Media Reform Episode 5

by A.man.I
From watching some of my episodes this week, it may seem that there was a very large presence of Black, and other minorities at the 2007 National Conference for Media Reform. That was far from the case. There were certainly journalists, students, and activists from around the country, but we were greatly outnumbered. I'm not one to make race an issue, but it is certainly worth discussing especially since the 2007 National Media Reform Conference was held in Memphis, a city that has so much civil rights history.

There were a few workshops that dealt with urban or minority media issues. Danny Glover, and Van Jones were featured speakers, but other than that, we were the pepper amidst a whole lot of salt.

Others made similar observations. Here's a quote from an e-mail from Lisa Vives:
Black journalists did not get a panel, altho they asked for one. They arrived, many of them, as an afterthought, with some last minute foundation funding. They didn't get to tell the majority white audience how their papers covered Katrina, gentrification, police brutality, racial profiling, and many other social and economic stories overlooked or under-reported in the mainstream press. So the audience lost a major opportunity to look at a media they may know little about.

Chaka Ngwenya, producer of SARFMradio.com wrote:
This trip is one of those things you take for granted yet issues that were discussed at the Conference are so valuable and help shape our day to day lives. I am so glad I made the trip because it enlightened me on a lot of things about Media in America. It also confirmed some of the fears I have, that Media is controlled by a few individuals or a few corporate companies.

Finally, here's a link to a very insighful article.

This last episode is a tribute to the men and women who are still recovering from Hurricane Katrina. On my last day in Memphis, I met Oswald Nelson, who was displaced from the storm. He walked up to me as I was interviewing a couple of other locals. Coincidentally, the workshop on Hurricane Katrina was apparently cancelled at the conference, as pointed out by hip-hop activist Rosa Clemente with Know Thy Self Productions.

Watch below.

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Memphis Episode 4 (Good Food!)

by A.man.I
I spent most of my time at the Media Reform conference interviewing folks about citizen journalism related issues for a "how-to" citizen journalism show I'm working on for Black Family Channel. I also made it a point to attend one of the workshops on the MySpace, YouTube social networking phenomena, because I wanted to learn how to best use these sites to spread the word about this blog, and as I've said, it's all about networking.

Blip.tv's co-founder Dina Kaplan was one of the panel members. If you don't know about blip, click this link or visit my blip.tv page. It's like YouTube for the more serious online video producers. The video player is by far the best I've seen on the Internet. After the discussion, people were crowding to talk the panel members. I waited patiently for my chance to speak to Kaplan. When it was my turn, I introduced myself, we exchanged info, and I explained that I wanted to interview her later. There were other folks waiting to talk to her, so I figured it would be best if I didn't hog her time.

Deep down, I didn't even think I would see her again, but at the end of the day on the main floor who do I see? Kaplan. I was curious to know about the company, and how it all started, and the interview was great (I'll post it later). So after we're done with the official stuff, she asks me if I wanted to grab something to eat because she had a taste for some Memphis ribs. I didn't think she was serious, but I said it was a possibility, and we again went our separate ways.

That evening, there was a mixer at the conference hotel. I was chillin' and sippin' a complimentary Corona Extra, when who walks up? Kaplan... again! I'm a firm believer that everything happens for a reason, so the adventure was on. Now check this out, I always keep my Canon Elura 100 camcorder by my side. I call it my spy cam cuz it's small, but shoots nice pics. That evening, I happened to leave it in my hotel room. I was a little bitter at first, but as soon as I said, "I should have brought my camera." Kaplan said, "I have one."

Richard Hall, and his wife Maureen who produce the Richard Show were with her (they also had a camera which came in handy). Turns out Kaplan is a former TV news reporter, like me, and we have a few other things in common as well. That girl can eat, but she didn't know a thang about eating ribs.

Watch the adventure below.

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Mephis Episode 3 (Remembering M.L.K. Jr.)

by A.man.i
I make it a habit to watch the local news whenever I'm visiting a city, and the Memphis trip was no different. I have tendency to watch Fox, since I worked for an O&O for eight years. Fox owned stations are now in the process of revamping their logos and creating a homogeneous look across the country. The Memphis station, like the station I worked for in Tampa are both Fox 13, and other than different faces on-air, the look is exactly the same.

When I changed channels, I was surprised to see a familiar face anchoring the morning news show - Terrance Bates. Terrence and I go way back. I met him in the late 90's (I want to say 1998) at a RTNDA conference. I was working as an assignment editor at WJLA-TV in Washington D.C., and he was already reporting at a small market in Texas. We've bumped into each other occasionally over the years, so I called him up, and it was on. It's always good to know a local, and even better to know someone in news. After a morning of shooting interviews at the Media Reform conference, I decided to find something to eat on Beal Street. Bates picked me up after I finished eating to give me a tour of the city.

Our first stop was the National Civil Rights Museum, which was built at the motel where King was killed back in 1968. It was the Friday before King's birthday weekend which is a very big deal in the city. The folks there were kind enough to let me bring my camera inside since I work for Black Family Channel. I explained that I was also a video blogger, and they said it was okay. As we toured inside, a large group of students gathered outside. They were on a civil rights tour called Sojourn To The Past.

It was a very moving experience.
Watch below.

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Memphis! Episode 2

by A.man.I

It was a smooth road to Memphis. I travelled from Atlanta, through Birmingham Alabama, into Mississippi, and finally arrived at the "home of the blues" about six hours after my road trip began.

Now remember, these events took place the weekend of January 12th. It takes time to edit these adventures for your viewing pleasure. The National Conference for Media Reform was a very interesting experience. There wasn't a large presence of mainstream media, but some local Memphis stations covered the event. Speakers and participants were highly critical of the mainstream - how minority issues are covered, and the way the news networks have covered the war in Iraq. Just about everyone stressed the need for more voices to be heard, and why coverage needs to better reflect this nation's diverse communities.

I was most interested in hearing how people felt about the way the news covers urban issues, and what people think about citizen journalism. From the Rodney King beating to 9/11, people who are non-journalists have been sharing videos with news outlets. Now, the Internet, and sites like YouTube, have cut out the middle man.

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Memphis Episode 1

By A.man.I
As promised, I'm bringing you a week of adventures from the National Conference for Media Reform which was held in Memphis Tennessee earlier this month. Throughout my broadcasting career, I've attended a variety of journalism conferences. In this business, the power of networking can not be underestimated. I attended my first NABJ (National Association of Black Journalists) conference while in college. I was invited to the RTNDA's annual gathering after I graduated, and received a News Management Internship through the organization. I've also joined the Atlanta Association of Black Journalists, and I'm planning to attend the NABJ national conference this summer.

Since I'm now working on a citizen journalism show called "UR TV," the Media Reform conference seemed like a great opportunity to learn more about grassroots media, and meet the independent media makers. I've learned a great deal about the blogging movement, and citizen journalism since I started working on the project six months ago. I have also grown to appreciate the power that we all have to be communicators.

Today we travel to Memphis, but end up in Tupelo Mississippi. Later this week, I'll share some of my experiences from the conference. I visit the Lorraine Motel where Dr. King was assassinated. I meet some Memphis locals, and hang out with blip.tv's co-founder Dina Kaplan and a couple of video bloggers.

Episode 1 is below.

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Media Reform

By A.man.I
More than three thousand journalists, media activists, bloggers, and students gathered in Memphis Tennessee over the MLK Jr. birthday weekend, for the third annual National Conference for Media Reform. Jesse Jackson, Bill Moyers, and Jane Fonda were among the featured speakers. A common theme was mainstream media's lack of diversity, war coverage, and political issues such as net neutrality, and the FCC (watch all conference videos here).

There were workshops on bridging the digital divide, media policy, and hip-hop activism. As a journalist, I was interested in learning more about the grassroots movement, and networking with other media makers who are interested in citizen journalism.

This is what Leonard Witt (PJNet) wrote about the three day conference:
People of every age and every ethnic background all in one place, many of whom are making their own media. Get the Right into the mix and this is what newsrooms across America should look like. The result would be more stories from inside many more communities. However, it would be messy. No unified idea of what news is. No unified agreement about how to cover various communities and no unified agreement, whether conscious or not, which communities get the most and least coverage.

I met, and got to hang out with actor/activist Danny Glover, Blip.TV's co-founder Dina Kaplan, and I learned more about the emerging online, and independent media organizations like The Real News, Free Speech TV, and Spot On. There seems to be a strong grassroots media movement being fueled by the Internet, and those involved are serious about challenging the mainstream.

Memphis has a lot of history. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr, was shot and killed at the Lorraine Motel in 1968. The site is now home to the National Civil Rights Museum. Memphis is also home to the Stax Museum of American Soul Music, and if you like live music, and the party scene, Beal Street is the place to be.

The videos are coming. For now, see what hip-hop activist Davey D had to say about independent media, and reform.