Media Reclamation Project

Some chilling news/analysis on the Canadian media situation:

Job cuts hurt quality of journalism
http://www.straightgoods.ca/2009/ViewBrief.cfm?Ref=3
from the Canadian Association of Journalists

Turn off the Canadian media, please [about Isreal-Gaza]
http://www.rabble.ca/news/turn-canadian-media-please
Justin Podur is a Toronto-based writer. His blog is www.killingtrain.com, where this piece originally appeared.

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Some more commentary and analysis on the media situation with regards to the Israeli military operation in Gaza:

Israel is losing this war
http://www.commondreams.org/view/2009/01/12-4
by Uri Avnery, who is a peace activist, journalist, writer, and a founding member of the independent peace movement Gush Shalom http://zope.gush-shalom.org

What You’d Know About Israel If You Watched Al Jazeera TV
http://www.alternet.org/audits/118080/what_you%27d_know_about_israel_if_you_watched_al_jazeera_tv_/
by Shane Bauer, New America Media http://www.newamericamedia.org/

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and another piece from Jesse Freeston, this time about local content (an interview with University of Ottawa professor Denis Rancourt, tenured but soon to be fired?)
http://rabble.ca/news/dismissing-critical-pedagogy-denis-rancourt-vs-university-ottawa

Welcome to the New Year

Things have really erupted in Gaza, where Israel has launched an attack on the densely-packed, sealed-in population of 1.5 million.

Here is a commentary piece by Robert Fisk about the Israeli policy of keeping reporters out of Gaza:
http://www.commondreams.org/view/2009/01/05-6

You may recall that in January of 2008, Speaker George Rishmawi, founder of the International Middle East Media Center (IMEMC), visited Ottawa and spoke at Carleton University. IMEMC is a media center developed in collaboration between Palestinian and International journalists to provide independent media coverage of Israel-Palestine. You can follow detailed coverage of the Israeli assault on Gaza at the IMEMC website:
http://imemc.org

As you will find upon visiting the site, the IMEMC is one of many worthy media projects requiring funding from individual donations to stay in operation. Another such project is The Real News Network (TRNN), at:
http://therealnews.com

The Real News Network also has coverage of what is happening in Israel-Gaza, as well as of other situations.

One such TRNN video is of the situation in Greece, a report produced by a media activist with Ottawa Indymedia ties, Jesse Freeston:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cknzlqQvDzs

Another TRNN video reports on the situation in Barriere Lake, 3 hours North of Ottawa. This report was put together by Lia Tarachansky, another activist with Ottawa Indymedia ties:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_jD13jXHUPI&feature=channel_page

** Note: On Wed Jan 7, there is a demo in support of the Barriere Lake community and specifically to demand the freedom of traditionally selected chief Benjamin Nottoway, who you can see being arrested in Lia’s video. The demonstration takes place at 12 noon at the Department of Indian and Northern Affairs Canada in Hull/Gatineau, and then march to the Hull detention centre where Nottaway is being held prisoner; the demo will feature speakers from the Barriere Lake community, as well as Elizabeth May, NDP parliamentarians, union leaders, and representatives of the Ardoch Algonquin First Nation. More info at: http://ottawa.indymedia.org/en/2008/12/8677.shtml

And last but not least, the latest edition of the Linchpin paper is now out. You can find the paper online at www.linchpin.ca, or:
http://linchpin.ca/collections+/+Anarchist-movement+/+Linchpin-Issue-7

It features an article by Media Reclamation Project activist Greg Macdougall, on the topic of Environmental Justice, based on content from the Organizing For Justice conference held in November:
http://linchpin.ca/collections+/+Environment+/+Environmental-Justice-working-together-transformative-change

Best wishes for 2009!

Welcome to the media activism update #1, courtesy of the newly-named Media Reclamation Project (that’s us!)
First, the Nov 20-22 Organizing For Justice conference is looking for reporters and note-takers to document their conference, particularly the slew of workshops lined up for Sat Nov 22. The conference is free or by donation, and all events are open to all ages. Childcare is available, accomodations for special needs are made or at least attempted, and you are welcome even if you aren’t going to be part of the documentation efforts. For more, see http://org4justice.wordpress.com

Second, people have been amazed at the headlines and articles featured in ‘the NY Times’ these days (or should we say in 2009? :) see http://www.nytimes-se.com/

Thirdly, Rabble.ca has relaunched their website. Check it out: http://rabble.ca

Fourth, American Public Media, the largest operator of public radio stations in the States, has put out an interactive game that allows you to play president and see if you can balance the U.S. budget: http://marketplace.publicradio.org/features/budget_hero ** Hint: if you can’t seem to balance your budget, click on ‘taxes’ and try repealing the Bush tax cuts.

Fifthly, here’s an awesome article on the history of independent media and what it can teach us for today’s media activists: http://www.counterpunch.org/cohen11132008.html

Last, but not least, we wanted to inform you of a big story that you might not have heard of if you weren’t plugged in to the right channels. The Globe and Mail’s Margaret Wente wrote a very troubling column defending – and going beyond – Dick Pound’s comments where he called Native people ’savages’; Dick Pound has since apologized, but Wente hasn’t, and the Globe and Mail issued a statement defending her statements. A Facebook group was started almost immediately after the publication of her column, calling for her firing, and over 3000 people are now members of that group. The group’s initiators continue to suggest ‘actions of the day’ to keep the heat on the G&M editors and management: the latest is to contact G&M editor Edward Greenspon and ask him: what the Globe’s official policy is with regard to printing hate speech. Do they tolerate it in certain instances? What kind of hate is not acceptable in their pages? Do they have any plans to change this policy? … and then to post any responses to the Facebook group page.

Here are the links:

Facebook group:
http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/group.php?gid=45016000567

Activist press release on the situation, and G&M’s statement on the response to the published column: http://ottawa.indymedia.org/en/2008/10/8477.shtml

Response to Wente’s column, by Ben Powless
http://rabble.ca/news/what-wente-wrote-was-really-dumb-226e-and-also-racist

Original article by Wente
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20081024.wcowent25/BNStory/specialComment/home

Media Democracy Day in Ottawa – Oct 16

Poster for Oct16 1/4-page flyer for Oct16

Two local independent media / activism groups will be celebrating Media Democracy Day this year with a public event on Thurs Oct 16 at 7pm. This will take place in room 359 of Fauteux Hall at the University of Ottawa.

The event will feature two speakers, Joanne St. Lewis and Greg Macdougall, as well as the showing of a short film entitled ‘The Indypendent’ by Amy Wolf. The themes of the evening are media democracy and media justice, the importance of media activism, and the role of the media in the two current election campaigns.

Joanne St. Lewis is an Assistant Professor of Law and Director of the Human Rights Centre at the University of Ottawa. She is the first and only Black woman to be elected to serve as a Bencher of the Law Society of Upper Canada. She is co-founder of The Real News Network, and the recipient of the 2008 DreamKEEPERS’ Life Achievement Award from the Canadian Martin Luther King Day Coalition.

Greg Macdougall is currently producing the Rabble Rouser, a weekly print edition of Rabble.ca’s online election coverage. He is also involved in the provincial Linchpin newspaper, and part of the local Media Matters activist group. He has previously been part of the following independent media initiatives: Ottawa Indymedia; Ontario Indymedia; Kitchener-Waterloo Blind Spot newspaper; University of Waterloo Imprint student newspaper; Media Watch action group.

‘The Indypendent’ focuses on the NYC Indymedia newspaper of that name. Amy Wolf is a media professional, activist and artist who works with the New York Independent Media Centre (Indymedia) and The Indypendent. An editor of The Indypendent, Arun Gupta, recently made headlines as the initiator of the callout that sparked protests on Sept 25 across America against the Wall Street bailout.

This Media Democracy Day event is being organized by Media Matters and the Ottawa Independent Media Centre (Indymedia).

Contact:
Greg Macdougall – 613 656-5498
mediamattersottawa@gmail.com

Links:
The Real News Network – http://therealnews.com
The Rabble Rouser – http://rabble.ca/about_us/about_us.shtml?x=75411
The Indypendent - http://www.indypendent.org/
Media Matters – http://mediamattersottawa.org
Ottawa Indymedia – http://ottawa.indymedia.org

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