot-linerdquocall-inshowsfrom
automatedstudiosthatonepersoncanoperateproductionservicesthatgenerateprogrammingforcommunityeventsandstrategiccommunicationsplanningworkshopsCAN-TVhasrefusedtofollowasimplisticldquoneutralityrdquoprogram-mingphilosophyinwhichtheaccesscentertransmitsonlyprogrammingthatrandomlycomesfromthecommunityInsteadCAN-TVactivelycreatesprogrammingimportanttocommunitydevelopmentInadditiontoitsfocusonnonprofitsCAN-TVactivelycreatespartnershipswithcon-tent-richgroupssuchaslocalmuseumsandartsgroupsItalsopartnerswithlocalmediaactivistproductiongroupslikeVideoMacheteandStreetLevelYouthMedia(profiledbelow)SimilarlyCAN-TVaggressivelyengagesinprogram-mingforlocalelectionsatypicalelectionseasonwillgeneratearoundtwohundredhoursoforiginalprogram-mingeachmonthandnearlyallthecandidateswillbefeaturedoractuallycreatetheirownCAN-TVprogrammingtocarryouttheircampaigns
Street-Level Youth MediaprovidesopportunitiesforChicagorsquosurbanyouthtousemediaartsandemergingtechnologiesforself-expressioncommunicationandsocialchangeItsstaffprovidesinstructioninvideoandaudioproductioncomputerartandtheInternettohelpyouthaddresscommunityissuesaccessadvancedcommunica-tionstechnologyandgaininclusioninsocietyInoneprojectitcollaboratedwithtwoseventh-gradeteachersandanESLinstructortohelpstudentsresearchissuesaboutimmigrationinoneneighborhoodTheteachersweretrainedtousevideoandthentrainedotherteacherswhoguidedtheirstudentsinproducingvideosforscreeningattheschoolMorethanthirtyvideoswerecreatedandvideotrainingandusehasbeenincorporatedintotheschoolcurriculum
Radio Arte(WRTE)istheonlybilingual(Spanish-English)youth-operatedurbancommunitystationinthecountryItoperateswithafocusonyouthinChicagorsquosPilsenandLittleVillageneighborhoodsAninitiativeoftheNationalMuseumofMexicanArtthiseducationalradiostationhasservedChicagoformorethansixyearstrainingyouthwithapriorityondevelopingindividualandgroupcommunicationcompetenciesthatallowyoungpeopletoenterpubliclifewithconfidencethroughthebroadcastmediumProvidingaforumforyoungpeopletobecreativeandresponsibletothelargestMexicancommunityintheMidwestRadioArteiscommittedtotrainingyoungpeopleintheartofbroadcastingRadioArtersquosuniquetwo-yeartrainingprogramprovidesyouthwithspecialcoursesonwritingforradioandjournalismvoicetrainingand
FCCregulationsaswellasbasiccomputerskillsproduc-tionskillsandon-airtrainingParticipatingintwograntroundsofSoundPartnersforCommunityHealththestationrsquosldquoRadioVidardquoproducedprogrammingonsubstanceabuseandaddictionbyandforLatinoyouth
Casa Guatemala Media Projectisanonprofitcommunity-basedorganizationthatservestheGuatemalanandbroaderLatinAmericancommunityinChicagoandtheMidwestSinceitsfoundingin1986ithasusedmediaincludingwebprintTVandradiotoraiseconsciousnessaboutissuesaffectingcommunitiesfromLatinAmericaInparticularitworkswithCAN-TVtoprovidetheeducationalcomponentofself-authoredmediathatwillpositivelytrans-formcommunitiesthroughworkshopsontheproductionandalternativeusesofemergingtechnologies
Beyond Media EducationworkswithunderservedandunderrepresentedcommunitiesprimarilywomenandyouthtotelltheirstoriesandorganizeforsocialjusticethroughthecreationanddistributionofalternativemediaandartsInarecenteffortitworkedwithaChicagosheltertohelpstreetwalkerstelltheirownstoriesinanefforttoraisepublicawarenessandpromotestate-levelreformsTheorganizationorganizedasix-monthworkshopthatincludedteachingandpracticingstorytellingpublicspeak-ingandvideoproductionskillstooveradozenprostitutesTheirgroundbreakingvideogivesinsightsintoChicagorsquossextradeindustryandrecountsthetriumphofthepar-ticipantsoverhomelessnessviolenceanddiscriminationTheirlobbyinginthestatecapitolresultedinpassageofabilltodestigmatizeanddecriminalizesexworkers
Keepingtabsonandshowcasingmuchofthecom-munitymediaactivityfromajournalisticperspectiveistheCommunity Media Workshop (CMW) CMWservesasabridgebetweensocialactivistscommunitymediaprac-titionersandjournalistsIthostsanannualacademyforprogressiveorganizationsintheChicagoareathatbringsactivistsandjournaliststogethertoshareideasandatti-tudesProminentareatelevisionandnewspaperjournalistsarerecruitedtoserveonpanelsleadworkshopsandgenerallysharetheirideasofhowprogressivegroupscaneffectivelygaintheattentionofthepressThisapproach
leadstobuy-infromkeypersonnelinChicagorsquosmainstreammediawhocannowbetterunderstandthegrassrootsgroupsthatapproachthemandtheirissuesItalsogivescommunityparticipantsattheworkshopstheopportunitytodevelopmorepersonalrelationshipswithkeymembersofthemediaThisapproachalsoenablescommunitygroupstobetterunderstandwhatmotivateseditorsandreporters
ThesethreecommunitiesshowcommondevelopmentpatternsandfactorsCommunitymediaorganizationshavebeguntounderstandtheirmissionsintermsofasharedcultureofcommunitymedialookingbeyondtheirindivid-ualmissionstothecommonsocialandpoliticalvaluestheyhaveincommonThisapproachopensthewayforcommu-nityradiomediaartscenterscommunitymediacentersandcableaccesstocreatecommunity-wideprograminitiativesinwhichseveralmediaplatformsareengagedItcreatestheconditionsinwhichitispossibleforcommunitymediaorganizationstoactwithunifiedstancesinpoliticaladvocacyregardingmediaissuesandotherissuescriticaltotheircommunitiesThiskindofcross-platformnetworkingalsocreatesopportunitiesforcommunitymediatoreceivemorediversefundingandsupportfromthecommunityastheyextendthenetworkorcultureofcollaborationtocom-munitydevelopmentgroupsandofficialsintheirregions
Communitymediaorganizationshavebeguntounderstandtheirmissionsintermsofasharedcultureofcommunitymedialookingbeyondtheirindividualmissionstothecommonsocialandpoliticalvaluestheyhaveincommon
ldquoThe boldest experiments in public telecommunica-tions take place when technologies are new and their commercial potential not yet fully apparentrdquo mdash Ralph Engelman 1996
Acrosstheirmanyplatformsandmanycommunitiescommunitymediahavebecomecentralculturalinstitutionsinthecivicculturalandeconomiclife
ofourcommunitiesprovidinginvaluablemediaprogram-mingaccessandeducationTheycaninsuchinstancesenablecommunitiestodevelopinformedcitizensartistsandactivistswhopossesstheskillsandknowledgeneededtograpplewithcomplexmedialiteracyanddevelopmentissuesatthelocallevel
Fordecadescommunitymediaorganizationshaveaddressedtheurgentneedtocreatelocalinstitutionsthatfacilitatecitizenaccesstomedianetworksandeffectiveparticipationinmediacultureforbothcitizensandwork-ersTheyareprovingthemselvesvitaltothepoliticalandeconomiclifeoftheircommunitiesTheyplaymultiplerolessimultaneouslyascriticalculturalenhancementstothequalityofciviclifeasemployersandaseducationalsitesforworkforcedevelopment
difficultyNeworganizationalformsandnewmediaformatslikestreamingarchivingpodcastingandbloggingarebecomingthenormpartofldquoblendedrdquoproductionanddis-seminationpracticesincommunitymedia
neW communicAtion spAces cyberjournAlismTheincreaseinInternetbandwidthandtheavailabilityofonlinesocialnetworkingsoftwarehavequalitativelychangedtherelationshipofjournaliststotheiraudiencesNewwebdestinationslikeMySpaceShutterflyFriendsterFlikrEviteandGooglearedevelopingvirtualcommuni-tiesforsharingvideoattractingyoungeraudiencesandmakingcontentmorethanpassiveandone-directionalSocialnetworkingsoftwareenablespeopletorendezvousconnectorcollaboratethroughcomputer-mediatedcom-municationandformonlinecommunities(Spannerworks2007)PopularsocialnetworksoftwareapplicationslikeweblogsorblogsseemparticularlywellsuitedtoparticipatorycitizenjournalismallowingeasypublishingofinteractivetextphotoaudioandvideocontentTheneweasewithwhichvideoclipscanbepreparedforuseonthewebhasbroughtontheriseofldquovlogsrdquoandsitesthatfacilitatethesharingofvideoclipsandaccompanyingcontentAnenormousrangeofblogsandcyberjournalisticsiteshavesprungupontheWorldWideWebinthepastfiveyearswithanequallywiderangeofeditorialstandardsandpracticesTechnoraticomcurrentlytracksseventeenmillionblogssharingoneandahalfmillionhyperlinks(Rennie2006)APewCenterInternetstudyestimatesthatthenumberofregularblogreadersintheUnitedStatesisequivalenttoalmosthalftheentireradioaudiencewhichisaboutaquarteroftheUSnewspaperreadership(Rennie2006)
Combinedwithaffordablenewdigitalmediaproduc-tioncamerasandrecorderstheseweb-baseddisseminationtoolsmakeitpossibleforcitizensandconsumerstoparticipateactivelyinnewsgatheringNonprofessionalshavebeguntoplayamoreactiveroleintheprocessesofjournalismfromcollectinginformationandreportingtoanalysisanddisseminationJanSchafferwhodirectsJ-LabaUniversityofMarylandincubatorforinteractivejournalismprojectsexplainsthatmanypeoplearebecom-ingmoreactivecitizensthroughjournalisticactivitybutdonotnecessarilyaspiretobejournalistsThenewtechnical
envisioning the future of community mediA
Communitymediaorganizationsareprovingthemselvesvitaltothepoliticalandeconomiclifeoftheircommunities
Communitymediaarealsocontributingimportantvaluespracticesandorganizationalmethodologiestotheemergingcollaborativemediaenvironmentsoftheblogo-sphereWecanlooktothesecontributionsastechnologicalandorganizationalopportunitiesforstrengtheningandexpandingcommunitymediapracticeWiththeInternetamediacultureisemergingthatismoreconsistentwiththenoncommercialpracticesofcommunitymediaproductioncollaborationanddemocraticparticipationinmediamak-inganddistributionConsequentlymanycommunitymediaorganizationsareintegratingthecapacitiesoftheInternetandnewmediaintotheirpracticeswithoutmuchfanfareor
0
capacityforcommunicationsheobservesallowspeopletoldquoparticipateinnewsandinformationinvariouswaysmdashparticipateininteractingwithitquestioningittruth-squadingitandcreatingitAndnowthattheyhavethetechtoolsandthetechskillstodothattheappetitehasonlyincreasedrdquo(Schaffer2005b)
SuchconditionshavesetthestageforintensepopularinterestinwhathasbeenbrandedldquowemediardquoorldquoparticipatoryjournalismrdquoTodaynumerousonlinejournalisticexperimentsbringtogetherprofessionaljour-nalistswithcitizenmediaactivistsandthoseinvolvedineventsMoreandmoretheearliestimagesandinformationregardingbreakingnewsarecomingfromnon-journalistspresentatthemomentoftheeventAsaresultjournalistsarebeginningtoconceptualizethemselvesnotsomuchasgatekeepersofnewsbutasmoderatorsinaconversationwithlicenseandtimetospeakfrequentlyandhopefullyaccurately(BowmanandWillis2003)
Thiskindofcommunity-centeredcoveragemayentailthere-balancingofeditorialpoliciesndashcommittingtodiversityembracingegalitarianvaluesandreassessingthevalueofeditorialneutralityItputsintoquestiontheroleandsignificanceofofteninnovativeldquopersonalmediardquoexemplifiedbythemillionsofbloggingsitesontheWebIsthiskindofldquonewsrdquoservingapubliccivicpurposeofcommunityproblemsolvingorindividualprivateexpres-sionInaWashington PostopinionpieceonDecember212006GeorgeKWillvoicedskepticismoftheseriousnessofmuchofthewebrsquosamateurjournalisminresponsetoTimemagazinersquosnamingallofusPersonoftheYear
Itisdifficulttopredictthefutureofcyberjournal-ismandbloggingpreciselyintheseearlystagesbutthreeoutcomesseemlikelyFirstbloggingwillcontinueitsrapidintegrationintomainstreammediacontentSecondblog-gingandotherformsofsocialnetworkingsoftwarewillgiverisetonewmediaentitiesthatwillchallengemainstreammedialocallynationallyandglobally
ThethirdoutcomeistheonemostrelevanttoacommunitymediascanCyberjournalismandparticipatory
citizenjournalismseemparticularlywellsuitedtoaddressthecurrentUSmassmediarsquosdifficultyinprovidingcoverageoflocaleventsinsmallercommunitiessuburbanregionsandcommutercommunitiesthataredevelopingoutsideformalpoliticaljurisdictionsCommunity-basedonlinejournalismsiteshavesprungupinhundredsofcom-munitiesaroundtheUnitedStatesTheyaremanagedandorganizedinwidelydivergentways
AnexperimentincyberjournalismandcommunitynetworkingtheTwin Cities Daily PlanetaggregatessomeofthebestjournalismfromMinnesotarsquosTwinCitiesneighborhoodandcommunitypressandindependentjour-nalistsaswellasthevoicesofengagedcitizenspresentingthemtothepublicthroughaninteractivewebsiteandcommunitydatabaseByaggregatingcitizenandneighbor-hoodjournalisminonesiteitincreasesthecapacityofsmallneighborhoodmediatoreachbeyondtheirborderstoawiderregionalaudienceUsingRealSimpleSyndication(RSS)softwaretheTC Daily Planetcanpotentiallyreachaglobalaudience
AprojectoftheTwinCitiesMediaAlliancetheTC Daily PlanetisaverynewformofcommunitymediaemergingfromtherestructuringofthenewspaperindustryandtheuseofbloggingandsocialnetworkingsoftwareAlthoughearlyinitsdevelopmenttheTC Daily Planetisgivingvoicetoanincreasingnumberofethnicimmi-grantandnon-mainstreamjournalistswhilefocusingthecommunityrsquosattentiononafargreaterrangeofpublicationsandideas
TheearliestexpressionsofcyberjournalismaretheIndependent Media Centers (IMCs)orIndymediaIndymediacameintobeingaspartoftheprotestsanddemonstrationsaroundtheWorldTradeOrganizationtalksheldinSeattleWashingtonin1999ThisfirstIMCwasaconvergenceoftheemerginginteractivityoftheInternetwiththeintenseneedofprotesterstogetindependentinformationouttotheworldabouttheprotestsAnetworkofindependentcommunitymediamakersactivistsandjournalistsbandedtogethertopoolresourcesandinforma-tion(Howley2005)
TheIMCsforeshadowedthebloggingandvideodis-tributionthatwasshortlytoemergebyusingtheInternetandtheWorldWideWebinconjunctionwithvideoandaudiodistributiontocreateatrulyunprecedentedmulti-mediaenvironmentIntermsofbothqualityandquantitytheSeattleIMCwasanimpressiveperformancebyanynewsandcurrentaffairsstandardsOverthecourseofthefive-dayprotestsadailynewspaperanddailyradioprogramwerecreatedandcountlessprintstoriesweredisseminated
Journalistsarebeginningtoconceptualizethemselvesnotsomuchasgatekeepersofnewsbutasmoderatorsinaconversation
globallyalsovideofeedsweresentthroughtheInternettopublicaccessandcommunitychannelsaroundtheworldSixyearsaftertheSeattleproteststherewere149Indymediawebsitesinabout45countriesonsixcontinents(Whitney2005)
TheopenformofcommunicationpracticedbymostIMCsiteshasnotbeenwithoutproblemsandcontra-dictionsManysitesarenowclutteredwithideologicaldiatribesanduneditedcontent(Halleck2002Whitney2005)ButthereareanumberofIndymediasitesthatprovidealternativenewsandinformationregardingaglobalscopeofconcernsthatwouldbeverydifficulttoobtainanywhereelseinthemediaAnumberofsitesinplacessuchasNewYorkCityPortlandOregonandtheSanFranciscoBayareahaveestablishedthemselvesasstablepartsoftheircommunityrsquosmediaculture
companiesspecializedsuppliersserviceprovidersandassociatedinstitutionsinaparticularfieldthatarepresentinanationorregionrdquo(Porter2000)Thecompaniesinanindustryclusterhaveacomplexwebofmutuallysupportingrelationshipsthatencompassbothcompetitiveandcollab-orativerelationshipsTheylinkacrossprofitandnonprofitpracticesutilizecommoninfrastructuremakecommoncontributionstothedevelopmentofahighlyskilledwork-forcesharefundingandinsomecasestalentedstaff
Increasinglycommunitydevelopmentpractitionersandanalystsarecomingtounderstandindustryclustersaspowerfulstrategiesforbotheconomicandcommunitydevelopmentinthetwenty-firstcenturyThisisprovingdoublytruefornonprofitcommunitymediaorganizationswhoseroleitistobringpowerfultoolsandknowledgetoanycommunityrsquosdeliberationsaroundcommunityandeco-nomicdevelopmentBroadbandandwirelessnetworksareprovidingthepracticalmeansoflinkingcommunitymediaorganizationswithincommunitiesofferingakeystrategicadvantagebyenhancingtheeffectivenessofcollaborationandpartnershipbuilding
AstheexamplesinthepreviouschaptershowcommunitymediaorganizationsaretakingonnewrolesincludingcombiningproductionandtrainingtakingonworkforcedevelopmentfunctionsandbecomingtechnologycentersfordiffusionofnewmediaBeyondtheseexampleslongstandingsuccessfulcommunitymediaorganiza-tionsaremergingasnetworkclusterslinkingdifferentgroupsandorganizationswithincommunitiestocreateentirelynewcommunitymediaorganizationsorblurringtheboundariesbetweentheirorganizationsOthersarebringinghistoricallyseparatecommunitymediagroupswithinoneorganizationalstructureorunderonerooftosharebuildingsandcommunicationsinfrastructuresinacost-effectivemanner
TheorganizationsthatemergefromthisintegrationmaybesimilarinfunctionthoughtheirnamesremaindifferentAcommunity-basedsiteforcitizenmediaandcyberjournalismforexampleandacommunitynetworklikeMAINinAshevilleNorthCarolinaoracutting-edgecableaccesscenterlikeGrandRapidsCommunityTelevisionbegintolookverymuchalikeintermsof
Increasinglycommunitymediadevelopmentishappeningthroughnetworksoflocalnonprofitmediaorganizationsratherthanwithinsingleorganizations
neW orgAnizAtionAl spAces netWorked clusters Perhapsthemostpromisingtrendonthehorizonforcom-munitymediaistheemergenceofnewhighlyintegratedorganizationalstructuresandcollaborativeprocessesIncreasinglycommunitymediadevelopmentishappeningthroughnetworksoflocalnonprofitmediaorganizationsratherthanwithinsingleorganizations
Inmanywaysthesereorganizationsatthecom-munitylevelparalleltherestructuringtakingplaceintheprivatecorporatesectorTherecommunicationsnetworksarebeingusedtosupportcomplexpartnershipsandjointcompanyprojectdevelopmentinteractivenetworkseasetheaggregationoflargeorstrategiccapitalandemployeeskillsetsacrossgeographicandorganizationalboundariesforthepurposesofinnovationandmarketdevelopmentInthelanguageofcommunityandeconomicdevelop-mentthesecomplexpartnershipsareknownasldquocreativeclustersrdquoorldquoindustryclustersrdquoMichaelPorteraleadingtheoristandproponentoftheconceptofclustersdefinesthemasldquogeographicconcentrationsofinterconnected
Successfulcommunitymediaorganizationsaremergingasnetworkclusters
technologyprogrammingactivitiesandtheexperienceofcommunityaudiencesvolunteersandparticipantsEachorganizationreliesonnoncommercialaffordablebandwidtheachplayssomeroleinadvocatingforsupportivegovern-mentpoliciesandeachisexperimentingwiththepotentialofnewcollaborativemediatoolsOftencommittedtoengagingandtrainingvolunteersandcommunitymembersinsomemannertheymayoffertrainingandvolunteerpro-gramsthatrequiresimilarsharableonlinetutorialsandonlineoutreachandschedulemanagementtools
TheexamplesthatfollowdemonstratethewayscommunitymediacreativeclustersaremakinguniquecontributionstotheircommunitiesrsquoqualityoflifeandeconomicwellbeingTheyaredoingsointhreeimportantwaysbullfirstbyamplifyingtherolethatartsandculturalgroups
playinenhancingthequalityoflifeandattractingatalentedworkforceandcapitaltothecommunitymdasharolethatisgaininginsignificanceinthetwenty-firstcentury
bullsecondascontributorstocoreeconomicdevelopmentfunctionsinthecommunityincludingworkforcedevelop-mentandtrainingasmicro-enterpriseincubatorsandascreatorsofnewknowledgeandeducationalexperiencesand
bullthirdasfacilitatorsandcatalystsofcommunitydialoguecommittedtoembracingmarginalizedvoicesandallow-ingthecommunitytoundertakeitsowndevelopmentdemocratically
Lowell MassachusettsLowell Telecommunications Center(LTC)isapublicandgovernmentaccesschannelandmediaandtechnologycen-terItprovideseducationandtraininginmediacreationincludingwebdesigndigitalphotographyandtelevisionproductionLTCworksincollaborationwithotherlocalcommunity-basedorganizationsmunicipaldepartmentsandeducationalentitiestoproducediversemulticulturalprogrammingthatmeetsthecommunityrsquoscommunica-tionandinformationneedsLTChasbecomeaconvening
organizationforbuildingcapacityamongLowellrsquosnonprofitcommunity-basedorganizationsintheiruseofparticipatorymediaandcivicengagementstrategies
LTCismorefocusedthanothercommunitymediaorganizationsoncommunitybuildingandcommunicationtechnologyThecorporationisworkingtobuildanetworkforparticipatorymediaandcivicengagementthroughouttheMerrimacRiverValleyThroughaUSDepartmentofEducationgrantLTCacquiredfundingandstafftohelpitspartnerorganizationsbecomeInternet-capableassesstheirinformationtechnologyneedsacquiretechnologyupgradestoaddressthoseneedsandundertakethetrainingtousethetechnologyeffectively
RatherthanwaitingforgroupstocometoitscenterLTCcreatedacircuitridertrainingprogramthattookthetrainingprogramintothecommunityThroughLTCrsquosinformationtechnologycenterscoresofcommunitygroupshavereceivedtrainingdesignedandcreatedwebsitesanddevelopedstrategiccommunicationsplansforthefutureThosedevelopmentsincludeweb-basedhistoricalarchivesGISmappingsystemsmultimediamaterialsandInternetvideoTohelporganizationsacquirethesoftwaretheyneedtocarryouttheirmissionsLTCcreatedtheCommunitySoftwareLabwhichdevelopsuniquesoftwaretofittheneedsofareanonprofitsThelabhasbeenspunofftocreateaseparatenonprofitentityjoiningthegrowingnumberofindependentorganizationsthatnetworkthroughLTC
ThemostrecentLTCinitiativeisldquoDigitalBicyclerdquoapeer-to-peernetworkthatallowsmediacentersworldwidetodownloadandsharelocalcontentLTCstaffenvisionDigitalBicycleasanonlinecommunityforcableaccessmediaartsindependentmediaandothernoncommercialmedia
Grand Rapids MichiganldquoBuildingcommunitythroughmediardquoThissimplemissionstatementguidedtheGrand Rapids Community Media Center(GRCMC)asitevolvedfromatypicalcableaccessoperationtobecomeabroad-basedmultimediacenterandamodelforthedevelopmentofcommunitymultimediacentersintheUnitedStatesOverthepasttwentyyears
Communitymediacreativeclustersaremakinguniquecon-tributionstotheircommunitiesrsquoqualityoflifeandeconomicwellbeing
LTCisworkingtobuildanetworkforparticipatorymediaandcivicengagementthroughouttheMerrimacRiverValley
GRCMChaspulledthediversecommunitymediaactivitiesofGrandRapidsunderoneorganizationalumbrellaandtakentheleadinarticulatingthepotentialforaggregatingnoncommercialnetworkedcommunicationsthere
Theevolvingnetworkofmediaplatformsdis-ciplinesandculturalgroupsthatconvergetobecomeGRCMCnowincludesthefollowingcentersofpracticeGRTVacommunitytelevisioncenterthatprogramsmultiplecableaccesschannelsWYCEacommunityradiostationGrandnetacommunitytechnologyandnetworkcenterthatprovidescitizenandnonprofitaccesstotheInternetandtheGrandRapidsInstituteforInformationDemocracyacriticalmediaeducationandresearchcenterthattracksmediaandlocalpublicinterestissuesandpub-lishesinformationonmediaaccountabilityandreform
ButtheGrandRapidsCommunityMediaCenterismorethanthesumofitspartsThecomponentsofthecenterworktogetherinamutuallyreinforcingwholethatcreatesapowerfulcommunitymediapresenceinGrandRapidsandallowsthecentertoundertakefarmoreambitiousprojectsandprogrammingthanwouldbethecaseseparatelyOneexcellentexampleistheMobileOn-LineLearningLabforInformationEducationKnownasMOLLIEtheprogramprovidesskilledtrainersanddigitalvideoproductionequipmenttoschoolsandcommunityorganizationsforspecialprojectsOriginallyfundedbyafederalDepartmentofEducationgrantMOLLIEfillsintechnologygapsinGrandRapidseducationalinstitutionsandnonprofitsInthehandsofalessintegratedinstitutiontheMOLLIEprojectcouldeasilybeatechnicallyorientedequipmentloanandtrainingprogramInthehandsofthecenterMOLLIEhasbecomeasophisticatedmediaandtechnologyeducationalinitiativeprovidingatrainingprogramthataddressesmediaeducationfromtheperspec-tiveofallthecomponentsoftheGrandRapidsCommunityMediaCenter
Asheville North CarolinaOneofthemostarticulateeffortsmergingthecreativeclustersideawithparticipatorycommunicationhascomeaboutinAshevilleNorthCarolinaThroughapersistent
collaborationbetweenforwardlookingregionalgroupsandorganizationsndashinvolvingabroadnetworkofindi-vidualscommunitymediaandmediaartsgroupsintheAshevilleregionndashAshevillehaslaidthefoundationforacommunitymediadevelopmentcenterthatwillfunctionasacableaccesscentermediaartscenterandnewmediamicro-enterpriseincubatorAtthecenterofthiseffortisaninformalcoalitionoffourimportantgroupsinAshevilleMountainAreaInformationNetworkMediaArtsProjectBoncombeCountyEconomicDevelopmentCommissionandURTVThegroupsrepresentdistinctpointsofviewandconcernsaswellasconverginginterests
Eachgroupsharedtheinsightthatcivicparticipa-tionandeconomicsuccessinthetwenty-firstcenturyaredirectlyrelatedtohavingaccesstocommunicationstechnologyandknowledgeEachalsounderstoodthattherenegotiationofthecablefranchisesintheCityofAshevilleandsurroundingBoncombeCountywasastrategicmomenttocatalyzeandassociateanumberofcommunity-basedinformationandmediaartsactivitiesalreadyinplaceorplannedinAshevilleThegroupsusedthecablefranchisingprocesstocreateacommonorganizationalandfacilitiesinfrastructuresupportingtheuseofmediaforbothcivicandeconomicdevelopment
The Media Arts Project(MAP)isanetworkofmediaartiststhatcultivatesinnovativeartsandtechnol-ogyinwesternNorthCarolinaMAPworkedtirelesslytoframecableaccessasacommunitydevelopmentissuebridgingthemediaactivistcommunitiesandthemoreforward-thinkingfactionsamongeconomicdevelopmentprofessionalsintheregionWiththerecentopeningofURTV IncAshvillersquoscableaccessorganizationandfacilityMAPanditsnetworkofpartnersarenowturningtheirattentiontofundingthemediaartsandeconomicincubatorelementsofthevision
AshevillersquosinterestinsupportingcommunitymediaarisesfromthepresenceoftheMountain Area Information Network(MAIN)Inthetraditionoftheruralcooperativesthathelpedspreadthereachofelectricityinthe1930sMAINisanonprofitInternetserviceproviderofferingreliablelow-costInternetservicebothinwesternNorthCarolinaandnationwideItisauniquecommunitynetworkwithabroadvisionofitsroleinthecommunitythatencompassesmedialiteracyeconomicdevelopmentstrategiescommunitylow-powerradioacommunity-basedwebportalandtheprovisionofInternetconnectivitytoruralwesternNorthCarolinaMAINislargelyresponsiblefortheremarkableexpansionofInternetaccessibilityinwesternNorthCarolinaallowingthousandsofpeopleto
GRCMChaspulledthediversecommunitymediaactivitiesofGrandRapidsunderoneorganizationalumbrella
spendtheirInternetaccessdollarswithalocallycontrolledandaccountableorganizationMAINdemonstratesthevalueofthecommunitynetworkingconcepttoareasthatarelagginginconnectivityduetofailuresofthemarket
MAINhastakenaleadershiproleinbuildingacommunitymediacultureinAshevillethatdemonstratestheeasewithwhichdigitalmedialeapsorganizationalboundariesItscommunitynetworkrunstheBlueRidgeWebMarketwhichprovidesafreecustomizableInternetpresencetohundredsofsmallbusinessesthroughoutwesternNorthCarolinaItsLatinoDigitalLiteracyProjectofferstrainingtohelpthearearsquosgrowingLatinopopula-tionsaccesstheInternetMAINhasbeenoneofthekeypartnersinbringingacableaccesscentertoAshevilleandhasbeenthedrivingforcebehindWPVMWNCrsquoslow-powerFMradiostationbroadcastinglocalnewsviewsandmusicover-the-airintheAshevilleregion(andtheworldviawebcast)
Cleveland OhioPerhapsthemostrobustcommunity-basednonprofitnetworkintheUnitedStatesOne ClevelandprovideswhatitcallsldquoultrabroadbandnetworkingservicesrdquotoClevelandareaeducationgovernmentresearchartscultureandhealthcareorganizationsOneClevelandoperatesafibernetworkringthatcoversmuchofthecityofClevelandandmanyofitssurroundingsuburbsSubscriberstothenetworkconnectatgigabitspeeds
OneClevelandrepresentswhatcanhappenwhenpowerfulcommunitydevelopmentforcescometoaconsensusregardingtheircommunityrsquosneedforhigh-speedconnectivitytoglobaleconomiesandmediaItsfoundersareClevelandmainstreaminstitutionsCaseWesternReserveUniversityCuyahogaCommunityCollegeClevelandStateUniversityTheCityofClevelandGreaterClevelandRegionalTransitAuthorityideastreamCuyahogaCountyPublicLibraryandNorTechThenetworkhasformedrelationshipswithtechnologycompaniestomaintainup-to-dateapplicationsthatleveragethepotentialofsuchapowerfulnetwork
Oneofthenetworkrsquoskeypartners ideastream illustratesthesignificanceofworkingtogethertomakehigh-speedconnectivitypubliclyavailablethroughoutacommunityonitsowntermsBybuildingahigh-speednet-workOneClevelandhascreatedacivicnetworkspaceandinfrastructurethatallowsanewkindofmultimediapublicmediaorganizationtobecreatedIdeastreamresultedwhenWVIZPBSTelevisionand903WCPNRadiopublicbroad-castersmergedtoformanewnonprofitldquomultimediapublicserviceorganizationrdquoIdeastreamisabletoextenditsmediaexpertisebeyondbroadcastingtoonlinetechnologiesandapplicationsofalltypesmdashwhenyouareconnectingtothenetworkatthegigabitspeedsofOneClevelandrsquostherangeofapplicationsandtheirpotentialarehuge
MAINhastakenaleadershiproleinbuildingacommunitymediacultureinAshevillethatdemonstratestheeasewithwhichdigitalmedialeapsorganizationalboundaries
OneClevelandrepresentswhatcanhappenwhenpowerfulcommunitydevelopmentforcescometoaconsensusregardingtheircommunityrsquosneedforhigh-speedconnectivitytoglobaleconomiesandmedia
Inthecourseofpreparingthisreportndashpouringovertheliteratureandsynthesizinghoursofstructuredround-tableconversationsandone-on-oneinterviewswith
opinionleadersandsuccessfulpractitionersofcommunitymediandashonethingisextremelyclearThewayoursocietymakesandsharesinformationknowledgeandcultureisinaheightenedstateofchangeTheinteractivenatureoftheInternethasdemonstratedthatitispossibletoorganizecommunicationsinamuchmoredemocraticfashionSomehaveconcludedwearewitnessingthetransitionfromanindustrializedinformationenvironmenttoanetworkedinformationenvironmentTheoldindustrialmediastruc-turesbasedonexclusivehigh-costproductionprocessesarebeingchallengedbyanemergingmediasectorinwhichthecostofcreatinginformationknowledgeandculturehasbeenprofoundlyreducedandtheproductsareintercon-nectedwidelythroughnetworksliketheInternet(Benkler2006)IndeedthereisincreasingevidencethatthesenewmediaanddigitalnetworksareparticularlyconducivetononcommercialandnonprofitculturalproductionaswellasmoreparticipatoryandcollaborativemediapracticesInmanywaysthelong-standingvaluesandintentofcommu-nitymediaforeshadowthisnewmediaenvironment
ThescanresearchfocusedonfourkeyareasofinquiryWhataretheuniquecharacteristicsthatdistin-guishcommunitymediaWhatmakesmedia-communitycollaborationssuccessfulWhattypesofcommunitymediaorganizationsbestleveragenewtechnologiesHowmightcommunitymediaengageunderservedpopulationsinprogrammingtailoredtotheirneedsIneachinstancewefoundthatcommunitymediacombinedwithgreaterafford-ablebandwidthandopen-sourceapproachestoproductiondohavetremendouscommunitydevelopmentpotentialHowevernoneofthatpotentialwillcomeaboutmagicallyThecommunitymediasectorisfacingthechallengingtaskofmanagingextensivechangeandtransformation
chAllengesThesuccessdisappointmentsandsocialvalueofthepastsixtyyearsofcommunitymediainitiativesmustbejudgedinhistoricalcontextConsistentmisrepresentationinthemainstreammediaandlimitedunaccommodatingsocialpolicyhaveresultedininadequatevisibilityandfinancialsupportforcommunitymediaAnydiscussionofitssuccessesorfailuresmustincorporateanunderstand-
ingoftheseexternalconstraintsInthislighttheexistingexpressionsofcommunitymediaattheirbestarewildlysuccessfulsocialexperimentsgivingcauseforgreatoptimism
NeverthelesscommunitymediafacebothexternalandinternalchallengesTheinternalchallengesarisefromstructuraltensionsthatoccurinanyattempttocreateorganizationsandculturesthatembodydiversitydemocraticexpressionandequitableaccessRatherthanbeingexpressedasldquoweaknessesrdquoasissooftenthecaseinmainstreammediaandacademiatheseinternaltensionsaremoreproperlyunderstoodaspredictabledevelopmentalproblemsandopportunitiesthatpractitionersshouldbepreparedtograpplewithinanycommunitymediasetting
Balancing Free Expression and Audience Development CommunityradioandpublicaccesscablehavehistoricallyprivilegedtheinterestsofproducersbygrantingthemgreatpoliticalfreedominmakingdecisionsregardingwhatprogrammingtocreateandwhataestheticandformattingapproachestouseThetrade-offforacultureofactivistvolunteerismandfreeexpressionhasbeensmalleraudi-encesandlowerlevelsofproductionandprogramsupportProgramproducerscarryanintensecommitmenttoindi-vidualownershipoftheirprogramminginitiativesthatmaynottaketheaudiencersquosinterestsfullytoheart
Whiletheseapproachesinradioandcableaccesshaveresultedinadiversityofprogrammingandpoliticalviewpointstheyhavealsopreventedradiostationpro-grammersorcableaccessorganizationsfrombuildingaflowofprogramsthatcandefineandconstructanongoingaudienceinthecommunityEachprogramorscheduledprogramslotcarriesitsownmicroaudienceldquofragmentedpublicsrdquothatareoftennotpartofanintegratedflowofpro-grammingthatattractsanaudiencetothechannelsoverall(Higgins2002)
Freeexpressionandaudiencedevelopmentarenotmutuallyexclusivenordoparticipatorymanagementstructuresvolunteerinvolvementandproducertrain-ingprogramsneedtoimpedeaudiencedevelopmentThesuccessofAmyGoodmanandDemocracyNowsoundlydemonstratesthisInfactmanycommunitymediaorgani-zationshavecreatedprogramminginitiativesthatcombinesophisticatedmeasurementsofsocialoutcomeswith
conclusions
trainingandparticipatoryprogramplanningTheyhavenotonlyraisedthesocialvalueoftheirprogrammingtotheircommunitiestheyhavealsoincreasedthesizeandloyaltyoftheiraudiences(Aufderheide2003)Asinteractivemediabegintocreatetheconditionswherenicheprogram-mingcanbefarmoresuccessfulthetensionbetweenfreeexpressionandaudiencedevelopmentisnotonlyachal-lengebutalsoatremendousopportunity
Programming MetricsStillroundtableparticipantsrepeatedlynotedthatevenwhenprogrammingmeetscommunityneedscommunitymediaorganizationscanfinditdifficulttodocumentimpactTheyfeltthatfundershavegenerallynotyetaddressedtheroleofmediainpopularcultureorthepowerofpopularcultureinaddressingsocialproblemsInaddi-tionfundersfindithardtoestablishcost-benefitmeasuresofsocialimpactfortheirmediaexpenditures
ParticipantsaskedformodelsofaudiencefeedbackandoutcomesmeasurementthatgobeyondaudiencenumbersTheyacknowledgedthedifficultyofquantify-ingnotionsofsuccesswhichtendtobeverysubjectiveandofusingsuccessstoriesinthecommonprogrammingmetricsofthedayManyrecognizedskepticismamongfundersabouttheimportanceofcommunitymediaasuspicionaboutagendasandafearofthecostsinvolvedmakingcommunitymediaahardsellEventhoughafewgoodevaluationeffortswereacknowledgedtheircollectiveresultshavenotbeenincorporatedintothethinkingofthewiderfundingcommunity
FundingMulti-yearstablefundingsupportforcommunitymediainitiativesiscriticaltostabilityinnovationandgrowthRoundtableparticipantsdiscussednumerousinstancesinwhichprojectswithmulti-yearsupporthadpowerfulpositiveimpactsextendingbeyondtheinitialprojectgoalsMulti-yearfundingcreatesthestabilitytoundertakeproperstrategicplanningandpartnershipdevelopment
Thereissomeearlyevidencethatamultiple-plat-formnonprofit-orientednichemarketcouldemergeasasignificantopportunitytoprovideenhancedrevenueforthecommunityandnoncommercialmediasectorsTheinterac-tivecapacityofthenewnetworkssignificantlyincreasestherevenuepotentialforcooperativeandsubscription-styleprogrammingflowsHoweverstrongmarketsforcommer-ciallyfundedparticipatorycommunityexpressionhavenotyetemergedinthedigitaleraduetothelimitedsizeofpopulationsandavailableadvertisingsupportIfthereistobeavitalsectorofcommunity-basedmediasomeformofsignificantpublicfundingwillbenecessaryevenininstanceswherecommunitymediaorganizationsmightrealizesignificantrevenuefromnewmarketsInordertomakethemostefficientuseofpublicfundingcommuni-tiesmustevolvefundingandgovernancestructuresforcommunitymediathatcanfacilitatetheaggregationoffundscoordinatemultiple-organizationprojectsandactastrustedconvenersofprogramminganddevelopmentdiscus-sionsincommunities
Policy ThreatsWhiletheconvergenceoftechnologyandpracticescreatesincreasingpotentialsforaunifiedcommunitymediasectorthereisunfortunatelynocohesiveandunifiednationalpolicyframeworkforcommunitymediaThegovernmentpoliciesandregulationsthatexistforcommunitymediahavebeenretrofittedinthearenasofUSbroadcastingandtelephonypolicyWhiletheyrepresenthard-wonpoliticalvictoriesandstrategicinsighttheydonotaddresstheneedsofcommunitymediainaholisticway
Inthecurrentpoliticalclimatebroadcastmediaownershipcontrolandprogrammingwillcontinuetobecentralizedinfewercorporationsleavingcommunitieswithlessoptionsforcontrollingtheirlocalmediaenviron-mentsAtthesametimethetelephonecompanieswillenterthemarketforvideotelephonyandbroadbandbydeployinghigh-capacitydigitaltelevisionnetworksinmanycommunitiesintheUnitedStates
ThecurrenttrendofcentralizationinUStele-communicationspolicyisthreateningtheabilityoflocal
Freeexpressionandaudiencedevelopmentarenotmutuallyexclusivenordoparticipatorymanagementstructuresvolunteerinvolvementandproducertrainingprogramsneedtoimpedeaudiencedevelopment
Communitymediaorganizationscanfinditdifficulttodocumentimpact
governmentstomandatecommunity-basedcommunica-tionsnetworksandprogramminginitiativesasrentonthepublicrights-of-wayThesefundingmechanismscurrentlysupportPublicEducationandGovernment(PEG)accesscabletelevisioncentersmediaartscentersandmanymunicipalcommunicationnetworksWhilefarfromperfectregulatorymechanismstheyareoneofthemostsuccess-fulformsofpublicmediasupporttoariseinthelastthirtyyears
Overthenextfiveyearsthesesuccessfulfundingstrategieswillbeunderheavyattackbythetelephonecom-paniesandthecabletelevisionindustryinastrugglewithgovernmentsforcommunitycontrolofthepublicrights-of-wayThesamedynamicthreatensequitableInternetaccessIncreasinglybroadbandcommunitynetworksaremunicipallyownedormandatedWhilesomeofthesemunicipalbroadbandnetworksweredeployedforinternalmunicipalpurposestimehasshownthatsuchnetworkscanserveanumberofnon-governmentalcommunity-basedpurposesincludingwirelessISPconnectionsforresidentsbusinessesandvisitorsManycommunitiesareseeking(andsomehaveobtained)ldquoCommunityBenefitsAgreementsrdquowithproposedwirelessbroadbandvendorsthatsetasideasmallfranchisefeeongrossrevenuestosupportdigitalinclusionactivitiesfollowingtheexampleofcablecompaniessupportofPEGaccessHowevermunicipalbroadbandandmunicipalwirelessareunderattackbyindustriestryingtoreservethesedevelopmentrightsforthemselves
Theoutcomeofthedebatesaroundcontroloftherights-of-waywillhaveasignificantimpactonthefuturepathofcommunitymediadevelopmentThesedebateswillrangeacrosstheregulatoryspectrumtheyarenowbeingwagedinlocalstateandnationallegislativearenasandthecourtsTheresultingcommunicationsinfrastruc-tureandregulatoryframeworkwillbeabletorealizethepotentialsofcommunitymediaifandonlyifcommunitiesareabletotakeleadershipinprovidingsubstantialpublicaswellasprivatefundingAsanoldtruismnotesldquomoneyispolicyrdquo
Therearenopoliticalortechnicalguaranteesthatdigitalmedianetworkswillremainopenandparticipa-toryastheyevolveItisunlikelythatmarketforcesalone
willservetorealizethedemocraticpotentialoftodayrsquosparticipatorymediatechnologyBuildingarobustsectorofcommunity-baseddemocraticnewmediawillrequireeffectivecitizenactivismclearandresponsivegovern-mentpoliciesandeffectivepoliticalstrategiesCommunitymedianeedsseparaterecognitionandsupportwithinfed-eralstateandlocalcommunicationspolicyandregulatorystructuresinordertoensureequitableandstablefundinganddevelopment
models for the futureThegovernmentregulationsandsubsidiesthatunderpincommunitymediahaveevolvedinahodgepodgefashionoverthepastsixtyyearsItcanbearguedthatcommunitymediashouldbetreatedasaseparatesectorwithinte-gratedfundingstructuresconsistentinfrastructureandtaxandsubsidypoliciesthatareseparateanddistinctfromexistinglocalmediapoliciesandalsofromthepoliciesunderpinningpublicbroadcastingPossiblemodelsforamoreunifiedapproacharenumerousbuttwoappearpar-ticularlywellsuitedtocommunitymediarsquosdiverseformsorganizationsandprogrammingapproaches
Public Funding FindingappropriatemethodsofincreasingpublicfundingforcommunitymediainashiftingregulatoryenvironmentiscrucialCurrentlocalcablefranchisingregulationstosupportcableaccessandthecommunitybenefitsagree-mentsofmunicipalwirelessnetworksoffersuccessfulmodelsbutarenowbothunderattackThelawsrequiringcommercialcableproviderstosetasidebandwidthchan-nelcapacityforthepublicinadditiontooperatingfundingbasedonapercentageofcommercialrevenuescouldbeextendedtoincludevoicevideoanddataEssentiallythenanycommercialproviderusingthepublicrights-of-wayorthewirelessspectrumwouldberequiredtocontributeanequitablepercentageofbandwidthandrev-enuetosupportthecommunitycommunicationssector
Community Media DevelopmentAdequatelevelsoffundingareonlypartoftheequationWhilefundingshouldsupporttheoverallgrowthofthe
Thereisunfortunatelynocohesiveandunifiednationalpolicyframe-workforcommunitymedia
setasidebandwidthchannelcapacityforthepublicinadditiontooperatingfunding
communitymediasectorinasensiblefashionanyfundingsolutionmustaddressthedifficultynowexperiencedbyfundersindealingwithcommunitymediahowtoprovideoverallsupporttoasectormadeupofsmallindependentorganizationswithanextremelydiversesetoffundingsourcesandmissionsOneeconomicdevelopmentapproachseemsparticularlyusefulhereProgressivecommunityeconomicdevelopmentstrategieshaveevolvedtosupportthegrowthofadiversityofsmallenterpriseswithinacom-monsectorwhilerecognizingthattheseenterprisescanatdifferenttimesbecollaboratorspartnersorcompetitorsSimilarstrategiescanguidedevelopmentofthecommunitymediasector
Thereareatleasttwoshort-termstepsthatcouldassistinthedevelopmentofcommunitymediaorgani-zationsandsupporttheircitizensrsquoabilitytocopewithcommercialmediaandinformationsaturationOneisforcommunitiestobuildorsecureaffordablebroadbandandwirelessnetworkinfrastructurewithastrongcommu-nitybenefitsagreementinsupportofdigitalinclusionHundredsofcommunitiesacrossthecountryeitherhaveorarelaunchingsuchwirelesscommunitynetworksmanyincollaborationwithwirelessvendorswhoinordertowinaservicecontractwiththemunicipalityinquestionaresup-portingdigitalliteracytraininginexpensiverefurbishedcomputersandlocalcontentdevelopmentndashinshortprogramsofdigitalinclusionandexcellence
AsecondopportunityidentifiedbyroundtableparticipantsisthepotentialforanationalsupportnetworkforexistingcommunitymediaorganizationsAnationalsupportnetworklinkingcommunitiesandtheircommu-
nitymediapractitionersandinstitutionscouldfacilitatearangeofactivitiesincludinglocal-to-localcommunicationorexchangesofinformationandprogrammingbetweencommunitiesvirtualspaceforanationalnetworkofcommunitymediaorganizationstohelptoorganizeuni-fiedpolicyadvocacywiderdistributionofpastproductsformationofissue-responseteamstoadvanceinterestsofcommunitygroupsandtapintolocalresourcesandshareddirectoriesofpractitionerstrainersandfacilitiesConveningleadersfromtheaggregatorsandassociationsservingcommunitymediaintheirvariousforms(listedinAppendix2)mightbeagoodnextsteptoexplorethisopportunity
the promiseThepracticeofcommunitymediahasmanagedtogrowandevolveoverthepastsixtyyearsdespiteunevenandgenerallylowlevelsofsupportandinconsistentgovernmentpoliciesEllieRenniearesearchfellowattheInstituteforSocialResearchSwinburneUniversityofTechnologyhaswrittenthatcommunitymediaareoftendefinednegativelyforwhattheyareopposedtoratherthanpositivelyforwhattheyhaveachieved(Rennie2006)Weareawarethatcom-munitymediahaveoftenbeendismissedasmarginalandidiosyncraticbuttheexamplescitedinthisreportprovidepowerfulevidencetothecontraryItistimetodefinecommunitymediabywhattheyhaveachievedCommunitymediaattheirbesthaveconsistentlydemonstratedtheirpotentialtoempowercommunitiesandindividualstoparticipateascitizensincommunityandeconomicdevelop-mentartseducationcommunitydialogandpoliticaldebateInmanyinstancestheyhavebecomecentralcul-turalsurvivalinstitutionsasourcommunitiesdealwiththeimpactofcommercialmediasaturationandglobalization
Duringtheroundtablediscussionsthattookplaceaspartofthisscanitwasobviousthatthevalueofcom-munitymediatocommunitiestranscendsthemeasurableeffectsofcivicengagementandcommunitydevelopmentCommunitymediacanallowindividualsincommunitiestohaveprofoundexperiencesofactivelyexpressingthem-selvesthroughmediaForpeoplewhohaveseenthemselvesaspassivereceptorsatthebottomofacascadeofpackagedmediaexperiencesandmessagesactiverepresentationoftheirownlivesandcircumstanceshasatransformativeeffectthatgoesbeyondsimplephraseslikeldquocivicengage-mentrdquoThevalueofcommunitymediatoindividualsandthecommunitiestheyliveinisincalculable
hellipaffordablebroadbandandwirelessnetworkinfrastructurewithastrongcommunitybenefitsagreement
anationalsupportnetworkforexistingcommunitymediaorganizations
Appendix 1 Community media empowerment StrategieS
empoWerment Activity ApproAch infrAstructure or venue
AccessAccesstocommunicationsinfrastructureproductiontools
MakingavailablemediaproductiontoolscomputerstelevisionandradiodistributionInternetsoftwarecommunitycommunicationsinfrastructuremeetingspacewebservers
Democraticcitizenaccesstocommunicationstoolsanddisseminationinfrastructure
CablebroadbandmunicipaltelecomInternetWiFiWiMAXlocalandpublicservicebroadcasting
AlternativeContent CreationofvideoaudiofilmwebsitesInternet-basedcitizenmediaP2Pmediabloggingsocialnetworkingsoftwaredatabasesandprintproduction
Contentpositionedtocounterorsupplementmassmediacontentandinformationfrommainstreamsources
AllplatformswithanincreasingexpansionwithinIPNetworksandcross-platformproductionanddissemination
CompetencyLiteracyMedialiteracyinformationliteracydigitalliteracyandculturalliteracy
Mediaartsandaestheticeducationlearningtogainacivicvoiceinamediaculturearticulationofmediabiasesengaginginmediaandpoliticsunderstandingcommoditycultureparentinginamedia-saturatedhome
Interventioninthecomplexmanipulationofsymbolsandculture
Allmassmediaprintelectronic
CommunityBuilding Workforcetrainingandskillbuildingmicro-enterprisedevelopmentbusinessinfrastructuredevelopment
Communityorganizingparticipatoryplanningdemocraticeconomicdevelopmentworkforceandinfrastructuredevelopment
Localmediamunicipaltelecominfrastructurecomputerandtechnologyincubatorsandtechnologycenters
0
Itisdifficulttounderstandthefullscopeofcommu-nitymediaculturewithoutknowingofthefollowingorganizationswhichsupportcommunitymediaand
independentmediapracticesTheyplayanumberofrolesasnationalassociationsrepresentingnetworksofcommu-nitymediaorganizationsandmediaartsorganizationsasproducernetworksandstrategiccommunicationsplannerslinkingcommunityorganizationswithcommunitymediaorganizationsasorganizationsofcommunityactivistsandproducersworkingtomoreeffectivelysupportandusecommunitymediaandascollaboratorsandpartnersincommunitydevelopmenttrainingandeducation
ActiveVoicehttpwwwactivevoicenet
AllianceforCommunityMediahttpwwwalliancecmorg
AssociationforCommunityNetworking
httpwwwafcnorg
CommunityMediaWorkshophttpwwwnewstipsorg
CommunityTechnologyCentersrsquoNetwork
httpwwwctcnetorg
DeepDishTVhttpdeepdishtvorg
FreeSpeechTVhttpwwwfreespeechorg
IndependentTelevisionServicehttpwwwitvsorg
IndependentMediaCenterIndymedia
httpwwwindymediaorg
LatinoPublicBroadcastinghttpwwwlpbporg
LinkTVhttplinktvorg
LPFMDatabasecom
httpwwwangelfirecomnj2piratejimlpfmhtml
MediaTankhttpwwwmediatankorg
MediaWorkingGrouphttpwwwmwgorg
NationalAllianceforMediaArtsandCulture
httpwwwnamacorg
NationalAsianAmericanTelecommunicationsAssochttp
asianamericanmediaorgindexhtml
NativeAmericanPublicTelecommunications
httpasianamericanmediaorgindexhtml
NationalBlackProgrammingConsortium
httpwwwnbpctv
NationalFederationofCommunityBroadcasters
httpwwwnfcborg
NationalPublicRadiohttpwwwnpr
NationalPublicTelecomputingNetworkhttpwwwnptnorg
PaperTigerTelevisionhttpwwwpapertigerorg
PacificIslandersinCommunications
httpwwwpiccomorg
PewCenterforCivicJournalismhttpwwwpewcenterorg
PrometheusRadioProject
httpwwwprometheusradioorg
PublicBroadcastingServicehttpwwwpbsorg
PublicRadioExchangehttpwwwprxorg
ReclaimtheMediahttpwwwreclaimthemediaorg
StarfishTelevisionNetworkhttpwwwstarfishtvorg
WebsitesofUSPEGAccessChannels
httpwwwbevcamorgpeg
WorldAssociationofCommunityRadioBroadcasters
httpwwwamarcorg
Appendix 2 aggregatorS and aSSoCiationS
Appalshophttpwwwappalshoporg
BayAreaVideoCoalitionhttpwwwbavcorg
BeyondMediaEducationhttpwwwbeyondmediaorg
CambridgeCommunityTelevisionhttpwwwcctvcambridgeorg
CasaGuatemalaMediaProjecthttpwwwcasaguatemalaorg
CharlotteObserverhttpwwwcharlottecom
ChicagoAccessNetworkTelevisionhttpwwwcantvorg
GrandRapidsCommunityMediaCenterhttpgrcmcorg
GrandNethttpwwwgrcmcorgnposervicesitphp
GRTVhttpwwwgrcmcorgtv
ideastreamhttpwwwideastreamorg
IFPMinnesotaCenterforMediaArtshttpwwwifpnorthorgabouthtml
IntermediaArtshttpwwwintermediaartsorg
KartemquinFilmshttpwwwkartemquincom
KBOOhttpwwwkbooorg
KFAIhttpwwwkfaiorg
LowellTelecommunicationsCenterhttpltcorg
ManhattanNeighborhoodNetworkhttpmnnorg
MediaArtsProjecthttpwwwthemaporg
MetroGovernmentCommunityMediaInitiativehttpwwwmetro-regionorg
MetropolitanAustinInteractiveNetworkhttpwwwmainorg
MinneapolisTelevisionNetworkhttpwwwmtnorg
MinnesotaChannelhttpwwwtptorgmnchannelnew
MinnesotaPublicRadiohttpminnesotapublicradioorghttpminnesotapublicradioorgpublicinsightjournalism
MountainAreaInformationNetworkhttpmainncus
MtHoodCableRegulatoryCommissionhttpwwwmhcrcorg
NewAmericaMediahttpnewsnewamericamediaorgnews
NewRoutestoCommunityHealthhttpwwwnewroutesorg
NorthwestFilmandVideoCenterhttpwwwnwfilmorg
OneClevelandhttpwwwoneclevelandorg
OregonPublicBroadcastinghttpwwwopborg
PortlandCommunityMediahttpwwwpcmtvorg
RadioArtehttpwwwwrteorg
SaintPaulNeighborhoodNetworkhttpwwwspnnorg
ScribeVideoCenterhttpwwwscribeorg
SoundPartnersforCommunityHealthhttpwwwsoundpartnersorg
StreetLevelYouthMediahttpwwwstreet-levelorg
TwinCitiesDailyPlanethttpwwwtcdailyplanetnet
TwinCitiesMediaAlliancehttpwwwtcmediaallianceorg
TwinCitiesPublicTelevisionhttpwwwtptorg
URTVhttpwwwurtvorg
WalkerArtCenterhttpwwwwalkerartorgindexwac
WCIW-LPhttppacificanetworkorgradiocontentview17542httpwwwciw-onlineorg
WGBHhttpwwwwgbhorg
WHYYhttpwhyyorg
WPVMhttpwwwwpvmorg
WYBEhttpwwwwybeorg
WYCEhttpwwwgrcmcorgradio
YouthChannelhttpwwwyouthchannelorg
Appendix 3 Community media praCtitionerSWebsitesofthosepractitionersmentionedinthetext
AndersonRachelBenton Digital Beat Extra Noncommercial Networks on DBSWashingtonDCBentonFoundation2000
AufderheidePatricialdquoCableAccessTVandthePublicSphererdquoinThe Daily Planet A Critic on the Capitalist Culture BeatMinneapolisandLondonUniversityofMinnesotaPress2000a
AufderheidePatriciaIn The Battle for Reality Social Documentaries in the USWashingtonDCAmericanUniversityCenterforSocialMedia2003
AufderheidePatricialdquoTheWhatandHowofPublicBroadcastingrdquoinThe Daily Planet A Critic on the Capitalist Culture BeatMinneapolisandLondonUniversityofMinnesotaPress2000b
AynteAbdirahmanldquoSomaliWebsitesACompetitiveAlternativeMediaandaFarcetoReckonWithrdquoHiiraan Onlinehttpwwwhiiraancomnews2006aprsomali_websitesaspx
AzzouzBushraTomChamberlinandMarleneFarnumThe Community Media Project Building Community through Media(Aproposedmodelforafive-yearinitiativetoproducelocaltelevisionprogrammingthatbroadensthedialogueonissuesimportanttotheOregoncommunityandcreatesastrongsenseofplace)PortlandORMetroDecember2000
BarlowWilliamldquoCommunityRadiointheUSTheStruggleForADemocraticMediumrdquoinMedia Culture and SocietyVol10(1988)
BenklerYochaiThe Wealth of Networks How Social Production Transforms Markets and FreedomNewHavenYaleUniversityPress2006
BentonFoundationDigital Alliances Partners in Public
Service Models for CollaborationUniversityParkPAThePennsylvaniaStateUniversity2002
BlauAndrewDeep Focus A Report on the Future of Independent MediaSanFranciscoNationalAllianceforMediaArtsandCulture2004
BowmanShayneandChrisWillisWe Media How Audiences Are Shaping the Future of News and InformationEditedbyJDLasicaRestonVATheMediaCenteratTheAmericanPressInstitute2003httpwwwhypergenenetwemediadownloadwe_mediapdf
BurnettRonldquoFromCommunityMediatoInternationalNetworksrdquoCritical Approaches to Culture + Communications + HypermediaNovember182005httpwwweciadca~rburnettWeblogarchives200511from_communityhtml
CanoAndrealdquoMicroradioAToolforCommunityEmpowermentrdquoinPublic Broadcasting and the Public InterestEditedbyMichaelPMcCauleyEricEPetersonBLeeArtzandDeeDeeHalleckLondonMESharpe2003
CarnegieCommissiononEducationalTelevisionPublic Television A Program for ActionNewYorkBantam1967
CastellsManuelThe Rise of the Network Society The Information Age Economy Society and CultureVolumes12amp3MaldenMABlackwellPublishersInc2005
ChesterJeffBeyond Broadcast Expanding Public Media in the Digital AgeWashingtonDCCenterforDigitalDemocracyFebruary2006httpwwwdemocraticmediaorgBBBBfrontphp
ChristensenPaulNanMcIntyreandLynnPikholzldquoBridgingCommunityandEconomicDevelopmentAStrategyforUsingIndustryClusterstoLinkNeighborhoodsandtheRegionalEconomyrdquo(reportfundedbytheFordFoundation)ClevelandShorebankEnterpriseGroup2005
ldquoCitizenJournalismrdquoissueofNieman ReportsCambridgeMATheNiemanFoundationforJournalismatHarvardUniversityVol59No4Winter2005eMprintNewsbookhttpwwwniemanharvardedureports05-4NRwinterNR05W_Citizen_Journalismpdf
City PagesldquoBestPublicAccessCableTVProgramSomaliTVrdquoBestoftheTwinCities2004MNApril282004httpcitypagescombestof2004artsandentertainmentbestof2379asp
bibliogrAphy
CruzRossanaReguilloldquoTheOracleintheCityBeliefsPracticesandSymbolicGeographiesrdquoinGlobal Cities of the South (Social Text)EditedbyAshleyDawsonandBrentHayesEdwardsTranslatedbyBrentHayesEdwardsandNoraNicoliniDurhamNCDukeUniversityPress81(Volume22Number4)Winter2004
DeLasCasasLucywithSimonBurallJohnMorrisonDavidKaleteandJagadanandaldquoGlobalMediaReformandAccountabilityReportfromtheNationalMediaReformConferencerdquoStLouis2005httpwwwoneworldtrustorgpagesdownloadcfmdid=281
DevineRobertHldquoVideoAccessandAgencyrdquoConferencepresentationTheNationalFederationofLocalCableProgrammersStPaulMNJuly171992
DirlinMartyandCathyMelioldquoTheGrassrootsRadioMovementintheUnitedStatesrdquoinPublic Broadcasting and the Public InterestEditedbyMichaelPMcCauleyEricEPetersonBLeeArtzandDeeDeeHalleckLondonMESharpe2003
DowningJohnDHwithTamaraVillarealFordGeneveGilandLauraSteinRadical Media Rebellious Communication and Social MovementsThousandOaksCASagePublications2001
EgerJohnldquoCreativeClustersandtheUrbanEconomyrdquoGovernment and Technology(February62006)httpwwwgovtechnetnewsnewsphpid=98345
EgerJohnMThe Creative Community Forging The Links Between Art Culture Commerce amp CommunityTheCaliforniaInstituteforSmartCommunitiesSanDiegoStateUniversity2005httpwwwsmartcommunitiesorgcreativeCreativeCommBroFINALpdf
EngelmanRalphPublic Radio and Television in America A Political HistoryThousandOaksCASagePublications1996
GillespieGilbertPublic Access Television in the United States and CanadaNewYorkPraegerPublishers1975
GillmorDanWe the Media Grassroots Journalism by the People for the PeopleSebastopolCAOrsquoReillyMediaInc2006
GrahamStephenandSimonMarvinTelecommunications and the City Electronic Spaces Urban PlacesLondonandNewYorkRoutledge1996
HalleckDeeDeeHand-Held Visions The Impossible Possibilities of Community MediaNewYorkFordhamUniversityPress2002
HigginsJohnWldquoAlternativeMediaandtheCultofIndividualismExperiencesfromUSPublicAccessTVrdquoPaperpresentedattheldquoOurMediardquopre-conferenceoftheInternationalAssociationforMediaandCommunicationResearchCommunityCommunicationSectionBarcelonaSpainJuly202002httpwwwourmedianetorgpapersom2002Higginsom2002pdf
HowleyKevinCommunity Media People Places and Communication TechnologiesCambridgeCambridgeUniversityPress2005
HoynesWilliamldquoThePBSBrandandtheMerchandisingofthePublicServicerdquoinPublic Broadcasting and the Public InterestEditedbyMichaelPMcCauleyEricEPetersonBLeeArtzandDeeDeeHalleckLondonMESharpe2003
JankowskiNicholasWldquoCommunityMediaResearchAQuestforTheoreticallyGroundedModelsrdquoThePublicVol1015(2003)httpmokkbmehucentreconferencesreactivismFPfpNJ
JankowskiNicholasWandOlePrehnedsCommunity Media in the Information Age Perspectives and ProspectsCresskillNJHamptonPress2002
LashScottThe Critique of InformationLondonSagePublications2002
ListerMartinJonDoveySethGiddingsIainGrantandKieranKellyNew Media A critical IntroductionLondonandNewYorkRoutledge2003
LloydMarkldquoRadioandLocalismWhatWhenWrongrdquoinContext(publishedbytheCenterforCommunicationsandCommunityUCLA)IssueNo4(WinterSpring2006)
MacintyreBenldquoWelcometotheNewTomPainesrdquoTimesOnlineNovember132004httpwwwtimesonlinecouktolcommentarticle390484ece
MaherVincentTowards a Critical Media Studies Approach to the BlogosphereNewMediaLabPublicationSchoolofJournalismandMediaStudiesRhodesUniversitySouthAfrica2006
MetroCommunity Media Project Evaluation Report PortlandORMetroJuly2004
MostStephenldquoBAVCandTheBigPicturerdquoinA Closer Look Media Arts 2002EditedbyHelenDeMichielSanFranciscoNationalAllianceforMediaArtsandCulture2002
NewAmericaMedialdquoEthnicMediainAmericaTheGiantHiddeninPlainSightrdquoPollconductedbyBendixenampAssociates2005httpnewsnewamericamediaorgnewsview_articlehtmlarticle_id=0443821787ac0210cbecebe8b1f576a3
OlsonBillThe History of Public Access Television2000httpwwwgeocitiescomiconostarhistory-public-access-TVhtml200415
PewCenterforCivicJournalismldquoDoingCivicJournalismrdquo2007httpwwwpewcenterorgdoingcj
PierceSteveldquoDBSandthePublicInterestOpportunityinSatelliteTelevisionrdquoinPublic Broadcasting and the Public InterestEditedbyMichaelPMcCauleyEricEPetersonBLeeArtzandDeeDeeHalleckLondonMESharpe2003
PhilipsSusanldquoTrueCommunityTowardaCollaborativeEthosScribersquoslsquoTrueCommunityVisionrsquordquoinA Closer Look Media Arts 2002EditedbyHelenDeMichielSanFranciscoNationalAllianceforMediaArtsandCulture2002
PorterMichaelEldquoLocationCompetitionandEconomicDevelopmentLocalClustersinaGlobalEconomyrdquoEconomic Development Quarterly14no1(February2000)15-34
ProjectforExcellenceinJournalismldquoMajorTrendsrdquoinState of the News Media 2006 An Annual Report on American Journalismhttpwwwstateofthenewsmediaorg2006nar-rative_overview_eightaspcat=2ampmedia=1
PrometheusRadioProjectldquoOurFifthBarnraisingmdashWCIW-LPinImmokaleeFloridardquohttpprometheusradioorgcontentview48952006
RennieEllieCommunity Media A Global IntroductionLanhamMDRowmanandLittlefieldPublishers2006
RodriguezClemenciaFissures in the Mediascape An International Study of Citizenrsquos MediaCresskillNJHamptonPress2001
SchafferJanldquoCitizensMediaHasItReachedaTippingPointrdquoinldquoCitizenJournalismrdquoissueofNieman Reports CambridgeMATheNiemanFoundationforJournalismatHarvardUniversityVol59No4Winter2005aeMprintNewsbookhttpwwwniemanharvardedureports05-4NRwinterNR05W_Citizen_Journalismpdf
SchafferJanInterviewonThe NewsHour With Jim Lehrer PBSEveningNewsNovember162005b
SchulerDouglasldquoTheRiseofCommunityNetworksrdquoInternet WorldDecember1995
SchulerDougandPeterDayShaping the Network Society The New Role of Civil Society in CyberspaceCambridgeandLondonMITPress2004
ShirkyClayPower Laws Weblogs and Inequality EconomicsampCultureMediaampCommunityBlog2005OpenSourcehttpshirkycomwritingspowerlaw_webloghtml
ShirkyClaySocial Software and the Politics of GroupsEconomicsampCultureMediaampCommunityBlog2005OpenSourcehttpshirkycomwritingsgroup_politicshtml
Somerset-WardRichardBroadband Community Networks Building the Digital CommonsAreportfortheHaasCharitableTrustsPhiladelphia2005
Somerset-WardRichardConnecting Communities WashingtonDCBentonFoundation2000
Spannerworkse-bookWhat is Social MediaJanuary2007httpwwwspannerworkscomebooks
StarrJeroldMldquoPublicTelevisionintheDigitalAgeTownHallorCyberMallrdquoinPublic Broadcasting and the Public InterestEditedbyMichaelPMcCauleyEricEPetersonBLeeArtzandDeeDeeHalleckLondonMESharpe2003
SteinLauraldquoPublicAccessTelevisionandGrassrootsCommunicationintheUnitedStatesrdquoChapter20inRadical Media Rebellious Communication and Social MovmentsEditedbyJohnDowningThousandOaksCASagePublications2001
SussmanGeraldandJREstesldquoCommunityRadioinCommunityDevelopmentPortlandrsquosKBOORadiordquoinThe Portland Edge Challenges and Successes in Growing CommunitiesEditedbyConniePOzawaPortlandStateUniversityIslandPress2004
WhitneyJenniferldquoMakeMediaMakeRealTroubleWhatrsquosWrong(andRight)withIndymediardquoLiPMagazineJune212005httpwwwlipmagazine
orgarticlesfeatwhitney_indymedia_phtml
whichhaspioneeredafreshapproachtojournalismcalledpublicinsightjournalism(PIJ)PIJtapsintothecollectiveknowledgeofMPRrsquosdiverseaudiencetoenrichitsreport-ingCreatingaten-thousand-personPublicInsightNetworkviathewebthestationinvitesthepublictobesourcesofstoryideasreactionsandperspectivesandbrainstormingonpublicissues
TheindependentfilmandvideocommunityworkscollaborativelyintheTwinCitiestosupportandpromoteartistandcommunityperspectivesIFP Minnesota Center for Media Arts Intermedia ArtsandtheWalker Art Center areamongthemulti-disciplinaryvenuesfordiscus-sionandproduction
AndtheInternetishometoanewaggregationofcommunitymediasourcesAccordingtoitswebsitethe Twin Cities Daily PlanetaprojectoftheTwinCitiesMediaAllianceisldquoacommunitynewswireandsyndicationserviceshowcasingthebestworkoftheneighborhoodandcommunitypressaswellasworkbyTwinCitiesindepen-dentjournalistsandthevoicesofengagedcitizensThepremiseoftheTC Daily PlanetisthatnewtechnologiesaremakingitpossibleforthesecitizenstobecomemoreactiveandpowerfulparticipantsinthenewsproductionprocessrdquoModeledafterKorearsquosOhmyNewstheTC Daily Planetseekstoimprovethequalitydiversityandaccount-abilityofthelocalmediaandtoinvolvetherapidlygrowingimmigrantandethniccommunitiesItrecruitsandofferstrainingtocitizenjournalistsandhaspartnershipswithoverfortyneighborhoodandcommunitymedia
Chicago IllinoisChicago Access Network Television(CAN-TV)offersfivepublicaccesschannelstoChicagolandresidentsThispublicspaceprovidesChicagoansanopportunitytodiscussissuesoflocalconcernpromotehealtheducationalandeconomicresourcesinthecommunityandcelebratelocaltalentandinitiativesCAN-TVprovidesvideotrainingequipmentandfacilitiesforarearesidentsandnonprofitgroupsItvideotapesandcablecastspublicforumstownhallmeetingscommunityeventsandotheractivitiesoflocalinterestThroughthisservicethestationprovidesChicagoanswithaccesstoinformationtheymaynototh-erwisehavethroughcommercialtelevisionForinstanceCAN-TVworkedwitheighttotenAIDSagenciestodissemi-natebasiceducationaboutAIDSpreventionvialivecall-inprograms
CAN-TVsupportsChicagorsquosassociationsandnonprof-itsthroughserviceslikeliveldquohot-linerdquocall-inshowsfrom
automatedstudiosthatonepersoncanoperateproductionservicesthatgenerateprogrammingforcommunityeventsandstrategiccommunicationsplanningworkshopsCAN-TVhasrefusedtofollowasimplisticldquoneutralityrdquoprogram-mingphilosophyinwhichtheaccesscentertransmitsonlyprogrammingthatrandomlycomesfromthecommunityInsteadCAN-TVactivelycreatesprogrammingimportanttocommunitydevelopmentInadditiontoitsfocusonnonprofitsCAN-TVactivelycreatespartnershipswithcon-tent-richgroupssuchaslocalmuseumsandartsgroupsItalsopartnerswithlocalmediaactivistproductiongroupslikeVideoMacheteandStreetLevelYouthMedia(profiledbelow)SimilarlyCAN-TVaggressivelyengagesinprogram-mingforlocalelectionsatypicalelectionseasonwillgeneratearoundtwohundredhoursoforiginalprogram-mingeachmonthandnearlyallthecandidateswillbefeaturedoractuallycreatetheirownCAN-TVprogrammingtocarryouttheircampaigns
Street-Level Youth MediaprovidesopportunitiesforChicagorsquosurbanyouthtousemediaartsandemergingtechnologiesforself-expressioncommunicationandsocialchangeItsstaffprovidesinstructioninvideoandaudioproductioncomputerartandtheInternettohelpyouthaddresscommunityissuesaccessadvancedcommunica-tionstechnologyandgaininclusioninsocietyInoneprojectitcollaboratedwithtwoseventh-gradeteachersandanESLinstructortohelpstudentsresearchissuesaboutimmigrationinoneneighborhoodTheteachersweretrainedtousevideoandthentrainedotherteacherswhoguidedtheirstudentsinproducingvideosforscreeningattheschoolMorethanthirtyvideoswerecreatedandvideotrainingandusehasbeenincorporatedintotheschoolcurriculum
Radio Arte(WRTE)istheonlybilingual(Spanish-English)youth-operatedurbancommunitystationinthecountryItoperateswithafocusonyouthinChicagorsquosPilsenandLittleVillageneighborhoodsAninitiativeoftheNationalMuseumofMexicanArtthiseducationalradiostationhasservedChicagoformorethansixyearstrainingyouthwithapriorityondevelopingindividualandgroupcommunicationcompetenciesthatallowyoungpeopletoenterpubliclifewithconfidencethroughthebroadcastmediumProvidingaforumforyoungpeopletobecreativeandresponsibletothelargestMexicancommunityintheMidwestRadioArteiscommittedtotrainingyoungpeopleintheartofbroadcastingRadioArtersquosuniquetwo-yeartrainingprogramprovidesyouthwithspecialcoursesonwritingforradioandjournalismvoicetrainingand
FCCregulationsaswellasbasiccomputerskillsproduc-tionskillsandon-airtrainingParticipatingintwograntroundsofSoundPartnersforCommunityHealththestationrsquosldquoRadioVidardquoproducedprogrammingonsubstanceabuseandaddictionbyandforLatinoyouth
Casa Guatemala Media Projectisanonprofitcommunity-basedorganizationthatservestheGuatemalanandbroaderLatinAmericancommunityinChicagoandtheMidwestSinceitsfoundingin1986ithasusedmediaincludingwebprintTVandradiotoraiseconsciousnessaboutissuesaffectingcommunitiesfromLatinAmericaInparticularitworkswithCAN-TVtoprovidetheeducationalcomponentofself-authoredmediathatwillpositivelytrans-formcommunitiesthroughworkshopsontheproductionandalternativeusesofemergingtechnologies
Beyond Media EducationworkswithunderservedandunderrepresentedcommunitiesprimarilywomenandyouthtotelltheirstoriesandorganizeforsocialjusticethroughthecreationanddistributionofalternativemediaandartsInarecenteffortitworkedwithaChicagosheltertohelpstreetwalkerstelltheirownstoriesinanefforttoraisepublicawarenessandpromotestate-levelreformsTheorganizationorganizedasix-monthworkshopthatincludedteachingandpracticingstorytellingpublicspeak-ingandvideoproductionskillstooveradozenprostitutesTheirgroundbreakingvideogivesinsightsintoChicagorsquossextradeindustryandrecountsthetriumphofthepar-ticipantsoverhomelessnessviolenceanddiscriminationTheirlobbyinginthestatecapitolresultedinpassageofabilltodestigmatizeanddecriminalizesexworkers
Keepingtabsonandshowcasingmuchofthecom-munitymediaactivityfromajournalisticperspectiveistheCommunity Media Workshop (CMW) CMWservesasabridgebetweensocialactivistscommunitymediaprac-titionersandjournalistsIthostsanannualacademyforprogressiveorganizationsintheChicagoareathatbringsactivistsandjournaliststogethertoshareideasandatti-tudesProminentareatelevisionandnewspaperjournalistsarerecruitedtoserveonpanelsleadworkshopsandgenerallysharetheirideasofhowprogressivegroupscaneffectivelygaintheattentionofthepressThisapproach
leadstobuy-infromkeypersonnelinChicagorsquosmainstreammediawhocannowbetterunderstandthegrassrootsgroupsthatapproachthemandtheirissuesItalsogivescommunityparticipantsattheworkshopstheopportunitytodevelopmorepersonalrelationshipswithkeymembersofthemediaThisapproachalsoenablescommunitygroupstobetterunderstandwhatmotivateseditorsandreporters
ThesethreecommunitiesshowcommondevelopmentpatternsandfactorsCommunitymediaorganizationshavebeguntounderstandtheirmissionsintermsofasharedcultureofcommunitymedialookingbeyondtheirindivid-ualmissionstothecommonsocialandpoliticalvaluestheyhaveincommonThisapproachopensthewayforcommu-nityradiomediaartscenterscommunitymediacentersandcableaccesstocreatecommunity-wideprograminitiativesinwhichseveralmediaplatformsareengagedItcreatestheconditionsinwhichitispossibleforcommunitymediaorganizationstoactwithunifiedstancesinpoliticaladvocacyregardingmediaissuesandotherissuescriticaltotheircommunitiesThiskindofcross-platformnetworkingalsocreatesopportunitiesforcommunitymediatoreceivemorediversefundingandsupportfromthecommunityastheyextendthenetworkorcultureofcollaborationtocom-munitydevelopmentgroupsandofficialsintheirregions
Communitymediaorganizationshavebeguntounderstandtheirmissionsintermsofasharedcultureofcommunitymedialookingbeyondtheirindividualmissionstothecommonsocialandpoliticalvaluestheyhaveincommon
ldquoThe boldest experiments in public telecommunica-tions take place when technologies are new and their commercial potential not yet fully apparentrdquo mdash Ralph Engelman 1996
Acrosstheirmanyplatformsandmanycommunitiescommunitymediahavebecomecentralculturalinstitutionsinthecivicculturalandeconomiclife
ofourcommunitiesprovidinginvaluablemediaprogram-mingaccessandeducationTheycaninsuchinstancesenablecommunitiestodevelopinformedcitizensartistsandactivistswhopossesstheskillsandknowledgeneededtograpplewithcomplexmedialiteracyanddevelopmentissuesatthelocallevel
Fordecadescommunitymediaorganizationshaveaddressedtheurgentneedtocreatelocalinstitutionsthatfacilitatecitizenaccesstomedianetworksandeffectiveparticipationinmediacultureforbothcitizensandwork-ersTheyareprovingthemselvesvitaltothepoliticalandeconomiclifeoftheircommunitiesTheyplaymultiplerolessimultaneouslyascriticalculturalenhancementstothequalityofciviclifeasemployersandaseducationalsitesforworkforcedevelopment
difficultyNeworganizationalformsandnewmediaformatslikestreamingarchivingpodcastingandbloggingarebecomingthenormpartofldquoblendedrdquoproductionanddis-seminationpracticesincommunitymedia
neW communicAtion spAces cyberjournAlismTheincreaseinInternetbandwidthandtheavailabilityofonlinesocialnetworkingsoftwarehavequalitativelychangedtherelationshipofjournaliststotheiraudiencesNewwebdestinationslikeMySpaceShutterflyFriendsterFlikrEviteandGooglearedevelopingvirtualcommuni-tiesforsharingvideoattractingyoungeraudiencesandmakingcontentmorethanpassiveandone-directionalSocialnetworkingsoftwareenablespeopletorendezvousconnectorcollaboratethroughcomputer-mediatedcom-municationandformonlinecommunities(Spannerworks2007)PopularsocialnetworksoftwareapplicationslikeweblogsorblogsseemparticularlywellsuitedtoparticipatorycitizenjournalismallowingeasypublishingofinteractivetextphotoaudioandvideocontentTheneweasewithwhichvideoclipscanbepreparedforuseonthewebhasbroughtontheriseofldquovlogsrdquoandsitesthatfacilitatethesharingofvideoclipsandaccompanyingcontentAnenormousrangeofblogsandcyberjournalisticsiteshavesprungupontheWorldWideWebinthepastfiveyearswithanequallywiderangeofeditorialstandardsandpracticesTechnoraticomcurrentlytracksseventeenmillionblogssharingoneandahalfmillionhyperlinks(Rennie2006)APewCenterInternetstudyestimatesthatthenumberofregularblogreadersintheUnitedStatesisequivalenttoalmosthalftheentireradioaudiencewhichisaboutaquarteroftheUSnewspaperreadership(Rennie2006)
Combinedwithaffordablenewdigitalmediaproduc-tioncamerasandrecorderstheseweb-baseddisseminationtoolsmakeitpossibleforcitizensandconsumerstoparticipateactivelyinnewsgatheringNonprofessionalshavebeguntoplayamoreactiveroleintheprocessesofjournalismfromcollectinginformationandreportingtoanalysisanddisseminationJanSchafferwhodirectsJ-LabaUniversityofMarylandincubatorforinteractivejournalismprojectsexplainsthatmanypeoplearebecom-ingmoreactivecitizensthroughjournalisticactivitybutdonotnecessarilyaspiretobejournalistsThenewtechnical
envisioning the future of community mediA
Communitymediaorganizationsareprovingthemselvesvitaltothepoliticalandeconomiclifeoftheircommunities
Communitymediaarealsocontributingimportantvaluespracticesandorganizationalmethodologiestotheemergingcollaborativemediaenvironmentsoftheblogo-sphereWecanlooktothesecontributionsastechnologicalandorganizationalopportunitiesforstrengtheningandexpandingcommunitymediapracticeWiththeInternetamediacultureisemergingthatismoreconsistentwiththenoncommercialpracticesofcommunitymediaproductioncollaborationanddemocraticparticipationinmediamak-inganddistributionConsequentlymanycommunitymediaorganizationsareintegratingthecapacitiesoftheInternetandnewmediaintotheirpracticeswithoutmuchfanfareor
0
capacityforcommunicationsheobservesallowspeopletoldquoparticipateinnewsandinformationinvariouswaysmdashparticipateininteractingwithitquestioningittruth-squadingitandcreatingitAndnowthattheyhavethetechtoolsandthetechskillstodothattheappetitehasonlyincreasedrdquo(Schaffer2005b)
SuchconditionshavesetthestageforintensepopularinterestinwhathasbeenbrandedldquowemediardquoorldquoparticipatoryjournalismrdquoTodaynumerousonlinejournalisticexperimentsbringtogetherprofessionaljour-nalistswithcitizenmediaactivistsandthoseinvolvedineventsMoreandmoretheearliestimagesandinformationregardingbreakingnewsarecomingfromnon-journalistspresentatthemomentoftheeventAsaresultjournalistsarebeginningtoconceptualizethemselvesnotsomuchasgatekeepersofnewsbutasmoderatorsinaconversationwithlicenseandtimetospeakfrequentlyandhopefullyaccurately(BowmanandWillis2003)
Thiskindofcommunity-centeredcoveragemayentailthere-balancingofeditorialpoliciesndashcommittingtodiversityembracingegalitarianvaluesandreassessingthevalueofeditorialneutralityItputsintoquestiontheroleandsignificanceofofteninnovativeldquopersonalmediardquoexemplifiedbythemillionsofbloggingsitesontheWebIsthiskindofldquonewsrdquoservingapubliccivicpurposeofcommunityproblemsolvingorindividualprivateexpres-sionInaWashington PostopinionpieceonDecember212006GeorgeKWillvoicedskepticismoftheseriousnessofmuchofthewebrsquosamateurjournalisminresponsetoTimemagazinersquosnamingallofusPersonoftheYear
Itisdifficulttopredictthefutureofcyberjournal-ismandbloggingpreciselyintheseearlystagesbutthreeoutcomesseemlikelyFirstbloggingwillcontinueitsrapidintegrationintomainstreammediacontentSecondblog-gingandotherformsofsocialnetworkingsoftwarewillgiverisetonewmediaentitiesthatwillchallengemainstreammedialocallynationallyandglobally
ThethirdoutcomeistheonemostrelevanttoacommunitymediascanCyberjournalismandparticipatory
citizenjournalismseemparticularlywellsuitedtoaddressthecurrentUSmassmediarsquosdifficultyinprovidingcoverageoflocaleventsinsmallercommunitiessuburbanregionsandcommutercommunitiesthataredevelopingoutsideformalpoliticaljurisdictionsCommunity-basedonlinejournalismsiteshavesprungupinhundredsofcom-munitiesaroundtheUnitedStatesTheyaremanagedandorganizedinwidelydivergentways
AnexperimentincyberjournalismandcommunitynetworkingtheTwin Cities Daily PlanetaggregatessomeofthebestjournalismfromMinnesotarsquosTwinCitiesneighborhoodandcommunitypressandindependentjour-nalistsaswellasthevoicesofengagedcitizenspresentingthemtothepublicthroughaninteractivewebsiteandcommunitydatabaseByaggregatingcitizenandneighbor-hoodjournalisminonesiteitincreasesthecapacityofsmallneighborhoodmediatoreachbeyondtheirborderstoawiderregionalaudienceUsingRealSimpleSyndication(RSS)softwaretheTC Daily Planetcanpotentiallyreachaglobalaudience
AprojectoftheTwinCitiesMediaAlliancetheTC Daily PlanetisaverynewformofcommunitymediaemergingfromtherestructuringofthenewspaperindustryandtheuseofbloggingandsocialnetworkingsoftwareAlthoughearlyinitsdevelopmenttheTC Daily Planetisgivingvoicetoanincreasingnumberofethnicimmi-grantandnon-mainstreamjournalistswhilefocusingthecommunityrsquosattentiononafargreaterrangeofpublicationsandideas
TheearliestexpressionsofcyberjournalismaretheIndependent Media Centers (IMCs)orIndymediaIndymediacameintobeingaspartoftheprotestsanddemonstrationsaroundtheWorldTradeOrganizationtalksheldinSeattleWashingtonin1999ThisfirstIMCwasaconvergenceoftheemerginginteractivityoftheInternetwiththeintenseneedofprotesterstogetindependentinformationouttotheworldabouttheprotestsAnetworkofindependentcommunitymediamakersactivistsandjournalistsbandedtogethertopoolresourcesandinforma-tion(Howley2005)
TheIMCsforeshadowedthebloggingandvideodis-tributionthatwasshortlytoemergebyusingtheInternetandtheWorldWideWebinconjunctionwithvideoandaudiodistributiontocreateatrulyunprecedentedmulti-mediaenvironmentIntermsofbothqualityandquantitytheSeattleIMCwasanimpressiveperformancebyanynewsandcurrentaffairsstandardsOverthecourseofthefive-dayprotestsadailynewspaperanddailyradioprogramwerecreatedandcountlessprintstoriesweredisseminated
Journalistsarebeginningtoconceptualizethemselvesnotsomuchasgatekeepersofnewsbutasmoderatorsinaconversation
globallyalsovideofeedsweresentthroughtheInternettopublicaccessandcommunitychannelsaroundtheworldSixyearsaftertheSeattleproteststherewere149Indymediawebsitesinabout45countriesonsixcontinents(Whitney2005)
TheopenformofcommunicationpracticedbymostIMCsiteshasnotbeenwithoutproblemsandcontra-dictionsManysitesarenowclutteredwithideologicaldiatribesanduneditedcontent(Halleck2002Whitney2005)ButthereareanumberofIndymediasitesthatprovidealternativenewsandinformationregardingaglobalscopeofconcernsthatwouldbeverydifficulttoobtainanywhereelseinthemediaAnumberofsitesinplacessuchasNewYorkCityPortlandOregonandtheSanFranciscoBayareahaveestablishedthemselvesasstablepartsoftheircommunityrsquosmediaculture
companiesspecializedsuppliersserviceprovidersandassociatedinstitutionsinaparticularfieldthatarepresentinanationorregionrdquo(Porter2000)Thecompaniesinanindustryclusterhaveacomplexwebofmutuallysupportingrelationshipsthatencompassbothcompetitiveandcollab-orativerelationshipsTheylinkacrossprofitandnonprofitpracticesutilizecommoninfrastructuremakecommoncontributionstothedevelopmentofahighlyskilledwork-forcesharefundingandinsomecasestalentedstaff
Increasinglycommunitydevelopmentpractitionersandanalystsarecomingtounderstandindustryclustersaspowerfulstrategiesforbotheconomicandcommunitydevelopmentinthetwenty-firstcenturyThisisprovingdoublytruefornonprofitcommunitymediaorganizationswhoseroleitistobringpowerfultoolsandknowledgetoanycommunityrsquosdeliberationsaroundcommunityandeco-nomicdevelopmentBroadbandandwirelessnetworksareprovidingthepracticalmeansoflinkingcommunitymediaorganizationswithincommunitiesofferingakeystrategicadvantagebyenhancingtheeffectivenessofcollaborationandpartnershipbuilding
AstheexamplesinthepreviouschaptershowcommunitymediaorganizationsaretakingonnewrolesincludingcombiningproductionandtrainingtakingonworkforcedevelopmentfunctionsandbecomingtechnologycentersfordiffusionofnewmediaBeyondtheseexampleslongstandingsuccessfulcommunitymediaorganiza-tionsaremergingasnetworkclusterslinkingdifferentgroupsandorganizationswithincommunitiestocreateentirelynewcommunitymediaorganizationsorblurringtheboundariesbetweentheirorganizationsOthersarebringinghistoricallyseparatecommunitymediagroupswithinoneorganizationalstructureorunderonerooftosharebuildingsandcommunicationsinfrastructuresinacost-effectivemanner
TheorganizationsthatemergefromthisintegrationmaybesimilarinfunctionthoughtheirnamesremaindifferentAcommunity-basedsiteforcitizenmediaandcyberjournalismforexampleandacommunitynetworklikeMAINinAshevilleNorthCarolinaoracutting-edgecableaccesscenterlikeGrandRapidsCommunityTelevisionbegintolookverymuchalikeintermsof
Increasinglycommunitymediadevelopmentishappeningthroughnetworksoflocalnonprofitmediaorganizationsratherthanwithinsingleorganizations
neW orgAnizAtionAl spAces netWorked clusters Perhapsthemostpromisingtrendonthehorizonforcom-munitymediaistheemergenceofnewhighlyintegratedorganizationalstructuresandcollaborativeprocessesIncreasinglycommunitymediadevelopmentishappeningthroughnetworksoflocalnonprofitmediaorganizationsratherthanwithinsingleorganizations
Inmanywaysthesereorganizationsatthecom-munitylevelparalleltherestructuringtakingplaceintheprivatecorporatesectorTherecommunicationsnetworksarebeingusedtosupportcomplexpartnershipsandjointcompanyprojectdevelopmentinteractivenetworkseasetheaggregationoflargeorstrategiccapitalandemployeeskillsetsacrossgeographicandorganizationalboundariesforthepurposesofinnovationandmarketdevelopmentInthelanguageofcommunityandeconomicdevelop-mentthesecomplexpartnershipsareknownasldquocreativeclustersrdquoorldquoindustryclustersrdquoMichaelPorteraleadingtheoristandproponentoftheconceptofclustersdefinesthemasldquogeographicconcentrationsofinterconnected
Successfulcommunitymediaorganizationsaremergingasnetworkclusters
technologyprogrammingactivitiesandtheexperienceofcommunityaudiencesvolunteersandparticipantsEachorganizationreliesonnoncommercialaffordablebandwidtheachplayssomeroleinadvocatingforsupportivegovern-mentpoliciesandeachisexperimentingwiththepotentialofnewcollaborativemediatoolsOftencommittedtoengagingandtrainingvolunteersandcommunitymembersinsomemannertheymayoffertrainingandvolunteerpro-gramsthatrequiresimilarsharableonlinetutorialsandonlineoutreachandschedulemanagementtools
TheexamplesthatfollowdemonstratethewayscommunitymediacreativeclustersaremakinguniquecontributionstotheircommunitiesrsquoqualityoflifeandeconomicwellbeingTheyaredoingsointhreeimportantwaysbullfirstbyamplifyingtherolethatartsandculturalgroups
playinenhancingthequalityoflifeandattractingatalentedworkforceandcapitaltothecommunitymdasharolethatisgaininginsignificanceinthetwenty-firstcentury
bullsecondascontributorstocoreeconomicdevelopmentfunctionsinthecommunityincludingworkforcedevelop-mentandtrainingasmicro-enterpriseincubatorsandascreatorsofnewknowledgeandeducationalexperiencesand
bullthirdasfacilitatorsandcatalystsofcommunitydialoguecommittedtoembracingmarginalizedvoicesandallow-ingthecommunitytoundertakeitsowndevelopmentdemocratically
Lowell MassachusettsLowell Telecommunications Center(LTC)isapublicandgovernmentaccesschannelandmediaandtechnologycen-terItprovideseducationandtraininginmediacreationincludingwebdesigndigitalphotographyandtelevisionproductionLTCworksincollaborationwithotherlocalcommunity-basedorganizationsmunicipaldepartmentsandeducationalentitiestoproducediversemulticulturalprogrammingthatmeetsthecommunityrsquoscommunica-tionandinformationneedsLTChasbecomeaconvening
organizationforbuildingcapacityamongLowellrsquosnonprofitcommunity-basedorganizationsintheiruseofparticipatorymediaandcivicengagementstrategies
LTCismorefocusedthanothercommunitymediaorganizationsoncommunitybuildingandcommunicationtechnologyThecorporationisworkingtobuildanetworkforparticipatorymediaandcivicengagementthroughouttheMerrimacRiverValleyThroughaUSDepartmentofEducationgrantLTCacquiredfundingandstafftohelpitspartnerorganizationsbecomeInternet-capableassesstheirinformationtechnologyneedsacquiretechnologyupgradestoaddressthoseneedsandundertakethetrainingtousethetechnologyeffectively
RatherthanwaitingforgroupstocometoitscenterLTCcreatedacircuitridertrainingprogramthattookthetrainingprogramintothecommunityThroughLTCrsquosinformationtechnologycenterscoresofcommunitygroupshavereceivedtrainingdesignedandcreatedwebsitesanddevelopedstrategiccommunicationsplansforthefutureThosedevelopmentsincludeweb-basedhistoricalarchivesGISmappingsystemsmultimediamaterialsandInternetvideoTohelporganizationsacquirethesoftwaretheyneedtocarryouttheirmissionsLTCcreatedtheCommunitySoftwareLabwhichdevelopsuniquesoftwaretofittheneedsofareanonprofitsThelabhasbeenspunofftocreateaseparatenonprofitentityjoiningthegrowingnumberofindependentorganizationsthatnetworkthroughLTC
ThemostrecentLTCinitiativeisldquoDigitalBicyclerdquoapeer-to-peernetworkthatallowsmediacentersworldwidetodownloadandsharelocalcontentLTCstaffenvisionDigitalBicycleasanonlinecommunityforcableaccessmediaartsindependentmediaandothernoncommercialmedia
Grand Rapids MichiganldquoBuildingcommunitythroughmediardquoThissimplemissionstatementguidedtheGrand Rapids Community Media Center(GRCMC)asitevolvedfromatypicalcableaccessoperationtobecomeabroad-basedmultimediacenterandamodelforthedevelopmentofcommunitymultimediacentersintheUnitedStatesOverthepasttwentyyears
Communitymediacreativeclustersaremakinguniquecon-tributionstotheircommunitiesrsquoqualityoflifeandeconomicwellbeing
LTCisworkingtobuildanetworkforparticipatorymediaandcivicengagementthroughouttheMerrimacRiverValley
GRCMChaspulledthediversecommunitymediaactivitiesofGrandRapidsunderoneorganizationalumbrellaandtakentheleadinarticulatingthepotentialforaggregatingnoncommercialnetworkedcommunicationsthere
Theevolvingnetworkofmediaplatformsdis-ciplinesandculturalgroupsthatconvergetobecomeGRCMCnowincludesthefollowingcentersofpracticeGRTVacommunitytelevisioncenterthatprogramsmultiplecableaccesschannelsWYCEacommunityradiostationGrandnetacommunitytechnologyandnetworkcenterthatprovidescitizenandnonprofitaccesstotheInternetandtheGrandRapidsInstituteforInformationDemocracyacriticalmediaeducationandresearchcenterthattracksmediaandlocalpublicinterestissuesandpub-lishesinformationonmediaaccountabilityandreform
ButtheGrandRapidsCommunityMediaCenterismorethanthesumofitspartsThecomponentsofthecenterworktogetherinamutuallyreinforcingwholethatcreatesapowerfulcommunitymediapresenceinGrandRapidsandallowsthecentertoundertakefarmoreambitiousprojectsandprogrammingthanwouldbethecaseseparatelyOneexcellentexampleistheMobileOn-LineLearningLabforInformationEducationKnownasMOLLIEtheprogramprovidesskilledtrainersanddigitalvideoproductionequipmenttoschoolsandcommunityorganizationsforspecialprojectsOriginallyfundedbyafederalDepartmentofEducationgrantMOLLIEfillsintechnologygapsinGrandRapidseducationalinstitutionsandnonprofitsInthehandsofalessintegratedinstitutiontheMOLLIEprojectcouldeasilybeatechnicallyorientedequipmentloanandtrainingprogramInthehandsofthecenterMOLLIEhasbecomeasophisticatedmediaandtechnologyeducationalinitiativeprovidingatrainingprogramthataddressesmediaeducationfromtheperspec-tiveofallthecomponentsoftheGrandRapidsCommunityMediaCenter
Asheville North CarolinaOneofthemostarticulateeffortsmergingthecreativeclustersideawithparticipatorycommunicationhascomeaboutinAshevilleNorthCarolinaThroughapersistent
collaborationbetweenforwardlookingregionalgroupsandorganizationsndashinvolvingabroadnetworkofindi-vidualscommunitymediaandmediaartsgroupsintheAshevilleregionndashAshevillehaslaidthefoundationforacommunitymediadevelopmentcenterthatwillfunctionasacableaccesscentermediaartscenterandnewmediamicro-enterpriseincubatorAtthecenterofthiseffortisaninformalcoalitionoffourimportantgroupsinAshevilleMountainAreaInformationNetworkMediaArtsProjectBoncombeCountyEconomicDevelopmentCommissionandURTVThegroupsrepresentdistinctpointsofviewandconcernsaswellasconverginginterests
Eachgroupsharedtheinsightthatcivicparticipa-tionandeconomicsuccessinthetwenty-firstcenturyaredirectlyrelatedtohavingaccesstocommunicationstechnologyandknowledgeEachalsounderstoodthattherenegotiationofthecablefranchisesintheCityofAshevilleandsurroundingBoncombeCountywasastrategicmomenttocatalyzeandassociateanumberofcommunity-basedinformationandmediaartsactivitiesalreadyinplaceorplannedinAshevilleThegroupsusedthecablefranchisingprocesstocreateacommonorganizationalandfacilitiesinfrastructuresupportingtheuseofmediaforbothcivicandeconomicdevelopment
The Media Arts Project(MAP)isanetworkofmediaartiststhatcultivatesinnovativeartsandtechnol-ogyinwesternNorthCarolinaMAPworkedtirelesslytoframecableaccessasacommunitydevelopmentissuebridgingthemediaactivistcommunitiesandthemoreforward-thinkingfactionsamongeconomicdevelopmentprofessionalsintheregionWiththerecentopeningofURTV IncAshvillersquoscableaccessorganizationandfacilityMAPanditsnetworkofpartnersarenowturningtheirattentiontofundingthemediaartsandeconomicincubatorelementsofthevision
AshevillersquosinterestinsupportingcommunitymediaarisesfromthepresenceoftheMountain Area Information Network(MAIN)Inthetraditionoftheruralcooperativesthathelpedspreadthereachofelectricityinthe1930sMAINisanonprofitInternetserviceproviderofferingreliablelow-costInternetservicebothinwesternNorthCarolinaandnationwideItisauniquecommunitynetworkwithabroadvisionofitsroleinthecommunitythatencompassesmedialiteracyeconomicdevelopmentstrategiescommunitylow-powerradioacommunity-basedwebportalandtheprovisionofInternetconnectivitytoruralwesternNorthCarolinaMAINislargelyresponsiblefortheremarkableexpansionofInternetaccessibilityinwesternNorthCarolinaallowingthousandsofpeopleto
GRCMChaspulledthediversecommunitymediaactivitiesofGrandRapidsunderoneorganizationalumbrella
spendtheirInternetaccessdollarswithalocallycontrolledandaccountableorganizationMAINdemonstratesthevalueofthecommunitynetworkingconcepttoareasthatarelagginginconnectivityduetofailuresofthemarket
MAINhastakenaleadershiproleinbuildingacommunitymediacultureinAshevillethatdemonstratestheeasewithwhichdigitalmedialeapsorganizationalboundariesItscommunitynetworkrunstheBlueRidgeWebMarketwhichprovidesafreecustomizableInternetpresencetohundredsofsmallbusinessesthroughoutwesternNorthCarolinaItsLatinoDigitalLiteracyProjectofferstrainingtohelpthearearsquosgrowingLatinopopula-tionsaccesstheInternetMAINhasbeenoneofthekeypartnersinbringingacableaccesscentertoAshevilleandhasbeenthedrivingforcebehindWPVMWNCrsquoslow-powerFMradiostationbroadcastinglocalnewsviewsandmusicover-the-airintheAshevilleregion(andtheworldviawebcast)
Cleveland OhioPerhapsthemostrobustcommunity-basednonprofitnetworkintheUnitedStatesOne ClevelandprovideswhatitcallsldquoultrabroadbandnetworkingservicesrdquotoClevelandareaeducationgovernmentresearchartscultureandhealthcareorganizationsOneClevelandoperatesafibernetworkringthatcoversmuchofthecityofClevelandandmanyofitssurroundingsuburbsSubscriberstothenetworkconnectatgigabitspeeds
OneClevelandrepresentswhatcanhappenwhenpowerfulcommunitydevelopmentforcescometoaconsensusregardingtheircommunityrsquosneedforhigh-speedconnectivitytoglobaleconomiesandmediaItsfoundersareClevelandmainstreaminstitutionsCaseWesternReserveUniversityCuyahogaCommunityCollegeClevelandStateUniversityTheCityofClevelandGreaterClevelandRegionalTransitAuthorityideastreamCuyahogaCountyPublicLibraryandNorTechThenetworkhasformedrelationshipswithtechnologycompaniestomaintainup-to-dateapplicationsthatleveragethepotentialofsuchapowerfulnetwork
Oneofthenetworkrsquoskeypartners ideastream illustratesthesignificanceofworkingtogethertomakehigh-speedconnectivitypubliclyavailablethroughoutacommunityonitsowntermsBybuildingahigh-speednet-workOneClevelandhascreatedacivicnetworkspaceandinfrastructurethatallowsanewkindofmultimediapublicmediaorganizationtobecreatedIdeastreamresultedwhenWVIZPBSTelevisionand903WCPNRadiopublicbroad-castersmergedtoformanewnonprofitldquomultimediapublicserviceorganizationrdquoIdeastreamisabletoextenditsmediaexpertisebeyondbroadcastingtoonlinetechnologiesandapplicationsofalltypesmdashwhenyouareconnectingtothenetworkatthegigabitspeedsofOneClevelandrsquostherangeofapplicationsandtheirpotentialarehuge
MAINhastakenaleadershiproleinbuildingacommunitymediacultureinAshevillethatdemonstratestheeasewithwhichdigitalmedialeapsorganizationalboundaries
OneClevelandrepresentswhatcanhappenwhenpowerfulcommunitydevelopmentforcescometoaconsensusregardingtheircommunityrsquosneedforhigh-speedconnectivitytoglobaleconomiesandmedia
Inthecourseofpreparingthisreportndashpouringovertheliteratureandsynthesizinghoursofstructuredround-tableconversationsandone-on-oneinterviewswith
opinionleadersandsuccessfulpractitionersofcommunitymediandashonethingisextremelyclearThewayoursocietymakesandsharesinformationknowledgeandcultureisinaheightenedstateofchangeTheinteractivenatureoftheInternethasdemonstratedthatitispossibletoorganizecommunicationsinamuchmoredemocraticfashionSomehaveconcludedwearewitnessingthetransitionfromanindustrializedinformationenvironmenttoanetworkedinformationenvironmentTheoldindustrialmediastruc-turesbasedonexclusivehigh-costproductionprocessesarebeingchallengedbyanemergingmediasectorinwhichthecostofcreatinginformationknowledgeandculturehasbeenprofoundlyreducedandtheproductsareintercon-nectedwidelythroughnetworksliketheInternet(Benkler2006)IndeedthereisincreasingevidencethatthesenewmediaanddigitalnetworksareparticularlyconducivetononcommercialandnonprofitculturalproductionaswellasmoreparticipatoryandcollaborativemediapracticesInmanywaysthelong-standingvaluesandintentofcommu-nitymediaforeshadowthisnewmediaenvironment
ThescanresearchfocusedonfourkeyareasofinquiryWhataretheuniquecharacteristicsthatdistin-guishcommunitymediaWhatmakesmedia-communitycollaborationssuccessfulWhattypesofcommunitymediaorganizationsbestleveragenewtechnologiesHowmightcommunitymediaengageunderservedpopulationsinprogrammingtailoredtotheirneedsIneachinstancewefoundthatcommunitymediacombinedwithgreaterafford-ablebandwidthandopen-sourceapproachestoproductiondohavetremendouscommunitydevelopmentpotentialHowevernoneofthatpotentialwillcomeaboutmagicallyThecommunitymediasectorisfacingthechallengingtaskofmanagingextensivechangeandtransformation
chAllengesThesuccessdisappointmentsandsocialvalueofthepastsixtyyearsofcommunitymediainitiativesmustbejudgedinhistoricalcontextConsistentmisrepresentationinthemainstreammediaandlimitedunaccommodatingsocialpolicyhaveresultedininadequatevisibilityandfinancialsupportforcommunitymediaAnydiscussionofitssuccessesorfailuresmustincorporateanunderstand-
ingoftheseexternalconstraintsInthislighttheexistingexpressionsofcommunitymediaattheirbestarewildlysuccessfulsocialexperimentsgivingcauseforgreatoptimism
NeverthelesscommunitymediafacebothexternalandinternalchallengesTheinternalchallengesarisefromstructuraltensionsthatoccurinanyattempttocreateorganizationsandculturesthatembodydiversitydemocraticexpressionandequitableaccessRatherthanbeingexpressedasldquoweaknessesrdquoasissooftenthecaseinmainstreammediaandacademiatheseinternaltensionsaremoreproperlyunderstoodaspredictabledevelopmentalproblemsandopportunitiesthatpractitionersshouldbepreparedtograpplewithinanycommunitymediasetting
Balancing Free Expression and Audience Development CommunityradioandpublicaccesscablehavehistoricallyprivilegedtheinterestsofproducersbygrantingthemgreatpoliticalfreedominmakingdecisionsregardingwhatprogrammingtocreateandwhataestheticandformattingapproachestouseThetrade-offforacultureofactivistvolunteerismandfreeexpressionhasbeensmalleraudi-encesandlowerlevelsofproductionandprogramsupportProgramproducerscarryanintensecommitmenttoindi-vidualownershipoftheirprogramminginitiativesthatmaynottaketheaudiencersquosinterestsfullytoheart
Whiletheseapproachesinradioandcableaccesshaveresultedinadiversityofprogrammingandpoliticalviewpointstheyhavealsopreventedradiostationpro-grammersorcableaccessorganizationsfrombuildingaflowofprogramsthatcandefineandconstructanongoingaudienceinthecommunityEachprogramorscheduledprogramslotcarriesitsownmicroaudienceldquofragmentedpublicsrdquothatareoftennotpartofanintegratedflowofpro-grammingthatattractsanaudiencetothechannelsoverall(Higgins2002)
Freeexpressionandaudiencedevelopmentarenotmutuallyexclusivenordoparticipatorymanagementstructuresvolunteerinvolvementandproducertrain-ingprogramsneedtoimpedeaudiencedevelopmentThesuccessofAmyGoodmanandDemocracyNowsoundlydemonstratesthisInfactmanycommunitymediaorgani-zationshavecreatedprogramminginitiativesthatcombinesophisticatedmeasurementsofsocialoutcomeswith
conclusions
trainingandparticipatoryprogramplanningTheyhavenotonlyraisedthesocialvalueoftheirprogrammingtotheircommunitiestheyhavealsoincreasedthesizeandloyaltyoftheiraudiences(Aufderheide2003)Asinteractivemediabegintocreatetheconditionswherenicheprogram-mingcanbefarmoresuccessfulthetensionbetweenfreeexpressionandaudiencedevelopmentisnotonlyachal-lengebutalsoatremendousopportunity
Programming MetricsStillroundtableparticipantsrepeatedlynotedthatevenwhenprogrammingmeetscommunityneedscommunitymediaorganizationscanfinditdifficulttodocumentimpactTheyfeltthatfundershavegenerallynotyetaddressedtheroleofmediainpopularcultureorthepowerofpopularcultureinaddressingsocialproblemsInaddi-tionfundersfindithardtoestablishcost-benefitmeasuresofsocialimpactfortheirmediaexpenditures
ParticipantsaskedformodelsofaudiencefeedbackandoutcomesmeasurementthatgobeyondaudiencenumbersTheyacknowledgedthedifficultyofquantify-ingnotionsofsuccesswhichtendtobeverysubjectiveandofusingsuccessstoriesinthecommonprogrammingmetricsofthedayManyrecognizedskepticismamongfundersabouttheimportanceofcommunitymediaasuspicionaboutagendasandafearofthecostsinvolvedmakingcommunitymediaahardsellEventhoughafewgoodevaluationeffortswereacknowledgedtheircollectiveresultshavenotbeenincorporatedintothethinkingofthewiderfundingcommunity
FundingMulti-yearstablefundingsupportforcommunitymediainitiativesiscriticaltostabilityinnovationandgrowthRoundtableparticipantsdiscussednumerousinstancesinwhichprojectswithmulti-yearsupporthadpowerfulpositiveimpactsextendingbeyondtheinitialprojectgoalsMulti-yearfundingcreatesthestabilitytoundertakeproperstrategicplanningandpartnershipdevelopment
Thereissomeearlyevidencethatamultiple-plat-formnonprofit-orientednichemarketcouldemergeasasignificantopportunitytoprovideenhancedrevenueforthecommunityandnoncommercialmediasectorsTheinterac-tivecapacityofthenewnetworkssignificantlyincreasestherevenuepotentialforcooperativeandsubscription-styleprogrammingflowsHoweverstrongmarketsforcommer-ciallyfundedparticipatorycommunityexpressionhavenotyetemergedinthedigitaleraduetothelimitedsizeofpopulationsandavailableadvertisingsupportIfthereistobeavitalsectorofcommunity-basedmediasomeformofsignificantpublicfundingwillbenecessaryevenininstanceswherecommunitymediaorganizationsmightrealizesignificantrevenuefromnewmarketsInordertomakethemostefficientuseofpublicfundingcommuni-tiesmustevolvefundingandgovernancestructuresforcommunitymediathatcanfacilitatetheaggregationoffundscoordinatemultiple-organizationprojectsandactastrustedconvenersofprogramminganddevelopmentdiscus-sionsincommunities
Policy ThreatsWhiletheconvergenceoftechnologyandpracticescreatesincreasingpotentialsforaunifiedcommunitymediasectorthereisunfortunatelynocohesiveandunifiednationalpolicyframeworkforcommunitymediaThegovernmentpoliciesandregulationsthatexistforcommunitymediahavebeenretrofittedinthearenasofUSbroadcastingandtelephonypolicyWhiletheyrepresenthard-wonpoliticalvictoriesandstrategicinsighttheydonotaddresstheneedsofcommunitymediainaholisticway
Inthecurrentpoliticalclimatebroadcastmediaownershipcontrolandprogrammingwillcontinuetobecentralizedinfewercorporationsleavingcommunitieswithlessoptionsforcontrollingtheirlocalmediaenviron-mentsAtthesametimethetelephonecompanieswillenterthemarketforvideotelephonyandbroadbandbydeployinghigh-capacitydigitaltelevisionnetworksinmanycommunitiesintheUnitedStates
ThecurrenttrendofcentralizationinUStele-communicationspolicyisthreateningtheabilityoflocal
Freeexpressionandaudiencedevelopmentarenotmutuallyexclusivenordoparticipatorymanagementstructuresvolunteerinvolvementandproducertrainingprogramsneedtoimpedeaudiencedevelopment
Communitymediaorganizationscanfinditdifficulttodocumentimpact
governmentstomandatecommunity-basedcommunica-tionsnetworksandprogramminginitiativesasrentonthepublicrights-of-wayThesefundingmechanismscurrentlysupportPublicEducationandGovernment(PEG)accesscabletelevisioncentersmediaartscentersandmanymunicipalcommunicationnetworksWhilefarfromperfectregulatorymechanismstheyareoneofthemostsuccess-fulformsofpublicmediasupporttoariseinthelastthirtyyears
Overthenextfiveyearsthesesuccessfulfundingstrategieswillbeunderheavyattackbythetelephonecom-paniesandthecabletelevisionindustryinastrugglewithgovernmentsforcommunitycontrolofthepublicrights-of-wayThesamedynamicthreatensequitableInternetaccessIncreasinglybroadbandcommunitynetworksaremunicipallyownedormandatedWhilesomeofthesemunicipalbroadbandnetworksweredeployedforinternalmunicipalpurposestimehasshownthatsuchnetworkscanserveanumberofnon-governmentalcommunity-basedpurposesincludingwirelessISPconnectionsforresidentsbusinessesandvisitorsManycommunitiesareseeking(andsomehaveobtained)ldquoCommunityBenefitsAgreementsrdquowithproposedwirelessbroadbandvendorsthatsetasideasmallfranchisefeeongrossrevenuestosupportdigitalinclusionactivitiesfollowingtheexampleofcablecompaniessupportofPEGaccessHowevermunicipalbroadbandandmunicipalwirelessareunderattackbyindustriestryingtoreservethesedevelopmentrightsforthemselves
Theoutcomeofthedebatesaroundcontroloftherights-of-waywillhaveasignificantimpactonthefuturepathofcommunitymediadevelopmentThesedebateswillrangeacrosstheregulatoryspectrumtheyarenowbeingwagedinlocalstateandnationallegislativearenasandthecourtsTheresultingcommunicationsinfrastruc-tureandregulatoryframeworkwillbeabletorealizethepotentialsofcommunitymediaifandonlyifcommunitiesareabletotakeleadershipinprovidingsubstantialpublicaswellasprivatefundingAsanoldtruismnotesldquomoneyispolicyrdquo
Therearenopoliticalortechnicalguaranteesthatdigitalmedianetworkswillremainopenandparticipa-toryastheyevolveItisunlikelythatmarketforcesalone
willservetorealizethedemocraticpotentialoftodayrsquosparticipatorymediatechnologyBuildingarobustsectorofcommunity-baseddemocraticnewmediawillrequireeffectivecitizenactivismclearandresponsivegovern-mentpoliciesandeffectivepoliticalstrategiesCommunitymedianeedsseparaterecognitionandsupportwithinfed-eralstateandlocalcommunicationspolicyandregulatorystructuresinordertoensureequitableandstablefundinganddevelopment
models for the futureThegovernmentregulationsandsubsidiesthatunderpincommunitymediahaveevolvedinahodgepodgefashionoverthepastsixtyyearsItcanbearguedthatcommunitymediashouldbetreatedasaseparatesectorwithinte-gratedfundingstructuresconsistentinfrastructureandtaxandsubsidypoliciesthatareseparateanddistinctfromexistinglocalmediapoliciesandalsofromthepoliciesunderpinningpublicbroadcastingPossiblemodelsforamoreunifiedapproacharenumerousbuttwoappearpar-ticularlywellsuitedtocommunitymediarsquosdiverseformsorganizationsandprogrammingapproaches
Public Funding FindingappropriatemethodsofincreasingpublicfundingforcommunitymediainashiftingregulatoryenvironmentiscrucialCurrentlocalcablefranchisingregulationstosupportcableaccessandthecommunitybenefitsagree-mentsofmunicipalwirelessnetworksoffersuccessfulmodelsbutarenowbothunderattackThelawsrequiringcommercialcableproviderstosetasidebandwidthchan-nelcapacityforthepublicinadditiontooperatingfundingbasedonapercentageofcommercialrevenuescouldbeextendedtoincludevoicevideoanddataEssentiallythenanycommercialproviderusingthepublicrights-of-wayorthewirelessspectrumwouldberequiredtocontributeanequitablepercentageofbandwidthandrev-enuetosupportthecommunitycommunicationssector
Community Media DevelopmentAdequatelevelsoffundingareonlypartoftheequationWhilefundingshouldsupporttheoverallgrowthofthe
Thereisunfortunatelynocohesiveandunifiednationalpolicyframe-workforcommunitymedia
setasidebandwidthchannelcapacityforthepublicinadditiontooperatingfunding
communitymediasectorinasensiblefashionanyfundingsolutionmustaddressthedifficultynowexperiencedbyfundersindealingwithcommunitymediahowtoprovideoverallsupporttoasectormadeupofsmallindependentorganizationswithanextremelydiversesetoffundingsourcesandmissionsOneeconomicdevelopmentapproachseemsparticularlyusefulhereProgressivecommunityeconomicdevelopmentstrategieshaveevolvedtosupportthegrowthofadiversityofsmallenterpriseswithinacom-monsectorwhilerecognizingthattheseenterprisescanatdifferenttimesbecollaboratorspartnersorcompetitorsSimilarstrategiescanguidedevelopmentofthecommunitymediasector
Thereareatleasttwoshort-termstepsthatcouldassistinthedevelopmentofcommunitymediaorgani-zationsandsupporttheircitizensrsquoabilitytocopewithcommercialmediaandinformationsaturationOneisforcommunitiestobuildorsecureaffordablebroadbandandwirelessnetworkinfrastructurewithastrongcommu-nitybenefitsagreementinsupportofdigitalinclusionHundredsofcommunitiesacrossthecountryeitherhaveorarelaunchingsuchwirelesscommunitynetworksmanyincollaborationwithwirelessvendorswhoinordertowinaservicecontractwiththemunicipalityinquestionaresup-portingdigitalliteracytraininginexpensiverefurbishedcomputersandlocalcontentdevelopmentndashinshortprogramsofdigitalinclusionandexcellence
AsecondopportunityidentifiedbyroundtableparticipantsisthepotentialforanationalsupportnetworkforexistingcommunitymediaorganizationsAnationalsupportnetworklinkingcommunitiesandtheircommu-
nitymediapractitionersandinstitutionscouldfacilitatearangeofactivitiesincludinglocal-to-localcommunicationorexchangesofinformationandprogrammingbetweencommunitiesvirtualspaceforanationalnetworkofcommunitymediaorganizationstohelptoorganizeuni-fiedpolicyadvocacywiderdistributionofpastproductsformationofissue-responseteamstoadvanceinterestsofcommunitygroupsandtapintolocalresourcesandshareddirectoriesofpractitionerstrainersandfacilitiesConveningleadersfromtheaggregatorsandassociationsservingcommunitymediaintheirvariousforms(listedinAppendix2)mightbeagoodnextsteptoexplorethisopportunity
the promiseThepracticeofcommunitymediahasmanagedtogrowandevolveoverthepastsixtyyearsdespiteunevenandgenerallylowlevelsofsupportandinconsistentgovernmentpoliciesEllieRenniearesearchfellowattheInstituteforSocialResearchSwinburneUniversityofTechnologyhaswrittenthatcommunitymediaareoftendefinednegativelyforwhattheyareopposedtoratherthanpositivelyforwhattheyhaveachieved(Rennie2006)Weareawarethatcom-munitymediahaveoftenbeendismissedasmarginalandidiosyncraticbuttheexamplescitedinthisreportprovidepowerfulevidencetothecontraryItistimetodefinecommunitymediabywhattheyhaveachievedCommunitymediaattheirbesthaveconsistentlydemonstratedtheirpotentialtoempowercommunitiesandindividualstoparticipateascitizensincommunityandeconomicdevelop-mentartseducationcommunitydialogandpoliticaldebateInmanyinstancestheyhavebecomecentralcul-turalsurvivalinstitutionsasourcommunitiesdealwiththeimpactofcommercialmediasaturationandglobalization
Duringtheroundtablediscussionsthattookplaceaspartofthisscanitwasobviousthatthevalueofcom-munitymediatocommunitiestranscendsthemeasurableeffectsofcivicengagementandcommunitydevelopmentCommunitymediacanallowindividualsincommunitiestohaveprofoundexperiencesofactivelyexpressingthem-selvesthroughmediaForpeoplewhohaveseenthemselvesaspassivereceptorsatthebottomofacascadeofpackagedmediaexperiencesandmessagesactiverepresentationoftheirownlivesandcircumstanceshasatransformativeeffectthatgoesbeyondsimplephraseslikeldquocivicengage-mentrdquoThevalueofcommunitymediatoindividualsandthecommunitiestheyliveinisincalculable
hellipaffordablebroadbandandwirelessnetworkinfrastructurewithastrongcommunitybenefitsagreement
anationalsupportnetworkforexistingcommunitymediaorganizations
Appendix 1 Community media empowerment StrategieS
empoWerment Activity ApproAch infrAstructure or venue
AccessAccesstocommunicationsinfrastructureproductiontools
MakingavailablemediaproductiontoolscomputerstelevisionandradiodistributionInternetsoftwarecommunitycommunicationsinfrastructuremeetingspacewebservers
Democraticcitizenaccesstocommunicationstoolsanddisseminationinfrastructure
CablebroadbandmunicipaltelecomInternetWiFiWiMAXlocalandpublicservicebroadcasting
AlternativeContent CreationofvideoaudiofilmwebsitesInternet-basedcitizenmediaP2Pmediabloggingsocialnetworkingsoftwaredatabasesandprintproduction
Contentpositionedtocounterorsupplementmassmediacontentandinformationfrommainstreamsources
AllplatformswithanincreasingexpansionwithinIPNetworksandcross-platformproductionanddissemination
CompetencyLiteracyMedialiteracyinformationliteracydigitalliteracyandculturalliteracy
Mediaartsandaestheticeducationlearningtogainacivicvoiceinamediaculturearticulationofmediabiasesengaginginmediaandpoliticsunderstandingcommoditycultureparentinginamedia-saturatedhome
Interventioninthecomplexmanipulationofsymbolsandculture
Allmassmediaprintelectronic
CommunityBuilding Workforcetrainingandskillbuildingmicro-enterprisedevelopmentbusinessinfrastructuredevelopment
Communityorganizingparticipatoryplanningdemocraticeconomicdevelopmentworkforceandinfrastructuredevelopment
Localmediamunicipaltelecominfrastructurecomputerandtechnologyincubatorsandtechnologycenters
0
Itisdifficulttounderstandthefullscopeofcommu-nitymediaculturewithoutknowingofthefollowingorganizationswhichsupportcommunitymediaand
independentmediapracticesTheyplayanumberofrolesasnationalassociationsrepresentingnetworksofcommu-nitymediaorganizationsandmediaartsorganizationsasproducernetworksandstrategiccommunicationsplannerslinkingcommunityorganizationswithcommunitymediaorganizationsasorganizationsofcommunityactivistsandproducersworkingtomoreeffectivelysupportandusecommunitymediaandascollaboratorsandpartnersincommunitydevelopmenttrainingandeducation
ActiveVoicehttpwwwactivevoicenet
AllianceforCommunityMediahttpwwwalliancecmorg
AssociationforCommunityNetworking
httpwwwafcnorg
CommunityMediaWorkshophttpwwwnewstipsorg
CommunityTechnologyCentersrsquoNetwork
httpwwwctcnetorg
DeepDishTVhttpdeepdishtvorg
FreeSpeechTVhttpwwwfreespeechorg
IndependentTelevisionServicehttpwwwitvsorg
IndependentMediaCenterIndymedia
httpwwwindymediaorg
LatinoPublicBroadcastinghttpwwwlpbporg
LinkTVhttplinktvorg
LPFMDatabasecom
httpwwwangelfirecomnj2piratejimlpfmhtml
MediaTankhttpwwwmediatankorg
MediaWorkingGrouphttpwwwmwgorg
NationalAllianceforMediaArtsandCulture
httpwwwnamacorg
NationalAsianAmericanTelecommunicationsAssochttp
asianamericanmediaorgindexhtml
NativeAmericanPublicTelecommunications
httpasianamericanmediaorgindexhtml
NationalBlackProgrammingConsortium
httpwwwnbpctv
NationalFederationofCommunityBroadcasters
httpwwwnfcborg
NationalPublicRadiohttpwwwnpr
NationalPublicTelecomputingNetworkhttpwwwnptnorg
PaperTigerTelevisionhttpwwwpapertigerorg
PacificIslandersinCommunications
httpwwwpiccomorg
PewCenterforCivicJournalismhttpwwwpewcenterorg
PrometheusRadioProject
httpwwwprometheusradioorg
PublicBroadcastingServicehttpwwwpbsorg
PublicRadioExchangehttpwwwprxorg
ReclaimtheMediahttpwwwreclaimthemediaorg
StarfishTelevisionNetworkhttpwwwstarfishtvorg
WebsitesofUSPEGAccessChannels
httpwwwbevcamorgpeg
WorldAssociationofCommunityRadioBroadcasters
httpwwwamarcorg
Appendix 2 aggregatorS and aSSoCiationS
Appalshophttpwwwappalshoporg
BayAreaVideoCoalitionhttpwwwbavcorg
BeyondMediaEducationhttpwwwbeyondmediaorg
CambridgeCommunityTelevisionhttpwwwcctvcambridgeorg
CasaGuatemalaMediaProjecthttpwwwcasaguatemalaorg
CharlotteObserverhttpwwwcharlottecom
ChicagoAccessNetworkTelevisionhttpwwwcantvorg
GrandRapidsCommunityMediaCenterhttpgrcmcorg
GrandNethttpwwwgrcmcorgnposervicesitphp
GRTVhttpwwwgrcmcorgtv
ideastreamhttpwwwideastreamorg
IFPMinnesotaCenterforMediaArtshttpwwwifpnorthorgabouthtml
IntermediaArtshttpwwwintermediaartsorg
KartemquinFilmshttpwwwkartemquincom
KBOOhttpwwwkbooorg
KFAIhttpwwwkfaiorg
LowellTelecommunicationsCenterhttpltcorg
ManhattanNeighborhoodNetworkhttpmnnorg
MediaArtsProjecthttpwwwthemaporg
MetroGovernmentCommunityMediaInitiativehttpwwwmetro-regionorg
MetropolitanAustinInteractiveNetworkhttpwwwmainorg
MinneapolisTelevisionNetworkhttpwwwmtnorg
MinnesotaChannelhttpwwwtptorgmnchannelnew
MinnesotaPublicRadiohttpminnesotapublicradioorghttpminnesotapublicradioorgpublicinsightjournalism
MountainAreaInformationNetworkhttpmainncus
MtHoodCableRegulatoryCommissionhttpwwwmhcrcorg
NewAmericaMediahttpnewsnewamericamediaorgnews
NewRoutestoCommunityHealthhttpwwwnewroutesorg
NorthwestFilmandVideoCenterhttpwwwnwfilmorg
OneClevelandhttpwwwoneclevelandorg
OregonPublicBroadcastinghttpwwwopborg
PortlandCommunityMediahttpwwwpcmtvorg
RadioArtehttpwwwwrteorg
SaintPaulNeighborhoodNetworkhttpwwwspnnorg
ScribeVideoCenterhttpwwwscribeorg
SoundPartnersforCommunityHealthhttpwwwsoundpartnersorg
StreetLevelYouthMediahttpwwwstreet-levelorg
TwinCitiesDailyPlanethttpwwwtcdailyplanetnet
TwinCitiesMediaAlliancehttpwwwtcmediaallianceorg
TwinCitiesPublicTelevisionhttpwwwtptorg
URTVhttpwwwurtvorg
WalkerArtCenterhttpwwwwalkerartorgindexwac
WCIW-LPhttppacificanetworkorgradiocontentview17542httpwwwciw-onlineorg
WGBHhttpwwwwgbhorg
WHYYhttpwhyyorg
WPVMhttpwwwwpvmorg
WYBEhttpwwwwybeorg
WYCEhttpwwwgrcmcorgradio
YouthChannelhttpwwwyouthchannelorg
Appendix 3 Community media praCtitionerSWebsitesofthosepractitionersmentionedinthetext
AndersonRachelBenton Digital Beat Extra Noncommercial Networks on DBSWashingtonDCBentonFoundation2000
AufderheidePatricialdquoCableAccessTVandthePublicSphererdquoinThe Daily Planet A Critic on the Capitalist Culture BeatMinneapolisandLondonUniversityofMinnesotaPress2000a
AufderheidePatriciaIn The Battle for Reality Social Documentaries in the USWashingtonDCAmericanUniversityCenterforSocialMedia2003
AufderheidePatricialdquoTheWhatandHowofPublicBroadcastingrdquoinThe Daily Planet A Critic on the Capitalist Culture BeatMinneapolisandLondonUniversityofMinnesotaPress2000b
AynteAbdirahmanldquoSomaliWebsitesACompetitiveAlternativeMediaandaFarcetoReckonWithrdquoHiiraan Onlinehttpwwwhiiraancomnews2006aprsomali_websitesaspx
AzzouzBushraTomChamberlinandMarleneFarnumThe Community Media Project Building Community through Media(Aproposedmodelforafive-yearinitiativetoproducelocaltelevisionprogrammingthatbroadensthedialogueonissuesimportanttotheOregoncommunityandcreatesastrongsenseofplace)PortlandORMetroDecember2000
BarlowWilliamldquoCommunityRadiointheUSTheStruggleForADemocraticMediumrdquoinMedia Culture and SocietyVol10(1988)
BenklerYochaiThe Wealth of Networks How Social Production Transforms Markets and FreedomNewHavenYaleUniversityPress2006
BentonFoundationDigital Alliances Partners in Public
Service Models for CollaborationUniversityParkPAThePennsylvaniaStateUniversity2002
BlauAndrewDeep Focus A Report on the Future of Independent MediaSanFranciscoNationalAllianceforMediaArtsandCulture2004
BowmanShayneandChrisWillisWe Media How Audiences Are Shaping the Future of News and InformationEditedbyJDLasicaRestonVATheMediaCenteratTheAmericanPressInstitute2003httpwwwhypergenenetwemediadownloadwe_mediapdf
BurnettRonldquoFromCommunityMediatoInternationalNetworksrdquoCritical Approaches to Culture + Communications + HypermediaNovember182005httpwwweciadca~rburnettWeblogarchives200511from_communityhtml
CanoAndrealdquoMicroradioAToolforCommunityEmpowermentrdquoinPublic Broadcasting and the Public InterestEditedbyMichaelPMcCauleyEricEPetersonBLeeArtzandDeeDeeHalleckLondonMESharpe2003
CarnegieCommissiononEducationalTelevisionPublic Television A Program for ActionNewYorkBantam1967
CastellsManuelThe Rise of the Network Society The Information Age Economy Society and CultureVolumes12amp3MaldenMABlackwellPublishersInc2005
ChesterJeffBeyond Broadcast Expanding Public Media in the Digital AgeWashingtonDCCenterforDigitalDemocracyFebruary2006httpwwwdemocraticmediaorgBBBBfrontphp
ChristensenPaulNanMcIntyreandLynnPikholzldquoBridgingCommunityandEconomicDevelopmentAStrategyforUsingIndustryClusterstoLinkNeighborhoodsandtheRegionalEconomyrdquo(reportfundedbytheFordFoundation)ClevelandShorebankEnterpriseGroup2005
ldquoCitizenJournalismrdquoissueofNieman ReportsCambridgeMATheNiemanFoundationforJournalismatHarvardUniversityVol59No4Winter2005eMprintNewsbookhttpwwwniemanharvardedureports05-4NRwinterNR05W_Citizen_Journalismpdf
City PagesldquoBestPublicAccessCableTVProgramSomaliTVrdquoBestoftheTwinCities2004MNApril282004httpcitypagescombestof2004artsandentertainmentbestof2379asp
bibliogrAphy
CruzRossanaReguilloldquoTheOracleintheCityBeliefsPracticesandSymbolicGeographiesrdquoinGlobal Cities of the South (Social Text)EditedbyAshleyDawsonandBrentHayesEdwardsTranslatedbyBrentHayesEdwardsandNoraNicoliniDurhamNCDukeUniversityPress81(Volume22Number4)Winter2004
DeLasCasasLucywithSimonBurallJohnMorrisonDavidKaleteandJagadanandaldquoGlobalMediaReformandAccountabilityReportfromtheNationalMediaReformConferencerdquoStLouis2005httpwwwoneworldtrustorgpagesdownloadcfmdid=281
DevineRobertHldquoVideoAccessandAgencyrdquoConferencepresentationTheNationalFederationofLocalCableProgrammersStPaulMNJuly171992
DirlinMartyandCathyMelioldquoTheGrassrootsRadioMovementintheUnitedStatesrdquoinPublic Broadcasting and the Public InterestEditedbyMichaelPMcCauleyEricEPetersonBLeeArtzandDeeDeeHalleckLondonMESharpe2003
DowningJohnDHwithTamaraVillarealFordGeneveGilandLauraSteinRadical Media Rebellious Communication and Social MovementsThousandOaksCASagePublications2001
EgerJohnldquoCreativeClustersandtheUrbanEconomyrdquoGovernment and Technology(February62006)httpwwwgovtechnetnewsnewsphpid=98345
EgerJohnMThe Creative Community Forging The Links Between Art Culture Commerce amp CommunityTheCaliforniaInstituteforSmartCommunitiesSanDiegoStateUniversity2005httpwwwsmartcommunitiesorgcreativeCreativeCommBroFINALpdf
EngelmanRalphPublic Radio and Television in America A Political HistoryThousandOaksCASagePublications1996
GillespieGilbertPublic Access Television in the United States and CanadaNewYorkPraegerPublishers1975
GillmorDanWe the Media Grassroots Journalism by the People for the PeopleSebastopolCAOrsquoReillyMediaInc2006
GrahamStephenandSimonMarvinTelecommunications and the City Electronic Spaces Urban PlacesLondonandNewYorkRoutledge1996
HalleckDeeDeeHand-Held Visions The Impossible Possibilities of Community MediaNewYorkFordhamUniversityPress2002
HigginsJohnWldquoAlternativeMediaandtheCultofIndividualismExperiencesfromUSPublicAccessTVrdquoPaperpresentedattheldquoOurMediardquopre-conferenceoftheInternationalAssociationforMediaandCommunicationResearchCommunityCommunicationSectionBarcelonaSpainJuly202002httpwwwourmedianetorgpapersom2002Higginsom2002pdf
HowleyKevinCommunity Media People Places and Communication TechnologiesCambridgeCambridgeUniversityPress2005
HoynesWilliamldquoThePBSBrandandtheMerchandisingofthePublicServicerdquoinPublic Broadcasting and the Public InterestEditedbyMichaelPMcCauleyEricEPetersonBLeeArtzandDeeDeeHalleckLondonMESharpe2003
JankowskiNicholasWldquoCommunityMediaResearchAQuestforTheoreticallyGroundedModelsrdquoThePublicVol1015(2003)httpmokkbmehucentreconferencesreactivismFPfpNJ
JankowskiNicholasWandOlePrehnedsCommunity Media in the Information Age Perspectives and ProspectsCresskillNJHamptonPress2002
LashScottThe Critique of InformationLondonSagePublications2002
ListerMartinJonDoveySethGiddingsIainGrantandKieranKellyNew Media A critical IntroductionLondonandNewYorkRoutledge2003
LloydMarkldquoRadioandLocalismWhatWhenWrongrdquoinContext(publishedbytheCenterforCommunicationsandCommunityUCLA)IssueNo4(WinterSpring2006)
MacintyreBenldquoWelcometotheNewTomPainesrdquoTimesOnlineNovember132004httpwwwtimesonlinecouktolcommentarticle390484ece
MaherVincentTowards a Critical Media Studies Approach to the BlogosphereNewMediaLabPublicationSchoolofJournalismandMediaStudiesRhodesUniversitySouthAfrica2006
MetroCommunity Media Project Evaluation Report PortlandORMetroJuly2004
MostStephenldquoBAVCandTheBigPicturerdquoinA Closer Look Media Arts 2002EditedbyHelenDeMichielSanFranciscoNationalAllianceforMediaArtsandCulture2002
NewAmericaMedialdquoEthnicMediainAmericaTheGiantHiddeninPlainSightrdquoPollconductedbyBendixenampAssociates2005httpnewsnewamericamediaorgnewsview_articlehtmlarticle_id=0443821787ac0210cbecebe8b1f576a3
OlsonBillThe History of Public Access Television2000httpwwwgeocitiescomiconostarhistory-public-access-TVhtml200415
PewCenterforCivicJournalismldquoDoingCivicJournalismrdquo2007httpwwwpewcenterorgdoingcj
PierceSteveldquoDBSandthePublicInterestOpportunityinSatelliteTelevisionrdquoinPublic Broadcasting and the Public InterestEditedbyMichaelPMcCauleyEricEPetersonBLeeArtzandDeeDeeHalleckLondonMESharpe2003
PhilipsSusanldquoTrueCommunityTowardaCollaborativeEthosScribersquoslsquoTrueCommunityVisionrsquordquoinA Closer Look Media Arts 2002EditedbyHelenDeMichielSanFranciscoNationalAllianceforMediaArtsandCulture2002
PorterMichaelEldquoLocationCompetitionandEconomicDevelopmentLocalClustersinaGlobalEconomyrdquoEconomic Development Quarterly14no1(February2000)15-34
ProjectforExcellenceinJournalismldquoMajorTrendsrdquoinState of the News Media 2006 An Annual Report on American Journalismhttpwwwstateofthenewsmediaorg2006nar-rative_overview_eightaspcat=2ampmedia=1
PrometheusRadioProjectldquoOurFifthBarnraisingmdashWCIW-LPinImmokaleeFloridardquohttpprometheusradioorgcontentview48952006
RennieEllieCommunity Media A Global IntroductionLanhamMDRowmanandLittlefieldPublishers2006
RodriguezClemenciaFissures in the Mediascape An International Study of Citizenrsquos MediaCresskillNJHamptonPress2001
SchafferJanldquoCitizensMediaHasItReachedaTippingPointrdquoinldquoCitizenJournalismrdquoissueofNieman Reports CambridgeMATheNiemanFoundationforJournalismatHarvardUniversityVol59No4Winter2005aeMprintNewsbookhttpwwwniemanharvardedureports05-4NRwinterNR05W_Citizen_Journalismpdf
SchafferJanInterviewonThe NewsHour With Jim Lehrer PBSEveningNewsNovember162005b
SchulerDouglasldquoTheRiseofCommunityNetworksrdquoInternet WorldDecember1995
SchulerDougandPeterDayShaping the Network Society The New Role of Civil Society in CyberspaceCambridgeandLondonMITPress2004
ShirkyClayPower Laws Weblogs and Inequality EconomicsampCultureMediaampCommunityBlog2005OpenSourcehttpshirkycomwritingspowerlaw_webloghtml
ShirkyClaySocial Software and the Politics of GroupsEconomicsampCultureMediaampCommunityBlog2005OpenSourcehttpshirkycomwritingsgroup_politicshtml
Somerset-WardRichardBroadband Community Networks Building the Digital CommonsAreportfortheHaasCharitableTrustsPhiladelphia2005
Somerset-WardRichardConnecting Communities WashingtonDCBentonFoundation2000
Spannerworkse-bookWhat is Social MediaJanuary2007httpwwwspannerworkscomebooks
StarrJeroldMldquoPublicTelevisionintheDigitalAgeTownHallorCyberMallrdquoinPublic Broadcasting and the Public InterestEditedbyMichaelPMcCauleyEricEPetersonBLeeArtzandDeeDeeHalleckLondonMESharpe2003
SteinLauraldquoPublicAccessTelevisionandGrassrootsCommunicationintheUnitedStatesrdquoChapter20inRadical Media Rebellious Communication and Social MovmentsEditedbyJohnDowningThousandOaksCASagePublications2001
SussmanGeraldandJREstesldquoCommunityRadioinCommunityDevelopmentPortlandrsquosKBOORadiordquoinThe Portland Edge Challenges and Successes in Growing CommunitiesEditedbyConniePOzawaPortlandStateUniversityIslandPress2004
WhitneyJenniferldquoMakeMediaMakeRealTroubleWhatrsquosWrong(andRight)withIndymediardquoLiPMagazineJune212005httpwwwlipmagazine
orgarticlesfeatwhitney_indymedia_phtml
FCCregulationsaswellasbasiccomputerskillsproduc-tionskillsandon-airtrainingParticipatingintwograntroundsofSoundPartnersforCommunityHealththestationrsquosldquoRadioVidardquoproducedprogrammingonsubstanceabuseandaddictionbyandforLatinoyouth
Casa Guatemala Media Projectisanonprofitcommunity-basedorganizationthatservestheGuatemalanandbroaderLatinAmericancommunityinChicagoandtheMidwestSinceitsfoundingin1986ithasusedmediaincludingwebprintTVandradiotoraiseconsciousnessaboutissuesaffectingcommunitiesfromLatinAmericaInparticularitworkswithCAN-TVtoprovidetheeducationalcomponentofself-authoredmediathatwillpositivelytrans-formcommunitiesthroughworkshopsontheproductionandalternativeusesofemergingtechnologies
Beyond Media EducationworkswithunderservedandunderrepresentedcommunitiesprimarilywomenandyouthtotelltheirstoriesandorganizeforsocialjusticethroughthecreationanddistributionofalternativemediaandartsInarecenteffortitworkedwithaChicagosheltertohelpstreetwalkerstelltheirownstoriesinanefforttoraisepublicawarenessandpromotestate-levelreformsTheorganizationorganizedasix-monthworkshopthatincludedteachingandpracticingstorytellingpublicspeak-ingandvideoproductionskillstooveradozenprostitutesTheirgroundbreakingvideogivesinsightsintoChicagorsquossextradeindustryandrecountsthetriumphofthepar-ticipantsoverhomelessnessviolenceanddiscriminationTheirlobbyinginthestatecapitolresultedinpassageofabilltodestigmatizeanddecriminalizesexworkers
Keepingtabsonandshowcasingmuchofthecom-munitymediaactivityfromajournalisticperspectiveistheCommunity Media Workshop (CMW) CMWservesasabridgebetweensocialactivistscommunitymediaprac-titionersandjournalistsIthostsanannualacademyforprogressiveorganizationsintheChicagoareathatbringsactivistsandjournaliststogethertoshareideasandatti-tudesProminentareatelevisionandnewspaperjournalistsarerecruitedtoserveonpanelsleadworkshopsandgenerallysharetheirideasofhowprogressivegroupscaneffectivelygaintheattentionofthepressThisapproach
leadstobuy-infromkeypersonnelinChicagorsquosmainstreammediawhocannowbetterunderstandthegrassrootsgroupsthatapproachthemandtheirissuesItalsogivescommunityparticipantsattheworkshopstheopportunitytodevelopmorepersonalrelationshipswithkeymembersofthemediaThisapproachalsoenablescommunitygroupstobetterunderstandwhatmotivateseditorsandreporters
ThesethreecommunitiesshowcommondevelopmentpatternsandfactorsCommunitymediaorganizationshavebeguntounderstandtheirmissionsintermsofasharedcultureofcommunitymedialookingbeyondtheirindivid-ualmissionstothecommonsocialandpoliticalvaluestheyhaveincommonThisapproachopensthewayforcommu-nityradiomediaartscenterscommunitymediacentersandcableaccesstocreatecommunity-wideprograminitiativesinwhichseveralmediaplatformsareengagedItcreatestheconditionsinwhichitispossibleforcommunitymediaorganizationstoactwithunifiedstancesinpoliticaladvocacyregardingmediaissuesandotherissuescriticaltotheircommunitiesThiskindofcross-platformnetworkingalsocreatesopportunitiesforcommunitymediatoreceivemorediversefundingandsupportfromthecommunityastheyextendthenetworkorcultureofcollaborationtocom-munitydevelopmentgroupsandofficialsintheirregions
Communitymediaorganizationshavebeguntounderstandtheirmissionsintermsofasharedcultureofcommunitymedialookingbeyondtheirindividualmissionstothecommonsocialandpoliticalvaluestheyhaveincommon
ldquoThe boldest experiments in public telecommunica-tions take place when technologies are new and their commercial potential not yet fully apparentrdquo mdash Ralph Engelman 1996
Acrosstheirmanyplatformsandmanycommunitiescommunitymediahavebecomecentralculturalinstitutionsinthecivicculturalandeconomiclife
ofourcommunitiesprovidinginvaluablemediaprogram-mingaccessandeducationTheycaninsuchinstancesenablecommunitiestodevelopinformedcitizensartistsandactivistswhopossesstheskillsandknowledgeneededtograpplewithcomplexmedialiteracyanddevelopmentissuesatthelocallevel
Fordecadescommunitymediaorganizationshaveaddressedtheurgentneedtocreatelocalinstitutionsthatfacilitatecitizenaccesstomedianetworksandeffectiveparticipationinmediacultureforbothcitizensandwork-ersTheyareprovingthemselvesvitaltothepoliticalandeconomiclifeoftheircommunitiesTheyplaymultiplerolessimultaneouslyascriticalculturalenhancementstothequalityofciviclifeasemployersandaseducationalsitesforworkforcedevelopment
difficultyNeworganizationalformsandnewmediaformatslikestreamingarchivingpodcastingandbloggingarebecomingthenormpartofldquoblendedrdquoproductionanddis-seminationpracticesincommunitymedia
neW communicAtion spAces cyberjournAlismTheincreaseinInternetbandwidthandtheavailabilityofonlinesocialnetworkingsoftwarehavequalitativelychangedtherelationshipofjournaliststotheiraudiencesNewwebdestinationslikeMySpaceShutterflyFriendsterFlikrEviteandGooglearedevelopingvirtualcommuni-tiesforsharingvideoattractingyoungeraudiencesandmakingcontentmorethanpassiveandone-directionalSocialnetworkingsoftwareenablespeopletorendezvousconnectorcollaboratethroughcomputer-mediatedcom-municationandformonlinecommunities(Spannerworks2007)PopularsocialnetworksoftwareapplicationslikeweblogsorblogsseemparticularlywellsuitedtoparticipatorycitizenjournalismallowingeasypublishingofinteractivetextphotoaudioandvideocontentTheneweasewithwhichvideoclipscanbepreparedforuseonthewebhasbroughtontheriseofldquovlogsrdquoandsitesthatfacilitatethesharingofvideoclipsandaccompanyingcontentAnenormousrangeofblogsandcyberjournalisticsiteshavesprungupontheWorldWideWebinthepastfiveyearswithanequallywiderangeofeditorialstandardsandpracticesTechnoraticomcurrentlytracksseventeenmillionblogssharingoneandahalfmillionhyperlinks(Rennie2006)APewCenterInternetstudyestimatesthatthenumberofregularblogreadersintheUnitedStatesisequivalenttoalmosthalftheentireradioaudiencewhichisaboutaquarteroftheUSnewspaperreadership(Rennie2006)
Combinedwithaffordablenewdigitalmediaproduc-tioncamerasandrecorderstheseweb-baseddisseminationtoolsmakeitpossibleforcitizensandconsumerstoparticipateactivelyinnewsgatheringNonprofessionalshavebeguntoplayamoreactiveroleintheprocessesofjournalismfromcollectinginformationandreportingtoanalysisanddisseminationJanSchafferwhodirectsJ-LabaUniversityofMarylandincubatorforinteractivejournalismprojectsexplainsthatmanypeoplearebecom-ingmoreactivecitizensthroughjournalisticactivitybutdonotnecessarilyaspiretobejournalistsThenewtechnical
envisioning the future of community mediA
Communitymediaorganizationsareprovingthemselvesvitaltothepoliticalandeconomiclifeoftheircommunities
Communitymediaarealsocontributingimportantvaluespracticesandorganizationalmethodologiestotheemergingcollaborativemediaenvironmentsoftheblogo-sphereWecanlooktothesecontributionsastechnologicalandorganizationalopportunitiesforstrengtheningandexpandingcommunitymediapracticeWiththeInternetamediacultureisemergingthatismoreconsistentwiththenoncommercialpracticesofcommunitymediaproductioncollaborationanddemocraticparticipationinmediamak-inganddistributionConsequentlymanycommunitymediaorganizationsareintegratingthecapacitiesoftheInternetandnewmediaintotheirpracticeswithoutmuchfanfareor
0
capacityforcommunicationsheobservesallowspeopletoldquoparticipateinnewsandinformationinvariouswaysmdashparticipateininteractingwithitquestioningittruth-squadingitandcreatingitAndnowthattheyhavethetechtoolsandthetechskillstodothattheappetitehasonlyincreasedrdquo(Schaffer2005b)
SuchconditionshavesetthestageforintensepopularinterestinwhathasbeenbrandedldquowemediardquoorldquoparticipatoryjournalismrdquoTodaynumerousonlinejournalisticexperimentsbringtogetherprofessionaljour-nalistswithcitizenmediaactivistsandthoseinvolvedineventsMoreandmoretheearliestimagesandinformationregardingbreakingnewsarecomingfromnon-journalistspresentatthemomentoftheeventAsaresultjournalistsarebeginningtoconceptualizethemselvesnotsomuchasgatekeepersofnewsbutasmoderatorsinaconversationwithlicenseandtimetospeakfrequentlyandhopefullyaccurately(BowmanandWillis2003)
Thiskindofcommunity-centeredcoveragemayentailthere-balancingofeditorialpoliciesndashcommittingtodiversityembracingegalitarianvaluesandreassessingthevalueofeditorialneutralityItputsintoquestiontheroleandsignificanceofofteninnovativeldquopersonalmediardquoexemplifiedbythemillionsofbloggingsitesontheWebIsthiskindofldquonewsrdquoservingapubliccivicpurposeofcommunityproblemsolvingorindividualprivateexpres-sionInaWashington PostopinionpieceonDecember212006GeorgeKWillvoicedskepticismoftheseriousnessofmuchofthewebrsquosamateurjournalisminresponsetoTimemagazinersquosnamingallofusPersonoftheYear
Itisdifficulttopredictthefutureofcyberjournal-ismandbloggingpreciselyintheseearlystagesbutthreeoutcomesseemlikelyFirstbloggingwillcontinueitsrapidintegrationintomainstreammediacontentSecondblog-gingandotherformsofsocialnetworkingsoftwarewillgiverisetonewmediaentitiesthatwillchallengemainstreammedialocallynationallyandglobally
ThethirdoutcomeistheonemostrelevanttoacommunitymediascanCyberjournalismandparticipatory
citizenjournalismseemparticularlywellsuitedtoaddressthecurrentUSmassmediarsquosdifficultyinprovidingcoverageoflocaleventsinsmallercommunitiessuburbanregionsandcommutercommunitiesthataredevelopingoutsideformalpoliticaljurisdictionsCommunity-basedonlinejournalismsiteshavesprungupinhundredsofcom-munitiesaroundtheUnitedStatesTheyaremanagedandorganizedinwidelydivergentways
AnexperimentincyberjournalismandcommunitynetworkingtheTwin Cities Daily PlanetaggregatessomeofthebestjournalismfromMinnesotarsquosTwinCitiesneighborhoodandcommunitypressandindependentjour-nalistsaswellasthevoicesofengagedcitizenspresentingthemtothepublicthroughaninteractivewebsiteandcommunitydatabaseByaggregatingcitizenandneighbor-hoodjournalisminonesiteitincreasesthecapacityofsmallneighborhoodmediatoreachbeyondtheirborderstoawiderregionalaudienceUsingRealSimpleSyndication(RSS)softwaretheTC Daily Planetcanpotentiallyreachaglobalaudience
AprojectoftheTwinCitiesMediaAlliancetheTC Daily PlanetisaverynewformofcommunitymediaemergingfromtherestructuringofthenewspaperindustryandtheuseofbloggingandsocialnetworkingsoftwareAlthoughearlyinitsdevelopmenttheTC Daily Planetisgivingvoicetoanincreasingnumberofethnicimmi-grantandnon-mainstreamjournalistswhilefocusingthecommunityrsquosattentiononafargreaterrangeofpublicationsandideas
TheearliestexpressionsofcyberjournalismaretheIndependent Media Centers (IMCs)orIndymediaIndymediacameintobeingaspartoftheprotestsanddemonstrationsaroundtheWorldTradeOrganizationtalksheldinSeattleWashingtonin1999ThisfirstIMCwasaconvergenceoftheemerginginteractivityoftheInternetwiththeintenseneedofprotesterstogetindependentinformationouttotheworldabouttheprotestsAnetworkofindependentcommunitymediamakersactivistsandjournalistsbandedtogethertopoolresourcesandinforma-tion(Howley2005)
TheIMCsforeshadowedthebloggingandvideodis-tributionthatwasshortlytoemergebyusingtheInternetandtheWorldWideWebinconjunctionwithvideoandaudiodistributiontocreateatrulyunprecedentedmulti-mediaenvironmentIntermsofbothqualityandquantitytheSeattleIMCwasanimpressiveperformancebyanynewsandcurrentaffairsstandardsOverthecourseofthefive-dayprotestsadailynewspaperanddailyradioprogramwerecreatedandcountlessprintstoriesweredisseminated
Journalistsarebeginningtoconceptualizethemselvesnotsomuchasgatekeepersofnewsbutasmoderatorsinaconversation
globallyalsovideofeedsweresentthroughtheInternettopublicaccessandcommunitychannelsaroundtheworldSixyearsaftertheSeattleproteststherewere149Indymediawebsitesinabout45countriesonsixcontinents(Whitney2005)
TheopenformofcommunicationpracticedbymostIMCsiteshasnotbeenwithoutproblemsandcontra-dictionsManysitesarenowclutteredwithideologicaldiatribesanduneditedcontent(Halleck2002Whitney2005)ButthereareanumberofIndymediasitesthatprovidealternativenewsandinformationregardingaglobalscopeofconcernsthatwouldbeverydifficulttoobtainanywhereelseinthemediaAnumberofsitesinplacessuchasNewYorkCityPortlandOregonandtheSanFranciscoBayareahaveestablishedthemselvesasstablepartsoftheircommunityrsquosmediaculture
companiesspecializedsuppliersserviceprovidersandassociatedinstitutionsinaparticularfieldthatarepresentinanationorregionrdquo(Porter2000)Thecompaniesinanindustryclusterhaveacomplexwebofmutuallysupportingrelationshipsthatencompassbothcompetitiveandcollab-orativerelationshipsTheylinkacrossprofitandnonprofitpracticesutilizecommoninfrastructuremakecommoncontributionstothedevelopmentofahighlyskilledwork-forcesharefundingandinsomecasestalentedstaff
Increasinglycommunitydevelopmentpractitionersandanalystsarecomingtounderstandindustryclustersaspowerfulstrategiesforbotheconomicandcommunitydevelopmentinthetwenty-firstcenturyThisisprovingdoublytruefornonprofitcommunitymediaorganizationswhoseroleitistobringpowerfultoolsandknowledgetoanycommunityrsquosdeliberationsaroundcommunityandeco-nomicdevelopmentBroadbandandwirelessnetworksareprovidingthepracticalmeansoflinkingcommunitymediaorganizationswithincommunitiesofferingakeystrategicadvantagebyenhancingtheeffectivenessofcollaborationandpartnershipbuilding
AstheexamplesinthepreviouschaptershowcommunitymediaorganizationsaretakingonnewrolesincludingcombiningproductionandtrainingtakingonworkforcedevelopmentfunctionsandbecomingtechnologycentersfordiffusionofnewmediaBeyondtheseexampleslongstandingsuccessfulcommunitymediaorganiza-tionsaremergingasnetworkclusterslinkingdifferentgroupsandorganizationswithincommunitiestocreateentirelynewcommunitymediaorganizationsorblurringtheboundariesbetweentheirorganizationsOthersarebringinghistoricallyseparatecommunitymediagroupswithinoneorganizationalstructureorunderonerooftosharebuildingsandcommunicationsinfrastructuresinacost-effectivemanner
TheorganizationsthatemergefromthisintegrationmaybesimilarinfunctionthoughtheirnamesremaindifferentAcommunity-basedsiteforcitizenmediaandcyberjournalismforexampleandacommunitynetworklikeMAINinAshevilleNorthCarolinaoracutting-edgecableaccesscenterlikeGrandRapidsCommunityTelevisionbegintolookverymuchalikeintermsof
Increasinglycommunitymediadevelopmentishappeningthroughnetworksoflocalnonprofitmediaorganizationsratherthanwithinsingleorganizations
neW orgAnizAtionAl spAces netWorked clusters Perhapsthemostpromisingtrendonthehorizonforcom-munitymediaistheemergenceofnewhighlyintegratedorganizationalstructuresandcollaborativeprocessesIncreasinglycommunitymediadevelopmentishappeningthroughnetworksoflocalnonprofitmediaorganizationsratherthanwithinsingleorganizations
Inmanywaysthesereorganizationsatthecom-munitylevelparalleltherestructuringtakingplaceintheprivatecorporatesectorTherecommunicationsnetworksarebeingusedtosupportcomplexpartnershipsandjointcompanyprojectdevelopmentinteractivenetworkseasetheaggregationoflargeorstrategiccapitalandemployeeskillsetsacrossgeographicandorganizationalboundariesforthepurposesofinnovationandmarketdevelopmentInthelanguageofcommunityandeconomicdevelop-mentthesecomplexpartnershipsareknownasldquocreativeclustersrdquoorldquoindustryclustersrdquoMichaelPorteraleadingtheoristandproponentoftheconceptofclustersdefinesthemasldquogeographicconcentrationsofinterconnected
Successfulcommunitymediaorganizationsaremergingasnetworkclusters
technologyprogrammingactivitiesandtheexperienceofcommunityaudiencesvolunteersandparticipantsEachorganizationreliesonnoncommercialaffordablebandwidtheachplayssomeroleinadvocatingforsupportivegovern-mentpoliciesandeachisexperimentingwiththepotentialofnewcollaborativemediatoolsOftencommittedtoengagingandtrainingvolunteersandcommunitymembersinsomemannertheymayoffertrainingandvolunteerpro-gramsthatrequiresimilarsharableonlinetutorialsandonlineoutreachandschedulemanagementtools
TheexamplesthatfollowdemonstratethewayscommunitymediacreativeclustersaremakinguniquecontributionstotheircommunitiesrsquoqualityoflifeandeconomicwellbeingTheyaredoingsointhreeimportantwaysbullfirstbyamplifyingtherolethatartsandculturalgroups
playinenhancingthequalityoflifeandattractingatalentedworkforceandcapitaltothecommunitymdasharolethatisgaininginsignificanceinthetwenty-firstcentury
bullsecondascontributorstocoreeconomicdevelopmentfunctionsinthecommunityincludingworkforcedevelop-mentandtrainingasmicro-enterpriseincubatorsandascreatorsofnewknowledgeandeducationalexperiencesand
bullthirdasfacilitatorsandcatalystsofcommunitydialoguecommittedtoembracingmarginalizedvoicesandallow-ingthecommunitytoundertakeitsowndevelopmentdemocratically
Lowell MassachusettsLowell Telecommunications Center(LTC)isapublicandgovernmentaccesschannelandmediaandtechnologycen-terItprovideseducationandtraininginmediacreationincludingwebdesigndigitalphotographyandtelevisionproductionLTCworksincollaborationwithotherlocalcommunity-basedorganizationsmunicipaldepartmentsandeducationalentitiestoproducediversemulticulturalprogrammingthatmeetsthecommunityrsquoscommunica-tionandinformationneedsLTChasbecomeaconvening
organizationforbuildingcapacityamongLowellrsquosnonprofitcommunity-basedorganizationsintheiruseofparticipatorymediaandcivicengagementstrategies
LTCismorefocusedthanothercommunitymediaorganizationsoncommunitybuildingandcommunicationtechnologyThecorporationisworkingtobuildanetworkforparticipatorymediaandcivicengagementthroughouttheMerrimacRiverValleyThroughaUSDepartmentofEducationgrantLTCacquiredfundingandstafftohelpitspartnerorganizationsbecomeInternet-capableassesstheirinformationtechnologyneedsacquiretechnologyupgradestoaddressthoseneedsandundertakethetrainingtousethetechnologyeffectively
RatherthanwaitingforgroupstocometoitscenterLTCcreatedacircuitridertrainingprogramthattookthetrainingprogramintothecommunityThroughLTCrsquosinformationtechnologycenterscoresofcommunitygroupshavereceivedtrainingdesignedandcreatedwebsitesanddevelopedstrategiccommunicationsplansforthefutureThosedevelopmentsincludeweb-basedhistoricalarchivesGISmappingsystemsmultimediamaterialsandInternetvideoTohelporganizationsacquirethesoftwaretheyneedtocarryouttheirmissionsLTCcreatedtheCommunitySoftwareLabwhichdevelopsuniquesoftwaretofittheneedsofareanonprofitsThelabhasbeenspunofftocreateaseparatenonprofitentityjoiningthegrowingnumberofindependentorganizationsthatnetworkthroughLTC
ThemostrecentLTCinitiativeisldquoDigitalBicyclerdquoapeer-to-peernetworkthatallowsmediacentersworldwidetodownloadandsharelocalcontentLTCstaffenvisionDigitalBicycleasanonlinecommunityforcableaccessmediaartsindependentmediaandothernoncommercialmedia
Grand Rapids MichiganldquoBuildingcommunitythroughmediardquoThissimplemissionstatementguidedtheGrand Rapids Community Media Center(GRCMC)asitevolvedfromatypicalcableaccessoperationtobecomeabroad-basedmultimediacenterandamodelforthedevelopmentofcommunitymultimediacentersintheUnitedStatesOverthepasttwentyyears
Communitymediacreativeclustersaremakinguniquecon-tributionstotheircommunitiesrsquoqualityoflifeandeconomicwellbeing
LTCisworkingtobuildanetworkforparticipatorymediaandcivicengagementthroughouttheMerrimacRiverValley
GRCMChaspulledthediversecommunitymediaactivitiesofGrandRapidsunderoneorganizationalumbrellaandtakentheleadinarticulatingthepotentialforaggregatingnoncommercialnetworkedcommunicationsthere
Theevolvingnetworkofmediaplatformsdis-ciplinesandculturalgroupsthatconvergetobecomeGRCMCnowincludesthefollowingcentersofpracticeGRTVacommunitytelevisioncenterthatprogramsmultiplecableaccesschannelsWYCEacommunityradiostationGrandnetacommunitytechnologyandnetworkcenterthatprovidescitizenandnonprofitaccesstotheInternetandtheGrandRapidsInstituteforInformationDemocracyacriticalmediaeducationandresearchcenterthattracksmediaandlocalpublicinterestissuesandpub-lishesinformationonmediaaccountabilityandreform
ButtheGrandRapidsCommunityMediaCenterismorethanthesumofitspartsThecomponentsofthecenterworktogetherinamutuallyreinforcingwholethatcreatesapowerfulcommunitymediapresenceinGrandRapidsandallowsthecentertoundertakefarmoreambitiousprojectsandprogrammingthanwouldbethecaseseparatelyOneexcellentexampleistheMobileOn-LineLearningLabforInformationEducationKnownasMOLLIEtheprogramprovidesskilledtrainersanddigitalvideoproductionequipmenttoschoolsandcommunityorganizationsforspecialprojectsOriginallyfundedbyafederalDepartmentofEducationgrantMOLLIEfillsintechnologygapsinGrandRapidseducationalinstitutionsandnonprofitsInthehandsofalessintegratedinstitutiontheMOLLIEprojectcouldeasilybeatechnicallyorientedequipmentloanandtrainingprogramInthehandsofthecenterMOLLIEhasbecomeasophisticatedmediaandtechnologyeducationalinitiativeprovidingatrainingprogramthataddressesmediaeducationfromtheperspec-tiveofallthecomponentsoftheGrandRapidsCommunityMediaCenter
Asheville North CarolinaOneofthemostarticulateeffortsmergingthecreativeclustersideawithparticipatorycommunicationhascomeaboutinAshevilleNorthCarolinaThroughapersistent
collaborationbetweenforwardlookingregionalgroupsandorganizationsndashinvolvingabroadnetworkofindi-vidualscommunitymediaandmediaartsgroupsintheAshevilleregionndashAshevillehaslaidthefoundationforacommunitymediadevelopmentcenterthatwillfunctionasacableaccesscentermediaartscenterandnewmediamicro-enterpriseincubatorAtthecenterofthiseffortisaninformalcoalitionoffourimportantgroupsinAshevilleMountainAreaInformationNetworkMediaArtsProjectBoncombeCountyEconomicDevelopmentCommissionandURTVThegroupsrepresentdistinctpointsofviewandconcernsaswellasconverginginterests
Eachgroupsharedtheinsightthatcivicparticipa-tionandeconomicsuccessinthetwenty-firstcenturyaredirectlyrelatedtohavingaccesstocommunicationstechnologyandknowledgeEachalsounderstoodthattherenegotiationofthecablefranchisesintheCityofAshevilleandsurroundingBoncombeCountywasastrategicmomenttocatalyzeandassociateanumberofcommunity-basedinformationandmediaartsactivitiesalreadyinplaceorplannedinAshevilleThegroupsusedthecablefranchisingprocesstocreateacommonorganizationalandfacilitiesinfrastructuresupportingtheuseofmediaforbothcivicandeconomicdevelopment
The Media Arts Project(MAP)isanetworkofmediaartiststhatcultivatesinnovativeartsandtechnol-ogyinwesternNorthCarolinaMAPworkedtirelesslytoframecableaccessasacommunitydevelopmentissuebridgingthemediaactivistcommunitiesandthemoreforward-thinkingfactionsamongeconomicdevelopmentprofessionalsintheregionWiththerecentopeningofURTV IncAshvillersquoscableaccessorganizationandfacilityMAPanditsnetworkofpartnersarenowturningtheirattentiontofundingthemediaartsandeconomicincubatorelementsofthevision
AshevillersquosinterestinsupportingcommunitymediaarisesfromthepresenceoftheMountain Area Information Network(MAIN)Inthetraditionoftheruralcooperativesthathelpedspreadthereachofelectricityinthe1930sMAINisanonprofitInternetserviceproviderofferingreliablelow-costInternetservicebothinwesternNorthCarolinaandnationwideItisauniquecommunitynetworkwithabroadvisionofitsroleinthecommunitythatencompassesmedialiteracyeconomicdevelopmentstrategiescommunitylow-powerradioacommunity-basedwebportalandtheprovisionofInternetconnectivitytoruralwesternNorthCarolinaMAINislargelyresponsiblefortheremarkableexpansionofInternetaccessibilityinwesternNorthCarolinaallowingthousandsofpeopleto
GRCMChaspulledthediversecommunitymediaactivitiesofGrandRapidsunderoneorganizationalumbrella
spendtheirInternetaccessdollarswithalocallycontrolledandaccountableorganizationMAINdemonstratesthevalueofthecommunitynetworkingconcepttoareasthatarelagginginconnectivityduetofailuresofthemarket
MAINhastakenaleadershiproleinbuildingacommunitymediacultureinAshevillethatdemonstratestheeasewithwhichdigitalmedialeapsorganizationalboundariesItscommunitynetworkrunstheBlueRidgeWebMarketwhichprovidesafreecustomizableInternetpresencetohundredsofsmallbusinessesthroughoutwesternNorthCarolinaItsLatinoDigitalLiteracyProjectofferstrainingtohelpthearearsquosgrowingLatinopopula-tionsaccesstheInternetMAINhasbeenoneofthekeypartnersinbringingacableaccesscentertoAshevilleandhasbeenthedrivingforcebehindWPVMWNCrsquoslow-powerFMradiostationbroadcastinglocalnewsviewsandmusicover-the-airintheAshevilleregion(andtheworldviawebcast)
Cleveland OhioPerhapsthemostrobustcommunity-basednonprofitnetworkintheUnitedStatesOne ClevelandprovideswhatitcallsldquoultrabroadbandnetworkingservicesrdquotoClevelandareaeducationgovernmentresearchartscultureandhealthcareorganizationsOneClevelandoperatesafibernetworkringthatcoversmuchofthecityofClevelandandmanyofitssurroundingsuburbsSubscriberstothenetworkconnectatgigabitspeeds
OneClevelandrepresentswhatcanhappenwhenpowerfulcommunitydevelopmentforcescometoaconsensusregardingtheircommunityrsquosneedforhigh-speedconnectivitytoglobaleconomiesandmediaItsfoundersareClevelandmainstreaminstitutionsCaseWesternReserveUniversityCuyahogaCommunityCollegeClevelandStateUniversityTheCityofClevelandGreaterClevelandRegionalTransitAuthorityideastreamCuyahogaCountyPublicLibraryandNorTechThenetworkhasformedrelationshipswithtechnologycompaniestomaintainup-to-dateapplicationsthatleveragethepotentialofsuchapowerfulnetwork
Oneofthenetworkrsquoskeypartners ideastream illustratesthesignificanceofworkingtogethertomakehigh-speedconnectivitypubliclyavailablethroughoutacommunityonitsowntermsBybuildingahigh-speednet-workOneClevelandhascreatedacivicnetworkspaceandinfrastructurethatallowsanewkindofmultimediapublicmediaorganizationtobecreatedIdeastreamresultedwhenWVIZPBSTelevisionand903WCPNRadiopublicbroad-castersmergedtoformanewnonprofitldquomultimediapublicserviceorganizationrdquoIdeastreamisabletoextenditsmediaexpertisebeyondbroadcastingtoonlinetechnologiesandapplicationsofalltypesmdashwhenyouareconnectingtothenetworkatthegigabitspeedsofOneClevelandrsquostherangeofapplicationsandtheirpotentialarehuge
MAINhastakenaleadershiproleinbuildingacommunitymediacultureinAshevillethatdemonstratestheeasewithwhichdigitalmedialeapsorganizationalboundaries
OneClevelandrepresentswhatcanhappenwhenpowerfulcommunitydevelopmentforcescometoaconsensusregardingtheircommunityrsquosneedforhigh-speedconnectivitytoglobaleconomiesandmedia
Inthecourseofpreparingthisreportndashpouringovertheliteratureandsynthesizinghoursofstructuredround-tableconversationsandone-on-oneinterviewswith
opinionleadersandsuccessfulpractitionersofcommunitymediandashonethingisextremelyclearThewayoursocietymakesandsharesinformationknowledgeandcultureisinaheightenedstateofchangeTheinteractivenatureoftheInternethasdemonstratedthatitispossibletoorganizecommunicationsinamuchmoredemocraticfashionSomehaveconcludedwearewitnessingthetransitionfromanindustrializedinformationenvironmenttoanetworkedinformationenvironmentTheoldindustrialmediastruc-turesbasedonexclusivehigh-costproductionprocessesarebeingchallengedbyanemergingmediasectorinwhichthecostofcreatinginformationknowledgeandculturehasbeenprofoundlyreducedandtheproductsareintercon-nectedwidelythroughnetworksliketheInternet(Benkler2006)IndeedthereisincreasingevidencethatthesenewmediaanddigitalnetworksareparticularlyconducivetononcommercialandnonprofitculturalproductionaswellasmoreparticipatoryandcollaborativemediapracticesInmanywaysthelong-standingvaluesandintentofcommu-nitymediaforeshadowthisnewmediaenvironment
ThescanresearchfocusedonfourkeyareasofinquiryWhataretheuniquecharacteristicsthatdistin-guishcommunitymediaWhatmakesmedia-communitycollaborationssuccessfulWhattypesofcommunitymediaorganizationsbestleveragenewtechnologiesHowmightcommunitymediaengageunderservedpopulationsinprogrammingtailoredtotheirneedsIneachinstancewefoundthatcommunitymediacombinedwithgreaterafford-ablebandwidthandopen-sourceapproachestoproductiondohavetremendouscommunitydevelopmentpotentialHowevernoneofthatpotentialwillcomeaboutmagicallyThecommunitymediasectorisfacingthechallengingtaskofmanagingextensivechangeandtransformation
chAllengesThesuccessdisappointmentsandsocialvalueofthepastsixtyyearsofcommunitymediainitiativesmustbejudgedinhistoricalcontextConsistentmisrepresentationinthemainstreammediaandlimitedunaccommodatingsocialpolicyhaveresultedininadequatevisibilityandfinancialsupportforcommunitymediaAnydiscussionofitssuccessesorfailuresmustincorporateanunderstand-
ingoftheseexternalconstraintsInthislighttheexistingexpressionsofcommunitymediaattheirbestarewildlysuccessfulsocialexperimentsgivingcauseforgreatoptimism
NeverthelesscommunitymediafacebothexternalandinternalchallengesTheinternalchallengesarisefromstructuraltensionsthatoccurinanyattempttocreateorganizationsandculturesthatembodydiversitydemocraticexpressionandequitableaccessRatherthanbeingexpressedasldquoweaknessesrdquoasissooftenthecaseinmainstreammediaandacademiatheseinternaltensionsaremoreproperlyunderstoodaspredictabledevelopmentalproblemsandopportunitiesthatpractitionersshouldbepreparedtograpplewithinanycommunitymediasetting
Balancing Free Expression and Audience Development CommunityradioandpublicaccesscablehavehistoricallyprivilegedtheinterestsofproducersbygrantingthemgreatpoliticalfreedominmakingdecisionsregardingwhatprogrammingtocreateandwhataestheticandformattingapproachestouseThetrade-offforacultureofactivistvolunteerismandfreeexpressionhasbeensmalleraudi-encesandlowerlevelsofproductionandprogramsupportProgramproducerscarryanintensecommitmenttoindi-vidualownershipoftheirprogramminginitiativesthatmaynottaketheaudiencersquosinterestsfullytoheart
Whiletheseapproachesinradioandcableaccesshaveresultedinadiversityofprogrammingandpoliticalviewpointstheyhavealsopreventedradiostationpro-grammersorcableaccessorganizationsfrombuildingaflowofprogramsthatcandefineandconstructanongoingaudienceinthecommunityEachprogramorscheduledprogramslotcarriesitsownmicroaudienceldquofragmentedpublicsrdquothatareoftennotpartofanintegratedflowofpro-grammingthatattractsanaudiencetothechannelsoverall(Higgins2002)
Freeexpressionandaudiencedevelopmentarenotmutuallyexclusivenordoparticipatorymanagementstructuresvolunteerinvolvementandproducertrain-ingprogramsneedtoimpedeaudiencedevelopmentThesuccessofAmyGoodmanandDemocracyNowsoundlydemonstratesthisInfactmanycommunitymediaorgani-zationshavecreatedprogramminginitiativesthatcombinesophisticatedmeasurementsofsocialoutcomeswith
conclusions
trainingandparticipatoryprogramplanningTheyhavenotonlyraisedthesocialvalueoftheirprogrammingtotheircommunitiestheyhavealsoincreasedthesizeandloyaltyoftheiraudiences(Aufderheide2003)Asinteractivemediabegintocreatetheconditionswherenicheprogram-mingcanbefarmoresuccessfulthetensionbetweenfreeexpressionandaudiencedevelopmentisnotonlyachal-lengebutalsoatremendousopportunity
Programming MetricsStillroundtableparticipantsrepeatedlynotedthatevenwhenprogrammingmeetscommunityneedscommunitymediaorganizationscanfinditdifficulttodocumentimpactTheyfeltthatfundershavegenerallynotyetaddressedtheroleofmediainpopularcultureorthepowerofpopularcultureinaddressingsocialproblemsInaddi-tionfundersfindithardtoestablishcost-benefitmeasuresofsocialimpactfortheirmediaexpenditures
ParticipantsaskedformodelsofaudiencefeedbackandoutcomesmeasurementthatgobeyondaudiencenumbersTheyacknowledgedthedifficultyofquantify-ingnotionsofsuccesswhichtendtobeverysubjectiveandofusingsuccessstoriesinthecommonprogrammingmetricsofthedayManyrecognizedskepticismamongfundersabouttheimportanceofcommunitymediaasuspicionaboutagendasandafearofthecostsinvolvedmakingcommunitymediaahardsellEventhoughafewgoodevaluationeffortswereacknowledgedtheircollectiveresultshavenotbeenincorporatedintothethinkingofthewiderfundingcommunity
FundingMulti-yearstablefundingsupportforcommunitymediainitiativesiscriticaltostabilityinnovationandgrowthRoundtableparticipantsdiscussednumerousinstancesinwhichprojectswithmulti-yearsupporthadpowerfulpositiveimpactsextendingbeyondtheinitialprojectgoalsMulti-yearfundingcreatesthestabilitytoundertakeproperstrategicplanningandpartnershipdevelopment
Thereissomeearlyevidencethatamultiple-plat-formnonprofit-orientednichemarketcouldemergeasasignificantopportunitytoprovideenhancedrevenueforthecommunityandnoncommercialmediasectorsTheinterac-tivecapacityofthenewnetworkssignificantlyincreasestherevenuepotentialforcooperativeandsubscription-styleprogrammingflowsHoweverstrongmarketsforcommer-ciallyfundedparticipatorycommunityexpressionhavenotyetemergedinthedigitaleraduetothelimitedsizeofpopulationsandavailableadvertisingsupportIfthereistobeavitalsectorofcommunity-basedmediasomeformofsignificantpublicfundingwillbenecessaryevenininstanceswherecommunitymediaorganizationsmightrealizesignificantrevenuefromnewmarketsInordertomakethemostefficientuseofpublicfundingcommuni-tiesmustevolvefundingandgovernancestructuresforcommunitymediathatcanfacilitatetheaggregationoffundscoordinatemultiple-organizationprojectsandactastrustedconvenersofprogramminganddevelopmentdiscus-sionsincommunities
Policy ThreatsWhiletheconvergenceoftechnologyandpracticescreatesincreasingpotentialsforaunifiedcommunitymediasectorthereisunfortunatelynocohesiveandunifiednationalpolicyframeworkforcommunitymediaThegovernmentpoliciesandregulationsthatexistforcommunitymediahavebeenretrofittedinthearenasofUSbroadcastingandtelephonypolicyWhiletheyrepresenthard-wonpoliticalvictoriesandstrategicinsighttheydonotaddresstheneedsofcommunitymediainaholisticway
Inthecurrentpoliticalclimatebroadcastmediaownershipcontrolandprogrammingwillcontinuetobecentralizedinfewercorporationsleavingcommunitieswithlessoptionsforcontrollingtheirlocalmediaenviron-mentsAtthesametimethetelephonecompanieswillenterthemarketforvideotelephonyandbroadbandbydeployinghigh-capacitydigitaltelevisionnetworksinmanycommunitiesintheUnitedStates
ThecurrenttrendofcentralizationinUStele-communicationspolicyisthreateningtheabilityoflocal
Freeexpressionandaudiencedevelopmentarenotmutuallyexclusivenordoparticipatorymanagementstructuresvolunteerinvolvementandproducertrainingprogramsneedtoimpedeaudiencedevelopment
Communitymediaorganizationscanfinditdifficulttodocumentimpact
governmentstomandatecommunity-basedcommunica-tionsnetworksandprogramminginitiativesasrentonthepublicrights-of-wayThesefundingmechanismscurrentlysupportPublicEducationandGovernment(PEG)accesscabletelevisioncentersmediaartscentersandmanymunicipalcommunicationnetworksWhilefarfromperfectregulatorymechanismstheyareoneofthemostsuccess-fulformsofpublicmediasupporttoariseinthelastthirtyyears
Overthenextfiveyearsthesesuccessfulfundingstrategieswillbeunderheavyattackbythetelephonecom-paniesandthecabletelevisionindustryinastrugglewithgovernmentsforcommunitycontrolofthepublicrights-of-wayThesamedynamicthreatensequitableInternetaccessIncreasinglybroadbandcommunitynetworksaremunicipallyownedormandatedWhilesomeofthesemunicipalbroadbandnetworksweredeployedforinternalmunicipalpurposestimehasshownthatsuchnetworkscanserveanumberofnon-governmentalcommunity-basedpurposesincludingwirelessISPconnectionsforresidentsbusinessesandvisitorsManycommunitiesareseeking(andsomehaveobtained)ldquoCommunityBenefitsAgreementsrdquowithproposedwirelessbroadbandvendorsthatsetasideasmallfranchisefeeongrossrevenuestosupportdigitalinclusionactivitiesfollowingtheexampleofcablecompaniessupportofPEGaccessHowevermunicipalbroadbandandmunicipalwirelessareunderattackbyindustriestryingtoreservethesedevelopmentrightsforthemselves
Theoutcomeofthedebatesaroundcontroloftherights-of-waywillhaveasignificantimpactonthefuturepathofcommunitymediadevelopmentThesedebateswillrangeacrosstheregulatoryspectrumtheyarenowbeingwagedinlocalstateandnationallegislativearenasandthecourtsTheresultingcommunicationsinfrastruc-tureandregulatoryframeworkwillbeabletorealizethepotentialsofcommunitymediaifandonlyifcommunitiesareabletotakeleadershipinprovidingsubstantialpublicaswellasprivatefundingAsanoldtruismnotesldquomoneyispolicyrdquo
Therearenopoliticalortechnicalguaranteesthatdigitalmedianetworkswillremainopenandparticipa-toryastheyevolveItisunlikelythatmarketforcesalone
willservetorealizethedemocraticpotentialoftodayrsquosparticipatorymediatechnologyBuildingarobustsectorofcommunity-baseddemocraticnewmediawillrequireeffectivecitizenactivismclearandresponsivegovern-mentpoliciesandeffectivepoliticalstrategiesCommunitymedianeedsseparaterecognitionandsupportwithinfed-eralstateandlocalcommunicationspolicyandregulatorystructuresinordertoensureequitableandstablefundinganddevelopment
models for the futureThegovernmentregulationsandsubsidiesthatunderpincommunitymediahaveevolvedinahodgepodgefashionoverthepastsixtyyearsItcanbearguedthatcommunitymediashouldbetreatedasaseparatesectorwithinte-gratedfundingstructuresconsistentinfrastructureandtaxandsubsidypoliciesthatareseparateanddistinctfromexistinglocalmediapoliciesandalsofromthepoliciesunderpinningpublicbroadcastingPossiblemodelsforamoreunifiedapproacharenumerousbuttwoappearpar-ticularlywellsuitedtocommunitymediarsquosdiverseformsorganizationsandprogrammingapproaches
Public Funding FindingappropriatemethodsofincreasingpublicfundingforcommunitymediainashiftingregulatoryenvironmentiscrucialCurrentlocalcablefranchisingregulationstosupportcableaccessandthecommunitybenefitsagree-mentsofmunicipalwirelessnetworksoffersuccessfulmodelsbutarenowbothunderattackThelawsrequiringcommercialcableproviderstosetasidebandwidthchan-nelcapacityforthepublicinadditiontooperatingfundingbasedonapercentageofcommercialrevenuescouldbeextendedtoincludevoicevideoanddataEssentiallythenanycommercialproviderusingthepublicrights-of-wayorthewirelessspectrumwouldberequiredtocontributeanequitablepercentageofbandwidthandrev-enuetosupportthecommunitycommunicationssector
Community Media DevelopmentAdequatelevelsoffundingareonlypartoftheequationWhilefundingshouldsupporttheoverallgrowthofthe
Thereisunfortunatelynocohesiveandunifiednationalpolicyframe-workforcommunitymedia
setasidebandwidthchannelcapacityforthepublicinadditiontooperatingfunding
communitymediasectorinasensiblefashionanyfundingsolutionmustaddressthedifficultynowexperiencedbyfundersindealingwithcommunitymediahowtoprovideoverallsupporttoasectormadeupofsmallindependentorganizationswithanextremelydiversesetoffundingsourcesandmissionsOneeconomicdevelopmentapproachseemsparticularlyusefulhereProgressivecommunityeconomicdevelopmentstrategieshaveevolvedtosupportthegrowthofadiversityofsmallenterpriseswithinacom-monsectorwhilerecognizingthattheseenterprisescanatdifferenttimesbecollaboratorspartnersorcompetitorsSimilarstrategiescanguidedevelopmentofthecommunitymediasector
Thereareatleasttwoshort-termstepsthatcouldassistinthedevelopmentofcommunitymediaorgani-zationsandsupporttheircitizensrsquoabilitytocopewithcommercialmediaandinformationsaturationOneisforcommunitiestobuildorsecureaffordablebroadbandandwirelessnetworkinfrastructurewithastrongcommu-nitybenefitsagreementinsupportofdigitalinclusionHundredsofcommunitiesacrossthecountryeitherhaveorarelaunchingsuchwirelesscommunitynetworksmanyincollaborationwithwirelessvendorswhoinordertowinaservicecontractwiththemunicipalityinquestionaresup-portingdigitalliteracytraininginexpensiverefurbishedcomputersandlocalcontentdevelopmentndashinshortprogramsofdigitalinclusionandexcellence
AsecondopportunityidentifiedbyroundtableparticipantsisthepotentialforanationalsupportnetworkforexistingcommunitymediaorganizationsAnationalsupportnetworklinkingcommunitiesandtheircommu-
nitymediapractitionersandinstitutionscouldfacilitatearangeofactivitiesincludinglocal-to-localcommunicationorexchangesofinformationandprogrammingbetweencommunitiesvirtualspaceforanationalnetworkofcommunitymediaorganizationstohelptoorganizeuni-fiedpolicyadvocacywiderdistributionofpastproductsformationofissue-responseteamstoadvanceinterestsofcommunitygroupsandtapintolocalresourcesandshareddirectoriesofpractitionerstrainersandfacilitiesConveningleadersfromtheaggregatorsandassociationsservingcommunitymediaintheirvariousforms(listedinAppendix2)mightbeagoodnextsteptoexplorethisopportunity
the promiseThepracticeofcommunitymediahasmanagedtogrowandevolveoverthepastsixtyyearsdespiteunevenandgenerallylowlevelsofsupportandinconsistentgovernmentpoliciesEllieRenniearesearchfellowattheInstituteforSocialResearchSwinburneUniversityofTechnologyhaswrittenthatcommunitymediaareoftendefinednegativelyforwhattheyareopposedtoratherthanpositivelyforwhattheyhaveachieved(Rennie2006)Weareawarethatcom-munitymediahaveoftenbeendismissedasmarginalandidiosyncraticbuttheexamplescitedinthisreportprovidepowerfulevidencetothecontraryItistimetodefinecommunitymediabywhattheyhaveachievedCommunitymediaattheirbesthaveconsistentlydemonstratedtheirpotentialtoempowercommunitiesandindividualstoparticipateascitizensincommunityandeconomicdevelop-mentartseducationcommunitydialogandpoliticaldebateInmanyinstancestheyhavebecomecentralcul-turalsurvivalinstitutionsasourcommunitiesdealwiththeimpactofcommercialmediasaturationandglobalization
Duringtheroundtablediscussionsthattookplaceaspartofthisscanitwasobviousthatthevalueofcom-munitymediatocommunitiestranscendsthemeasurableeffectsofcivicengagementandcommunitydevelopmentCommunitymediacanallowindividualsincommunitiestohaveprofoundexperiencesofactivelyexpressingthem-selvesthroughmediaForpeoplewhohaveseenthemselvesaspassivereceptorsatthebottomofacascadeofpackagedmediaexperiencesandmessagesactiverepresentationoftheirownlivesandcircumstanceshasatransformativeeffectthatgoesbeyondsimplephraseslikeldquocivicengage-mentrdquoThevalueofcommunitymediatoindividualsandthecommunitiestheyliveinisincalculable
hellipaffordablebroadbandandwirelessnetworkinfrastructurewithastrongcommunitybenefitsagreement
anationalsupportnetworkforexistingcommunitymediaorganizations
Appendix 1 Community media empowerment StrategieS
empoWerment Activity ApproAch infrAstructure or venue
AccessAccesstocommunicationsinfrastructureproductiontools
MakingavailablemediaproductiontoolscomputerstelevisionandradiodistributionInternetsoftwarecommunitycommunicationsinfrastructuremeetingspacewebservers
Democraticcitizenaccesstocommunicationstoolsanddisseminationinfrastructure
CablebroadbandmunicipaltelecomInternetWiFiWiMAXlocalandpublicservicebroadcasting
AlternativeContent CreationofvideoaudiofilmwebsitesInternet-basedcitizenmediaP2Pmediabloggingsocialnetworkingsoftwaredatabasesandprintproduction
Contentpositionedtocounterorsupplementmassmediacontentandinformationfrommainstreamsources
AllplatformswithanincreasingexpansionwithinIPNetworksandcross-platformproductionanddissemination
CompetencyLiteracyMedialiteracyinformationliteracydigitalliteracyandculturalliteracy
Mediaartsandaestheticeducationlearningtogainacivicvoiceinamediaculturearticulationofmediabiasesengaginginmediaandpoliticsunderstandingcommoditycultureparentinginamedia-saturatedhome
Interventioninthecomplexmanipulationofsymbolsandculture
Allmassmediaprintelectronic
CommunityBuilding Workforcetrainingandskillbuildingmicro-enterprisedevelopmentbusinessinfrastructuredevelopment
Communityorganizingparticipatoryplanningdemocraticeconomicdevelopmentworkforceandinfrastructuredevelopment
Localmediamunicipaltelecominfrastructurecomputerandtechnologyincubatorsandtechnologycenters
0
Itisdifficulttounderstandthefullscopeofcommu-nitymediaculturewithoutknowingofthefollowingorganizationswhichsupportcommunitymediaand
independentmediapracticesTheyplayanumberofrolesasnationalassociationsrepresentingnetworksofcommu-nitymediaorganizationsandmediaartsorganizationsasproducernetworksandstrategiccommunicationsplannerslinkingcommunityorganizationswithcommunitymediaorganizationsasorganizationsofcommunityactivistsandproducersworkingtomoreeffectivelysupportandusecommunitymediaandascollaboratorsandpartnersincommunitydevelopmenttrainingandeducation
ActiveVoicehttpwwwactivevoicenet
AllianceforCommunityMediahttpwwwalliancecmorg
AssociationforCommunityNetworking
httpwwwafcnorg
CommunityMediaWorkshophttpwwwnewstipsorg
CommunityTechnologyCentersrsquoNetwork
httpwwwctcnetorg
DeepDishTVhttpdeepdishtvorg
FreeSpeechTVhttpwwwfreespeechorg
IndependentTelevisionServicehttpwwwitvsorg
IndependentMediaCenterIndymedia
httpwwwindymediaorg
LatinoPublicBroadcastinghttpwwwlpbporg
LinkTVhttplinktvorg
LPFMDatabasecom
httpwwwangelfirecomnj2piratejimlpfmhtml
MediaTankhttpwwwmediatankorg
MediaWorkingGrouphttpwwwmwgorg
NationalAllianceforMediaArtsandCulture
httpwwwnamacorg
NationalAsianAmericanTelecommunicationsAssochttp
asianamericanmediaorgindexhtml
NativeAmericanPublicTelecommunications
httpasianamericanmediaorgindexhtml
NationalBlackProgrammingConsortium
httpwwwnbpctv
NationalFederationofCommunityBroadcasters
httpwwwnfcborg
NationalPublicRadiohttpwwwnpr
NationalPublicTelecomputingNetworkhttpwwwnptnorg
PaperTigerTelevisionhttpwwwpapertigerorg
PacificIslandersinCommunications
httpwwwpiccomorg
PewCenterforCivicJournalismhttpwwwpewcenterorg
PrometheusRadioProject
httpwwwprometheusradioorg
PublicBroadcastingServicehttpwwwpbsorg
PublicRadioExchangehttpwwwprxorg
ReclaimtheMediahttpwwwreclaimthemediaorg
StarfishTelevisionNetworkhttpwwwstarfishtvorg
WebsitesofUSPEGAccessChannels
httpwwwbevcamorgpeg
WorldAssociationofCommunityRadioBroadcasters
httpwwwamarcorg
Appendix 2 aggregatorS and aSSoCiationS
Appalshophttpwwwappalshoporg
BayAreaVideoCoalitionhttpwwwbavcorg
BeyondMediaEducationhttpwwwbeyondmediaorg
CambridgeCommunityTelevisionhttpwwwcctvcambridgeorg
CasaGuatemalaMediaProjecthttpwwwcasaguatemalaorg
CharlotteObserverhttpwwwcharlottecom
ChicagoAccessNetworkTelevisionhttpwwwcantvorg
GrandRapidsCommunityMediaCenterhttpgrcmcorg
GrandNethttpwwwgrcmcorgnposervicesitphp
GRTVhttpwwwgrcmcorgtv
ideastreamhttpwwwideastreamorg
IFPMinnesotaCenterforMediaArtshttpwwwifpnorthorgabouthtml
IntermediaArtshttpwwwintermediaartsorg
KartemquinFilmshttpwwwkartemquincom
KBOOhttpwwwkbooorg
KFAIhttpwwwkfaiorg
LowellTelecommunicationsCenterhttpltcorg
ManhattanNeighborhoodNetworkhttpmnnorg
MediaArtsProjecthttpwwwthemaporg
MetroGovernmentCommunityMediaInitiativehttpwwwmetro-regionorg
MetropolitanAustinInteractiveNetworkhttpwwwmainorg
MinneapolisTelevisionNetworkhttpwwwmtnorg
MinnesotaChannelhttpwwwtptorgmnchannelnew
MinnesotaPublicRadiohttpminnesotapublicradioorghttpminnesotapublicradioorgpublicinsightjournalism
MountainAreaInformationNetworkhttpmainncus
MtHoodCableRegulatoryCommissionhttpwwwmhcrcorg
NewAmericaMediahttpnewsnewamericamediaorgnews
NewRoutestoCommunityHealthhttpwwwnewroutesorg
NorthwestFilmandVideoCenterhttpwwwnwfilmorg
OneClevelandhttpwwwoneclevelandorg
OregonPublicBroadcastinghttpwwwopborg
PortlandCommunityMediahttpwwwpcmtvorg
RadioArtehttpwwwwrteorg
SaintPaulNeighborhoodNetworkhttpwwwspnnorg
ScribeVideoCenterhttpwwwscribeorg
SoundPartnersforCommunityHealthhttpwwwsoundpartnersorg
StreetLevelYouthMediahttpwwwstreet-levelorg
TwinCitiesDailyPlanethttpwwwtcdailyplanetnet
TwinCitiesMediaAlliancehttpwwwtcmediaallianceorg
TwinCitiesPublicTelevisionhttpwwwtptorg
URTVhttpwwwurtvorg
WalkerArtCenterhttpwwwwalkerartorgindexwac
WCIW-LPhttppacificanetworkorgradiocontentview17542httpwwwciw-onlineorg
WGBHhttpwwwwgbhorg
WHYYhttpwhyyorg
WPVMhttpwwwwpvmorg
WYBEhttpwwwwybeorg
WYCEhttpwwwgrcmcorgradio
YouthChannelhttpwwwyouthchannelorg
Appendix 3 Community media praCtitionerSWebsitesofthosepractitionersmentionedinthetext
AndersonRachelBenton Digital Beat Extra Noncommercial Networks on DBSWashingtonDCBentonFoundation2000
AufderheidePatricialdquoCableAccessTVandthePublicSphererdquoinThe Daily Planet A Critic on the Capitalist Culture BeatMinneapolisandLondonUniversityofMinnesotaPress2000a
AufderheidePatriciaIn The Battle for Reality Social Documentaries in the USWashingtonDCAmericanUniversityCenterforSocialMedia2003
AufderheidePatricialdquoTheWhatandHowofPublicBroadcastingrdquoinThe Daily Planet A Critic on the Capitalist Culture BeatMinneapolisandLondonUniversityofMinnesotaPress2000b
AynteAbdirahmanldquoSomaliWebsitesACompetitiveAlternativeMediaandaFarcetoReckonWithrdquoHiiraan Onlinehttpwwwhiiraancomnews2006aprsomali_websitesaspx
AzzouzBushraTomChamberlinandMarleneFarnumThe Community Media Project Building Community through Media(Aproposedmodelforafive-yearinitiativetoproducelocaltelevisionprogrammingthatbroadensthedialogueonissuesimportanttotheOregoncommunityandcreatesastrongsenseofplace)PortlandORMetroDecember2000
BarlowWilliamldquoCommunityRadiointheUSTheStruggleForADemocraticMediumrdquoinMedia Culture and SocietyVol10(1988)
BenklerYochaiThe Wealth of Networks How Social Production Transforms Markets and FreedomNewHavenYaleUniversityPress2006
BentonFoundationDigital Alliances Partners in Public
Service Models for CollaborationUniversityParkPAThePennsylvaniaStateUniversity2002
BlauAndrewDeep Focus A Report on the Future of Independent MediaSanFranciscoNationalAllianceforMediaArtsandCulture2004
BowmanShayneandChrisWillisWe Media How Audiences Are Shaping the Future of News and InformationEditedbyJDLasicaRestonVATheMediaCenteratTheAmericanPressInstitute2003httpwwwhypergenenetwemediadownloadwe_mediapdf
BurnettRonldquoFromCommunityMediatoInternationalNetworksrdquoCritical Approaches to Culture + Communications + HypermediaNovember182005httpwwweciadca~rburnettWeblogarchives200511from_communityhtml
CanoAndrealdquoMicroradioAToolforCommunityEmpowermentrdquoinPublic Broadcasting and the Public InterestEditedbyMichaelPMcCauleyEricEPetersonBLeeArtzandDeeDeeHalleckLondonMESharpe2003
CarnegieCommissiononEducationalTelevisionPublic Television A Program for ActionNewYorkBantam1967
CastellsManuelThe Rise of the Network Society The Information Age Economy Society and CultureVolumes12amp3MaldenMABlackwellPublishersInc2005
ChesterJeffBeyond Broadcast Expanding Public Media in the Digital AgeWashingtonDCCenterforDigitalDemocracyFebruary2006httpwwwdemocraticmediaorgBBBBfrontphp
ChristensenPaulNanMcIntyreandLynnPikholzldquoBridgingCommunityandEconomicDevelopmentAStrategyforUsingIndustryClusterstoLinkNeighborhoodsandtheRegionalEconomyrdquo(reportfundedbytheFordFoundation)ClevelandShorebankEnterpriseGroup2005
ldquoCitizenJournalismrdquoissueofNieman ReportsCambridgeMATheNiemanFoundationforJournalismatHarvardUniversityVol59No4Winter2005eMprintNewsbookhttpwwwniemanharvardedureports05-4NRwinterNR05W_Citizen_Journalismpdf
City PagesldquoBestPublicAccessCableTVProgramSomaliTVrdquoBestoftheTwinCities2004MNApril282004httpcitypagescombestof2004artsandentertainmentbestof2379asp
bibliogrAphy
CruzRossanaReguilloldquoTheOracleintheCityBeliefsPracticesandSymbolicGeographiesrdquoinGlobal Cities of the South (Social Text)EditedbyAshleyDawsonandBrentHayesEdwardsTranslatedbyBrentHayesEdwardsandNoraNicoliniDurhamNCDukeUniversityPress81(Volume22Number4)Winter2004
DeLasCasasLucywithSimonBurallJohnMorrisonDavidKaleteandJagadanandaldquoGlobalMediaReformandAccountabilityReportfromtheNationalMediaReformConferencerdquoStLouis2005httpwwwoneworldtrustorgpagesdownloadcfmdid=281
DevineRobertHldquoVideoAccessandAgencyrdquoConferencepresentationTheNationalFederationofLocalCableProgrammersStPaulMNJuly171992
DirlinMartyandCathyMelioldquoTheGrassrootsRadioMovementintheUnitedStatesrdquoinPublic Broadcasting and the Public InterestEditedbyMichaelPMcCauleyEricEPetersonBLeeArtzandDeeDeeHalleckLondonMESharpe2003
DowningJohnDHwithTamaraVillarealFordGeneveGilandLauraSteinRadical Media Rebellious Communication and Social MovementsThousandOaksCASagePublications2001
EgerJohnldquoCreativeClustersandtheUrbanEconomyrdquoGovernment and Technology(February62006)httpwwwgovtechnetnewsnewsphpid=98345
EgerJohnMThe Creative Community Forging The Links Between Art Culture Commerce amp CommunityTheCaliforniaInstituteforSmartCommunitiesSanDiegoStateUniversity2005httpwwwsmartcommunitiesorgcreativeCreativeCommBroFINALpdf
EngelmanRalphPublic Radio and Television in America A Political HistoryThousandOaksCASagePublications1996
GillespieGilbertPublic Access Television in the United States and CanadaNewYorkPraegerPublishers1975
GillmorDanWe the Media Grassroots Journalism by the People for the PeopleSebastopolCAOrsquoReillyMediaInc2006
GrahamStephenandSimonMarvinTelecommunications and the City Electronic Spaces Urban PlacesLondonandNewYorkRoutledge1996
HalleckDeeDeeHand-Held Visions The Impossible Possibilities of Community MediaNewYorkFordhamUniversityPress2002
HigginsJohnWldquoAlternativeMediaandtheCultofIndividualismExperiencesfromUSPublicAccessTVrdquoPaperpresentedattheldquoOurMediardquopre-conferenceoftheInternationalAssociationforMediaandCommunicationResearchCommunityCommunicationSectionBarcelonaSpainJuly202002httpwwwourmedianetorgpapersom2002Higginsom2002pdf
HowleyKevinCommunity Media People Places and Communication TechnologiesCambridgeCambridgeUniversityPress2005
HoynesWilliamldquoThePBSBrandandtheMerchandisingofthePublicServicerdquoinPublic Broadcasting and the Public InterestEditedbyMichaelPMcCauleyEricEPetersonBLeeArtzandDeeDeeHalleckLondonMESharpe2003
JankowskiNicholasWldquoCommunityMediaResearchAQuestforTheoreticallyGroundedModelsrdquoThePublicVol1015(2003)httpmokkbmehucentreconferencesreactivismFPfpNJ
JankowskiNicholasWandOlePrehnedsCommunity Media in the Information Age Perspectives and ProspectsCresskillNJHamptonPress2002
LashScottThe Critique of InformationLondonSagePublications2002
ListerMartinJonDoveySethGiddingsIainGrantandKieranKellyNew Media A critical IntroductionLondonandNewYorkRoutledge2003
LloydMarkldquoRadioandLocalismWhatWhenWrongrdquoinContext(publishedbytheCenterforCommunicationsandCommunityUCLA)IssueNo4(WinterSpring2006)
MacintyreBenldquoWelcometotheNewTomPainesrdquoTimesOnlineNovember132004httpwwwtimesonlinecouktolcommentarticle390484ece
MaherVincentTowards a Critical Media Studies Approach to the BlogosphereNewMediaLabPublicationSchoolofJournalismandMediaStudiesRhodesUniversitySouthAfrica2006
MetroCommunity Media Project Evaluation Report PortlandORMetroJuly2004
MostStephenldquoBAVCandTheBigPicturerdquoinA Closer Look Media Arts 2002EditedbyHelenDeMichielSanFranciscoNationalAllianceforMediaArtsandCulture2002
NewAmericaMedialdquoEthnicMediainAmericaTheGiantHiddeninPlainSightrdquoPollconductedbyBendixenampAssociates2005httpnewsnewamericamediaorgnewsview_articlehtmlarticle_id=0443821787ac0210cbecebe8b1f576a3
OlsonBillThe History of Public Access Television2000httpwwwgeocitiescomiconostarhistory-public-access-TVhtml200415
PewCenterforCivicJournalismldquoDoingCivicJournalismrdquo2007httpwwwpewcenterorgdoingcj
PierceSteveldquoDBSandthePublicInterestOpportunityinSatelliteTelevisionrdquoinPublic Broadcasting and the Public InterestEditedbyMichaelPMcCauleyEricEPetersonBLeeArtzandDeeDeeHalleckLondonMESharpe2003
PhilipsSusanldquoTrueCommunityTowardaCollaborativeEthosScribersquoslsquoTrueCommunityVisionrsquordquoinA Closer Look Media Arts 2002EditedbyHelenDeMichielSanFranciscoNationalAllianceforMediaArtsandCulture2002
PorterMichaelEldquoLocationCompetitionandEconomicDevelopmentLocalClustersinaGlobalEconomyrdquoEconomic Development Quarterly14no1(February2000)15-34
ProjectforExcellenceinJournalismldquoMajorTrendsrdquoinState of the News Media 2006 An Annual Report on American Journalismhttpwwwstateofthenewsmediaorg2006nar-rative_overview_eightaspcat=2ampmedia=1
PrometheusRadioProjectldquoOurFifthBarnraisingmdashWCIW-LPinImmokaleeFloridardquohttpprometheusradioorgcontentview48952006
RennieEllieCommunity Media A Global IntroductionLanhamMDRowmanandLittlefieldPublishers2006
RodriguezClemenciaFissures in the Mediascape An International Study of Citizenrsquos MediaCresskillNJHamptonPress2001
SchafferJanldquoCitizensMediaHasItReachedaTippingPointrdquoinldquoCitizenJournalismrdquoissueofNieman Reports CambridgeMATheNiemanFoundationforJournalismatHarvardUniversityVol59No4Winter2005aeMprintNewsbookhttpwwwniemanharvardedureports05-4NRwinterNR05W_Citizen_Journalismpdf
SchafferJanInterviewonThe NewsHour With Jim Lehrer PBSEveningNewsNovember162005b
SchulerDouglasldquoTheRiseofCommunityNetworksrdquoInternet WorldDecember1995
SchulerDougandPeterDayShaping the Network Society The New Role of Civil Society in CyberspaceCambridgeandLondonMITPress2004
ShirkyClayPower Laws Weblogs and Inequality EconomicsampCultureMediaampCommunityBlog2005OpenSourcehttpshirkycomwritingspowerlaw_webloghtml
ShirkyClaySocial Software and the Politics of GroupsEconomicsampCultureMediaampCommunityBlog2005OpenSourcehttpshirkycomwritingsgroup_politicshtml
Somerset-WardRichardBroadband Community Networks Building the Digital CommonsAreportfortheHaasCharitableTrustsPhiladelphia2005
Somerset-WardRichardConnecting Communities WashingtonDCBentonFoundation2000
Spannerworkse-bookWhat is Social MediaJanuary2007httpwwwspannerworkscomebooks
StarrJeroldMldquoPublicTelevisionintheDigitalAgeTownHallorCyberMallrdquoinPublic Broadcasting and the Public InterestEditedbyMichaelPMcCauleyEricEPetersonBLeeArtzandDeeDeeHalleckLondonMESharpe2003
SteinLauraldquoPublicAccessTelevisionandGrassrootsCommunicationintheUnitedStatesrdquoChapter20inRadical Media Rebellious Communication and Social MovmentsEditedbyJohnDowningThousandOaksCASagePublications2001
SussmanGeraldandJREstesldquoCommunityRadioinCommunityDevelopmentPortlandrsquosKBOORadiordquoinThe Portland Edge Challenges and Successes in Growing CommunitiesEditedbyConniePOzawaPortlandStateUniversityIslandPress2004
WhitneyJenniferldquoMakeMediaMakeRealTroubleWhatrsquosWrong(andRight)withIndymediardquoLiPMagazineJune212005httpwwwlipmagazine
orgarticlesfeatwhitney_indymedia_phtml
ldquoThe boldest experiments in public telecommunica-tions take place when technologies are new and their commercial potential not yet fully apparentrdquo mdash Ralph Engelman 1996
Acrosstheirmanyplatformsandmanycommunitiescommunitymediahavebecomecentralculturalinstitutionsinthecivicculturalandeconomiclife
ofourcommunitiesprovidinginvaluablemediaprogram-mingaccessandeducationTheycaninsuchinstancesenablecommunitiestodevelopinformedcitizensartistsandactivistswhopossesstheskillsandknowledgeneededtograpplewithcomplexmedialiteracyanddevelopmentissuesatthelocallevel
Fordecadescommunitymediaorganizationshaveaddressedtheurgentneedtocreatelocalinstitutionsthatfacilitatecitizenaccesstomedianetworksandeffectiveparticipationinmediacultureforbothcitizensandwork-ersTheyareprovingthemselvesvitaltothepoliticalandeconomiclifeoftheircommunitiesTheyplaymultiplerolessimultaneouslyascriticalculturalenhancementstothequalityofciviclifeasemployersandaseducationalsitesforworkforcedevelopment
difficultyNeworganizationalformsandnewmediaformatslikestreamingarchivingpodcastingandbloggingarebecomingthenormpartofldquoblendedrdquoproductionanddis-seminationpracticesincommunitymedia
neW communicAtion spAces cyberjournAlismTheincreaseinInternetbandwidthandtheavailabilityofonlinesocialnetworkingsoftwarehavequalitativelychangedtherelationshipofjournaliststotheiraudiencesNewwebdestinationslikeMySpaceShutterflyFriendsterFlikrEviteandGooglearedevelopingvirtualcommuni-tiesforsharingvideoattractingyoungeraudiencesandmakingcontentmorethanpassiveandone-directionalSocialnetworkingsoftwareenablespeopletorendezvousconnectorcollaboratethroughcomputer-mediatedcom-municationandformonlinecommunities(Spannerworks2007)PopularsocialnetworksoftwareapplicationslikeweblogsorblogsseemparticularlywellsuitedtoparticipatorycitizenjournalismallowingeasypublishingofinteractivetextphotoaudioandvideocontentTheneweasewithwhichvideoclipscanbepreparedforuseonthewebhasbroughtontheriseofldquovlogsrdquoandsitesthatfacilitatethesharingofvideoclipsandaccompanyingcontentAnenormousrangeofblogsandcyberjournalisticsiteshavesprungupontheWorldWideWebinthepastfiveyearswithanequallywiderangeofeditorialstandardsandpracticesTechnoraticomcurrentlytracksseventeenmillionblogssharingoneandahalfmillionhyperlinks(Rennie2006)APewCenterInternetstudyestimatesthatthenumberofregularblogreadersintheUnitedStatesisequivalenttoalmosthalftheentireradioaudiencewhichisaboutaquarteroftheUSnewspaperreadership(Rennie2006)
Combinedwithaffordablenewdigitalmediaproduc-tioncamerasandrecorderstheseweb-baseddisseminationtoolsmakeitpossibleforcitizensandconsumerstoparticipateactivelyinnewsgatheringNonprofessionalshavebeguntoplayamoreactiveroleintheprocessesofjournalismfromcollectinginformationandreportingtoanalysisanddisseminationJanSchafferwhodirectsJ-LabaUniversityofMarylandincubatorforinteractivejournalismprojectsexplainsthatmanypeoplearebecom-ingmoreactivecitizensthroughjournalisticactivitybutdonotnecessarilyaspiretobejournalistsThenewtechnical
envisioning the future of community mediA
Communitymediaorganizationsareprovingthemselvesvitaltothepoliticalandeconomiclifeoftheircommunities
Communitymediaarealsocontributingimportantvaluespracticesandorganizationalmethodologiestotheemergingcollaborativemediaenvironmentsoftheblogo-sphereWecanlooktothesecontributionsastechnologicalandorganizationalopportunitiesforstrengtheningandexpandingcommunitymediapracticeWiththeInternetamediacultureisemergingthatismoreconsistentwiththenoncommercialpracticesofcommunitymediaproductioncollaborationanddemocraticparticipationinmediamak-inganddistributionConsequentlymanycommunitymediaorganizationsareintegratingthecapacitiesoftheInternetandnewmediaintotheirpracticeswithoutmuchfanfareor
0
capacityforcommunicationsheobservesallowspeopletoldquoparticipateinnewsandinformationinvariouswaysmdashparticipateininteractingwithitquestioningittruth-squadingitandcreatingitAndnowthattheyhavethetechtoolsandthetechskillstodothattheappetitehasonlyincreasedrdquo(Schaffer2005b)
SuchconditionshavesetthestageforintensepopularinterestinwhathasbeenbrandedldquowemediardquoorldquoparticipatoryjournalismrdquoTodaynumerousonlinejournalisticexperimentsbringtogetherprofessionaljour-nalistswithcitizenmediaactivistsandthoseinvolvedineventsMoreandmoretheearliestimagesandinformationregardingbreakingnewsarecomingfromnon-journalistspresentatthemomentoftheeventAsaresultjournalistsarebeginningtoconceptualizethemselvesnotsomuchasgatekeepersofnewsbutasmoderatorsinaconversationwithlicenseandtimetospeakfrequentlyandhopefullyaccurately(BowmanandWillis2003)
Thiskindofcommunity-centeredcoveragemayentailthere-balancingofeditorialpoliciesndashcommittingtodiversityembracingegalitarianvaluesandreassessingthevalueofeditorialneutralityItputsintoquestiontheroleandsignificanceofofteninnovativeldquopersonalmediardquoexemplifiedbythemillionsofbloggingsitesontheWebIsthiskindofldquonewsrdquoservingapubliccivicpurposeofcommunityproblemsolvingorindividualprivateexpres-sionInaWashington PostopinionpieceonDecember212006GeorgeKWillvoicedskepticismoftheseriousnessofmuchofthewebrsquosamateurjournalisminresponsetoTimemagazinersquosnamingallofusPersonoftheYear
Itisdifficulttopredictthefutureofcyberjournal-ismandbloggingpreciselyintheseearlystagesbutthreeoutcomesseemlikelyFirstbloggingwillcontinueitsrapidintegrationintomainstreammediacontentSecondblog-gingandotherformsofsocialnetworkingsoftwarewillgiverisetonewmediaentitiesthatwillchallengemainstreammedialocallynationallyandglobally
ThethirdoutcomeistheonemostrelevanttoacommunitymediascanCyberjournalismandparticipatory
citizenjournalismseemparticularlywellsuitedtoaddressthecurrentUSmassmediarsquosdifficultyinprovidingcoverageoflocaleventsinsmallercommunitiessuburbanregionsandcommutercommunitiesthataredevelopingoutsideformalpoliticaljurisdictionsCommunity-basedonlinejournalismsiteshavesprungupinhundredsofcom-munitiesaroundtheUnitedStatesTheyaremanagedandorganizedinwidelydivergentways
AnexperimentincyberjournalismandcommunitynetworkingtheTwin Cities Daily PlanetaggregatessomeofthebestjournalismfromMinnesotarsquosTwinCitiesneighborhoodandcommunitypressandindependentjour-nalistsaswellasthevoicesofengagedcitizenspresentingthemtothepublicthroughaninteractivewebsiteandcommunitydatabaseByaggregatingcitizenandneighbor-hoodjournalisminonesiteitincreasesthecapacityofsmallneighborhoodmediatoreachbeyondtheirborderstoawiderregionalaudienceUsingRealSimpleSyndication(RSS)softwaretheTC Daily Planetcanpotentiallyreachaglobalaudience
AprojectoftheTwinCitiesMediaAlliancetheTC Daily PlanetisaverynewformofcommunitymediaemergingfromtherestructuringofthenewspaperindustryandtheuseofbloggingandsocialnetworkingsoftwareAlthoughearlyinitsdevelopmenttheTC Daily Planetisgivingvoicetoanincreasingnumberofethnicimmi-grantandnon-mainstreamjournalistswhilefocusingthecommunityrsquosattentiononafargreaterrangeofpublicationsandideas
TheearliestexpressionsofcyberjournalismaretheIndependent Media Centers (IMCs)orIndymediaIndymediacameintobeingaspartoftheprotestsanddemonstrationsaroundtheWorldTradeOrganizationtalksheldinSeattleWashingtonin1999ThisfirstIMCwasaconvergenceoftheemerginginteractivityoftheInternetwiththeintenseneedofprotesterstogetindependentinformationouttotheworldabouttheprotestsAnetworkofindependentcommunitymediamakersactivistsandjournalistsbandedtogethertopoolresourcesandinforma-tion(Howley2005)
TheIMCsforeshadowedthebloggingandvideodis-tributionthatwasshortlytoemergebyusingtheInternetandtheWorldWideWebinconjunctionwithvideoandaudiodistributiontocreateatrulyunprecedentedmulti-mediaenvironmentIntermsofbothqualityandquantitytheSeattleIMCwasanimpressiveperformancebyanynewsandcurrentaffairsstandardsOverthecourseofthefive-dayprotestsadailynewspaperanddailyradioprogramwerecreatedandcountlessprintstoriesweredisseminated
Journalistsarebeginningtoconceptualizethemselvesnotsomuchasgatekeepersofnewsbutasmoderatorsinaconversation
globallyalsovideofeedsweresentthroughtheInternettopublicaccessandcommunitychannelsaroundtheworldSixyearsaftertheSeattleproteststherewere149Indymediawebsitesinabout45countriesonsixcontinents(Whitney2005)
TheopenformofcommunicationpracticedbymostIMCsiteshasnotbeenwithoutproblemsandcontra-dictionsManysitesarenowclutteredwithideologicaldiatribesanduneditedcontent(Halleck2002Whitney2005)ButthereareanumberofIndymediasitesthatprovidealternativenewsandinformationregardingaglobalscopeofconcernsthatwouldbeverydifficulttoobtainanywhereelseinthemediaAnumberofsitesinplacessuchasNewYorkCityPortlandOregonandtheSanFranciscoBayareahaveestablishedthemselvesasstablepartsoftheircommunityrsquosmediaculture
companiesspecializedsuppliersserviceprovidersandassociatedinstitutionsinaparticularfieldthatarepresentinanationorregionrdquo(Porter2000)Thecompaniesinanindustryclusterhaveacomplexwebofmutuallysupportingrelationshipsthatencompassbothcompetitiveandcollab-orativerelationshipsTheylinkacrossprofitandnonprofitpracticesutilizecommoninfrastructuremakecommoncontributionstothedevelopmentofahighlyskilledwork-forcesharefundingandinsomecasestalentedstaff
Increasinglycommunitydevelopmentpractitionersandanalystsarecomingtounderstandindustryclustersaspowerfulstrategiesforbotheconomicandcommunitydevelopmentinthetwenty-firstcenturyThisisprovingdoublytruefornonprofitcommunitymediaorganizationswhoseroleitistobringpowerfultoolsandknowledgetoanycommunityrsquosdeliberationsaroundcommunityandeco-nomicdevelopmentBroadbandandwirelessnetworksareprovidingthepracticalmeansoflinkingcommunitymediaorganizationswithincommunitiesofferingakeystrategicadvantagebyenhancingtheeffectivenessofcollaborationandpartnershipbuilding
AstheexamplesinthepreviouschaptershowcommunitymediaorganizationsaretakingonnewrolesincludingcombiningproductionandtrainingtakingonworkforcedevelopmentfunctionsandbecomingtechnologycentersfordiffusionofnewmediaBeyondtheseexampleslongstandingsuccessfulcommunitymediaorganiza-tionsaremergingasnetworkclusterslinkingdifferentgroupsandorganizationswithincommunitiestocreateentirelynewcommunitymediaorganizationsorblurringtheboundariesbetweentheirorganizationsOthersarebringinghistoricallyseparatecommunitymediagroupswithinoneorganizationalstructureorunderonerooftosharebuildingsandcommunicationsinfrastructuresinacost-effectivemanner
TheorganizationsthatemergefromthisintegrationmaybesimilarinfunctionthoughtheirnamesremaindifferentAcommunity-basedsiteforcitizenmediaandcyberjournalismforexampleandacommunitynetworklikeMAINinAshevilleNorthCarolinaoracutting-edgecableaccesscenterlikeGrandRapidsCommunityTelevisionbegintolookverymuchalikeintermsof
Increasinglycommunitymediadevelopmentishappeningthroughnetworksoflocalnonprofitmediaorganizationsratherthanwithinsingleorganizations
neW orgAnizAtionAl spAces netWorked clusters Perhapsthemostpromisingtrendonthehorizonforcom-munitymediaistheemergenceofnewhighlyintegratedorganizationalstructuresandcollaborativeprocessesIncreasinglycommunitymediadevelopmentishappeningthroughnetworksoflocalnonprofitmediaorganizationsratherthanwithinsingleorganizations
Inmanywaysthesereorganizationsatthecom-munitylevelparalleltherestructuringtakingplaceintheprivatecorporatesectorTherecommunicationsnetworksarebeingusedtosupportcomplexpartnershipsandjointcompanyprojectdevelopmentinteractivenetworkseasetheaggregationoflargeorstrategiccapitalandemployeeskillsetsacrossgeographicandorganizationalboundariesforthepurposesofinnovationandmarketdevelopmentInthelanguageofcommunityandeconomicdevelop-mentthesecomplexpartnershipsareknownasldquocreativeclustersrdquoorldquoindustryclustersrdquoMichaelPorteraleadingtheoristandproponentoftheconceptofclustersdefinesthemasldquogeographicconcentrationsofinterconnected
Successfulcommunitymediaorganizationsaremergingasnetworkclusters
technologyprogrammingactivitiesandtheexperienceofcommunityaudiencesvolunteersandparticipantsEachorganizationreliesonnoncommercialaffordablebandwidtheachplayssomeroleinadvocatingforsupportivegovern-mentpoliciesandeachisexperimentingwiththepotentialofnewcollaborativemediatoolsOftencommittedtoengagingandtrainingvolunteersandcommunitymembersinsomemannertheymayoffertrainingandvolunteerpro-gramsthatrequiresimilarsharableonlinetutorialsandonlineoutreachandschedulemanagementtools
TheexamplesthatfollowdemonstratethewayscommunitymediacreativeclustersaremakinguniquecontributionstotheircommunitiesrsquoqualityoflifeandeconomicwellbeingTheyaredoingsointhreeimportantwaysbullfirstbyamplifyingtherolethatartsandculturalgroups
playinenhancingthequalityoflifeandattractingatalentedworkforceandcapitaltothecommunitymdasharolethatisgaininginsignificanceinthetwenty-firstcentury
bullsecondascontributorstocoreeconomicdevelopmentfunctionsinthecommunityincludingworkforcedevelop-mentandtrainingasmicro-enterpriseincubatorsandascreatorsofnewknowledgeandeducationalexperiencesand
bullthirdasfacilitatorsandcatalystsofcommunitydialoguecommittedtoembracingmarginalizedvoicesandallow-ingthecommunitytoundertakeitsowndevelopmentdemocratically
Lowell MassachusettsLowell Telecommunications Center(LTC)isapublicandgovernmentaccesschannelandmediaandtechnologycen-terItprovideseducationandtraininginmediacreationincludingwebdesigndigitalphotographyandtelevisionproductionLTCworksincollaborationwithotherlocalcommunity-basedorganizationsmunicipaldepartmentsandeducationalentitiestoproducediversemulticulturalprogrammingthatmeetsthecommunityrsquoscommunica-tionandinformationneedsLTChasbecomeaconvening
organizationforbuildingcapacityamongLowellrsquosnonprofitcommunity-basedorganizationsintheiruseofparticipatorymediaandcivicengagementstrategies
LTCismorefocusedthanothercommunitymediaorganizationsoncommunitybuildingandcommunicationtechnologyThecorporationisworkingtobuildanetworkforparticipatorymediaandcivicengagementthroughouttheMerrimacRiverValleyThroughaUSDepartmentofEducationgrantLTCacquiredfundingandstafftohelpitspartnerorganizationsbecomeInternet-capableassesstheirinformationtechnologyneedsacquiretechnologyupgradestoaddressthoseneedsandundertakethetrainingtousethetechnologyeffectively
RatherthanwaitingforgroupstocometoitscenterLTCcreatedacircuitridertrainingprogramthattookthetrainingprogramintothecommunityThroughLTCrsquosinformationtechnologycenterscoresofcommunitygroupshavereceivedtrainingdesignedandcreatedwebsitesanddevelopedstrategiccommunicationsplansforthefutureThosedevelopmentsincludeweb-basedhistoricalarchivesGISmappingsystemsmultimediamaterialsandInternetvideoTohelporganizationsacquirethesoftwaretheyneedtocarryouttheirmissionsLTCcreatedtheCommunitySoftwareLabwhichdevelopsuniquesoftwaretofittheneedsofareanonprofitsThelabhasbeenspunofftocreateaseparatenonprofitentityjoiningthegrowingnumberofindependentorganizationsthatnetworkthroughLTC
ThemostrecentLTCinitiativeisldquoDigitalBicyclerdquoapeer-to-peernetworkthatallowsmediacentersworldwidetodownloadandsharelocalcontentLTCstaffenvisionDigitalBicycleasanonlinecommunityforcableaccessmediaartsindependentmediaandothernoncommercialmedia
Grand Rapids MichiganldquoBuildingcommunitythroughmediardquoThissimplemissionstatementguidedtheGrand Rapids Community Media Center(GRCMC)asitevolvedfromatypicalcableaccessoperationtobecomeabroad-basedmultimediacenterandamodelforthedevelopmentofcommunitymultimediacentersintheUnitedStatesOverthepasttwentyyears
Communitymediacreativeclustersaremakinguniquecon-tributionstotheircommunitiesrsquoqualityoflifeandeconomicwellbeing
LTCisworkingtobuildanetworkforparticipatorymediaandcivicengagementthroughouttheMerrimacRiverValley
GRCMChaspulledthediversecommunitymediaactivitiesofGrandRapidsunderoneorganizationalumbrellaandtakentheleadinarticulatingthepotentialforaggregatingnoncommercialnetworkedcommunicationsthere
Theevolvingnetworkofmediaplatformsdis-ciplinesandculturalgroupsthatconvergetobecomeGRCMCnowincludesthefollowingcentersofpracticeGRTVacommunitytelevisioncenterthatprogramsmultiplecableaccesschannelsWYCEacommunityradiostationGrandnetacommunitytechnologyandnetworkcenterthatprovidescitizenandnonprofitaccesstotheInternetandtheGrandRapidsInstituteforInformationDemocracyacriticalmediaeducationandresearchcenterthattracksmediaandlocalpublicinterestissuesandpub-lishesinformationonmediaaccountabilityandreform
ButtheGrandRapidsCommunityMediaCenterismorethanthesumofitspartsThecomponentsofthecenterworktogetherinamutuallyreinforcingwholethatcreatesapowerfulcommunitymediapresenceinGrandRapidsandallowsthecentertoundertakefarmoreambitiousprojectsandprogrammingthanwouldbethecaseseparatelyOneexcellentexampleistheMobileOn-LineLearningLabforInformationEducationKnownasMOLLIEtheprogramprovidesskilledtrainersanddigitalvideoproductionequipmenttoschoolsandcommunityorganizationsforspecialprojectsOriginallyfundedbyafederalDepartmentofEducationgrantMOLLIEfillsintechnologygapsinGrandRapidseducationalinstitutionsandnonprofitsInthehandsofalessintegratedinstitutiontheMOLLIEprojectcouldeasilybeatechnicallyorientedequipmentloanandtrainingprogramInthehandsofthecenterMOLLIEhasbecomeasophisticatedmediaandtechnologyeducationalinitiativeprovidingatrainingprogramthataddressesmediaeducationfromtheperspec-tiveofallthecomponentsoftheGrandRapidsCommunityMediaCenter
Asheville North CarolinaOneofthemostarticulateeffortsmergingthecreativeclustersideawithparticipatorycommunicationhascomeaboutinAshevilleNorthCarolinaThroughapersistent
collaborationbetweenforwardlookingregionalgroupsandorganizationsndashinvolvingabroadnetworkofindi-vidualscommunitymediaandmediaartsgroupsintheAshevilleregionndashAshevillehaslaidthefoundationforacommunitymediadevelopmentcenterthatwillfunctionasacableaccesscentermediaartscenterandnewmediamicro-enterpriseincubatorAtthecenterofthiseffortisaninformalcoalitionoffourimportantgroupsinAshevilleMountainAreaInformationNetworkMediaArtsProjectBoncombeCountyEconomicDevelopmentCommissionandURTVThegroupsrepresentdistinctpointsofviewandconcernsaswellasconverginginterests
Eachgroupsharedtheinsightthatcivicparticipa-tionandeconomicsuccessinthetwenty-firstcenturyaredirectlyrelatedtohavingaccesstocommunicationstechnologyandknowledgeEachalsounderstoodthattherenegotiationofthecablefranchisesintheCityofAshevilleandsurroundingBoncombeCountywasastrategicmomenttocatalyzeandassociateanumberofcommunity-basedinformationandmediaartsactivitiesalreadyinplaceorplannedinAshevilleThegroupsusedthecablefranchisingprocesstocreateacommonorganizationalandfacilitiesinfrastructuresupportingtheuseofmediaforbothcivicandeconomicdevelopment
The Media Arts Project(MAP)isanetworkofmediaartiststhatcultivatesinnovativeartsandtechnol-ogyinwesternNorthCarolinaMAPworkedtirelesslytoframecableaccessasacommunitydevelopmentissuebridgingthemediaactivistcommunitiesandthemoreforward-thinkingfactionsamongeconomicdevelopmentprofessionalsintheregionWiththerecentopeningofURTV IncAshvillersquoscableaccessorganizationandfacilityMAPanditsnetworkofpartnersarenowturningtheirattentiontofundingthemediaartsandeconomicincubatorelementsofthevision
AshevillersquosinterestinsupportingcommunitymediaarisesfromthepresenceoftheMountain Area Information Network(MAIN)Inthetraditionoftheruralcooperativesthathelpedspreadthereachofelectricityinthe1930sMAINisanonprofitInternetserviceproviderofferingreliablelow-costInternetservicebothinwesternNorthCarolinaandnationwideItisauniquecommunitynetworkwithabroadvisionofitsroleinthecommunitythatencompassesmedialiteracyeconomicdevelopmentstrategiescommunitylow-powerradioacommunity-basedwebportalandtheprovisionofInternetconnectivitytoruralwesternNorthCarolinaMAINislargelyresponsiblefortheremarkableexpansionofInternetaccessibilityinwesternNorthCarolinaallowingthousandsofpeopleto
GRCMChaspulledthediversecommunitymediaactivitiesofGrandRapidsunderoneorganizationalumbrella
spendtheirInternetaccessdollarswithalocallycontrolledandaccountableorganizationMAINdemonstratesthevalueofthecommunitynetworkingconcepttoareasthatarelagginginconnectivityduetofailuresofthemarket
MAINhastakenaleadershiproleinbuildingacommunitymediacultureinAshevillethatdemonstratestheeasewithwhichdigitalmedialeapsorganizationalboundariesItscommunitynetworkrunstheBlueRidgeWebMarketwhichprovidesafreecustomizableInternetpresencetohundredsofsmallbusinessesthroughoutwesternNorthCarolinaItsLatinoDigitalLiteracyProjectofferstrainingtohelpthearearsquosgrowingLatinopopula-tionsaccesstheInternetMAINhasbeenoneofthekeypartnersinbringingacableaccesscentertoAshevilleandhasbeenthedrivingforcebehindWPVMWNCrsquoslow-powerFMradiostationbroadcastinglocalnewsviewsandmusicover-the-airintheAshevilleregion(andtheworldviawebcast)
Cleveland OhioPerhapsthemostrobustcommunity-basednonprofitnetworkintheUnitedStatesOne ClevelandprovideswhatitcallsldquoultrabroadbandnetworkingservicesrdquotoClevelandareaeducationgovernmentresearchartscultureandhealthcareorganizationsOneClevelandoperatesafibernetworkringthatcoversmuchofthecityofClevelandandmanyofitssurroundingsuburbsSubscriberstothenetworkconnectatgigabitspeeds
OneClevelandrepresentswhatcanhappenwhenpowerfulcommunitydevelopmentforcescometoaconsensusregardingtheircommunityrsquosneedforhigh-speedconnectivitytoglobaleconomiesandmediaItsfoundersareClevelandmainstreaminstitutionsCaseWesternReserveUniversityCuyahogaCommunityCollegeClevelandStateUniversityTheCityofClevelandGreaterClevelandRegionalTransitAuthorityideastreamCuyahogaCountyPublicLibraryandNorTechThenetworkhasformedrelationshipswithtechnologycompaniestomaintainup-to-dateapplicationsthatleveragethepotentialofsuchapowerfulnetwork
Oneofthenetworkrsquoskeypartners ideastream illustratesthesignificanceofworkingtogethertomakehigh-speedconnectivitypubliclyavailablethroughoutacommunityonitsowntermsBybuildingahigh-speednet-workOneClevelandhascreatedacivicnetworkspaceandinfrastructurethatallowsanewkindofmultimediapublicmediaorganizationtobecreatedIdeastreamresultedwhenWVIZPBSTelevisionand903WCPNRadiopublicbroad-castersmergedtoformanewnonprofitldquomultimediapublicserviceorganizationrdquoIdeastreamisabletoextenditsmediaexpertisebeyondbroadcastingtoonlinetechnologiesandapplicationsofalltypesmdashwhenyouareconnectingtothenetworkatthegigabitspeedsofOneClevelandrsquostherangeofapplicationsandtheirpotentialarehuge
MAINhastakenaleadershiproleinbuildingacommunitymediacultureinAshevillethatdemonstratestheeasewithwhichdigitalmedialeapsorganizationalboundaries
OneClevelandrepresentswhatcanhappenwhenpowerfulcommunitydevelopmentforcescometoaconsensusregardingtheircommunityrsquosneedforhigh-speedconnectivitytoglobaleconomiesandmedia
Inthecourseofpreparingthisreportndashpouringovertheliteratureandsynthesizinghoursofstructuredround-tableconversationsandone-on-oneinterviewswith
opinionleadersandsuccessfulpractitionersofcommunitymediandashonethingisextremelyclearThewayoursocietymakesandsharesinformationknowledgeandcultureisinaheightenedstateofchangeTheinteractivenatureoftheInternethasdemonstratedthatitispossibletoorganizecommunicationsinamuchmoredemocraticfashionSomehaveconcludedwearewitnessingthetransitionfromanindustrializedinformationenvironmenttoanetworkedinformationenvironmentTheoldindustrialmediastruc-turesbasedonexclusivehigh-costproductionprocessesarebeingchallengedbyanemergingmediasectorinwhichthecostofcreatinginformationknowledgeandculturehasbeenprofoundlyreducedandtheproductsareintercon-nectedwidelythroughnetworksliketheInternet(Benkler2006)IndeedthereisincreasingevidencethatthesenewmediaanddigitalnetworksareparticularlyconducivetononcommercialandnonprofitculturalproductionaswellasmoreparticipatoryandcollaborativemediapracticesInmanywaysthelong-standingvaluesandintentofcommu-nitymediaforeshadowthisnewmediaenvironment
ThescanresearchfocusedonfourkeyareasofinquiryWhataretheuniquecharacteristicsthatdistin-guishcommunitymediaWhatmakesmedia-communitycollaborationssuccessfulWhattypesofcommunitymediaorganizationsbestleveragenewtechnologiesHowmightcommunitymediaengageunderservedpopulationsinprogrammingtailoredtotheirneedsIneachinstancewefoundthatcommunitymediacombinedwithgreaterafford-ablebandwidthandopen-sourceapproachestoproductiondohavetremendouscommunitydevelopmentpotentialHowevernoneofthatpotentialwillcomeaboutmagicallyThecommunitymediasectorisfacingthechallengingtaskofmanagingextensivechangeandtransformation
chAllengesThesuccessdisappointmentsandsocialvalueofthepastsixtyyearsofcommunitymediainitiativesmustbejudgedinhistoricalcontextConsistentmisrepresentationinthemainstreammediaandlimitedunaccommodatingsocialpolicyhaveresultedininadequatevisibilityandfinancialsupportforcommunitymediaAnydiscussionofitssuccessesorfailuresmustincorporateanunderstand-
ingoftheseexternalconstraintsInthislighttheexistingexpressionsofcommunitymediaattheirbestarewildlysuccessfulsocialexperimentsgivingcauseforgreatoptimism
NeverthelesscommunitymediafacebothexternalandinternalchallengesTheinternalchallengesarisefromstructuraltensionsthatoccurinanyattempttocreateorganizationsandculturesthatembodydiversitydemocraticexpressionandequitableaccessRatherthanbeingexpressedasldquoweaknessesrdquoasissooftenthecaseinmainstreammediaandacademiatheseinternaltensionsaremoreproperlyunderstoodaspredictabledevelopmentalproblemsandopportunitiesthatpractitionersshouldbepreparedtograpplewithinanycommunitymediasetting
Balancing Free Expression and Audience Development CommunityradioandpublicaccesscablehavehistoricallyprivilegedtheinterestsofproducersbygrantingthemgreatpoliticalfreedominmakingdecisionsregardingwhatprogrammingtocreateandwhataestheticandformattingapproachestouseThetrade-offforacultureofactivistvolunteerismandfreeexpressionhasbeensmalleraudi-encesandlowerlevelsofproductionandprogramsupportProgramproducerscarryanintensecommitmenttoindi-vidualownershipoftheirprogramminginitiativesthatmaynottaketheaudiencersquosinterestsfullytoheart
Whiletheseapproachesinradioandcableaccesshaveresultedinadiversityofprogrammingandpoliticalviewpointstheyhavealsopreventedradiostationpro-grammersorcableaccessorganizationsfrombuildingaflowofprogramsthatcandefineandconstructanongoingaudienceinthecommunityEachprogramorscheduledprogramslotcarriesitsownmicroaudienceldquofragmentedpublicsrdquothatareoftennotpartofanintegratedflowofpro-grammingthatattractsanaudiencetothechannelsoverall(Higgins2002)
Freeexpressionandaudiencedevelopmentarenotmutuallyexclusivenordoparticipatorymanagementstructuresvolunteerinvolvementandproducertrain-ingprogramsneedtoimpedeaudiencedevelopmentThesuccessofAmyGoodmanandDemocracyNowsoundlydemonstratesthisInfactmanycommunitymediaorgani-zationshavecreatedprogramminginitiativesthatcombinesophisticatedmeasurementsofsocialoutcomeswith
conclusions
trainingandparticipatoryprogramplanningTheyhavenotonlyraisedthesocialvalueoftheirprogrammingtotheircommunitiestheyhavealsoincreasedthesizeandloyaltyoftheiraudiences(Aufderheide2003)Asinteractivemediabegintocreatetheconditionswherenicheprogram-mingcanbefarmoresuccessfulthetensionbetweenfreeexpressionandaudiencedevelopmentisnotonlyachal-lengebutalsoatremendousopportunity
Programming MetricsStillroundtableparticipantsrepeatedlynotedthatevenwhenprogrammingmeetscommunityneedscommunitymediaorganizationscanfinditdifficulttodocumentimpactTheyfeltthatfundershavegenerallynotyetaddressedtheroleofmediainpopularcultureorthepowerofpopularcultureinaddressingsocialproblemsInaddi-tionfundersfindithardtoestablishcost-benefitmeasuresofsocialimpactfortheirmediaexpenditures
ParticipantsaskedformodelsofaudiencefeedbackandoutcomesmeasurementthatgobeyondaudiencenumbersTheyacknowledgedthedifficultyofquantify-ingnotionsofsuccesswhichtendtobeverysubjectiveandofusingsuccessstoriesinthecommonprogrammingmetricsofthedayManyrecognizedskepticismamongfundersabouttheimportanceofcommunitymediaasuspicionaboutagendasandafearofthecostsinvolvedmakingcommunitymediaahardsellEventhoughafewgoodevaluationeffortswereacknowledgedtheircollectiveresultshavenotbeenincorporatedintothethinkingofthewiderfundingcommunity
FundingMulti-yearstablefundingsupportforcommunitymediainitiativesiscriticaltostabilityinnovationandgrowthRoundtableparticipantsdiscussednumerousinstancesinwhichprojectswithmulti-yearsupporthadpowerfulpositiveimpactsextendingbeyondtheinitialprojectgoalsMulti-yearfundingcreatesthestabilitytoundertakeproperstrategicplanningandpartnershipdevelopment
Thereissomeearlyevidencethatamultiple-plat-formnonprofit-orientednichemarketcouldemergeasasignificantopportunitytoprovideenhancedrevenueforthecommunityandnoncommercialmediasectorsTheinterac-tivecapacityofthenewnetworkssignificantlyincreasestherevenuepotentialforcooperativeandsubscription-styleprogrammingflowsHoweverstrongmarketsforcommer-ciallyfundedparticipatorycommunityexpressionhavenotyetemergedinthedigitaleraduetothelimitedsizeofpopulationsandavailableadvertisingsupportIfthereistobeavitalsectorofcommunity-basedmediasomeformofsignificantpublicfundingwillbenecessaryevenininstanceswherecommunitymediaorganizationsmightrealizesignificantrevenuefromnewmarketsInordertomakethemostefficientuseofpublicfundingcommuni-tiesmustevolvefundingandgovernancestructuresforcommunitymediathatcanfacilitatetheaggregationoffundscoordinatemultiple-organizationprojectsandactastrustedconvenersofprogramminganddevelopmentdiscus-sionsincommunities
Policy ThreatsWhiletheconvergenceoftechnologyandpracticescreatesincreasingpotentialsforaunifiedcommunitymediasectorthereisunfortunatelynocohesiveandunifiednationalpolicyframeworkforcommunitymediaThegovernmentpoliciesandregulationsthatexistforcommunitymediahavebeenretrofittedinthearenasofUSbroadcastingandtelephonypolicyWhiletheyrepresenthard-wonpoliticalvictoriesandstrategicinsighttheydonotaddresstheneedsofcommunitymediainaholisticway
Inthecurrentpoliticalclimatebroadcastmediaownershipcontrolandprogrammingwillcontinuetobecentralizedinfewercorporationsleavingcommunitieswithlessoptionsforcontrollingtheirlocalmediaenviron-mentsAtthesametimethetelephonecompanieswillenterthemarketforvideotelephonyandbroadbandbydeployinghigh-capacitydigitaltelevisionnetworksinmanycommunitiesintheUnitedStates
ThecurrenttrendofcentralizationinUStele-communicationspolicyisthreateningtheabilityoflocal
Freeexpressionandaudiencedevelopmentarenotmutuallyexclusivenordoparticipatorymanagementstructuresvolunteerinvolvementandproducertrainingprogramsneedtoimpedeaudiencedevelopment
Communitymediaorganizationscanfinditdifficulttodocumentimpact
governmentstomandatecommunity-basedcommunica-tionsnetworksandprogramminginitiativesasrentonthepublicrights-of-wayThesefundingmechanismscurrentlysupportPublicEducationandGovernment(PEG)accesscabletelevisioncentersmediaartscentersandmanymunicipalcommunicationnetworksWhilefarfromperfectregulatorymechanismstheyareoneofthemostsuccess-fulformsofpublicmediasupporttoariseinthelastthirtyyears
Overthenextfiveyearsthesesuccessfulfundingstrategieswillbeunderheavyattackbythetelephonecom-paniesandthecabletelevisionindustryinastrugglewithgovernmentsforcommunitycontrolofthepublicrights-of-wayThesamedynamicthreatensequitableInternetaccessIncreasinglybroadbandcommunitynetworksaremunicipallyownedormandatedWhilesomeofthesemunicipalbroadbandnetworksweredeployedforinternalmunicipalpurposestimehasshownthatsuchnetworkscanserveanumberofnon-governmentalcommunity-basedpurposesincludingwirelessISPconnectionsforresidentsbusinessesandvisitorsManycommunitiesareseeking(andsomehaveobtained)ldquoCommunityBenefitsAgreementsrdquowithproposedwirelessbroadbandvendorsthatsetasideasmallfranchisefeeongrossrevenuestosupportdigitalinclusionactivitiesfollowingtheexampleofcablecompaniessupportofPEGaccessHowevermunicipalbroadbandandmunicipalwirelessareunderattackbyindustriestryingtoreservethesedevelopmentrightsforthemselves
Theoutcomeofthedebatesaroundcontroloftherights-of-waywillhaveasignificantimpactonthefuturepathofcommunitymediadevelopmentThesedebateswillrangeacrosstheregulatoryspectrumtheyarenowbeingwagedinlocalstateandnationallegislativearenasandthecourtsTheresultingcommunicationsinfrastruc-tureandregulatoryframeworkwillbeabletorealizethepotentialsofcommunitymediaifandonlyifcommunitiesareabletotakeleadershipinprovidingsubstantialpublicaswellasprivatefundingAsanoldtruismnotesldquomoneyispolicyrdquo
Therearenopoliticalortechnicalguaranteesthatdigitalmedianetworkswillremainopenandparticipa-toryastheyevolveItisunlikelythatmarketforcesalone
willservetorealizethedemocraticpotentialoftodayrsquosparticipatorymediatechnologyBuildingarobustsectorofcommunity-baseddemocraticnewmediawillrequireeffectivecitizenactivismclearandresponsivegovern-mentpoliciesandeffectivepoliticalstrategiesCommunitymedianeedsseparaterecognitionandsupportwithinfed-eralstateandlocalcommunicationspolicyandregulatorystructuresinordertoensureequitableandstablefundinganddevelopment
models for the futureThegovernmentregulationsandsubsidiesthatunderpincommunitymediahaveevolvedinahodgepodgefashionoverthepastsixtyyearsItcanbearguedthatcommunitymediashouldbetreatedasaseparatesectorwithinte-gratedfundingstructuresconsistentinfrastructureandtaxandsubsidypoliciesthatareseparateanddistinctfromexistinglocalmediapoliciesandalsofromthepoliciesunderpinningpublicbroadcastingPossiblemodelsforamoreunifiedapproacharenumerousbuttwoappearpar-ticularlywellsuitedtocommunitymediarsquosdiverseformsorganizationsandprogrammingapproaches
Public Funding FindingappropriatemethodsofincreasingpublicfundingforcommunitymediainashiftingregulatoryenvironmentiscrucialCurrentlocalcablefranchisingregulationstosupportcableaccessandthecommunitybenefitsagree-mentsofmunicipalwirelessnetworksoffersuccessfulmodelsbutarenowbothunderattackThelawsrequiringcommercialcableproviderstosetasidebandwidthchan-nelcapacityforthepublicinadditiontooperatingfundingbasedonapercentageofcommercialrevenuescouldbeextendedtoincludevoicevideoanddataEssentiallythenanycommercialproviderusingthepublicrights-of-wayorthewirelessspectrumwouldberequiredtocontributeanequitablepercentageofbandwidthandrev-enuetosupportthecommunitycommunicationssector
Community Media DevelopmentAdequatelevelsoffundingareonlypartoftheequationWhilefundingshouldsupporttheoverallgrowthofthe
Thereisunfortunatelynocohesiveandunifiednationalpolicyframe-workforcommunitymedia
setasidebandwidthchannelcapacityforthepublicinadditiontooperatingfunding
communitymediasectorinasensiblefashionanyfundingsolutionmustaddressthedifficultynowexperiencedbyfundersindealingwithcommunitymediahowtoprovideoverallsupporttoasectormadeupofsmallindependentorganizationswithanextremelydiversesetoffundingsourcesandmissionsOneeconomicdevelopmentapproachseemsparticularlyusefulhereProgressivecommunityeconomicdevelopmentstrategieshaveevolvedtosupportthegrowthofadiversityofsmallenterpriseswithinacom-monsectorwhilerecognizingthattheseenterprisescanatdifferenttimesbecollaboratorspartnersorcompetitorsSimilarstrategiescanguidedevelopmentofthecommunitymediasector
Thereareatleasttwoshort-termstepsthatcouldassistinthedevelopmentofcommunitymediaorgani-zationsandsupporttheircitizensrsquoabilitytocopewithcommercialmediaandinformationsaturationOneisforcommunitiestobuildorsecureaffordablebroadbandandwirelessnetworkinfrastructurewithastrongcommu-nitybenefitsagreementinsupportofdigitalinclusionHundredsofcommunitiesacrossthecountryeitherhaveorarelaunchingsuchwirelesscommunitynetworksmanyincollaborationwithwirelessvendorswhoinordertowinaservicecontractwiththemunicipalityinquestionaresup-portingdigitalliteracytraininginexpensiverefurbishedcomputersandlocalcontentdevelopmentndashinshortprogramsofdigitalinclusionandexcellence
AsecondopportunityidentifiedbyroundtableparticipantsisthepotentialforanationalsupportnetworkforexistingcommunitymediaorganizationsAnationalsupportnetworklinkingcommunitiesandtheircommu-
nitymediapractitionersandinstitutionscouldfacilitatearangeofactivitiesincludinglocal-to-localcommunicationorexchangesofinformationandprogrammingbetweencommunitiesvirtualspaceforanationalnetworkofcommunitymediaorganizationstohelptoorganizeuni-fiedpolicyadvocacywiderdistributionofpastproductsformationofissue-responseteamstoadvanceinterestsofcommunitygroupsandtapintolocalresourcesandshareddirectoriesofpractitionerstrainersandfacilitiesConveningleadersfromtheaggregatorsandassociationsservingcommunitymediaintheirvariousforms(listedinAppendix2)mightbeagoodnextsteptoexplorethisopportunity
the promiseThepracticeofcommunitymediahasmanagedtogrowandevolveoverthepastsixtyyearsdespiteunevenandgenerallylowlevelsofsupportandinconsistentgovernmentpoliciesEllieRenniearesearchfellowattheInstituteforSocialResearchSwinburneUniversityofTechnologyhaswrittenthatcommunitymediaareoftendefinednegativelyforwhattheyareopposedtoratherthanpositivelyforwhattheyhaveachieved(Rennie2006)Weareawarethatcom-munitymediahaveoftenbeendismissedasmarginalandidiosyncraticbuttheexamplescitedinthisreportprovidepowerfulevidencetothecontraryItistimetodefinecommunitymediabywhattheyhaveachievedCommunitymediaattheirbesthaveconsistentlydemonstratedtheirpotentialtoempowercommunitiesandindividualstoparticipateascitizensincommunityandeconomicdevelop-mentartseducationcommunitydialogandpoliticaldebateInmanyinstancestheyhavebecomecentralcul-turalsurvivalinstitutionsasourcommunitiesdealwiththeimpactofcommercialmediasaturationandglobalization
Duringtheroundtablediscussionsthattookplaceaspartofthisscanitwasobviousthatthevalueofcom-munitymediatocommunitiestranscendsthemeasurableeffectsofcivicengagementandcommunitydevelopmentCommunitymediacanallowindividualsincommunitiestohaveprofoundexperiencesofactivelyexpressingthem-selvesthroughmediaForpeoplewhohaveseenthemselvesaspassivereceptorsatthebottomofacascadeofpackagedmediaexperiencesandmessagesactiverepresentationoftheirownlivesandcircumstanceshasatransformativeeffectthatgoesbeyondsimplephraseslikeldquocivicengage-mentrdquoThevalueofcommunitymediatoindividualsandthecommunitiestheyliveinisincalculable
hellipaffordablebroadbandandwirelessnetworkinfrastructurewithastrongcommunitybenefitsagreement
anationalsupportnetworkforexistingcommunitymediaorganizations
Appendix 1 Community media empowerment StrategieS
empoWerment Activity ApproAch infrAstructure or venue
AccessAccesstocommunicationsinfrastructureproductiontools
MakingavailablemediaproductiontoolscomputerstelevisionandradiodistributionInternetsoftwarecommunitycommunicationsinfrastructuremeetingspacewebservers
Democraticcitizenaccesstocommunicationstoolsanddisseminationinfrastructure
CablebroadbandmunicipaltelecomInternetWiFiWiMAXlocalandpublicservicebroadcasting
AlternativeContent CreationofvideoaudiofilmwebsitesInternet-basedcitizenmediaP2Pmediabloggingsocialnetworkingsoftwaredatabasesandprintproduction
Contentpositionedtocounterorsupplementmassmediacontentandinformationfrommainstreamsources
AllplatformswithanincreasingexpansionwithinIPNetworksandcross-platformproductionanddissemination
CompetencyLiteracyMedialiteracyinformationliteracydigitalliteracyandculturalliteracy
Mediaartsandaestheticeducationlearningtogainacivicvoiceinamediaculturearticulationofmediabiasesengaginginmediaandpoliticsunderstandingcommoditycultureparentinginamedia-saturatedhome
Interventioninthecomplexmanipulationofsymbolsandculture
Allmassmediaprintelectronic
CommunityBuilding Workforcetrainingandskillbuildingmicro-enterprisedevelopmentbusinessinfrastructuredevelopment
Communityorganizingparticipatoryplanningdemocraticeconomicdevelopmentworkforceandinfrastructuredevelopment
Localmediamunicipaltelecominfrastructurecomputerandtechnologyincubatorsandtechnologycenters
0
Itisdifficulttounderstandthefullscopeofcommu-nitymediaculturewithoutknowingofthefollowingorganizationswhichsupportcommunitymediaand
independentmediapracticesTheyplayanumberofrolesasnationalassociationsrepresentingnetworksofcommu-nitymediaorganizationsandmediaartsorganizationsasproducernetworksandstrategiccommunicationsplannerslinkingcommunityorganizationswithcommunitymediaorganizationsasorganizationsofcommunityactivistsandproducersworkingtomoreeffectivelysupportandusecommunitymediaandascollaboratorsandpartnersincommunitydevelopmenttrainingandeducation
ActiveVoicehttpwwwactivevoicenet
AllianceforCommunityMediahttpwwwalliancecmorg
AssociationforCommunityNetworking
httpwwwafcnorg
CommunityMediaWorkshophttpwwwnewstipsorg
CommunityTechnologyCentersrsquoNetwork
httpwwwctcnetorg
DeepDishTVhttpdeepdishtvorg
FreeSpeechTVhttpwwwfreespeechorg
IndependentTelevisionServicehttpwwwitvsorg
IndependentMediaCenterIndymedia
httpwwwindymediaorg
LatinoPublicBroadcastinghttpwwwlpbporg
LinkTVhttplinktvorg
LPFMDatabasecom
httpwwwangelfirecomnj2piratejimlpfmhtml
MediaTankhttpwwwmediatankorg
MediaWorkingGrouphttpwwwmwgorg
NationalAllianceforMediaArtsandCulture
httpwwwnamacorg
NationalAsianAmericanTelecommunicationsAssochttp
asianamericanmediaorgindexhtml
NativeAmericanPublicTelecommunications
httpasianamericanmediaorgindexhtml
NationalBlackProgrammingConsortium
httpwwwnbpctv
NationalFederationofCommunityBroadcasters
httpwwwnfcborg
NationalPublicRadiohttpwwwnpr
NationalPublicTelecomputingNetworkhttpwwwnptnorg
PaperTigerTelevisionhttpwwwpapertigerorg
PacificIslandersinCommunications
httpwwwpiccomorg
PewCenterforCivicJournalismhttpwwwpewcenterorg
PrometheusRadioProject
httpwwwprometheusradioorg
PublicBroadcastingServicehttpwwwpbsorg
PublicRadioExchangehttpwwwprxorg
ReclaimtheMediahttpwwwreclaimthemediaorg
StarfishTelevisionNetworkhttpwwwstarfishtvorg
WebsitesofUSPEGAccessChannels
httpwwwbevcamorgpeg
WorldAssociationofCommunityRadioBroadcasters
httpwwwamarcorg
Appendix 2 aggregatorS and aSSoCiationS
Appalshophttpwwwappalshoporg
BayAreaVideoCoalitionhttpwwwbavcorg
BeyondMediaEducationhttpwwwbeyondmediaorg
CambridgeCommunityTelevisionhttpwwwcctvcambridgeorg
CasaGuatemalaMediaProjecthttpwwwcasaguatemalaorg
CharlotteObserverhttpwwwcharlottecom
ChicagoAccessNetworkTelevisionhttpwwwcantvorg
GrandRapidsCommunityMediaCenterhttpgrcmcorg
GrandNethttpwwwgrcmcorgnposervicesitphp
GRTVhttpwwwgrcmcorgtv
ideastreamhttpwwwideastreamorg
IFPMinnesotaCenterforMediaArtshttpwwwifpnorthorgabouthtml
IntermediaArtshttpwwwintermediaartsorg
KartemquinFilmshttpwwwkartemquincom
KBOOhttpwwwkbooorg
KFAIhttpwwwkfaiorg
LowellTelecommunicationsCenterhttpltcorg
ManhattanNeighborhoodNetworkhttpmnnorg
MediaArtsProjecthttpwwwthemaporg
MetroGovernmentCommunityMediaInitiativehttpwwwmetro-regionorg
MetropolitanAustinInteractiveNetworkhttpwwwmainorg
MinneapolisTelevisionNetworkhttpwwwmtnorg
MinnesotaChannelhttpwwwtptorgmnchannelnew
MinnesotaPublicRadiohttpminnesotapublicradioorghttpminnesotapublicradioorgpublicinsightjournalism
MountainAreaInformationNetworkhttpmainncus
MtHoodCableRegulatoryCommissionhttpwwwmhcrcorg
NewAmericaMediahttpnewsnewamericamediaorgnews
NewRoutestoCommunityHealthhttpwwwnewroutesorg
NorthwestFilmandVideoCenterhttpwwwnwfilmorg
OneClevelandhttpwwwoneclevelandorg
OregonPublicBroadcastinghttpwwwopborg
PortlandCommunityMediahttpwwwpcmtvorg
RadioArtehttpwwwwrteorg
SaintPaulNeighborhoodNetworkhttpwwwspnnorg
ScribeVideoCenterhttpwwwscribeorg
SoundPartnersforCommunityHealthhttpwwwsoundpartnersorg
StreetLevelYouthMediahttpwwwstreet-levelorg
TwinCitiesDailyPlanethttpwwwtcdailyplanetnet
TwinCitiesMediaAlliancehttpwwwtcmediaallianceorg
TwinCitiesPublicTelevisionhttpwwwtptorg
URTVhttpwwwurtvorg
WalkerArtCenterhttpwwwwalkerartorgindexwac
WCIW-LPhttppacificanetworkorgradiocontentview17542httpwwwciw-onlineorg
WGBHhttpwwwwgbhorg
WHYYhttpwhyyorg
WPVMhttpwwwwpvmorg
WYBEhttpwwwwybeorg
WYCEhttpwwwgrcmcorgradio
YouthChannelhttpwwwyouthchannelorg
Appendix 3 Community media praCtitionerSWebsitesofthosepractitionersmentionedinthetext
AndersonRachelBenton Digital Beat Extra Noncommercial Networks on DBSWashingtonDCBentonFoundation2000
AufderheidePatricialdquoCableAccessTVandthePublicSphererdquoinThe Daily Planet A Critic on the Capitalist Culture BeatMinneapolisandLondonUniversityofMinnesotaPress2000a
AufderheidePatriciaIn The Battle for Reality Social Documentaries in the USWashingtonDCAmericanUniversityCenterforSocialMedia2003
AufderheidePatricialdquoTheWhatandHowofPublicBroadcastingrdquoinThe Daily Planet A Critic on the Capitalist Culture BeatMinneapolisandLondonUniversityofMinnesotaPress2000b
AynteAbdirahmanldquoSomaliWebsitesACompetitiveAlternativeMediaandaFarcetoReckonWithrdquoHiiraan Onlinehttpwwwhiiraancomnews2006aprsomali_websitesaspx
AzzouzBushraTomChamberlinandMarleneFarnumThe Community Media Project Building Community through Media(Aproposedmodelforafive-yearinitiativetoproducelocaltelevisionprogrammingthatbroadensthedialogueonissuesimportanttotheOregoncommunityandcreatesastrongsenseofplace)PortlandORMetroDecember2000
BarlowWilliamldquoCommunityRadiointheUSTheStruggleForADemocraticMediumrdquoinMedia Culture and SocietyVol10(1988)
BenklerYochaiThe Wealth of Networks How Social Production Transforms Markets and FreedomNewHavenYaleUniversityPress2006
BentonFoundationDigital Alliances Partners in Public
Service Models for CollaborationUniversityParkPAThePennsylvaniaStateUniversity2002
BlauAndrewDeep Focus A Report on the Future of Independent MediaSanFranciscoNationalAllianceforMediaArtsandCulture2004
BowmanShayneandChrisWillisWe Media How Audiences Are Shaping the Future of News and InformationEditedbyJDLasicaRestonVATheMediaCenteratTheAmericanPressInstitute2003httpwwwhypergenenetwemediadownloadwe_mediapdf
BurnettRonldquoFromCommunityMediatoInternationalNetworksrdquoCritical Approaches to Culture + Communications + HypermediaNovember182005httpwwweciadca~rburnettWeblogarchives200511from_communityhtml
CanoAndrealdquoMicroradioAToolforCommunityEmpowermentrdquoinPublic Broadcasting and the Public InterestEditedbyMichaelPMcCauleyEricEPetersonBLeeArtzandDeeDeeHalleckLondonMESharpe2003
CarnegieCommissiononEducationalTelevisionPublic Television A Program for ActionNewYorkBantam1967
CastellsManuelThe Rise of the Network Society The Information Age Economy Society and CultureVolumes12amp3MaldenMABlackwellPublishersInc2005
ChesterJeffBeyond Broadcast Expanding Public Media in the Digital AgeWashingtonDCCenterforDigitalDemocracyFebruary2006httpwwwdemocraticmediaorgBBBBfrontphp
ChristensenPaulNanMcIntyreandLynnPikholzldquoBridgingCommunityandEconomicDevelopmentAStrategyforUsingIndustryClusterstoLinkNeighborhoodsandtheRegionalEconomyrdquo(reportfundedbytheFordFoundation)ClevelandShorebankEnterpriseGroup2005
ldquoCitizenJournalismrdquoissueofNieman ReportsCambridgeMATheNiemanFoundationforJournalismatHarvardUniversityVol59No4Winter2005eMprintNewsbookhttpwwwniemanharvardedureports05-4NRwinterNR05W_Citizen_Journalismpdf
City PagesldquoBestPublicAccessCableTVProgramSomaliTVrdquoBestoftheTwinCities2004MNApril282004httpcitypagescombestof2004artsandentertainmentbestof2379asp
bibliogrAphy
CruzRossanaReguilloldquoTheOracleintheCityBeliefsPracticesandSymbolicGeographiesrdquoinGlobal Cities of the South (Social Text)EditedbyAshleyDawsonandBrentHayesEdwardsTranslatedbyBrentHayesEdwardsandNoraNicoliniDurhamNCDukeUniversityPress81(Volume22Number4)Winter2004
DeLasCasasLucywithSimonBurallJohnMorrisonDavidKaleteandJagadanandaldquoGlobalMediaReformandAccountabilityReportfromtheNationalMediaReformConferencerdquoStLouis2005httpwwwoneworldtrustorgpagesdownloadcfmdid=281
DevineRobertHldquoVideoAccessandAgencyrdquoConferencepresentationTheNationalFederationofLocalCableProgrammersStPaulMNJuly171992
DirlinMartyandCathyMelioldquoTheGrassrootsRadioMovementintheUnitedStatesrdquoinPublic Broadcasting and the Public InterestEditedbyMichaelPMcCauleyEricEPetersonBLeeArtzandDeeDeeHalleckLondonMESharpe2003
DowningJohnDHwithTamaraVillarealFordGeneveGilandLauraSteinRadical Media Rebellious Communication and Social MovementsThousandOaksCASagePublications2001
EgerJohnldquoCreativeClustersandtheUrbanEconomyrdquoGovernment and Technology(February62006)httpwwwgovtechnetnewsnewsphpid=98345
EgerJohnMThe Creative Community Forging The Links Between Art Culture Commerce amp CommunityTheCaliforniaInstituteforSmartCommunitiesSanDiegoStateUniversity2005httpwwwsmartcommunitiesorgcreativeCreativeCommBroFINALpdf
EngelmanRalphPublic Radio and Television in America A Political HistoryThousandOaksCASagePublications1996
GillespieGilbertPublic Access Television in the United States and CanadaNewYorkPraegerPublishers1975
GillmorDanWe the Media Grassroots Journalism by the People for the PeopleSebastopolCAOrsquoReillyMediaInc2006
GrahamStephenandSimonMarvinTelecommunications and the City Electronic Spaces Urban PlacesLondonandNewYorkRoutledge1996
HalleckDeeDeeHand-Held Visions The Impossible Possibilities of Community MediaNewYorkFordhamUniversityPress2002
HigginsJohnWldquoAlternativeMediaandtheCultofIndividualismExperiencesfromUSPublicAccessTVrdquoPaperpresentedattheldquoOurMediardquopre-conferenceoftheInternationalAssociationforMediaandCommunicationResearchCommunityCommunicationSectionBarcelonaSpainJuly202002httpwwwourmedianetorgpapersom2002Higginsom2002pdf
HowleyKevinCommunity Media People Places and Communication TechnologiesCambridgeCambridgeUniversityPress2005
HoynesWilliamldquoThePBSBrandandtheMerchandisingofthePublicServicerdquoinPublic Broadcasting and the Public InterestEditedbyMichaelPMcCauleyEricEPetersonBLeeArtzandDeeDeeHalleckLondonMESharpe2003
JankowskiNicholasWldquoCommunityMediaResearchAQuestforTheoreticallyGroundedModelsrdquoThePublicVol1015(2003)httpmokkbmehucentreconferencesreactivismFPfpNJ
JankowskiNicholasWandOlePrehnedsCommunity Media in the Information Age Perspectives and ProspectsCresskillNJHamptonPress2002
LashScottThe Critique of InformationLondonSagePublications2002
ListerMartinJonDoveySethGiddingsIainGrantandKieranKellyNew Media A critical IntroductionLondonandNewYorkRoutledge2003
LloydMarkldquoRadioandLocalismWhatWhenWrongrdquoinContext(publishedbytheCenterforCommunicationsandCommunityUCLA)IssueNo4(WinterSpring2006)
MacintyreBenldquoWelcometotheNewTomPainesrdquoTimesOnlineNovember132004httpwwwtimesonlinecouktolcommentarticle390484ece
MaherVincentTowards a Critical Media Studies Approach to the BlogosphereNewMediaLabPublicationSchoolofJournalismandMediaStudiesRhodesUniversitySouthAfrica2006
MetroCommunity Media Project Evaluation Report PortlandORMetroJuly2004
MostStephenldquoBAVCandTheBigPicturerdquoinA Closer Look Media Arts 2002EditedbyHelenDeMichielSanFranciscoNationalAllianceforMediaArtsandCulture2002
NewAmericaMedialdquoEthnicMediainAmericaTheGiantHiddeninPlainSightrdquoPollconductedbyBendixenampAssociates2005httpnewsnewamericamediaorgnewsview_articlehtmlarticle_id=0443821787ac0210cbecebe8b1f576a3
OlsonBillThe History of Public Access Television2000httpwwwgeocitiescomiconostarhistory-public-access-TVhtml200415
PewCenterforCivicJournalismldquoDoingCivicJournalismrdquo2007httpwwwpewcenterorgdoingcj
PierceSteveldquoDBSandthePublicInterestOpportunityinSatelliteTelevisionrdquoinPublic Broadcasting and the Public InterestEditedbyMichaelPMcCauleyEricEPetersonBLeeArtzandDeeDeeHalleckLondonMESharpe2003
PhilipsSusanldquoTrueCommunityTowardaCollaborativeEthosScribersquoslsquoTrueCommunityVisionrsquordquoinA Closer Look Media Arts 2002EditedbyHelenDeMichielSanFranciscoNationalAllianceforMediaArtsandCulture2002
PorterMichaelEldquoLocationCompetitionandEconomicDevelopmentLocalClustersinaGlobalEconomyrdquoEconomic Development Quarterly14no1(February2000)15-34
ProjectforExcellenceinJournalismldquoMajorTrendsrdquoinState of the News Media 2006 An Annual Report on American Journalismhttpwwwstateofthenewsmediaorg2006nar-rative_overview_eightaspcat=2ampmedia=1
PrometheusRadioProjectldquoOurFifthBarnraisingmdashWCIW-LPinImmokaleeFloridardquohttpprometheusradioorgcontentview48952006
RennieEllieCommunity Media A Global IntroductionLanhamMDRowmanandLittlefieldPublishers2006
RodriguezClemenciaFissures in the Mediascape An International Study of Citizenrsquos MediaCresskillNJHamptonPress2001
SchafferJanldquoCitizensMediaHasItReachedaTippingPointrdquoinldquoCitizenJournalismrdquoissueofNieman Reports CambridgeMATheNiemanFoundationforJournalismatHarvardUniversityVol59No4Winter2005aeMprintNewsbookhttpwwwniemanharvardedureports05-4NRwinterNR05W_Citizen_Journalismpdf
SchafferJanInterviewonThe NewsHour With Jim Lehrer PBSEveningNewsNovember162005b
SchulerDouglasldquoTheRiseofCommunityNetworksrdquoInternet WorldDecember1995
SchulerDougandPeterDayShaping the Network Society The New Role of Civil Society in CyberspaceCambridgeandLondonMITPress2004
ShirkyClayPower Laws Weblogs and Inequality EconomicsampCultureMediaampCommunityBlog2005OpenSourcehttpshirkycomwritingspowerlaw_webloghtml
ShirkyClaySocial Software and the Politics of GroupsEconomicsampCultureMediaampCommunityBlog2005OpenSourcehttpshirkycomwritingsgroup_politicshtml
Somerset-WardRichardBroadband Community Networks Building the Digital CommonsAreportfortheHaasCharitableTrustsPhiladelphia2005
Somerset-WardRichardConnecting Communities WashingtonDCBentonFoundation2000
Spannerworkse-bookWhat is Social MediaJanuary2007httpwwwspannerworkscomebooks
StarrJeroldMldquoPublicTelevisionintheDigitalAgeTownHallorCyberMallrdquoinPublic Broadcasting and the Public InterestEditedbyMichaelPMcCauleyEricEPetersonBLeeArtzandDeeDeeHalleckLondonMESharpe2003
SteinLauraldquoPublicAccessTelevisionandGrassrootsCommunicationintheUnitedStatesrdquoChapter20inRadical Media Rebellious Communication and Social MovmentsEditedbyJohnDowningThousandOaksCASagePublications2001
SussmanGeraldandJREstesldquoCommunityRadioinCommunityDevelopmentPortlandrsquosKBOORadiordquoinThe Portland Edge Challenges and Successes in Growing CommunitiesEditedbyConniePOzawaPortlandStateUniversityIslandPress2004
WhitneyJenniferldquoMakeMediaMakeRealTroubleWhatrsquosWrong(andRight)withIndymediardquoLiPMagazineJune212005httpwwwlipmagazine
orgarticlesfeatwhitney_indymedia_phtml
0
capacityforcommunicationsheobservesallowspeopletoldquoparticipateinnewsandinformationinvariouswaysmdashparticipateininteractingwithitquestioningittruth-squadingitandcreatingitAndnowthattheyhavethetechtoolsandthetechskillstodothattheappetitehasonlyincreasedrdquo(Schaffer2005b)
SuchconditionshavesetthestageforintensepopularinterestinwhathasbeenbrandedldquowemediardquoorldquoparticipatoryjournalismrdquoTodaynumerousonlinejournalisticexperimentsbringtogetherprofessionaljour-nalistswithcitizenmediaactivistsandthoseinvolvedineventsMoreandmoretheearliestimagesandinformationregardingbreakingnewsarecomingfromnon-journalistspresentatthemomentoftheeventAsaresultjournalistsarebeginningtoconceptualizethemselvesnotsomuchasgatekeepersofnewsbutasmoderatorsinaconversationwithlicenseandtimetospeakfrequentlyandhopefullyaccurately(BowmanandWillis2003)
Thiskindofcommunity-centeredcoveragemayentailthere-balancingofeditorialpoliciesndashcommittingtodiversityembracingegalitarianvaluesandreassessingthevalueofeditorialneutralityItputsintoquestiontheroleandsignificanceofofteninnovativeldquopersonalmediardquoexemplifiedbythemillionsofbloggingsitesontheWebIsthiskindofldquonewsrdquoservingapubliccivicpurposeofcommunityproblemsolvingorindividualprivateexpres-sionInaWashington PostopinionpieceonDecember212006GeorgeKWillvoicedskepticismoftheseriousnessofmuchofthewebrsquosamateurjournalisminresponsetoTimemagazinersquosnamingallofusPersonoftheYear
Itisdifficulttopredictthefutureofcyberjournal-ismandbloggingpreciselyintheseearlystagesbutthreeoutcomesseemlikelyFirstbloggingwillcontinueitsrapidintegrationintomainstreammediacontentSecondblog-gingandotherformsofsocialnetworkingsoftwarewillgiverisetonewmediaentitiesthatwillchallengemainstreammedialocallynationallyandglobally
ThethirdoutcomeistheonemostrelevanttoacommunitymediascanCyberjournalismandparticipatory
citizenjournalismseemparticularlywellsuitedtoaddressthecurrentUSmassmediarsquosdifficultyinprovidingcoverageoflocaleventsinsmallercommunitiessuburbanregionsandcommutercommunitiesthataredevelopingoutsideformalpoliticaljurisdictionsCommunity-basedonlinejournalismsiteshavesprungupinhundredsofcom-munitiesaroundtheUnitedStatesTheyaremanagedandorganizedinwidelydivergentways
AnexperimentincyberjournalismandcommunitynetworkingtheTwin Cities Daily PlanetaggregatessomeofthebestjournalismfromMinnesotarsquosTwinCitiesneighborhoodandcommunitypressandindependentjour-nalistsaswellasthevoicesofengagedcitizenspresentingthemtothepublicthroughaninteractivewebsiteandcommunitydatabaseByaggregatingcitizenandneighbor-hoodjournalisminonesiteitincreasesthecapacityofsmallneighborhoodmediatoreachbeyondtheirborderstoawiderregionalaudienceUsingRealSimpleSyndication(RSS)softwaretheTC Daily Planetcanpotentiallyreachaglobalaudience
AprojectoftheTwinCitiesMediaAlliancetheTC Daily PlanetisaverynewformofcommunitymediaemergingfromtherestructuringofthenewspaperindustryandtheuseofbloggingandsocialnetworkingsoftwareAlthoughearlyinitsdevelopmenttheTC Daily Planetisgivingvoicetoanincreasingnumberofethnicimmi-grantandnon-mainstreamjournalistswhilefocusingthecommunityrsquosattentiononafargreaterrangeofpublicationsandideas
TheearliestexpressionsofcyberjournalismaretheIndependent Media Centers (IMCs)orIndymediaIndymediacameintobeingaspartoftheprotestsanddemonstrationsaroundtheWorldTradeOrganizationtalksheldinSeattleWashingtonin1999ThisfirstIMCwasaconvergenceoftheemerginginteractivityoftheInternetwiththeintenseneedofprotesterstogetindependentinformationouttotheworldabouttheprotestsAnetworkofindependentcommunitymediamakersactivistsandjournalistsbandedtogethertopoolresourcesandinforma-tion(Howley2005)
TheIMCsforeshadowedthebloggingandvideodis-tributionthatwasshortlytoemergebyusingtheInternetandtheWorldWideWebinconjunctionwithvideoandaudiodistributiontocreateatrulyunprecedentedmulti-mediaenvironmentIntermsofbothqualityandquantitytheSeattleIMCwasanimpressiveperformancebyanynewsandcurrentaffairsstandardsOverthecourseofthefive-dayprotestsadailynewspaperanddailyradioprogramwerecreatedandcountlessprintstoriesweredisseminated
Journalistsarebeginningtoconceptualizethemselvesnotsomuchasgatekeepersofnewsbutasmoderatorsinaconversation
globallyalsovideofeedsweresentthroughtheInternettopublicaccessandcommunitychannelsaroundtheworldSixyearsaftertheSeattleproteststherewere149Indymediawebsitesinabout45countriesonsixcontinents(Whitney2005)
TheopenformofcommunicationpracticedbymostIMCsiteshasnotbeenwithoutproblemsandcontra-dictionsManysitesarenowclutteredwithideologicaldiatribesanduneditedcontent(Halleck2002Whitney2005)ButthereareanumberofIndymediasitesthatprovidealternativenewsandinformationregardingaglobalscopeofconcernsthatwouldbeverydifficulttoobtainanywhereelseinthemediaAnumberofsitesinplacessuchasNewYorkCityPortlandOregonandtheSanFranciscoBayareahaveestablishedthemselvesasstablepartsoftheircommunityrsquosmediaculture
companiesspecializedsuppliersserviceprovidersandassociatedinstitutionsinaparticularfieldthatarepresentinanationorregionrdquo(Porter2000)Thecompaniesinanindustryclusterhaveacomplexwebofmutuallysupportingrelationshipsthatencompassbothcompetitiveandcollab-orativerelationshipsTheylinkacrossprofitandnonprofitpracticesutilizecommoninfrastructuremakecommoncontributionstothedevelopmentofahighlyskilledwork-forcesharefundingandinsomecasestalentedstaff
Increasinglycommunitydevelopmentpractitionersandanalystsarecomingtounderstandindustryclustersaspowerfulstrategiesforbotheconomicandcommunitydevelopmentinthetwenty-firstcenturyThisisprovingdoublytruefornonprofitcommunitymediaorganizationswhoseroleitistobringpowerfultoolsandknowledgetoanycommunityrsquosdeliberationsaroundcommunityandeco-nomicdevelopmentBroadbandandwirelessnetworksareprovidingthepracticalmeansoflinkingcommunitymediaorganizationswithincommunitiesofferingakeystrategicadvantagebyenhancingtheeffectivenessofcollaborationandpartnershipbuilding
AstheexamplesinthepreviouschaptershowcommunitymediaorganizationsaretakingonnewrolesincludingcombiningproductionandtrainingtakingonworkforcedevelopmentfunctionsandbecomingtechnologycentersfordiffusionofnewmediaBeyondtheseexampleslongstandingsuccessfulcommunitymediaorganiza-tionsaremergingasnetworkclusterslinkingdifferentgroupsandorganizationswithincommunitiestocreateentirelynewcommunitymediaorganizationsorblurringtheboundariesbetweentheirorganizationsOthersarebringinghistoricallyseparatecommunitymediagroupswithinoneorganizationalstructureorunderonerooftosharebuildingsandcommunicationsinfrastructuresinacost-effectivemanner
TheorganizationsthatemergefromthisintegrationmaybesimilarinfunctionthoughtheirnamesremaindifferentAcommunity-basedsiteforcitizenmediaandcyberjournalismforexampleandacommunitynetworklikeMAINinAshevilleNorthCarolinaoracutting-edgecableaccesscenterlikeGrandRapidsCommunityTelevisionbegintolookverymuchalikeintermsof
Increasinglycommunitymediadevelopmentishappeningthroughnetworksoflocalnonprofitmediaorganizationsratherthanwithinsingleorganizations
neW orgAnizAtionAl spAces netWorked clusters Perhapsthemostpromisingtrendonthehorizonforcom-munitymediaistheemergenceofnewhighlyintegratedorganizationalstructuresandcollaborativeprocessesIncreasinglycommunitymediadevelopmentishappeningthroughnetworksoflocalnonprofitmediaorganizationsratherthanwithinsingleorganizations
Inmanywaysthesereorganizationsatthecom-munitylevelparalleltherestructuringtakingplaceintheprivatecorporatesectorTherecommunicationsnetworksarebeingusedtosupportcomplexpartnershipsandjointcompanyprojectdevelopmentinteractivenetworkseasetheaggregationoflargeorstrategiccapitalandemployeeskillsetsacrossgeographicandorganizationalboundariesforthepurposesofinnovationandmarketdevelopmentInthelanguageofcommunityandeconomicdevelop-mentthesecomplexpartnershipsareknownasldquocreativeclustersrdquoorldquoindustryclustersrdquoMichaelPorteraleadingtheoristandproponentoftheconceptofclustersdefinesthemasldquogeographicconcentrationsofinterconnected
Successfulcommunitymediaorganizationsaremergingasnetworkclusters
technologyprogrammingactivitiesandtheexperienceofcommunityaudiencesvolunteersandparticipantsEachorganizationreliesonnoncommercialaffordablebandwidtheachplayssomeroleinadvocatingforsupportivegovern-mentpoliciesandeachisexperimentingwiththepotentialofnewcollaborativemediatoolsOftencommittedtoengagingandtrainingvolunteersandcommunitymembersinsomemannertheymayoffertrainingandvolunteerpro-gramsthatrequiresimilarsharableonlinetutorialsandonlineoutreachandschedulemanagementtools
TheexamplesthatfollowdemonstratethewayscommunitymediacreativeclustersaremakinguniquecontributionstotheircommunitiesrsquoqualityoflifeandeconomicwellbeingTheyaredoingsointhreeimportantwaysbullfirstbyamplifyingtherolethatartsandculturalgroups
playinenhancingthequalityoflifeandattractingatalentedworkforceandcapitaltothecommunitymdasharolethatisgaininginsignificanceinthetwenty-firstcentury
bullsecondascontributorstocoreeconomicdevelopmentfunctionsinthecommunityincludingworkforcedevelop-mentandtrainingasmicro-enterpriseincubatorsandascreatorsofnewknowledgeandeducationalexperiencesand
bullthirdasfacilitatorsandcatalystsofcommunitydialoguecommittedtoembracingmarginalizedvoicesandallow-ingthecommunitytoundertakeitsowndevelopmentdemocratically
Lowell MassachusettsLowell Telecommunications Center(LTC)isapublicandgovernmentaccesschannelandmediaandtechnologycen-terItprovideseducationandtraininginmediacreationincludingwebdesigndigitalphotographyandtelevisionproductionLTCworksincollaborationwithotherlocalcommunity-basedorganizationsmunicipaldepartmentsandeducationalentitiestoproducediversemulticulturalprogrammingthatmeetsthecommunityrsquoscommunica-tionandinformationneedsLTChasbecomeaconvening
organizationforbuildingcapacityamongLowellrsquosnonprofitcommunity-basedorganizationsintheiruseofparticipatorymediaandcivicengagementstrategies
LTCismorefocusedthanothercommunitymediaorganizationsoncommunitybuildingandcommunicationtechnologyThecorporationisworkingtobuildanetworkforparticipatorymediaandcivicengagementthroughouttheMerrimacRiverValleyThroughaUSDepartmentofEducationgrantLTCacquiredfundingandstafftohelpitspartnerorganizationsbecomeInternet-capableassesstheirinformationtechnologyneedsacquiretechnologyupgradestoaddressthoseneedsandundertakethetrainingtousethetechnologyeffectively
RatherthanwaitingforgroupstocometoitscenterLTCcreatedacircuitridertrainingprogramthattookthetrainingprogramintothecommunityThroughLTCrsquosinformationtechnologycenterscoresofcommunitygroupshavereceivedtrainingdesignedandcreatedwebsitesanddevelopedstrategiccommunicationsplansforthefutureThosedevelopmentsincludeweb-basedhistoricalarchivesGISmappingsystemsmultimediamaterialsandInternetvideoTohelporganizationsacquirethesoftwaretheyneedtocarryouttheirmissionsLTCcreatedtheCommunitySoftwareLabwhichdevelopsuniquesoftwaretofittheneedsofareanonprofitsThelabhasbeenspunofftocreateaseparatenonprofitentityjoiningthegrowingnumberofindependentorganizationsthatnetworkthroughLTC
ThemostrecentLTCinitiativeisldquoDigitalBicyclerdquoapeer-to-peernetworkthatallowsmediacentersworldwidetodownloadandsharelocalcontentLTCstaffenvisionDigitalBicycleasanonlinecommunityforcableaccessmediaartsindependentmediaandothernoncommercialmedia
Grand Rapids MichiganldquoBuildingcommunitythroughmediardquoThissimplemissionstatementguidedtheGrand Rapids Community Media Center(GRCMC)asitevolvedfromatypicalcableaccessoperationtobecomeabroad-basedmultimediacenterandamodelforthedevelopmentofcommunitymultimediacentersintheUnitedStatesOverthepasttwentyyears
Communitymediacreativeclustersaremakinguniquecon-tributionstotheircommunitiesrsquoqualityoflifeandeconomicwellbeing
LTCisworkingtobuildanetworkforparticipatorymediaandcivicengagementthroughouttheMerrimacRiverValley
GRCMChaspulledthediversecommunitymediaactivitiesofGrandRapidsunderoneorganizationalumbrellaandtakentheleadinarticulatingthepotentialforaggregatingnoncommercialnetworkedcommunicationsthere
Theevolvingnetworkofmediaplatformsdis-ciplinesandculturalgroupsthatconvergetobecomeGRCMCnowincludesthefollowingcentersofpracticeGRTVacommunitytelevisioncenterthatprogramsmultiplecableaccesschannelsWYCEacommunityradiostationGrandnetacommunitytechnologyandnetworkcenterthatprovidescitizenandnonprofitaccesstotheInternetandtheGrandRapidsInstituteforInformationDemocracyacriticalmediaeducationandresearchcenterthattracksmediaandlocalpublicinterestissuesandpub-lishesinformationonmediaaccountabilityandreform
ButtheGrandRapidsCommunityMediaCenterismorethanthesumofitspartsThecomponentsofthecenterworktogetherinamutuallyreinforcingwholethatcreatesapowerfulcommunitymediapresenceinGrandRapidsandallowsthecentertoundertakefarmoreambitiousprojectsandprogrammingthanwouldbethecaseseparatelyOneexcellentexampleistheMobileOn-LineLearningLabforInformationEducationKnownasMOLLIEtheprogramprovidesskilledtrainersanddigitalvideoproductionequipmenttoschoolsandcommunityorganizationsforspecialprojectsOriginallyfundedbyafederalDepartmentofEducationgrantMOLLIEfillsintechnologygapsinGrandRapidseducationalinstitutionsandnonprofitsInthehandsofalessintegratedinstitutiontheMOLLIEprojectcouldeasilybeatechnicallyorientedequipmentloanandtrainingprogramInthehandsofthecenterMOLLIEhasbecomeasophisticatedmediaandtechnologyeducationalinitiativeprovidingatrainingprogramthataddressesmediaeducationfromtheperspec-tiveofallthecomponentsoftheGrandRapidsCommunityMediaCenter
Asheville North CarolinaOneofthemostarticulateeffortsmergingthecreativeclustersideawithparticipatorycommunicationhascomeaboutinAshevilleNorthCarolinaThroughapersistent
collaborationbetweenforwardlookingregionalgroupsandorganizationsndashinvolvingabroadnetworkofindi-vidualscommunitymediaandmediaartsgroupsintheAshevilleregionndashAshevillehaslaidthefoundationforacommunitymediadevelopmentcenterthatwillfunctionasacableaccesscentermediaartscenterandnewmediamicro-enterpriseincubatorAtthecenterofthiseffortisaninformalcoalitionoffourimportantgroupsinAshevilleMountainAreaInformationNetworkMediaArtsProjectBoncombeCountyEconomicDevelopmentCommissionandURTVThegroupsrepresentdistinctpointsofviewandconcernsaswellasconverginginterests
Eachgroupsharedtheinsightthatcivicparticipa-tionandeconomicsuccessinthetwenty-firstcenturyaredirectlyrelatedtohavingaccesstocommunicationstechnologyandknowledgeEachalsounderstoodthattherenegotiationofthecablefranchisesintheCityofAshevilleandsurroundingBoncombeCountywasastrategicmomenttocatalyzeandassociateanumberofcommunity-basedinformationandmediaartsactivitiesalreadyinplaceorplannedinAshevilleThegroupsusedthecablefranchisingprocesstocreateacommonorganizationalandfacilitiesinfrastructuresupportingtheuseofmediaforbothcivicandeconomicdevelopment
The Media Arts Project(MAP)isanetworkofmediaartiststhatcultivatesinnovativeartsandtechnol-ogyinwesternNorthCarolinaMAPworkedtirelesslytoframecableaccessasacommunitydevelopmentissuebridgingthemediaactivistcommunitiesandthemoreforward-thinkingfactionsamongeconomicdevelopmentprofessionalsintheregionWiththerecentopeningofURTV IncAshvillersquoscableaccessorganizationandfacilityMAPanditsnetworkofpartnersarenowturningtheirattentiontofundingthemediaartsandeconomicincubatorelementsofthevision
AshevillersquosinterestinsupportingcommunitymediaarisesfromthepresenceoftheMountain Area Information Network(MAIN)Inthetraditionoftheruralcooperativesthathelpedspreadthereachofelectricityinthe1930sMAINisanonprofitInternetserviceproviderofferingreliablelow-costInternetservicebothinwesternNorthCarolinaandnationwideItisauniquecommunitynetworkwithabroadvisionofitsroleinthecommunitythatencompassesmedialiteracyeconomicdevelopmentstrategiescommunitylow-powerradioacommunity-basedwebportalandtheprovisionofInternetconnectivitytoruralwesternNorthCarolinaMAINislargelyresponsiblefortheremarkableexpansionofInternetaccessibilityinwesternNorthCarolinaallowingthousandsofpeopleto
GRCMChaspulledthediversecommunitymediaactivitiesofGrandRapidsunderoneorganizationalumbrella
spendtheirInternetaccessdollarswithalocallycontrolledandaccountableorganizationMAINdemonstratesthevalueofthecommunitynetworkingconcepttoareasthatarelagginginconnectivityduetofailuresofthemarket
MAINhastakenaleadershiproleinbuildingacommunitymediacultureinAshevillethatdemonstratestheeasewithwhichdigitalmedialeapsorganizationalboundariesItscommunitynetworkrunstheBlueRidgeWebMarketwhichprovidesafreecustomizableInternetpresencetohundredsofsmallbusinessesthroughoutwesternNorthCarolinaItsLatinoDigitalLiteracyProjectofferstrainingtohelpthearearsquosgrowingLatinopopula-tionsaccesstheInternetMAINhasbeenoneofthekeypartnersinbringingacableaccesscentertoAshevilleandhasbeenthedrivingforcebehindWPVMWNCrsquoslow-powerFMradiostationbroadcastinglocalnewsviewsandmusicover-the-airintheAshevilleregion(andtheworldviawebcast)
Cleveland OhioPerhapsthemostrobustcommunity-basednonprofitnetworkintheUnitedStatesOne ClevelandprovideswhatitcallsldquoultrabroadbandnetworkingservicesrdquotoClevelandareaeducationgovernmentresearchartscultureandhealthcareorganizationsOneClevelandoperatesafibernetworkringthatcoversmuchofthecityofClevelandandmanyofitssurroundingsuburbsSubscriberstothenetworkconnectatgigabitspeeds
OneClevelandrepresentswhatcanhappenwhenpowerfulcommunitydevelopmentforcescometoaconsensusregardingtheircommunityrsquosneedforhigh-speedconnectivitytoglobaleconomiesandmediaItsfoundersareClevelandmainstreaminstitutionsCaseWesternReserveUniversityCuyahogaCommunityCollegeClevelandStateUniversityTheCityofClevelandGreaterClevelandRegionalTransitAuthorityideastreamCuyahogaCountyPublicLibraryandNorTechThenetworkhasformedrelationshipswithtechnologycompaniestomaintainup-to-dateapplicationsthatleveragethepotentialofsuchapowerfulnetwork
Oneofthenetworkrsquoskeypartners ideastream illustratesthesignificanceofworkingtogethertomakehigh-speedconnectivitypubliclyavailablethroughoutacommunityonitsowntermsBybuildingahigh-speednet-workOneClevelandhascreatedacivicnetworkspaceandinfrastructurethatallowsanewkindofmultimediapublicmediaorganizationtobecreatedIdeastreamresultedwhenWVIZPBSTelevisionand903WCPNRadiopublicbroad-castersmergedtoformanewnonprofitldquomultimediapublicserviceorganizationrdquoIdeastreamisabletoextenditsmediaexpertisebeyondbroadcastingtoonlinetechnologiesandapplicationsofalltypesmdashwhenyouareconnectingtothenetworkatthegigabitspeedsofOneClevelandrsquostherangeofapplicationsandtheirpotentialarehuge
MAINhastakenaleadershiproleinbuildingacommunitymediacultureinAshevillethatdemonstratestheeasewithwhichdigitalmedialeapsorganizationalboundaries
OneClevelandrepresentswhatcanhappenwhenpowerfulcommunitydevelopmentforcescometoaconsensusregardingtheircommunityrsquosneedforhigh-speedconnectivitytoglobaleconomiesandmedia
Inthecourseofpreparingthisreportndashpouringovertheliteratureandsynthesizinghoursofstructuredround-tableconversationsandone-on-oneinterviewswith
opinionleadersandsuccessfulpractitionersofcommunitymediandashonethingisextremelyclearThewayoursocietymakesandsharesinformationknowledgeandcultureisinaheightenedstateofchangeTheinteractivenatureoftheInternethasdemonstratedthatitispossibletoorganizecommunicationsinamuchmoredemocraticfashionSomehaveconcludedwearewitnessingthetransitionfromanindustrializedinformationenvironmenttoanetworkedinformationenvironmentTheoldindustrialmediastruc-turesbasedonexclusivehigh-costproductionprocessesarebeingchallengedbyanemergingmediasectorinwhichthecostofcreatinginformationknowledgeandculturehasbeenprofoundlyreducedandtheproductsareintercon-nectedwidelythroughnetworksliketheInternet(Benkler2006)IndeedthereisincreasingevidencethatthesenewmediaanddigitalnetworksareparticularlyconducivetononcommercialandnonprofitculturalproductionaswellasmoreparticipatoryandcollaborativemediapracticesInmanywaysthelong-standingvaluesandintentofcommu-nitymediaforeshadowthisnewmediaenvironment
ThescanresearchfocusedonfourkeyareasofinquiryWhataretheuniquecharacteristicsthatdistin-guishcommunitymediaWhatmakesmedia-communitycollaborationssuccessfulWhattypesofcommunitymediaorganizationsbestleveragenewtechnologiesHowmightcommunitymediaengageunderservedpopulationsinprogrammingtailoredtotheirneedsIneachinstancewefoundthatcommunitymediacombinedwithgreaterafford-ablebandwidthandopen-sourceapproachestoproductiondohavetremendouscommunitydevelopmentpotentialHowevernoneofthatpotentialwillcomeaboutmagicallyThecommunitymediasectorisfacingthechallengingtaskofmanagingextensivechangeandtransformation
chAllengesThesuccessdisappointmentsandsocialvalueofthepastsixtyyearsofcommunitymediainitiativesmustbejudgedinhistoricalcontextConsistentmisrepresentationinthemainstreammediaandlimitedunaccommodatingsocialpolicyhaveresultedininadequatevisibilityandfinancialsupportforcommunitymediaAnydiscussionofitssuccessesorfailuresmustincorporateanunderstand-
ingoftheseexternalconstraintsInthislighttheexistingexpressionsofcommunitymediaattheirbestarewildlysuccessfulsocialexperimentsgivingcauseforgreatoptimism
NeverthelesscommunitymediafacebothexternalandinternalchallengesTheinternalchallengesarisefromstructuraltensionsthatoccurinanyattempttocreateorganizationsandculturesthatembodydiversitydemocraticexpressionandequitableaccessRatherthanbeingexpressedasldquoweaknessesrdquoasissooftenthecaseinmainstreammediaandacademiatheseinternaltensionsaremoreproperlyunderstoodaspredictabledevelopmentalproblemsandopportunitiesthatpractitionersshouldbepreparedtograpplewithinanycommunitymediasetting
Balancing Free Expression and Audience Development CommunityradioandpublicaccesscablehavehistoricallyprivilegedtheinterestsofproducersbygrantingthemgreatpoliticalfreedominmakingdecisionsregardingwhatprogrammingtocreateandwhataestheticandformattingapproachestouseThetrade-offforacultureofactivistvolunteerismandfreeexpressionhasbeensmalleraudi-encesandlowerlevelsofproductionandprogramsupportProgramproducerscarryanintensecommitmenttoindi-vidualownershipoftheirprogramminginitiativesthatmaynottaketheaudiencersquosinterestsfullytoheart
Whiletheseapproachesinradioandcableaccesshaveresultedinadiversityofprogrammingandpoliticalviewpointstheyhavealsopreventedradiostationpro-grammersorcableaccessorganizationsfrombuildingaflowofprogramsthatcandefineandconstructanongoingaudienceinthecommunityEachprogramorscheduledprogramslotcarriesitsownmicroaudienceldquofragmentedpublicsrdquothatareoftennotpartofanintegratedflowofpro-grammingthatattractsanaudiencetothechannelsoverall(Higgins2002)
Freeexpressionandaudiencedevelopmentarenotmutuallyexclusivenordoparticipatorymanagementstructuresvolunteerinvolvementandproducertrain-ingprogramsneedtoimpedeaudiencedevelopmentThesuccessofAmyGoodmanandDemocracyNowsoundlydemonstratesthisInfactmanycommunitymediaorgani-zationshavecreatedprogramminginitiativesthatcombinesophisticatedmeasurementsofsocialoutcomeswith
conclusions
trainingandparticipatoryprogramplanningTheyhavenotonlyraisedthesocialvalueoftheirprogrammingtotheircommunitiestheyhavealsoincreasedthesizeandloyaltyoftheiraudiences(Aufderheide2003)Asinteractivemediabegintocreatetheconditionswherenicheprogram-mingcanbefarmoresuccessfulthetensionbetweenfreeexpressionandaudiencedevelopmentisnotonlyachal-lengebutalsoatremendousopportunity
Programming MetricsStillroundtableparticipantsrepeatedlynotedthatevenwhenprogrammingmeetscommunityneedscommunitymediaorganizationscanfinditdifficulttodocumentimpactTheyfeltthatfundershavegenerallynotyetaddressedtheroleofmediainpopularcultureorthepowerofpopularcultureinaddressingsocialproblemsInaddi-tionfundersfindithardtoestablishcost-benefitmeasuresofsocialimpactfortheirmediaexpenditures
ParticipantsaskedformodelsofaudiencefeedbackandoutcomesmeasurementthatgobeyondaudiencenumbersTheyacknowledgedthedifficultyofquantify-ingnotionsofsuccesswhichtendtobeverysubjectiveandofusingsuccessstoriesinthecommonprogrammingmetricsofthedayManyrecognizedskepticismamongfundersabouttheimportanceofcommunitymediaasuspicionaboutagendasandafearofthecostsinvolvedmakingcommunitymediaahardsellEventhoughafewgoodevaluationeffortswereacknowledgedtheircollectiveresultshavenotbeenincorporatedintothethinkingofthewiderfundingcommunity
FundingMulti-yearstablefundingsupportforcommunitymediainitiativesiscriticaltostabilityinnovationandgrowthRoundtableparticipantsdiscussednumerousinstancesinwhichprojectswithmulti-yearsupporthadpowerfulpositiveimpactsextendingbeyondtheinitialprojectgoalsMulti-yearfundingcreatesthestabilitytoundertakeproperstrategicplanningandpartnershipdevelopment
Thereissomeearlyevidencethatamultiple-plat-formnonprofit-orientednichemarketcouldemergeasasignificantopportunitytoprovideenhancedrevenueforthecommunityandnoncommercialmediasectorsTheinterac-tivecapacityofthenewnetworkssignificantlyincreasestherevenuepotentialforcooperativeandsubscription-styleprogrammingflowsHoweverstrongmarketsforcommer-ciallyfundedparticipatorycommunityexpressionhavenotyetemergedinthedigitaleraduetothelimitedsizeofpopulationsandavailableadvertisingsupportIfthereistobeavitalsectorofcommunity-basedmediasomeformofsignificantpublicfundingwillbenecessaryevenininstanceswherecommunitymediaorganizationsmightrealizesignificantrevenuefromnewmarketsInordertomakethemostefficientuseofpublicfundingcommuni-tiesmustevolvefundingandgovernancestructuresforcommunitymediathatcanfacilitatetheaggregationoffundscoordinatemultiple-organizationprojectsandactastrustedconvenersofprogramminganddevelopmentdiscus-sionsincommunities
Policy ThreatsWhiletheconvergenceoftechnologyandpracticescreatesincreasingpotentialsforaunifiedcommunitymediasectorthereisunfortunatelynocohesiveandunifiednationalpolicyframeworkforcommunitymediaThegovernmentpoliciesandregulationsthatexistforcommunitymediahavebeenretrofittedinthearenasofUSbroadcastingandtelephonypolicyWhiletheyrepresenthard-wonpoliticalvictoriesandstrategicinsighttheydonotaddresstheneedsofcommunitymediainaholisticway
Inthecurrentpoliticalclimatebroadcastmediaownershipcontrolandprogrammingwillcontinuetobecentralizedinfewercorporationsleavingcommunitieswithlessoptionsforcontrollingtheirlocalmediaenviron-mentsAtthesametimethetelephonecompanieswillenterthemarketforvideotelephonyandbroadbandbydeployinghigh-capacitydigitaltelevisionnetworksinmanycommunitiesintheUnitedStates
ThecurrenttrendofcentralizationinUStele-communicationspolicyisthreateningtheabilityoflocal
Freeexpressionandaudiencedevelopmentarenotmutuallyexclusivenordoparticipatorymanagementstructuresvolunteerinvolvementandproducertrainingprogramsneedtoimpedeaudiencedevelopment
Communitymediaorganizationscanfinditdifficulttodocumentimpact
governmentstomandatecommunity-basedcommunica-tionsnetworksandprogramminginitiativesasrentonthepublicrights-of-wayThesefundingmechanismscurrentlysupportPublicEducationandGovernment(PEG)accesscabletelevisioncentersmediaartscentersandmanymunicipalcommunicationnetworksWhilefarfromperfectregulatorymechanismstheyareoneofthemostsuccess-fulformsofpublicmediasupporttoariseinthelastthirtyyears
Overthenextfiveyearsthesesuccessfulfundingstrategieswillbeunderheavyattackbythetelephonecom-paniesandthecabletelevisionindustryinastrugglewithgovernmentsforcommunitycontrolofthepublicrights-of-wayThesamedynamicthreatensequitableInternetaccessIncreasinglybroadbandcommunitynetworksaremunicipallyownedormandatedWhilesomeofthesemunicipalbroadbandnetworksweredeployedforinternalmunicipalpurposestimehasshownthatsuchnetworkscanserveanumberofnon-governmentalcommunity-basedpurposesincludingwirelessISPconnectionsforresidentsbusinessesandvisitorsManycommunitiesareseeking(andsomehaveobtained)ldquoCommunityBenefitsAgreementsrdquowithproposedwirelessbroadbandvendorsthatsetasideasmallfranchisefeeongrossrevenuestosupportdigitalinclusionactivitiesfollowingtheexampleofcablecompaniessupportofPEGaccessHowevermunicipalbroadbandandmunicipalwirelessareunderattackbyindustriestryingtoreservethesedevelopmentrightsforthemselves
Theoutcomeofthedebatesaroundcontroloftherights-of-waywillhaveasignificantimpactonthefuturepathofcommunitymediadevelopmentThesedebateswillrangeacrosstheregulatoryspectrumtheyarenowbeingwagedinlocalstateandnationallegislativearenasandthecourtsTheresultingcommunicationsinfrastruc-tureandregulatoryframeworkwillbeabletorealizethepotentialsofcommunitymediaifandonlyifcommunitiesareabletotakeleadershipinprovidingsubstantialpublicaswellasprivatefundingAsanoldtruismnotesldquomoneyispolicyrdquo
Therearenopoliticalortechnicalguaranteesthatdigitalmedianetworkswillremainopenandparticipa-toryastheyevolveItisunlikelythatmarketforcesalone
willservetorealizethedemocraticpotentialoftodayrsquosparticipatorymediatechnologyBuildingarobustsectorofcommunity-baseddemocraticnewmediawillrequireeffectivecitizenactivismclearandresponsivegovern-mentpoliciesandeffectivepoliticalstrategiesCommunitymedianeedsseparaterecognitionandsupportwithinfed-eralstateandlocalcommunicationspolicyandregulatorystructuresinordertoensureequitableandstablefundinganddevelopment
models for the futureThegovernmentregulationsandsubsidiesthatunderpincommunitymediahaveevolvedinahodgepodgefashionoverthepastsixtyyearsItcanbearguedthatcommunitymediashouldbetreatedasaseparatesectorwithinte-gratedfundingstructuresconsistentinfrastructureandtaxandsubsidypoliciesthatareseparateanddistinctfromexistinglocalmediapoliciesandalsofromthepoliciesunderpinningpublicbroadcastingPossiblemodelsforamoreunifiedapproacharenumerousbuttwoappearpar-ticularlywellsuitedtocommunitymediarsquosdiverseformsorganizationsandprogrammingapproaches
Public Funding FindingappropriatemethodsofincreasingpublicfundingforcommunitymediainashiftingregulatoryenvironmentiscrucialCurrentlocalcablefranchisingregulationstosupportcableaccessandthecommunitybenefitsagree-mentsofmunicipalwirelessnetworksoffersuccessfulmodelsbutarenowbothunderattackThelawsrequiringcommercialcableproviderstosetasidebandwidthchan-nelcapacityforthepublicinadditiontooperatingfundingbasedonapercentageofcommercialrevenuescouldbeextendedtoincludevoicevideoanddataEssentiallythenanycommercialproviderusingthepublicrights-of-wayorthewirelessspectrumwouldberequiredtocontributeanequitablepercentageofbandwidthandrev-enuetosupportthecommunitycommunicationssector
Community Media DevelopmentAdequatelevelsoffundingareonlypartoftheequationWhilefundingshouldsupporttheoverallgrowthofthe
Thereisunfortunatelynocohesiveandunifiednationalpolicyframe-workforcommunitymedia
setasidebandwidthchannelcapacityforthepublicinadditiontooperatingfunding
communitymediasectorinasensiblefashionanyfundingsolutionmustaddressthedifficultynowexperiencedbyfundersindealingwithcommunitymediahowtoprovideoverallsupporttoasectormadeupofsmallindependentorganizationswithanextremelydiversesetoffundingsourcesandmissionsOneeconomicdevelopmentapproachseemsparticularlyusefulhereProgressivecommunityeconomicdevelopmentstrategieshaveevolvedtosupportthegrowthofadiversityofsmallenterpriseswithinacom-monsectorwhilerecognizingthattheseenterprisescanatdifferenttimesbecollaboratorspartnersorcompetitorsSimilarstrategiescanguidedevelopmentofthecommunitymediasector
Thereareatleasttwoshort-termstepsthatcouldassistinthedevelopmentofcommunitymediaorgani-zationsandsupporttheircitizensrsquoabilitytocopewithcommercialmediaandinformationsaturationOneisforcommunitiestobuildorsecureaffordablebroadbandandwirelessnetworkinfrastructurewithastrongcommu-nitybenefitsagreementinsupportofdigitalinclusionHundredsofcommunitiesacrossthecountryeitherhaveorarelaunchingsuchwirelesscommunitynetworksmanyincollaborationwithwirelessvendorswhoinordertowinaservicecontractwiththemunicipalityinquestionaresup-portingdigitalliteracytraininginexpensiverefurbishedcomputersandlocalcontentdevelopmentndashinshortprogramsofdigitalinclusionandexcellence
AsecondopportunityidentifiedbyroundtableparticipantsisthepotentialforanationalsupportnetworkforexistingcommunitymediaorganizationsAnationalsupportnetworklinkingcommunitiesandtheircommu-
nitymediapractitionersandinstitutionscouldfacilitatearangeofactivitiesincludinglocal-to-localcommunicationorexchangesofinformationandprogrammingbetweencommunitiesvirtualspaceforanationalnetworkofcommunitymediaorganizationstohelptoorganizeuni-fiedpolicyadvocacywiderdistributionofpastproductsformationofissue-responseteamstoadvanceinterestsofcommunitygroupsandtapintolocalresourcesandshareddirectoriesofpractitionerstrainersandfacilitiesConveningleadersfromtheaggregatorsandassociationsservingcommunitymediaintheirvariousforms(listedinAppendix2)mightbeagoodnextsteptoexplorethisopportunity
the promiseThepracticeofcommunitymediahasmanagedtogrowandevolveoverthepastsixtyyearsdespiteunevenandgenerallylowlevelsofsupportandinconsistentgovernmentpoliciesEllieRenniearesearchfellowattheInstituteforSocialResearchSwinburneUniversityofTechnologyhaswrittenthatcommunitymediaareoftendefinednegativelyforwhattheyareopposedtoratherthanpositivelyforwhattheyhaveachieved(Rennie2006)Weareawarethatcom-munitymediahaveoftenbeendismissedasmarginalandidiosyncraticbuttheexamplescitedinthisreportprovidepowerfulevidencetothecontraryItistimetodefinecommunitymediabywhattheyhaveachievedCommunitymediaattheirbesthaveconsistentlydemonstratedtheirpotentialtoempowercommunitiesandindividualstoparticipateascitizensincommunityandeconomicdevelop-mentartseducationcommunitydialogandpoliticaldebateInmanyinstancestheyhavebecomecentralcul-turalsurvivalinstitutionsasourcommunitiesdealwiththeimpactofcommercialmediasaturationandglobalization
Duringtheroundtablediscussionsthattookplaceaspartofthisscanitwasobviousthatthevalueofcom-munitymediatocommunitiestranscendsthemeasurableeffectsofcivicengagementandcommunitydevelopmentCommunitymediacanallowindividualsincommunitiestohaveprofoundexperiencesofactivelyexpressingthem-selvesthroughmediaForpeoplewhohaveseenthemselvesaspassivereceptorsatthebottomofacascadeofpackagedmediaexperiencesandmessagesactiverepresentationoftheirownlivesandcircumstanceshasatransformativeeffectthatgoesbeyondsimplephraseslikeldquocivicengage-mentrdquoThevalueofcommunitymediatoindividualsandthecommunitiestheyliveinisincalculable
hellipaffordablebroadbandandwirelessnetworkinfrastructurewithastrongcommunitybenefitsagreement
anationalsupportnetworkforexistingcommunitymediaorganizations
Appendix 1 Community media empowerment StrategieS
empoWerment Activity ApproAch infrAstructure or venue
AccessAccesstocommunicationsinfrastructureproductiontools
MakingavailablemediaproductiontoolscomputerstelevisionandradiodistributionInternetsoftwarecommunitycommunicationsinfrastructuremeetingspacewebservers
Democraticcitizenaccesstocommunicationstoolsanddisseminationinfrastructure
CablebroadbandmunicipaltelecomInternetWiFiWiMAXlocalandpublicservicebroadcasting
AlternativeContent CreationofvideoaudiofilmwebsitesInternet-basedcitizenmediaP2Pmediabloggingsocialnetworkingsoftwaredatabasesandprintproduction
Contentpositionedtocounterorsupplementmassmediacontentandinformationfrommainstreamsources
AllplatformswithanincreasingexpansionwithinIPNetworksandcross-platformproductionanddissemination
CompetencyLiteracyMedialiteracyinformationliteracydigitalliteracyandculturalliteracy
Mediaartsandaestheticeducationlearningtogainacivicvoiceinamediaculturearticulationofmediabiasesengaginginmediaandpoliticsunderstandingcommoditycultureparentinginamedia-saturatedhome
Interventioninthecomplexmanipulationofsymbolsandculture
Allmassmediaprintelectronic
CommunityBuilding Workforcetrainingandskillbuildingmicro-enterprisedevelopmentbusinessinfrastructuredevelopment
Communityorganizingparticipatoryplanningdemocraticeconomicdevelopmentworkforceandinfrastructuredevelopment
Localmediamunicipaltelecominfrastructurecomputerandtechnologyincubatorsandtechnologycenters
0
Itisdifficulttounderstandthefullscopeofcommu-nitymediaculturewithoutknowingofthefollowingorganizationswhichsupportcommunitymediaand
independentmediapracticesTheyplayanumberofrolesasnationalassociationsrepresentingnetworksofcommu-nitymediaorganizationsandmediaartsorganizationsasproducernetworksandstrategiccommunicationsplannerslinkingcommunityorganizationswithcommunitymediaorganizationsasorganizationsofcommunityactivistsandproducersworkingtomoreeffectivelysupportandusecommunitymediaandascollaboratorsandpartnersincommunitydevelopmenttrainingandeducation
ActiveVoicehttpwwwactivevoicenet
AllianceforCommunityMediahttpwwwalliancecmorg
AssociationforCommunityNetworking
httpwwwafcnorg
CommunityMediaWorkshophttpwwwnewstipsorg
CommunityTechnologyCentersrsquoNetwork
httpwwwctcnetorg
DeepDishTVhttpdeepdishtvorg
FreeSpeechTVhttpwwwfreespeechorg
IndependentTelevisionServicehttpwwwitvsorg
IndependentMediaCenterIndymedia
httpwwwindymediaorg
LatinoPublicBroadcastinghttpwwwlpbporg
LinkTVhttplinktvorg
LPFMDatabasecom
httpwwwangelfirecomnj2piratejimlpfmhtml
MediaTankhttpwwwmediatankorg
MediaWorkingGrouphttpwwwmwgorg
NationalAllianceforMediaArtsandCulture
httpwwwnamacorg
NationalAsianAmericanTelecommunicationsAssochttp
asianamericanmediaorgindexhtml
NativeAmericanPublicTelecommunications
httpasianamericanmediaorgindexhtml
NationalBlackProgrammingConsortium
httpwwwnbpctv
NationalFederationofCommunityBroadcasters
httpwwwnfcborg
NationalPublicRadiohttpwwwnpr
NationalPublicTelecomputingNetworkhttpwwwnptnorg
PaperTigerTelevisionhttpwwwpapertigerorg
PacificIslandersinCommunications
httpwwwpiccomorg
PewCenterforCivicJournalismhttpwwwpewcenterorg
PrometheusRadioProject
httpwwwprometheusradioorg
PublicBroadcastingServicehttpwwwpbsorg
PublicRadioExchangehttpwwwprxorg
ReclaimtheMediahttpwwwreclaimthemediaorg
StarfishTelevisionNetworkhttpwwwstarfishtvorg
WebsitesofUSPEGAccessChannels
httpwwwbevcamorgpeg
WorldAssociationofCommunityRadioBroadcasters
httpwwwamarcorg
Appendix 2 aggregatorS and aSSoCiationS
Appalshophttpwwwappalshoporg
BayAreaVideoCoalitionhttpwwwbavcorg
BeyondMediaEducationhttpwwwbeyondmediaorg
CambridgeCommunityTelevisionhttpwwwcctvcambridgeorg
CasaGuatemalaMediaProjecthttpwwwcasaguatemalaorg
CharlotteObserverhttpwwwcharlottecom
ChicagoAccessNetworkTelevisionhttpwwwcantvorg
GrandRapidsCommunityMediaCenterhttpgrcmcorg
GrandNethttpwwwgrcmcorgnposervicesitphp
GRTVhttpwwwgrcmcorgtv
ideastreamhttpwwwideastreamorg
IFPMinnesotaCenterforMediaArtshttpwwwifpnorthorgabouthtml
IntermediaArtshttpwwwintermediaartsorg
KartemquinFilmshttpwwwkartemquincom
KBOOhttpwwwkbooorg
KFAIhttpwwwkfaiorg
LowellTelecommunicationsCenterhttpltcorg
ManhattanNeighborhoodNetworkhttpmnnorg
MediaArtsProjecthttpwwwthemaporg
MetroGovernmentCommunityMediaInitiativehttpwwwmetro-regionorg
MetropolitanAustinInteractiveNetworkhttpwwwmainorg
MinneapolisTelevisionNetworkhttpwwwmtnorg
MinnesotaChannelhttpwwwtptorgmnchannelnew
MinnesotaPublicRadiohttpminnesotapublicradioorghttpminnesotapublicradioorgpublicinsightjournalism
MountainAreaInformationNetworkhttpmainncus
MtHoodCableRegulatoryCommissionhttpwwwmhcrcorg
NewAmericaMediahttpnewsnewamericamediaorgnews
NewRoutestoCommunityHealthhttpwwwnewroutesorg
NorthwestFilmandVideoCenterhttpwwwnwfilmorg
OneClevelandhttpwwwoneclevelandorg
OregonPublicBroadcastinghttpwwwopborg
PortlandCommunityMediahttpwwwpcmtvorg
RadioArtehttpwwwwrteorg
SaintPaulNeighborhoodNetworkhttpwwwspnnorg
ScribeVideoCenterhttpwwwscribeorg
SoundPartnersforCommunityHealthhttpwwwsoundpartnersorg
StreetLevelYouthMediahttpwwwstreet-levelorg
TwinCitiesDailyPlanethttpwwwtcdailyplanetnet
TwinCitiesMediaAlliancehttpwwwtcmediaallianceorg
TwinCitiesPublicTelevisionhttpwwwtptorg
URTVhttpwwwurtvorg
WalkerArtCenterhttpwwwwalkerartorgindexwac
WCIW-LPhttppacificanetworkorgradiocontentview17542httpwwwciw-onlineorg
WGBHhttpwwwwgbhorg
WHYYhttpwhyyorg
WPVMhttpwwwwpvmorg
WYBEhttpwwwwybeorg
WYCEhttpwwwgrcmcorgradio
YouthChannelhttpwwwyouthchannelorg
Appendix 3 Community media praCtitionerSWebsitesofthosepractitionersmentionedinthetext
AndersonRachelBenton Digital Beat Extra Noncommercial Networks on DBSWashingtonDCBentonFoundation2000
AufderheidePatricialdquoCableAccessTVandthePublicSphererdquoinThe Daily Planet A Critic on the Capitalist Culture BeatMinneapolisandLondonUniversityofMinnesotaPress2000a
AufderheidePatriciaIn The Battle for Reality Social Documentaries in the USWashingtonDCAmericanUniversityCenterforSocialMedia2003
AufderheidePatricialdquoTheWhatandHowofPublicBroadcastingrdquoinThe Daily Planet A Critic on the Capitalist Culture BeatMinneapolisandLondonUniversityofMinnesotaPress2000b
AynteAbdirahmanldquoSomaliWebsitesACompetitiveAlternativeMediaandaFarcetoReckonWithrdquoHiiraan Onlinehttpwwwhiiraancomnews2006aprsomali_websitesaspx
AzzouzBushraTomChamberlinandMarleneFarnumThe Community Media Project Building Community through Media(Aproposedmodelforafive-yearinitiativetoproducelocaltelevisionprogrammingthatbroadensthedialogueonissuesimportanttotheOregoncommunityandcreatesastrongsenseofplace)PortlandORMetroDecember2000
BarlowWilliamldquoCommunityRadiointheUSTheStruggleForADemocraticMediumrdquoinMedia Culture and SocietyVol10(1988)
BenklerYochaiThe Wealth of Networks How Social Production Transforms Markets and FreedomNewHavenYaleUniversityPress2006
BentonFoundationDigital Alliances Partners in Public
Service Models for CollaborationUniversityParkPAThePennsylvaniaStateUniversity2002
BlauAndrewDeep Focus A Report on the Future of Independent MediaSanFranciscoNationalAllianceforMediaArtsandCulture2004
BowmanShayneandChrisWillisWe Media How Audiences Are Shaping the Future of News and InformationEditedbyJDLasicaRestonVATheMediaCenteratTheAmericanPressInstitute2003httpwwwhypergenenetwemediadownloadwe_mediapdf
BurnettRonldquoFromCommunityMediatoInternationalNetworksrdquoCritical Approaches to Culture + Communications + HypermediaNovember182005httpwwweciadca~rburnettWeblogarchives200511from_communityhtml
CanoAndrealdquoMicroradioAToolforCommunityEmpowermentrdquoinPublic Broadcasting and the Public InterestEditedbyMichaelPMcCauleyEricEPetersonBLeeArtzandDeeDeeHalleckLondonMESharpe2003
CarnegieCommissiononEducationalTelevisionPublic Television A Program for ActionNewYorkBantam1967
CastellsManuelThe Rise of the Network Society The Information Age Economy Society and CultureVolumes12amp3MaldenMABlackwellPublishersInc2005
ChesterJeffBeyond Broadcast Expanding Public Media in the Digital AgeWashingtonDCCenterforDigitalDemocracyFebruary2006httpwwwdemocraticmediaorgBBBBfrontphp
ChristensenPaulNanMcIntyreandLynnPikholzldquoBridgingCommunityandEconomicDevelopmentAStrategyforUsingIndustryClusterstoLinkNeighborhoodsandtheRegionalEconomyrdquo(reportfundedbytheFordFoundation)ClevelandShorebankEnterpriseGroup2005
ldquoCitizenJournalismrdquoissueofNieman ReportsCambridgeMATheNiemanFoundationforJournalismatHarvardUniversityVol59No4Winter2005eMprintNewsbookhttpwwwniemanharvardedureports05-4NRwinterNR05W_Citizen_Journalismpdf
City PagesldquoBestPublicAccessCableTVProgramSomaliTVrdquoBestoftheTwinCities2004MNApril282004httpcitypagescombestof2004artsandentertainmentbestof2379asp
bibliogrAphy
CruzRossanaReguilloldquoTheOracleintheCityBeliefsPracticesandSymbolicGeographiesrdquoinGlobal Cities of the South (Social Text)EditedbyAshleyDawsonandBrentHayesEdwardsTranslatedbyBrentHayesEdwardsandNoraNicoliniDurhamNCDukeUniversityPress81(Volume22Number4)Winter2004
DeLasCasasLucywithSimonBurallJohnMorrisonDavidKaleteandJagadanandaldquoGlobalMediaReformandAccountabilityReportfromtheNationalMediaReformConferencerdquoStLouis2005httpwwwoneworldtrustorgpagesdownloadcfmdid=281
DevineRobertHldquoVideoAccessandAgencyrdquoConferencepresentationTheNationalFederationofLocalCableProgrammersStPaulMNJuly171992
DirlinMartyandCathyMelioldquoTheGrassrootsRadioMovementintheUnitedStatesrdquoinPublic Broadcasting and the Public InterestEditedbyMichaelPMcCauleyEricEPetersonBLeeArtzandDeeDeeHalleckLondonMESharpe2003
DowningJohnDHwithTamaraVillarealFordGeneveGilandLauraSteinRadical Media Rebellious Communication and Social MovementsThousandOaksCASagePublications2001
EgerJohnldquoCreativeClustersandtheUrbanEconomyrdquoGovernment and Technology(February62006)httpwwwgovtechnetnewsnewsphpid=98345
EgerJohnMThe Creative Community Forging The Links Between Art Culture Commerce amp CommunityTheCaliforniaInstituteforSmartCommunitiesSanDiegoStateUniversity2005httpwwwsmartcommunitiesorgcreativeCreativeCommBroFINALpdf
EngelmanRalphPublic Radio and Television in America A Political HistoryThousandOaksCASagePublications1996
GillespieGilbertPublic Access Television in the United States and CanadaNewYorkPraegerPublishers1975
GillmorDanWe the Media Grassroots Journalism by the People for the PeopleSebastopolCAOrsquoReillyMediaInc2006
GrahamStephenandSimonMarvinTelecommunications and the City Electronic Spaces Urban PlacesLondonandNewYorkRoutledge1996
HalleckDeeDeeHand-Held Visions The Impossible Possibilities of Community MediaNewYorkFordhamUniversityPress2002
HigginsJohnWldquoAlternativeMediaandtheCultofIndividualismExperiencesfromUSPublicAccessTVrdquoPaperpresentedattheldquoOurMediardquopre-conferenceoftheInternationalAssociationforMediaandCommunicationResearchCommunityCommunicationSectionBarcelonaSpainJuly202002httpwwwourmedianetorgpapersom2002Higginsom2002pdf
HowleyKevinCommunity Media People Places and Communication TechnologiesCambridgeCambridgeUniversityPress2005
HoynesWilliamldquoThePBSBrandandtheMerchandisingofthePublicServicerdquoinPublic Broadcasting and the Public InterestEditedbyMichaelPMcCauleyEricEPetersonBLeeArtzandDeeDeeHalleckLondonMESharpe2003
JankowskiNicholasWldquoCommunityMediaResearchAQuestforTheoreticallyGroundedModelsrdquoThePublicVol1015(2003)httpmokkbmehucentreconferencesreactivismFPfpNJ
JankowskiNicholasWandOlePrehnedsCommunity Media in the Information Age Perspectives and ProspectsCresskillNJHamptonPress2002
LashScottThe Critique of InformationLondonSagePublications2002
ListerMartinJonDoveySethGiddingsIainGrantandKieranKellyNew Media A critical IntroductionLondonandNewYorkRoutledge2003
LloydMarkldquoRadioandLocalismWhatWhenWrongrdquoinContext(publishedbytheCenterforCommunicationsandCommunityUCLA)IssueNo4(WinterSpring2006)
MacintyreBenldquoWelcometotheNewTomPainesrdquoTimesOnlineNovember132004httpwwwtimesonlinecouktolcommentarticle390484ece
MaherVincentTowards a Critical Media Studies Approach to the BlogosphereNewMediaLabPublicationSchoolofJournalismandMediaStudiesRhodesUniversitySouthAfrica2006
MetroCommunity Media Project Evaluation Report PortlandORMetroJuly2004
MostStephenldquoBAVCandTheBigPicturerdquoinA Closer Look Media Arts 2002EditedbyHelenDeMichielSanFranciscoNationalAllianceforMediaArtsandCulture2002
NewAmericaMedialdquoEthnicMediainAmericaTheGiantHiddeninPlainSightrdquoPollconductedbyBendixenampAssociates2005httpnewsnewamericamediaorgnewsview_articlehtmlarticle_id=0443821787ac0210cbecebe8b1f576a3
OlsonBillThe History of Public Access Television2000httpwwwgeocitiescomiconostarhistory-public-access-TVhtml200415
PewCenterforCivicJournalismldquoDoingCivicJournalismrdquo2007httpwwwpewcenterorgdoingcj
PierceSteveldquoDBSandthePublicInterestOpportunityinSatelliteTelevisionrdquoinPublic Broadcasting and the Public InterestEditedbyMichaelPMcCauleyEricEPetersonBLeeArtzandDeeDeeHalleckLondonMESharpe2003
PhilipsSusanldquoTrueCommunityTowardaCollaborativeEthosScribersquoslsquoTrueCommunityVisionrsquordquoinA Closer Look Media Arts 2002EditedbyHelenDeMichielSanFranciscoNationalAllianceforMediaArtsandCulture2002
PorterMichaelEldquoLocationCompetitionandEconomicDevelopmentLocalClustersinaGlobalEconomyrdquoEconomic Development Quarterly14no1(February2000)15-34
ProjectforExcellenceinJournalismldquoMajorTrendsrdquoinState of the News Media 2006 An Annual Report on American Journalismhttpwwwstateofthenewsmediaorg2006nar-rative_overview_eightaspcat=2ampmedia=1
PrometheusRadioProjectldquoOurFifthBarnraisingmdashWCIW-LPinImmokaleeFloridardquohttpprometheusradioorgcontentview48952006
RennieEllieCommunity Media A Global IntroductionLanhamMDRowmanandLittlefieldPublishers2006
RodriguezClemenciaFissures in the Mediascape An International Study of Citizenrsquos MediaCresskillNJHamptonPress2001
SchafferJanldquoCitizensMediaHasItReachedaTippingPointrdquoinldquoCitizenJournalismrdquoissueofNieman Reports CambridgeMATheNiemanFoundationforJournalismatHarvardUniversityVol59No4Winter2005aeMprintNewsbookhttpwwwniemanharvardedureports05-4NRwinterNR05W_Citizen_Journalismpdf
SchafferJanInterviewonThe NewsHour With Jim Lehrer PBSEveningNewsNovember162005b
SchulerDouglasldquoTheRiseofCommunityNetworksrdquoInternet WorldDecember1995
SchulerDougandPeterDayShaping the Network Society The New Role of Civil Society in CyberspaceCambridgeandLondonMITPress2004
ShirkyClayPower Laws Weblogs and Inequality EconomicsampCultureMediaampCommunityBlog2005OpenSourcehttpshirkycomwritingspowerlaw_webloghtml
ShirkyClaySocial Software and the Politics of GroupsEconomicsampCultureMediaampCommunityBlog2005OpenSourcehttpshirkycomwritingsgroup_politicshtml
Somerset-WardRichardBroadband Community Networks Building the Digital CommonsAreportfortheHaasCharitableTrustsPhiladelphia2005
Somerset-WardRichardConnecting Communities WashingtonDCBentonFoundation2000
Spannerworkse-bookWhat is Social MediaJanuary2007httpwwwspannerworkscomebooks
StarrJeroldMldquoPublicTelevisionintheDigitalAgeTownHallorCyberMallrdquoinPublic Broadcasting and the Public InterestEditedbyMichaelPMcCauleyEricEPetersonBLeeArtzandDeeDeeHalleckLondonMESharpe2003
SteinLauraldquoPublicAccessTelevisionandGrassrootsCommunicationintheUnitedStatesrdquoChapter20inRadical Media Rebellious Communication and Social MovmentsEditedbyJohnDowningThousandOaksCASagePublications2001
SussmanGeraldandJREstesldquoCommunityRadioinCommunityDevelopmentPortlandrsquosKBOORadiordquoinThe Portland Edge Challenges and Successes in Growing CommunitiesEditedbyConniePOzawaPortlandStateUniversityIslandPress2004
WhitneyJenniferldquoMakeMediaMakeRealTroubleWhatrsquosWrong(andRight)withIndymediardquoLiPMagazineJune212005httpwwwlipmagazine
orgarticlesfeatwhitney_indymedia_phtml
globallyalsovideofeedsweresentthroughtheInternettopublicaccessandcommunitychannelsaroundtheworldSixyearsaftertheSeattleproteststherewere149Indymediawebsitesinabout45countriesonsixcontinents(Whitney2005)
TheopenformofcommunicationpracticedbymostIMCsiteshasnotbeenwithoutproblemsandcontra-dictionsManysitesarenowclutteredwithideologicaldiatribesanduneditedcontent(Halleck2002Whitney2005)ButthereareanumberofIndymediasitesthatprovidealternativenewsandinformationregardingaglobalscopeofconcernsthatwouldbeverydifficulttoobtainanywhereelseinthemediaAnumberofsitesinplacessuchasNewYorkCityPortlandOregonandtheSanFranciscoBayareahaveestablishedthemselvesasstablepartsoftheircommunityrsquosmediaculture
companiesspecializedsuppliersserviceprovidersandassociatedinstitutionsinaparticularfieldthatarepresentinanationorregionrdquo(Porter2000)Thecompaniesinanindustryclusterhaveacomplexwebofmutuallysupportingrelationshipsthatencompassbothcompetitiveandcollab-orativerelationshipsTheylinkacrossprofitandnonprofitpracticesutilizecommoninfrastructuremakecommoncontributionstothedevelopmentofahighlyskilledwork-forcesharefundingandinsomecasestalentedstaff
Increasinglycommunitydevelopmentpractitionersandanalystsarecomingtounderstandindustryclustersaspowerfulstrategiesforbotheconomicandcommunitydevelopmentinthetwenty-firstcenturyThisisprovingdoublytruefornonprofitcommunitymediaorganizationswhoseroleitistobringpowerfultoolsandknowledgetoanycommunityrsquosdeliberationsaroundcommunityandeco-nomicdevelopmentBroadbandandwirelessnetworksareprovidingthepracticalmeansoflinkingcommunitymediaorganizationswithincommunitiesofferingakeystrategicadvantagebyenhancingtheeffectivenessofcollaborationandpartnershipbuilding
AstheexamplesinthepreviouschaptershowcommunitymediaorganizationsaretakingonnewrolesincludingcombiningproductionandtrainingtakingonworkforcedevelopmentfunctionsandbecomingtechnologycentersfordiffusionofnewmediaBeyondtheseexampleslongstandingsuccessfulcommunitymediaorganiza-tionsaremergingasnetworkclusterslinkingdifferentgroupsandorganizationswithincommunitiestocreateentirelynewcommunitymediaorganizationsorblurringtheboundariesbetweentheirorganizationsOthersarebringinghistoricallyseparatecommunitymediagroupswithinoneorganizationalstructureorunderonerooftosharebuildingsandcommunicationsinfrastructuresinacost-effectivemanner
TheorganizationsthatemergefromthisintegrationmaybesimilarinfunctionthoughtheirnamesremaindifferentAcommunity-basedsiteforcitizenmediaandcyberjournalismforexampleandacommunitynetworklikeMAINinAshevilleNorthCarolinaoracutting-edgecableaccesscenterlikeGrandRapidsCommunityTelevisionbegintolookverymuchalikeintermsof
Increasinglycommunitymediadevelopmentishappeningthroughnetworksoflocalnonprofitmediaorganizationsratherthanwithinsingleorganizations
neW orgAnizAtionAl spAces netWorked clusters Perhapsthemostpromisingtrendonthehorizonforcom-munitymediaistheemergenceofnewhighlyintegratedorganizationalstructuresandcollaborativeprocessesIncreasinglycommunitymediadevelopmentishappeningthroughnetworksoflocalnonprofitmediaorganizationsratherthanwithinsingleorganizations
Inmanywaysthesereorganizationsatthecom-munitylevelparalleltherestructuringtakingplaceintheprivatecorporatesectorTherecommunicationsnetworksarebeingusedtosupportcomplexpartnershipsandjointcompanyprojectdevelopmentinteractivenetworkseasetheaggregationoflargeorstrategiccapitalandemployeeskillsetsacrossgeographicandorganizationalboundariesforthepurposesofinnovationandmarketdevelopmentInthelanguageofcommunityandeconomicdevelop-mentthesecomplexpartnershipsareknownasldquocreativeclustersrdquoorldquoindustryclustersrdquoMichaelPorteraleadingtheoristandproponentoftheconceptofclustersdefinesthemasldquogeographicconcentrationsofinterconnected
Successfulcommunitymediaorganizationsaremergingasnetworkclusters
technologyprogrammingactivitiesandtheexperienceofcommunityaudiencesvolunteersandparticipantsEachorganizationreliesonnoncommercialaffordablebandwidtheachplayssomeroleinadvocatingforsupportivegovern-mentpoliciesandeachisexperimentingwiththepotentialofnewcollaborativemediatoolsOftencommittedtoengagingandtrainingvolunteersandcommunitymembersinsomemannertheymayoffertrainingandvolunteerpro-gramsthatrequiresimilarsharableonlinetutorialsandonlineoutreachandschedulemanagementtools
TheexamplesthatfollowdemonstratethewayscommunitymediacreativeclustersaremakinguniquecontributionstotheircommunitiesrsquoqualityoflifeandeconomicwellbeingTheyaredoingsointhreeimportantwaysbullfirstbyamplifyingtherolethatartsandculturalgroups
playinenhancingthequalityoflifeandattractingatalentedworkforceandcapitaltothecommunitymdasharolethatisgaininginsignificanceinthetwenty-firstcentury
bullsecondascontributorstocoreeconomicdevelopmentfunctionsinthecommunityincludingworkforcedevelop-mentandtrainingasmicro-enterpriseincubatorsandascreatorsofnewknowledgeandeducationalexperiencesand
bullthirdasfacilitatorsandcatalystsofcommunitydialoguecommittedtoembracingmarginalizedvoicesandallow-ingthecommunitytoundertakeitsowndevelopmentdemocratically
Lowell MassachusettsLowell Telecommunications Center(LTC)isapublicandgovernmentaccesschannelandmediaandtechnologycen-terItprovideseducationandtraininginmediacreationincludingwebdesigndigitalphotographyandtelevisionproductionLTCworksincollaborationwithotherlocalcommunity-basedorganizationsmunicipaldepartmentsandeducationalentitiestoproducediversemulticulturalprogrammingthatmeetsthecommunityrsquoscommunica-tionandinformationneedsLTChasbecomeaconvening
organizationforbuildingcapacityamongLowellrsquosnonprofitcommunity-basedorganizationsintheiruseofparticipatorymediaandcivicengagementstrategies
LTCismorefocusedthanothercommunitymediaorganizationsoncommunitybuildingandcommunicationtechnologyThecorporationisworkingtobuildanetworkforparticipatorymediaandcivicengagementthroughouttheMerrimacRiverValleyThroughaUSDepartmentofEducationgrantLTCacquiredfundingandstafftohelpitspartnerorganizationsbecomeInternet-capableassesstheirinformationtechnologyneedsacquiretechnologyupgradestoaddressthoseneedsandundertakethetrainingtousethetechnologyeffectively
RatherthanwaitingforgroupstocometoitscenterLTCcreatedacircuitridertrainingprogramthattookthetrainingprogramintothecommunityThroughLTCrsquosinformationtechnologycenterscoresofcommunitygroupshavereceivedtrainingdesignedandcreatedwebsitesanddevelopedstrategiccommunicationsplansforthefutureThosedevelopmentsincludeweb-basedhistoricalarchivesGISmappingsystemsmultimediamaterialsandInternetvideoTohelporganizationsacquirethesoftwaretheyneedtocarryouttheirmissionsLTCcreatedtheCommunitySoftwareLabwhichdevelopsuniquesoftwaretofittheneedsofareanonprofitsThelabhasbeenspunofftocreateaseparatenonprofitentityjoiningthegrowingnumberofindependentorganizationsthatnetworkthroughLTC
ThemostrecentLTCinitiativeisldquoDigitalBicyclerdquoapeer-to-peernetworkthatallowsmediacentersworldwidetodownloadandsharelocalcontentLTCstaffenvisionDigitalBicycleasanonlinecommunityforcableaccessmediaartsindependentmediaandothernoncommercialmedia
Grand Rapids MichiganldquoBuildingcommunitythroughmediardquoThissimplemissionstatementguidedtheGrand Rapids Community Media Center(GRCMC)asitevolvedfromatypicalcableaccessoperationtobecomeabroad-basedmultimediacenterandamodelforthedevelopmentofcommunitymultimediacentersintheUnitedStatesOverthepasttwentyyears
Communitymediacreativeclustersaremakinguniquecon-tributionstotheircommunitiesrsquoqualityoflifeandeconomicwellbeing
LTCisworkingtobuildanetworkforparticipatorymediaandcivicengagementthroughouttheMerrimacRiverValley
GRCMChaspulledthediversecommunitymediaactivitiesofGrandRapidsunderoneorganizationalumbrellaandtakentheleadinarticulatingthepotentialforaggregatingnoncommercialnetworkedcommunicationsthere
Theevolvingnetworkofmediaplatformsdis-ciplinesandculturalgroupsthatconvergetobecomeGRCMCnowincludesthefollowingcentersofpracticeGRTVacommunitytelevisioncenterthatprogramsmultiplecableaccesschannelsWYCEacommunityradiostationGrandnetacommunitytechnologyandnetworkcenterthatprovidescitizenandnonprofitaccesstotheInternetandtheGrandRapidsInstituteforInformationDemocracyacriticalmediaeducationandresearchcenterthattracksmediaandlocalpublicinterestissuesandpub-lishesinformationonmediaaccountabilityandreform
ButtheGrandRapidsCommunityMediaCenterismorethanthesumofitspartsThecomponentsofthecenterworktogetherinamutuallyreinforcingwholethatcreatesapowerfulcommunitymediapresenceinGrandRapidsandallowsthecentertoundertakefarmoreambitiousprojectsandprogrammingthanwouldbethecaseseparatelyOneexcellentexampleistheMobileOn-LineLearningLabforInformationEducationKnownasMOLLIEtheprogramprovidesskilledtrainersanddigitalvideoproductionequipmenttoschoolsandcommunityorganizationsforspecialprojectsOriginallyfundedbyafederalDepartmentofEducationgrantMOLLIEfillsintechnologygapsinGrandRapidseducationalinstitutionsandnonprofitsInthehandsofalessintegratedinstitutiontheMOLLIEprojectcouldeasilybeatechnicallyorientedequipmentloanandtrainingprogramInthehandsofthecenterMOLLIEhasbecomeasophisticatedmediaandtechnologyeducationalinitiativeprovidingatrainingprogramthataddressesmediaeducationfromtheperspec-tiveofallthecomponentsoftheGrandRapidsCommunityMediaCenter
Asheville North CarolinaOneofthemostarticulateeffortsmergingthecreativeclustersideawithparticipatorycommunicationhascomeaboutinAshevilleNorthCarolinaThroughapersistent
collaborationbetweenforwardlookingregionalgroupsandorganizationsndashinvolvingabroadnetworkofindi-vidualscommunitymediaandmediaartsgroupsintheAshevilleregionndashAshevillehaslaidthefoundationforacommunitymediadevelopmentcenterthatwillfunctionasacableaccesscentermediaartscenterandnewmediamicro-enterpriseincubatorAtthecenterofthiseffortisaninformalcoalitionoffourimportantgroupsinAshevilleMountainAreaInformationNetworkMediaArtsProjectBoncombeCountyEconomicDevelopmentCommissionandURTVThegroupsrepresentdistinctpointsofviewandconcernsaswellasconverginginterests
Eachgroupsharedtheinsightthatcivicparticipa-tionandeconomicsuccessinthetwenty-firstcenturyaredirectlyrelatedtohavingaccesstocommunicationstechnologyandknowledgeEachalsounderstoodthattherenegotiationofthecablefranchisesintheCityofAshevilleandsurroundingBoncombeCountywasastrategicmomenttocatalyzeandassociateanumberofcommunity-basedinformationandmediaartsactivitiesalreadyinplaceorplannedinAshevilleThegroupsusedthecablefranchisingprocesstocreateacommonorganizationalandfacilitiesinfrastructuresupportingtheuseofmediaforbothcivicandeconomicdevelopment
The Media Arts Project(MAP)isanetworkofmediaartiststhatcultivatesinnovativeartsandtechnol-ogyinwesternNorthCarolinaMAPworkedtirelesslytoframecableaccessasacommunitydevelopmentissuebridgingthemediaactivistcommunitiesandthemoreforward-thinkingfactionsamongeconomicdevelopmentprofessionalsintheregionWiththerecentopeningofURTV IncAshvillersquoscableaccessorganizationandfacilityMAPanditsnetworkofpartnersarenowturningtheirattentiontofundingthemediaartsandeconomicincubatorelementsofthevision
AshevillersquosinterestinsupportingcommunitymediaarisesfromthepresenceoftheMountain Area Information Network(MAIN)Inthetraditionoftheruralcooperativesthathelpedspreadthereachofelectricityinthe1930sMAINisanonprofitInternetserviceproviderofferingreliablelow-costInternetservicebothinwesternNorthCarolinaandnationwideItisauniquecommunitynetworkwithabroadvisionofitsroleinthecommunitythatencompassesmedialiteracyeconomicdevelopmentstrategiescommunitylow-powerradioacommunity-basedwebportalandtheprovisionofInternetconnectivitytoruralwesternNorthCarolinaMAINislargelyresponsiblefortheremarkableexpansionofInternetaccessibilityinwesternNorthCarolinaallowingthousandsofpeopleto
GRCMChaspulledthediversecommunitymediaactivitiesofGrandRapidsunderoneorganizationalumbrella
spendtheirInternetaccessdollarswithalocallycontrolledandaccountableorganizationMAINdemonstratesthevalueofthecommunitynetworkingconcepttoareasthatarelagginginconnectivityduetofailuresofthemarket
MAINhastakenaleadershiproleinbuildingacommunitymediacultureinAshevillethatdemonstratestheeasewithwhichdigitalmedialeapsorganizationalboundariesItscommunitynetworkrunstheBlueRidgeWebMarketwhichprovidesafreecustomizableInternetpresencetohundredsofsmallbusinessesthroughoutwesternNorthCarolinaItsLatinoDigitalLiteracyProjectofferstrainingtohelpthearearsquosgrowingLatinopopula-tionsaccesstheInternetMAINhasbeenoneofthekeypartnersinbringingacableaccesscentertoAshevilleandhasbeenthedrivingforcebehindWPVMWNCrsquoslow-powerFMradiostationbroadcastinglocalnewsviewsandmusicover-the-airintheAshevilleregion(andtheworldviawebcast)
Cleveland OhioPerhapsthemostrobustcommunity-basednonprofitnetworkintheUnitedStatesOne ClevelandprovideswhatitcallsldquoultrabroadbandnetworkingservicesrdquotoClevelandareaeducationgovernmentresearchartscultureandhealthcareorganizationsOneClevelandoperatesafibernetworkringthatcoversmuchofthecityofClevelandandmanyofitssurroundingsuburbsSubscriberstothenetworkconnectatgigabitspeeds
OneClevelandrepresentswhatcanhappenwhenpowerfulcommunitydevelopmentforcescometoaconsensusregardingtheircommunityrsquosneedforhigh-speedconnectivitytoglobaleconomiesandmediaItsfoundersareClevelandmainstreaminstitutionsCaseWesternReserveUniversityCuyahogaCommunityCollegeClevelandStateUniversityTheCityofClevelandGreaterClevelandRegionalTransitAuthorityideastreamCuyahogaCountyPublicLibraryandNorTechThenetworkhasformedrelationshipswithtechnologycompaniestomaintainup-to-dateapplicationsthatleveragethepotentialofsuchapowerfulnetwork
Oneofthenetworkrsquoskeypartners ideastream illustratesthesignificanceofworkingtogethertomakehigh-speedconnectivitypubliclyavailablethroughoutacommunityonitsowntermsBybuildingahigh-speednet-workOneClevelandhascreatedacivicnetworkspaceandinfrastructurethatallowsanewkindofmultimediapublicmediaorganizationtobecreatedIdeastreamresultedwhenWVIZPBSTelevisionand903WCPNRadiopublicbroad-castersmergedtoformanewnonprofitldquomultimediapublicserviceorganizationrdquoIdeastreamisabletoextenditsmediaexpertisebeyondbroadcastingtoonlinetechnologiesandapplicationsofalltypesmdashwhenyouareconnectingtothenetworkatthegigabitspeedsofOneClevelandrsquostherangeofapplicationsandtheirpotentialarehuge
MAINhastakenaleadershiproleinbuildingacommunitymediacultureinAshevillethatdemonstratestheeasewithwhichdigitalmedialeapsorganizationalboundaries
OneClevelandrepresentswhatcanhappenwhenpowerfulcommunitydevelopmentforcescometoaconsensusregardingtheircommunityrsquosneedforhigh-speedconnectivitytoglobaleconomiesandmedia
Inthecourseofpreparingthisreportndashpouringovertheliteratureandsynthesizinghoursofstructuredround-tableconversationsandone-on-oneinterviewswith
opinionleadersandsuccessfulpractitionersofcommunitymediandashonethingisextremelyclearThewayoursocietymakesandsharesinformationknowledgeandcultureisinaheightenedstateofchangeTheinteractivenatureoftheInternethasdemonstratedthatitispossibletoorganizecommunicationsinamuchmoredemocraticfashionSomehaveconcludedwearewitnessingthetransitionfromanindustrializedinformationenvironmenttoanetworkedinformationenvironmentTheoldindustrialmediastruc-turesbasedonexclusivehigh-costproductionprocessesarebeingchallengedbyanemergingmediasectorinwhichthecostofcreatinginformationknowledgeandculturehasbeenprofoundlyreducedandtheproductsareintercon-nectedwidelythroughnetworksliketheInternet(Benkler2006)IndeedthereisincreasingevidencethatthesenewmediaanddigitalnetworksareparticularlyconducivetononcommercialandnonprofitculturalproductionaswellasmoreparticipatoryandcollaborativemediapracticesInmanywaysthelong-standingvaluesandintentofcommu-nitymediaforeshadowthisnewmediaenvironment
ThescanresearchfocusedonfourkeyareasofinquiryWhataretheuniquecharacteristicsthatdistin-guishcommunitymediaWhatmakesmedia-communitycollaborationssuccessfulWhattypesofcommunitymediaorganizationsbestleveragenewtechnologiesHowmightcommunitymediaengageunderservedpopulationsinprogrammingtailoredtotheirneedsIneachinstancewefoundthatcommunitymediacombinedwithgreaterafford-ablebandwidthandopen-sourceapproachestoproductiondohavetremendouscommunitydevelopmentpotentialHowevernoneofthatpotentialwillcomeaboutmagicallyThecommunitymediasectorisfacingthechallengingtaskofmanagingextensivechangeandtransformation
chAllengesThesuccessdisappointmentsandsocialvalueofthepastsixtyyearsofcommunitymediainitiativesmustbejudgedinhistoricalcontextConsistentmisrepresentationinthemainstreammediaandlimitedunaccommodatingsocialpolicyhaveresultedininadequatevisibilityandfinancialsupportforcommunitymediaAnydiscussionofitssuccessesorfailuresmustincorporateanunderstand-
ingoftheseexternalconstraintsInthislighttheexistingexpressionsofcommunitymediaattheirbestarewildlysuccessfulsocialexperimentsgivingcauseforgreatoptimism
NeverthelesscommunitymediafacebothexternalandinternalchallengesTheinternalchallengesarisefromstructuraltensionsthatoccurinanyattempttocreateorganizationsandculturesthatembodydiversitydemocraticexpressionandequitableaccessRatherthanbeingexpressedasldquoweaknessesrdquoasissooftenthecaseinmainstreammediaandacademiatheseinternaltensionsaremoreproperlyunderstoodaspredictabledevelopmentalproblemsandopportunitiesthatpractitionersshouldbepreparedtograpplewithinanycommunitymediasetting
Balancing Free Expression and Audience Development CommunityradioandpublicaccesscablehavehistoricallyprivilegedtheinterestsofproducersbygrantingthemgreatpoliticalfreedominmakingdecisionsregardingwhatprogrammingtocreateandwhataestheticandformattingapproachestouseThetrade-offforacultureofactivistvolunteerismandfreeexpressionhasbeensmalleraudi-encesandlowerlevelsofproductionandprogramsupportProgramproducerscarryanintensecommitmenttoindi-vidualownershipoftheirprogramminginitiativesthatmaynottaketheaudiencersquosinterestsfullytoheart
Whiletheseapproachesinradioandcableaccesshaveresultedinadiversityofprogrammingandpoliticalviewpointstheyhavealsopreventedradiostationpro-grammersorcableaccessorganizationsfrombuildingaflowofprogramsthatcandefineandconstructanongoingaudienceinthecommunityEachprogramorscheduledprogramslotcarriesitsownmicroaudienceldquofragmentedpublicsrdquothatareoftennotpartofanintegratedflowofpro-grammingthatattractsanaudiencetothechannelsoverall(Higgins2002)
Freeexpressionandaudiencedevelopmentarenotmutuallyexclusivenordoparticipatorymanagementstructuresvolunteerinvolvementandproducertrain-ingprogramsneedtoimpedeaudiencedevelopmentThesuccessofAmyGoodmanandDemocracyNowsoundlydemonstratesthisInfactmanycommunitymediaorgani-zationshavecreatedprogramminginitiativesthatcombinesophisticatedmeasurementsofsocialoutcomeswith
conclusions
trainingandparticipatoryprogramplanningTheyhavenotonlyraisedthesocialvalueoftheirprogrammingtotheircommunitiestheyhavealsoincreasedthesizeandloyaltyoftheiraudiences(Aufderheide2003)Asinteractivemediabegintocreatetheconditionswherenicheprogram-mingcanbefarmoresuccessfulthetensionbetweenfreeexpressionandaudiencedevelopmentisnotonlyachal-lengebutalsoatremendousopportunity
Programming MetricsStillroundtableparticipantsrepeatedlynotedthatevenwhenprogrammingmeetscommunityneedscommunitymediaorganizationscanfinditdifficulttodocumentimpactTheyfeltthatfundershavegenerallynotyetaddressedtheroleofmediainpopularcultureorthepowerofpopularcultureinaddressingsocialproblemsInaddi-tionfundersfindithardtoestablishcost-benefitmeasuresofsocialimpactfortheirmediaexpenditures
ParticipantsaskedformodelsofaudiencefeedbackandoutcomesmeasurementthatgobeyondaudiencenumbersTheyacknowledgedthedifficultyofquantify-ingnotionsofsuccesswhichtendtobeverysubjectiveandofusingsuccessstoriesinthecommonprogrammingmetricsofthedayManyrecognizedskepticismamongfundersabouttheimportanceofcommunitymediaasuspicionaboutagendasandafearofthecostsinvolvedmakingcommunitymediaahardsellEventhoughafewgoodevaluationeffortswereacknowledgedtheircollectiveresultshavenotbeenincorporatedintothethinkingofthewiderfundingcommunity
FundingMulti-yearstablefundingsupportforcommunitymediainitiativesiscriticaltostabilityinnovationandgrowthRoundtableparticipantsdiscussednumerousinstancesinwhichprojectswithmulti-yearsupporthadpowerfulpositiveimpactsextendingbeyondtheinitialprojectgoalsMulti-yearfundingcreatesthestabilitytoundertakeproperstrategicplanningandpartnershipdevelopment
Thereissomeearlyevidencethatamultiple-plat-formnonprofit-orientednichemarketcouldemergeasasignificantopportunitytoprovideenhancedrevenueforthecommunityandnoncommercialmediasectorsTheinterac-tivecapacityofthenewnetworkssignificantlyincreasestherevenuepotentialforcooperativeandsubscription-styleprogrammingflowsHoweverstrongmarketsforcommer-ciallyfundedparticipatorycommunityexpressionhavenotyetemergedinthedigitaleraduetothelimitedsizeofpopulationsandavailableadvertisingsupportIfthereistobeavitalsectorofcommunity-basedmediasomeformofsignificantpublicfundingwillbenecessaryevenininstanceswherecommunitymediaorganizationsmightrealizesignificantrevenuefromnewmarketsInordertomakethemostefficientuseofpublicfundingcommuni-tiesmustevolvefundingandgovernancestructuresforcommunitymediathatcanfacilitatetheaggregationoffundscoordinatemultiple-organizationprojectsandactastrustedconvenersofprogramminganddevelopmentdiscus-sionsincommunities
Policy ThreatsWhiletheconvergenceoftechnologyandpracticescreatesincreasingpotentialsforaunifiedcommunitymediasectorthereisunfortunatelynocohesiveandunifiednationalpolicyframeworkforcommunitymediaThegovernmentpoliciesandregulationsthatexistforcommunitymediahavebeenretrofittedinthearenasofUSbroadcastingandtelephonypolicyWhiletheyrepresenthard-wonpoliticalvictoriesandstrategicinsighttheydonotaddresstheneedsofcommunitymediainaholisticway
Inthecurrentpoliticalclimatebroadcastmediaownershipcontrolandprogrammingwillcontinuetobecentralizedinfewercorporationsleavingcommunitieswithlessoptionsforcontrollingtheirlocalmediaenviron-mentsAtthesametimethetelephonecompanieswillenterthemarketforvideotelephonyandbroadbandbydeployinghigh-capacitydigitaltelevisionnetworksinmanycommunitiesintheUnitedStates
ThecurrenttrendofcentralizationinUStele-communicationspolicyisthreateningtheabilityoflocal
Freeexpressionandaudiencedevelopmentarenotmutuallyexclusivenordoparticipatorymanagementstructuresvolunteerinvolvementandproducertrainingprogramsneedtoimpedeaudiencedevelopment
Communitymediaorganizationscanfinditdifficulttodocumentimpact
governmentstomandatecommunity-basedcommunica-tionsnetworksandprogramminginitiativesasrentonthepublicrights-of-wayThesefundingmechanismscurrentlysupportPublicEducationandGovernment(PEG)accesscabletelevisioncentersmediaartscentersandmanymunicipalcommunicationnetworksWhilefarfromperfectregulatorymechanismstheyareoneofthemostsuccess-fulformsofpublicmediasupporttoariseinthelastthirtyyears
Overthenextfiveyearsthesesuccessfulfundingstrategieswillbeunderheavyattackbythetelephonecom-paniesandthecabletelevisionindustryinastrugglewithgovernmentsforcommunitycontrolofthepublicrights-of-wayThesamedynamicthreatensequitableInternetaccessIncreasinglybroadbandcommunitynetworksaremunicipallyownedormandatedWhilesomeofthesemunicipalbroadbandnetworksweredeployedforinternalmunicipalpurposestimehasshownthatsuchnetworkscanserveanumberofnon-governmentalcommunity-basedpurposesincludingwirelessISPconnectionsforresidentsbusinessesandvisitorsManycommunitiesareseeking(andsomehaveobtained)ldquoCommunityBenefitsAgreementsrdquowithproposedwirelessbroadbandvendorsthatsetasideasmallfranchisefeeongrossrevenuestosupportdigitalinclusionactivitiesfollowingtheexampleofcablecompaniessupportofPEGaccessHowevermunicipalbroadbandandmunicipalwirelessareunderattackbyindustriestryingtoreservethesedevelopmentrightsforthemselves
Theoutcomeofthedebatesaroundcontroloftherights-of-waywillhaveasignificantimpactonthefuturepathofcommunitymediadevelopmentThesedebateswillrangeacrosstheregulatoryspectrumtheyarenowbeingwagedinlocalstateandnationallegislativearenasandthecourtsTheresultingcommunicationsinfrastruc-tureandregulatoryframeworkwillbeabletorealizethepotentialsofcommunitymediaifandonlyifcommunitiesareabletotakeleadershipinprovidingsubstantialpublicaswellasprivatefundingAsanoldtruismnotesldquomoneyispolicyrdquo
Therearenopoliticalortechnicalguaranteesthatdigitalmedianetworkswillremainopenandparticipa-toryastheyevolveItisunlikelythatmarketforcesalone
willservetorealizethedemocraticpotentialoftodayrsquosparticipatorymediatechnologyBuildingarobustsectorofcommunity-baseddemocraticnewmediawillrequireeffectivecitizenactivismclearandresponsivegovern-mentpoliciesandeffectivepoliticalstrategiesCommunitymedianeedsseparaterecognitionandsupportwithinfed-eralstateandlocalcommunicationspolicyandregulatorystructuresinordertoensureequitableandstablefundinganddevelopment
models for the futureThegovernmentregulationsandsubsidiesthatunderpincommunitymediahaveevolvedinahodgepodgefashionoverthepastsixtyyearsItcanbearguedthatcommunitymediashouldbetreatedasaseparatesectorwithinte-gratedfundingstructuresconsistentinfrastructureandtaxandsubsidypoliciesthatareseparateanddistinctfromexistinglocalmediapoliciesandalsofromthepoliciesunderpinningpublicbroadcastingPossiblemodelsforamoreunifiedapproacharenumerousbuttwoappearpar-ticularlywellsuitedtocommunitymediarsquosdiverseformsorganizationsandprogrammingapproaches
Public Funding FindingappropriatemethodsofincreasingpublicfundingforcommunitymediainashiftingregulatoryenvironmentiscrucialCurrentlocalcablefranchisingregulationstosupportcableaccessandthecommunitybenefitsagree-mentsofmunicipalwirelessnetworksoffersuccessfulmodelsbutarenowbothunderattackThelawsrequiringcommercialcableproviderstosetasidebandwidthchan-nelcapacityforthepublicinadditiontooperatingfundingbasedonapercentageofcommercialrevenuescouldbeextendedtoincludevoicevideoanddataEssentiallythenanycommercialproviderusingthepublicrights-of-wayorthewirelessspectrumwouldberequiredtocontributeanequitablepercentageofbandwidthandrev-enuetosupportthecommunitycommunicationssector
Community Media DevelopmentAdequatelevelsoffundingareonlypartoftheequationWhilefundingshouldsupporttheoverallgrowthofthe
Thereisunfortunatelynocohesiveandunifiednationalpolicyframe-workforcommunitymedia
setasidebandwidthchannelcapacityforthepublicinadditiontooperatingfunding
communitymediasectorinasensiblefashionanyfundingsolutionmustaddressthedifficultynowexperiencedbyfundersindealingwithcommunitymediahowtoprovideoverallsupporttoasectormadeupofsmallindependentorganizationswithanextremelydiversesetoffundingsourcesandmissionsOneeconomicdevelopmentapproachseemsparticularlyusefulhereProgressivecommunityeconomicdevelopmentstrategieshaveevolvedtosupportthegrowthofadiversityofsmallenterpriseswithinacom-monsectorwhilerecognizingthattheseenterprisescanatdifferenttimesbecollaboratorspartnersorcompetitorsSimilarstrategiescanguidedevelopmentofthecommunitymediasector
Thereareatleasttwoshort-termstepsthatcouldassistinthedevelopmentofcommunitymediaorgani-zationsandsupporttheircitizensrsquoabilitytocopewithcommercialmediaandinformationsaturationOneisforcommunitiestobuildorsecureaffordablebroadbandandwirelessnetworkinfrastructurewithastrongcommu-nitybenefitsagreementinsupportofdigitalinclusionHundredsofcommunitiesacrossthecountryeitherhaveorarelaunchingsuchwirelesscommunitynetworksmanyincollaborationwithwirelessvendorswhoinordertowinaservicecontractwiththemunicipalityinquestionaresup-portingdigitalliteracytraininginexpensiverefurbishedcomputersandlocalcontentdevelopmentndashinshortprogramsofdigitalinclusionandexcellence
AsecondopportunityidentifiedbyroundtableparticipantsisthepotentialforanationalsupportnetworkforexistingcommunitymediaorganizationsAnationalsupportnetworklinkingcommunitiesandtheircommu-
nitymediapractitionersandinstitutionscouldfacilitatearangeofactivitiesincludinglocal-to-localcommunicationorexchangesofinformationandprogrammingbetweencommunitiesvirtualspaceforanationalnetworkofcommunitymediaorganizationstohelptoorganizeuni-fiedpolicyadvocacywiderdistributionofpastproductsformationofissue-responseteamstoadvanceinterestsofcommunitygroupsandtapintolocalresourcesandshareddirectoriesofpractitionerstrainersandfacilitiesConveningleadersfromtheaggregatorsandassociationsservingcommunitymediaintheirvariousforms(listedinAppendix2)mightbeagoodnextsteptoexplorethisopportunity
the promiseThepracticeofcommunitymediahasmanagedtogrowandevolveoverthepastsixtyyearsdespiteunevenandgenerallylowlevelsofsupportandinconsistentgovernmentpoliciesEllieRenniearesearchfellowattheInstituteforSocialResearchSwinburneUniversityofTechnologyhaswrittenthatcommunitymediaareoftendefinednegativelyforwhattheyareopposedtoratherthanpositivelyforwhattheyhaveachieved(Rennie2006)Weareawarethatcom-munitymediahaveoftenbeendismissedasmarginalandidiosyncraticbuttheexamplescitedinthisreportprovidepowerfulevidencetothecontraryItistimetodefinecommunitymediabywhattheyhaveachievedCommunitymediaattheirbesthaveconsistentlydemonstratedtheirpotentialtoempowercommunitiesandindividualstoparticipateascitizensincommunityandeconomicdevelop-mentartseducationcommunitydialogandpoliticaldebateInmanyinstancestheyhavebecomecentralcul-turalsurvivalinstitutionsasourcommunitiesdealwiththeimpactofcommercialmediasaturationandglobalization
Duringtheroundtablediscussionsthattookplaceaspartofthisscanitwasobviousthatthevalueofcom-munitymediatocommunitiestranscendsthemeasurableeffectsofcivicengagementandcommunitydevelopmentCommunitymediacanallowindividualsincommunitiestohaveprofoundexperiencesofactivelyexpressingthem-selvesthroughmediaForpeoplewhohaveseenthemselvesaspassivereceptorsatthebottomofacascadeofpackagedmediaexperiencesandmessagesactiverepresentationoftheirownlivesandcircumstanceshasatransformativeeffectthatgoesbeyondsimplephraseslikeldquocivicengage-mentrdquoThevalueofcommunitymediatoindividualsandthecommunitiestheyliveinisincalculable
hellipaffordablebroadbandandwirelessnetworkinfrastructurewithastrongcommunitybenefitsagreement
anationalsupportnetworkforexistingcommunitymediaorganizations
Appendix 1 Community media empowerment StrategieS
empoWerment Activity ApproAch infrAstructure or venue
AccessAccesstocommunicationsinfrastructureproductiontools
MakingavailablemediaproductiontoolscomputerstelevisionandradiodistributionInternetsoftwarecommunitycommunicationsinfrastructuremeetingspacewebservers
Democraticcitizenaccesstocommunicationstoolsanddisseminationinfrastructure
CablebroadbandmunicipaltelecomInternetWiFiWiMAXlocalandpublicservicebroadcasting
AlternativeContent CreationofvideoaudiofilmwebsitesInternet-basedcitizenmediaP2Pmediabloggingsocialnetworkingsoftwaredatabasesandprintproduction
Contentpositionedtocounterorsupplementmassmediacontentandinformationfrommainstreamsources
AllplatformswithanincreasingexpansionwithinIPNetworksandcross-platformproductionanddissemination
CompetencyLiteracyMedialiteracyinformationliteracydigitalliteracyandculturalliteracy
Mediaartsandaestheticeducationlearningtogainacivicvoiceinamediaculturearticulationofmediabiasesengaginginmediaandpoliticsunderstandingcommoditycultureparentinginamedia-saturatedhome
Interventioninthecomplexmanipulationofsymbolsandculture
Allmassmediaprintelectronic
CommunityBuilding Workforcetrainingandskillbuildingmicro-enterprisedevelopmentbusinessinfrastructuredevelopment
Communityorganizingparticipatoryplanningdemocraticeconomicdevelopmentworkforceandinfrastructuredevelopment
Localmediamunicipaltelecominfrastructurecomputerandtechnologyincubatorsandtechnologycenters
0
Itisdifficulttounderstandthefullscopeofcommu-nitymediaculturewithoutknowingofthefollowingorganizationswhichsupportcommunitymediaand
independentmediapracticesTheyplayanumberofrolesasnationalassociationsrepresentingnetworksofcommu-nitymediaorganizationsandmediaartsorganizationsasproducernetworksandstrategiccommunicationsplannerslinkingcommunityorganizationswithcommunitymediaorganizationsasorganizationsofcommunityactivistsandproducersworkingtomoreeffectivelysupportandusecommunitymediaandascollaboratorsandpartnersincommunitydevelopmenttrainingandeducation
ActiveVoicehttpwwwactivevoicenet
AllianceforCommunityMediahttpwwwalliancecmorg
AssociationforCommunityNetworking
httpwwwafcnorg
CommunityMediaWorkshophttpwwwnewstipsorg
CommunityTechnologyCentersrsquoNetwork
httpwwwctcnetorg
DeepDishTVhttpdeepdishtvorg
FreeSpeechTVhttpwwwfreespeechorg
IndependentTelevisionServicehttpwwwitvsorg
IndependentMediaCenterIndymedia
httpwwwindymediaorg
LatinoPublicBroadcastinghttpwwwlpbporg
LinkTVhttplinktvorg
LPFMDatabasecom
httpwwwangelfirecomnj2piratejimlpfmhtml
MediaTankhttpwwwmediatankorg
MediaWorkingGrouphttpwwwmwgorg
NationalAllianceforMediaArtsandCulture
httpwwwnamacorg
NationalAsianAmericanTelecommunicationsAssochttp
asianamericanmediaorgindexhtml
NativeAmericanPublicTelecommunications
httpasianamericanmediaorgindexhtml
NationalBlackProgrammingConsortium
httpwwwnbpctv
NationalFederationofCommunityBroadcasters
httpwwwnfcborg
NationalPublicRadiohttpwwwnpr
NationalPublicTelecomputingNetworkhttpwwwnptnorg
PaperTigerTelevisionhttpwwwpapertigerorg
PacificIslandersinCommunications
httpwwwpiccomorg
PewCenterforCivicJournalismhttpwwwpewcenterorg
PrometheusRadioProject
httpwwwprometheusradioorg
PublicBroadcastingServicehttpwwwpbsorg
PublicRadioExchangehttpwwwprxorg
ReclaimtheMediahttpwwwreclaimthemediaorg
StarfishTelevisionNetworkhttpwwwstarfishtvorg
WebsitesofUSPEGAccessChannels
httpwwwbevcamorgpeg
WorldAssociationofCommunityRadioBroadcasters
httpwwwamarcorg
Appendix 2 aggregatorS and aSSoCiationS
Appalshophttpwwwappalshoporg
BayAreaVideoCoalitionhttpwwwbavcorg
BeyondMediaEducationhttpwwwbeyondmediaorg
CambridgeCommunityTelevisionhttpwwwcctvcambridgeorg
CasaGuatemalaMediaProjecthttpwwwcasaguatemalaorg
CharlotteObserverhttpwwwcharlottecom
ChicagoAccessNetworkTelevisionhttpwwwcantvorg
GrandRapidsCommunityMediaCenterhttpgrcmcorg
GrandNethttpwwwgrcmcorgnposervicesitphp
GRTVhttpwwwgrcmcorgtv
ideastreamhttpwwwideastreamorg
IFPMinnesotaCenterforMediaArtshttpwwwifpnorthorgabouthtml
IntermediaArtshttpwwwintermediaartsorg
KartemquinFilmshttpwwwkartemquincom
KBOOhttpwwwkbooorg
KFAIhttpwwwkfaiorg
LowellTelecommunicationsCenterhttpltcorg
ManhattanNeighborhoodNetworkhttpmnnorg
MediaArtsProjecthttpwwwthemaporg
MetroGovernmentCommunityMediaInitiativehttpwwwmetro-regionorg
MetropolitanAustinInteractiveNetworkhttpwwwmainorg
MinneapolisTelevisionNetworkhttpwwwmtnorg
MinnesotaChannelhttpwwwtptorgmnchannelnew
MinnesotaPublicRadiohttpminnesotapublicradioorghttpminnesotapublicradioorgpublicinsightjournalism
MountainAreaInformationNetworkhttpmainncus
MtHoodCableRegulatoryCommissionhttpwwwmhcrcorg
NewAmericaMediahttpnewsnewamericamediaorgnews
NewRoutestoCommunityHealthhttpwwwnewroutesorg
NorthwestFilmandVideoCenterhttpwwwnwfilmorg
OneClevelandhttpwwwoneclevelandorg
OregonPublicBroadcastinghttpwwwopborg
PortlandCommunityMediahttpwwwpcmtvorg
RadioArtehttpwwwwrteorg
SaintPaulNeighborhoodNetworkhttpwwwspnnorg
ScribeVideoCenterhttpwwwscribeorg
SoundPartnersforCommunityHealthhttpwwwsoundpartnersorg
StreetLevelYouthMediahttpwwwstreet-levelorg
TwinCitiesDailyPlanethttpwwwtcdailyplanetnet
TwinCitiesMediaAlliancehttpwwwtcmediaallianceorg
TwinCitiesPublicTelevisionhttpwwwtptorg
URTVhttpwwwurtvorg
WalkerArtCenterhttpwwwwalkerartorgindexwac
WCIW-LPhttppacificanetworkorgradiocontentview17542httpwwwciw-onlineorg
WGBHhttpwwwwgbhorg
WHYYhttpwhyyorg
WPVMhttpwwwwpvmorg
WYBEhttpwwwwybeorg
WYCEhttpwwwgrcmcorgradio
YouthChannelhttpwwwyouthchannelorg
Appendix 3 Community media praCtitionerSWebsitesofthosepractitionersmentionedinthetext
AndersonRachelBenton Digital Beat Extra Noncommercial Networks on DBSWashingtonDCBentonFoundation2000
AufderheidePatricialdquoCableAccessTVandthePublicSphererdquoinThe Daily Planet A Critic on the Capitalist Culture BeatMinneapolisandLondonUniversityofMinnesotaPress2000a
AufderheidePatriciaIn The Battle for Reality Social Documentaries in the USWashingtonDCAmericanUniversityCenterforSocialMedia2003
AufderheidePatricialdquoTheWhatandHowofPublicBroadcastingrdquoinThe Daily Planet A Critic on the Capitalist Culture BeatMinneapolisandLondonUniversityofMinnesotaPress2000b
AynteAbdirahmanldquoSomaliWebsitesACompetitiveAlternativeMediaandaFarcetoReckonWithrdquoHiiraan Onlinehttpwwwhiiraancomnews2006aprsomali_websitesaspx
AzzouzBushraTomChamberlinandMarleneFarnumThe Community Media Project Building Community through Media(Aproposedmodelforafive-yearinitiativetoproducelocaltelevisionprogrammingthatbroadensthedialogueonissuesimportanttotheOregoncommunityandcreatesastrongsenseofplace)PortlandORMetroDecember2000
BarlowWilliamldquoCommunityRadiointheUSTheStruggleForADemocraticMediumrdquoinMedia Culture and SocietyVol10(1988)
BenklerYochaiThe Wealth of Networks How Social Production Transforms Markets and FreedomNewHavenYaleUniversityPress2006
BentonFoundationDigital Alliances Partners in Public
Service Models for CollaborationUniversityParkPAThePennsylvaniaStateUniversity2002
BlauAndrewDeep Focus A Report on the Future of Independent MediaSanFranciscoNationalAllianceforMediaArtsandCulture2004
BowmanShayneandChrisWillisWe Media How Audiences Are Shaping the Future of News and InformationEditedbyJDLasicaRestonVATheMediaCenteratTheAmericanPressInstitute2003httpwwwhypergenenetwemediadownloadwe_mediapdf
BurnettRonldquoFromCommunityMediatoInternationalNetworksrdquoCritical Approaches to Culture + Communications + HypermediaNovember182005httpwwweciadca~rburnettWeblogarchives200511from_communityhtml
CanoAndrealdquoMicroradioAToolforCommunityEmpowermentrdquoinPublic Broadcasting and the Public InterestEditedbyMichaelPMcCauleyEricEPetersonBLeeArtzandDeeDeeHalleckLondonMESharpe2003
CarnegieCommissiononEducationalTelevisionPublic Television A Program for ActionNewYorkBantam1967
CastellsManuelThe Rise of the Network Society The Information Age Economy Society and CultureVolumes12amp3MaldenMABlackwellPublishersInc2005
ChesterJeffBeyond Broadcast Expanding Public Media in the Digital AgeWashingtonDCCenterforDigitalDemocracyFebruary2006httpwwwdemocraticmediaorgBBBBfrontphp
ChristensenPaulNanMcIntyreandLynnPikholzldquoBridgingCommunityandEconomicDevelopmentAStrategyforUsingIndustryClusterstoLinkNeighborhoodsandtheRegionalEconomyrdquo(reportfundedbytheFordFoundation)ClevelandShorebankEnterpriseGroup2005
ldquoCitizenJournalismrdquoissueofNieman ReportsCambridgeMATheNiemanFoundationforJournalismatHarvardUniversityVol59No4Winter2005eMprintNewsbookhttpwwwniemanharvardedureports05-4NRwinterNR05W_Citizen_Journalismpdf
City PagesldquoBestPublicAccessCableTVProgramSomaliTVrdquoBestoftheTwinCities2004MNApril282004httpcitypagescombestof2004artsandentertainmentbestof2379asp
bibliogrAphy
CruzRossanaReguilloldquoTheOracleintheCityBeliefsPracticesandSymbolicGeographiesrdquoinGlobal Cities of the South (Social Text)EditedbyAshleyDawsonandBrentHayesEdwardsTranslatedbyBrentHayesEdwardsandNoraNicoliniDurhamNCDukeUniversityPress81(Volume22Number4)Winter2004
DeLasCasasLucywithSimonBurallJohnMorrisonDavidKaleteandJagadanandaldquoGlobalMediaReformandAccountabilityReportfromtheNationalMediaReformConferencerdquoStLouis2005httpwwwoneworldtrustorgpagesdownloadcfmdid=281
DevineRobertHldquoVideoAccessandAgencyrdquoConferencepresentationTheNationalFederationofLocalCableProgrammersStPaulMNJuly171992
DirlinMartyandCathyMelioldquoTheGrassrootsRadioMovementintheUnitedStatesrdquoinPublic Broadcasting and the Public InterestEditedbyMichaelPMcCauleyEricEPetersonBLeeArtzandDeeDeeHalleckLondonMESharpe2003
DowningJohnDHwithTamaraVillarealFordGeneveGilandLauraSteinRadical Media Rebellious Communication and Social MovementsThousandOaksCASagePublications2001
EgerJohnldquoCreativeClustersandtheUrbanEconomyrdquoGovernment and Technology(February62006)httpwwwgovtechnetnewsnewsphpid=98345
EgerJohnMThe Creative Community Forging The Links Between Art Culture Commerce amp CommunityTheCaliforniaInstituteforSmartCommunitiesSanDiegoStateUniversity2005httpwwwsmartcommunitiesorgcreativeCreativeCommBroFINALpdf
EngelmanRalphPublic Radio and Television in America A Political HistoryThousandOaksCASagePublications1996
GillespieGilbertPublic Access Television in the United States and CanadaNewYorkPraegerPublishers1975
GillmorDanWe the Media Grassroots Journalism by the People for the PeopleSebastopolCAOrsquoReillyMediaInc2006
GrahamStephenandSimonMarvinTelecommunications and the City Electronic Spaces Urban PlacesLondonandNewYorkRoutledge1996
HalleckDeeDeeHand-Held Visions The Impossible Possibilities of Community MediaNewYorkFordhamUniversityPress2002
HigginsJohnWldquoAlternativeMediaandtheCultofIndividualismExperiencesfromUSPublicAccessTVrdquoPaperpresentedattheldquoOurMediardquopre-conferenceoftheInternationalAssociationforMediaandCommunicationResearchCommunityCommunicationSectionBarcelonaSpainJuly202002httpwwwourmedianetorgpapersom2002Higginsom2002pdf
HowleyKevinCommunity Media People Places and Communication TechnologiesCambridgeCambridgeUniversityPress2005
HoynesWilliamldquoThePBSBrandandtheMerchandisingofthePublicServicerdquoinPublic Broadcasting and the Public InterestEditedbyMichaelPMcCauleyEricEPetersonBLeeArtzandDeeDeeHalleckLondonMESharpe2003
JankowskiNicholasWldquoCommunityMediaResearchAQuestforTheoreticallyGroundedModelsrdquoThePublicVol1015(2003)httpmokkbmehucentreconferencesreactivismFPfpNJ
JankowskiNicholasWandOlePrehnedsCommunity Media in the Information Age Perspectives and ProspectsCresskillNJHamptonPress2002
LashScottThe Critique of InformationLondonSagePublications2002
ListerMartinJonDoveySethGiddingsIainGrantandKieranKellyNew Media A critical IntroductionLondonandNewYorkRoutledge2003
LloydMarkldquoRadioandLocalismWhatWhenWrongrdquoinContext(publishedbytheCenterforCommunicationsandCommunityUCLA)IssueNo4(WinterSpring2006)
MacintyreBenldquoWelcometotheNewTomPainesrdquoTimesOnlineNovember132004httpwwwtimesonlinecouktolcommentarticle390484ece
MaherVincentTowards a Critical Media Studies Approach to the BlogosphereNewMediaLabPublicationSchoolofJournalismandMediaStudiesRhodesUniversitySouthAfrica2006
MetroCommunity Media Project Evaluation Report PortlandORMetroJuly2004
MostStephenldquoBAVCandTheBigPicturerdquoinA Closer Look Media Arts 2002EditedbyHelenDeMichielSanFranciscoNationalAllianceforMediaArtsandCulture2002
NewAmericaMedialdquoEthnicMediainAmericaTheGiantHiddeninPlainSightrdquoPollconductedbyBendixenampAssociates2005httpnewsnewamericamediaorgnewsview_articlehtmlarticle_id=0443821787ac0210cbecebe8b1f576a3
OlsonBillThe History of Public Access Television2000httpwwwgeocitiescomiconostarhistory-public-access-TVhtml200415
PewCenterforCivicJournalismldquoDoingCivicJournalismrdquo2007httpwwwpewcenterorgdoingcj
PierceSteveldquoDBSandthePublicInterestOpportunityinSatelliteTelevisionrdquoinPublic Broadcasting and the Public InterestEditedbyMichaelPMcCauleyEricEPetersonBLeeArtzandDeeDeeHalleckLondonMESharpe2003
PhilipsSusanldquoTrueCommunityTowardaCollaborativeEthosScribersquoslsquoTrueCommunityVisionrsquordquoinA Closer Look Media Arts 2002EditedbyHelenDeMichielSanFranciscoNationalAllianceforMediaArtsandCulture2002
PorterMichaelEldquoLocationCompetitionandEconomicDevelopmentLocalClustersinaGlobalEconomyrdquoEconomic Development Quarterly14no1(February2000)15-34
ProjectforExcellenceinJournalismldquoMajorTrendsrdquoinState of the News Media 2006 An Annual Report on American Journalismhttpwwwstateofthenewsmediaorg2006nar-rative_overview_eightaspcat=2ampmedia=1
PrometheusRadioProjectldquoOurFifthBarnraisingmdashWCIW-LPinImmokaleeFloridardquohttpprometheusradioorgcontentview48952006
RennieEllieCommunity Media A Global IntroductionLanhamMDRowmanandLittlefieldPublishers2006
RodriguezClemenciaFissures in the Mediascape An International Study of Citizenrsquos MediaCresskillNJHamptonPress2001
SchafferJanldquoCitizensMediaHasItReachedaTippingPointrdquoinldquoCitizenJournalismrdquoissueofNieman Reports CambridgeMATheNiemanFoundationforJournalismatHarvardUniversityVol59No4Winter2005aeMprintNewsbookhttpwwwniemanharvardedureports05-4NRwinterNR05W_Citizen_Journalismpdf
SchafferJanInterviewonThe NewsHour With Jim Lehrer PBSEveningNewsNovember162005b
SchulerDouglasldquoTheRiseofCommunityNetworksrdquoInternet WorldDecember1995
SchulerDougandPeterDayShaping the Network Society The New Role of Civil Society in CyberspaceCambridgeandLondonMITPress2004
ShirkyClayPower Laws Weblogs and Inequality EconomicsampCultureMediaampCommunityBlog2005OpenSourcehttpshirkycomwritingspowerlaw_webloghtml
ShirkyClaySocial Software and the Politics of GroupsEconomicsampCultureMediaampCommunityBlog2005OpenSourcehttpshirkycomwritingsgroup_politicshtml
Somerset-WardRichardBroadband Community Networks Building the Digital CommonsAreportfortheHaasCharitableTrustsPhiladelphia2005
Somerset-WardRichardConnecting Communities WashingtonDCBentonFoundation2000
Spannerworkse-bookWhat is Social MediaJanuary2007httpwwwspannerworkscomebooks
StarrJeroldMldquoPublicTelevisionintheDigitalAgeTownHallorCyberMallrdquoinPublic Broadcasting and the Public InterestEditedbyMichaelPMcCauleyEricEPetersonBLeeArtzandDeeDeeHalleckLondonMESharpe2003
SteinLauraldquoPublicAccessTelevisionandGrassrootsCommunicationintheUnitedStatesrdquoChapter20inRadical Media Rebellious Communication and Social MovmentsEditedbyJohnDowningThousandOaksCASagePublications2001
SussmanGeraldandJREstesldquoCommunityRadioinCommunityDevelopmentPortlandrsquosKBOORadiordquoinThe Portland Edge Challenges and Successes in Growing CommunitiesEditedbyConniePOzawaPortlandStateUniversityIslandPress2004
WhitneyJenniferldquoMakeMediaMakeRealTroubleWhatrsquosWrong(andRight)withIndymediardquoLiPMagazineJune212005httpwwwlipmagazine
orgarticlesfeatwhitney_indymedia_phtml
technologyprogrammingactivitiesandtheexperienceofcommunityaudiencesvolunteersandparticipantsEachorganizationreliesonnoncommercialaffordablebandwidtheachplayssomeroleinadvocatingforsupportivegovern-mentpoliciesandeachisexperimentingwiththepotentialofnewcollaborativemediatoolsOftencommittedtoengagingandtrainingvolunteersandcommunitymembersinsomemannertheymayoffertrainingandvolunteerpro-gramsthatrequiresimilarsharableonlinetutorialsandonlineoutreachandschedulemanagementtools
TheexamplesthatfollowdemonstratethewayscommunitymediacreativeclustersaremakinguniquecontributionstotheircommunitiesrsquoqualityoflifeandeconomicwellbeingTheyaredoingsointhreeimportantwaysbullfirstbyamplifyingtherolethatartsandculturalgroups
playinenhancingthequalityoflifeandattractingatalentedworkforceandcapitaltothecommunitymdasharolethatisgaininginsignificanceinthetwenty-firstcentury
bullsecondascontributorstocoreeconomicdevelopmentfunctionsinthecommunityincludingworkforcedevelop-mentandtrainingasmicro-enterpriseincubatorsandascreatorsofnewknowledgeandeducationalexperiencesand
bullthirdasfacilitatorsandcatalystsofcommunitydialoguecommittedtoembracingmarginalizedvoicesandallow-ingthecommunitytoundertakeitsowndevelopmentdemocratically
Lowell MassachusettsLowell Telecommunications Center(LTC)isapublicandgovernmentaccesschannelandmediaandtechnologycen-terItprovideseducationandtraininginmediacreationincludingwebdesigndigitalphotographyandtelevisionproductionLTCworksincollaborationwithotherlocalcommunity-basedorganizationsmunicipaldepartmentsandeducationalentitiestoproducediversemulticulturalprogrammingthatmeetsthecommunityrsquoscommunica-tionandinformationneedsLTChasbecomeaconvening
organizationforbuildingcapacityamongLowellrsquosnonprofitcommunity-basedorganizationsintheiruseofparticipatorymediaandcivicengagementstrategies
LTCismorefocusedthanothercommunitymediaorganizationsoncommunitybuildingandcommunicationtechnologyThecorporationisworkingtobuildanetworkforparticipatorymediaandcivicengagementthroughouttheMerrimacRiverValleyThroughaUSDepartmentofEducationgrantLTCacquiredfundingandstafftohelpitspartnerorganizationsbecomeInternet-capableassesstheirinformationtechnologyneedsacquiretechnologyupgradestoaddressthoseneedsandundertakethetrainingtousethetechnologyeffectively
RatherthanwaitingforgroupstocometoitscenterLTCcreatedacircuitridertrainingprogramthattookthetrainingprogramintothecommunityThroughLTCrsquosinformationtechnologycenterscoresofcommunitygroupshavereceivedtrainingdesignedandcreatedwebsitesanddevelopedstrategiccommunicationsplansforthefutureThosedevelopmentsincludeweb-basedhistoricalarchivesGISmappingsystemsmultimediamaterialsandInternetvideoTohelporganizationsacquirethesoftwaretheyneedtocarryouttheirmissionsLTCcreatedtheCommunitySoftwareLabwhichdevelopsuniquesoftwaretofittheneedsofareanonprofitsThelabhasbeenspunofftocreateaseparatenonprofitentityjoiningthegrowingnumberofindependentorganizationsthatnetworkthroughLTC
ThemostrecentLTCinitiativeisldquoDigitalBicyclerdquoapeer-to-peernetworkthatallowsmediacentersworldwidetodownloadandsharelocalcontentLTCstaffenvisionDigitalBicycleasanonlinecommunityforcableaccessmediaartsindependentmediaandothernoncommercialmedia
Grand Rapids MichiganldquoBuildingcommunitythroughmediardquoThissimplemissionstatementguidedtheGrand Rapids Community Media Center(GRCMC)asitevolvedfromatypicalcableaccessoperationtobecomeabroad-basedmultimediacenterandamodelforthedevelopmentofcommunitymultimediacentersintheUnitedStatesOverthepasttwentyyears
Communitymediacreativeclustersaremakinguniquecon-tributionstotheircommunitiesrsquoqualityoflifeandeconomicwellbeing
LTCisworkingtobuildanetworkforparticipatorymediaandcivicengagementthroughouttheMerrimacRiverValley
GRCMChaspulledthediversecommunitymediaactivitiesofGrandRapidsunderoneorganizationalumbrellaandtakentheleadinarticulatingthepotentialforaggregatingnoncommercialnetworkedcommunicationsthere
Theevolvingnetworkofmediaplatformsdis-ciplinesandculturalgroupsthatconvergetobecomeGRCMCnowincludesthefollowingcentersofpracticeGRTVacommunitytelevisioncenterthatprogramsmultiplecableaccesschannelsWYCEacommunityradiostationGrandnetacommunitytechnologyandnetworkcenterthatprovidescitizenandnonprofitaccesstotheInternetandtheGrandRapidsInstituteforInformationDemocracyacriticalmediaeducationandresearchcenterthattracksmediaandlocalpublicinterestissuesandpub-lishesinformationonmediaaccountabilityandreform
ButtheGrandRapidsCommunityMediaCenterismorethanthesumofitspartsThecomponentsofthecenterworktogetherinamutuallyreinforcingwholethatcreatesapowerfulcommunitymediapresenceinGrandRapidsandallowsthecentertoundertakefarmoreambitiousprojectsandprogrammingthanwouldbethecaseseparatelyOneexcellentexampleistheMobileOn-LineLearningLabforInformationEducationKnownasMOLLIEtheprogramprovidesskilledtrainersanddigitalvideoproductionequipmenttoschoolsandcommunityorganizationsforspecialprojectsOriginallyfundedbyafederalDepartmentofEducationgrantMOLLIEfillsintechnologygapsinGrandRapidseducationalinstitutionsandnonprofitsInthehandsofalessintegratedinstitutiontheMOLLIEprojectcouldeasilybeatechnicallyorientedequipmentloanandtrainingprogramInthehandsofthecenterMOLLIEhasbecomeasophisticatedmediaandtechnologyeducationalinitiativeprovidingatrainingprogramthataddressesmediaeducationfromtheperspec-tiveofallthecomponentsoftheGrandRapidsCommunityMediaCenter
Asheville North CarolinaOneofthemostarticulateeffortsmergingthecreativeclustersideawithparticipatorycommunicationhascomeaboutinAshevilleNorthCarolinaThroughapersistent
collaborationbetweenforwardlookingregionalgroupsandorganizationsndashinvolvingabroadnetworkofindi-vidualscommunitymediaandmediaartsgroupsintheAshevilleregionndashAshevillehaslaidthefoundationforacommunitymediadevelopmentcenterthatwillfunctionasacableaccesscentermediaartscenterandnewmediamicro-enterpriseincubatorAtthecenterofthiseffortisaninformalcoalitionoffourimportantgroupsinAshevilleMountainAreaInformationNetworkMediaArtsProjectBoncombeCountyEconomicDevelopmentCommissionandURTVThegroupsrepresentdistinctpointsofviewandconcernsaswellasconverginginterests
Eachgroupsharedtheinsightthatcivicparticipa-tionandeconomicsuccessinthetwenty-firstcenturyaredirectlyrelatedtohavingaccesstocommunicationstechnologyandknowledgeEachalsounderstoodthattherenegotiationofthecablefranchisesintheCityofAshevilleandsurroundingBoncombeCountywasastrategicmomenttocatalyzeandassociateanumberofcommunity-basedinformationandmediaartsactivitiesalreadyinplaceorplannedinAshevilleThegroupsusedthecablefranchisingprocesstocreateacommonorganizationalandfacilitiesinfrastructuresupportingtheuseofmediaforbothcivicandeconomicdevelopment
The Media Arts Project(MAP)isanetworkofmediaartiststhatcultivatesinnovativeartsandtechnol-ogyinwesternNorthCarolinaMAPworkedtirelesslytoframecableaccessasacommunitydevelopmentissuebridgingthemediaactivistcommunitiesandthemoreforward-thinkingfactionsamongeconomicdevelopmentprofessionalsintheregionWiththerecentopeningofURTV IncAshvillersquoscableaccessorganizationandfacilityMAPanditsnetworkofpartnersarenowturningtheirattentiontofundingthemediaartsandeconomicincubatorelementsofthevision
AshevillersquosinterestinsupportingcommunitymediaarisesfromthepresenceoftheMountain Area Information Network(MAIN)Inthetraditionoftheruralcooperativesthathelpedspreadthereachofelectricityinthe1930sMAINisanonprofitInternetserviceproviderofferingreliablelow-costInternetservicebothinwesternNorthCarolinaandnationwideItisauniquecommunitynetworkwithabroadvisionofitsroleinthecommunitythatencompassesmedialiteracyeconomicdevelopmentstrategiescommunitylow-powerradioacommunity-basedwebportalandtheprovisionofInternetconnectivitytoruralwesternNorthCarolinaMAINislargelyresponsiblefortheremarkableexpansionofInternetaccessibilityinwesternNorthCarolinaallowingthousandsofpeopleto
GRCMChaspulledthediversecommunitymediaactivitiesofGrandRapidsunderoneorganizationalumbrella
spendtheirInternetaccessdollarswithalocallycontrolledandaccountableorganizationMAINdemonstratesthevalueofthecommunitynetworkingconcepttoareasthatarelagginginconnectivityduetofailuresofthemarket
MAINhastakenaleadershiproleinbuildingacommunitymediacultureinAshevillethatdemonstratestheeasewithwhichdigitalmedialeapsorganizationalboundariesItscommunitynetworkrunstheBlueRidgeWebMarketwhichprovidesafreecustomizableInternetpresencetohundredsofsmallbusinessesthroughoutwesternNorthCarolinaItsLatinoDigitalLiteracyProjectofferstrainingtohelpthearearsquosgrowingLatinopopula-tionsaccesstheInternetMAINhasbeenoneofthekeypartnersinbringingacableaccesscentertoAshevilleandhasbeenthedrivingforcebehindWPVMWNCrsquoslow-powerFMradiostationbroadcastinglocalnewsviewsandmusicover-the-airintheAshevilleregion(andtheworldviawebcast)
Cleveland OhioPerhapsthemostrobustcommunity-basednonprofitnetworkintheUnitedStatesOne ClevelandprovideswhatitcallsldquoultrabroadbandnetworkingservicesrdquotoClevelandareaeducationgovernmentresearchartscultureandhealthcareorganizationsOneClevelandoperatesafibernetworkringthatcoversmuchofthecityofClevelandandmanyofitssurroundingsuburbsSubscriberstothenetworkconnectatgigabitspeeds
OneClevelandrepresentswhatcanhappenwhenpowerfulcommunitydevelopmentforcescometoaconsensusregardingtheircommunityrsquosneedforhigh-speedconnectivitytoglobaleconomiesandmediaItsfoundersareClevelandmainstreaminstitutionsCaseWesternReserveUniversityCuyahogaCommunityCollegeClevelandStateUniversityTheCityofClevelandGreaterClevelandRegionalTransitAuthorityideastreamCuyahogaCountyPublicLibraryandNorTechThenetworkhasformedrelationshipswithtechnologycompaniestomaintainup-to-dateapplicationsthatleveragethepotentialofsuchapowerfulnetwork
Oneofthenetworkrsquoskeypartners ideastream illustratesthesignificanceofworkingtogethertomakehigh-speedconnectivitypubliclyavailablethroughoutacommunityonitsowntermsBybuildingahigh-speednet-workOneClevelandhascreatedacivicnetworkspaceandinfrastructurethatallowsanewkindofmultimediapublicmediaorganizationtobecreatedIdeastreamresultedwhenWVIZPBSTelevisionand903WCPNRadiopublicbroad-castersmergedtoformanewnonprofitldquomultimediapublicserviceorganizationrdquoIdeastreamisabletoextenditsmediaexpertisebeyondbroadcastingtoonlinetechnologiesandapplicationsofalltypesmdashwhenyouareconnectingtothenetworkatthegigabitspeedsofOneClevelandrsquostherangeofapplicationsandtheirpotentialarehuge
MAINhastakenaleadershiproleinbuildingacommunitymediacultureinAshevillethatdemonstratestheeasewithwhichdigitalmedialeapsorganizationalboundaries
OneClevelandrepresentswhatcanhappenwhenpowerfulcommunitydevelopmentforcescometoaconsensusregardingtheircommunityrsquosneedforhigh-speedconnectivitytoglobaleconomiesandmedia
Inthecourseofpreparingthisreportndashpouringovertheliteratureandsynthesizinghoursofstructuredround-tableconversationsandone-on-oneinterviewswith
opinionleadersandsuccessfulpractitionersofcommunitymediandashonethingisextremelyclearThewayoursocietymakesandsharesinformationknowledgeandcultureisinaheightenedstateofchangeTheinteractivenatureoftheInternethasdemonstratedthatitispossibletoorganizecommunicationsinamuchmoredemocraticfashionSomehaveconcludedwearewitnessingthetransitionfromanindustrializedinformationenvironmenttoanetworkedinformationenvironmentTheoldindustrialmediastruc-turesbasedonexclusivehigh-costproductionprocessesarebeingchallengedbyanemergingmediasectorinwhichthecostofcreatinginformationknowledgeandculturehasbeenprofoundlyreducedandtheproductsareintercon-nectedwidelythroughnetworksliketheInternet(Benkler2006)IndeedthereisincreasingevidencethatthesenewmediaanddigitalnetworksareparticularlyconducivetononcommercialandnonprofitculturalproductionaswellasmoreparticipatoryandcollaborativemediapracticesInmanywaysthelong-standingvaluesandintentofcommu-nitymediaforeshadowthisnewmediaenvironment
ThescanresearchfocusedonfourkeyareasofinquiryWhataretheuniquecharacteristicsthatdistin-guishcommunitymediaWhatmakesmedia-communitycollaborationssuccessfulWhattypesofcommunitymediaorganizationsbestleveragenewtechnologiesHowmightcommunitymediaengageunderservedpopulationsinprogrammingtailoredtotheirneedsIneachinstancewefoundthatcommunitymediacombinedwithgreaterafford-ablebandwidthandopen-sourceapproachestoproductiondohavetremendouscommunitydevelopmentpotentialHowevernoneofthatpotentialwillcomeaboutmagicallyThecommunitymediasectorisfacingthechallengingtaskofmanagingextensivechangeandtransformation
chAllengesThesuccessdisappointmentsandsocialvalueofthepastsixtyyearsofcommunitymediainitiativesmustbejudgedinhistoricalcontextConsistentmisrepresentationinthemainstreammediaandlimitedunaccommodatingsocialpolicyhaveresultedininadequatevisibilityandfinancialsupportforcommunitymediaAnydiscussionofitssuccessesorfailuresmustincorporateanunderstand-
ingoftheseexternalconstraintsInthislighttheexistingexpressionsofcommunitymediaattheirbestarewildlysuccessfulsocialexperimentsgivingcauseforgreatoptimism
NeverthelesscommunitymediafacebothexternalandinternalchallengesTheinternalchallengesarisefromstructuraltensionsthatoccurinanyattempttocreateorganizationsandculturesthatembodydiversitydemocraticexpressionandequitableaccessRatherthanbeingexpressedasldquoweaknessesrdquoasissooftenthecaseinmainstreammediaandacademiatheseinternaltensionsaremoreproperlyunderstoodaspredictabledevelopmentalproblemsandopportunitiesthatpractitionersshouldbepreparedtograpplewithinanycommunitymediasetting
Balancing Free Expression and Audience Development CommunityradioandpublicaccesscablehavehistoricallyprivilegedtheinterestsofproducersbygrantingthemgreatpoliticalfreedominmakingdecisionsregardingwhatprogrammingtocreateandwhataestheticandformattingapproachestouseThetrade-offforacultureofactivistvolunteerismandfreeexpressionhasbeensmalleraudi-encesandlowerlevelsofproductionandprogramsupportProgramproducerscarryanintensecommitmenttoindi-vidualownershipoftheirprogramminginitiativesthatmaynottaketheaudiencersquosinterestsfullytoheart
Whiletheseapproachesinradioandcableaccesshaveresultedinadiversityofprogrammingandpoliticalviewpointstheyhavealsopreventedradiostationpro-grammersorcableaccessorganizationsfrombuildingaflowofprogramsthatcandefineandconstructanongoingaudienceinthecommunityEachprogramorscheduledprogramslotcarriesitsownmicroaudienceldquofragmentedpublicsrdquothatareoftennotpartofanintegratedflowofpro-grammingthatattractsanaudiencetothechannelsoverall(Higgins2002)
Freeexpressionandaudiencedevelopmentarenotmutuallyexclusivenordoparticipatorymanagementstructuresvolunteerinvolvementandproducertrain-ingprogramsneedtoimpedeaudiencedevelopmentThesuccessofAmyGoodmanandDemocracyNowsoundlydemonstratesthisInfactmanycommunitymediaorgani-zationshavecreatedprogramminginitiativesthatcombinesophisticatedmeasurementsofsocialoutcomeswith
conclusions
trainingandparticipatoryprogramplanningTheyhavenotonlyraisedthesocialvalueoftheirprogrammingtotheircommunitiestheyhavealsoincreasedthesizeandloyaltyoftheiraudiences(Aufderheide2003)Asinteractivemediabegintocreatetheconditionswherenicheprogram-mingcanbefarmoresuccessfulthetensionbetweenfreeexpressionandaudiencedevelopmentisnotonlyachal-lengebutalsoatremendousopportunity
Programming MetricsStillroundtableparticipantsrepeatedlynotedthatevenwhenprogrammingmeetscommunityneedscommunitymediaorganizationscanfinditdifficulttodocumentimpactTheyfeltthatfundershavegenerallynotyetaddressedtheroleofmediainpopularcultureorthepowerofpopularcultureinaddressingsocialproblemsInaddi-tionfundersfindithardtoestablishcost-benefitmeasuresofsocialimpactfortheirmediaexpenditures
ParticipantsaskedformodelsofaudiencefeedbackandoutcomesmeasurementthatgobeyondaudiencenumbersTheyacknowledgedthedifficultyofquantify-ingnotionsofsuccesswhichtendtobeverysubjectiveandofusingsuccessstoriesinthecommonprogrammingmetricsofthedayManyrecognizedskepticismamongfundersabouttheimportanceofcommunitymediaasuspicionaboutagendasandafearofthecostsinvolvedmakingcommunitymediaahardsellEventhoughafewgoodevaluationeffortswereacknowledgedtheircollectiveresultshavenotbeenincorporatedintothethinkingofthewiderfundingcommunity
FundingMulti-yearstablefundingsupportforcommunitymediainitiativesiscriticaltostabilityinnovationandgrowthRoundtableparticipantsdiscussednumerousinstancesinwhichprojectswithmulti-yearsupporthadpowerfulpositiveimpactsextendingbeyondtheinitialprojectgoalsMulti-yearfundingcreatesthestabilitytoundertakeproperstrategicplanningandpartnershipdevelopment
Thereissomeearlyevidencethatamultiple-plat-formnonprofit-orientednichemarketcouldemergeasasignificantopportunitytoprovideenhancedrevenueforthecommunityandnoncommercialmediasectorsTheinterac-tivecapacityofthenewnetworkssignificantlyincreasestherevenuepotentialforcooperativeandsubscription-styleprogrammingflowsHoweverstrongmarketsforcommer-ciallyfundedparticipatorycommunityexpressionhavenotyetemergedinthedigitaleraduetothelimitedsizeofpopulationsandavailableadvertisingsupportIfthereistobeavitalsectorofcommunity-basedmediasomeformofsignificantpublicfundingwillbenecessaryevenininstanceswherecommunitymediaorganizationsmightrealizesignificantrevenuefromnewmarketsInordertomakethemostefficientuseofpublicfundingcommuni-tiesmustevolvefundingandgovernancestructuresforcommunitymediathatcanfacilitatetheaggregationoffundscoordinatemultiple-organizationprojectsandactastrustedconvenersofprogramminganddevelopmentdiscus-sionsincommunities
Policy ThreatsWhiletheconvergenceoftechnologyandpracticescreatesincreasingpotentialsforaunifiedcommunitymediasectorthereisunfortunatelynocohesiveandunifiednationalpolicyframeworkforcommunitymediaThegovernmentpoliciesandregulationsthatexistforcommunitymediahavebeenretrofittedinthearenasofUSbroadcastingandtelephonypolicyWhiletheyrepresenthard-wonpoliticalvictoriesandstrategicinsighttheydonotaddresstheneedsofcommunitymediainaholisticway
Inthecurrentpoliticalclimatebroadcastmediaownershipcontrolandprogrammingwillcontinuetobecentralizedinfewercorporationsleavingcommunitieswithlessoptionsforcontrollingtheirlocalmediaenviron-mentsAtthesametimethetelephonecompanieswillenterthemarketforvideotelephonyandbroadbandbydeployinghigh-capacitydigitaltelevisionnetworksinmanycommunitiesintheUnitedStates
ThecurrenttrendofcentralizationinUStele-communicationspolicyisthreateningtheabilityoflocal
Freeexpressionandaudiencedevelopmentarenotmutuallyexclusivenordoparticipatorymanagementstructuresvolunteerinvolvementandproducertrainingprogramsneedtoimpedeaudiencedevelopment
Communitymediaorganizationscanfinditdifficulttodocumentimpact
governmentstomandatecommunity-basedcommunica-tionsnetworksandprogramminginitiativesasrentonthepublicrights-of-wayThesefundingmechanismscurrentlysupportPublicEducationandGovernment(PEG)accesscabletelevisioncentersmediaartscentersandmanymunicipalcommunicationnetworksWhilefarfromperfectregulatorymechanismstheyareoneofthemostsuccess-fulformsofpublicmediasupporttoariseinthelastthirtyyears
Overthenextfiveyearsthesesuccessfulfundingstrategieswillbeunderheavyattackbythetelephonecom-paniesandthecabletelevisionindustryinastrugglewithgovernmentsforcommunitycontrolofthepublicrights-of-wayThesamedynamicthreatensequitableInternetaccessIncreasinglybroadbandcommunitynetworksaremunicipallyownedormandatedWhilesomeofthesemunicipalbroadbandnetworksweredeployedforinternalmunicipalpurposestimehasshownthatsuchnetworkscanserveanumberofnon-governmentalcommunity-basedpurposesincludingwirelessISPconnectionsforresidentsbusinessesandvisitorsManycommunitiesareseeking(andsomehaveobtained)ldquoCommunityBenefitsAgreementsrdquowithproposedwirelessbroadbandvendorsthatsetasideasmallfranchisefeeongrossrevenuestosupportdigitalinclusionactivitiesfollowingtheexampleofcablecompaniessupportofPEGaccessHowevermunicipalbroadbandandmunicipalwirelessareunderattackbyindustriestryingtoreservethesedevelopmentrightsforthemselves
Theoutcomeofthedebatesaroundcontroloftherights-of-waywillhaveasignificantimpactonthefuturepathofcommunitymediadevelopmentThesedebateswillrangeacrosstheregulatoryspectrumtheyarenowbeingwagedinlocalstateandnationallegislativearenasandthecourtsTheresultingcommunicationsinfrastruc-tureandregulatoryframeworkwillbeabletorealizethepotentialsofcommunitymediaifandonlyifcommunitiesareabletotakeleadershipinprovidingsubstantialpublicaswellasprivatefundingAsanoldtruismnotesldquomoneyispolicyrdquo
Therearenopoliticalortechnicalguaranteesthatdigitalmedianetworkswillremainopenandparticipa-toryastheyevolveItisunlikelythatmarketforcesalone
willservetorealizethedemocraticpotentialoftodayrsquosparticipatorymediatechnologyBuildingarobustsectorofcommunity-baseddemocraticnewmediawillrequireeffectivecitizenactivismclearandresponsivegovern-mentpoliciesandeffectivepoliticalstrategiesCommunitymedianeedsseparaterecognitionandsupportwithinfed-eralstateandlocalcommunicationspolicyandregulatorystructuresinordertoensureequitableandstablefundinganddevelopment
models for the futureThegovernmentregulationsandsubsidiesthatunderpincommunitymediahaveevolvedinahodgepodgefashionoverthepastsixtyyearsItcanbearguedthatcommunitymediashouldbetreatedasaseparatesectorwithinte-gratedfundingstructuresconsistentinfrastructureandtaxandsubsidypoliciesthatareseparateanddistinctfromexistinglocalmediapoliciesandalsofromthepoliciesunderpinningpublicbroadcastingPossiblemodelsforamoreunifiedapproacharenumerousbuttwoappearpar-ticularlywellsuitedtocommunitymediarsquosdiverseformsorganizationsandprogrammingapproaches
Public Funding FindingappropriatemethodsofincreasingpublicfundingforcommunitymediainashiftingregulatoryenvironmentiscrucialCurrentlocalcablefranchisingregulationstosupportcableaccessandthecommunitybenefitsagree-mentsofmunicipalwirelessnetworksoffersuccessfulmodelsbutarenowbothunderattackThelawsrequiringcommercialcableproviderstosetasidebandwidthchan-nelcapacityforthepublicinadditiontooperatingfundingbasedonapercentageofcommercialrevenuescouldbeextendedtoincludevoicevideoanddataEssentiallythenanycommercialproviderusingthepublicrights-of-wayorthewirelessspectrumwouldberequiredtocontributeanequitablepercentageofbandwidthandrev-enuetosupportthecommunitycommunicationssector
Community Media DevelopmentAdequatelevelsoffundingareonlypartoftheequationWhilefundingshouldsupporttheoverallgrowthofthe
Thereisunfortunatelynocohesiveandunifiednationalpolicyframe-workforcommunitymedia
setasidebandwidthchannelcapacityforthepublicinadditiontooperatingfunding
communitymediasectorinasensiblefashionanyfundingsolutionmustaddressthedifficultynowexperiencedbyfundersindealingwithcommunitymediahowtoprovideoverallsupporttoasectormadeupofsmallindependentorganizationswithanextremelydiversesetoffundingsourcesandmissionsOneeconomicdevelopmentapproachseemsparticularlyusefulhereProgressivecommunityeconomicdevelopmentstrategieshaveevolvedtosupportthegrowthofadiversityofsmallenterpriseswithinacom-monsectorwhilerecognizingthattheseenterprisescanatdifferenttimesbecollaboratorspartnersorcompetitorsSimilarstrategiescanguidedevelopmentofthecommunitymediasector
Thereareatleasttwoshort-termstepsthatcouldassistinthedevelopmentofcommunitymediaorgani-zationsandsupporttheircitizensrsquoabilitytocopewithcommercialmediaandinformationsaturationOneisforcommunitiestobuildorsecureaffordablebroadbandandwirelessnetworkinfrastructurewithastrongcommu-nitybenefitsagreementinsupportofdigitalinclusionHundredsofcommunitiesacrossthecountryeitherhaveorarelaunchingsuchwirelesscommunitynetworksmanyincollaborationwithwirelessvendorswhoinordertowinaservicecontractwiththemunicipalityinquestionaresup-portingdigitalliteracytraininginexpensiverefurbishedcomputersandlocalcontentdevelopmentndashinshortprogramsofdigitalinclusionandexcellence
AsecondopportunityidentifiedbyroundtableparticipantsisthepotentialforanationalsupportnetworkforexistingcommunitymediaorganizationsAnationalsupportnetworklinkingcommunitiesandtheircommu-
nitymediapractitionersandinstitutionscouldfacilitatearangeofactivitiesincludinglocal-to-localcommunicationorexchangesofinformationandprogrammingbetweencommunitiesvirtualspaceforanationalnetworkofcommunitymediaorganizationstohelptoorganizeuni-fiedpolicyadvocacywiderdistributionofpastproductsformationofissue-responseteamstoadvanceinterestsofcommunitygroupsandtapintolocalresourcesandshareddirectoriesofpractitionerstrainersandfacilitiesConveningleadersfromtheaggregatorsandassociationsservingcommunitymediaintheirvariousforms(listedinAppendix2)mightbeagoodnextsteptoexplorethisopportunity
the promiseThepracticeofcommunitymediahasmanagedtogrowandevolveoverthepastsixtyyearsdespiteunevenandgenerallylowlevelsofsupportandinconsistentgovernmentpoliciesEllieRenniearesearchfellowattheInstituteforSocialResearchSwinburneUniversityofTechnologyhaswrittenthatcommunitymediaareoftendefinednegativelyforwhattheyareopposedtoratherthanpositivelyforwhattheyhaveachieved(Rennie2006)Weareawarethatcom-munitymediahaveoftenbeendismissedasmarginalandidiosyncraticbuttheexamplescitedinthisreportprovidepowerfulevidencetothecontraryItistimetodefinecommunitymediabywhattheyhaveachievedCommunitymediaattheirbesthaveconsistentlydemonstratedtheirpotentialtoempowercommunitiesandindividualstoparticipateascitizensincommunityandeconomicdevelop-mentartseducationcommunitydialogandpoliticaldebateInmanyinstancestheyhavebecomecentralcul-turalsurvivalinstitutionsasourcommunitiesdealwiththeimpactofcommercialmediasaturationandglobalization
Duringtheroundtablediscussionsthattookplaceaspartofthisscanitwasobviousthatthevalueofcom-munitymediatocommunitiestranscendsthemeasurableeffectsofcivicengagementandcommunitydevelopmentCommunitymediacanallowindividualsincommunitiestohaveprofoundexperiencesofactivelyexpressingthem-selvesthroughmediaForpeoplewhohaveseenthemselvesaspassivereceptorsatthebottomofacascadeofpackagedmediaexperiencesandmessagesactiverepresentationoftheirownlivesandcircumstanceshasatransformativeeffectthatgoesbeyondsimplephraseslikeldquocivicengage-mentrdquoThevalueofcommunitymediatoindividualsandthecommunitiestheyliveinisincalculable
hellipaffordablebroadbandandwirelessnetworkinfrastructurewithastrongcommunitybenefitsagreement
anationalsupportnetworkforexistingcommunitymediaorganizations
Appendix 1 Community media empowerment StrategieS
empoWerment Activity ApproAch infrAstructure or venue
AccessAccesstocommunicationsinfrastructureproductiontools
MakingavailablemediaproductiontoolscomputerstelevisionandradiodistributionInternetsoftwarecommunitycommunicationsinfrastructuremeetingspacewebservers
Democraticcitizenaccesstocommunicationstoolsanddisseminationinfrastructure
CablebroadbandmunicipaltelecomInternetWiFiWiMAXlocalandpublicservicebroadcasting
AlternativeContent CreationofvideoaudiofilmwebsitesInternet-basedcitizenmediaP2Pmediabloggingsocialnetworkingsoftwaredatabasesandprintproduction
Contentpositionedtocounterorsupplementmassmediacontentandinformationfrommainstreamsources
AllplatformswithanincreasingexpansionwithinIPNetworksandcross-platformproductionanddissemination
CompetencyLiteracyMedialiteracyinformationliteracydigitalliteracyandculturalliteracy
Mediaartsandaestheticeducationlearningtogainacivicvoiceinamediaculturearticulationofmediabiasesengaginginmediaandpoliticsunderstandingcommoditycultureparentinginamedia-saturatedhome
Interventioninthecomplexmanipulationofsymbolsandculture
Allmassmediaprintelectronic
CommunityBuilding Workforcetrainingandskillbuildingmicro-enterprisedevelopmentbusinessinfrastructuredevelopment
Communityorganizingparticipatoryplanningdemocraticeconomicdevelopmentworkforceandinfrastructuredevelopment
Localmediamunicipaltelecominfrastructurecomputerandtechnologyincubatorsandtechnologycenters
0
Itisdifficulttounderstandthefullscopeofcommu-nitymediaculturewithoutknowingofthefollowingorganizationswhichsupportcommunitymediaand
independentmediapracticesTheyplayanumberofrolesasnationalassociationsrepresentingnetworksofcommu-nitymediaorganizationsandmediaartsorganizationsasproducernetworksandstrategiccommunicationsplannerslinkingcommunityorganizationswithcommunitymediaorganizationsasorganizationsofcommunityactivistsandproducersworkingtomoreeffectivelysupportandusecommunitymediaandascollaboratorsandpartnersincommunitydevelopmenttrainingandeducation
ActiveVoicehttpwwwactivevoicenet
AllianceforCommunityMediahttpwwwalliancecmorg
AssociationforCommunityNetworking
httpwwwafcnorg
CommunityMediaWorkshophttpwwwnewstipsorg
CommunityTechnologyCentersrsquoNetwork
httpwwwctcnetorg
DeepDishTVhttpdeepdishtvorg
FreeSpeechTVhttpwwwfreespeechorg
IndependentTelevisionServicehttpwwwitvsorg
IndependentMediaCenterIndymedia
httpwwwindymediaorg
LatinoPublicBroadcastinghttpwwwlpbporg
LinkTVhttplinktvorg
LPFMDatabasecom
httpwwwangelfirecomnj2piratejimlpfmhtml
MediaTankhttpwwwmediatankorg
MediaWorkingGrouphttpwwwmwgorg
NationalAllianceforMediaArtsandCulture
httpwwwnamacorg
NationalAsianAmericanTelecommunicationsAssochttp
asianamericanmediaorgindexhtml
NativeAmericanPublicTelecommunications
httpasianamericanmediaorgindexhtml
NationalBlackProgrammingConsortium
httpwwwnbpctv
NationalFederationofCommunityBroadcasters
httpwwwnfcborg
NationalPublicRadiohttpwwwnpr
NationalPublicTelecomputingNetworkhttpwwwnptnorg
PaperTigerTelevisionhttpwwwpapertigerorg
PacificIslandersinCommunications
httpwwwpiccomorg
PewCenterforCivicJournalismhttpwwwpewcenterorg
PrometheusRadioProject
httpwwwprometheusradioorg
PublicBroadcastingServicehttpwwwpbsorg
PublicRadioExchangehttpwwwprxorg
ReclaimtheMediahttpwwwreclaimthemediaorg
StarfishTelevisionNetworkhttpwwwstarfishtvorg
WebsitesofUSPEGAccessChannels
httpwwwbevcamorgpeg
WorldAssociationofCommunityRadioBroadcasters
httpwwwamarcorg
Appendix 2 aggregatorS and aSSoCiationS
Appalshophttpwwwappalshoporg
BayAreaVideoCoalitionhttpwwwbavcorg
BeyondMediaEducationhttpwwwbeyondmediaorg
CambridgeCommunityTelevisionhttpwwwcctvcambridgeorg
CasaGuatemalaMediaProjecthttpwwwcasaguatemalaorg
CharlotteObserverhttpwwwcharlottecom
ChicagoAccessNetworkTelevisionhttpwwwcantvorg
GrandRapidsCommunityMediaCenterhttpgrcmcorg
GrandNethttpwwwgrcmcorgnposervicesitphp
GRTVhttpwwwgrcmcorgtv
ideastreamhttpwwwideastreamorg
IFPMinnesotaCenterforMediaArtshttpwwwifpnorthorgabouthtml
IntermediaArtshttpwwwintermediaartsorg
KartemquinFilmshttpwwwkartemquincom
KBOOhttpwwwkbooorg
KFAIhttpwwwkfaiorg
LowellTelecommunicationsCenterhttpltcorg
ManhattanNeighborhoodNetworkhttpmnnorg
MediaArtsProjecthttpwwwthemaporg
MetroGovernmentCommunityMediaInitiativehttpwwwmetro-regionorg
MetropolitanAustinInteractiveNetworkhttpwwwmainorg
MinneapolisTelevisionNetworkhttpwwwmtnorg
MinnesotaChannelhttpwwwtptorgmnchannelnew
MinnesotaPublicRadiohttpminnesotapublicradioorghttpminnesotapublicradioorgpublicinsightjournalism
MountainAreaInformationNetworkhttpmainncus
MtHoodCableRegulatoryCommissionhttpwwwmhcrcorg
NewAmericaMediahttpnewsnewamericamediaorgnews
NewRoutestoCommunityHealthhttpwwwnewroutesorg
NorthwestFilmandVideoCenterhttpwwwnwfilmorg
OneClevelandhttpwwwoneclevelandorg
OregonPublicBroadcastinghttpwwwopborg
PortlandCommunityMediahttpwwwpcmtvorg
RadioArtehttpwwwwrteorg
SaintPaulNeighborhoodNetworkhttpwwwspnnorg
ScribeVideoCenterhttpwwwscribeorg
SoundPartnersforCommunityHealthhttpwwwsoundpartnersorg
StreetLevelYouthMediahttpwwwstreet-levelorg
TwinCitiesDailyPlanethttpwwwtcdailyplanetnet
TwinCitiesMediaAlliancehttpwwwtcmediaallianceorg
TwinCitiesPublicTelevisionhttpwwwtptorg
URTVhttpwwwurtvorg
WalkerArtCenterhttpwwwwalkerartorgindexwac
WCIW-LPhttppacificanetworkorgradiocontentview17542httpwwwciw-onlineorg
WGBHhttpwwwwgbhorg
WHYYhttpwhyyorg
WPVMhttpwwwwpvmorg
WYBEhttpwwwwybeorg
WYCEhttpwwwgrcmcorgradio
YouthChannelhttpwwwyouthchannelorg
Appendix 3 Community media praCtitionerSWebsitesofthosepractitionersmentionedinthetext
AndersonRachelBenton Digital Beat Extra Noncommercial Networks on DBSWashingtonDCBentonFoundation2000
AufderheidePatricialdquoCableAccessTVandthePublicSphererdquoinThe Daily Planet A Critic on the Capitalist Culture BeatMinneapolisandLondonUniversityofMinnesotaPress2000a
AufderheidePatriciaIn The Battle for Reality Social Documentaries in the USWashingtonDCAmericanUniversityCenterforSocialMedia2003
AufderheidePatricialdquoTheWhatandHowofPublicBroadcastingrdquoinThe Daily Planet A Critic on the Capitalist Culture BeatMinneapolisandLondonUniversityofMinnesotaPress2000b
AynteAbdirahmanldquoSomaliWebsitesACompetitiveAlternativeMediaandaFarcetoReckonWithrdquoHiiraan Onlinehttpwwwhiiraancomnews2006aprsomali_websitesaspx
AzzouzBushraTomChamberlinandMarleneFarnumThe Community Media Project Building Community through Media(Aproposedmodelforafive-yearinitiativetoproducelocaltelevisionprogrammingthatbroadensthedialogueonissuesimportanttotheOregoncommunityandcreatesastrongsenseofplace)PortlandORMetroDecember2000
BarlowWilliamldquoCommunityRadiointheUSTheStruggleForADemocraticMediumrdquoinMedia Culture and SocietyVol10(1988)
BenklerYochaiThe Wealth of Networks How Social Production Transforms Markets and FreedomNewHavenYaleUniversityPress2006
BentonFoundationDigital Alliances Partners in Public
Service Models for CollaborationUniversityParkPAThePennsylvaniaStateUniversity2002
BlauAndrewDeep Focus A Report on the Future of Independent MediaSanFranciscoNationalAllianceforMediaArtsandCulture2004
BowmanShayneandChrisWillisWe Media How Audiences Are Shaping the Future of News and InformationEditedbyJDLasicaRestonVATheMediaCenteratTheAmericanPressInstitute2003httpwwwhypergenenetwemediadownloadwe_mediapdf
BurnettRonldquoFromCommunityMediatoInternationalNetworksrdquoCritical Approaches to Culture + Communications + HypermediaNovember182005httpwwweciadca~rburnettWeblogarchives200511from_communityhtml
CanoAndrealdquoMicroradioAToolforCommunityEmpowermentrdquoinPublic Broadcasting and the Public InterestEditedbyMichaelPMcCauleyEricEPetersonBLeeArtzandDeeDeeHalleckLondonMESharpe2003
CarnegieCommissiononEducationalTelevisionPublic Television A Program for ActionNewYorkBantam1967
CastellsManuelThe Rise of the Network Society The Information Age Economy Society and CultureVolumes12amp3MaldenMABlackwellPublishersInc2005
ChesterJeffBeyond Broadcast Expanding Public Media in the Digital AgeWashingtonDCCenterforDigitalDemocracyFebruary2006httpwwwdemocraticmediaorgBBBBfrontphp
ChristensenPaulNanMcIntyreandLynnPikholzldquoBridgingCommunityandEconomicDevelopmentAStrategyforUsingIndustryClusterstoLinkNeighborhoodsandtheRegionalEconomyrdquo(reportfundedbytheFordFoundation)ClevelandShorebankEnterpriseGroup2005
ldquoCitizenJournalismrdquoissueofNieman ReportsCambridgeMATheNiemanFoundationforJournalismatHarvardUniversityVol59No4Winter2005eMprintNewsbookhttpwwwniemanharvardedureports05-4NRwinterNR05W_Citizen_Journalismpdf
City PagesldquoBestPublicAccessCableTVProgramSomaliTVrdquoBestoftheTwinCities2004MNApril282004httpcitypagescombestof2004artsandentertainmentbestof2379asp
bibliogrAphy
CruzRossanaReguilloldquoTheOracleintheCityBeliefsPracticesandSymbolicGeographiesrdquoinGlobal Cities of the South (Social Text)EditedbyAshleyDawsonandBrentHayesEdwardsTranslatedbyBrentHayesEdwardsandNoraNicoliniDurhamNCDukeUniversityPress81(Volume22Number4)Winter2004
DeLasCasasLucywithSimonBurallJohnMorrisonDavidKaleteandJagadanandaldquoGlobalMediaReformandAccountabilityReportfromtheNationalMediaReformConferencerdquoStLouis2005httpwwwoneworldtrustorgpagesdownloadcfmdid=281
DevineRobertHldquoVideoAccessandAgencyrdquoConferencepresentationTheNationalFederationofLocalCableProgrammersStPaulMNJuly171992
DirlinMartyandCathyMelioldquoTheGrassrootsRadioMovementintheUnitedStatesrdquoinPublic Broadcasting and the Public InterestEditedbyMichaelPMcCauleyEricEPetersonBLeeArtzandDeeDeeHalleckLondonMESharpe2003
DowningJohnDHwithTamaraVillarealFordGeneveGilandLauraSteinRadical Media Rebellious Communication and Social MovementsThousandOaksCASagePublications2001
EgerJohnldquoCreativeClustersandtheUrbanEconomyrdquoGovernment and Technology(February62006)httpwwwgovtechnetnewsnewsphpid=98345
EgerJohnMThe Creative Community Forging The Links Between Art Culture Commerce amp CommunityTheCaliforniaInstituteforSmartCommunitiesSanDiegoStateUniversity2005httpwwwsmartcommunitiesorgcreativeCreativeCommBroFINALpdf
EngelmanRalphPublic Radio and Television in America A Political HistoryThousandOaksCASagePublications1996
GillespieGilbertPublic Access Television in the United States and CanadaNewYorkPraegerPublishers1975
GillmorDanWe the Media Grassroots Journalism by the People for the PeopleSebastopolCAOrsquoReillyMediaInc2006
GrahamStephenandSimonMarvinTelecommunications and the City Electronic Spaces Urban PlacesLondonandNewYorkRoutledge1996
HalleckDeeDeeHand-Held Visions The Impossible Possibilities of Community MediaNewYorkFordhamUniversityPress2002
HigginsJohnWldquoAlternativeMediaandtheCultofIndividualismExperiencesfromUSPublicAccessTVrdquoPaperpresentedattheldquoOurMediardquopre-conferenceoftheInternationalAssociationforMediaandCommunicationResearchCommunityCommunicationSectionBarcelonaSpainJuly202002httpwwwourmedianetorgpapersom2002Higginsom2002pdf
HowleyKevinCommunity Media People Places and Communication TechnologiesCambridgeCambridgeUniversityPress2005
HoynesWilliamldquoThePBSBrandandtheMerchandisingofthePublicServicerdquoinPublic Broadcasting and the Public InterestEditedbyMichaelPMcCauleyEricEPetersonBLeeArtzandDeeDeeHalleckLondonMESharpe2003
JankowskiNicholasWldquoCommunityMediaResearchAQuestforTheoreticallyGroundedModelsrdquoThePublicVol1015(2003)httpmokkbmehucentreconferencesreactivismFPfpNJ
JankowskiNicholasWandOlePrehnedsCommunity Media in the Information Age Perspectives and ProspectsCresskillNJHamptonPress2002
LashScottThe Critique of InformationLondonSagePublications2002
ListerMartinJonDoveySethGiddingsIainGrantandKieranKellyNew Media A critical IntroductionLondonandNewYorkRoutledge2003
LloydMarkldquoRadioandLocalismWhatWhenWrongrdquoinContext(publishedbytheCenterforCommunicationsandCommunityUCLA)IssueNo4(WinterSpring2006)
MacintyreBenldquoWelcometotheNewTomPainesrdquoTimesOnlineNovember132004httpwwwtimesonlinecouktolcommentarticle390484ece
MaherVincentTowards a Critical Media Studies Approach to the BlogosphereNewMediaLabPublicationSchoolofJournalismandMediaStudiesRhodesUniversitySouthAfrica2006
MetroCommunity Media Project Evaluation Report PortlandORMetroJuly2004
MostStephenldquoBAVCandTheBigPicturerdquoinA Closer Look Media Arts 2002EditedbyHelenDeMichielSanFranciscoNationalAllianceforMediaArtsandCulture2002
NewAmericaMedialdquoEthnicMediainAmericaTheGiantHiddeninPlainSightrdquoPollconductedbyBendixenampAssociates2005httpnewsnewamericamediaorgnewsview_articlehtmlarticle_id=0443821787ac0210cbecebe8b1f576a3
OlsonBillThe History of Public Access Television2000httpwwwgeocitiescomiconostarhistory-public-access-TVhtml200415
PewCenterforCivicJournalismldquoDoingCivicJournalismrdquo2007httpwwwpewcenterorgdoingcj
PierceSteveldquoDBSandthePublicInterestOpportunityinSatelliteTelevisionrdquoinPublic Broadcasting and the Public InterestEditedbyMichaelPMcCauleyEricEPetersonBLeeArtzandDeeDeeHalleckLondonMESharpe2003
PhilipsSusanldquoTrueCommunityTowardaCollaborativeEthosScribersquoslsquoTrueCommunityVisionrsquordquoinA Closer Look Media Arts 2002EditedbyHelenDeMichielSanFranciscoNationalAllianceforMediaArtsandCulture2002
PorterMichaelEldquoLocationCompetitionandEconomicDevelopmentLocalClustersinaGlobalEconomyrdquoEconomic Development Quarterly14no1(February2000)15-34
ProjectforExcellenceinJournalismldquoMajorTrendsrdquoinState of the News Media 2006 An Annual Report on American Journalismhttpwwwstateofthenewsmediaorg2006nar-rative_overview_eightaspcat=2ampmedia=1
PrometheusRadioProjectldquoOurFifthBarnraisingmdashWCIW-LPinImmokaleeFloridardquohttpprometheusradioorgcontentview48952006
RennieEllieCommunity Media A Global IntroductionLanhamMDRowmanandLittlefieldPublishers2006
RodriguezClemenciaFissures in the Mediascape An International Study of Citizenrsquos MediaCresskillNJHamptonPress2001
SchafferJanldquoCitizensMediaHasItReachedaTippingPointrdquoinldquoCitizenJournalismrdquoissueofNieman Reports CambridgeMATheNiemanFoundationforJournalismatHarvardUniversityVol59No4Winter2005aeMprintNewsbookhttpwwwniemanharvardedureports05-4NRwinterNR05W_Citizen_Journalismpdf
SchafferJanInterviewonThe NewsHour With Jim Lehrer PBSEveningNewsNovember162005b
SchulerDouglasldquoTheRiseofCommunityNetworksrdquoInternet WorldDecember1995
SchulerDougandPeterDayShaping the Network Society The New Role of Civil Society in CyberspaceCambridgeandLondonMITPress2004
ShirkyClayPower Laws Weblogs and Inequality EconomicsampCultureMediaampCommunityBlog2005OpenSourcehttpshirkycomwritingspowerlaw_webloghtml
ShirkyClaySocial Software and the Politics of GroupsEconomicsampCultureMediaampCommunityBlog2005OpenSourcehttpshirkycomwritingsgroup_politicshtml
Somerset-WardRichardBroadband Community Networks Building the Digital CommonsAreportfortheHaasCharitableTrustsPhiladelphia2005
Somerset-WardRichardConnecting Communities WashingtonDCBentonFoundation2000
Spannerworkse-bookWhat is Social MediaJanuary2007httpwwwspannerworkscomebooks
StarrJeroldMldquoPublicTelevisionintheDigitalAgeTownHallorCyberMallrdquoinPublic Broadcasting and the Public InterestEditedbyMichaelPMcCauleyEricEPetersonBLeeArtzandDeeDeeHalleckLondonMESharpe2003
SteinLauraldquoPublicAccessTelevisionandGrassrootsCommunicationintheUnitedStatesrdquoChapter20inRadical Media Rebellious Communication and Social MovmentsEditedbyJohnDowningThousandOaksCASagePublications2001
SussmanGeraldandJREstesldquoCommunityRadioinCommunityDevelopmentPortlandrsquosKBOORadiordquoinThe Portland Edge Challenges and Successes in Growing CommunitiesEditedbyConniePOzawaPortlandStateUniversityIslandPress2004
WhitneyJenniferldquoMakeMediaMakeRealTroubleWhatrsquosWrong(andRight)withIndymediardquoLiPMagazineJune212005httpwwwlipmagazine
orgarticlesfeatwhitney_indymedia_phtml
GRCMChaspulledthediversecommunitymediaactivitiesofGrandRapidsunderoneorganizationalumbrellaandtakentheleadinarticulatingthepotentialforaggregatingnoncommercialnetworkedcommunicationsthere
Theevolvingnetworkofmediaplatformsdis-ciplinesandculturalgroupsthatconvergetobecomeGRCMCnowincludesthefollowingcentersofpracticeGRTVacommunitytelevisioncenterthatprogramsmultiplecableaccesschannelsWYCEacommunityradiostationGrandnetacommunitytechnologyandnetworkcenterthatprovidescitizenandnonprofitaccesstotheInternetandtheGrandRapidsInstituteforInformationDemocracyacriticalmediaeducationandresearchcenterthattracksmediaandlocalpublicinterestissuesandpub-lishesinformationonmediaaccountabilityandreform
ButtheGrandRapidsCommunityMediaCenterismorethanthesumofitspartsThecomponentsofthecenterworktogetherinamutuallyreinforcingwholethatcreatesapowerfulcommunitymediapresenceinGrandRapidsandallowsthecentertoundertakefarmoreambitiousprojectsandprogrammingthanwouldbethecaseseparatelyOneexcellentexampleistheMobileOn-LineLearningLabforInformationEducationKnownasMOLLIEtheprogramprovidesskilledtrainersanddigitalvideoproductionequipmenttoschoolsandcommunityorganizationsforspecialprojectsOriginallyfundedbyafederalDepartmentofEducationgrantMOLLIEfillsintechnologygapsinGrandRapidseducationalinstitutionsandnonprofitsInthehandsofalessintegratedinstitutiontheMOLLIEprojectcouldeasilybeatechnicallyorientedequipmentloanandtrainingprogramInthehandsofthecenterMOLLIEhasbecomeasophisticatedmediaandtechnologyeducationalinitiativeprovidingatrainingprogramthataddressesmediaeducationfromtheperspec-tiveofallthecomponentsoftheGrandRapidsCommunityMediaCenter
Asheville North CarolinaOneofthemostarticulateeffortsmergingthecreativeclustersideawithparticipatorycommunicationhascomeaboutinAshevilleNorthCarolinaThroughapersistent
collaborationbetweenforwardlookingregionalgroupsandorganizationsndashinvolvingabroadnetworkofindi-vidualscommunitymediaandmediaartsgroupsintheAshevilleregionndashAshevillehaslaidthefoundationforacommunitymediadevelopmentcenterthatwillfunctionasacableaccesscentermediaartscenterandnewmediamicro-enterpriseincubatorAtthecenterofthiseffortisaninformalcoalitionoffourimportantgroupsinAshevilleMountainAreaInformationNetworkMediaArtsProjectBoncombeCountyEconomicDevelopmentCommissionandURTVThegroupsrepresentdistinctpointsofviewandconcernsaswellasconverginginterests
Eachgroupsharedtheinsightthatcivicparticipa-tionandeconomicsuccessinthetwenty-firstcenturyaredirectlyrelatedtohavingaccesstocommunicationstechnologyandknowledgeEachalsounderstoodthattherenegotiationofthecablefranchisesintheCityofAshevilleandsurroundingBoncombeCountywasastrategicmomenttocatalyzeandassociateanumberofcommunity-basedinformationandmediaartsactivitiesalreadyinplaceorplannedinAshevilleThegroupsusedthecablefranchisingprocesstocreateacommonorganizationalandfacilitiesinfrastructuresupportingtheuseofmediaforbothcivicandeconomicdevelopment
The Media Arts Project(MAP)isanetworkofmediaartiststhatcultivatesinnovativeartsandtechnol-ogyinwesternNorthCarolinaMAPworkedtirelesslytoframecableaccessasacommunitydevelopmentissuebridgingthemediaactivistcommunitiesandthemoreforward-thinkingfactionsamongeconomicdevelopmentprofessionalsintheregionWiththerecentopeningofURTV IncAshvillersquoscableaccessorganizationandfacilityMAPanditsnetworkofpartnersarenowturningtheirattentiontofundingthemediaartsandeconomicincubatorelementsofthevision
AshevillersquosinterestinsupportingcommunitymediaarisesfromthepresenceoftheMountain Area Information Network(MAIN)Inthetraditionoftheruralcooperativesthathelpedspreadthereachofelectricityinthe1930sMAINisanonprofitInternetserviceproviderofferingreliablelow-costInternetservicebothinwesternNorthCarolinaandnationwideItisauniquecommunitynetworkwithabroadvisionofitsroleinthecommunitythatencompassesmedialiteracyeconomicdevelopmentstrategiescommunitylow-powerradioacommunity-basedwebportalandtheprovisionofInternetconnectivitytoruralwesternNorthCarolinaMAINislargelyresponsiblefortheremarkableexpansionofInternetaccessibilityinwesternNorthCarolinaallowingthousandsofpeopleto
GRCMChaspulledthediversecommunitymediaactivitiesofGrandRapidsunderoneorganizationalumbrella
spendtheirInternetaccessdollarswithalocallycontrolledandaccountableorganizationMAINdemonstratesthevalueofthecommunitynetworkingconcepttoareasthatarelagginginconnectivityduetofailuresofthemarket
MAINhastakenaleadershiproleinbuildingacommunitymediacultureinAshevillethatdemonstratestheeasewithwhichdigitalmedialeapsorganizationalboundariesItscommunitynetworkrunstheBlueRidgeWebMarketwhichprovidesafreecustomizableInternetpresencetohundredsofsmallbusinessesthroughoutwesternNorthCarolinaItsLatinoDigitalLiteracyProjectofferstrainingtohelpthearearsquosgrowingLatinopopula-tionsaccesstheInternetMAINhasbeenoneofthekeypartnersinbringingacableaccesscentertoAshevilleandhasbeenthedrivingforcebehindWPVMWNCrsquoslow-powerFMradiostationbroadcastinglocalnewsviewsandmusicover-the-airintheAshevilleregion(andtheworldviawebcast)
Cleveland OhioPerhapsthemostrobustcommunity-basednonprofitnetworkintheUnitedStatesOne ClevelandprovideswhatitcallsldquoultrabroadbandnetworkingservicesrdquotoClevelandareaeducationgovernmentresearchartscultureandhealthcareorganizationsOneClevelandoperatesafibernetworkringthatcoversmuchofthecityofClevelandandmanyofitssurroundingsuburbsSubscriberstothenetworkconnectatgigabitspeeds
OneClevelandrepresentswhatcanhappenwhenpowerfulcommunitydevelopmentforcescometoaconsensusregardingtheircommunityrsquosneedforhigh-speedconnectivitytoglobaleconomiesandmediaItsfoundersareClevelandmainstreaminstitutionsCaseWesternReserveUniversityCuyahogaCommunityCollegeClevelandStateUniversityTheCityofClevelandGreaterClevelandRegionalTransitAuthorityideastreamCuyahogaCountyPublicLibraryandNorTechThenetworkhasformedrelationshipswithtechnologycompaniestomaintainup-to-dateapplicationsthatleveragethepotentialofsuchapowerfulnetwork
Oneofthenetworkrsquoskeypartners ideastream illustratesthesignificanceofworkingtogethertomakehigh-speedconnectivitypubliclyavailablethroughoutacommunityonitsowntermsBybuildingahigh-speednet-workOneClevelandhascreatedacivicnetworkspaceandinfrastructurethatallowsanewkindofmultimediapublicmediaorganizationtobecreatedIdeastreamresultedwhenWVIZPBSTelevisionand903WCPNRadiopublicbroad-castersmergedtoformanewnonprofitldquomultimediapublicserviceorganizationrdquoIdeastreamisabletoextenditsmediaexpertisebeyondbroadcastingtoonlinetechnologiesandapplicationsofalltypesmdashwhenyouareconnectingtothenetworkatthegigabitspeedsofOneClevelandrsquostherangeofapplicationsandtheirpotentialarehuge
MAINhastakenaleadershiproleinbuildingacommunitymediacultureinAshevillethatdemonstratestheeasewithwhichdigitalmedialeapsorganizationalboundaries
OneClevelandrepresentswhatcanhappenwhenpowerfulcommunitydevelopmentforcescometoaconsensusregardingtheircommunityrsquosneedforhigh-speedconnectivitytoglobaleconomiesandmedia
Inthecourseofpreparingthisreportndashpouringovertheliteratureandsynthesizinghoursofstructuredround-tableconversationsandone-on-oneinterviewswith
opinionleadersandsuccessfulpractitionersofcommunitymediandashonethingisextremelyclearThewayoursocietymakesandsharesinformationknowledgeandcultureisinaheightenedstateofchangeTheinteractivenatureoftheInternethasdemonstratedthatitispossibletoorganizecommunicationsinamuchmoredemocraticfashionSomehaveconcludedwearewitnessingthetransitionfromanindustrializedinformationenvironmenttoanetworkedinformationenvironmentTheoldindustrialmediastruc-turesbasedonexclusivehigh-costproductionprocessesarebeingchallengedbyanemergingmediasectorinwhichthecostofcreatinginformationknowledgeandculturehasbeenprofoundlyreducedandtheproductsareintercon-nectedwidelythroughnetworksliketheInternet(Benkler2006)IndeedthereisincreasingevidencethatthesenewmediaanddigitalnetworksareparticularlyconducivetononcommercialandnonprofitculturalproductionaswellasmoreparticipatoryandcollaborativemediapracticesInmanywaysthelong-standingvaluesandintentofcommu-nitymediaforeshadowthisnewmediaenvironment
ThescanresearchfocusedonfourkeyareasofinquiryWhataretheuniquecharacteristicsthatdistin-guishcommunitymediaWhatmakesmedia-communitycollaborationssuccessfulWhattypesofcommunitymediaorganizationsbestleveragenewtechnologiesHowmightcommunitymediaengageunderservedpopulationsinprogrammingtailoredtotheirneedsIneachinstancewefoundthatcommunitymediacombinedwithgreaterafford-ablebandwidthandopen-sourceapproachestoproductiondohavetremendouscommunitydevelopmentpotentialHowevernoneofthatpotentialwillcomeaboutmagicallyThecommunitymediasectorisfacingthechallengingtaskofmanagingextensivechangeandtransformation
chAllengesThesuccessdisappointmentsandsocialvalueofthepastsixtyyearsofcommunitymediainitiativesmustbejudgedinhistoricalcontextConsistentmisrepresentationinthemainstreammediaandlimitedunaccommodatingsocialpolicyhaveresultedininadequatevisibilityandfinancialsupportforcommunitymediaAnydiscussionofitssuccessesorfailuresmustincorporateanunderstand-
ingoftheseexternalconstraintsInthislighttheexistingexpressionsofcommunitymediaattheirbestarewildlysuccessfulsocialexperimentsgivingcauseforgreatoptimism
NeverthelesscommunitymediafacebothexternalandinternalchallengesTheinternalchallengesarisefromstructuraltensionsthatoccurinanyattempttocreateorganizationsandculturesthatembodydiversitydemocraticexpressionandequitableaccessRatherthanbeingexpressedasldquoweaknessesrdquoasissooftenthecaseinmainstreammediaandacademiatheseinternaltensionsaremoreproperlyunderstoodaspredictabledevelopmentalproblemsandopportunitiesthatpractitionersshouldbepreparedtograpplewithinanycommunitymediasetting
Balancing Free Expression and Audience Development CommunityradioandpublicaccesscablehavehistoricallyprivilegedtheinterestsofproducersbygrantingthemgreatpoliticalfreedominmakingdecisionsregardingwhatprogrammingtocreateandwhataestheticandformattingapproachestouseThetrade-offforacultureofactivistvolunteerismandfreeexpressionhasbeensmalleraudi-encesandlowerlevelsofproductionandprogramsupportProgramproducerscarryanintensecommitmenttoindi-vidualownershipoftheirprogramminginitiativesthatmaynottaketheaudiencersquosinterestsfullytoheart
Whiletheseapproachesinradioandcableaccesshaveresultedinadiversityofprogrammingandpoliticalviewpointstheyhavealsopreventedradiostationpro-grammersorcableaccessorganizationsfrombuildingaflowofprogramsthatcandefineandconstructanongoingaudienceinthecommunityEachprogramorscheduledprogramslotcarriesitsownmicroaudienceldquofragmentedpublicsrdquothatareoftennotpartofanintegratedflowofpro-grammingthatattractsanaudiencetothechannelsoverall(Higgins2002)
Freeexpressionandaudiencedevelopmentarenotmutuallyexclusivenordoparticipatorymanagementstructuresvolunteerinvolvementandproducertrain-ingprogramsneedtoimpedeaudiencedevelopmentThesuccessofAmyGoodmanandDemocracyNowsoundlydemonstratesthisInfactmanycommunitymediaorgani-zationshavecreatedprogramminginitiativesthatcombinesophisticatedmeasurementsofsocialoutcomeswith
conclusions
trainingandparticipatoryprogramplanningTheyhavenotonlyraisedthesocialvalueoftheirprogrammingtotheircommunitiestheyhavealsoincreasedthesizeandloyaltyoftheiraudiences(Aufderheide2003)Asinteractivemediabegintocreatetheconditionswherenicheprogram-mingcanbefarmoresuccessfulthetensionbetweenfreeexpressionandaudiencedevelopmentisnotonlyachal-lengebutalsoatremendousopportunity
Programming MetricsStillroundtableparticipantsrepeatedlynotedthatevenwhenprogrammingmeetscommunityneedscommunitymediaorganizationscanfinditdifficulttodocumentimpactTheyfeltthatfundershavegenerallynotyetaddressedtheroleofmediainpopularcultureorthepowerofpopularcultureinaddressingsocialproblemsInaddi-tionfundersfindithardtoestablishcost-benefitmeasuresofsocialimpactfortheirmediaexpenditures
ParticipantsaskedformodelsofaudiencefeedbackandoutcomesmeasurementthatgobeyondaudiencenumbersTheyacknowledgedthedifficultyofquantify-ingnotionsofsuccesswhichtendtobeverysubjectiveandofusingsuccessstoriesinthecommonprogrammingmetricsofthedayManyrecognizedskepticismamongfundersabouttheimportanceofcommunitymediaasuspicionaboutagendasandafearofthecostsinvolvedmakingcommunitymediaahardsellEventhoughafewgoodevaluationeffortswereacknowledgedtheircollectiveresultshavenotbeenincorporatedintothethinkingofthewiderfundingcommunity
FundingMulti-yearstablefundingsupportforcommunitymediainitiativesiscriticaltostabilityinnovationandgrowthRoundtableparticipantsdiscussednumerousinstancesinwhichprojectswithmulti-yearsupporthadpowerfulpositiveimpactsextendingbeyondtheinitialprojectgoalsMulti-yearfundingcreatesthestabilitytoundertakeproperstrategicplanningandpartnershipdevelopment
Thereissomeearlyevidencethatamultiple-plat-formnonprofit-orientednichemarketcouldemergeasasignificantopportunitytoprovideenhancedrevenueforthecommunityandnoncommercialmediasectorsTheinterac-tivecapacityofthenewnetworkssignificantlyincreasestherevenuepotentialforcooperativeandsubscription-styleprogrammingflowsHoweverstrongmarketsforcommer-ciallyfundedparticipatorycommunityexpressionhavenotyetemergedinthedigitaleraduetothelimitedsizeofpopulationsandavailableadvertisingsupportIfthereistobeavitalsectorofcommunity-basedmediasomeformofsignificantpublicfundingwillbenecessaryevenininstanceswherecommunitymediaorganizationsmightrealizesignificantrevenuefromnewmarketsInordertomakethemostefficientuseofpublicfundingcommuni-tiesmustevolvefundingandgovernancestructuresforcommunitymediathatcanfacilitatetheaggregationoffundscoordinatemultiple-organizationprojectsandactastrustedconvenersofprogramminganddevelopmentdiscus-sionsincommunities
Policy ThreatsWhiletheconvergenceoftechnologyandpracticescreatesincreasingpotentialsforaunifiedcommunitymediasectorthereisunfortunatelynocohesiveandunifiednationalpolicyframeworkforcommunitymediaThegovernmentpoliciesandregulationsthatexistforcommunitymediahavebeenretrofittedinthearenasofUSbroadcastingandtelephonypolicyWhiletheyrepresenthard-wonpoliticalvictoriesandstrategicinsighttheydonotaddresstheneedsofcommunitymediainaholisticway
Inthecurrentpoliticalclimatebroadcastmediaownershipcontrolandprogrammingwillcontinuetobecentralizedinfewercorporationsleavingcommunitieswithlessoptionsforcontrollingtheirlocalmediaenviron-mentsAtthesametimethetelephonecompanieswillenterthemarketforvideotelephonyandbroadbandbydeployinghigh-capacitydigitaltelevisionnetworksinmanycommunitiesintheUnitedStates
ThecurrenttrendofcentralizationinUStele-communicationspolicyisthreateningtheabilityoflocal
Freeexpressionandaudiencedevelopmentarenotmutuallyexclusivenordoparticipatorymanagementstructuresvolunteerinvolvementandproducertrainingprogramsneedtoimpedeaudiencedevelopment
Communitymediaorganizationscanfinditdifficulttodocumentimpact
governmentstomandatecommunity-basedcommunica-tionsnetworksandprogramminginitiativesasrentonthepublicrights-of-wayThesefundingmechanismscurrentlysupportPublicEducationandGovernment(PEG)accesscabletelevisioncentersmediaartscentersandmanymunicipalcommunicationnetworksWhilefarfromperfectregulatorymechanismstheyareoneofthemostsuccess-fulformsofpublicmediasupporttoariseinthelastthirtyyears
Overthenextfiveyearsthesesuccessfulfundingstrategieswillbeunderheavyattackbythetelephonecom-paniesandthecabletelevisionindustryinastrugglewithgovernmentsforcommunitycontrolofthepublicrights-of-wayThesamedynamicthreatensequitableInternetaccessIncreasinglybroadbandcommunitynetworksaremunicipallyownedormandatedWhilesomeofthesemunicipalbroadbandnetworksweredeployedforinternalmunicipalpurposestimehasshownthatsuchnetworkscanserveanumberofnon-governmentalcommunity-basedpurposesincludingwirelessISPconnectionsforresidentsbusinessesandvisitorsManycommunitiesareseeking(andsomehaveobtained)ldquoCommunityBenefitsAgreementsrdquowithproposedwirelessbroadbandvendorsthatsetasideasmallfranchisefeeongrossrevenuestosupportdigitalinclusionactivitiesfollowingtheexampleofcablecompaniessupportofPEGaccessHowevermunicipalbroadbandandmunicipalwirelessareunderattackbyindustriestryingtoreservethesedevelopmentrightsforthemselves
Theoutcomeofthedebatesaroundcontroloftherights-of-waywillhaveasignificantimpactonthefuturepathofcommunitymediadevelopmentThesedebateswillrangeacrosstheregulatoryspectrumtheyarenowbeingwagedinlocalstateandnationallegislativearenasandthecourtsTheresultingcommunicationsinfrastruc-tureandregulatoryframeworkwillbeabletorealizethepotentialsofcommunitymediaifandonlyifcommunitiesareabletotakeleadershipinprovidingsubstantialpublicaswellasprivatefundingAsanoldtruismnotesldquomoneyispolicyrdquo
Therearenopoliticalortechnicalguaranteesthatdigitalmedianetworkswillremainopenandparticipa-toryastheyevolveItisunlikelythatmarketforcesalone
willservetorealizethedemocraticpotentialoftodayrsquosparticipatorymediatechnologyBuildingarobustsectorofcommunity-baseddemocraticnewmediawillrequireeffectivecitizenactivismclearandresponsivegovern-mentpoliciesandeffectivepoliticalstrategiesCommunitymedianeedsseparaterecognitionandsupportwithinfed-eralstateandlocalcommunicationspolicyandregulatorystructuresinordertoensureequitableandstablefundinganddevelopment
models for the futureThegovernmentregulationsandsubsidiesthatunderpincommunitymediahaveevolvedinahodgepodgefashionoverthepastsixtyyearsItcanbearguedthatcommunitymediashouldbetreatedasaseparatesectorwithinte-gratedfundingstructuresconsistentinfrastructureandtaxandsubsidypoliciesthatareseparateanddistinctfromexistinglocalmediapoliciesandalsofromthepoliciesunderpinningpublicbroadcastingPossiblemodelsforamoreunifiedapproacharenumerousbuttwoappearpar-ticularlywellsuitedtocommunitymediarsquosdiverseformsorganizationsandprogrammingapproaches
Public Funding FindingappropriatemethodsofincreasingpublicfundingforcommunitymediainashiftingregulatoryenvironmentiscrucialCurrentlocalcablefranchisingregulationstosupportcableaccessandthecommunitybenefitsagree-mentsofmunicipalwirelessnetworksoffersuccessfulmodelsbutarenowbothunderattackThelawsrequiringcommercialcableproviderstosetasidebandwidthchan-nelcapacityforthepublicinadditiontooperatingfundingbasedonapercentageofcommercialrevenuescouldbeextendedtoincludevoicevideoanddataEssentiallythenanycommercialproviderusingthepublicrights-of-wayorthewirelessspectrumwouldberequiredtocontributeanequitablepercentageofbandwidthandrev-enuetosupportthecommunitycommunicationssector
Community Media DevelopmentAdequatelevelsoffundingareonlypartoftheequationWhilefundingshouldsupporttheoverallgrowthofthe
Thereisunfortunatelynocohesiveandunifiednationalpolicyframe-workforcommunitymedia
setasidebandwidthchannelcapacityforthepublicinadditiontooperatingfunding
communitymediasectorinasensiblefashionanyfundingsolutionmustaddressthedifficultynowexperiencedbyfundersindealingwithcommunitymediahowtoprovideoverallsupporttoasectormadeupofsmallindependentorganizationswithanextremelydiversesetoffundingsourcesandmissionsOneeconomicdevelopmentapproachseemsparticularlyusefulhereProgressivecommunityeconomicdevelopmentstrategieshaveevolvedtosupportthegrowthofadiversityofsmallenterpriseswithinacom-monsectorwhilerecognizingthattheseenterprisescanatdifferenttimesbecollaboratorspartnersorcompetitorsSimilarstrategiescanguidedevelopmentofthecommunitymediasector
Thereareatleasttwoshort-termstepsthatcouldassistinthedevelopmentofcommunitymediaorgani-zationsandsupporttheircitizensrsquoabilitytocopewithcommercialmediaandinformationsaturationOneisforcommunitiestobuildorsecureaffordablebroadbandandwirelessnetworkinfrastructurewithastrongcommu-nitybenefitsagreementinsupportofdigitalinclusionHundredsofcommunitiesacrossthecountryeitherhaveorarelaunchingsuchwirelesscommunitynetworksmanyincollaborationwithwirelessvendorswhoinordertowinaservicecontractwiththemunicipalityinquestionaresup-portingdigitalliteracytraininginexpensiverefurbishedcomputersandlocalcontentdevelopmentndashinshortprogramsofdigitalinclusionandexcellence
AsecondopportunityidentifiedbyroundtableparticipantsisthepotentialforanationalsupportnetworkforexistingcommunitymediaorganizationsAnationalsupportnetworklinkingcommunitiesandtheircommu-
nitymediapractitionersandinstitutionscouldfacilitatearangeofactivitiesincludinglocal-to-localcommunicationorexchangesofinformationandprogrammingbetweencommunitiesvirtualspaceforanationalnetworkofcommunitymediaorganizationstohelptoorganizeuni-fiedpolicyadvocacywiderdistributionofpastproductsformationofissue-responseteamstoadvanceinterestsofcommunitygroupsandtapintolocalresourcesandshareddirectoriesofpractitionerstrainersandfacilitiesConveningleadersfromtheaggregatorsandassociationsservingcommunitymediaintheirvariousforms(listedinAppendix2)mightbeagoodnextsteptoexplorethisopportunity
the promiseThepracticeofcommunitymediahasmanagedtogrowandevolveoverthepastsixtyyearsdespiteunevenandgenerallylowlevelsofsupportandinconsistentgovernmentpoliciesEllieRenniearesearchfellowattheInstituteforSocialResearchSwinburneUniversityofTechnologyhaswrittenthatcommunitymediaareoftendefinednegativelyforwhattheyareopposedtoratherthanpositivelyforwhattheyhaveachieved(Rennie2006)Weareawarethatcom-munitymediahaveoftenbeendismissedasmarginalandidiosyncraticbuttheexamplescitedinthisreportprovidepowerfulevidencetothecontraryItistimetodefinecommunitymediabywhattheyhaveachievedCommunitymediaattheirbesthaveconsistentlydemonstratedtheirpotentialtoempowercommunitiesandindividualstoparticipateascitizensincommunityandeconomicdevelop-mentartseducationcommunitydialogandpoliticaldebateInmanyinstancestheyhavebecomecentralcul-turalsurvivalinstitutionsasourcommunitiesdealwiththeimpactofcommercialmediasaturationandglobalization
Duringtheroundtablediscussionsthattookplaceaspartofthisscanitwasobviousthatthevalueofcom-munitymediatocommunitiestranscendsthemeasurableeffectsofcivicengagementandcommunitydevelopmentCommunitymediacanallowindividualsincommunitiestohaveprofoundexperiencesofactivelyexpressingthem-selvesthroughmediaForpeoplewhohaveseenthemselvesaspassivereceptorsatthebottomofacascadeofpackagedmediaexperiencesandmessagesactiverepresentationoftheirownlivesandcircumstanceshasatransformativeeffectthatgoesbeyondsimplephraseslikeldquocivicengage-mentrdquoThevalueofcommunitymediatoindividualsandthecommunitiestheyliveinisincalculable
hellipaffordablebroadbandandwirelessnetworkinfrastructurewithastrongcommunitybenefitsagreement
anationalsupportnetworkforexistingcommunitymediaorganizations
Appendix 1 Community media empowerment StrategieS
empoWerment Activity ApproAch infrAstructure or venue
AccessAccesstocommunicationsinfrastructureproductiontools
MakingavailablemediaproductiontoolscomputerstelevisionandradiodistributionInternetsoftwarecommunitycommunicationsinfrastructuremeetingspacewebservers
Democraticcitizenaccesstocommunicationstoolsanddisseminationinfrastructure
CablebroadbandmunicipaltelecomInternetWiFiWiMAXlocalandpublicservicebroadcasting
AlternativeContent CreationofvideoaudiofilmwebsitesInternet-basedcitizenmediaP2Pmediabloggingsocialnetworkingsoftwaredatabasesandprintproduction
Contentpositionedtocounterorsupplementmassmediacontentandinformationfrommainstreamsources
AllplatformswithanincreasingexpansionwithinIPNetworksandcross-platformproductionanddissemination
CompetencyLiteracyMedialiteracyinformationliteracydigitalliteracyandculturalliteracy
Mediaartsandaestheticeducationlearningtogainacivicvoiceinamediaculturearticulationofmediabiasesengaginginmediaandpoliticsunderstandingcommoditycultureparentinginamedia-saturatedhome
Interventioninthecomplexmanipulationofsymbolsandculture
Allmassmediaprintelectronic
CommunityBuilding Workforcetrainingandskillbuildingmicro-enterprisedevelopmentbusinessinfrastructuredevelopment
Communityorganizingparticipatoryplanningdemocraticeconomicdevelopmentworkforceandinfrastructuredevelopment
Localmediamunicipaltelecominfrastructurecomputerandtechnologyincubatorsandtechnologycenters
0
Itisdifficulttounderstandthefullscopeofcommu-nitymediaculturewithoutknowingofthefollowingorganizationswhichsupportcommunitymediaand
independentmediapracticesTheyplayanumberofrolesasnationalassociationsrepresentingnetworksofcommu-nitymediaorganizationsandmediaartsorganizationsasproducernetworksandstrategiccommunicationsplannerslinkingcommunityorganizationswithcommunitymediaorganizationsasorganizationsofcommunityactivistsandproducersworkingtomoreeffectivelysupportandusecommunitymediaandascollaboratorsandpartnersincommunitydevelopmenttrainingandeducation
ActiveVoicehttpwwwactivevoicenet
AllianceforCommunityMediahttpwwwalliancecmorg
AssociationforCommunityNetworking
httpwwwafcnorg
CommunityMediaWorkshophttpwwwnewstipsorg
CommunityTechnologyCentersrsquoNetwork
httpwwwctcnetorg
DeepDishTVhttpdeepdishtvorg
FreeSpeechTVhttpwwwfreespeechorg
IndependentTelevisionServicehttpwwwitvsorg
IndependentMediaCenterIndymedia
httpwwwindymediaorg
LatinoPublicBroadcastinghttpwwwlpbporg
LinkTVhttplinktvorg
LPFMDatabasecom
httpwwwangelfirecomnj2piratejimlpfmhtml
MediaTankhttpwwwmediatankorg
MediaWorkingGrouphttpwwwmwgorg
NationalAllianceforMediaArtsandCulture
httpwwwnamacorg
NationalAsianAmericanTelecommunicationsAssochttp
asianamericanmediaorgindexhtml
NativeAmericanPublicTelecommunications
httpasianamericanmediaorgindexhtml
NationalBlackProgrammingConsortium
httpwwwnbpctv
NationalFederationofCommunityBroadcasters
httpwwwnfcborg
NationalPublicRadiohttpwwwnpr
NationalPublicTelecomputingNetworkhttpwwwnptnorg
PaperTigerTelevisionhttpwwwpapertigerorg
PacificIslandersinCommunications
httpwwwpiccomorg
PewCenterforCivicJournalismhttpwwwpewcenterorg
PrometheusRadioProject
httpwwwprometheusradioorg
PublicBroadcastingServicehttpwwwpbsorg
PublicRadioExchangehttpwwwprxorg
ReclaimtheMediahttpwwwreclaimthemediaorg
StarfishTelevisionNetworkhttpwwwstarfishtvorg
WebsitesofUSPEGAccessChannels
httpwwwbevcamorgpeg
WorldAssociationofCommunityRadioBroadcasters
httpwwwamarcorg
Appendix 2 aggregatorS and aSSoCiationS
Appalshophttpwwwappalshoporg
BayAreaVideoCoalitionhttpwwwbavcorg
BeyondMediaEducationhttpwwwbeyondmediaorg
CambridgeCommunityTelevisionhttpwwwcctvcambridgeorg
CasaGuatemalaMediaProjecthttpwwwcasaguatemalaorg
CharlotteObserverhttpwwwcharlottecom
ChicagoAccessNetworkTelevisionhttpwwwcantvorg
GrandRapidsCommunityMediaCenterhttpgrcmcorg
GrandNethttpwwwgrcmcorgnposervicesitphp
GRTVhttpwwwgrcmcorgtv
ideastreamhttpwwwideastreamorg
IFPMinnesotaCenterforMediaArtshttpwwwifpnorthorgabouthtml
IntermediaArtshttpwwwintermediaartsorg
KartemquinFilmshttpwwwkartemquincom
KBOOhttpwwwkbooorg
KFAIhttpwwwkfaiorg
LowellTelecommunicationsCenterhttpltcorg
ManhattanNeighborhoodNetworkhttpmnnorg
MediaArtsProjecthttpwwwthemaporg
MetroGovernmentCommunityMediaInitiativehttpwwwmetro-regionorg
MetropolitanAustinInteractiveNetworkhttpwwwmainorg
MinneapolisTelevisionNetworkhttpwwwmtnorg
MinnesotaChannelhttpwwwtptorgmnchannelnew
MinnesotaPublicRadiohttpminnesotapublicradioorghttpminnesotapublicradioorgpublicinsightjournalism
MountainAreaInformationNetworkhttpmainncus
MtHoodCableRegulatoryCommissionhttpwwwmhcrcorg
NewAmericaMediahttpnewsnewamericamediaorgnews
NewRoutestoCommunityHealthhttpwwwnewroutesorg
NorthwestFilmandVideoCenterhttpwwwnwfilmorg
OneClevelandhttpwwwoneclevelandorg
OregonPublicBroadcastinghttpwwwopborg
PortlandCommunityMediahttpwwwpcmtvorg
RadioArtehttpwwwwrteorg
SaintPaulNeighborhoodNetworkhttpwwwspnnorg
ScribeVideoCenterhttpwwwscribeorg
SoundPartnersforCommunityHealthhttpwwwsoundpartnersorg
StreetLevelYouthMediahttpwwwstreet-levelorg
TwinCitiesDailyPlanethttpwwwtcdailyplanetnet
TwinCitiesMediaAlliancehttpwwwtcmediaallianceorg
TwinCitiesPublicTelevisionhttpwwwtptorg
URTVhttpwwwurtvorg
WalkerArtCenterhttpwwwwalkerartorgindexwac
WCIW-LPhttppacificanetworkorgradiocontentview17542httpwwwciw-onlineorg
WGBHhttpwwwwgbhorg
WHYYhttpwhyyorg
WPVMhttpwwwwpvmorg
WYBEhttpwwwwybeorg
WYCEhttpwwwgrcmcorgradio
YouthChannelhttpwwwyouthchannelorg
Appendix 3 Community media praCtitionerSWebsitesofthosepractitionersmentionedinthetext
AndersonRachelBenton Digital Beat Extra Noncommercial Networks on DBSWashingtonDCBentonFoundation2000
AufderheidePatricialdquoCableAccessTVandthePublicSphererdquoinThe Daily Planet A Critic on the Capitalist Culture BeatMinneapolisandLondonUniversityofMinnesotaPress2000a
AufderheidePatriciaIn The Battle for Reality Social Documentaries in the USWashingtonDCAmericanUniversityCenterforSocialMedia2003
AufderheidePatricialdquoTheWhatandHowofPublicBroadcastingrdquoinThe Daily Planet A Critic on the Capitalist Culture BeatMinneapolisandLondonUniversityofMinnesotaPress2000b
AynteAbdirahmanldquoSomaliWebsitesACompetitiveAlternativeMediaandaFarcetoReckonWithrdquoHiiraan Onlinehttpwwwhiiraancomnews2006aprsomali_websitesaspx
AzzouzBushraTomChamberlinandMarleneFarnumThe Community Media Project Building Community through Media(Aproposedmodelforafive-yearinitiativetoproducelocaltelevisionprogrammingthatbroadensthedialogueonissuesimportanttotheOregoncommunityandcreatesastrongsenseofplace)PortlandORMetroDecember2000
BarlowWilliamldquoCommunityRadiointheUSTheStruggleForADemocraticMediumrdquoinMedia Culture and SocietyVol10(1988)
BenklerYochaiThe Wealth of Networks How Social Production Transforms Markets and FreedomNewHavenYaleUniversityPress2006
BentonFoundationDigital Alliances Partners in Public
Service Models for CollaborationUniversityParkPAThePennsylvaniaStateUniversity2002
BlauAndrewDeep Focus A Report on the Future of Independent MediaSanFranciscoNationalAllianceforMediaArtsandCulture2004
BowmanShayneandChrisWillisWe Media How Audiences Are Shaping the Future of News and InformationEditedbyJDLasicaRestonVATheMediaCenteratTheAmericanPressInstitute2003httpwwwhypergenenetwemediadownloadwe_mediapdf
BurnettRonldquoFromCommunityMediatoInternationalNetworksrdquoCritical Approaches to Culture + Communications + HypermediaNovember182005httpwwweciadca~rburnettWeblogarchives200511from_communityhtml
CanoAndrealdquoMicroradioAToolforCommunityEmpowermentrdquoinPublic Broadcasting and the Public InterestEditedbyMichaelPMcCauleyEricEPetersonBLeeArtzandDeeDeeHalleckLondonMESharpe2003
CarnegieCommissiononEducationalTelevisionPublic Television A Program for ActionNewYorkBantam1967
CastellsManuelThe Rise of the Network Society The Information Age Economy Society and CultureVolumes12amp3MaldenMABlackwellPublishersInc2005
ChesterJeffBeyond Broadcast Expanding Public Media in the Digital AgeWashingtonDCCenterforDigitalDemocracyFebruary2006httpwwwdemocraticmediaorgBBBBfrontphp
ChristensenPaulNanMcIntyreandLynnPikholzldquoBridgingCommunityandEconomicDevelopmentAStrategyforUsingIndustryClusterstoLinkNeighborhoodsandtheRegionalEconomyrdquo(reportfundedbytheFordFoundation)ClevelandShorebankEnterpriseGroup2005
ldquoCitizenJournalismrdquoissueofNieman ReportsCambridgeMATheNiemanFoundationforJournalismatHarvardUniversityVol59No4Winter2005eMprintNewsbookhttpwwwniemanharvardedureports05-4NRwinterNR05W_Citizen_Journalismpdf
City PagesldquoBestPublicAccessCableTVProgramSomaliTVrdquoBestoftheTwinCities2004MNApril282004httpcitypagescombestof2004artsandentertainmentbestof2379asp
bibliogrAphy
CruzRossanaReguilloldquoTheOracleintheCityBeliefsPracticesandSymbolicGeographiesrdquoinGlobal Cities of the South (Social Text)EditedbyAshleyDawsonandBrentHayesEdwardsTranslatedbyBrentHayesEdwardsandNoraNicoliniDurhamNCDukeUniversityPress81(Volume22Number4)Winter2004
DeLasCasasLucywithSimonBurallJohnMorrisonDavidKaleteandJagadanandaldquoGlobalMediaReformandAccountabilityReportfromtheNationalMediaReformConferencerdquoStLouis2005httpwwwoneworldtrustorgpagesdownloadcfmdid=281
DevineRobertHldquoVideoAccessandAgencyrdquoConferencepresentationTheNationalFederationofLocalCableProgrammersStPaulMNJuly171992
DirlinMartyandCathyMelioldquoTheGrassrootsRadioMovementintheUnitedStatesrdquoinPublic Broadcasting and the Public InterestEditedbyMichaelPMcCauleyEricEPetersonBLeeArtzandDeeDeeHalleckLondonMESharpe2003
DowningJohnDHwithTamaraVillarealFordGeneveGilandLauraSteinRadical Media Rebellious Communication and Social MovementsThousandOaksCASagePublications2001
EgerJohnldquoCreativeClustersandtheUrbanEconomyrdquoGovernment and Technology(February62006)httpwwwgovtechnetnewsnewsphpid=98345
EgerJohnMThe Creative Community Forging The Links Between Art Culture Commerce amp CommunityTheCaliforniaInstituteforSmartCommunitiesSanDiegoStateUniversity2005httpwwwsmartcommunitiesorgcreativeCreativeCommBroFINALpdf
EngelmanRalphPublic Radio and Television in America A Political HistoryThousandOaksCASagePublications1996
GillespieGilbertPublic Access Television in the United States and CanadaNewYorkPraegerPublishers1975
GillmorDanWe the Media Grassroots Journalism by the People for the PeopleSebastopolCAOrsquoReillyMediaInc2006
GrahamStephenandSimonMarvinTelecommunications and the City Electronic Spaces Urban PlacesLondonandNewYorkRoutledge1996
HalleckDeeDeeHand-Held Visions The Impossible Possibilities of Community MediaNewYorkFordhamUniversityPress2002
HigginsJohnWldquoAlternativeMediaandtheCultofIndividualismExperiencesfromUSPublicAccessTVrdquoPaperpresentedattheldquoOurMediardquopre-conferenceoftheInternationalAssociationforMediaandCommunicationResearchCommunityCommunicationSectionBarcelonaSpainJuly202002httpwwwourmedianetorgpapersom2002Higginsom2002pdf
HowleyKevinCommunity Media People Places and Communication TechnologiesCambridgeCambridgeUniversityPress2005
HoynesWilliamldquoThePBSBrandandtheMerchandisingofthePublicServicerdquoinPublic Broadcasting and the Public InterestEditedbyMichaelPMcCauleyEricEPetersonBLeeArtzandDeeDeeHalleckLondonMESharpe2003
JankowskiNicholasWldquoCommunityMediaResearchAQuestforTheoreticallyGroundedModelsrdquoThePublicVol1015(2003)httpmokkbmehucentreconferencesreactivismFPfpNJ
JankowskiNicholasWandOlePrehnedsCommunity Media in the Information Age Perspectives and ProspectsCresskillNJHamptonPress2002
LashScottThe Critique of InformationLondonSagePublications2002
ListerMartinJonDoveySethGiddingsIainGrantandKieranKellyNew Media A critical IntroductionLondonandNewYorkRoutledge2003
LloydMarkldquoRadioandLocalismWhatWhenWrongrdquoinContext(publishedbytheCenterforCommunicationsandCommunityUCLA)IssueNo4(WinterSpring2006)
MacintyreBenldquoWelcometotheNewTomPainesrdquoTimesOnlineNovember132004httpwwwtimesonlinecouktolcommentarticle390484ece
MaherVincentTowards a Critical Media Studies Approach to the BlogosphereNewMediaLabPublicationSchoolofJournalismandMediaStudiesRhodesUniversitySouthAfrica2006
MetroCommunity Media Project Evaluation Report PortlandORMetroJuly2004
MostStephenldquoBAVCandTheBigPicturerdquoinA Closer Look Media Arts 2002EditedbyHelenDeMichielSanFranciscoNationalAllianceforMediaArtsandCulture2002
NewAmericaMedialdquoEthnicMediainAmericaTheGiantHiddeninPlainSightrdquoPollconductedbyBendixenampAssociates2005httpnewsnewamericamediaorgnewsview_articlehtmlarticle_id=0443821787ac0210cbecebe8b1f576a3
OlsonBillThe History of Public Access Television2000httpwwwgeocitiescomiconostarhistory-public-access-TVhtml200415
PewCenterforCivicJournalismldquoDoingCivicJournalismrdquo2007httpwwwpewcenterorgdoingcj
PierceSteveldquoDBSandthePublicInterestOpportunityinSatelliteTelevisionrdquoinPublic Broadcasting and the Public InterestEditedbyMichaelPMcCauleyEricEPetersonBLeeArtzandDeeDeeHalleckLondonMESharpe2003
PhilipsSusanldquoTrueCommunityTowardaCollaborativeEthosScribersquoslsquoTrueCommunityVisionrsquordquoinA Closer Look Media Arts 2002EditedbyHelenDeMichielSanFranciscoNationalAllianceforMediaArtsandCulture2002
PorterMichaelEldquoLocationCompetitionandEconomicDevelopmentLocalClustersinaGlobalEconomyrdquoEconomic Development Quarterly14no1(February2000)15-34
ProjectforExcellenceinJournalismldquoMajorTrendsrdquoinState of the News Media 2006 An Annual Report on American Journalismhttpwwwstateofthenewsmediaorg2006nar-rative_overview_eightaspcat=2ampmedia=1
PrometheusRadioProjectldquoOurFifthBarnraisingmdashWCIW-LPinImmokaleeFloridardquohttpprometheusradioorgcontentview48952006
RennieEllieCommunity Media A Global IntroductionLanhamMDRowmanandLittlefieldPublishers2006
RodriguezClemenciaFissures in the Mediascape An International Study of Citizenrsquos MediaCresskillNJHamptonPress2001
SchafferJanldquoCitizensMediaHasItReachedaTippingPointrdquoinldquoCitizenJournalismrdquoissueofNieman Reports CambridgeMATheNiemanFoundationforJournalismatHarvardUniversityVol59No4Winter2005aeMprintNewsbookhttpwwwniemanharvardedureports05-4NRwinterNR05W_Citizen_Journalismpdf
SchafferJanInterviewonThe NewsHour With Jim Lehrer PBSEveningNewsNovember162005b
SchulerDouglasldquoTheRiseofCommunityNetworksrdquoInternet WorldDecember1995
SchulerDougandPeterDayShaping the Network Society The New Role of Civil Society in CyberspaceCambridgeandLondonMITPress2004
ShirkyClayPower Laws Weblogs and Inequality EconomicsampCultureMediaampCommunityBlog2005OpenSourcehttpshirkycomwritingspowerlaw_webloghtml
ShirkyClaySocial Software and the Politics of GroupsEconomicsampCultureMediaampCommunityBlog2005OpenSourcehttpshirkycomwritingsgroup_politicshtml
Somerset-WardRichardBroadband Community Networks Building the Digital CommonsAreportfortheHaasCharitableTrustsPhiladelphia2005
Somerset-WardRichardConnecting Communities WashingtonDCBentonFoundation2000
Spannerworkse-bookWhat is Social MediaJanuary2007httpwwwspannerworkscomebooks
StarrJeroldMldquoPublicTelevisionintheDigitalAgeTownHallorCyberMallrdquoinPublic Broadcasting and the Public InterestEditedbyMichaelPMcCauleyEricEPetersonBLeeArtzandDeeDeeHalleckLondonMESharpe2003
SteinLauraldquoPublicAccessTelevisionandGrassrootsCommunicationintheUnitedStatesrdquoChapter20inRadical Media Rebellious Communication and Social MovmentsEditedbyJohnDowningThousandOaksCASagePublications2001
SussmanGeraldandJREstesldquoCommunityRadioinCommunityDevelopmentPortlandrsquosKBOORadiordquoinThe Portland Edge Challenges and Successes in Growing CommunitiesEditedbyConniePOzawaPortlandStateUniversityIslandPress2004
WhitneyJenniferldquoMakeMediaMakeRealTroubleWhatrsquosWrong(andRight)withIndymediardquoLiPMagazineJune212005httpwwwlipmagazine
orgarticlesfeatwhitney_indymedia_phtml
spendtheirInternetaccessdollarswithalocallycontrolledandaccountableorganizationMAINdemonstratesthevalueofthecommunitynetworkingconcepttoareasthatarelagginginconnectivityduetofailuresofthemarket
MAINhastakenaleadershiproleinbuildingacommunitymediacultureinAshevillethatdemonstratestheeasewithwhichdigitalmedialeapsorganizationalboundariesItscommunitynetworkrunstheBlueRidgeWebMarketwhichprovidesafreecustomizableInternetpresencetohundredsofsmallbusinessesthroughoutwesternNorthCarolinaItsLatinoDigitalLiteracyProjectofferstrainingtohelpthearearsquosgrowingLatinopopula-tionsaccesstheInternetMAINhasbeenoneofthekeypartnersinbringingacableaccesscentertoAshevilleandhasbeenthedrivingforcebehindWPVMWNCrsquoslow-powerFMradiostationbroadcastinglocalnewsviewsandmusicover-the-airintheAshevilleregion(andtheworldviawebcast)
Cleveland OhioPerhapsthemostrobustcommunity-basednonprofitnetworkintheUnitedStatesOne ClevelandprovideswhatitcallsldquoultrabroadbandnetworkingservicesrdquotoClevelandareaeducationgovernmentresearchartscultureandhealthcareorganizationsOneClevelandoperatesafibernetworkringthatcoversmuchofthecityofClevelandandmanyofitssurroundingsuburbsSubscriberstothenetworkconnectatgigabitspeeds
OneClevelandrepresentswhatcanhappenwhenpowerfulcommunitydevelopmentforcescometoaconsensusregardingtheircommunityrsquosneedforhigh-speedconnectivitytoglobaleconomiesandmediaItsfoundersareClevelandmainstreaminstitutionsCaseWesternReserveUniversityCuyahogaCommunityCollegeClevelandStateUniversityTheCityofClevelandGreaterClevelandRegionalTransitAuthorityideastreamCuyahogaCountyPublicLibraryandNorTechThenetworkhasformedrelationshipswithtechnologycompaniestomaintainup-to-dateapplicationsthatleveragethepotentialofsuchapowerfulnetwork
Oneofthenetworkrsquoskeypartners ideastream illustratesthesignificanceofworkingtogethertomakehigh-speedconnectivitypubliclyavailablethroughoutacommunityonitsowntermsBybuildingahigh-speednet-workOneClevelandhascreatedacivicnetworkspaceandinfrastructurethatallowsanewkindofmultimediapublicmediaorganizationtobecreatedIdeastreamresultedwhenWVIZPBSTelevisionand903WCPNRadiopublicbroad-castersmergedtoformanewnonprofitldquomultimediapublicserviceorganizationrdquoIdeastreamisabletoextenditsmediaexpertisebeyondbroadcastingtoonlinetechnologiesandapplicationsofalltypesmdashwhenyouareconnectingtothenetworkatthegigabitspeedsofOneClevelandrsquostherangeofapplicationsandtheirpotentialarehuge
MAINhastakenaleadershiproleinbuildingacommunitymediacultureinAshevillethatdemonstratestheeasewithwhichdigitalmedialeapsorganizationalboundaries
OneClevelandrepresentswhatcanhappenwhenpowerfulcommunitydevelopmentforcescometoaconsensusregardingtheircommunityrsquosneedforhigh-speedconnectivitytoglobaleconomiesandmedia
Inthecourseofpreparingthisreportndashpouringovertheliteratureandsynthesizinghoursofstructuredround-tableconversationsandone-on-oneinterviewswith
opinionleadersandsuccessfulpractitionersofcommunitymediandashonethingisextremelyclearThewayoursocietymakesandsharesinformationknowledgeandcultureisinaheightenedstateofchangeTheinteractivenatureoftheInternethasdemonstratedthatitispossibletoorganizecommunicationsinamuchmoredemocraticfashionSomehaveconcludedwearewitnessingthetransitionfromanindustrializedinformationenvironmenttoanetworkedinformationenvironmentTheoldindustrialmediastruc-turesbasedonexclusivehigh-costproductionprocessesarebeingchallengedbyanemergingmediasectorinwhichthecostofcreatinginformationknowledgeandculturehasbeenprofoundlyreducedandtheproductsareintercon-nectedwidelythroughnetworksliketheInternet(Benkler2006)IndeedthereisincreasingevidencethatthesenewmediaanddigitalnetworksareparticularlyconducivetononcommercialandnonprofitculturalproductionaswellasmoreparticipatoryandcollaborativemediapracticesInmanywaysthelong-standingvaluesandintentofcommu-nitymediaforeshadowthisnewmediaenvironment
ThescanresearchfocusedonfourkeyareasofinquiryWhataretheuniquecharacteristicsthatdistin-guishcommunitymediaWhatmakesmedia-communitycollaborationssuccessfulWhattypesofcommunitymediaorganizationsbestleveragenewtechnologiesHowmightcommunitymediaengageunderservedpopulationsinprogrammingtailoredtotheirneedsIneachinstancewefoundthatcommunitymediacombinedwithgreaterafford-ablebandwidthandopen-sourceapproachestoproductiondohavetremendouscommunitydevelopmentpotentialHowevernoneofthatpotentialwillcomeaboutmagicallyThecommunitymediasectorisfacingthechallengingtaskofmanagingextensivechangeandtransformation
chAllengesThesuccessdisappointmentsandsocialvalueofthepastsixtyyearsofcommunitymediainitiativesmustbejudgedinhistoricalcontextConsistentmisrepresentationinthemainstreammediaandlimitedunaccommodatingsocialpolicyhaveresultedininadequatevisibilityandfinancialsupportforcommunitymediaAnydiscussionofitssuccessesorfailuresmustincorporateanunderstand-
ingoftheseexternalconstraintsInthislighttheexistingexpressionsofcommunitymediaattheirbestarewildlysuccessfulsocialexperimentsgivingcauseforgreatoptimism
NeverthelesscommunitymediafacebothexternalandinternalchallengesTheinternalchallengesarisefromstructuraltensionsthatoccurinanyattempttocreateorganizationsandculturesthatembodydiversitydemocraticexpressionandequitableaccessRatherthanbeingexpressedasldquoweaknessesrdquoasissooftenthecaseinmainstreammediaandacademiatheseinternaltensionsaremoreproperlyunderstoodaspredictabledevelopmentalproblemsandopportunitiesthatpractitionersshouldbepreparedtograpplewithinanycommunitymediasetting
Balancing Free Expression and Audience Development CommunityradioandpublicaccesscablehavehistoricallyprivilegedtheinterestsofproducersbygrantingthemgreatpoliticalfreedominmakingdecisionsregardingwhatprogrammingtocreateandwhataestheticandformattingapproachestouseThetrade-offforacultureofactivistvolunteerismandfreeexpressionhasbeensmalleraudi-encesandlowerlevelsofproductionandprogramsupportProgramproducerscarryanintensecommitmenttoindi-vidualownershipoftheirprogramminginitiativesthatmaynottaketheaudiencersquosinterestsfullytoheart
Whiletheseapproachesinradioandcableaccesshaveresultedinadiversityofprogrammingandpoliticalviewpointstheyhavealsopreventedradiostationpro-grammersorcableaccessorganizationsfrombuildingaflowofprogramsthatcandefineandconstructanongoingaudienceinthecommunityEachprogramorscheduledprogramslotcarriesitsownmicroaudienceldquofragmentedpublicsrdquothatareoftennotpartofanintegratedflowofpro-grammingthatattractsanaudiencetothechannelsoverall(Higgins2002)
Freeexpressionandaudiencedevelopmentarenotmutuallyexclusivenordoparticipatorymanagementstructuresvolunteerinvolvementandproducertrain-ingprogramsneedtoimpedeaudiencedevelopmentThesuccessofAmyGoodmanandDemocracyNowsoundlydemonstratesthisInfactmanycommunitymediaorgani-zationshavecreatedprogramminginitiativesthatcombinesophisticatedmeasurementsofsocialoutcomeswith
conclusions
trainingandparticipatoryprogramplanningTheyhavenotonlyraisedthesocialvalueoftheirprogrammingtotheircommunitiestheyhavealsoincreasedthesizeandloyaltyoftheiraudiences(Aufderheide2003)Asinteractivemediabegintocreatetheconditionswherenicheprogram-mingcanbefarmoresuccessfulthetensionbetweenfreeexpressionandaudiencedevelopmentisnotonlyachal-lengebutalsoatremendousopportunity
Programming MetricsStillroundtableparticipantsrepeatedlynotedthatevenwhenprogrammingmeetscommunityneedscommunitymediaorganizationscanfinditdifficulttodocumentimpactTheyfeltthatfundershavegenerallynotyetaddressedtheroleofmediainpopularcultureorthepowerofpopularcultureinaddressingsocialproblemsInaddi-tionfundersfindithardtoestablishcost-benefitmeasuresofsocialimpactfortheirmediaexpenditures
ParticipantsaskedformodelsofaudiencefeedbackandoutcomesmeasurementthatgobeyondaudiencenumbersTheyacknowledgedthedifficultyofquantify-ingnotionsofsuccesswhichtendtobeverysubjectiveandofusingsuccessstoriesinthecommonprogrammingmetricsofthedayManyrecognizedskepticismamongfundersabouttheimportanceofcommunitymediaasuspicionaboutagendasandafearofthecostsinvolvedmakingcommunitymediaahardsellEventhoughafewgoodevaluationeffortswereacknowledgedtheircollectiveresultshavenotbeenincorporatedintothethinkingofthewiderfundingcommunity
FundingMulti-yearstablefundingsupportforcommunitymediainitiativesiscriticaltostabilityinnovationandgrowthRoundtableparticipantsdiscussednumerousinstancesinwhichprojectswithmulti-yearsupporthadpowerfulpositiveimpactsextendingbeyondtheinitialprojectgoalsMulti-yearfundingcreatesthestabilitytoundertakeproperstrategicplanningandpartnershipdevelopment
Thereissomeearlyevidencethatamultiple-plat-formnonprofit-orientednichemarketcouldemergeasasignificantopportunitytoprovideenhancedrevenueforthecommunityandnoncommercialmediasectorsTheinterac-tivecapacityofthenewnetworkssignificantlyincreasestherevenuepotentialforcooperativeandsubscription-styleprogrammingflowsHoweverstrongmarketsforcommer-ciallyfundedparticipatorycommunityexpressionhavenotyetemergedinthedigitaleraduetothelimitedsizeofpopulationsandavailableadvertisingsupportIfthereistobeavitalsectorofcommunity-basedmediasomeformofsignificantpublicfundingwillbenecessaryevenininstanceswherecommunitymediaorganizationsmightrealizesignificantrevenuefromnewmarketsInordertomakethemostefficientuseofpublicfundingcommuni-tiesmustevolvefundingandgovernancestructuresforcommunitymediathatcanfacilitatetheaggregationoffundscoordinatemultiple-organizationprojectsandactastrustedconvenersofprogramminganddevelopmentdiscus-sionsincommunities
Policy ThreatsWhiletheconvergenceoftechnologyandpracticescreatesincreasingpotentialsforaunifiedcommunitymediasectorthereisunfortunatelynocohesiveandunifiednationalpolicyframeworkforcommunitymediaThegovernmentpoliciesandregulationsthatexistforcommunitymediahavebeenretrofittedinthearenasofUSbroadcastingandtelephonypolicyWhiletheyrepresenthard-wonpoliticalvictoriesandstrategicinsighttheydonotaddresstheneedsofcommunitymediainaholisticway
Inthecurrentpoliticalclimatebroadcastmediaownershipcontrolandprogrammingwillcontinuetobecentralizedinfewercorporationsleavingcommunitieswithlessoptionsforcontrollingtheirlocalmediaenviron-mentsAtthesametimethetelephonecompanieswillenterthemarketforvideotelephonyandbroadbandbydeployinghigh-capacitydigitaltelevisionnetworksinmanycommunitiesintheUnitedStates
ThecurrenttrendofcentralizationinUStele-communicationspolicyisthreateningtheabilityoflocal
Freeexpressionandaudiencedevelopmentarenotmutuallyexclusivenordoparticipatorymanagementstructuresvolunteerinvolvementandproducertrainingprogramsneedtoimpedeaudiencedevelopment
Communitymediaorganizationscanfinditdifficulttodocumentimpact
governmentstomandatecommunity-basedcommunica-tionsnetworksandprogramminginitiativesasrentonthepublicrights-of-wayThesefundingmechanismscurrentlysupportPublicEducationandGovernment(PEG)accesscabletelevisioncentersmediaartscentersandmanymunicipalcommunicationnetworksWhilefarfromperfectregulatorymechanismstheyareoneofthemostsuccess-fulformsofpublicmediasupporttoariseinthelastthirtyyears
Overthenextfiveyearsthesesuccessfulfundingstrategieswillbeunderheavyattackbythetelephonecom-paniesandthecabletelevisionindustryinastrugglewithgovernmentsforcommunitycontrolofthepublicrights-of-wayThesamedynamicthreatensequitableInternetaccessIncreasinglybroadbandcommunitynetworksaremunicipallyownedormandatedWhilesomeofthesemunicipalbroadbandnetworksweredeployedforinternalmunicipalpurposestimehasshownthatsuchnetworkscanserveanumberofnon-governmentalcommunity-basedpurposesincludingwirelessISPconnectionsforresidentsbusinessesandvisitorsManycommunitiesareseeking(andsomehaveobtained)ldquoCommunityBenefitsAgreementsrdquowithproposedwirelessbroadbandvendorsthatsetasideasmallfranchisefeeongrossrevenuestosupportdigitalinclusionactivitiesfollowingtheexampleofcablecompaniessupportofPEGaccessHowevermunicipalbroadbandandmunicipalwirelessareunderattackbyindustriestryingtoreservethesedevelopmentrightsforthemselves
Theoutcomeofthedebatesaroundcontroloftherights-of-waywillhaveasignificantimpactonthefuturepathofcommunitymediadevelopmentThesedebateswillrangeacrosstheregulatoryspectrumtheyarenowbeingwagedinlocalstateandnationallegislativearenasandthecourtsTheresultingcommunicationsinfrastruc-tureandregulatoryframeworkwillbeabletorealizethepotentialsofcommunitymediaifandonlyifcommunitiesareabletotakeleadershipinprovidingsubstantialpublicaswellasprivatefundingAsanoldtruismnotesldquomoneyispolicyrdquo
Therearenopoliticalortechnicalguaranteesthatdigitalmedianetworkswillremainopenandparticipa-toryastheyevolveItisunlikelythatmarketforcesalone
willservetorealizethedemocraticpotentialoftodayrsquosparticipatorymediatechnologyBuildingarobustsectorofcommunity-baseddemocraticnewmediawillrequireeffectivecitizenactivismclearandresponsivegovern-mentpoliciesandeffectivepoliticalstrategiesCommunitymedianeedsseparaterecognitionandsupportwithinfed-eralstateandlocalcommunicationspolicyandregulatorystructuresinordertoensureequitableandstablefundinganddevelopment
models for the futureThegovernmentregulationsandsubsidiesthatunderpincommunitymediahaveevolvedinahodgepodgefashionoverthepastsixtyyearsItcanbearguedthatcommunitymediashouldbetreatedasaseparatesectorwithinte-gratedfundingstructuresconsistentinfrastructureandtaxandsubsidypoliciesthatareseparateanddistinctfromexistinglocalmediapoliciesandalsofromthepoliciesunderpinningpublicbroadcastingPossiblemodelsforamoreunifiedapproacharenumerousbuttwoappearpar-ticularlywellsuitedtocommunitymediarsquosdiverseformsorganizationsandprogrammingapproaches
Public Funding FindingappropriatemethodsofincreasingpublicfundingforcommunitymediainashiftingregulatoryenvironmentiscrucialCurrentlocalcablefranchisingregulationstosupportcableaccessandthecommunitybenefitsagree-mentsofmunicipalwirelessnetworksoffersuccessfulmodelsbutarenowbothunderattackThelawsrequiringcommercialcableproviderstosetasidebandwidthchan-nelcapacityforthepublicinadditiontooperatingfundingbasedonapercentageofcommercialrevenuescouldbeextendedtoincludevoicevideoanddataEssentiallythenanycommercialproviderusingthepublicrights-of-wayorthewirelessspectrumwouldberequiredtocontributeanequitablepercentageofbandwidthandrev-enuetosupportthecommunitycommunicationssector
Community Media DevelopmentAdequatelevelsoffundingareonlypartoftheequationWhilefundingshouldsupporttheoverallgrowthofthe
Thereisunfortunatelynocohesiveandunifiednationalpolicyframe-workforcommunitymedia
setasidebandwidthchannelcapacityforthepublicinadditiontooperatingfunding
communitymediasectorinasensiblefashionanyfundingsolutionmustaddressthedifficultynowexperiencedbyfundersindealingwithcommunitymediahowtoprovideoverallsupporttoasectormadeupofsmallindependentorganizationswithanextremelydiversesetoffundingsourcesandmissionsOneeconomicdevelopmentapproachseemsparticularlyusefulhereProgressivecommunityeconomicdevelopmentstrategieshaveevolvedtosupportthegrowthofadiversityofsmallenterpriseswithinacom-monsectorwhilerecognizingthattheseenterprisescanatdifferenttimesbecollaboratorspartnersorcompetitorsSimilarstrategiescanguidedevelopmentofthecommunitymediasector
Thereareatleasttwoshort-termstepsthatcouldassistinthedevelopmentofcommunitymediaorgani-zationsandsupporttheircitizensrsquoabilitytocopewithcommercialmediaandinformationsaturationOneisforcommunitiestobuildorsecureaffordablebroadbandandwirelessnetworkinfrastructurewithastrongcommu-nitybenefitsagreementinsupportofdigitalinclusionHundredsofcommunitiesacrossthecountryeitherhaveorarelaunchingsuchwirelesscommunitynetworksmanyincollaborationwithwirelessvendorswhoinordertowinaservicecontractwiththemunicipalityinquestionaresup-portingdigitalliteracytraininginexpensiverefurbishedcomputersandlocalcontentdevelopmentndashinshortprogramsofdigitalinclusionandexcellence
AsecondopportunityidentifiedbyroundtableparticipantsisthepotentialforanationalsupportnetworkforexistingcommunitymediaorganizationsAnationalsupportnetworklinkingcommunitiesandtheircommu-
nitymediapractitionersandinstitutionscouldfacilitatearangeofactivitiesincludinglocal-to-localcommunicationorexchangesofinformationandprogrammingbetweencommunitiesvirtualspaceforanationalnetworkofcommunitymediaorganizationstohelptoorganizeuni-fiedpolicyadvocacywiderdistributionofpastproductsformationofissue-responseteamstoadvanceinterestsofcommunitygroupsandtapintolocalresourcesandshareddirectoriesofpractitionerstrainersandfacilitiesConveningleadersfromtheaggregatorsandassociationsservingcommunitymediaintheirvariousforms(listedinAppendix2)mightbeagoodnextsteptoexplorethisopportunity
the promiseThepracticeofcommunitymediahasmanagedtogrowandevolveoverthepastsixtyyearsdespiteunevenandgenerallylowlevelsofsupportandinconsistentgovernmentpoliciesEllieRenniearesearchfellowattheInstituteforSocialResearchSwinburneUniversityofTechnologyhaswrittenthatcommunitymediaareoftendefinednegativelyforwhattheyareopposedtoratherthanpositivelyforwhattheyhaveachieved(Rennie2006)Weareawarethatcom-munitymediahaveoftenbeendismissedasmarginalandidiosyncraticbuttheexamplescitedinthisreportprovidepowerfulevidencetothecontraryItistimetodefinecommunitymediabywhattheyhaveachievedCommunitymediaattheirbesthaveconsistentlydemonstratedtheirpotentialtoempowercommunitiesandindividualstoparticipateascitizensincommunityandeconomicdevelop-mentartseducationcommunitydialogandpoliticaldebateInmanyinstancestheyhavebecomecentralcul-turalsurvivalinstitutionsasourcommunitiesdealwiththeimpactofcommercialmediasaturationandglobalization
Duringtheroundtablediscussionsthattookplaceaspartofthisscanitwasobviousthatthevalueofcom-munitymediatocommunitiestranscendsthemeasurableeffectsofcivicengagementandcommunitydevelopmentCommunitymediacanallowindividualsincommunitiestohaveprofoundexperiencesofactivelyexpressingthem-selvesthroughmediaForpeoplewhohaveseenthemselvesaspassivereceptorsatthebottomofacascadeofpackagedmediaexperiencesandmessagesactiverepresentationoftheirownlivesandcircumstanceshasatransformativeeffectthatgoesbeyondsimplephraseslikeldquocivicengage-mentrdquoThevalueofcommunitymediatoindividualsandthecommunitiestheyliveinisincalculable
hellipaffordablebroadbandandwirelessnetworkinfrastructurewithastrongcommunitybenefitsagreement
anationalsupportnetworkforexistingcommunitymediaorganizations
Appendix 1 Community media empowerment StrategieS
empoWerment Activity ApproAch infrAstructure or venue
AccessAccesstocommunicationsinfrastructureproductiontools
MakingavailablemediaproductiontoolscomputerstelevisionandradiodistributionInternetsoftwarecommunitycommunicationsinfrastructuremeetingspacewebservers
Democraticcitizenaccesstocommunicationstoolsanddisseminationinfrastructure
CablebroadbandmunicipaltelecomInternetWiFiWiMAXlocalandpublicservicebroadcasting
AlternativeContent CreationofvideoaudiofilmwebsitesInternet-basedcitizenmediaP2Pmediabloggingsocialnetworkingsoftwaredatabasesandprintproduction
Contentpositionedtocounterorsupplementmassmediacontentandinformationfrommainstreamsources
AllplatformswithanincreasingexpansionwithinIPNetworksandcross-platformproductionanddissemination
CompetencyLiteracyMedialiteracyinformationliteracydigitalliteracyandculturalliteracy
Mediaartsandaestheticeducationlearningtogainacivicvoiceinamediaculturearticulationofmediabiasesengaginginmediaandpoliticsunderstandingcommoditycultureparentinginamedia-saturatedhome
Interventioninthecomplexmanipulationofsymbolsandculture
Allmassmediaprintelectronic
CommunityBuilding Workforcetrainingandskillbuildingmicro-enterprisedevelopmentbusinessinfrastructuredevelopment
Communityorganizingparticipatoryplanningdemocraticeconomicdevelopmentworkforceandinfrastructuredevelopment
Localmediamunicipaltelecominfrastructurecomputerandtechnologyincubatorsandtechnologycenters
0
Itisdifficulttounderstandthefullscopeofcommu-nitymediaculturewithoutknowingofthefollowingorganizationswhichsupportcommunitymediaand
independentmediapracticesTheyplayanumberofrolesasnationalassociationsrepresentingnetworksofcommu-nitymediaorganizationsandmediaartsorganizationsasproducernetworksandstrategiccommunicationsplannerslinkingcommunityorganizationswithcommunitymediaorganizationsasorganizationsofcommunityactivistsandproducersworkingtomoreeffectivelysupportandusecommunitymediaandascollaboratorsandpartnersincommunitydevelopmenttrainingandeducation
ActiveVoicehttpwwwactivevoicenet
AllianceforCommunityMediahttpwwwalliancecmorg
AssociationforCommunityNetworking
httpwwwafcnorg
CommunityMediaWorkshophttpwwwnewstipsorg
CommunityTechnologyCentersrsquoNetwork
httpwwwctcnetorg
DeepDishTVhttpdeepdishtvorg
FreeSpeechTVhttpwwwfreespeechorg
IndependentTelevisionServicehttpwwwitvsorg
IndependentMediaCenterIndymedia
httpwwwindymediaorg
LatinoPublicBroadcastinghttpwwwlpbporg
LinkTVhttplinktvorg
LPFMDatabasecom
httpwwwangelfirecomnj2piratejimlpfmhtml
MediaTankhttpwwwmediatankorg
MediaWorkingGrouphttpwwwmwgorg
NationalAllianceforMediaArtsandCulture
httpwwwnamacorg
NationalAsianAmericanTelecommunicationsAssochttp
asianamericanmediaorgindexhtml
NativeAmericanPublicTelecommunications
httpasianamericanmediaorgindexhtml
NationalBlackProgrammingConsortium
httpwwwnbpctv
NationalFederationofCommunityBroadcasters
httpwwwnfcborg
NationalPublicRadiohttpwwwnpr
NationalPublicTelecomputingNetworkhttpwwwnptnorg
PaperTigerTelevisionhttpwwwpapertigerorg
PacificIslandersinCommunications
httpwwwpiccomorg
PewCenterforCivicJournalismhttpwwwpewcenterorg
PrometheusRadioProject
httpwwwprometheusradioorg
PublicBroadcastingServicehttpwwwpbsorg
PublicRadioExchangehttpwwwprxorg
ReclaimtheMediahttpwwwreclaimthemediaorg
StarfishTelevisionNetworkhttpwwwstarfishtvorg
WebsitesofUSPEGAccessChannels
httpwwwbevcamorgpeg
WorldAssociationofCommunityRadioBroadcasters
httpwwwamarcorg
Appendix 2 aggregatorS and aSSoCiationS
Appalshophttpwwwappalshoporg
BayAreaVideoCoalitionhttpwwwbavcorg
BeyondMediaEducationhttpwwwbeyondmediaorg
CambridgeCommunityTelevisionhttpwwwcctvcambridgeorg
CasaGuatemalaMediaProjecthttpwwwcasaguatemalaorg
CharlotteObserverhttpwwwcharlottecom
ChicagoAccessNetworkTelevisionhttpwwwcantvorg
GrandRapidsCommunityMediaCenterhttpgrcmcorg
GrandNethttpwwwgrcmcorgnposervicesitphp
GRTVhttpwwwgrcmcorgtv
ideastreamhttpwwwideastreamorg
IFPMinnesotaCenterforMediaArtshttpwwwifpnorthorgabouthtml
IntermediaArtshttpwwwintermediaartsorg
KartemquinFilmshttpwwwkartemquincom
KBOOhttpwwwkbooorg
KFAIhttpwwwkfaiorg
LowellTelecommunicationsCenterhttpltcorg
ManhattanNeighborhoodNetworkhttpmnnorg
MediaArtsProjecthttpwwwthemaporg
MetroGovernmentCommunityMediaInitiativehttpwwwmetro-regionorg
MetropolitanAustinInteractiveNetworkhttpwwwmainorg
MinneapolisTelevisionNetworkhttpwwwmtnorg
MinnesotaChannelhttpwwwtptorgmnchannelnew
MinnesotaPublicRadiohttpminnesotapublicradioorghttpminnesotapublicradioorgpublicinsightjournalism
MountainAreaInformationNetworkhttpmainncus
MtHoodCableRegulatoryCommissionhttpwwwmhcrcorg
NewAmericaMediahttpnewsnewamericamediaorgnews
NewRoutestoCommunityHealthhttpwwwnewroutesorg
NorthwestFilmandVideoCenterhttpwwwnwfilmorg
OneClevelandhttpwwwoneclevelandorg
OregonPublicBroadcastinghttpwwwopborg
PortlandCommunityMediahttpwwwpcmtvorg
RadioArtehttpwwwwrteorg
SaintPaulNeighborhoodNetworkhttpwwwspnnorg
ScribeVideoCenterhttpwwwscribeorg
SoundPartnersforCommunityHealthhttpwwwsoundpartnersorg
StreetLevelYouthMediahttpwwwstreet-levelorg
TwinCitiesDailyPlanethttpwwwtcdailyplanetnet
TwinCitiesMediaAlliancehttpwwwtcmediaallianceorg
TwinCitiesPublicTelevisionhttpwwwtptorg
URTVhttpwwwurtvorg
WalkerArtCenterhttpwwwwalkerartorgindexwac
WCIW-LPhttppacificanetworkorgradiocontentview17542httpwwwciw-onlineorg
WGBHhttpwwwwgbhorg
WHYYhttpwhyyorg
WPVMhttpwwwwpvmorg
WYBEhttpwwwwybeorg
WYCEhttpwwwgrcmcorgradio
YouthChannelhttpwwwyouthchannelorg
Appendix 3 Community media praCtitionerSWebsitesofthosepractitionersmentionedinthetext
AndersonRachelBenton Digital Beat Extra Noncommercial Networks on DBSWashingtonDCBentonFoundation2000
AufderheidePatricialdquoCableAccessTVandthePublicSphererdquoinThe Daily Planet A Critic on the Capitalist Culture BeatMinneapolisandLondonUniversityofMinnesotaPress2000a
AufderheidePatriciaIn The Battle for Reality Social Documentaries in the USWashingtonDCAmericanUniversityCenterforSocialMedia2003
AufderheidePatricialdquoTheWhatandHowofPublicBroadcastingrdquoinThe Daily Planet A Critic on the Capitalist Culture BeatMinneapolisandLondonUniversityofMinnesotaPress2000b
AynteAbdirahmanldquoSomaliWebsitesACompetitiveAlternativeMediaandaFarcetoReckonWithrdquoHiiraan Onlinehttpwwwhiiraancomnews2006aprsomali_websitesaspx
AzzouzBushraTomChamberlinandMarleneFarnumThe Community Media Project Building Community through Media(Aproposedmodelforafive-yearinitiativetoproducelocaltelevisionprogrammingthatbroadensthedialogueonissuesimportanttotheOregoncommunityandcreatesastrongsenseofplace)PortlandORMetroDecember2000
BarlowWilliamldquoCommunityRadiointheUSTheStruggleForADemocraticMediumrdquoinMedia Culture and SocietyVol10(1988)
BenklerYochaiThe Wealth of Networks How Social Production Transforms Markets and FreedomNewHavenYaleUniversityPress2006
BentonFoundationDigital Alliances Partners in Public
Service Models for CollaborationUniversityParkPAThePennsylvaniaStateUniversity2002
BlauAndrewDeep Focus A Report on the Future of Independent MediaSanFranciscoNationalAllianceforMediaArtsandCulture2004
BowmanShayneandChrisWillisWe Media How Audiences Are Shaping the Future of News and InformationEditedbyJDLasicaRestonVATheMediaCenteratTheAmericanPressInstitute2003httpwwwhypergenenetwemediadownloadwe_mediapdf
BurnettRonldquoFromCommunityMediatoInternationalNetworksrdquoCritical Approaches to Culture + Communications + HypermediaNovember182005httpwwweciadca~rburnettWeblogarchives200511from_communityhtml
CanoAndrealdquoMicroradioAToolforCommunityEmpowermentrdquoinPublic Broadcasting and the Public InterestEditedbyMichaelPMcCauleyEricEPetersonBLeeArtzandDeeDeeHalleckLondonMESharpe2003
CarnegieCommissiononEducationalTelevisionPublic Television A Program for ActionNewYorkBantam1967
CastellsManuelThe Rise of the Network Society The Information Age Economy Society and CultureVolumes12amp3MaldenMABlackwellPublishersInc2005
ChesterJeffBeyond Broadcast Expanding Public Media in the Digital AgeWashingtonDCCenterforDigitalDemocracyFebruary2006httpwwwdemocraticmediaorgBBBBfrontphp
ChristensenPaulNanMcIntyreandLynnPikholzldquoBridgingCommunityandEconomicDevelopmentAStrategyforUsingIndustryClusterstoLinkNeighborhoodsandtheRegionalEconomyrdquo(reportfundedbytheFordFoundation)ClevelandShorebankEnterpriseGroup2005
ldquoCitizenJournalismrdquoissueofNieman ReportsCambridgeMATheNiemanFoundationforJournalismatHarvardUniversityVol59No4Winter2005eMprintNewsbookhttpwwwniemanharvardedureports05-4NRwinterNR05W_Citizen_Journalismpdf
City PagesldquoBestPublicAccessCableTVProgramSomaliTVrdquoBestoftheTwinCities2004MNApril282004httpcitypagescombestof2004artsandentertainmentbestof2379asp
bibliogrAphy
CruzRossanaReguilloldquoTheOracleintheCityBeliefsPracticesandSymbolicGeographiesrdquoinGlobal Cities of the South (Social Text)EditedbyAshleyDawsonandBrentHayesEdwardsTranslatedbyBrentHayesEdwardsandNoraNicoliniDurhamNCDukeUniversityPress81(Volume22Number4)Winter2004
DeLasCasasLucywithSimonBurallJohnMorrisonDavidKaleteandJagadanandaldquoGlobalMediaReformandAccountabilityReportfromtheNationalMediaReformConferencerdquoStLouis2005httpwwwoneworldtrustorgpagesdownloadcfmdid=281
DevineRobertHldquoVideoAccessandAgencyrdquoConferencepresentationTheNationalFederationofLocalCableProgrammersStPaulMNJuly171992
DirlinMartyandCathyMelioldquoTheGrassrootsRadioMovementintheUnitedStatesrdquoinPublic Broadcasting and the Public InterestEditedbyMichaelPMcCauleyEricEPetersonBLeeArtzandDeeDeeHalleckLondonMESharpe2003
DowningJohnDHwithTamaraVillarealFordGeneveGilandLauraSteinRadical Media Rebellious Communication and Social MovementsThousandOaksCASagePublications2001
EgerJohnldquoCreativeClustersandtheUrbanEconomyrdquoGovernment and Technology(February62006)httpwwwgovtechnetnewsnewsphpid=98345
EgerJohnMThe Creative Community Forging The Links Between Art Culture Commerce amp CommunityTheCaliforniaInstituteforSmartCommunitiesSanDiegoStateUniversity2005httpwwwsmartcommunitiesorgcreativeCreativeCommBroFINALpdf
EngelmanRalphPublic Radio and Television in America A Political HistoryThousandOaksCASagePublications1996
GillespieGilbertPublic Access Television in the United States and CanadaNewYorkPraegerPublishers1975
GillmorDanWe the Media Grassroots Journalism by the People for the PeopleSebastopolCAOrsquoReillyMediaInc2006
GrahamStephenandSimonMarvinTelecommunications and the City Electronic Spaces Urban PlacesLondonandNewYorkRoutledge1996
HalleckDeeDeeHand-Held Visions The Impossible Possibilities of Community MediaNewYorkFordhamUniversityPress2002
HigginsJohnWldquoAlternativeMediaandtheCultofIndividualismExperiencesfromUSPublicAccessTVrdquoPaperpresentedattheldquoOurMediardquopre-conferenceoftheInternationalAssociationforMediaandCommunicationResearchCommunityCommunicationSectionBarcelonaSpainJuly202002httpwwwourmedianetorgpapersom2002Higginsom2002pdf
HowleyKevinCommunity Media People Places and Communication TechnologiesCambridgeCambridgeUniversityPress2005
HoynesWilliamldquoThePBSBrandandtheMerchandisingofthePublicServicerdquoinPublic Broadcasting and the Public InterestEditedbyMichaelPMcCauleyEricEPetersonBLeeArtzandDeeDeeHalleckLondonMESharpe2003
JankowskiNicholasWldquoCommunityMediaResearchAQuestforTheoreticallyGroundedModelsrdquoThePublicVol1015(2003)httpmokkbmehucentreconferencesreactivismFPfpNJ
JankowskiNicholasWandOlePrehnedsCommunity Media in the Information Age Perspectives and ProspectsCresskillNJHamptonPress2002
LashScottThe Critique of InformationLondonSagePublications2002
ListerMartinJonDoveySethGiddingsIainGrantandKieranKellyNew Media A critical IntroductionLondonandNewYorkRoutledge2003
LloydMarkldquoRadioandLocalismWhatWhenWrongrdquoinContext(publishedbytheCenterforCommunicationsandCommunityUCLA)IssueNo4(WinterSpring2006)
MacintyreBenldquoWelcometotheNewTomPainesrdquoTimesOnlineNovember132004httpwwwtimesonlinecouktolcommentarticle390484ece
MaherVincentTowards a Critical Media Studies Approach to the BlogosphereNewMediaLabPublicationSchoolofJournalismandMediaStudiesRhodesUniversitySouthAfrica2006
MetroCommunity Media Project Evaluation Report PortlandORMetroJuly2004
MostStephenldquoBAVCandTheBigPicturerdquoinA Closer Look Media Arts 2002EditedbyHelenDeMichielSanFranciscoNationalAllianceforMediaArtsandCulture2002
NewAmericaMedialdquoEthnicMediainAmericaTheGiantHiddeninPlainSightrdquoPollconductedbyBendixenampAssociates2005httpnewsnewamericamediaorgnewsview_articlehtmlarticle_id=0443821787ac0210cbecebe8b1f576a3
OlsonBillThe History of Public Access Television2000httpwwwgeocitiescomiconostarhistory-public-access-TVhtml200415
PewCenterforCivicJournalismldquoDoingCivicJournalismrdquo2007httpwwwpewcenterorgdoingcj
PierceSteveldquoDBSandthePublicInterestOpportunityinSatelliteTelevisionrdquoinPublic Broadcasting and the Public InterestEditedbyMichaelPMcCauleyEricEPetersonBLeeArtzandDeeDeeHalleckLondonMESharpe2003
PhilipsSusanldquoTrueCommunityTowardaCollaborativeEthosScribersquoslsquoTrueCommunityVisionrsquordquoinA Closer Look Media Arts 2002EditedbyHelenDeMichielSanFranciscoNationalAllianceforMediaArtsandCulture2002
PorterMichaelEldquoLocationCompetitionandEconomicDevelopmentLocalClustersinaGlobalEconomyrdquoEconomic Development Quarterly14no1(February2000)15-34
ProjectforExcellenceinJournalismldquoMajorTrendsrdquoinState of the News Media 2006 An Annual Report on American Journalismhttpwwwstateofthenewsmediaorg2006nar-rative_overview_eightaspcat=2ampmedia=1
PrometheusRadioProjectldquoOurFifthBarnraisingmdashWCIW-LPinImmokaleeFloridardquohttpprometheusradioorgcontentview48952006
RennieEllieCommunity Media A Global IntroductionLanhamMDRowmanandLittlefieldPublishers2006
RodriguezClemenciaFissures in the Mediascape An International Study of Citizenrsquos MediaCresskillNJHamptonPress2001
SchafferJanldquoCitizensMediaHasItReachedaTippingPointrdquoinldquoCitizenJournalismrdquoissueofNieman Reports CambridgeMATheNiemanFoundationforJournalismatHarvardUniversityVol59No4Winter2005aeMprintNewsbookhttpwwwniemanharvardedureports05-4NRwinterNR05W_Citizen_Journalismpdf
SchafferJanInterviewonThe NewsHour With Jim Lehrer PBSEveningNewsNovember162005b
SchulerDouglasldquoTheRiseofCommunityNetworksrdquoInternet WorldDecember1995
SchulerDougandPeterDayShaping the Network Society The New Role of Civil Society in CyberspaceCambridgeandLondonMITPress2004
ShirkyClayPower Laws Weblogs and Inequality EconomicsampCultureMediaampCommunityBlog2005OpenSourcehttpshirkycomwritingspowerlaw_webloghtml
ShirkyClaySocial Software and the Politics of GroupsEconomicsampCultureMediaampCommunityBlog2005OpenSourcehttpshirkycomwritingsgroup_politicshtml
Somerset-WardRichardBroadband Community Networks Building the Digital CommonsAreportfortheHaasCharitableTrustsPhiladelphia2005
Somerset-WardRichardConnecting Communities WashingtonDCBentonFoundation2000
Spannerworkse-bookWhat is Social MediaJanuary2007httpwwwspannerworkscomebooks
StarrJeroldMldquoPublicTelevisionintheDigitalAgeTownHallorCyberMallrdquoinPublic Broadcasting and the Public InterestEditedbyMichaelPMcCauleyEricEPetersonBLeeArtzandDeeDeeHalleckLondonMESharpe2003
SteinLauraldquoPublicAccessTelevisionandGrassrootsCommunicationintheUnitedStatesrdquoChapter20inRadical Media Rebellious Communication and Social MovmentsEditedbyJohnDowningThousandOaksCASagePublications2001
SussmanGeraldandJREstesldquoCommunityRadioinCommunityDevelopmentPortlandrsquosKBOORadiordquoinThe Portland Edge Challenges and Successes in Growing CommunitiesEditedbyConniePOzawaPortlandStateUniversityIslandPress2004
WhitneyJenniferldquoMakeMediaMakeRealTroubleWhatrsquosWrong(andRight)withIndymediardquoLiPMagazineJune212005httpwwwlipmagazine
orgarticlesfeatwhitney_indymedia_phtml
Inthecourseofpreparingthisreportndashpouringovertheliteratureandsynthesizinghoursofstructuredround-tableconversationsandone-on-oneinterviewswith
opinionleadersandsuccessfulpractitionersofcommunitymediandashonethingisextremelyclearThewayoursocietymakesandsharesinformationknowledgeandcultureisinaheightenedstateofchangeTheinteractivenatureoftheInternethasdemonstratedthatitispossibletoorganizecommunicationsinamuchmoredemocraticfashionSomehaveconcludedwearewitnessingthetransitionfromanindustrializedinformationenvironmenttoanetworkedinformationenvironmentTheoldindustrialmediastruc-turesbasedonexclusivehigh-costproductionprocessesarebeingchallengedbyanemergingmediasectorinwhichthecostofcreatinginformationknowledgeandculturehasbeenprofoundlyreducedandtheproductsareintercon-nectedwidelythroughnetworksliketheInternet(Benkler2006)IndeedthereisincreasingevidencethatthesenewmediaanddigitalnetworksareparticularlyconducivetononcommercialandnonprofitculturalproductionaswellasmoreparticipatoryandcollaborativemediapracticesInmanywaysthelong-standingvaluesandintentofcommu-nitymediaforeshadowthisnewmediaenvironment
ThescanresearchfocusedonfourkeyareasofinquiryWhataretheuniquecharacteristicsthatdistin-guishcommunitymediaWhatmakesmedia-communitycollaborationssuccessfulWhattypesofcommunitymediaorganizationsbestleveragenewtechnologiesHowmightcommunitymediaengageunderservedpopulationsinprogrammingtailoredtotheirneedsIneachinstancewefoundthatcommunitymediacombinedwithgreaterafford-ablebandwidthandopen-sourceapproachestoproductiondohavetremendouscommunitydevelopmentpotentialHowevernoneofthatpotentialwillcomeaboutmagicallyThecommunitymediasectorisfacingthechallengingtaskofmanagingextensivechangeandtransformation
chAllengesThesuccessdisappointmentsandsocialvalueofthepastsixtyyearsofcommunitymediainitiativesmustbejudgedinhistoricalcontextConsistentmisrepresentationinthemainstreammediaandlimitedunaccommodatingsocialpolicyhaveresultedininadequatevisibilityandfinancialsupportforcommunitymediaAnydiscussionofitssuccessesorfailuresmustincorporateanunderstand-
ingoftheseexternalconstraintsInthislighttheexistingexpressionsofcommunitymediaattheirbestarewildlysuccessfulsocialexperimentsgivingcauseforgreatoptimism
NeverthelesscommunitymediafacebothexternalandinternalchallengesTheinternalchallengesarisefromstructuraltensionsthatoccurinanyattempttocreateorganizationsandculturesthatembodydiversitydemocraticexpressionandequitableaccessRatherthanbeingexpressedasldquoweaknessesrdquoasissooftenthecaseinmainstreammediaandacademiatheseinternaltensionsaremoreproperlyunderstoodaspredictabledevelopmentalproblemsandopportunitiesthatpractitionersshouldbepreparedtograpplewithinanycommunitymediasetting
Balancing Free Expression and Audience Development CommunityradioandpublicaccesscablehavehistoricallyprivilegedtheinterestsofproducersbygrantingthemgreatpoliticalfreedominmakingdecisionsregardingwhatprogrammingtocreateandwhataestheticandformattingapproachestouseThetrade-offforacultureofactivistvolunteerismandfreeexpressionhasbeensmalleraudi-encesandlowerlevelsofproductionandprogramsupportProgramproducerscarryanintensecommitmenttoindi-vidualownershipoftheirprogramminginitiativesthatmaynottaketheaudiencersquosinterestsfullytoheart
Whiletheseapproachesinradioandcableaccesshaveresultedinadiversityofprogrammingandpoliticalviewpointstheyhavealsopreventedradiostationpro-grammersorcableaccessorganizationsfrombuildingaflowofprogramsthatcandefineandconstructanongoingaudienceinthecommunityEachprogramorscheduledprogramslotcarriesitsownmicroaudienceldquofragmentedpublicsrdquothatareoftennotpartofanintegratedflowofpro-grammingthatattractsanaudiencetothechannelsoverall(Higgins2002)
Freeexpressionandaudiencedevelopmentarenotmutuallyexclusivenordoparticipatorymanagementstructuresvolunteerinvolvementandproducertrain-ingprogramsneedtoimpedeaudiencedevelopmentThesuccessofAmyGoodmanandDemocracyNowsoundlydemonstratesthisInfactmanycommunitymediaorgani-zationshavecreatedprogramminginitiativesthatcombinesophisticatedmeasurementsofsocialoutcomeswith
conclusions
trainingandparticipatoryprogramplanningTheyhavenotonlyraisedthesocialvalueoftheirprogrammingtotheircommunitiestheyhavealsoincreasedthesizeandloyaltyoftheiraudiences(Aufderheide2003)Asinteractivemediabegintocreatetheconditionswherenicheprogram-mingcanbefarmoresuccessfulthetensionbetweenfreeexpressionandaudiencedevelopmentisnotonlyachal-lengebutalsoatremendousopportunity
Programming MetricsStillroundtableparticipantsrepeatedlynotedthatevenwhenprogrammingmeetscommunityneedscommunitymediaorganizationscanfinditdifficulttodocumentimpactTheyfeltthatfundershavegenerallynotyetaddressedtheroleofmediainpopularcultureorthepowerofpopularcultureinaddressingsocialproblemsInaddi-tionfundersfindithardtoestablishcost-benefitmeasuresofsocialimpactfortheirmediaexpenditures
ParticipantsaskedformodelsofaudiencefeedbackandoutcomesmeasurementthatgobeyondaudiencenumbersTheyacknowledgedthedifficultyofquantify-ingnotionsofsuccesswhichtendtobeverysubjectiveandofusingsuccessstoriesinthecommonprogrammingmetricsofthedayManyrecognizedskepticismamongfundersabouttheimportanceofcommunitymediaasuspicionaboutagendasandafearofthecostsinvolvedmakingcommunitymediaahardsellEventhoughafewgoodevaluationeffortswereacknowledgedtheircollectiveresultshavenotbeenincorporatedintothethinkingofthewiderfundingcommunity
FundingMulti-yearstablefundingsupportforcommunitymediainitiativesiscriticaltostabilityinnovationandgrowthRoundtableparticipantsdiscussednumerousinstancesinwhichprojectswithmulti-yearsupporthadpowerfulpositiveimpactsextendingbeyondtheinitialprojectgoalsMulti-yearfundingcreatesthestabilitytoundertakeproperstrategicplanningandpartnershipdevelopment
Thereissomeearlyevidencethatamultiple-plat-formnonprofit-orientednichemarketcouldemergeasasignificantopportunitytoprovideenhancedrevenueforthecommunityandnoncommercialmediasectorsTheinterac-tivecapacityofthenewnetworkssignificantlyincreasestherevenuepotentialforcooperativeandsubscription-styleprogrammingflowsHoweverstrongmarketsforcommer-ciallyfundedparticipatorycommunityexpressionhavenotyetemergedinthedigitaleraduetothelimitedsizeofpopulationsandavailableadvertisingsupportIfthereistobeavitalsectorofcommunity-basedmediasomeformofsignificantpublicfundingwillbenecessaryevenininstanceswherecommunitymediaorganizationsmightrealizesignificantrevenuefromnewmarketsInordertomakethemostefficientuseofpublicfundingcommuni-tiesmustevolvefundingandgovernancestructuresforcommunitymediathatcanfacilitatetheaggregationoffundscoordinatemultiple-organizationprojectsandactastrustedconvenersofprogramminganddevelopmentdiscus-sionsincommunities
Policy ThreatsWhiletheconvergenceoftechnologyandpracticescreatesincreasingpotentialsforaunifiedcommunitymediasectorthereisunfortunatelynocohesiveandunifiednationalpolicyframeworkforcommunitymediaThegovernmentpoliciesandregulationsthatexistforcommunitymediahavebeenretrofittedinthearenasofUSbroadcastingandtelephonypolicyWhiletheyrepresenthard-wonpoliticalvictoriesandstrategicinsighttheydonotaddresstheneedsofcommunitymediainaholisticway
Inthecurrentpoliticalclimatebroadcastmediaownershipcontrolandprogrammingwillcontinuetobecentralizedinfewercorporationsleavingcommunitieswithlessoptionsforcontrollingtheirlocalmediaenviron-mentsAtthesametimethetelephonecompanieswillenterthemarketforvideotelephonyandbroadbandbydeployinghigh-capacitydigitaltelevisionnetworksinmanycommunitiesintheUnitedStates
ThecurrenttrendofcentralizationinUStele-communicationspolicyisthreateningtheabilityoflocal
Freeexpressionandaudiencedevelopmentarenotmutuallyexclusivenordoparticipatorymanagementstructuresvolunteerinvolvementandproducertrainingprogramsneedtoimpedeaudiencedevelopment
Communitymediaorganizationscanfinditdifficulttodocumentimpact
governmentstomandatecommunity-basedcommunica-tionsnetworksandprogramminginitiativesasrentonthepublicrights-of-wayThesefundingmechanismscurrentlysupportPublicEducationandGovernment(PEG)accesscabletelevisioncentersmediaartscentersandmanymunicipalcommunicationnetworksWhilefarfromperfectregulatorymechanismstheyareoneofthemostsuccess-fulformsofpublicmediasupporttoariseinthelastthirtyyears
Overthenextfiveyearsthesesuccessfulfundingstrategieswillbeunderheavyattackbythetelephonecom-paniesandthecabletelevisionindustryinastrugglewithgovernmentsforcommunitycontrolofthepublicrights-of-wayThesamedynamicthreatensequitableInternetaccessIncreasinglybroadbandcommunitynetworksaremunicipallyownedormandatedWhilesomeofthesemunicipalbroadbandnetworksweredeployedforinternalmunicipalpurposestimehasshownthatsuchnetworkscanserveanumberofnon-governmentalcommunity-basedpurposesincludingwirelessISPconnectionsforresidentsbusinessesandvisitorsManycommunitiesareseeking(andsomehaveobtained)ldquoCommunityBenefitsAgreementsrdquowithproposedwirelessbroadbandvendorsthatsetasideasmallfranchisefeeongrossrevenuestosupportdigitalinclusionactivitiesfollowingtheexampleofcablecompaniessupportofPEGaccessHowevermunicipalbroadbandandmunicipalwirelessareunderattackbyindustriestryingtoreservethesedevelopmentrightsforthemselves
Theoutcomeofthedebatesaroundcontroloftherights-of-waywillhaveasignificantimpactonthefuturepathofcommunitymediadevelopmentThesedebateswillrangeacrosstheregulatoryspectrumtheyarenowbeingwagedinlocalstateandnationallegislativearenasandthecourtsTheresultingcommunicationsinfrastruc-tureandregulatoryframeworkwillbeabletorealizethepotentialsofcommunitymediaifandonlyifcommunitiesareabletotakeleadershipinprovidingsubstantialpublicaswellasprivatefundingAsanoldtruismnotesldquomoneyispolicyrdquo
Therearenopoliticalortechnicalguaranteesthatdigitalmedianetworkswillremainopenandparticipa-toryastheyevolveItisunlikelythatmarketforcesalone
willservetorealizethedemocraticpotentialoftodayrsquosparticipatorymediatechnologyBuildingarobustsectorofcommunity-baseddemocraticnewmediawillrequireeffectivecitizenactivismclearandresponsivegovern-mentpoliciesandeffectivepoliticalstrategiesCommunitymedianeedsseparaterecognitionandsupportwithinfed-eralstateandlocalcommunicationspolicyandregulatorystructuresinordertoensureequitableandstablefundinganddevelopment
models for the futureThegovernmentregulationsandsubsidiesthatunderpincommunitymediahaveevolvedinahodgepodgefashionoverthepastsixtyyearsItcanbearguedthatcommunitymediashouldbetreatedasaseparatesectorwithinte-gratedfundingstructuresconsistentinfrastructureandtaxandsubsidypoliciesthatareseparateanddistinctfromexistinglocalmediapoliciesandalsofromthepoliciesunderpinningpublicbroadcastingPossiblemodelsforamoreunifiedapproacharenumerousbuttwoappearpar-ticularlywellsuitedtocommunitymediarsquosdiverseformsorganizationsandprogrammingapproaches
Public Funding FindingappropriatemethodsofincreasingpublicfundingforcommunitymediainashiftingregulatoryenvironmentiscrucialCurrentlocalcablefranchisingregulationstosupportcableaccessandthecommunitybenefitsagree-mentsofmunicipalwirelessnetworksoffersuccessfulmodelsbutarenowbothunderattackThelawsrequiringcommercialcableproviderstosetasidebandwidthchan-nelcapacityforthepublicinadditiontooperatingfundingbasedonapercentageofcommercialrevenuescouldbeextendedtoincludevoicevideoanddataEssentiallythenanycommercialproviderusingthepublicrights-of-wayorthewirelessspectrumwouldberequiredtocontributeanequitablepercentageofbandwidthandrev-enuetosupportthecommunitycommunicationssector
Community Media DevelopmentAdequatelevelsoffundingareonlypartoftheequationWhilefundingshouldsupporttheoverallgrowthofthe
Thereisunfortunatelynocohesiveandunifiednationalpolicyframe-workforcommunitymedia
setasidebandwidthchannelcapacityforthepublicinadditiontooperatingfunding
communitymediasectorinasensiblefashionanyfundingsolutionmustaddressthedifficultynowexperiencedbyfundersindealingwithcommunitymediahowtoprovideoverallsupporttoasectormadeupofsmallindependentorganizationswithanextremelydiversesetoffundingsourcesandmissionsOneeconomicdevelopmentapproachseemsparticularlyusefulhereProgressivecommunityeconomicdevelopmentstrategieshaveevolvedtosupportthegrowthofadiversityofsmallenterpriseswithinacom-monsectorwhilerecognizingthattheseenterprisescanatdifferenttimesbecollaboratorspartnersorcompetitorsSimilarstrategiescanguidedevelopmentofthecommunitymediasector
Thereareatleasttwoshort-termstepsthatcouldassistinthedevelopmentofcommunitymediaorgani-zationsandsupporttheircitizensrsquoabilitytocopewithcommercialmediaandinformationsaturationOneisforcommunitiestobuildorsecureaffordablebroadbandandwirelessnetworkinfrastructurewithastrongcommu-nitybenefitsagreementinsupportofdigitalinclusionHundredsofcommunitiesacrossthecountryeitherhaveorarelaunchingsuchwirelesscommunitynetworksmanyincollaborationwithwirelessvendorswhoinordertowinaservicecontractwiththemunicipalityinquestionaresup-portingdigitalliteracytraininginexpensiverefurbishedcomputersandlocalcontentdevelopmentndashinshortprogramsofdigitalinclusionandexcellence
AsecondopportunityidentifiedbyroundtableparticipantsisthepotentialforanationalsupportnetworkforexistingcommunitymediaorganizationsAnationalsupportnetworklinkingcommunitiesandtheircommu-
nitymediapractitionersandinstitutionscouldfacilitatearangeofactivitiesincludinglocal-to-localcommunicationorexchangesofinformationandprogrammingbetweencommunitiesvirtualspaceforanationalnetworkofcommunitymediaorganizationstohelptoorganizeuni-fiedpolicyadvocacywiderdistributionofpastproductsformationofissue-responseteamstoadvanceinterestsofcommunitygroupsandtapintolocalresourcesandshareddirectoriesofpractitionerstrainersandfacilitiesConveningleadersfromtheaggregatorsandassociationsservingcommunitymediaintheirvariousforms(listedinAppendix2)mightbeagoodnextsteptoexplorethisopportunity
the promiseThepracticeofcommunitymediahasmanagedtogrowandevolveoverthepastsixtyyearsdespiteunevenandgenerallylowlevelsofsupportandinconsistentgovernmentpoliciesEllieRenniearesearchfellowattheInstituteforSocialResearchSwinburneUniversityofTechnologyhaswrittenthatcommunitymediaareoftendefinednegativelyforwhattheyareopposedtoratherthanpositivelyforwhattheyhaveachieved(Rennie2006)Weareawarethatcom-munitymediahaveoftenbeendismissedasmarginalandidiosyncraticbuttheexamplescitedinthisreportprovidepowerfulevidencetothecontraryItistimetodefinecommunitymediabywhattheyhaveachievedCommunitymediaattheirbesthaveconsistentlydemonstratedtheirpotentialtoempowercommunitiesandindividualstoparticipateascitizensincommunityandeconomicdevelop-mentartseducationcommunitydialogandpoliticaldebateInmanyinstancestheyhavebecomecentralcul-turalsurvivalinstitutionsasourcommunitiesdealwiththeimpactofcommercialmediasaturationandglobalization
Duringtheroundtablediscussionsthattookplaceaspartofthisscanitwasobviousthatthevalueofcom-munitymediatocommunitiestranscendsthemeasurableeffectsofcivicengagementandcommunitydevelopmentCommunitymediacanallowindividualsincommunitiestohaveprofoundexperiencesofactivelyexpressingthem-selvesthroughmediaForpeoplewhohaveseenthemselvesaspassivereceptorsatthebottomofacascadeofpackagedmediaexperiencesandmessagesactiverepresentationoftheirownlivesandcircumstanceshasatransformativeeffectthatgoesbeyondsimplephraseslikeldquocivicengage-mentrdquoThevalueofcommunitymediatoindividualsandthecommunitiestheyliveinisincalculable
hellipaffordablebroadbandandwirelessnetworkinfrastructurewithastrongcommunitybenefitsagreement
anationalsupportnetworkforexistingcommunitymediaorganizations
Appendix 1 Community media empowerment StrategieS
empoWerment Activity ApproAch infrAstructure or venue
AccessAccesstocommunicationsinfrastructureproductiontools
MakingavailablemediaproductiontoolscomputerstelevisionandradiodistributionInternetsoftwarecommunitycommunicationsinfrastructuremeetingspacewebservers
Democraticcitizenaccesstocommunicationstoolsanddisseminationinfrastructure
CablebroadbandmunicipaltelecomInternetWiFiWiMAXlocalandpublicservicebroadcasting
AlternativeContent CreationofvideoaudiofilmwebsitesInternet-basedcitizenmediaP2Pmediabloggingsocialnetworkingsoftwaredatabasesandprintproduction
Contentpositionedtocounterorsupplementmassmediacontentandinformationfrommainstreamsources
AllplatformswithanincreasingexpansionwithinIPNetworksandcross-platformproductionanddissemination
CompetencyLiteracyMedialiteracyinformationliteracydigitalliteracyandculturalliteracy
Mediaartsandaestheticeducationlearningtogainacivicvoiceinamediaculturearticulationofmediabiasesengaginginmediaandpoliticsunderstandingcommoditycultureparentinginamedia-saturatedhome
Interventioninthecomplexmanipulationofsymbolsandculture
Allmassmediaprintelectronic
CommunityBuilding Workforcetrainingandskillbuildingmicro-enterprisedevelopmentbusinessinfrastructuredevelopment
Communityorganizingparticipatoryplanningdemocraticeconomicdevelopmentworkforceandinfrastructuredevelopment
Localmediamunicipaltelecominfrastructurecomputerandtechnologyincubatorsandtechnologycenters
0
Itisdifficulttounderstandthefullscopeofcommu-nitymediaculturewithoutknowingofthefollowingorganizationswhichsupportcommunitymediaand
independentmediapracticesTheyplayanumberofrolesasnationalassociationsrepresentingnetworksofcommu-nitymediaorganizationsandmediaartsorganizationsasproducernetworksandstrategiccommunicationsplannerslinkingcommunityorganizationswithcommunitymediaorganizationsasorganizationsofcommunityactivistsandproducersworkingtomoreeffectivelysupportandusecommunitymediaandascollaboratorsandpartnersincommunitydevelopmenttrainingandeducation
ActiveVoicehttpwwwactivevoicenet
AllianceforCommunityMediahttpwwwalliancecmorg
AssociationforCommunityNetworking
httpwwwafcnorg
CommunityMediaWorkshophttpwwwnewstipsorg
CommunityTechnologyCentersrsquoNetwork
httpwwwctcnetorg
DeepDishTVhttpdeepdishtvorg
FreeSpeechTVhttpwwwfreespeechorg
IndependentTelevisionServicehttpwwwitvsorg
IndependentMediaCenterIndymedia
httpwwwindymediaorg
LatinoPublicBroadcastinghttpwwwlpbporg
LinkTVhttplinktvorg
LPFMDatabasecom
httpwwwangelfirecomnj2piratejimlpfmhtml
MediaTankhttpwwwmediatankorg
MediaWorkingGrouphttpwwwmwgorg
NationalAllianceforMediaArtsandCulture
httpwwwnamacorg
NationalAsianAmericanTelecommunicationsAssochttp
asianamericanmediaorgindexhtml
NativeAmericanPublicTelecommunications
httpasianamericanmediaorgindexhtml
NationalBlackProgrammingConsortium
httpwwwnbpctv
NationalFederationofCommunityBroadcasters
httpwwwnfcborg
NationalPublicRadiohttpwwwnpr
NationalPublicTelecomputingNetworkhttpwwwnptnorg
PaperTigerTelevisionhttpwwwpapertigerorg
PacificIslandersinCommunications
httpwwwpiccomorg
PewCenterforCivicJournalismhttpwwwpewcenterorg
PrometheusRadioProject
httpwwwprometheusradioorg
PublicBroadcastingServicehttpwwwpbsorg
PublicRadioExchangehttpwwwprxorg
ReclaimtheMediahttpwwwreclaimthemediaorg
StarfishTelevisionNetworkhttpwwwstarfishtvorg
WebsitesofUSPEGAccessChannels
httpwwwbevcamorgpeg
WorldAssociationofCommunityRadioBroadcasters
httpwwwamarcorg
Appendix 2 aggregatorS and aSSoCiationS
Appalshophttpwwwappalshoporg
BayAreaVideoCoalitionhttpwwwbavcorg
BeyondMediaEducationhttpwwwbeyondmediaorg
CambridgeCommunityTelevisionhttpwwwcctvcambridgeorg
CasaGuatemalaMediaProjecthttpwwwcasaguatemalaorg
CharlotteObserverhttpwwwcharlottecom
ChicagoAccessNetworkTelevisionhttpwwwcantvorg
GrandRapidsCommunityMediaCenterhttpgrcmcorg
GrandNethttpwwwgrcmcorgnposervicesitphp
GRTVhttpwwwgrcmcorgtv
ideastreamhttpwwwideastreamorg
IFPMinnesotaCenterforMediaArtshttpwwwifpnorthorgabouthtml
IntermediaArtshttpwwwintermediaartsorg
KartemquinFilmshttpwwwkartemquincom
KBOOhttpwwwkbooorg
KFAIhttpwwwkfaiorg
LowellTelecommunicationsCenterhttpltcorg
ManhattanNeighborhoodNetworkhttpmnnorg
MediaArtsProjecthttpwwwthemaporg
MetroGovernmentCommunityMediaInitiativehttpwwwmetro-regionorg
MetropolitanAustinInteractiveNetworkhttpwwwmainorg
MinneapolisTelevisionNetworkhttpwwwmtnorg
MinnesotaChannelhttpwwwtptorgmnchannelnew
MinnesotaPublicRadiohttpminnesotapublicradioorghttpminnesotapublicradioorgpublicinsightjournalism
MountainAreaInformationNetworkhttpmainncus
MtHoodCableRegulatoryCommissionhttpwwwmhcrcorg
NewAmericaMediahttpnewsnewamericamediaorgnews
NewRoutestoCommunityHealthhttpwwwnewroutesorg
NorthwestFilmandVideoCenterhttpwwwnwfilmorg
OneClevelandhttpwwwoneclevelandorg
OregonPublicBroadcastinghttpwwwopborg
PortlandCommunityMediahttpwwwpcmtvorg
RadioArtehttpwwwwrteorg
SaintPaulNeighborhoodNetworkhttpwwwspnnorg
ScribeVideoCenterhttpwwwscribeorg
SoundPartnersforCommunityHealthhttpwwwsoundpartnersorg
StreetLevelYouthMediahttpwwwstreet-levelorg
TwinCitiesDailyPlanethttpwwwtcdailyplanetnet
TwinCitiesMediaAlliancehttpwwwtcmediaallianceorg
TwinCitiesPublicTelevisionhttpwwwtptorg
URTVhttpwwwurtvorg
WalkerArtCenterhttpwwwwalkerartorgindexwac
WCIW-LPhttppacificanetworkorgradiocontentview17542httpwwwciw-onlineorg
WGBHhttpwwwwgbhorg
WHYYhttpwhyyorg
WPVMhttpwwwwpvmorg
WYBEhttpwwwwybeorg
WYCEhttpwwwgrcmcorgradio
YouthChannelhttpwwwyouthchannelorg
Appendix 3 Community media praCtitionerSWebsitesofthosepractitionersmentionedinthetext
AndersonRachelBenton Digital Beat Extra Noncommercial Networks on DBSWashingtonDCBentonFoundation2000
AufderheidePatricialdquoCableAccessTVandthePublicSphererdquoinThe Daily Planet A Critic on the Capitalist Culture BeatMinneapolisandLondonUniversityofMinnesotaPress2000a
AufderheidePatriciaIn The Battle for Reality Social Documentaries in the USWashingtonDCAmericanUniversityCenterforSocialMedia2003
AufderheidePatricialdquoTheWhatandHowofPublicBroadcastingrdquoinThe Daily Planet A Critic on the Capitalist Culture BeatMinneapolisandLondonUniversityofMinnesotaPress2000b
AynteAbdirahmanldquoSomaliWebsitesACompetitiveAlternativeMediaandaFarcetoReckonWithrdquoHiiraan Onlinehttpwwwhiiraancomnews2006aprsomali_websitesaspx
AzzouzBushraTomChamberlinandMarleneFarnumThe Community Media Project Building Community through Media(Aproposedmodelforafive-yearinitiativetoproducelocaltelevisionprogrammingthatbroadensthedialogueonissuesimportanttotheOregoncommunityandcreatesastrongsenseofplace)PortlandORMetroDecember2000
BarlowWilliamldquoCommunityRadiointheUSTheStruggleForADemocraticMediumrdquoinMedia Culture and SocietyVol10(1988)
BenklerYochaiThe Wealth of Networks How Social Production Transforms Markets and FreedomNewHavenYaleUniversityPress2006
BentonFoundationDigital Alliances Partners in Public
Service Models for CollaborationUniversityParkPAThePennsylvaniaStateUniversity2002
BlauAndrewDeep Focus A Report on the Future of Independent MediaSanFranciscoNationalAllianceforMediaArtsandCulture2004
BowmanShayneandChrisWillisWe Media How Audiences Are Shaping the Future of News and InformationEditedbyJDLasicaRestonVATheMediaCenteratTheAmericanPressInstitute2003httpwwwhypergenenetwemediadownloadwe_mediapdf
BurnettRonldquoFromCommunityMediatoInternationalNetworksrdquoCritical Approaches to Culture + Communications + HypermediaNovember182005httpwwweciadca~rburnettWeblogarchives200511from_communityhtml
CanoAndrealdquoMicroradioAToolforCommunityEmpowermentrdquoinPublic Broadcasting and the Public InterestEditedbyMichaelPMcCauleyEricEPetersonBLeeArtzandDeeDeeHalleckLondonMESharpe2003
CarnegieCommissiononEducationalTelevisionPublic Television A Program for ActionNewYorkBantam1967
CastellsManuelThe Rise of the Network Society The Information Age Economy Society and CultureVolumes12amp3MaldenMABlackwellPublishersInc2005
ChesterJeffBeyond Broadcast Expanding Public Media in the Digital AgeWashingtonDCCenterforDigitalDemocracyFebruary2006httpwwwdemocraticmediaorgBBBBfrontphp
ChristensenPaulNanMcIntyreandLynnPikholzldquoBridgingCommunityandEconomicDevelopmentAStrategyforUsingIndustryClusterstoLinkNeighborhoodsandtheRegionalEconomyrdquo(reportfundedbytheFordFoundation)ClevelandShorebankEnterpriseGroup2005
ldquoCitizenJournalismrdquoissueofNieman ReportsCambridgeMATheNiemanFoundationforJournalismatHarvardUniversityVol59No4Winter2005eMprintNewsbookhttpwwwniemanharvardedureports05-4NRwinterNR05W_Citizen_Journalismpdf
City PagesldquoBestPublicAccessCableTVProgramSomaliTVrdquoBestoftheTwinCities2004MNApril282004httpcitypagescombestof2004artsandentertainmentbestof2379asp
bibliogrAphy
CruzRossanaReguilloldquoTheOracleintheCityBeliefsPracticesandSymbolicGeographiesrdquoinGlobal Cities of the South (Social Text)EditedbyAshleyDawsonandBrentHayesEdwardsTranslatedbyBrentHayesEdwardsandNoraNicoliniDurhamNCDukeUniversityPress81(Volume22Number4)Winter2004
DeLasCasasLucywithSimonBurallJohnMorrisonDavidKaleteandJagadanandaldquoGlobalMediaReformandAccountabilityReportfromtheNationalMediaReformConferencerdquoStLouis2005httpwwwoneworldtrustorgpagesdownloadcfmdid=281
DevineRobertHldquoVideoAccessandAgencyrdquoConferencepresentationTheNationalFederationofLocalCableProgrammersStPaulMNJuly171992
DirlinMartyandCathyMelioldquoTheGrassrootsRadioMovementintheUnitedStatesrdquoinPublic Broadcasting and the Public InterestEditedbyMichaelPMcCauleyEricEPetersonBLeeArtzandDeeDeeHalleckLondonMESharpe2003
DowningJohnDHwithTamaraVillarealFordGeneveGilandLauraSteinRadical Media Rebellious Communication and Social MovementsThousandOaksCASagePublications2001
EgerJohnldquoCreativeClustersandtheUrbanEconomyrdquoGovernment and Technology(February62006)httpwwwgovtechnetnewsnewsphpid=98345
EgerJohnMThe Creative Community Forging The Links Between Art Culture Commerce amp CommunityTheCaliforniaInstituteforSmartCommunitiesSanDiegoStateUniversity2005httpwwwsmartcommunitiesorgcreativeCreativeCommBroFINALpdf
EngelmanRalphPublic Radio and Television in America A Political HistoryThousandOaksCASagePublications1996
GillespieGilbertPublic Access Television in the United States and CanadaNewYorkPraegerPublishers1975
GillmorDanWe the Media Grassroots Journalism by the People for the PeopleSebastopolCAOrsquoReillyMediaInc2006
GrahamStephenandSimonMarvinTelecommunications and the City Electronic Spaces Urban PlacesLondonandNewYorkRoutledge1996
HalleckDeeDeeHand-Held Visions The Impossible Possibilities of Community MediaNewYorkFordhamUniversityPress2002
HigginsJohnWldquoAlternativeMediaandtheCultofIndividualismExperiencesfromUSPublicAccessTVrdquoPaperpresentedattheldquoOurMediardquopre-conferenceoftheInternationalAssociationforMediaandCommunicationResearchCommunityCommunicationSectionBarcelonaSpainJuly202002httpwwwourmedianetorgpapersom2002Higginsom2002pdf
HowleyKevinCommunity Media People Places and Communication TechnologiesCambridgeCambridgeUniversityPress2005
HoynesWilliamldquoThePBSBrandandtheMerchandisingofthePublicServicerdquoinPublic Broadcasting and the Public InterestEditedbyMichaelPMcCauleyEricEPetersonBLeeArtzandDeeDeeHalleckLondonMESharpe2003
JankowskiNicholasWldquoCommunityMediaResearchAQuestforTheoreticallyGroundedModelsrdquoThePublicVol1015(2003)httpmokkbmehucentreconferencesreactivismFPfpNJ
JankowskiNicholasWandOlePrehnedsCommunity Media in the Information Age Perspectives and ProspectsCresskillNJHamptonPress2002
LashScottThe Critique of InformationLondonSagePublications2002
ListerMartinJonDoveySethGiddingsIainGrantandKieranKellyNew Media A critical IntroductionLondonandNewYorkRoutledge2003
LloydMarkldquoRadioandLocalismWhatWhenWrongrdquoinContext(publishedbytheCenterforCommunicationsandCommunityUCLA)IssueNo4(WinterSpring2006)
MacintyreBenldquoWelcometotheNewTomPainesrdquoTimesOnlineNovember132004httpwwwtimesonlinecouktolcommentarticle390484ece
MaherVincentTowards a Critical Media Studies Approach to the BlogosphereNewMediaLabPublicationSchoolofJournalismandMediaStudiesRhodesUniversitySouthAfrica2006
MetroCommunity Media Project Evaluation Report PortlandORMetroJuly2004
MostStephenldquoBAVCandTheBigPicturerdquoinA Closer Look Media Arts 2002EditedbyHelenDeMichielSanFranciscoNationalAllianceforMediaArtsandCulture2002
NewAmericaMedialdquoEthnicMediainAmericaTheGiantHiddeninPlainSightrdquoPollconductedbyBendixenampAssociates2005httpnewsnewamericamediaorgnewsview_articlehtmlarticle_id=0443821787ac0210cbecebe8b1f576a3
OlsonBillThe History of Public Access Television2000httpwwwgeocitiescomiconostarhistory-public-access-TVhtml200415
PewCenterforCivicJournalismldquoDoingCivicJournalismrdquo2007httpwwwpewcenterorgdoingcj
PierceSteveldquoDBSandthePublicInterestOpportunityinSatelliteTelevisionrdquoinPublic Broadcasting and the Public InterestEditedbyMichaelPMcCauleyEricEPetersonBLeeArtzandDeeDeeHalleckLondonMESharpe2003
PhilipsSusanldquoTrueCommunityTowardaCollaborativeEthosScribersquoslsquoTrueCommunityVisionrsquordquoinA Closer Look Media Arts 2002EditedbyHelenDeMichielSanFranciscoNationalAllianceforMediaArtsandCulture2002
PorterMichaelEldquoLocationCompetitionandEconomicDevelopmentLocalClustersinaGlobalEconomyrdquoEconomic Development Quarterly14no1(February2000)15-34
ProjectforExcellenceinJournalismldquoMajorTrendsrdquoinState of the News Media 2006 An Annual Report on American Journalismhttpwwwstateofthenewsmediaorg2006nar-rative_overview_eightaspcat=2ampmedia=1
PrometheusRadioProjectldquoOurFifthBarnraisingmdashWCIW-LPinImmokaleeFloridardquohttpprometheusradioorgcontentview48952006
RennieEllieCommunity Media A Global IntroductionLanhamMDRowmanandLittlefieldPublishers2006
RodriguezClemenciaFissures in the Mediascape An International Study of Citizenrsquos MediaCresskillNJHamptonPress2001
SchafferJanldquoCitizensMediaHasItReachedaTippingPointrdquoinldquoCitizenJournalismrdquoissueofNieman Reports CambridgeMATheNiemanFoundationforJournalismatHarvardUniversityVol59No4Winter2005aeMprintNewsbookhttpwwwniemanharvardedureports05-4NRwinterNR05W_Citizen_Journalismpdf
SchafferJanInterviewonThe NewsHour With Jim Lehrer PBSEveningNewsNovember162005b
SchulerDouglasldquoTheRiseofCommunityNetworksrdquoInternet WorldDecember1995
SchulerDougandPeterDayShaping the Network Society The New Role of Civil Society in CyberspaceCambridgeandLondonMITPress2004
ShirkyClayPower Laws Weblogs and Inequality EconomicsampCultureMediaampCommunityBlog2005OpenSourcehttpshirkycomwritingspowerlaw_webloghtml
ShirkyClaySocial Software and the Politics of GroupsEconomicsampCultureMediaampCommunityBlog2005OpenSourcehttpshirkycomwritingsgroup_politicshtml
Somerset-WardRichardBroadband Community Networks Building the Digital CommonsAreportfortheHaasCharitableTrustsPhiladelphia2005
Somerset-WardRichardConnecting Communities WashingtonDCBentonFoundation2000
Spannerworkse-bookWhat is Social MediaJanuary2007httpwwwspannerworkscomebooks
StarrJeroldMldquoPublicTelevisionintheDigitalAgeTownHallorCyberMallrdquoinPublic Broadcasting and the Public InterestEditedbyMichaelPMcCauleyEricEPetersonBLeeArtzandDeeDeeHalleckLondonMESharpe2003
SteinLauraldquoPublicAccessTelevisionandGrassrootsCommunicationintheUnitedStatesrdquoChapter20inRadical Media Rebellious Communication and Social MovmentsEditedbyJohnDowningThousandOaksCASagePublications2001
SussmanGeraldandJREstesldquoCommunityRadioinCommunityDevelopmentPortlandrsquosKBOORadiordquoinThe Portland Edge Challenges and Successes in Growing CommunitiesEditedbyConniePOzawaPortlandStateUniversityIslandPress2004
WhitneyJenniferldquoMakeMediaMakeRealTroubleWhatrsquosWrong(andRight)withIndymediardquoLiPMagazineJune212005httpwwwlipmagazine
orgarticlesfeatwhitney_indymedia_phtml
trainingandparticipatoryprogramplanningTheyhavenotonlyraisedthesocialvalueoftheirprogrammingtotheircommunitiestheyhavealsoincreasedthesizeandloyaltyoftheiraudiences(Aufderheide2003)Asinteractivemediabegintocreatetheconditionswherenicheprogram-mingcanbefarmoresuccessfulthetensionbetweenfreeexpressionandaudiencedevelopmentisnotonlyachal-lengebutalsoatremendousopportunity
Programming MetricsStillroundtableparticipantsrepeatedlynotedthatevenwhenprogrammingmeetscommunityneedscommunitymediaorganizationscanfinditdifficulttodocumentimpactTheyfeltthatfundershavegenerallynotyetaddressedtheroleofmediainpopularcultureorthepowerofpopularcultureinaddressingsocialproblemsInaddi-tionfundersfindithardtoestablishcost-benefitmeasuresofsocialimpactfortheirmediaexpenditures
ParticipantsaskedformodelsofaudiencefeedbackandoutcomesmeasurementthatgobeyondaudiencenumbersTheyacknowledgedthedifficultyofquantify-ingnotionsofsuccesswhichtendtobeverysubjectiveandofusingsuccessstoriesinthecommonprogrammingmetricsofthedayManyrecognizedskepticismamongfundersabouttheimportanceofcommunitymediaasuspicionaboutagendasandafearofthecostsinvolvedmakingcommunitymediaahardsellEventhoughafewgoodevaluationeffortswereacknowledgedtheircollectiveresultshavenotbeenincorporatedintothethinkingofthewiderfundingcommunity
FundingMulti-yearstablefundingsupportforcommunitymediainitiativesiscriticaltostabilityinnovationandgrowthRoundtableparticipantsdiscussednumerousinstancesinwhichprojectswithmulti-yearsupporthadpowerfulpositiveimpactsextendingbeyondtheinitialprojectgoalsMulti-yearfundingcreatesthestabilitytoundertakeproperstrategicplanningandpartnershipdevelopment
Thereissomeearlyevidencethatamultiple-plat-formnonprofit-orientednichemarketcouldemergeasasignificantopportunitytoprovideenhancedrevenueforthecommunityandnoncommercialmediasectorsTheinterac-tivecapacityofthenewnetworkssignificantlyincreasestherevenuepotentialforcooperativeandsubscription-styleprogrammingflowsHoweverstrongmarketsforcommer-ciallyfundedparticipatorycommunityexpressionhavenotyetemergedinthedigitaleraduetothelimitedsizeofpopulationsandavailableadvertisingsupportIfthereistobeavitalsectorofcommunity-basedmediasomeformofsignificantpublicfundingwillbenecessaryevenininstanceswherecommunitymediaorganizationsmightrealizesignificantrevenuefromnewmarketsInordertomakethemostefficientuseofpublicfundingcommuni-tiesmustevolvefundingandgovernancestructuresforcommunitymediathatcanfacilitatetheaggregationoffundscoordinatemultiple-organizationprojectsandactastrustedconvenersofprogramminganddevelopmentdiscus-sionsincommunities
Policy ThreatsWhiletheconvergenceoftechnologyandpracticescreatesincreasingpotentialsforaunifiedcommunitymediasectorthereisunfortunatelynocohesiveandunifiednationalpolicyframeworkforcommunitymediaThegovernmentpoliciesandregulationsthatexistforcommunitymediahavebeenretrofittedinthearenasofUSbroadcastingandtelephonypolicyWhiletheyrepresenthard-wonpoliticalvictoriesandstrategicinsighttheydonotaddresstheneedsofcommunitymediainaholisticway
Inthecurrentpoliticalclimatebroadcastmediaownershipcontrolandprogrammingwillcontinuetobecentralizedinfewercorporationsleavingcommunitieswithlessoptionsforcontrollingtheirlocalmediaenviron-mentsAtthesametimethetelephonecompanieswillenterthemarketforvideotelephonyandbroadbandbydeployinghigh-capacitydigitaltelevisionnetworksinmanycommunitiesintheUnitedStates
ThecurrenttrendofcentralizationinUStele-communicationspolicyisthreateningtheabilityoflocal
Freeexpressionandaudiencedevelopmentarenotmutuallyexclusivenordoparticipatorymanagementstructuresvolunteerinvolvementandproducertrainingprogramsneedtoimpedeaudiencedevelopment
Communitymediaorganizationscanfinditdifficulttodocumentimpact
governmentstomandatecommunity-basedcommunica-tionsnetworksandprogramminginitiativesasrentonthepublicrights-of-wayThesefundingmechanismscurrentlysupportPublicEducationandGovernment(PEG)accesscabletelevisioncentersmediaartscentersandmanymunicipalcommunicationnetworksWhilefarfromperfectregulatorymechanismstheyareoneofthemostsuccess-fulformsofpublicmediasupporttoariseinthelastthirtyyears
Overthenextfiveyearsthesesuccessfulfundingstrategieswillbeunderheavyattackbythetelephonecom-paniesandthecabletelevisionindustryinastrugglewithgovernmentsforcommunitycontrolofthepublicrights-of-wayThesamedynamicthreatensequitableInternetaccessIncreasinglybroadbandcommunitynetworksaremunicipallyownedormandatedWhilesomeofthesemunicipalbroadbandnetworksweredeployedforinternalmunicipalpurposestimehasshownthatsuchnetworkscanserveanumberofnon-governmentalcommunity-basedpurposesincludingwirelessISPconnectionsforresidentsbusinessesandvisitorsManycommunitiesareseeking(andsomehaveobtained)ldquoCommunityBenefitsAgreementsrdquowithproposedwirelessbroadbandvendorsthatsetasideasmallfranchisefeeongrossrevenuestosupportdigitalinclusionactivitiesfollowingtheexampleofcablecompaniessupportofPEGaccessHowevermunicipalbroadbandandmunicipalwirelessareunderattackbyindustriestryingtoreservethesedevelopmentrightsforthemselves
Theoutcomeofthedebatesaroundcontroloftherights-of-waywillhaveasignificantimpactonthefuturepathofcommunitymediadevelopmentThesedebateswillrangeacrosstheregulatoryspectrumtheyarenowbeingwagedinlocalstateandnationallegislativearenasandthecourtsTheresultingcommunicationsinfrastruc-tureandregulatoryframeworkwillbeabletorealizethepotentialsofcommunitymediaifandonlyifcommunitiesareabletotakeleadershipinprovidingsubstantialpublicaswellasprivatefundingAsanoldtruismnotesldquomoneyispolicyrdquo
Therearenopoliticalortechnicalguaranteesthatdigitalmedianetworkswillremainopenandparticipa-toryastheyevolveItisunlikelythatmarketforcesalone
willservetorealizethedemocraticpotentialoftodayrsquosparticipatorymediatechnologyBuildingarobustsectorofcommunity-baseddemocraticnewmediawillrequireeffectivecitizenactivismclearandresponsivegovern-mentpoliciesandeffectivepoliticalstrategiesCommunitymedianeedsseparaterecognitionandsupportwithinfed-eralstateandlocalcommunicationspolicyandregulatorystructuresinordertoensureequitableandstablefundinganddevelopment
models for the futureThegovernmentregulationsandsubsidiesthatunderpincommunitymediahaveevolvedinahodgepodgefashionoverthepastsixtyyearsItcanbearguedthatcommunitymediashouldbetreatedasaseparatesectorwithinte-gratedfundingstructuresconsistentinfrastructureandtaxandsubsidypoliciesthatareseparateanddistinctfromexistinglocalmediapoliciesandalsofromthepoliciesunderpinningpublicbroadcastingPossiblemodelsforamoreunifiedapproacharenumerousbuttwoappearpar-ticularlywellsuitedtocommunitymediarsquosdiverseformsorganizationsandprogrammingapproaches
Public Funding FindingappropriatemethodsofincreasingpublicfundingforcommunitymediainashiftingregulatoryenvironmentiscrucialCurrentlocalcablefranchisingregulationstosupportcableaccessandthecommunitybenefitsagree-mentsofmunicipalwirelessnetworksoffersuccessfulmodelsbutarenowbothunderattackThelawsrequiringcommercialcableproviderstosetasidebandwidthchan-nelcapacityforthepublicinadditiontooperatingfundingbasedonapercentageofcommercialrevenuescouldbeextendedtoincludevoicevideoanddataEssentiallythenanycommercialproviderusingthepublicrights-of-wayorthewirelessspectrumwouldberequiredtocontributeanequitablepercentageofbandwidthandrev-enuetosupportthecommunitycommunicationssector
Community Media DevelopmentAdequatelevelsoffundingareonlypartoftheequationWhilefundingshouldsupporttheoverallgrowthofthe
Thereisunfortunatelynocohesiveandunifiednationalpolicyframe-workforcommunitymedia
setasidebandwidthchannelcapacityforthepublicinadditiontooperatingfunding
communitymediasectorinasensiblefashionanyfundingsolutionmustaddressthedifficultynowexperiencedbyfundersindealingwithcommunitymediahowtoprovideoverallsupporttoasectormadeupofsmallindependentorganizationswithanextremelydiversesetoffundingsourcesandmissionsOneeconomicdevelopmentapproachseemsparticularlyusefulhereProgressivecommunityeconomicdevelopmentstrategieshaveevolvedtosupportthegrowthofadiversityofsmallenterpriseswithinacom-monsectorwhilerecognizingthattheseenterprisescanatdifferenttimesbecollaboratorspartnersorcompetitorsSimilarstrategiescanguidedevelopmentofthecommunitymediasector
Thereareatleasttwoshort-termstepsthatcouldassistinthedevelopmentofcommunitymediaorgani-zationsandsupporttheircitizensrsquoabilitytocopewithcommercialmediaandinformationsaturationOneisforcommunitiestobuildorsecureaffordablebroadbandandwirelessnetworkinfrastructurewithastrongcommu-nitybenefitsagreementinsupportofdigitalinclusionHundredsofcommunitiesacrossthecountryeitherhaveorarelaunchingsuchwirelesscommunitynetworksmanyincollaborationwithwirelessvendorswhoinordertowinaservicecontractwiththemunicipalityinquestionaresup-portingdigitalliteracytraininginexpensiverefurbishedcomputersandlocalcontentdevelopmentndashinshortprogramsofdigitalinclusionandexcellence
AsecondopportunityidentifiedbyroundtableparticipantsisthepotentialforanationalsupportnetworkforexistingcommunitymediaorganizationsAnationalsupportnetworklinkingcommunitiesandtheircommu-
nitymediapractitionersandinstitutionscouldfacilitatearangeofactivitiesincludinglocal-to-localcommunicationorexchangesofinformationandprogrammingbetweencommunitiesvirtualspaceforanationalnetworkofcommunitymediaorganizationstohelptoorganizeuni-fiedpolicyadvocacywiderdistributionofpastproductsformationofissue-responseteamstoadvanceinterestsofcommunitygroupsandtapintolocalresourcesandshareddirectoriesofpractitionerstrainersandfacilitiesConveningleadersfromtheaggregatorsandassociationsservingcommunitymediaintheirvariousforms(listedinAppendix2)mightbeagoodnextsteptoexplorethisopportunity
the promiseThepracticeofcommunitymediahasmanagedtogrowandevolveoverthepastsixtyyearsdespiteunevenandgenerallylowlevelsofsupportandinconsistentgovernmentpoliciesEllieRenniearesearchfellowattheInstituteforSocialResearchSwinburneUniversityofTechnologyhaswrittenthatcommunitymediaareoftendefinednegativelyforwhattheyareopposedtoratherthanpositivelyforwhattheyhaveachieved(Rennie2006)Weareawarethatcom-munitymediahaveoftenbeendismissedasmarginalandidiosyncraticbuttheexamplescitedinthisreportprovidepowerfulevidencetothecontraryItistimetodefinecommunitymediabywhattheyhaveachievedCommunitymediaattheirbesthaveconsistentlydemonstratedtheirpotentialtoempowercommunitiesandindividualstoparticipateascitizensincommunityandeconomicdevelop-mentartseducationcommunitydialogandpoliticaldebateInmanyinstancestheyhavebecomecentralcul-turalsurvivalinstitutionsasourcommunitiesdealwiththeimpactofcommercialmediasaturationandglobalization
Duringtheroundtablediscussionsthattookplaceaspartofthisscanitwasobviousthatthevalueofcom-munitymediatocommunitiestranscendsthemeasurableeffectsofcivicengagementandcommunitydevelopmentCommunitymediacanallowindividualsincommunitiestohaveprofoundexperiencesofactivelyexpressingthem-selvesthroughmediaForpeoplewhohaveseenthemselvesaspassivereceptorsatthebottomofacascadeofpackagedmediaexperiencesandmessagesactiverepresentationoftheirownlivesandcircumstanceshasatransformativeeffectthatgoesbeyondsimplephraseslikeldquocivicengage-mentrdquoThevalueofcommunitymediatoindividualsandthecommunitiestheyliveinisincalculable
hellipaffordablebroadbandandwirelessnetworkinfrastructurewithastrongcommunitybenefitsagreement
anationalsupportnetworkforexistingcommunitymediaorganizations
Appendix 1 Community media empowerment StrategieS
empoWerment Activity ApproAch infrAstructure or venue
AccessAccesstocommunicationsinfrastructureproductiontools
MakingavailablemediaproductiontoolscomputerstelevisionandradiodistributionInternetsoftwarecommunitycommunicationsinfrastructuremeetingspacewebservers
Democraticcitizenaccesstocommunicationstoolsanddisseminationinfrastructure
CablebroadbandmunicipaltelecomInternetWiFiWiMAXlocalandpublicservicebroadcasting
AlternativeContent CreationofvideoaudiofilmwebsitesInternet-basedcitizenmediaP2Pmediabloggingsocialnetworkingsoftwaredatabasesandprintproduction
Contentpositionedtocounterorsupplementmassmediacontentandinformationfrommainstreamsources
AllplatformswithanincreasingexpansionwithinIPNetworksandcross-platformproductionanddissemination
CompetencyLiteracyMedialiteracyinformationliteracydigitalliteracyandculturalliteracy
Mediaartsandaestheticeducationlearningtogainacivicvoiceinamediaculturearticulationofmediabiasesengaginginmediaandpoliticsunderstandingcommoditycultureparentinginamedia-saturatedhome
Interventioninthecomplexmanipulationofsymbolsandculture
Allmassmediaprintelectronic
CommunityBuilding Workforcetrainingandskillbuildingmicro-enterprisedevelopmentbusinessinfrastructuredevelopment
Communityorganizingparticipatoryplanningdemocraticeconomicdevelopmentworkforceandinfrastructuredevelopment
Localmediamunicipaltelecominfrastructurecomputerandtechnologyincubatorsandtechnologycenters
0
Itisdifficulttounderstandthefullscopeofcommu-nitymediaculturewithoutknowingofthefollowingorganizationswhichsupportcommunitymediaand
independentmediapracticesTheyplayanumberofrolesasnationalassociationsrepresentingnetworksofcommu-nitymediaorganizationsandmediaartsorganizationsasproducernetworksandstrategiccommunicationsplannerslinkingcommunityorganizationswithcommunitymediaorganizationsasorganizationsofcommunityactivistsandproducersworkingtomoreeffectivelysupportandusecommunitymediaandascollaboratorsandpartnersincommunitydevelopmenttrainingandeducation
ActiveVoicehttpwwwactivevoicenet
AllianceforCommunityMediahttpwwwalliancecmorg
AssociationforCommunityNetworking
httpwwwafcnorg
CommunityMediaWorkshophttpwwwnewstipsorg
CommunityTechnologyCentersrsquoNetwork
httpwwwctcnetorg
DeepDishTVhttpdeepdishtvorg
FreeSpeechTVhttpwwwfreespeechorg
IndependentTelevisionServicehttpwwwitvsorg
IndependentMediaCenterIndymedia
httpwwwindymediaorg
LatinoPublicBroadcastinghttpwwwlpbporg
LinkTVhttplinktvorg
LPFMDatabasecom
httpwwwangelfirecomnj2piratejimlpfmhtml
MediaTankhttpwwwmediatankorg
MediaWorkingGrouphttpwwwmwgorg
NationalAllianceforMediaArtsandCulture
httpwwwnamacorg
NationalAsianAmericanTelecommunicationsAssochttp
asianamericanmediaorgindexhtml
NativeAmericanPublicTelecommunications
httpasianamericanmediaorgindexhtml
NationalBlackProgrammingConsortium
httpwwwnbpctv
NationalFederationofCommunityBroadcasters
httpwwwnfcborg
NationalPublicRadiohttpwwwnpr
NationalPublicTelecomputingNetworkhttpwwwnptnorg
PaperTigerTelevisionhttpwwwpapertigerorg
PacificIslandersinCommunications
httpwwwpiccomorg
PewCenterforCivicJournalismhttpwwwpewcenterorg
PrometheusRadioProject
httpwwwprometheusradioorg
PublicBroadcastingServicehttpwwwpbsorg
PublicRadioExchangehttpwwwprxorg
ReclaimtheMediahttpwwwreclaimthemediaorg
StarfishTelevisionNetworkhttpwwwstarfishtvorg
WebsitesofUSPEGAccessChannels
httpwwwbevcamorgpeg
WorldAssociationofCommunityRadioBroadcasters
httpwwwamarcorg
Appendix 2 aggregatorS and aSSoCiationS
Appalshophttpwwwappalshoporg
BayAreaVideoCoalitionhttpwwwbavcorg
BeyondMediaEducationhttpwwwbeyondmediaorg
CambridgeCommunityTelevisionhttpwwwcctvcambridgeorg
CasaGuatemalaMediaProjecthttpwwwcasaguatemalaorg
CharlotteObserverhttpwwwcharlottecom
ChicagoAccessNetworkTelevisionhttpwwwcantvorg
GrandRapidsCommunityMediaCenterhttpgrcmcorg
GrandNethttpwwwgrcmcorgnposervicesitphp
GRTVhttpwwwgrcmcorgtv
ideastreamhttpwwwideastreamorg
IFPMinnesotaCenterforMediaArtshttpwwwifpnorthorgabouthtml
IntermediaArtshttpwwwintermediaartsorg
KartemquinFilmshttpwwwkartemquincom
KBOOhttpwwwkbooorg
KFAIhttpwwwkfaiorg
LowellTelecommunicationsCenterhttpltcorg
ManhattanNeighborhoodNetworkhttpmnnorg
MediaArtsProjecthttpwwwthemaporg
MetroGovernmentCommunityMediaInitiativehttpwwwmetro-regionorg
MetropolitanAustinInteractiveNetworkhttpwwwmainorg
MinneapolisTelevisionNetworkhttpwwwmtnorg
MinnesotaChannelhttpwwwtptorgmnchannelnew
MinnesotaPublicRadiohttpminnesotapublicradioorghttpminnesotapublicradioorgpublicinsightjournalism
MountainAreaInformationNetworkhttpmainncus
MtHoodCableRegulatoryCommissionhttpwwwmhcrcorg
NewAmericaMediahttpnewsnewamericamediaorgnews
NewRoutestoCommunityHealthhttpwwwnewroutesorg
NorthwestFilmandVideoCenterhttpwwwnwfilmorg
OneClevelandhttpwwwoneclevelandorg
OregonPublicBroadcastinghttpwwwopborg
PortlandCommunityMediahttpwwwpcmtvorg
RadioArtehttpwwwwrteorg
SaintPaulNeighborhoodNetworkhttpwwwspnnorg
ScribeVideoCenterhttpwwwscribeorg
SoundPartnersforCommunityHealthhttpwwwsoundpartnersorg
StreetLevelYouthMediahttpwwwstreet-levelorg
TwinCitiesDailyPlanethttpwwwtcdailyplanetnet
TwinCitiesMediaAlliancehttpwwwtcmediaallianceorg
TwinCitiesPublicTelevisionhttpwwwtptorg
URTVhttpwwwurtvorg
WalkerArtCenterhttpwwwwalkerartorgindexwac
WCIW-LPhttppacificanetworkorgradiocontentview17542httpwwwciw-onlineorg
WGBHhttpwwwwgbhorg
WHYYhttpwhyyorg
WPVMhttpwwwwpvmorg
WYBEhttpwwwwybeorg
WYCEhttpwwwgrcmcorgradio
YouthChannelhttpwwwyouthchannelorg
Appendix 3 Community media praCtitionerSWebsitesofthosepractitionersmentionedinthetext
AndersonRachelBenton Digital Beat Extra Noncommercial Networks on DBSWashingtonDCBentonFoundation2000
AufderheidePatricialdquoCableAccessTVandthePublicSphererdquoinThe Daily Planet A Critic on the Capitalist Culture BeatMinneapolisandLondonUniversityofMinnesotaPress2000a
AufderheidePatriciaIn The Battle for Reality Social Documentaries in the USWashingtonDCAmericanUniversityCenterforSocialMedia2003
AufderheidePatricialdquoTheWhatandHowofPublicBroadcastingrdquoinThe Daily Planet A Critic on the Capitalist Culture BeatMinneapolisandLondonUniversityofMinnesotaPress2000b
AynteAbdirahmanldquoSomaliWebsitesACompetitiveAlternativeMediaandaFarcetoReckonWithrdquoHiiraan Onlinehttpwwwhiiraancomnews2006aprsomali_websitesaspx
AzzouzBushraTomChamberlinandMarleneFarnumThe Community Media Project Building Community through Media(Aproposedmodelforafive-yearinitiativetoproducelocaltelevisionprogrammingthatbroadensthedialogueonissuesimportanttotheOregoncommunityandcreatesastrongsenseofplace)PortlandORMetroDecember2000
BarlowWilliamldquoCommunityRadiointheUSTheStruggleForADemocraticMediumrdquoinMedia Culture and SocietyVol10(1988)
BenklerYochaiThe Wealth of Networks How Social Production Transforms Markets and FreedomNewHavenYaleUniversityPress2006
BentonFoundationDigital Alliances Partners in Public
Service Models for CollaborationUniversityParkPAThePennsylvaniaStateUniversity2002
BlauAndrewDeep Focus A Report on the Future of Independent MediaSanFranciscoNationalAllianceforMediaArtsandCulture2004
BowmanShayneandChrisWillisWe Media How Audiences Are Shaping the Future of News and InformationEditedbyJDLasicaRestonVATheMediaCenteratTheAmericanPressInstitute2003httpwwwhypergenenetwemediadownloadwe_mediapdf
BurnettRonldquoFromCommunityMediatoInternationalNetworksrdquoCritical Approaches to Culture + Communications + HypermediaNovember182005httpwwweciadca~rburnettWeblogarchives200511from_communityhtml
CanoAndrealdquoMicroradioAToolforCommunityEmpowermentrdquoinPublic Broadcasting and the Public InterestEditedbyMichaelPMcCauleyEricEPetersonBLeeArtzandDeeDeeHalleckLondonMESharpe2003
CarnegieCommissiononEducationalTelevisionPublic Television A Program for ActionNewYorkBantam1967
CastellsManuelThe Rise of the Network Society The Information Age Economy Society and CultureVolumes12amp3MaldenMABlackwellPublishersInc2005
ChesterJeffBeyond Broadcast Expanding Public Media in the Digital AgeWashingtonDCCenterforDigitalDemocracyFebruary2006httpwwwdemocraticmediaorgBBBBfrontphp
ChristensenPaulNanMcIntyreandLynnPikholzldquoBridgingCommunityandEconomicDevelopmentAStrategyforUsingIndustryClusterstoLinkNeighborhoodsandtheRegionalEconomyrdquo(reportfundedbytheFordFoundation)ClevelandShorebankEnterpriseGroup2005
ldquoCitizenJournalismrdquoissueofNieman ReportsCambridgeMATheNiemanFoundationforJournalismatHarvardUniversityVol59No4Winter2005eMprintNewsbookhttpwwwniemanharvardedureports05-4NRwinterNR05W_Citizen_Journalismpdf
City PagesldquoBestPublicAccessCableTVProgramSomaliTVrdquoBestoftheTwinCities2004MNApril282004httpcitypagescombestof2004artsandentertainmentbestof2379asp
bibliogrAphy
CruzRossanaReguilloldquoTheOracleintheCityBeliefsPracticesandSymbolicGeographiesrdquoinGlobal Cities of the South (Social Text)EditedbyAshleyDawsonandBrentHayesEdwardsTranslatedbyBrentHayesEdwardsandNoraNicoliniDurhamNCDukeUniversityPress81(Volume22Number4)Winter2004
DeLasCasasLucywithSimonBurallJohnMorrisonDavidKaleteandJagadanandaldquoGlobalMediaReformandAccountabilityReportfromtheNationalMediaReformConferencerdquoStLouis2005httpwwwoneworldtrustorgpagesdownloadcfmdid=281
DevineRobertHldquoVideoAccessandAgencyrdquoConferencepresentationTheNationalFederationofLocalCableProgrammersStPaulMNJuly171992
DirlinMartyandCathyMelioldquoTheGrassrootsRadioMovementintheUnitedStatesrdquoinPublic Broadcasting and the Public InterestEditedbyMichaelPMcCauleyEricEPetersonBLeeArtzandDeeDeeHalleckLondonMESharpe2003
DowningJohnDHwithTamaraVillarealFordGeneveGilandLauraSteinRadical Media Rebellious Communication and Social MovementsThousandOaksCASagePublications2001
EgerJohnldquoCreativeClustersandtheUrbanEconomyrdquoGovernment and Technology(February62006)httpwwwgovtechnetnewsnewsphpid=98345
EgerJohnMThe Creative Community Forging The Links Between Art Culture Commerce amp CommunityTheCaliforniaInstituteforSmartCommunitiesSanDiegoStateUniversity2005httpwwwsmartcommunitiesorgcreativeCreativeCommBroFINALpdf
EngelmanRalphPublic Radio and Television in America A Political HistoryThousandOaksCASagePublications1996
GillespieGilbertPublic Access Television in the United States and CanadaNewYorkPraegerPublishers1975
GillmorDanWe the Media Grassroots Journalism by the People for the PeopleSebastopolCAOrsquoReillyMediaInc2006
GrahamStephenandSimonMarvinTelecommunications and the City Electronic Spaces Urban PlacesLondonandNewYorkRoutledge1996
HalleckDeeDeeHand-Held Visions The Impossible Possibilities of Community MediaNewYorkFordhamUniversityPress2002
HigginsJohnWldquoAlternativeMediaandtheCultofIndividualismExperiencesfromUSPublicAccessTVrdquoPaperpresentedattheldquoOurMediardquopre-conferenceoftheInternationalAssociationforMediaandCommunicationResearchCommunityCommunicationSectionBarcelonaSpainJuly202002httpwwwourmedianetorgpapersom2002Higginsom2002pdf
HowleyKevinCommunity Media People Places and Communication TechnologiesCambridgeCambridgeUniversityPress2005
HoynesWilliamldquoThePBSBrandandtheMerchandisingofthePublicServicerdquoinPublic Broadcasting and the Public InterestEditedbyMichaelPMcCauleyEricEPetersonBLeeArtzandDeeDeeHalleckLondonMESharpe2003
JankowskiNicholasWldquoCommunityMediaResearchAQuestforTheoreticallyGroundedModelsrdquoThePublicVol1015(2003)httpmokkbmehucentreconferencesreactivismFPfpNJ
JankowskiNicholasWandOlePrehnedsCommunity Media in the Information Age Perspectives and ProspectsCresskillNJHamptonPress2002
LashScottThe Critique of InformationLondonSagePublications2002
ListerMartinJonDoveySethGiddingsIainGrantandKieranKellyNew Media A critical IntroductionLondonandNewYorkRoutledge2003
LloydMarkldquoRadioandLocalismWhatWhenWrongrdquoinContext(publishedbytheCenterforCommunicationsandCommunityUCLA)IssueNo4(WinterSpring2006)
MacintyreBenldquoWelcometotheNewTomPainesrdquoTimesOnlineNovember132004httpwwwtimesonlinecouktolcommentarticle390484ece
MaherVincentTowards a Critical Media Studies Approach to the BlogosphereNewMediaLabPublicationSchoolofJournalismandMediaStudiesRhodesUniversitySouthAfrica2006
MetroCommunity Media Project Evaluation Report PortlandORMetroJuly2004
MostStephenldquoBAVCandTheBigPicturerdquoinA Closer Look Media Arts 2002EditedbyHelenDeMichielSanFranciscoNationalAllianceforMediaArtsandCulture2002
NewAmericaMedialdquoEthnicMediainAmericaTheGiantHiddeninPlainSightrdquoPollconductedbyBendixenampAssociates2005httpnewsnewamericamediaorgnewsview_articlehtmlarticle_id=0443821787ac0210cbecebe8b1f576a3
OlsonBillThe History of Public Access Television2000httpwwwgeocitiescomiconostarhistory-public-access-TVhtml200415
PewCenterforCivicJournalismldquoDoingCivicJournalismrdquo2007httpwwwpewcenterorgdoingcj
PierceSteveldquoDBSandthePublicInterestOpportunityinSatelliteTelevisionrdquoinPublic Broadcasting and the Public InterestEditedbyMichaelPMcCauleyEricEPetersonBLeeArtzandDeeDeeHalleckLondonMESharpe2003
PhilipsSusanldquoTrueCommunityTowardaCollaborativeEthosScribersquoslsquoTrueCommunityVisionrsquordquoinA Closer Look Media Arts 2002EditedbyHelenDeMichielSanFranciscoNationalAllianceforMediaArtsandCulture2002
PorterMichaelEldquoLocationCompetitionandEconomicDevelopmentLocalClustersinaGlobalEconomyrdquoEconomic Development Quarterly14no1(February2000)15-34
ProjectforExcellenceinJournalismldquoMajorTrendsrdquoinState of the News Media 2006 An Annual Report on American Journalismhttpwwwstateofthenewsmediaorg2006nar-rative_overview_eightaspcat=2ampmedia=1
PrometheusRadioProjectldquoOurFifthBarnraisingmdashWCIW-LPinImmokaleeFloridardquohttpprometheusradioorgcontentview48952006
RennieEllieCommunity Media A Global IntroductionLanhamMDRowmanandLittlefieldPublishers2006
RodriguezClemenciaFissures in the Mediascape An International Study of Citizenrsquos MediaCresskillNJHamptonPress2001
SchafferJanldquoCitizensMediaHasItReachedaTippingPointrdquoinldquoCitizenJournalismrdquoissueofNieman Reports CambridgeMATheNiemanFoundationforJournalismatHarvardUniversityVol59No4Winter2005aeMprintNewsbookhttpwwwniemanharvardedureports05-4NRwinterNR05W_Citizen_Journalismpdf
SchafferJanInterviewonThe NewsHour With Jim Lehrer PBSEveningNewsNovember162005b
SchulerDouglasldquoTheRiseofCommunityNetworksrdquoInternet WorldDecember1995
SchulerDougandPeterDayShaping the Network Society The New Role of Civil Society in CyberspaceCambridgeandLondonMITPress2004
ShirkyClayPower Laws Weblogs and Inequality EconomicsampCultureMediaampCommunityBlog2005OpenSourcehttpshirkycomwritingspowerlaw_webloghtml
ShirkyClaySocial Software and the Politics of GroupsEconomicsampCultureMediaampCommunityBlog2005OpenSourcehttpshirkycomwritingsgroup_politicshtml
Somerset-WardRichardBroadband Community Networks Building the Digital CommonsAreportfortheHaasCharitableTrustsPhiladelphia2005
Somerset-WardRichardConnecting Communities WashingtonDCBentonFoundation2000
Spannerworkse-bookWhat is Social MediaJanuary2007httpwwwspannerworkscomebooks
StarrJeroldMldquoPublicTelevisionintheDigitalAgeTownHallorCyberMallrdquoinPublic Broadcasting and the Public InterestEditedbyMichaelPMcCauleyEricEPetersonBLeeArtzandDeeDeeHalleckLondonMESharpe2003
SteinLauraldquoPublicAccessTelevisionandGrassrootsCommunicationintheUnitedStatesrdquoChapter20inRadical Media Rebellious Communication and Social MovmentsEditedbyJohnDowningThousandOaksCASagePublications2001
SussmanGeraldandJREstesldquoCommunityRadioinCommunityDevelopmentPortlandrsquosKBOORadiordquoinThe Portland Edge Challenges and Successes in Growing CommunitiesEditedbyConniePOzawaPortlandStateUniversityIslandPress2004
WhitneyJenniferldquoMakeMediaMakeRealTroubleWhatrsquosWrong(andRight)withIndymediardquoLiPMagazineJune212005httpwwwlipmagazine
orgarticlesfeatwhitney_indymedia_phtml
governmentstomandatecommunity-basedcommunica-tionsnetworksandprogramminginitiativesasrentonthepublicrights-of-wayThesefundingmechanismscurrentlysupportPublicEducationandGovernment(PEG)accesscabletelevisioncentersmediaartscentersandmanymunicipalcommunicationnetworksWhilefarfromperfectregulatorymechanismstheyareoneofthemostsuccess-fulformsofpublicmediasupporttoariseinthelastthirtyyears
Overthenextfiveyearsthesesuccessfulfundingstrategieswillbeunderheavyattackbythetelephonecom-paniesandthecabletelevisionindustryinastrugglewithgovernmentsforcommunitycontrolofthepublicrights-of-wayThesamedynamicthreatensequitableInternetaccessIncreasinglybroadbandcommunitynetworksaremunicipallyownedormandatedWhilesomeofthesemunicipalbroadbandnetworksweredeployedforinternalmunicipalpurposestimehasshownthatsuchnetworkscanserveanumberofnon-governmentalcommunity-basedpurposesincludingwirelessISPconnectionsforresidentsbusinessesandvisitorsManycommunitiesareseeking(andsomehaveobtained)ldquoCommunityBenefitsAgreementsrdquowithproposedwirelessbroadbandvendorsthatsetasideasmallfranchisefeeongrossrevenuestosupportdigitalinclusionactivitiesfollowingtheexampleofcablecompaniessupportofPEGaccessHowevermunicipalbroadbandandmunicipalwirelessareunderattackbyindustriestryingtoreservethesedevelopmentrightsforthemselves
Theoutcomeofthedebatesaroundcontroloftherights-of-waywillhaveasignificantimpactonthefuturepathofcommunitymediadevelopmentThesedebateswillrangeacrosstheregulatoryspectrumtheyarenowbeingwagedinlocalstateandnationallegislativearenasandthecourtsTheresultingcommunicationsinfrastruc-tureandregulatoryframeworkwillbeabletorealizethepotentialsofcommunitymediaifandonlyifcommunitiesareabletotakeleadershipinprovidingsubstantialpublicaswellasprivatefundingAsanoldtruismnotesldquomoneyispolicyrdquo
Therearenopoliticalortechnicalguaranteesthatdigitalmedianetworkswillremainopenandparticipa-toryastheyevolveItisunlikelythatmarketforcesalone
willservetorealizethedemocraticpotentialoftodayrsquosparticipatorymediatechnologyBuildingarobustsectorofcommunity-baseddemocraticnewmediawillrequireeffectivecitizenactivismclearandresponsivegovern-mentpoliciesandeffectivepoliticalstrategiesCommunitymedianeedsseparaterecognitionandsupportwithinfed-eralstateandlocalcommunicationspolicyandregulatorystructuresinordertoensureequitableandstablefundinganddevelopment
models for the futureThegovernmentregulationsandsubsidiesthatunderpincommunitymediahaveevolvedinahodgepodgefashionoverthepastsixtyyearsItcanbearguedthatcommunitymediashouldbetreatedasaseparatesectorwithinte-gratedfundingstructuresconsistentinfrastructureandtaxandsubsidypoliciesthatareseparateanddistinctfromexistinglocalmediapoliciesandalsofromthepoliciesunderpinningpublicbroadcastingPossiblemodelsforamoreunifiedapproacharenumerousbuttwoappearpar-ticularlywellsuitedtocommunitymediarsquosdiverseformsorganizationsandprogrammingapproaches
Public Funding FindingappropriatemethodsofincreasingpublicfundingforcommunitymediainashiftingregulatoryenvironmentiscrucialCurrentlocalcablefranchisingregulationstosupportcableaccessandthecommunitybenefitsagree-mentsofmunicipalwirelessnetworksoffersuccessfulmodelsbutarenowbothunderattackThelawsrequiringcommercialcableproviderstosetasidebandwidthchan-nelcapacityforthepublicinadditiontooperatingfundingbasedonapercentageofcommercialrevenuescouldbeextendedtoincludevoicevideoanddataEssentiallythenanycommercialproviderusingthepublicrights-of-wayorthewirelessspectrumwouldberequiredtocontributeanequitablepercentageofbandwidthandrev-enuetosupportthecommunitycommunicationssector
Community Media DevelopmentAdequatelevelsoffundingareonlypartoftheequationWhilefundingshouldsupporttheoverallgrowthofthe
Thereisunfortunatelynocohesiveandunifiednationalpolicyframe-workforcommunitymedia
setasidebandwidthchannelcapacityforthepublicinadditiontooperatingfunding
communitymediasectorinasensiblefashionanyfundingsolutionmustaddressthedifficultynowexperiencedbyfundersindealingwithcommunitymediahowtoprovideoverallsupporttoasectormadeupofsmallindependentorganizationswithanextremelydiversesetoffundingsourcesandmissionsOneeconomicdevelopmentapproachseemsparticularlyusefulhereProgressivecommunityeconomicdevelopmentstrategieshaveevolvedtosupportthegrowthofadiversityofsmallenterpriseswithinacom-monsectorwhilerecognizingthattheseenterprisescanatdifferenttimesbecollaboratorspartnersorcompetitorsSimilarstrategiescanguidedevelopmentofthecommunitymediasector
Thereareatleasttwoshort-termstepsthatcouldassistinthedevelopmentofcommunitymediaorgani-zationsandsupporttheircitizensrsquoabilitytocopewithcommercialmediaandinformationsaturationOneisforcommunitiestobuildorsecureaffordablebroadbandandwirelessnetworkinfrastructurewithastrongcommu-nitybenefitsagreementinsupportofdigitalinclusionHundredsofcommunitiesacrossthecountryeitherhaveorarelaunchingsuchwirelesscommunitynetworksmanyincollaborationwithwirelessvendorswhoinordertowinaservicecontractwiththemunicipalityinquestionaresup-portingdigitalliteracytraininginexpensiverefurbishedcomputersandlocalcontentdevelopmentndashinshortprogramsofdigitalinclusionandexcellence
AsecondopportunityidentifiedbyroundtableparticipantsisthepotentialforanationalsupportnetworkforexistingcommunitymediaorganizationsAnationalsupportnetworklinkingcommunitiesandtheircommu-
nitymediapractitionersandinstitutionscouldfacilitatearangeofactivitiesincludinglocal-to-localcommunicationorexchangesofinformationandprogrammingbetweencommunitiesvirtualspaceforanationalnetworkofcommunitymediaorganizationstohelptoorganizeuni-fiedpolicyadvocacywiderdistributionofpastproductsformationofissue-responseteamstoadvanceinterestsofcommunitygroupsandtapintolocalresourcesandshareddirectoriesofpractitionerstrainersandfacilitiesConveningleadersfromtheaggregatorsandassociationsservingcommunitymediaintheirvariousforms(listedinAppendix2)mightbeagoodnextsteptoexplorethisopportunity
the promiseThepracticeofcommunitymediahasmanagedtogrowandevolveoverthepastsixtyyearsdespiteunevenandgenerallylowlevelsofsupportandinconsistentgovernmentpoliciesEllieRenniearesearchfellowattheInstituteforSocialResearchSwinburneUniversityofTechnologyhaswrittenthatcommunitymediaareoftendefinednegativelyforwhattheyareopposedtoratherthanpositivelyforwhattheyhaveachieved(Rennie2006)Weareawarethatcom-munitymediahaveoftenbeendismissedasmarginalandidiosyncraticbuttheexamplescitedinthisreportprovidepowerfulevidencetothecontraryItistimetodefinecommunitymediabywhattheyhaveachievedCommunitymediaattheirbesthaveconsistentlydemonstratedtheirpotentialtoempowercommunitiesandindividualstoparticipateascitizensincommunityandeconomicdevelop-mentartseducationcommunitydialogandpoliticaldebateInmanyinstancestheyhavebecomecentralcul-turalsurvivalinstitutionsasourcommunitiesdealwiththeimpactofcommercialmediasaturationandglobalization
Duringtheroundtablediscussionsthattookplaceaspartofthisscanitwasobviousthatthevalueofcom-munitymediatocommunitiestranscendsthemeasurableeffectsofcivicengagementandcommunitydevelopmentCommunitymediacanallowindividualsincommunitiestohaveprofoundexperiencesofactivelyexpressingthem-selvesthroughmediaForpeoplewhohaveseenthemselvesaspassivereceptorsatthebottomofacascadeofpackagedmediaexperiencesandmessagesactiverepresentationoftheirownlivesandcircumstanceshasatransformativeeffectthatgoesbeyondsimplephraseslikeldquocivicengage-mentrdquoThevalueofcommunitymediatoindividualsandthecommunitiestheyliveinisincalculable
hellipaffordablebroadbandandwirelessnetworkinfrastructurewithastrongcommunitybenefitsagreement
anationalsupportnetworkforexistingcommunitymediaorganizations
Appendix 1 Community media empowerment StrategieS
empoWerment Activity ApproAch infrAstructure or venue
AccessAccesstocommunicationsinfrastructureproductiontools
MakingavailablemediaproductiontoolscomputerstelevisionandradiodistributionInternetsoftwarecommunitycommunicationsinfrastructuremeetingspacewebservers
Democraticcitizenaccesstocommunicationstoolsanddisseminationinfrastructure
CablebroadbandmunicipaltelecomInternetWiFiWiMAXlocalandpublicservicebroadcasting
AlternativeContent CreationofvideoaudiofilmwebsitesInternet-basedcitizenmediaP2Pmediabloggingsocialnetworkingsoftwaredatabasesandprintproduction
Contentpositionedtocounterorsupplementmassmediacontentandinformationfrommainstreamsources
AllplatformswithanincreasingexpansionwithinIPNetworksandcross-platformproductionanddissemination
CompetencyLiteracyMedialiteracyinformationliteracydigitalliteracyandculturalliteracy
Mediaartsandaestheticeducationlearningtogainacivicvoiceinamediaculturearticulationofmediabiasesengaginginmediaandpoliticsunderstandingcommoditycultureparentinginamedia-saturatedhome
Interventioninthecomplexmanipulationofsymbolsandculture
Allmassmediaprintelectronic
CommunityBuilding Workforcetrainingandskillbuildingmicro-enterprisedevelopmentbusinessinfrastructuredevelopment
Communityorganizingparticipatoryplanningdemocraticeconomicdevelopmentworkforceandinfrastructuredevelopment
Localmediamunicipaltelecominfrastructurecomputerandtechnologyincubatorsandtechnologycenters
0
Itisdifficulttounderstandthefullscopeofcommu-nitymediaculturewithoutknowingofthefollowingorganizationswhichsupportcommunitymediaand
independentmediapracticesTheyplayanumberofrolesasnationalassociationsrepresentingnetworksofcommu-nitymediaorganizationsandmediaartsorganizationsasproducernetworksandstrategiccommunicationsplannerslinkingcommunityorganizationswithcommunitymediaorganizationsasorganizationsofcommunityactivistsandproducersworkingtomoreeffectivelysupportandusecommunitymediaandascollaboratorsandpartnersincommunitydevelopmenttrainingandeducation
ActiveVoicehttpwwwactivevoicenet
AllianceforCommunityMediahttpwwwalliancecmorg
AssociationforCommunityNetworking
httpwwwafcnorg
CommunityMediaWorkshophttpwwwnewstipsorg
CommunityTechnologyCentersrsquoNetwork
httpwwwctcnetorg
DeepDishTVhttpdeepdishtvorg
FreeSpeechTVhttpwwwfreespeechorg
IndependentTelevisionServicehttpwwwitvsorg
IndependentMediaCenterIndymedia
httpwwwindymediaorg
LatinoPublicBroadcastinghttpwwwlpbporg
LinkTVhttplinktvorg
LPFMDatabasecom
httpwwwangelfirecomnj2piratejimlpfmhtml
MediaTankhttpwwwmediatankorg
MediaWorkingGrouphttpwwwmwgorg
NationalAllianceforMediaArtsandCulture
httpwwwnamacorg
NationalAsianAmericanTelecommunicationsAssochttp
asianamericanmediaorgindexhtml
NativeAmericanPublicTelecommunications
httpasianamericanmediaorgindexhtml
NationalBlackProgrammingConsortium
httpwwwnbpctv
NationalFederationofCommunityBroadcasters
httpwwwnfcborg
NationalPublicRadiohttpwwwnpr
NationalPublicTelecomputingNetworkhttpwwwnptnorg
PaperTigerTelevisionhttpwwwpapertigerorg
PacificIslandersinCommunications
httpwwwpiccomorg
PewCenterforCivicJournalismhttpwwwpewcenterorg
PrometheusRadioProject
httpwwwprometheusradioorg
PublicBroadcastingServicehttpwwwpbsorg
PublicRadioExchangehttpwwwprxorg
ReclaimtheMediahttpwwwreclaimthemediaorg
StarfishTelevisionNetworkhttpwwwstarfishtvorg
WebsitesofUSPEGAccessChannels
httpwwwbevcamorgpeg
WorldAssociationofCommunityRadioBroadcasters
httpwwwamarcorg
Appendix 2 aggregatorS and aSSoCiationS
Appalshophttpwwwappalshoporg
BayAreaVideoCoalitionhttpwwwbavcorg
BeyondMediaEducationhttpwwwbeyondmediaorg
CambridgeCommunityTelevisionhttpwwwcctvcambridgeorg
CasaGuatemalaMediaProjecthttpwwwcasaguatemalaorg
CharlotteObserverhttpwwwcharlottecom
ChicagoAccessNetworkTelevisionhttpwwwcantvorg
GrandRapidsCommunityMediaCenterhttpgrcmcorg
GrandNethttpwwwgrcmcorgnposervicesitphp
GRTVhttpwwwgrcmcorgtv
ideastreamhttpwwwideastreamorg
IFPMinnesotaCenterforMediaArtshttpwwwifpnorthorgabouthtml
IntermediaArtshttpwwwintermediaartsorg
KartemquinFilmshttpwwwkartemquincom
KBOOhttpwwwkbooorg
KFAIhttpwwwkfaiorg
LowellTelecommunicationsCenterhttpltcorg
ManhattanNeighborhoodNetworkhttpmnnorg
MediaArtsProjecthttpwwwthemaporg
MetroGovernmentCommunityMediaInitiativehttpwwwmetro-regionorg
MetropolitanAustinInteractiveNetworkhttpwwwmainorg
MinneapolisTelevisionNetworkhttpwwwmtnorg
MinnesotaChannelhttpwwwtptorgmnchannelnew
MinnesotaPublicRadiohttpminnesotapublicradioorghttpminnesotapublicradioorgpublicinsightjournalism
MountainAreaInformationNetworkhttpmainncus
MtHoodCableRegulatoryCommissionhttpwwwmhcrcorg
NewAmericaMediahttpnewsnewamericamediaorgnews
NewRoutestoCommunityHealthhttpwwwnewroutesorg
NorthwestFilmandVideoCenterhttpwwwnwfilmorg
OneClevelandhttpwwwoneclevelandorg
OregonPublicBroadcastinghttpwwwopborg
PortlandCommunityMediahttpwwwpcmtvorg
RadioArtehttpwwwwrteorg
SaintPaulNeighborhoodNetworkhttpwwwspnnorg
ScribeVideoCenterhttpwwwscribeorg
SoundPartnersforCommunityHealthhttpwwwsoundpartnersorg
StreetLevelYouthMediahttpwwwstreet-levelorg
TwinCitiesDailyPlanethttpwwwtcdailyplanetnet
TwinCitiesMediaAlliancehttpwwwtcmediaallianceorg
TwinCitiesPublicTelevisionhttpwwwtptorg
URTVhttpwwwurtvorg
WalkerArtCenterhttpwwwwalkerartorgindexwac
WCIW-LPhttppacificanetworkorgradiocontentview17542httpwwwciw-onlineorg
WGBHhttpwwwwgbhorg
WHYYhttpwhyyorg
WPVMhttpwwwwpvmorg
WYBEhttpwwwwybeorg
WYCEhttpwwwgrcmcorgradio
YouthChannelhttpwwwyouthchannelorg
Appendix 3 Community media praCtitionerSWebsitesofthosepractitionersmentionedinthetext
AndersonRachelBenton Digital Beat Extra Noncommercial Networks on DBSWashingtonDCBentonFoundation2000
AufderheidePatricialdquoCableAccessTVandthePublicSphererdquoinThe Daily Planet A Critic on the Capitalist Culture BeatMinneapolisandLondonUniversityofMinnesotaPress2000a
AufderheidePatriciaIn The Battle for Reality Social Documentaries in the USWashingtonDCAmericanUniversityCenterforSocialMedia2003
AufderheidePatricialdquoTheWhatandHowofPublicBroadcastingrdquoinThe Daily Planet A Critic on the Capitalist Culture BeatMinneapolisandLondonUniversityofMinnesotaPress2000b
AynteAbdirahmanldquoSomaliWebsitesACompetitiveAlternativeMediaandaFarcetoReckonWithrdquoHiiraan Onlinehttpwwwhiiraancomnews2006aprsomali_websitesaspx
AzzouzBushraTomChamberlinandMarleneFarnumThe Community Media Project Building Community through Media(Aproposedmodelforafive-yearinitiativetoproducelocaltelevisionprogrammingthatbroadensthedialogueonissuesimportanttotheOregoncommunityandcreatesastrongsenseofplace)PortlandORMetroDecember2000
BarlowWilliamldquoCommunityRadiointheUSTheStruggleForADemocraticMediumrdquoinMedia Culture and SocietyVol10(1988)
BenklerYochaiThe Wealth of Networks How Social Production Transforms Markets and FreedomNewHavenYaleUniversityPress2006
BentonFoundationDigital Alliances Partners in Public
Service Models for CollaborationUniversityParkPAThePennsylvaniaStateUniversity2002
BlauAndrewDeep Focus A Report on the Future of Independent MediaSanFranciscoNationalAllianceforMediaArtsandCulture2004
BowmanShayneandChrisWillisWe Media How Audiences Are Shaping the Future of News and InformationEditedbyJDLasicaRestonVATheMediaCenteratTheAmericanPressInstitute2003httpwwwhypergenenetwemediadownloadwe_mediapdf
BurnettRonldquoFromCommunityMediatoInternationalNetworksrdquoCritical Approaches to Culture + Communications + HypermediaNovember182005httpwwweciadca~rburnettWeblogarchives200511from_communityhtml
CanoAndrealdquoMicroradioAToolforCommunityEmpowermentrdquoinPublic Broadcasting and the Public InterestEditedbyMichaelPMcCauleyEricEPetersonBLeeArtzandDeeDeeHalleckLondonMESharpe2003
CarnegieCommissiononEducationalTelevisionPublic Television A Program for ActionNewYorkBantam1967
CastellsManuelThe Rise of the Network Society The Information Age Economy Society and CultureVolumes12amp3MaldenMABlackwellPublishersInc2005
ChesterJeffBeyond Broadcast Expanding Public Media in the Digital AgeWashingtonDCCenterforDigitalDemocracyFebruary2006httpwwwdemocraticmediaorgBBBBfrontphp
ChristensenPaulNanMcIntyreandLynnPikholzldquoBridgingCommunityandEconomicDevelopmentAStrategyforUsingIndustryClusterstoLinkNeighborhoodsandtheRegionalEconomyrdquo(reportfundedbytheFordFoundation)ClevelandShorebankEnterpriseGroup2005
ldquoCitizenJournalismrdquoissueofNieman ReportsCambridgeMATheNiemanFoundationforJournalismatHarvardUniversityVol59No4Winter2005eMprintNewsbookhttpwwwniemanharvardedureports05-4NRwinterNR05W_Citizen_Journalismpdf
City PagesldquoBestPublicAccessCableTVProgramSomaliTVrdquoBestoftheTwinCities2004MNApril282004httpcitypagescombestof2004artsandentertainmentbestof2379asp
bibliogrAphy
CruzRossanaReguilloldquoTheOracleintheCityBeliefsPracticesandSymbolicGeographiesrdquoinGlobal Cities of the South (Social Text)EditedbyAshleyDawsonandBrentHayesEdwardsTranslatedbyBrentHayesEdwardsandNoraNicoliniDurhamNCDukeUniversityPress81(Volume22Number4)Winter2004
DeLasCasasLucywithSimonBurallJohnMorrisonDavidKaleteandJagadanandaldquoGlobalMediaReformandAccountabilityReportfromtheNationalMediaReformConferencerdquoStLouis2005httpwwwoneworldtrustorgpagesdownloadcfmdid=281
DevineRobertHldquoVideoAccessandAgencyrdquoConferencepresentationTheNationalFederationofLocalCableProgrammersStPaulMNJuly171992
DirlinMartyandCathyMelioldquoTheGrassrootsRadioMovementintheUnitedStatesrdquoinPublic Broadcasting and the Public InterestEditedbyMichaelPMcCauleyEricEPetersonBLeeArtzandDeeDeeHalleckLondonMESharpe2003
DowningJohnDHwithTamaraVillarealFordGeneveGilandLauraSteinRadical Media Rebellious Communication and Social MovementsThousandOaksCASagePublications2001
EgerJohnldquoCreativeClustersandtheUrbanEconomyrdquoGovernment and Technology(February62006)httpwwwgovtechnetnewsnewsphpid=98345
EgerJohnMThe Creative Community Forging The Links Between Art Culture Commerce amp CommunityTheCaliforniaInstituteforSmartCommunitiesSanDiegoStateUniversity2005httpwwwsmartcommunitiesorgcreativeCreativeCommBroFINALpdf
EngelmanRalphPublic Radio and Television in America A Political HistoryThousandOaksCASagePublications1996
GillespieGilbertPublic Access Television in the United States and CanadaNewYorkPraegerPublishers1975
GillmorDanWe the Media Grassroots Journalism by the People for the PeopleSebastopolCAOrsquoReillyMediaInc2006
GrahamStephenandSimonMarvinTelecommunications and the City Electronic Spaces Urban PlacesLondonandNewYorkRoutledge1996
HalleckDeeDeeHand-Held Visions The Impossible Possibilities of Community MediaNewYorkFordhamUniversityPress2002
HigginsJohnWldquoAlternativeMediaandtheCultofIndividualismExperiencesfromUSPublicAccessTVrdquoPaperpresentedattheldquoOurMediardquopre-conferenceoftheInternationalAssociationforMediaandCommunicationResearchCommunityCommunicationSectionBarcelonaSpainJuly202002httpwwwourmedianetorgpapersom2002Higginsom2002pdf
HowleyKevinCommunity Media People Places and Communication TechnologiesCambridgeCambridgeUniversityPress2005
HoynesWilliamldquoThePBSBrandandtheMerchandisingofthePublicServicerdquoinPublic Broadcasting and the Public InterestEditedbyMichaelPMcCauleyEricEPetersonBLeeArtzandDeeDeeHalleckLondonMESharpe2003
JankowskiNicholasWldquoCommunityMediaResearchAQuestforTheoreticallyGroundedModelsrdquoThePublicVol1015(2003)httpmokkbmehucentreconferencesreactivismFPfpNJ
JankowskiNicholasWandOlePrehnedsCommunity Media in the Information Age Perspectives and ProspectsCresskillNJHamptonPress2002
LashScottThe Critique of InformationLondonSagePublications2002
ListerMartinJonDoveySethGiddingsIainGrantandKieranKellyNew Media A critical IntroductionLondonandNewYorkRoutledge2003
LloydMarkldquoRadioandLocalismWhatWhenWrongrdquoinContext(publishedbytheCenterforCommunicationsandCommunityUCLA)IssueNo4(WinterSpring2006)
MacintyreBenldquoWelcometotheNewTomPainesrdquoTimesOnlineNovember132004httpwwwtimesonlinecouktolcommentarticle390484ece
MaherVincentTowards a Critical Media Studies Approach to the BlogosphereNewMediaLabPublicationSchoolofJournalismandMediaStudiesRhodesUniversitySouthAfrica2006
MetroCommunity Media Project Evaluation Report PortlandORMetroJuly2004
MostStephenldquoBAVCandTheBigPicturerdquoinA Closer Look Media Arts 2002EditedbyHelenDeMichielSanFranciscoNationalAllianceforMediaArtsandCulture2002
NewAmericaMedialdquoEthnicMediainAmericaTheGiantHiddeninPlainSightrdquoPollconductedbyBendixenampAssociates2005httpnewsnewamericamediaorgnewsview_articlehtmlarticle_id=0443821787ac0210cbecebe8b1f576a3
OlsonBillThe History of Public Access Television2000httpwwwgeocitiescomiconostarhistory-public-access-TVhtml200415
PewCenterforCivicJournalismldquoDoingCivicJournalismrdquo2007httpwwwpewcenterorgdoingcj
PierceSteveldquoDBSandthePublicInterestOpportunityinSatelliteTelevisionrdquoinPublic Broadcasting and the Public InterestEditedbyMichaelPMcCauleyEricEPetersonBLeeArtzandDeeDeeHalleckLondonMESharpe2003
PhilipsSusanldquoTrueCommunityTowardaCollaborativeEthosScribersquoslsquoTrueCommunityVisionrsquordquoinA Closer Look Media Arts 2002EditedbyHelenDeMichielSanFranciscoNationalAllianceforMediaArtsandCulture2002
PorterMichaelEldquoLocationCompetitionandEconomicDevelopmentLocalClustersinaGlobalEconomyrdquoEconomic Development Quarterly14no1(February2000)15-34
ProjectforExcellenceinJournalismldquoMajorTrendsrdquoinState of the News Media 2006 An Annual Report on American Journalismhttpwwwstateofthenewsmediaorg2006nar-rative_overview_eightaspcat=2ampmedia=1
PrometheusRadioProjectldquoOurFifthBarnraisingmdashWCIW-LPinImmokaleeFloridardquohttpprometheusradioorgcontentview48952006
RennieEllieCommunity Media A Global IntroductionLanhamMDRowmanandLittlefieldPublishers2006
RodriguezClemenciaFissures in the Mediascape An International Study of Citizenrsquos MediaCresskillNJHamptonPress2001
SchafferJanldquoCitizensMediaHasItReachedaTippingPointrdquoinldquoCitizenJournalismrdquoissueofNieman Reports CambridgeMATheNiemanFoundationforJournalismatHarvardUniversityVol59No4Winter2005aeMprintNewsbookhttpwwwniemanharvardedureports05-4NRwinterNR05W_Citizen_Journalismpdf
SchafferJanInterviewonThe NewsHour With Jim Lehrer PBSEveningNewsNovember162005b
SchulerDouglasldquoTheRiseofCommunityNetworksrdquoInternet WorldDecember1995
SchulerDougandPeterDayShaping the Network Society The New Role of Civil Society in CyberspaceCambridgeandLondonMITPress2004
ShirkyClayPower Laws Weblogs and Inequality EconomicsampCultureMediaampCommunityBlog2005OpenSourcehttpshirkycomwritingspowerlaw_webloghtml
ShirkyClaySocial Software and the Politics of GroupsEconomicsampCultureMediaampCommunityBlog2005OpenSourcehttpshirkycomwritingsgroup_politicshtml
Somerset-WardRichardBroadband Community Networks Building the Digital CommonsAreportfortheHaasCharitableTrustsPhiladelphia2005
Somerset-WardRichardConnecting Communities WashingtonDCBentonFoundation2000
Spannerworkse-bookWhat is Social MediaJanuary2007httpwwwspannerworkscomebooks
StarrJeroldMldquoPublicTelevisionintheDigitalAgeTownHallorCyberMallrdquoinPublic Broadcasting and the Public InterestEditedbyMichaelPMcCauleyEricEPetersonBLeeArtzandDeeDeeHalleckLondonMESharpe2003
SteinLauraldquoPublicAccessTelevisionandGrassrootsCommunicationintheUnitedStatesrdquoChapter20inRadical Media Rebellious Communication and Social MovmentsEditedbyJohnDowningThousandOaksCASagePublications2001
SussmanGeraldandJREstesldquoCommunityRadioinCommunityDevelopmentPortlandrsquosKBOORadiordquoinThe Portland Edge Challenges and Successes in Growing CommunitiesEditedbyConniePOzawaPortlandStateUniversityIslandPress2004
WhitneyJenniferldquoMakeMediaMakeRealTroubleWhatrsquosWrong(andRight)withIndymediardquoLiPMagazineJune212005httpwwwlipmagazine
orgarticlesfeatwhitney_indymedia_phtml
communitymediasectorinasensiblefashionanyfundingsolutionmustaddressthedifficultynowexperiencedbyfundersindealingwithcommunitymediahowtoprovideoverallsupporttoasectormadeupofsmallindependentorganizationswithanextremelydiversesetoffundingsourcesandmissionsOneeconomicdevelopmentapproachseemsparticularlyusefulhereProgressivecommunityeconomicdevelopmentstrategieshaveevolvedtosupportthegrowthofadiversityofsmallenterpriseswithinacom-monsectorwhilerecognizingthattheseenterprisescanatdifferenttimesbecollaboratorspartnersorcompetitorsSimilarstrategiescanguidedevelopmentofthecommunitymediasector
Thereareatleasttwoshort-termstepsthatcouldassistinthedevelopmentofcommunitymediaorgani-zationsandsupporttheircitizensrsquoabilitytocopewithcommercialmediaandinformationsaturationOneisforcommunitiestobuildorsecureaffordablebroadbandandwirelessnetworkinfrastructurewithastrongcommu-nitybenefitsagreementinsupportofdigitalinclusionHundredsofcommunitiesacrossthecountryeitherhaveorarelaunchingsuchwirelesscommunitynetworksmanyincollaborationwithwirelessvendorswhoinordertowinaservicecontractwiththemunicipalityinquestionaresup-portingdigitalliteracytraininginexpensiverefurbishedcomputersandlocalcontentdevelopmentndashinshortprogramsofdigitalinclusionandexcellence
AsecondopportunityidentifiedbyroundtableparticipantsisthepotentialforanationalsupportnetworkforexistingcommunitymediaorganizationsAnationalsupportnetworklinkingcommunitiesandtheircommu-
nitymediapractitionersandinstitutionscouldfacilitatearangeofactivitiesincludinglocal-to-localcommunicationorexchangesofinformationandprogrammingbetweencommunitiesvirtualspaceforanationalnetworkofcommunitymediaorganizationstohelptoorganizeuni-fiedpolicyadvocacywiderdistributionofpastproductsformationofissue-responseteamstoadvanceinterestsofcommunitygroupsandtapintolocalresourcesandshareddirectoriesofpractitionerstrainersandfacilitiesConveningleadersfromtheaggregatorsandassociationsservingcommunitymediaintheirvariousforms(listedinAppendix2)mightbeagoodnextsteptoexplorethisopportunity
the promiseThepracticeofcommunitymediahasmanagedtogrowandevolveoverthepastsixtyyearsdespiteunevenandgenerallylowlevelsofsupportandinconsistentgovernmentpoliciesEllieRenniearesearchfellowattheInstituteforSocialResearchSwinburneUniversityofTechnologyhaswrittenthatcommunitymediaareoftendefinednegativelyforwhattheyareopposedtoratherthanpositivelyforwhattheyhaveachieved(Rennie2006)Weareawarethatcom-munitymediahaveoftenbeendismissedasmarginalandidiosyncraticbuttheexamplescitedinthisreportprovidepowerfulevidencetothecontraryItistimetodefinecommunitymediabywhattheyhaveachievedCommunitymediaattheirbesthaveconsistentlydemonstratedtheirpotentialtoempowercommunitiesandindividualstoparticipateascitizensincommunityandeconomicdevelop-mentartseducationcommunitydialogandpoliticaldebateInmanyinstancestheyhavebecomecentralcul-turalsurvivalinstitutionsasourcommunitiesdealwiththeimpactofcommercialmediasaturationandglobalization
Duringtheroundtablediscussionsthattookplaceaspartofthisscanitwasobviousthatthevalueofcom-munitymediatocommunitiestranscendsthemeasurableeffectsofcivicengagementandcommunitydevelopmentCommunitymediacanallowindividualsincommunitiestohaveprofoundexperiencesofactivelyexpressingthem-selvesthroughmediaForpeoplewhohaveseenthemselvesaspassivereceptorsatthebottomofacascadeofpackagedmediaexperiencesandmessagesactiverepresentationoftheirownlivesandcircumstanceshasatransformativeeffectthatgoesbeyondsimplephraseslikeldquocivicengage-mentrdquoThevalueofcommunitymediatoindividualsandthecommunitiestheyliveinisincalculable
hellipaffordablebroadbandandwirelessnetworkinfrastructurewithastrongcommunitybenefitsagreement
anationalsupportnetworkforexistingcommunitymediaorganizations
Appendix 1 Community media empowerment StrategieS
empoWerment Activity ApproAch infrAstructure or venue
AccessAccesstocommunicationsinfrastructureproductiontools
MakingavailablemediaproductiontoolscomputerstelevisionandradiodistributionInternetsoftwarecommunitycommunicationsinfrastructuremeetingspacewebservers
Democraticcitizenaccesstocommunicationstoolsanddisseminationinfrastructure
CablebroadbandmunicipaltelecomInternetWiFiWiMAXlocalandpublicservicebroadcasting
AlternativeContent CreationofvideoaudiofilmwebsitesInternet-basedcitizenmediaP2Pmediabloggingsocialnetworkingsoftwaredatabasesandprintproduction
Contentpositionedtocounterorsupplementmassmediacontentandinformationfrommainstreamsources
AllplatformswithanincreasingexpansionwithinIPNetworksandcross-platformproductionanddissemination
CompetencyLiteracyMedialiteracyinformationliteracydigitalliteracyandculturalliteracy
Mediaartsandaestheticeducationlearningtogainacivicvoiceinamediaculturearticulationofmediabiasesengaginginmediaandpoliticsunderstandingcommoditycultureparentinginamedia-saturatedhome
Interventioninthecomplexmanipulationofsymbolsandculture
Allmassmediaprintelectronic
CommunityBuilding Workforcetrainingandskillbuildingmicro-enterprisedevelopmentbusinessinfrastructuredevelopment
Communityorganizingparticipatoryplanningdemocraticeconomicdevelopmentworkforceandinfrastructuredevelopment
Localmediamunicipaltelecominfrastructurecomputerandtechnologyincubatorsandtechnologycenters
0
Itisdifficulttounderstandthefullscopeofcommu-nitymediaculturewithoutknowingofthefollowingorganizationswhichsupportcommunitymediaand
independentmediapracticesTheyplayanumberofrolesasnationalassociationsrepresentingnetworksofcommu-nitymediaorganizationsandmediaartsorganizationsasproducernetworksandstrategiccommunicationsplannerslinkingcommunityorganizationswithcommunitymediaorganizationsasorganizationsofcommunityactivistsandproducersworkingtomoreeffectivelysupportandusecommunitymediaandascollaboratorsandpartnersincommunitydevelopmenttrainingandeducation
ActiveVoicehttpwwwactivevoicenet
AllianceforCommunityMediahttpwwwalliancecmorg
AssociationforCommunityNetworking
httpwwwafcnorg
CommunityMediaWorkshophttpwwwnewstipsorg
CommunityTechnologyCentersrsquoNetwork
httpwwwctcnetorg
DeepDishTVhttpdeepdishtvorg
FreeSpeechTVhttpwwwfreespeechorg
IndependentTelevisionServicehttpwwwitvsorg
IndependentMediaCenterIndymedia
httpwwwindymediaorg
LatinoPublicBroadcastinghttpwwwlpbporg
LinkTVhttplinktvorg
LPFMDatabasecom
httpwwwangelfirecomnj2piratejimlpfmhtml
MediaTankhttpwwwmediatankorg
MediaWorkingGrouphttpwwwmwgorg
NationalAllianceforMediaArtsandCulture
httpwwwnamacorg
NationalAsianAmericanTelecommunicationsAssochttp
asianamericanmediaorgindexhtml
NativeAmericanPublicTelecommunications
httpasianamericanmediaorgindexhtml
NationalBlackProgrammingConsortium
httpwwwnbpctv
NationalFederationofCommunityBroadcasters
httpwwwnfcborg
NationalPublicRadiohttpwwwnpr
NationalPublicTelecomputingNetworkhttpwwwnptnorg
PaperTigerTelevisionhttpwwwpapertigerorg
PacificIslandersinCommunications
httpwwwpiccomorg
PewCenterforCivicJournalismhttpwwwpewcenterorg
PrometheusRadioProject
httpwwwprometheusradioorg
PublicBroadcastingServicehttpwwwpbsorg
PublicRadioExchangehttpwwwprxorg
ReclaimtheMediahttpwwwreclaimthemediaorg
StarfishTelevisionNetworkhttpwwwstarfishtvorg
WebsitesofUSPEGAccessChannels
httpwwwbevcamorgpeg
WorldAssociationofCommunityRadioBroadcasters
httpwwwamarcorg
Appendix 2 aggregatorS and aSSoCiationS
Appalshophttpwwwappalshoporg
BayAreaVideoCoalitionhttpwwwbavcorg
BeyondMediaEducationhttpwwwbeyondmediaorg
CambridgeCommunityTelevisionhttpwwwcctvcambridgeorg
CasaGuatemalaMediaProjecthttpwwwcasaguatemalaorg
CharlotteObserverhttpwwwcharlottecom
ChicagoAccessNetworkTelevisionhttpwwwcantvorg
GrandRapidsCommunityMediaCenterhttpgrcmcorg
GrandNethttpwwwgrcmcorgnposervicesitphp
GRTVhttpwwwgrcmcorgtv
ideastreamhttpwwwideastreamorg
IFPMinnesotaCenterforMediaArtshttpwwwifpnorthorgabouthtml
IntermediaArtshttpwwwintermediaartsorg
KartemquinFilmshttpwwwkartemquincom
KBOOhttpwwwkbooorg
KFAIhttpwwwkfaiorg
LowellTelecommunicationsCenterhttpltcorg
ManhattanNeighborhoodNetworkhttpmnnorg
MediaArtsProjecthttpwwwthemaporg
MetroGovernmentCommunityMediaInitiativehttpwwwmetro-regionorg
MetropolitanAustinInteractiveNetworkhttpwwwmainorg
MinneapolisTelevisionNetworkhttpwwwmtnorg
MinnesotaChannelhttpwwwtptorgmnchannelnew
MinnesotaPublicRadiohttpminnesotapublicradioorghttpminnesotapublicradioorgpublicinsightjournalism
MountainAreaInformationNetworkhttpmainncus
MtHoodCableRegulatoryCommissionhttpwwwmhcrcorg
NewAmericaMediahttpnewsnewamericamediaorgnews
NewRoutestoCommunityHealthhttpwwwnewroutesorg
NorthwestFilmandVideoCenterhttpwwwnwfilmorg
OneClevelandhttpwwwoneclevelandorg
OregonPublicBroadcastinghttpwwwopborg
PortlandCommunityMediahttpwwwpcmtvorg
RadioArtehttpwwwwrteorg
SaintPaulNeighborhoodNetworkhttpwwwspnnorg
ScribeVideoCenterhttpwwwscribeorg
SoundPartnersforCommunityHealthhttpwwwsoundpartnersorg
StreetLevelYouthMediahttpwwwstreet-levelorg
TwinCitiesDailyPlanethttpwwwtcdailyplanetnet
TwinCitiesMediaAlliancehttpwwwtcmediaallianceorg
TwinCitiesPublicTelevisionhttpwwwtptorg
URTVhttpwwwurtvorg
WalkerArtCenterhttpwwwwalkerartorgindexwac
WCIW-LPhttppacificanetworkorgradiocontentview17542httpwwwciw-onlineorg
WGBHhttpwwwwgbhorg
WHYYhttpwhyyorg
WPVMhttpwwwwpvmorg
WYBEhttpwwwwybeorg
WYCEhttpwwwgrcmcorgradio
YouthChannelhttpwwwyouthchannelorg
Appendix 3 Community media praCtitionerSWebsitesofthosepractitionersmentionedinthetext
AndersonRachelBenton Digital Beat Extra Noncommercial Networks on DBSWashingtonDCBentonFoundation2000
AufderheidePatricialdquoCableAccessTVandthePublicSphererdquoinThe Daily Planet A Critic on the Capitalist Culture BeatMinneapolisandLondonUniversityofMinnesotaPress2000a
AufderheidePatriciaIn The Battle for Reality Social Documentaries in the USWashingtonDCAmericanUniversityCenterforSocialMedia2003
AufderheidePatricialdquoTheWhatandHowofPublicBroadcastingrdquoinThe Daily Planet A Critic on the Capitalist Culture BeatMinneapolisandLondonUniversityofMinnesotaPress2000b
AynteAbdirahmanldquoSomaliWebsitesACompetitiveAlternativeMediaandaFarcetoReckonWithrdquoHiiraan Onlinehttpwwwhiiraancomnews2006aprsomali_websitesaspx
AzzouzBushraTomChamberlinandMarleneFarnumThe Community Media Project Building Community through Media(Aproposedmodelforafive-yearinitiativetoproducelocaltelevisionprogrammingthatbroadensthedialogueonissuesimportanttotheOregoncommunityandcreatesastrongsenseofplace)PortlandORMetroDecember2000
BarlowWilliamldquoCommunityRadiointheUSTheStruggleForADemocraticMediumrdquoinMedia Culture and SocietyVol10(1988)
BenklerYochaiThe Wealth of Networks How Social Production Transforms Markets and FreedomNewHavenYaleUniversityPress2006
BentonFoundationDigital Alliances Partners in Public
Service Models for CollaborationUniversityParkPAThePennsylvaniaStateUniversity2002
BlauAndrewDeep Focus A Report on the Future of Independent MediaSanFranciscoNationalAllianceforMediaArtsandCulture2004
BowmanShayneandChrisWillisWe Media How Audiences Are Shaping the Future of News and InformationEditedbyJDLasicaRestonVATheMediaCenteratTheAmericanPressInstitute2003httpwwwhypergenenetwemediadownloadwe_mediapdf
BurnettRonldquoFromCommunityMediatoInternationalNetworksrdquoCritical Approaches to Culture + Communications + HypermediaNovember182005httpwwweciadca~rburnettWeblogarchives200511from_communityhtml
CanoAndrealdquoMicroradioAToolforCommunityEmpowermentrdquoinPublic Broadcasting and the Public InterestEditedbyMichaelPMcCauleyEricEPetersonBLeeArtzandDeeDeeHalleckLondonMESharpe2003
CarnegieCommissiononEducationalTelevisionPublic Television A Program for ActionNewYorkBantam1967
CastellsManuelThe Rise of the Network Society The Information Age Economy Society and CultureVolumes12amp3MaldenMABlackwellPublishersInc2005
ChesterJeffBeyond Broadcast Expanding Public Media in the Digital AgeWashingtonDCCenterforDigitalDemocracyFebruary2006httpwwwdemocraticmediaorgBBBBfrontphp
ChristensenPaulNanMcIntyreandLynnPikholzldquoBridgingCommunityandEconomicDevelopmentAStrategyforUsingIndustryClusterstoLinkNeighborhoodsandtheRegionalEconomyrdquo(reportfundedbytheFordFoundation)ClevelandShorebankEnterpriseGroup2005
ldquoCitizenJournalismrdquoissueofNieman ReportsCambridgeMATheNiemanFoundationforJournalismatHarvardUniversityVol59No4Winter2005eMprintNewsbookhttpwwwniemanharvardedureports05-4NRwinterNR05W_Citizen_Journalismpdf
City PagesldquoBestPublicAccessCableTVProgramSomaliTVrdquoBestoftheTwinCities2004MNApril282004httpcitypagescombestof2004artsandentertainmentbestof2379asp
bibliogrAphy
CruzRossanaReguilloldquoTheOracleintheCityBeliefsPracticesandSymbolicGeographiesrdquoinGlobal Cities of the South (Social Text)EditedbyAshleyDawsonandBrentHayesEdwardsTranslatedbyBrentHayesEdwardsandNoraNicoliniDurhamNCDukeUniversityPress81(Volume22Number4)Winter2004
DeLasCasasLucywithSimonBurallJohnMorrisonDavidKaleteandJagadanandaldquoGlobalMediaReformandAccountabilityReportfromtheNationalMediaReformConferencerdquoStLouis2005httpwwwoneworldtrustorgpagesdownloadcfmdid=281
DevineRobertHldquoVideoAccessandAgencyrdquoConferencepresentationTheNationalFederationofLocalCableProgrammersStPaulMNJuly171992
DirlinMartyandCathyMelioldquoTheGrassrootsRadioMovementintheUnitedStatesrdquoinPublic Broadcasting and the Public InterestEditedbyMichaelPMcCauleyEricEPetersonBLeeArtzandDeeDeeHalleckLondonMESharpe2003
DowningJohnDHwithTamaraVillarealFordGeneveGilandLauraSteinRadical Media Rebellious Communication and Social MovementsThousandOaksCASagePublications2001
EgerJohnldquoCreativeClustersandtheUrbanEconomyrdquoGovernment and Technology(February62006)httpwwwgovtechnetnewsnewsphpid=98345
EgerJohnMThe Creative Community Forging The Links Between Art Culture Commerce amp CommunityTheCaliforniaInstituteforSmartCommunitiesSanDiegoStateUniversity2005httpwwwsmartcommunitiesorgcreativeCreativeCommBroFINALpdf
EngelmanRalphPublic Radio and Television in America A Political HistoryThousandOaksCASagePublications1996
GillespieGilbertPublic Access Television in the United States and CanadaNewYorkPraegerPublishers1975
GillmorDanWe the Media Grassroots Journalism by the People for the PeopleSebastopolCAOrsquoReillyMediaInc2006
GrahamStephenandSimonMarvinTelecommunications and the City Electronic Spaces Urban PlacesLondonandNewYorkRoutledge1996
HalleckDeeDeeHand-Held Visions The Impossible Possibilities of Community MediaNewYorkFordhamUniversityPress2002
HigginsJohnWldquoAlternativeMediaandtheCultofIndividualismExperiencesfromUSPublicAccessTVrdquoPaperpresentedattheldquoOurMediardquopre-conferenceoftheInternationalAssociationforMediaandCommunicationResearchCommunityCommunicationSectionBarcelonaSpainJuly202002httpwwwourmedianetorgpapersom2002Higginsom2002pdf
HowleyKevinCommunity Media People Places and Communication TechnologiesCambridgeCambridgeUniversityPress2005
HoynesWilliamldquoThePBSBrandandtheMerchandisingofthePublicServicerdquoinPublic Broadcasting and the Public InterestEditedbyMichaelPMcCauleyEricEPetersonBLeeArtzandDeeDeeHalleckLondonMESharpe2003
JankowskiNicholasWldquoCommunityMediaResearchAQuestforTheoreticallyGroundedModelsrdquoThePublicVol1015(2003)httpmokkbmehucentreconferencesreactivismFPfpNJ
JankowskiNicholasWandOlePrehnedsCommunity Media in the Information Age Perspectives and ProspectsCresskillNJHamptonPress2002
LashScottThe Critique of InformationLondonSagePublications2002
ListerMartinJonDoveySethGiddingsIainGrantandKieranKellyNew Media A critical IntroductionLondonandNewYorkRoutledge2003
LloydMarkldquoRadioandLocalismWhatWhenWrongrdquoinContext(publishedbytheCenterforCommunicationsandCommunityUCLA)IssueNo4(WinterSpring2006)
MacintyreBenldquoWelcometotheNewTomPainesrdquoTimesOnlineNovember132004httpwwwtimesonlinecouktolcommentarticle390484ece
MaherVincentTowards a Critical Media Studies Approach to the BlogosphereNewMediaLabPublicationSchoolofJournalismandMediaStudiesRhodesUniversitySouthAfrica2006
MetroCommunity Media Project Evaluation Report PortlandORMetroJuly2004
MostStephenldquoBAVCandTheBigPicturerdquoinA Closer Look Media Arts 2002EditedbyHelenDeMichielSanFranciscoNationalAllianceforMediaArtsandCulture2002
NewAmericaMedialdquoEthnicMediainAmericaTheGiantHiddeninPlainSightrdquoPollconductedbyBendixenampAssociates2005httpnewsnewamericamediaorgnewsview_articlehtmlarticle_id=0443821787ac0210cbecebe8b1f576a3
OlsonBillThe History of Public Access Television2000httpwwwgeocitiescomiconostarhistory-public-access-TVhtml200415
PewCenterforCivicJournalismldquoDoingCivicJournalismrdquo2007httpwwwpewcenterorgdoingcj
PierceSteveldquoDBSandthePublicInterestOpportunityinSatelliteTelevisionrdquoinPublic Broadcasting and the Public InterestEditedbyMichaelPMcCauleyEricEPetersonBLeeArtzandDeeDeeHalleckLondonMESharpe2003
PhilipsSusanldquoTrueCommunityTowardaCollaborativeEthosScribersquoslsquoTrueCommunityVisionrsquordquoinA Closer Look Media Arts 2002EditedbyHelenDeMichielSanFranciscoNationalAllianceforMediaArtsandCulture2002
PorterMichaelEldquoLocationCompetitionandEconomicDevelopmentLocalClustersinaGlobalEconomyrdquoEconomic Development Quarterly14no1(February2000)15-34
ProjectforExcellenceinJournalismldquoMajorTrendsrdquoinState of the News Media 2006 An Annual Report on American Journalismhttpwwwstateofthenewsmediaorg2006nar-rative_overview_eightaspcat=2ampmedia=1
PrometheusRadioProjectldquoOurFifthBarnraisingmdashWCIW-LPinImmokaleeFloridardquohttpprometheusradioorgcontentview48952006
RennieEllieCommunity Media A Global IntroductionLanhamMDRowmanandLittlefieldPublishers2006
RodriguezClemenciaFissures in the Mediascape An International Study of Citizenrsquos MediaCresskillNJHamptonPress2001
SchafferJanldquoCitizensMediaHasItReachedaTippingPointrdquoinldquoCitizenJournalismrdquoissueofNieman Reports CambridgeMATheNiemanFoundationforJournalismatHarvardUniversityVol59No4Winter2005aeMprintNewsbookhttpwwwniemanharvardedureports05-4NRwinterNR05W_Citizen_Journalismpdf
SchafferJanInterviewonThe NewsHour With Jim Lehrer PBSEveningNewsNovember162005b
SchulerDouglasldquoTheRiseofCommunityNetworksrdquoInternet WorldDecember1995
SchulerDougandPeterDayShaping the Network Society The New Role of Civil Society in CyberspaceCambridgeandLondonMITPress2004
ShirkyClayPower Laws Weblogs and Inequality EconomicsampCultureMediaampCommunityBlog2005OpenSourcehttpshirkycomwritingspowerlaw_webloghtml
ShirkyClaySocial Software and the Politics of GroupsEconomicsampCultureMediaampCommunityBlog2005OpenSourcehttpshirkycomwritingsgroup_politicshtml
Somerset-WardRichardBroadband Community Networks Building the Digital CommonsAreportfortheHaasCharitableTrustsPhiladelphia2005
Somerset-WardRichardConnecting Communities WashingtonDCBentonFoundation2000
Spannerworkse-bookWhat is Social MediaJanuary2007httpwwwspannerworkscomebooks
StarrJeroldMldquoPublicTelevisionintheDigitalAgeTownHallorCyberMallrdquoinPublic Broadcasting and the Public InterestEditedbyMichaelPMcCauleyEricEPetersonBLeeArtzandDeeDeeHalleckLondonMESharpe2003
SteinLauraldquoPublicAccessTelevisionandGrassrootsCommunicationintheUnitedStatesrdquoChapter20inRadical Media Rebellious Communication and Social MovmentsEditedbyJohnDowningThousandOaksCASagePublications2001
SussmanGeraldandJREstesldquoCommunityRadioinCommunityDevelopmentPortlandrsquosKBOORadiordquoinThe Portland Edge Challenges and Successes in Growing CommunitiesEditedbyConniePOzawaPortlandStateUniversityIslandPress2004
WhitneyJenniferldquoMakeMediaMakeRealTroubleWhatrsquosWrong(andRight)withIndymediardquoLiPMagazineJune212005httpwwwlipmagazine
orgarticlesfeatwhitney_indymedia_phtml
Appendix 1 Community media empowerment StrategieS
empoWerment Activity ApproAch infrAstructure or venue
AccessAccesstocommunicationsinfrastructureproductiontools
MakingavailablemediaproductiontoolscomputerstelevisionandradiodistributionInternetsoftwarecommunitycommunicationsinfrastructuremeetingspacewebservers
Democraticcitizenaccesstocommunicationstoolsanddisseminationinfrastructure
CablebroadbandmunicipaltelecomInternetWiFiWiMAXlocalandpublicservicebroadcasting
AlternativeContent CreationofvideoaudiofilmwebsitesInternet-basedcitizenmediaP2Pmediabloggingsocialnetworkingsoftwaredatabasesandprintproduction
Contentpositionedtocounterorsupplementmassmediacontentandinformationfrommainstreamsources
AllplatformswithanincreasingexpansionwithinIPNetworksandcross-platformproductionanddissemination
CompetencyLiteracyMedialiteracyinformationliteracydigitalliteracyandculturalliteracy
Mediaartsandaestheticeducationlearningtogainacivicvoiceinamediaculturearticulationofmediabiasesengaginginmediaandpoliticsunderstandingcommoditycultureparentinginamedia-saturatedhome
Interventioninthecomplexmanipulationofsymbolsandculture
Allmassmediaprintelectronic
CommunityBuilding Workforcetrainingandskillbuildingmicro-enterprisedevelopmentbusinessinfrastructuredevelopment
Communityorganizingparticipatoryplanningdemocraticeconomicdevelopmentworkforceandinfrastructuredevelopment
Localmediamunicipaltelecominfrastructurecomputerandtechnologyincubatorsandtechnologycenters
0
Itisdifficulttounderstandthefullscopeofcommu-nitymediaculturewithoutknowingofthefollowingorganizationswhichsupportcommunitymediaand
independentmediapracticesTheyplayanumberofrolesasnationalassociationsrepresentingnetworksofcommu-nitymediaorganizationsandmediaartsorganizationsasproducernetworksandstrategiccommunicationsplannerslinkingcommunityorganizationswithcommunitymediaorganizationsasorganizationsofcommunityactivistsandproducersworkingtomoreeffectivelysupportandusecommunitymediaandascollaboratorsandpartnersincommunitydevelopmenttrainingandeducation
ActiveVoicehttpwwwactivevoicenet
AllianceforCommunityMediahttpwwwalliancecmorg
AssociationforCommunityNetworking
httpwwwafcnorg
CommunityMediaWorkshophttpwwwnewstipsorg
CommunityTechnologyCentersrsquoNetwork
httpwwwctcnetorg
DeepDishTVhttpdeepdishtvorg
FreeSpeechTVhttpwwwfreespeechorg
IndependentTelevisionServicehttpwwwitvsorg
IndependentMediaCenterIndymedia
httpwwwindymediaorg
LatinoPublicBroadcastinghttpwwwlpbporg
LinkTVhttplinktvorg
LPFMDatabasecom
httpwwwangelfirecomnj2piratejimlpfmhtml
MediaTankhttpwwwmediatankorg
MediaWorkingGrouphttpwwwmwgorg
NationalAllianceforMediaArtsandCulture
httpwwwnamacorg
NationalAsianAmericanTelecommunicationsAssochttp
asianamericanmediaorgindexhtml
NativeAmericanPublicTelecommunications
httpasianamericanmediaorgindexhtml
NationalBlackProgrammingConsortium
httpwwwnbpctv
NationalFederationofCommunityBroadcasters
httpwwwnfcborg
NationalPublicRadiohttpwwwnpr
NationalPublicTelecomputingNetworkhttpwwwnptnorg
PaperTigerTelevisionhttpwwwpapertigerorg
PacificIslandersinCommunications
httpwwwpiccomorg
PewCenterforCivicJournalismhttpwwwpewcenterorg
PrometheusRadioProject
httpwwwprometheusradioorg
PublicBroadcastingServicehttpwwwpbsorg
PublicRadioExchangehttpwwwprxorg
ReclaimtheMediahttpwwwreclaimthemediaorg
StarfishTelevisionNetworkhttpwwwstarfishtvorg
WebsitesofUSPEGAccessChannels
httpwwwbevcamorgpeg
WorldAssociationofCommunityRadioBroadcasters
httpwwwamarcorg
Appendix 2 aggregatorS and aSSoCiationS
Appalshophttpwwwappalshoporg
BayAreaVideoCoalitionhttpwwwbavcorg
BeyondMediaEducationhttpwwwbeyondmediaorg
CambridgeCommunityTelevisionhttpwwwcctvcambridgeorg
CasaGuatemalaMediaProjecthttpwwwcasaguatemalaorg
CharlotteObserverhttpwwwcharlottecom
ChicagoAccessNetworkTelevisionhttpwwwcantvorg
GrandRapidsCommunityMediaCenterhttpgrcmcorg
GrandNethttpwwwgrcmcorgnposervicesitphp
GRTVhttpwwwgrcmcorgtv
ideastreamhttpwwwideastreamorg
IFPMinnesotaCenterforMediaArtshttpwwwifpnorthorgabouthtml
IntermediaArtshttpwwwintermediaartsorg
KartemquinFilmshttpwwwkartemquincom
KBOOhttpwwwkbooorg
KFAIhttpwwwkfaiorg
LowellTelecommunicationsCenterhttpltcorg
ManhattanNeighborhoodNetworkhttpmnnorg
MediaArtsProjecthttpwwwthemaporg
MetroGovernmentCommunityMediaInitiativehttpwwwmetro-regionorg
MetropolitanAustinInteractiveNetworkhttpwwwmainorg
MinneapolisTelevisionNetworkhttpwwwmtnorg
MinnesotaChannelhttpwwwtptorgmnchannelnew
MinnesotaPublicRadiohttpminnesotapublicradioorghttpminnesotapublicradioorgpublicinsightjournalism
MountainAreaInformationNetworkhttpmainncus
MtHoodCableRegulatoryCommissionhttpwwwmhcrcorg
NewAmericaMediahttpnewsnewamericamediaorgnews
NewRoutestoCommunityHealthhttpwwwnewroutesorg
NorthwestFilmandVideoCenterhttpwwwnwfilmorg
OneClevelandhttpwwwoneclevelandorg
OregonPublicBroadcastinghttpwwwopborg
PortlandCommunityMediahttpwwwpcmtvorg
RadioArtehttpwwwwrteorg
SaintPaulNeighborhoodNetworkhttpwwwspnnorg
ScribeVideoCenterhttpwwwscribeorg
SoundPartnersforCommunityHealthhttpwwwsoundpartnersorg
StreetLevelYouthMediahttpwwwstreet-levelorg
TwinCitiesDailyPlanethttpwwwtcdailyplanetnet
TwinCitiesMediaAlliancehttpwwwtcmediaallianceorg
TwinCitiesPublicTelevisionhttpwwwtptorg
URTVhttpwwwurtvorg
WalkerArtCenterhttpwwwwalkerartorgindexwac
WCIW-LPhttppacificanetworkorgradiocontentview17542httpwwwciw-onlineorg
WGBHhttpwwwwgbhorg
WHYYhttpwhyyorg
WPVMhttpwwwwpvmorg
WYBEhttpwwwwybeorg
WYCEhttpwwwgrcmcorgradio
YouthChannelhttpwwwyouthchannelorg
Appendix 3 Community media praCtitionerSWebsitesofthosepractitionersmentionedinthetext
AndersonRachelBenton Digital Beat Extra Noncommercial Networks on DBSWashingtonDCBentonFoundation2000
AufderheidePatricialdquoCableAccessTVandthePublicSphererdquoinThe Daily Planet A Critic on the Capitalist Culture BeatMinneapolisandLondonUniversityofMinnesotaPress2000a
AufderheidePatriciaIn The Battle for Reality Social Documentaries in the USWashingtonDCAmericanUniversityCenterforSocialMedia2003
AufderheidePatricialdquoTheWhatandHowofPublicBroadcastingrdquoinThe Daily Planet A Critic on the Capitalist Culture BeatMinneapolisandLondonUniversityofMinnesotaPress2000b
AynteAbdirahmanldquoSomaliWebsitesACompetitiveAlternativeMediaandaFarcetoReckonWithrdquoHiiraan Onlinehttpwwwhiiraancomnews2006aprsomali_websitesaspx
AzzouzBushraTomChamberlinandMarleneFarnumThe Community Media Project Building Community through Media(Aproposedmodelforafive-yearinitiativetoproducelocaltelevisionprogrammingthatbroadensthedialogueonissuesimportanttotheOregoncommunityandcreatesastrongsenseofplace)PortlandORMetroDecember2000
BarlowWilliamldquoCommunityRadiointheUSTheStruggleForADemocraticMediumrdquoinMedia Culture and SocietyVol10(1988)
BenklerYochaiThe Wealth of Networks How Social Production Transforms Markets and FreedomNewHavenYaleUniversityPress2006
BentonFoundationDigital Alliances Partners in Public
Service Models for CollaborationUniversityParkPAThePennsylvaniaStateUniversity2002
BlauAndrewDeep Focus A Report on the Future of Independent MediaSanFranciscoNationalAllianceforMediaArtsandCulture2004
BowmanShayneandChrisWillisWe Media How Audiences Are Shaping the Future of News and InformationEditedbyJDLasicaRestonVATheMediaCenteratTheAmericanPressInstitute2003httpwwwhypergenenetwemediadownloadwe_mediapdf
BurnettRonldquoFromCommunityMediatoInternationalNetworksrdquoCritical Approaches to Culture + Communications + HypermediaNovember182005httpwwweciadca~rburnettWeblogarchives200511from_communityhtml
CanoAndrealdquoMicroradioAToolforCommunityEmpowermentrdquoinPublic Broadcasting and the Public InterestEditedbyMichaelPMcCauleyEricEPetersonBLeeArtzandDeeDeeHalleckLondonMESharpe2003
CarnegieCommissiononEducationalTelevisionPublic Television A Program for ActionNewYorkBantam1967
CastellsManuelThe Rise of the Network Society The Information Age Economy Society and CultureVolumes12amp3MaldenMABlackwellPublishersInc2005
ChesterJeffBeyond Broadcast Expanding Public Media in the Digital AgeWashingtonDCCenterforDigitalDemocracyFebruary2006httpwwwdemocraticmediaorgBBBBfrontphp
ChristensenPaulNanMcIntyreandLynnPikholzldquoBridgingCommunityandEconomicDevelopmentAStrategyforUsingIndustryClusterstoLinkNeighborhoodsandtheRegionalEconomyrdquo(reportfundedbytheFordFoundation)ClevelandShorebankEnterpriseGroup2005
ldquoCitizenJournalismrdquoissueofNieman ReportsCambridgeMATheNiemanFoundationforJournalismatHarvardUniversityVol59No4Winter2005eMprintNewsbookhttpwwwniemanharvardedureports05-4NRwinterNR05W_Citizen_Journalismpdf
City PagesldquoBestPublicAccessCableTVProgramSomaliTVrdquoBestoftheTwinCities2004MNApril282004httpcitypagescombestof2004artsandentertainmentbestof2379asp
bibliogrAphy
CruzRossanaReguilloldquoTheOracleintheCityBeliefsPracticesandSymbolicGeographiesrdquoinGlobal Cities of the South (Social Text)EditedbyAshleyDawsonandBrentHayesEdwardsTranslatedbyBrentHayesEdwardsandNoraNicoliniDurhamNCDukeUniversityPress81(Volume22Number4)Winter2004
DeLasCasasLucywithSimonBurallJohnMorrisonDavidKaleteandJagadanandaldquoGlobalMediaReformandAccountabilityReportfromtheNationalMediaReformConferencerdquoStLouis2005httpwwwoneworldtrustorgpagesdownloadcfmdid=281
DevineRobertHldquoVideoAccessandAgencyrdquoConferencepresentationTheNationalFederationofLocalCableProgrammersStPaulMNJuly171992
DirlinMartyandCathyMelioldquoTheGrassrootsRadioMovementintheUnitedStatesrdquoinPublic Broadcasting and the Public InterestEditedbyMichaelPMcCauleyEricEPetersonBLeeArtzandDeeDeeHalleckLondonMESharpe2003
DowningJohnDHwithTamaraVillarealFordGeneveGilandLauraSteinRadical Media Rebellious Communication and Social MovementsThousandOaksCASagePublications2001
EgerJohnldquoCreativeClustersandtheUrbanEconomyrdquoGovernment and Technology(February62006)httpwwwgovtechnetnewsnewsphpid=98345
EgerJohnMThe Creative Community Forging The Links Between Art Culture Commerce amp CommunityTheCaliforniaInstituteforSmartCommunitiesSanDiegoStateUniversity2005httpwwwsmartcommunitiesorgcreativeCreativeCommBroFINALpdf
EngelmanRalphPublic Radio and Television in America A Political HistoryThousandOaksCASagePublications1996
GillespieGilbertPublic Access Television in the United States and CanadaNewYorkPraegerPublishers1975
GillmorDanWe the Media Grassroots Journalism by the People for the PeopleSebastopolCAOrsquoReillyMediaInc2006
GrahamStephenandSimonMarvinTelecommunications and the City Electronic Spaces Urban PlacesLondonandNewYorkRoutledge1996
HalleckDeeDeeHand-Held Visions The Impossible Possibilities of Community MediaNewYorkFordhamUniversityPress2002
HigginsJohnWldquoAlternativeMediaandtheCultofIndividualismExperiencesfromUSPublicAccessTVrdquoPaperpresentedattheldquoOurMediardquopre-conferenceoftheInternationalAssociationforMediaandCommunicationResearchCommunityCommunicationSectionBarcelonaSpainJuly202002httpwwwourmedianetorgpapersom2002Higginsom2002pdf
HowleyKevinCommunity Media People Places and Communication TechnologiesCambridgeCambridgeUniversityPress2005
HoynesWilliamldquoThePBSBrandandtheMerchandisingofthePublicServicerdquoinPublic Broadcasting and the Public InterestEditedbyMichaelPMcCauleyEricEPetersonBLeeArtzandDeeDeeHalleckLondonMESharpe2003
JankowskiNicholasWldquoCommunityMediaResearchAQuestforTheoreticallyGroundedModelsrdquoThePublicVol1015(2003)httpmokkbmehucentreconferencesreactivismFPfpNJ
JankowskiNicholasWandOlePrehnedsCommunity Media in the Information Age Perspectives and ProspectsCresskillNJHamptonPress2002
LashScottThe Critique of InformationLondonSagePublications2002
ListerMartinJonDoveySethGiddingsIainGrantandKieranKellyNew Media A critical IntroductionLondonandNewYorkRoutledge2003
LloydMarkldquoRadioandLocalismWhatWhenWrongrdquoinContext(publishedbytheCenterforCommunicationsandCommunityUCLA)IssueNo4(WinterSpring2006)
MacintyreBenldquoWelcometotheNewTomPainesrdquoTimesOnlineNovember132004httpwwwtimesonlinecouktolcommentarticle390484ece
MaherVincentTowards a Critical Media Studies Approach to the BlogosphereNewMediaLabPublicationSchoolofJournalismandMediaStudiesRhodesUniversitySouthAfrica2006
MetroCommunity Media Project Evaluation Report PortlandORMetroJuly2004
MostStephenldquoBAVCandTheBigPicturerdquoinA Closer Look Media Arts 2002EditedbyHelenDeMichielSanFranciscoNationalAllianceforMediaArtsandCulture2002
NewAmericaMedialdquoEthnicMediainAmericaTheGiantHiddeninPlainSightrdquoPollconductedbyBendixenampAssociates2005httpnewsnewamericamediaorgnewsview_articlehtmlarticle_id=0443821787ac0210cbecebe8b1f576a3
OlsonBillThe History of Public Access Television2000httpwwwgeocitiescomiconostarhistory-public-access-TVhtml200415
PewCenterforCivicJournalismldquoDoingCivicJournalismrdquo2007httpwwwpewcenterorgdoingcj
PierceSteveldquoDBSandthePublicInterestOpportunityinSatelliteTelevisionrdquoinPublic Broadcasting and the Public InterestEditedbyMichaelPMcCauleyEricEPetersonBLeeArtzandDeeDeeHalleckLondonMESharpe2003
PhilipsSusanldquoTrueCommunityTowardaCollaborativeEthosScribersquoslsquoTrueCommunityVisionrsquordquoinA Closer Look Media Arts 2002EditedbyHelenDeMichielSanFranciscoNationalAllianceforMediaArtsandCulture2002
PorterMichaelEldquoLocationCompetitionandEconomicDevelopmentLocalClustersinaGlobalEconomyrdquoEconomic Development Quarterly14no1(February2000)15-34
ProjectforExcellenceinJournalismldquoMajorTrendsrdquoinState of the News Media 2006 An Annual Report on American Journalismhttpwwwstateofthenewsmediaorg2006nar-rative_overview_eightaspcat=2ampmedia=1
PrometheusRadioProjectldquoOurFifthBarnraisingmdashWCIW-LPinImmokaleeFloridardquohttpprometheusradioorgcontentview48952006
RennieEllieCommunity Media A Global IntroductionLanhamMDRowmanandLittlefieldPublishers2006
RodriguezClemenciaFissures in the Mediascape An International Study of Citizenrsquos MediaCresskillNJHamptonPress2001
SchafferJanldquoCitizensMediaHasItReachedaTippingPointrdquoinldquoCitizenJournalismrdquoissueofNieman Reports CambridgeMATheNiemanFoundationforJournalismatHarvardUniversityVol59No4Winter2005aeMprintNewsbookhttpwwwniemanharvardedureports05-4NRwinterNR05W_Citizen_Journalismpdf
SchafferJanInterviewonThe NewsHour With Jim Lehrer PBSEveningNewsNovember162005b
SchulerDouglasldquoTheRiseofCommunityNetworksrdquoInternet WorldDecember1995
SchulerDougandPeterDayShaping the Network Society The New Role of Civil Society in CyberspaceCambridgeandLondonMITPress2004
ShirkyClayPower Laws Weblogs and Inequality EconomicsampCultureMediaampCommunityBlog2005OpenSourcehttpshirkycomwritingspowerlaw_webloghtml
ShirkyClaySocial Software and the Politics of GroupsEconomicsampCultureMediaampCommunityBlog2005OpenSourcehttpshirkycomwritingsgroup_politicshtml
Somerset-WardRichardBroadband Community Networks Building the Digital CommonsAreportfortheHaasCharitableTrustsPhiladelphia2005
Somerset-WardRichardConnecting Communities WashingtonDCBentonFoundation2000
Spannerworkse-bookWhat is Social MediaJanuary2007httpwwwspannerworkscomebooks
StarrJeroldMldquoPublicTelevisionintheDigitalAgeTownHallorCyberMallrdquoinPublic Broadcasting and the Public InterestEditedbyMichaelPMcCauleyEricEPetersonBLeeArtzandDeeDeeHalleckLondonMESharpe2003
SteinLauraldquoPublicAccessTelevisionandGrassrootsCommunicationintheUnitedStatesrdquoChapter20inRadical Media Rebellious Communication and Social MovmentsEditedbyJohnDowningThousandOaksCASagePublications2001
SussmanGeraldandJREstesldquoCommunityRadioinCommunityDevelopmentPortlandrsquosKBOORadiordquoinThe Portland Edge Challenges and Successes in Growing CommunitiesEditedbyConniePOzawaPortlandStateUniversityIslandPress2004
WhitneyJenniferldquoMakeMediaMakeRealTroubleWhatrsquosWrong(andRight)withIndymediardquoLiPMagazineJune212005httpwwwlipmagazine
orgarticlesfeatwhitney_indymedia_phtml
0
Itisdifficulttounderstandthefullscopeofcommu-nitymediaculturewithoutknowingofthefollowingorganizationswhichsupportcommunitymediaand
independentmediapracticesTheyplayanumberofrolesasnationalassociationsrepresentingnetworksofcommu-nitymediaorganizationsandmediaartsorganizationsasproducernetworksandstrategiccommunicationsplannerslinkingcommunityorganizationswithcommunitymediaorganizationsasorganizationsofcommunityactivistsandproducersworkingtomoreeffectivelysupportandusecommunitymediaandascollaboratorsandpartnersincommunitydevelopmenttrainingandeducation
ActiveVoicehttpwwwactivevoicenet
AllianceforCommunityMediahttpwwwalliancecmorg
AssociationforCommunityNetworking
httpwwwafcnorg
CommunityMediaWorkshophttpwwwnewstipsorg
CommunityTechnologyCentersrsquoNetwork
httpwwwctcnetorg
DeepDishTVhttpdeepdishtvorg
FreeSpeechTVhttpwwwfreespeechorg
IndependentTelevisionServicehttpwwwitvsorg
IndependentMediaCenterIndymedia
httpwwwindymediaorg
LatinoPublicBroadcastinghttpwwwlpbporg
LinkTVhttplinktvorg
LPFMDatabasecom
httpwwwangelfirecomnj2piratejimlpfmhtml
MediaTankhttpwwwmediatankorg
MediaWorkingGrouphttpwwwmwgorg
NationalAllianceforMediaArtsandCulture
httpwwwnamacorg
NationalAsianAmericanTelecommunicationsAssochttp
asianamericanmediaorgindexhtml
NativeAmericanPublicTelecommunications
httpasianamericanmediaorgindexhtml
NationalBlackProgrammingConsortium
httpwwwnbpctv
NationalFederationofCommunityBroadcasters
httpwwwnfcborg
NationalPublicRadiohttpwwwnpr
NationalPublicTelecomputingNetworkhttpwwwnptnorg
PaperTigerTelevisionhttpwwwpapertigerorg
PacificIslandersinCommunications
httpwwwpiccomorg
PewCenterforCivicJournalismhttpwwwpewcenterorg
PrometheusRadioProject
httpwwwprometheusradioorg
PublicBroadcastingServicehttpwwwpbsorg
PublicRadioExchangehttpwwwprxorg
ReclaimtheMediahttpwwwreclaimthemediaorg
StarfishTelevisionNetworkhttpwwwstarfishtvorg
WebsitesofUSPEGAccessChannels
httpwwwbevcamorgpeg
WorldAssociationofCommunityRadioBroadcasters
httpwwwamarcorg
Appendix 2 aggregatorS and aSSoCiationS
Appalshophttpwwwappalshoporg
BayAreaVideoCoalitionhttpwwwbavcorg
BeyondMediaEducationhttpwwwbeyondmediaorg
CambridgeCommunityTelevisionhttpwwwcctvcambridgeorg
CasaGuatemalaMediaProjecthttpwwwcasaguatemalaorg
CharlotteObserverhttpwwwcharlottecom
ChicagoAccessNetworkTelevisionhttpwwwcantvorg
GrandRapidsCommunityMediaCenterhttpgrcmcorg
GrandNethttpwwwgrcmcorgnposervicesitphp
GRTVhttpwwwgrcmcorgtv
ideastreamhttpwwwideastreamorg
IFPMinnesotaCenterforMediaArtshttpwwwifpnorthorgabouthtml
IntermediaArtshttpwwwintermediaartsorg
KartemquinFilmshttpwwwkartemquincom
KBOOhttpwwwkbooorg
KFAIhttpwwwkfaiorg
LowellTelecommunicationsCenterhttpltcorg
ManhattanNeighborhoodNetworkhttpmnnorg
MediaArtsProjecthttpwwwthemaporg
MetroGovernmentCommunityMediaInitiativehttpwwwmetro-regionorg
MetropolitanAustinInteractiveNetworkhttpwwwmainorg
MinneapolisTelevisionNetworkhttpwwwmtnorg
MinnesotaChannelhttpwwwtptorgmnchannelnew
MinnesotaPublicRadiohttpminnesotapublicradioorghttpminnesotapublicradioorgpublicinsightjournalism
MountainAreaInformationNetworkhttpmainncus
MtHoodCableRegulatoryCommissionhttpwwwmhcrcorg
NewAmericaMediahttpnewsnewamericamediaorgnews
NewRoutestoCommunityHealthhttpwwwnewroutesorg
NorthwestFilmandVideoCenterhttpwwwnwfilmorg
OneClevelandhttpwwwoneclevelandorg
OregonPublicBroadcastinghttpwwwopborg
PortlandCommunityMediahttpwwwpcmtvorg
RadioArtehttpwwwwrteorg
SaintPaulNeighborhoodNetworkhttpwwwspnnorg
ScribeVideoCenterhttpwwwscribeorg
SoundPartnersforCommunityHealthhttpwwwsoundpartnersorg
StreetLevelYouthMediahttpwwwstreet-levelorg
TwinCitiesDailyPlanethttpwwwtcdailyplanetnet
TwinCitiesMediaAlliancehttpwwwtcmediaallianceorg
TwinCitiesPublicTelevisionhttpwwwtptorg
URTVhttpwwwurtvorg
WalkerArtCenterhttpwwwwalkerartorgindexwac
WCIW-LPhttppacificanetworkorgradiocontentview17542httpwwwciw-onlineorg
WGBHhttpwwwwgbhorg
WHYYhttpwhyyorg
WPVMhttpwwwwpvmorg
WYBEhttpwwwwybeorg
WYCEhttpwwwgrcmcorgradio
YouthChannelhttpwwwyouthchannelorg
Appendix 3 Community media praCtitionerSWebsitesofthosepractitionersmentionedinthetext
AndersonRachelBenton Digital Beat Extra Noncommercial Networks on DBSWashingtonDCBentonFoundation2000
AufderheidePatricialdquoCableAccessTVandthePublicSphererdquoinThe Daily Planet A Critic on the Capitalist Culture BeatMinneapolisandLondonUniversityofMinnesotaPress2000a
AufderheidePatriciaIn The Battle for Reality Social Documentaries in the USWashingtonDCAmericanUniversityCenterforSocialMedia2003
AufderheidePatricialdquoTheWhatandHowofPublicBroadcastingrdquoinThe Daily Planet A Critic on the Capitalist Culture BeatMinneapolisandLondonUniversityofMinnesotaPress2000b
AynteAbdirahmanldquoSomaliWebsitesACompetitiveAlternativeMediaandaFarcetoReckonWithrdquoHiiraan Onlinehttpwwwhiiraancomnews2006aprsomali_websitesaspx
AzzouzBushraTomChamberlinandMarleneFarnumThe Community Media Project Building Community through Media(Aproposedmodelforafive-yearinitiativetoproducelocaltelevisionprogrammingthatbroadensthedialogueonissuesimportanttotheOregoncommunityandcreatesastrongsenseofplace)PortlandORMetroDecember2000
BarlowWilliamldquoCommunityRadiointheUSTheStruggleForADemocraticMediumrdquoinMedia Culture and SocietyVol10(1988)
BenklerYochaiThe Wealth of Networks How Social Production Transforms Markets and FreedomNewHavenYaleUniversityPress2006
BentonFoundationDigital Alliances Partners in Public
Service Models for CollaborationUniversityParkPAThePennsylvaniaStateUniversity2002
BlauAndrewDeep Focus A Report on the Future of Independent MediaSanFranciscoNationalAllianceforMediaArtsandCulture2004
BowmanShayneandChrisWillisWe Media How Audiences Are Shaping the Future of News and InformationEditedbyJDLasicaRestonVATheMediaCenteratTheAmericanPressInstitute2003httpwwwhypergenenetwemediadownloadwe_mediapdf
BurnettRonldquoFromCommunityMediatoInternationalNetworksrdquoCritical Approaches to Culture + Communications + HypermediaNovember182005httpwwweciadca~rburnettWeblogarchives200511from_communityhtml
CanoAndrealdquoMicroradioAToolforCommunityEmpowermentrdquoinPublic Broadcasting and the Public InterestEditedbyMichaelPMcCauleyEricEPetersonBLeeArtzandDeeDeeHalleckLondonMESharpe2003
CarnegieCommissiononEducationalTelevisionPublic Television A Program for ActionNewYorkBantam1967
CastellsManuelThe Rise of the Network Society The Information Age Economy Society and CultureVolumes12amp3MaldenMABlackwellPublishersInc2005
ChesterJeffBeyond Broadcast Expanding Public Media in the Digital AgeWashingtonDCCenterforDigitalDemocracyFebruary2006httpwwwdemocraticmediaorgBBBBfrontphp
ChristensenPaulNanMcIntyreandLynnPikholzldquoBridgingCommunityandEconomicDevelopmentAStrategyforUsingIndustryClusterstoLinkNeighborhoodsandtheRegionalEconomyrdquo(reportfundedbytheFordFoundation)ClevelandShorebankEnterpriseGroup2005
ldquoCitizenJournalismrdquoissueofNieman ReportsCambridgeMATheNiemanFoundationforJournalismatHarvardUniversityVol59No4Winter2005eMprintNewsbookhttpwwwniemanharvardedureports05-4NRwinterNR05W_Citizen_Journalismpdf
City PagesldquoBestPublicAccessCableTVProgramSomaliTVrdquoBestoftheTwinCities2004MNApril282004httpcitypagescombestof2004artsandentertainmentbestof2379asp
bibliogrAphy
CruzRossanaReguilloldquoTheOracleintheCityBeliefsPracticesandSymbolicGeographiesrdquoinGlobal Cities of the South (Social Text)EditedbyAshleyDawsonandBrentHayesEdwardsTranslatedbyBrentHayesEdwardsandNoraNicoliniDurhamNCDukeUniversityPress81(Volume22Number4)Winter2004
DeLasCasasLucywithSimonBurallJohnMorrisonDavidKaleteandJagadanandaldquoGlobalMediaReformandAccountabilityReportfromtheNationalMediaReformConferencerdquoStLouis2005httpwwwoneworldtrustorgpagesdownloadcfmdid=281
DevineRobertHldquoVideoAccessandAgencyrdquoConferencepresentationTheNationalFederationofLocalCableProgrammersStPaulMNJuly171992
DirlinMartyandCathyMelioldquoTheGrassrootsRadioMovementintheUnitedStatesrdquoinPublic Broadcasting and the Public InterestEditedbyMichaelPMcCauleyEricEPetersonBLeeArtzandDeeDeeHalleckLondonMESharpe2003
DowningJohnDHwithTamaraVillarealFordGeneveGilandLauraSteinRadical Media Rebellious Communication and Social MovementsThousandOaksCASagePublications2001
EgerJohnldquoCreativeClustersandtheUrbanEconomyrdquoGovernment and Technology(February62006)httpwwwgovtechnetnewsnewsphpid=98345
EgerJohnMThe Creative Community Forging The Links Between Art Culture Commerce amp CommunityTheCaliforniaInstituteforSmartCommunitiesSanDiegoStateUniversity2005httpwwwsmartcommunitiesorgcreativeCreativeCommBroFINALpdf
EngelmanRalphPublic Radio and Television in America A Political HistoryThousandOaksCASagePublications1996
GillespieGilbertPublic Access Television in the United States and CanadaNewYorkPraegerPublishers1975
GillmorDanWe the Media Grassroots Journalism by the People for the PeopleSebastopolCAOrsquoReillyMediaInc2006
GrahamStephenandSimonMarvinTelecommunications and the City Electronic Spaces Urban PlacesLondonandNewYorkRoutledge1996
HalleckDeeDeeHand-Held Visions The Impossible Possibilities of Community MediaNewYorkFordhamUniversityPress2002
HigginsJohnWldquoAlternativeMediaandtheCultofIndividualismExperiencesfromUSPublicAccessTVrdquoPaperpresentedattheldquoOurMediardquopre-conferenceoftheInternationalAssociationforMediaandCommunicationResearchCommunityCommunicationSectionBarcelonaSpainJuly202002httpwwwourmedianetorgpapersom2002Higginsom2002pdf
HowleyKevinCommunity Media People Places and Communication TechnologiesCambridgeCambridgeUniversityPress2005
HoynesWilliamldquoThePBSBrandandtheMerchandisingofthePublicServicerdquoinPublic Broadcasting and the Public InterestEditedbyMichaelPMcCauleyEricEPetersonBLeeArtzandDeeDeeHalleckLondonMESharpe2003
JankowskiNicholasWldquoCommunityMediaResearchAQuestforTheoreticallyGroundedModelsrdquoThePublicVol1015(2003)httpmokkbmehucentreconferencesreactivismFPfpNJ
JankowskiNicholasWandOlePrehnedsCommunity Media in the Information Age Perspectives and ProspectsCresskillNJHamptonPress2002
LashScottThe Critique of InformationLondonSagePublications2002
ListerMartinJonDoveySethGiddingsIainGrantandKieranKellyNew Media A critical IntroductionLondonandNewYorkRoutledge2003
LloydMarkldquoRadioandLocalismWhatWhenWrongrdquoinContext(publishedbytheCenterforCommunicationsandCommunityUCLA)IssueNo4(WinterSpring2006)
MacintyreBenldquoWelcometotheNewTomPainesrdquoTimesOnlineNovember132004httpwwwtimesonlinecouktolcommentarticle390484ece
MaherVincentTowards a Critical Media Studies Approach to the BlogosphereNewMediaLabPublicationSchoolofJournalismandMediaStudiesRhodesUniversitySouthAfrica2006
MetroCommunity Media Project Evaluation Report PortlandORMetroJuly2004
MostStephenldquoBAVCandTheBigPicturerdquoinA Closer Look Media Arts 2002EditedbyHelenDeMichielSanFranciscoNationalAllianceforMediaArtsandCulture2002
NewAmericaMedialdquoEthnicMediainAmericaTheGiantHiddeninPlainSightrdquoPollconductedbyBendixenampAssociates2005httpnewsnewamericamediaorgnewsview_articlehtmlarticle_id=0443821787ac0210cbecebe8b1f576a3
OlsonBillThe History of Public Access Television2000httpwwwgeocitiescomiconostarhistory-public-access-TVhtml200415
PewCenterforCivicJournalismldquoDoingCivicJournalismrdquo2007httpwwwpewcenterorgdoingcj
PierceSteveldquoDBSandthePublicInterestOpportunityinSatelliteTelevisionrdquoinPublic Broadcasting and the Public InterestEditedbyMichaelPMcCauleyEricEPetersonBLeeArtzandDeeDeeHalleckLondonMESharpe2003
PhilipsSusanldquoTrueCommunityTowardaCollaborativeEthosScribersquoslsquoTrueCommunityVisionrsquordquoinA Closer Look Media Arts 2002EditedbyHelenDeMichielSanFranciscoNationalAllianceforMediaArtsandCulture2002
PorterMichaelEldquoLocationCompetitionandEconomicDevelopmentLocalClustersinaGlobalEconomyrdquoEconomic Development Quarterly14no1(February2000)15-34
ProjectforExcellenceinJournalismldquoMajorTrendsrdquoinState of the News Media 2006 An Annual Report on American Journalismhttpwwwstateofthenewsmediaorg2006nar-rative_overview_eightaspcat=2ampmedia=1
PrometheusRadioProjectldquoOurFifthBarnraisingmdashWCIW-LPinImmokaleeFloridardquohttpprometheusradioorgcontentview48952006
RennieEllieCommunity Media A Global IntroductionLanhamMDRowmanandLittlefieldPublishers2006
RodriguezClemenciaFissures in the Mediascape An International Study of Citizenrsquos MediaCresskillNJHamptonPress2001
SchafferJanldquoCitizensMediaHasItReachedaTippingPointrdquoinldquoCitizenJournalismrdquoissueofNieman Reports CambridgeMATheNiemanFoundationforJournalismatHarvardUniversityVol59No4Winter2005aeMprintNewsbookhttpwwwniemanharvardedureports05-4NRwinterNR05W_Citizen_Journalismpdf
SchafferJanInterviewonThe NewsHour With Jim Lehrer PBSEveningNewsNovember162005b
SchulerDouglasldquoTheRiseofCommunityNetworksrdquoInternet WorldDecember1995
SchulerDougandPeterDayShaping the Network Society The New Role of Civil Society in CyberspaceCambridgeandLondonMITPress2004
ShirkyClayPower Laws Weblogs and Inequality EconomicsampCultureMediaampCommunityBlog2005OpenSourcehttpshirkycomwritingspowerlaw_webloghtml
ShirkyClaySocial Software and the Politics of GroupsEconomicsampCultureMediaampCommunityBlog2005OpenSourcehttpshirkycomwritingsgroup_politicshtml
Somerset-WardRichardBroadband Community Networks Building the Digital CommonsAreportfortheHaasCharitableTrustsPhiladelphia2005
Somerset-WardRichardConnecting Communities WashingtonDCBentonFoundation2000
Spannerworkse-bookWhat is Social MediaJanuary2007httpwwwspannerworkscomebooks
StarrJeroldMldquoPublicTelevisionintheDigitalAgeTownHallorCyberMallrdquoinPublic Broadcasting and the Public InterestEditedbyMichaelPMcCauleyEricEPetersonBLeeArtzandDeeDeeHalleckLondonMESharpe2003
SteinLauraldquoPublicAccessTelevisionandGrassrootsCommunicationintheUnitedStatesrdquoChapter20inRadical Media Rebellious Communication and Social MovmentsEditedbyJohnDowningThousandOaksCASagePublications2001
SussmanGeraldandJREstesldquoCommunityRadioinCommunityDevelopmentPortlandrsquosKBOORadiordquoinThe Portland Edge Challenges and Successes in Growing CommunitiesEditedbyConniePOzawaPortlandStateUniversityIslandPress2004
WhitneyJenniferldquoMakeMediaMakeRealTroubleWhatrsquosWrong(andRight)withIndymediardquoLiPMagazineJune212005httpwwwlipmagazine
orgarticlesfeatwhitney_indymedia_phtml
Appalshophttpwwwappalshoporg
BayAreaVideoCoalitionhttpwwwbavcorg
BeyondMediaEducationhttpwwwbeyondmediaorg
CambridgeCommunityTelevisionhttpwwwcctvcambridgeorg
CasaGuatemalaMediaProjecthttpwwwcasaguatemalaorg
CharlotteObserverhttpwwwcharlottecom
ChicagoAccessNetworkTelevisionhttpwwwcantvorg
GrandRapidsCommunityMediaCenterhttpgrcmcorg
GrandNethttpwwwgrcmcorgnposervicesitphp
GRTVhttpwwwgrcmcorgtv
ideastreamhttpwwwideastreamorg
IFPMinnesotaCenterforMediaArtshttpwwwifpnorthorgabouthtml
IntermediaArtshttpwwwintermediaartsorg
KartemquinFilmshttpwwwkartemquincom
KBOOhttpwwwkbooorg
KFAIhttpwwwkfaiorg
LowellTelecommunicationsCenterhttpltcorg
ManhattanNeighborhoodNetworkhttpmnnorg
MediaArtsProjecthttpwwwthemaporg
MetroGovernmentCommunityMediaInitiativehttpwwwmetro-regionorg
MetropolitanAustinInteractiveNetworkhttpwwwmainorg
MinneapolisTelevisionNetworkhttpwwwmtnorg
MinnesotaChannelhttpwwwtptorgmnchannelnew
MinnesotaPublicRadiohttpminnesotapublicradioorghttpminnesotapublicradioorgpublicinsightjournalism
MountainAreaInformationNetworkhttpmainncus
MtHoodCableRegulatoryCommissionhttpwwwmhcrcorg
NewAmericaMediahttpnewsnewamericamediaorgnews
NewRoutestoCommunityHealthhttpwwwnewroutesorg
NorthwestFilmandVideoCenterhttpwwwnwfilmorg
OneClevelandhttpwwwoneclevelandorg
OregonPublicBroadcastinghttpwwwopborg
PortlandCommunityMediahttpwwwpcmtvorg
RadioArtehttpwwwwrteorg
SaintPaulNeighborhoodNetworkhttpwwwspnnorg
ScribeVideoCenterhttpwwwscribeorg
SoundPartnersforCommunityHealthhttpwwwsoundpartnersorg
StreetLevelYouthMediahttpwwwstreet-levelorg
TwinCitiesDailyPlanethttpwwwtcdailyplanetnet
TwinCitiesMediaAlliancehttpwwwtcmediaallianceorg
TwinCitiesPublicTelevisionhttpwwwtptorg
URTVhttpwwwurtvorg
WalkerArtCenterhttpwwwwalkerartorgindexwac
WCIW-LPhttppacificanetworkorgradiocontentview17542httpwwwciw-onlineorg
WGBHhttpwwwwgbhorg
WHYYhttpwhyyorg
WPVMhttpwwwwpvmorg
WYBEhttpwwwwybeorg
WYCEhttpwwwgrcmcorgradio
YouthChannelhttpwwwyouthchannelorg
Appendix 3 Community media praCtitionerSWebsitesofthosepractitionersmentionedinthetext
AndersonRachelBenton Digital Beat Extra Noncommercial Networks on DBSWashingtonDCBentonFoundation2000
AufderheidePatricialdquoCableAccessTVandthePublicSphererdquoinThe Daily Planet A Critic on the Capitalist Culture BeatMinneapolisandLondonUniversityofMinnesotaPress2000a
AufderheidePatriciaIn The Battle for Reality Social Documentaries in the USWashingtonDCAmericanUniversityCenterforSocialMedia2003
AufderheidePatricialdquoTheWhatandHowofPublicBroadcastingrdquoinThe Daily Planet A Critic on the Capitalist Culture BeatMinneapolisandLondonUniversityofMinnesotaPress2000b
AynteAbdirahmanldquoSomaliWebsitesACompetitiveAlternativeMediaandaFarcetoReckonWithrdquoHiiraan Onlinehttpwwwhiiraancomnews2006aprsomali_websitesaspx
AzzouzBushraTomChamberlinandMarleneFarnumThe Community Media Project Building Community through Media(Aproposedmodelforafive-yearinitiativetoproducelocaltelevisionprogrammingthatbroadensthedialogueonissuesimportanttotheOregoncommunityandcreatesastrongsenseofplace)PortlandORMetroDecember2000
BarlowWilliamldquoCommunityRadiointheUSTheStruggleForADemocraticMediumrdquoinMedia Culture and SocietyVol10(1988)
BenklerYochaiThe Wealth of Networks How Social Production Transforms Markets and FreedomNewHavenYaleUniversityPress2006
BentonFoundationDigital Alliances Partners in Public
Service Models for CollaborationUniversityParkPAThePennsylvaniaStateUniversity2002
BlauAndrewDeep Focus A Report on the Future of Independent MediaSanFranciscoNationalAllianceforMediaArtsandCulture2004
BowmanShayneandChrisWillisWe Media How Audiences Are Shaping the Future of News and InformationEditedbyJDLasicaRestonVATheMediaCenteratTheAmericanPressInstitute2003httpwwwhypergenenetwemediadownloadwe_mediapdf
BurnettRonldquoFromCommunityMediatoInternationalNetworksrdquoCritical Approaches to Culture + Communications + HypermediaNovember182005httpwwweciadca~rburnettWeblogarchives200511from_communityhtml
CanoAndrealdquoMicroradioAToolforCommunityEmpowermentrdquoinPublic Broadcasting and the Public InterestEditedbyMichaelPMcCauleyEricEPetersonBLeeArtzandDeeDeeHalleckLondonMESharpe2003
CarnegieCommissiononEducationalTelevisionPublic Television A Program for ActionNewYorkBantam1967
CastellsManuelThe Rise of the Network Society The Information Age Economy Society and CultureVolumes12amp3MaldenMABlackwellPublishersInc2005
ChesterJeffBeyond Broadcast Expanding Public Media in the Digital AgeWashingtonDCCenterforDigitalDemocracyFebruary2006httpwwwdemocraticmediaorgBBBBfrontphp
ChristensenPaulNanMcIntyreandLynnPikholzldquoBridgingCommunityandEconomicDevelopmentAStrategyforUsingIndustryClusterstoLinkNeighborhoodsandtheRegionalEconomyrdquo(reportfundedbytheFordFoundation)ClevelandShorebankEnterpriseGroup2005
ldquoCitizenJournalismrdquoissueofNieman ReportsCambridgeMATheNiemanFoundationforJournalismatHarvardUniversityVol59No4Winter2005eMprintNewsbookhttpwwwniemanharvardedureports05-4NRwinterNR05W_Citizen_Journalismpdf
City PagesldquoBestPublicAccessCableTVProgramSomaliTVrdquoBestoftheTwinCities2004MNApril282004httpcitypagescombestof2004artsandentertainmentbestof2379asp
bibliogrAphy
CruzRossanaReguilloldquoTheOracleintheCityBeliefsPracticesandSymbolicGeographiesrdquoinGlobal Cities of the South (Social Text)EditedbyAshleyDawsonandBrentHayesEdwardsTranslatedbyBrentHayesEdwardsandNoraNicoliniDurhamNCDukeUniversityPress81(Volume22Number4)Winter2004
DeLasCasasLucywithSimonBurallJohnMorrisonDavidKaleteandJagadanandaldquoGlobalMediaReformandAccountabilityReportfromtheNationalMediaReformConferencerdquoStLouis2005httpwwwoneworldtrustorgpagesdownloadcfmdid=281
DevineRobertHldquoVideoAccessandAgencyrdquoConferencepresentationTheNationalFederationofLocalCableProgrammersStPaulMNJuly171992
DirlinMartyandCathyMelioldquoTheGrassrootsRadioMovementintheUnitedStatesrdquoinPublic Broadcasting and the Public InterestEditedbyMichaelPMcCauleyEricEPetersonBLeeArtzandDeeDeeHalleckLondonMESharpe2003
DowningJohnDHwithTamaraVillarealFordGeneveGilandLauraSteinRadical Media Rebellious Communication and Social MovementsThousandOaksCASagePublications2001
EgerJohnldquoCreativeClustersandtheUrbanEconomyrdquoGovernment and Technology(February62006)httpwwwgovtechnetnewsnewsphpid=98345
EgerJohnMThe Creative Community Forging The Links Between Art Culture Commerce amp CommunityTheCaliforniaInstituteforSmartCommunitiesSanDiegoStateUniversity2005httpwwwsmartcommunitiesorgcreativeCreativeCommBroFINALpdf
EngelmanRalphPublic Radio and Television in America A Political HistoryThousandOaksCASagePublications1996
GillespieGilbertPublic Access Television in the United States and CanadaNewYorkPraegerPublishers1975
GillmorDanWe the Media Grassroots Journalism by the People for the PeopleSebastopolCAOrsquoReillyMediaInc2006
GrahamStephenandSimonMarvinTelecommunications and the City Electronic Spaces Urban PlacesLondonandNewYorkRoutledge1996
HalleckDeeDeeHand-Held Visions The Impossible Possibilities of Community MediaNewYorkFordhamUniversityPress2002
HigginsJohnWldquoAlternativeMediaandtheCultofIndividualismExperiencesfromUSPublicAccessTVrdquoPaperpresentedattheldquoOurMediardquopre-conferenceoftheInternationalAssociationforMediaandCommunicationResearchCommunityCommunicationSectionBarcelonaSpainJuly202002httpwwwourmedianetorgpapersom2002Higginsom2002pdf
HowleyKevinCommunity Media People Places and Communication TechnologiesCambridgeCambridgeUniversityPress2005
HoynesWilliamldquoThePBSBrandandtheMerchandisingofthePublicServicerdquoinPublic Broadcasting and the Public InterestEditedbyMichaelPMcCauleyEricEPetersonBLeeArtzandDeeDeeHalleckLondonMESharpe2003
JankowskiNicholasWldquoCommunityMediaResearchAQuestforTheoreticallyGroundedModelsrdquoThePublicVol1015(2003)httpmokkbmehucentreconferencesreactivismFPfpNJ
JankowskiNicholasWandOlePrehnedsCommunity Media in the Information Age Perspectives and ProspectsCresskillNJHamptonPress2002
LashScottThe Critique of InformationLondonSagePublications2002
ListerMartinJonDoveySethGiddingsIainGrantandKieranKellyNew Media A critical IntroductionLondonandNewYorkRoutledge2003
LloydMarkldquoRadioandLocalismWhatWhenWrongrdquoinContext(publishedbytheCenterforCommunicationsandCommunityUCLA)IssueNo4(WinterSpring2006)
MacintyreBenldquoWelcometotheNewTomPainesrdquoTimesOnlineNovember132004httpwwwtimesonlinecouktolcommentarticle390484ece
MaherVincentTowards a Critical Media Studies Approach to the BlogosphereNewMediaLabPublicationSchoolofJournalismandMediaStudiesRhodesUniversitySouthAfrica2006
MetroCommunity Media Project Evaluation Report PortlandORMetroJuly2004
MostStephenldquoBAVCandTheBigPicturerdquoinA Closer Look Media Arts 2002EditedbyHelenDeMichielSanFranciscoNationalAllianceforMediaArtsandCulture2002
NewAmericaMedialdquoEthnicMediainAmericaTheGiantHiddeninPlainSightrdquoPollconductedbyBendixenampAssociates2005httpnewsnewamericamediaorgnewsview_articlehtmlarticle_id=0443821787ac0210cbecebe8b1f576a3
OlsonBillThe History of Public Access Television2000httpwwwgeocitiescomiconostarhistory-public-access-TVhtml200415
PewCenterforCivicJournalismldquoDoingCivicJournalismrdquo2007httpwwwpewcenterorgdoingcj
PierceSteveldquoDBSandthePublicInterestOpportunityinSatelliteTelevisionrdquoinPublic Broadcasting and the Public InterestEditedbyMichaelPMcCauleyEricEPetersonBLeeArtzandDeeDeeHalleckLondonMESharpe2003
PhilipsSusanldquoTrueCommunityTowardaCollaborativeEthosScribersquoslsquoTrueCommunityVisionrsquordquoinA Closer Look Media Arts 2002EditedbyHelenDeMichielSanFranciscoNationalAllianceforMediaArtsandCulture2002
PorterMichaelEldquoLocationCompetitionandEconomicDevelopmentLocalClustersinaGlobalEconomyrdquoEconomic Development Quarterly14no1(February2000)15-34
ProjectforExcellenceinJournalismldquoMajorTrendsrdquoinState of the News Media 2006 An Annual Report on American Journalismhttpwwwstateofthenewsmediaorg2006nar-rative_overview_eightaspcat=2ampmedia=1
PrometheusRadioProjectldquoOurFifthBarnraisingmdashWCIW-LPinImmokaleeFloridardquohttpprometheusradioorgcontentview48952006
RennieEllieCommunity Media A Global IntroductionLanhamMDRowmanandLittlefieldPublishers2006
RodriguezClemenciaFissures in the Mediascape An International Study of Citizenrsquos MediaCresskillNJHamptonPress2001
SchafferJanldquoCitizensMediaHasItReachedaTippingPointrdquoinldquoCitizenJournalismrdquoissueofNieman Reports CambridgeMATheNiemanFoundationforJournalismatHarvardUniversityVol59No4Winter2005aeMprintNewsbookhttpwwwniemanharvardedureports05-4NRwinterNR05W_Citizen_Journalismpdf
SchafferJanInterviewonThe NewsHour With Jim Lehrer PBSEveningNewsNovember162005b
SchulerDouglasldquoTheRiseofCommunityNetworksrdquoInternet WorldDecember1995
SchulerDougandPeterDayShaping the Network Society The New Role of Civil Society in CyberspaceCambridgeandLondonMITPress2004
ShirkyClayPower Laws Weblogs and Inequality EconomicsampCultureMediaampCommunityBlog2005OpenSourcehttpshirkycomwritingspowerlaw_webloghtml
ShirkyClaySocial Software and the Politics of GroupsEconomicsampCultureMediaampCommunityBlog2005OpenSourcehttpshirkycomwritingsgroup_politicshtml
Somerset-WardRichardBroadband Community Networks Building the Digital CommonsAreportfortheHaasCharitableTrustsPhiladelphia2005
Somerset-WardRichardConnecting Communities WashingtonDCBentonFoundation2000
Spannerworkse-bookWhat is Social MediaJanuary2007httpwwwspannerworkscomebooks
StarrJeroldMldquoPublicTelevisionintheDigitalAgeTownHallorCyberMallrdquoinPublic Broadcasting and the Public InterestEditedbyMichaelPMcCauleyEricEPetersonBLeeArtzandDeeDeeHalleckLondonMESharpe2003
SteinLauraldquoPublicAccessTelevisionandGrassrootsCommunicationintheUnitedStatesrdquoChapter20inRadical Media Rebellious Communication and Social MovmentsEditedbyJohnDowningThousandOaksCASagePublications2001
SussmanGeraldandJREstesldquoCommunityRadioinCommunityDevelopmentPortlandrsquosKBOORadiordquoinThe Portland Edge Challenges and Successes in Growing CommunitiesEditedbyConniePOzawaPortlandStateUniversityIslandPress2004
WhitneyJenniferldquoMakeMediaMakeRealTroubleWhatrsquosWrong(andRight)withIndymediardquoLiPMagazineJune212005httpwwwlipmagazine
orgarticlesfeatwhitney_indymedia_phtml
AndersonRachelBenton Digital Beat Extra Noncommercial Networks on DBSWashingtonDCBentonFoundation2000
AufderheidePatricialdquoCableAccessTVandthePublicSphererdquoinThe Daily Planet A Critic on the Capitalist Culture BeatMinneapolisandLondonUniversityofMinnesotaPress2000a
AufderheidePatriciaIn The Battle for Reality Social Documentaries in the USWashingtonDCAmericanUniversityCenterforSocialMedia2003
AufderheidePatricialdquoTheWhatandHowofPublicBroadcastingrdquoinThe Daily Planet A Critic on the Capitalist Culture BeatMinneapolisandLondonUniversityofMinnesotaPress2000b
AynteAbdirahmanldquoSomaliWebsitesACompetitiveAlternativeMediaandaFarcetoReckonWithrdquoHiiraan Onlinehttpwwwhiiraancomnews2006aprsomali_websitesaspx
AzzouzBushraTomChamberlinandMarleneFarnumThe Community Media Project Building Community through Media(Aproposedmodelforafive-yearinitiativetoproducelocaltelevisionprogrammingthatbroadensthedialogueonissuesimportanttotheOregoncommunityandcreatesastrongsenseofplace)PortlandORMetroDecember2000
BarlowWilliamldquoCommunityRadiointheUSTheStruggleForADemocraticMediumrdquoinMedia Culture and SocietyVol10(1988)
BenklerYochaiThe Wealth of Networks How Social Production Transforms Markets and FreedomNewHavenYaleUniversityPress2006
BentonFoundationDigital Alliances Partners in Public
Service Models for CollaborationUniversityParkPAThePennsylvaniaStateUniversity2002
BlauAndrewDeep Focus A Report on the Future of Independent MediaSanFranciscoNationalAllianceforMediaArtsandCulture2004
BowmanShayneandChrisWillisWe Media How Audiences Are Shaping the Future of News and InformationEditedbyJDLasicaRestonVATheMediaCenteratTheAmericanPressInstitute2003httpwwwhypergenenetwemediadownloadwe_mediapdf
BurnettRonldquoFromCommunityMediatoInternationalNetworksrdquoCritical Approaches to Culture + Communications + HypermediaNovember182005httpwwweciadca~rburnettWeblogarchives200511from_communityhtml
CanoAndrealdquoMicroradioAToolforCommunityEmpowermentrdquoinPublic Broadcasting and the Public InterestEditedbyMichaelPMcCauleyEricEPetersonBLeeArtzandDeeDeeHalleckLondonMESharpe2003
CarnegieCommissiononEducationalTelevisionPublic Television A Program for ActionNewYorkBantam1967
CastellsManuelThe Rise of the Network Society The Information Age Economy Society and CultureVolumes12amp3MaldenMABlackwellPublishersInc2005
ChesterJeffBeyond Broadcast Expanding Public Media in the Digital AgeWashingtonDCCenterforDigitalDemocracyFebruary2006httpwwwdemocraticmediaorgBBBBfrontphp
ChristensenPaulNanMcIntyreandLynnPikholzldquoBridgingCommunityandEconomicDevelopmentAStrategyforUsingIndustryClusterstoLinkNeighborhoodsandtheRegionalEconomyrdquo(reportfundedbytheFordFoundation)ClevelandShorebankEnterpriseGroup2005
ldquoCitizenJournalismrdquoissueofNieman ReportsCambridgeMATheNiemanFoundationforJournalismatHarvardUniversityVol59No4Winter2005eMprintNewsbookhttpwwwniemanharvardedureports05-4NRwinterNR05W_Citizen_Journalismpdf
City PagesldquoBestPublicAccessCableTVProgramSomaliTVrdquoBestoftheTwinCities2004MNApril282004httpcitypagescombestof2004artsandentertainmentbestof2379asp
bibliogrAphy
CruzRossanaReguilloldquoTheOracleintheCityBeliefsPracticesandSymbolicGeographiesrdquoinGlobal Cities of the South (Social Text)EditedbyAshleyDawsonandBrentHayesEdwardsTranslatedbyBrentHayesEdwardsandNoraNicoliniDurhamNCDukeUniversityPress81(Volume22Number4)Winter2004
DeLasCasasLucywithSimonBurallJohnMorrisonDavidKaleteandJagadanandaldquoGlobalMediaReformandAccountabilityReportfromtheNationalMediaReformConferencerdquoStLouis2005httpwwwoneworldtrustorgpagesdownloadcfmdid=281
DevineRobertHldquoVideoAccessandAgencyrdquoConferencepresentationTheNationalFederationofLocalCableProgrammersStPaulMNJuly171992
DirlinMartyandCathyMelioldquoTheGrassrootsRadioMovementintheUnitedStatesrdquoinPublic Broadcasting and the Public InterestEditedbyMichaelPMcCauleyEricEPetersonBLeeArtzandDeeDeeHalleckLondonMESharpe2003
DowningJohnDHwithTamaraVillarealFordGeneveGilandLauraSteinRadical Media Rebellious Communication and Social MovementsThousandOaksCASagePublications2001
EgerJohnldquoCreativeClustersandtheUrbanEconomyrdquoGovernment and Technology(February62006)httpwwwgovtechnetnewsnewsphpid=98345
EgerJohnMThe Creative Community Forging The Links Between Art Culture Commerce amp CommunityTheCaliforniaInstituteforSmartCommunitiesSanDiegoStateUniversity2005httpwwwsmartcommunitiesorgcreativeCreativeCommBroFINALpdf
EngelmanRalphPublic Radio and Television in America A Political HistoryThousandOaksCASagePublications1996
GillespieGilbertPublic Access Television in the United States and CanadaNewYorkPraegerPublishers1975
GillmorDanWe the Media Grassroots Journalism by the People for the PeopleSebastopolCAOrsquoReillyMediaInc2006
GrahamStephenandSimonMarvinTelecommunications and the City Electronic Spaces Urban PlacesLondonandNewYorkRoutledge1996
HalleckDeeDeeHand-Held Visions The Impossible Possibilities of Community MediaNewYorkFordhamUniversityPress2002
HigginsJohnWldquoAlternativeMediaandtheCultofIndividualismExperiencesfromUSPublicAccessTVrdquoPaperpresentedattheldquoOurMediardquopre-conferenceoftheInternationalAssociationforMediaandCommunicationResearchCommunityCommunicationSectionBarcelonaSpainJuly202002httpwwwourmedianetorgpapersom2002Higginsom2002pdf
HowleyKevinCommunity Media People Places and Communication TechnologiesCambridgeCambridgeUniversityPress2005
HoynesWilliamldquoThePBSBrandandtheMerchandisingofthePublicServicerdquoinPublic Broadcasting and the Public InterestEditedbyMichaelPMcCauleyEricEPetersonBLeeArtzandDeeDeeHalleckLondonMESharpe2003
JankowskiNicholasWldquoCommunityMediaResearchAQuestforTheoreticallyGroundedModelsrdquoThePublicVol1015(2003)httpmokkbmehucentreconferencesreactivismFPfpNJ
JankowskiNicholasWandOlePrehnedsCommunity Media in the Information Age Perspectives and ProspectsCresskillNJHamptonPress2002
LashScottThe Critique of InformationLondonSagePublications2002
ListerMartinJonDoveySethGiddingsIainGrantandKieranKellyNew Media A critical IntroductionLondonandNewYorkRoutledge2003
LloydMarkldquoRadioandLocalismWhatWhenWrongrdquoinContext(publishedbytheCenterforCommunicationsandCommunityUCLA)IssueNo4(WinterSpring2006)
MacintyreBenldquoWelcometotheNewTomPainesrdquoTimesOnlineNovember132004httpwwwtimesonlinecouktolcommentarticle390484ece
MaherVincentTowards a Critical Media Studies Approach to the BlogosphereNewMediaLabPublicationSchoolofJournalismandMediaStudiesRhodesUniversitySouthAfrica2006
MetroCommunity Media Project Evaluation Report PortlandORMetroJuly2004
MostStephenldquoBAVCandTheBigPicturerdquoinA Closer Look Media Arts 2002EditedbyHelenDeMichielSanFranciscoNationalAllianceforMediaArtsandCulture2002
NewAmericaMedialdquoEthnicMediainAmericaTheGiantHiddeninPlainSightrdquoPollconductedbyBendixenampAssociates2005httpnewsnewamericamediaorgnewsview_articlehtmlarticle_id=0443821787ac0210cbecebe8b1f576a3
OlsonBillThe History of Public Access Television2000httpwwwgeocitiescomiconostarhistory-public-access-TVhtml200415
PewCenterforCivicJournalismldquoDoingCivicJournalismrdquo2007httpwwwpewcenterorgdoingcj
PierceSteveldquoDBSandthePublicInterestOpportunityinSatelliteTelevisionrdquoinPublic Broadcasting and the Public InterestEditedbyMichaelPMcCauleyEricEPetersonBLeeArtzandDeeDeeHalleckLondonMESharpe2003
PhilipsSusanldquoTrueCommunityTowardaCollaborativeEthosScribersquoslsquoTrueCommunityVisionrsquordquoinA Closer Look Media Arts 2002EditedbyHelenDeMichielSanFranciscoNationalAllianceforMediaArtsandCulture2002
PorterMichaelEldquoLocationCompetitionandEconomicDevelopmentLocalClustersinaGlobalEconomyrdquoEconomic Development Quarterly14no1(February2000)15-34
ProjectforExcellenceinJournalismldquoMajorTrendsrdquoinState of the News Media 2006 An Annual Report on American Journalismhttpwwwstateofthenewsmediaorg2006nar-rative_overview_eightaspcat=2ampmedia=1
PrometheusRadioProjectldquoOurFifthBarnraisingmdashWCIW-LPinImmokaleeFloridardquohttpprometheusradioorgcontentview48952006
RennieEllieCommunity Media A Global IntroductionLanhamMDRowmanandLittlefieldPublishers2006
RodriguezClemenciaFissures in the Mediascape An International Study of Citizenrsquos MediaCresskillNJHamptonPress2001
SchafferJanldquoCitizensMediaHasItReachedaTippingPointrdquoinldquoCitizenJournalismrdquoissueofNieman Reports CambridgeMATheNiemanFoundationforJournalismatHarvardUniversityVol59No4Winter2005aeMprintNewsbookhttpwwwniemanharvardedureports05-4NRwinterNR05W_Citizen_Journalismpdf
SchafferJanInterviewonThe NewsHour With Jim Lehrer PBSEveningNewsNovember162005b
SchulerDouglasldquoTheRiseofCommunityNetworksrdquoInternet WorldDecember1995
SchulerDougandPeterDayShaping the Network Society The New Role of Civil Society in CyberspaceCambridgeandLondonMITPress2004
ShirkyClayPower Laws Weblogs and Inequality EconomicsampCultureMediaampCommunityBlog2005OpenSourcehttpshirkycomwritingspowerlaw_webloghtml
ShirkyClaySocial Software and the Politics of GroupsEconomicsampCultureMediaampCommunityBlog2005OpenSourcehttpshirkycomwritingsgroup_politicshtml
Somerset-WardRichardBroadband Community Networks Building the Digital CommonsAreportfortheHaasCharitableTrustsPhiladelphia2005
Somerset-WardRichardConnecting Communities WashingtonDCBentonFoundation2000
Spannerworkse-bookWhat is Social MediaJanuary2007httpwwwspannerworkscomebooks
StarrJeroldMldquoPublicTelevisionintheDigitalAgeTownHallorCyberMallrdquoinPublic Broadcasting and the Public InterestEditedbyMichaelPMcCauleyEricEPetersonBLeeArtzandDeeDeeHalleckLondonMESharpe2003
SteinLauraldquoPublicAccessTelevisionandGrassrootsCommunicationintheUnitedStatesrdquoChapter20inRadical Media Rebellious Communication and Social MovmentsEditedbyJohnDowningThousandOaksCASagePublications2001
SussmanGeraldandJREstesldquoCommunityRadioinCommunityDevelopmentPortlandrsquosKBOORadiordquoinThe Portland Edge Challenges and Successes in Growing CommunitiesEditedbyConniePOzawaPortlandStateUniversityIslandPress2004
WhitneyJenniferldquoMakeMediaMakeRealTroubleWhatrsquosWrong(andRight)withIndymediardquoLiPMagazineJune212005httpwwwlipmagazine
orgarticlesfeatwhitney_indymedia_phtml
CruzRossanaReguilloldquoTheOracleintheCityBeliefsPracticesandSymbolicGeographiesrdquoinGlobal Cities of the South (Social Text)EditedbyAshleyDawsonandBrentHayesEdwardsTranslatedbyBrentHayesEdwardsandNoraNicoliniDurhamNCDukeUniversityPress81(Volume22Number4)Winter2004
DeLasCasasLucywithSimonBurallJohnMorrisonDavidKaleteandJagadanandaldquoGlobalMediaReformandAccountabilityReportfromtheNationalMediaReformConferencerdquoStLouis2005httpwwwoneworldtrustorgpagesdownloadcfmdid=281
DevineRobertHldquoVideoAccessandAgencyrdquoConferencepresentationTheNationalFederationofLocalCableProgrammersStPaulMNJuly171992
DirlinMartyandCathyMelioldquoTheGrassrootsRadioMovementintheUnitedStatesrdquoinPublic Broadcasting and the Public InterestEditedbyMichaelPMcCauleyEricEPetersonBLeeArtzandDeeDeeHalleckLondonMESharpe2003
DowningJohnDHwithTamaraVillarealFordGeneveGilandLauraSteinRadical Media Rebellious Communication and Social MovementsThousandOaksCASagePublications2001
EgerJohnldquoCreativeClustersandtheUrbanEconomyrdquoGovernment and Technology(February62006)httpwwwgovtechnetnewsnewsphpid=98345
EgerJohnMThe Creative Community Forging The Links Between Art Culture Commerce amp CommunityTheCaliforniaInstituteforSmartCommunitiesSanDiegoStateUniversity2005httpwwwsmartcommunitiesorgcreativeCreativeCommBroFINALpdf
EngelmanRalphPublic Radio and Television in America A Political HistoryThousandOaksCASagePublications1996
GillespieGilbertPublic Access Television in the United States and CanadaNewYorkPraegerPublishers1975
GillmorDanWe the Media Grassroots Journalism by the People for the PeopleSebastopolCAOrsquoReillyMediaInc2006
GrahamStephenandSimonMarvinTelecommunications and the City Electronic Spaces Urban PlacesLondonandNewYorkRoutledge1996
HalleckDeeDeeHand-Held Visions The Impossible Possibilities of Community MediaNewYorkFordhamUniversityPress2002
HigginsJohnWldquoAlternativeMediaandtheCultofIndividualismExperiencesfromUSPublicAccessTVrdquoPaperpresentedattheldquoOurMediardquopre-conferenceoftheInternationalAssociationforMediaandCommunicationResearchCommunityCommunicationSectionBarcelonaSpainJuly202002httpwwwourmedianetorgpapersom2002Higginsom2002pdf
HowleyKevinCommunity Media People Places and Communication TechnologiesCambridgeCambridgeUniversityPress2005
HoynesWilliamldquoThePBSBrandandtheMerchandisingofthePublicServicerdquoinPublic Broadcasting and the Public InterestEditedbyMichaelPMcCauleyEricEPetersonBLeeArtzandDeeDeeHalleckLondonMESharpe2003
JankowskiNicholasWldquoCommunityMediaResearchAQuestforTheoreticallyGroundedModelsrdquoThePublicVol1015(2003)httpmokkbmehucentreconferencesreactivismFPfpNJ
JankowskiNicholasWandOlePrehnedsCommunity Media in the Information Age Perspectives and ProspectsCresskillNJHamptonPress2002
LashScottThe Critique of InformationLondonSagePublications2002
ListerMartinJonDoveySethGiddingsIainGrantandKieranKellyNew Media A critical IntroductionLondonandNewYorkRoutledge2003
LloydMarkldquoRadioandLocalismWhatWhenWrongrdquoinContext(publishedbytheCenterforCommunicationsandCommunityUCLA)IssueNo4(WinterSpring2006)
MacintyreBenldquoWelcometotheNewTomPainesrdquoTimesOnlineNovember132004httpwwwtimesonlinecouktolcommentarticle390484ece
MaherVincentTowards a Critical Media Studies Approach to the BlogosphereNewMediaLabPublicationSchoolofJournalismandMediaStudiesRhodesUniversitySouthAfrica2006
MetroCommunity Media Project Evaluation Report PortlandORMetroJuly2004
MostStephenldquoBAVCandTheBigPicturerdquoinA Closer Look Media Arts 2002EditedbyHelenDeMichielSanFranciscoNationalAllianceforMediaArtsandCulture2002
NewAmericaMedialdquoEthnicMediainAmericaTheGiantHiddeninPlainSightrdquoPollconductedbyBendixenampAssociates2005httpnewsnewamericamediaorgnewsview_articlehtmlarticle_id=0443821787ac0210cbecebe8b1f576a3
OlsonBillThe History of Public Access Television2000httpwwwgeocitiescomiconostarhistory-public-access-TVhtml200415
PewCenterforCivicJournalismldquoDoingCivicJournalismrdquo2007httpwwwpewcenterorgdoingcj
PierceSteveldquoDBSandthePublicInterestOpportunityinSatelliteTelevisionrdquoinPublic Broadcasting and the Public InterestEditedbyMichaelPMcCauleyEricEPetersonBLeeArtzandDeeDeeHalleckLondonMESharpe2003
PhilipsSusanldquoTrueCommunityTowardaCollaborativeEthosScribersquoslsquoTrueCommunityVisionrsquordquoinA Closer Look Media Arts 2002EditedbyHelenDeMichielSanFranciscoNationalAllianceforMediaArtsandCulture2002
PorterMichaelEldquoLocationCompetitionandEconomicDevelopmentLocalClustersinaGlobalEconomyrdquoEconomic Development Quarterly14no1(February2000)15-34
ProjectforExcellenceinJournalismldquoMajorTrendsrdquoinState of the News Media 2006 An Annual Report on American Journalismhttpwwwstateofthenewsmediaorg2006nar-rative_overview_eightaspcat=2ampmedia=1
PrometheusRadioProjectldquoOurFifthBarnraisingmdashWCIW-LPinImmokaleeFloridardquohttpprometheusradioorgcontentview48952006
RennieEllieCommunity Media A Global IntroductionLanhamMDRowmanandLittlefieldPublishers2006
RodriguezClemenciaFissures in the Mediascape An International Study of Citizenrsquos MediaCresskillNJHamptonPress2001
SchafferJanldquoCitizensMediaHasItReachedaTippingPointrdquoinldquoCitizenJournalismrdquoissueofNieman Reports CambridgeMATheNiemanFoundationforJournalismatHarvardUniversityVol59No4Winter2005aeMprintNewsbookhttpwwwniemanharvardedureports05-4NRwinterNR05W_Citizen_Journalismpdf
SchafferJanInterviewonThe NewsHour With Jim Lehrer PBSEveningNewsNovember162005b
SchulerDouglasldquoTheRiseofCommunityNetworksrdquoInternet WorldDecember1995
SchulerDougandPeterDayShaping the Network Society The New Role of Civil Society in CyberspaceCambridgeandLondonMITPress2004
ShirkyClayPower Laws Weblogs and Inequality EconomicsampCultureMediaampCommunityBlog2005OpenSourcehttpshirkycomwritingspowerlaw_webloghtml
ShirkyClaySocial Software and the Politics of GroupsEconomicsampCultureMediaampCommunityBlog2005OpenSourcehttpshirkycomwritingsgroup_politicshtml
Somerset-WardRichardBroadband Community Networks Building the Digital CommonsAreportfortheHaasCharitableTrustsPhiladelphia2005
Somerset-WardRichardConnecting Communities WashingtonDCBentonFoundation2000
Spannerworkse-bookWhat is Social MediaJanuary2007httpwwwspannerworkscomebooks
StarrJeroldMldquoPublicTelevisionintheDigitalAgeTownHallorCyberMallrdquoinPublic Broadcasting and the Public InterestEditedbyMichaelPMcCauleyEricEPetersonBLeeArtzandDeeDeeHalleckLondonMESharpe2003
SteinLauraldquoPublicAccessTelevisionandGrassrootsCommunicationintheUnitedStatesrdquoChapter20inRadical Media Rebellious Communication and Social MovmentsEditedbyJohnDowningThousandOaksCASagePublications2001
SussmanGeraldandJREstesldquoCommunityRadioinCommunityDevelopmentPortlandrsquosKBOORadiordquoinThe Portland Edge Challenges and Successes in Growing CommunitiesEditedbyConniePOzawaPortlandStateUniversityIslandPress2004
WhitneyJenniferldquoMakeMediaMakeRealTroubleWhatrsquosWrong(andRight)withIndymediardquoLiPMagazineJune212005httpwwwlipmagazine
orgarticlesfeatwhitney_indymedia_phtml
MostStephenldquoBAVCandTheBigPicturerdquoinA Closer Look Media Arts 2002EditedbyHelenDeMichielSanFranciscoNationalAllianceforMediaArtsandCulture2002
NewAmericaMedialdquoEthnicMediainAmericaTheGiantHiddeninPlainSightrdquoPollconductedbyBendixenampAssociates2005httpnewsnewamericamediaorgnewsview_articlehtmlarticle_id=0443821787ac0210cbecebe8b1f576a3
OlsonBillThe History of Public Access Television2000httpwwwgeocitiescomiconostarhistory-public-access-TVhtml200415
PewCenterforCivicJournalismldquoDoingCivicJournalismrdquo2007httpwwwpewcenterorgdoingcj
PierceSteveldquoDBSandthePublicInterestOpportunityinSatelliteTelevisionrdquoinPublic Broadcasting and the Public InterestEditedbyMichaelPMcCauleyEricEPetersonBLeeArtzandDeeDeeHalleckLondonMESharpe2003
PhilipsSusanldquoTrueCommunityTowardaCollaborativeEthosScribersquoslsquoTrueCommunityVisionrsquordquoinA Closer Look Media Arts 2002EditedbyHelenDeMichielSanFranciscoNationalAllianceforMediaArtsandCulture2002
PorterMichaelEldquoLocationCompetitionandEconomicDevelopmentLocalClustersinaGlobalEconomyrdquoEconomic Development Quarterly14no1(February2000)15-34
ProjectforExcellenceinJournalismldquoMajorTrendsrdquoinState of the News Media 2006 An Annual Report on American Journalismhttpwwwstateofthenewsmediaorg2006nar-rative_overview_eightaspcat=2ampmedia=1
PrometheusRadioProjectldquoOurFifthBarnraisingmdashWCIW-LPinImmokaleeFloridardquohttpprometheusradioorgcontentview48952006
RennieEllieCommunity Media A Global IntroductionLanhamMDRowmanandLittlefieldPublishers2006
RodriguezClemenciaFissures in the Mediascape An International Study of Citizenrsquos MediaCresskillNJHamptonPress2001
SchafferJanldquoCitizensMediaHasItReachedaTippingPointrdquoinldquoCitizenJournalismrdquoissueofNieman Reports CambridgeMATheNiemanFoundationforJournalismatHarvardUniversityVol59No4Winter2005aeMprintNewsbookhttpwwwniemanharvardedureports05-4NRwinterNR05W_Citizen_Journalismpdf
SchafferJanInterviewonThe NewsHour With Jim Lehrer PBSEveningNewsNovember162005b
SchulerDouglasldquoTheRiseofCommunityNetworksrdquoInternet WorldDecember1995
SchulerDougandPeterDayShaping the Network Society The New Role of Civil Society in CyberspaceCambridgeandLondonMITPress2004
ShirkyClayPower Laws Weblogs and Inequality EconomicsampCultureMediaampCommunityBlog2005OpenSourcehttpshirkycomwritingspowerlaw_webloghtml
ShirkyClaySocial Software and the Politics of GroupsEconomicsampCultureMediaampCommunityBlog2005OpenSourcehttpshirkycomwritingsgroup_politicshtml
Somerset-WardRichardBroadband Community Networks Building the Digital CommonsAreportfortheHaasCharitableTrustsPhiladelphia2005
Somerset-WardRichardConnecting Communities WashingtonDCBentonFoundation2000
Spannerworkse-bookWhat is Social MediaJanuary2007httpwwwspannerworkscomebooks
StarrJeroldMldquoPublicTelevisionintheDigitalAgeTownHallorCyberMallrdquoinPublic Broadcasting and the Public InterestEditedbyMichaelPMcCauleyEricEPetersonBLeeArtzandDeeDeeHalleckLondonMESharpe2003
SteinLauraldquoPublicAccessTelevisionandGrassrootsCommunicationintheUnitedStatesrdquoChapter20inRadical Media Rebellious Communication and Social MovmentsEditedbyJohnDowningThousandOaksCASagePublications2001
SussmanGeraldandJREstesldquoCommunityRadioinCommunityDevelopmentPortlandrsquosKBOORadiordquoinThe Portland Edge Challenges and Successes in Growing CommunitiesEditedbyConniePOzawaPortlandStateUniversityIslandPress2004
WhitneyJenniferldquoMakeMediaMakeRealTroubleWhatrsquosWrong(andRight)withIndymediardquoLiPMagazineJune212005httpwwwlipmagazine
orgarticlesfeatwhitney_indymedia_phtml