A rising wave of grassroots media activism is linking up with social
movements fighting racism, sexism, economic oppression, environmental
plunder and war - and organizing to re-center media reform efforts on
human rights and social justice. Introducing the Media Action Grassroots Network
(MAG-Net).
Several prominent grassroots organizations, hoping to increase the
diversity of voices within the overall media democracy movement,
recently launched a new coalition. The Media Action Grassroots Network (MAG-Net) will seek to strengthen the leadership, strategy and coordination of the grassroots sector of the media reform movement.
At the first US Social Forum in Atlanta (June 2007), the Media Action
Grassroots Network released this summary of its ten-point platform for
media justice. Over the coming months, MAG-Net will be expanding its
coalition and building strategies to organize for media that support
basic rights and social justice values of fairness, respect, democracy
and political engagement.
This document is a summary of MAG-Net's ten-point platform. The
complete document will be released this summer.
MAG-Net organizations are regionally-based media activist and cultural
arts groups who share a primary commitment to social justice values.
Description:
Another world is possible. But we won’t get there without another
media - a free and diverse media that embodies and sustains
democratic values of justice, respect, and community.
Organizing for media justice means confronting and
transforming the structural racism and corporate control in our media
system. Through regional action and national alliance building, the Media Action Grassroots Network
(MAG-Net) is working to create
a vibrant, independent, and publicly accountable media system that
serves our communities' needs and protects our communications and
cultural rights.
The Media Justice Fund of the Funding Exchange explores the changing landscape in its 2007 journal, Imagining the (UN)Thinkable: Community Media Over the Next Five Years. This collection of essays pushes the boundaries of current research on media policy and provides critical information on the potential power of the internet, radio, and community-access TV to enhance social justice movements. Written from perspectives of people of color, low-income people, women and other marginalized communities, the report offers useful tools and strategies for media justice advocates.
Date:
Tue, 2007-07-24 20:00
Issue:
New publication from the The Media Justice Fund of the Funding Exchange
A new report by the Institute for Local Self-Reliance argues that a
publicly owned information infrastructure is the key to healthy
competition, universal access, and non-discriminatory networks.
Author:
Becca Vargo Daggett, Director, Telecommunications as Commons Initiative
Description:
Many telecommunications companies are offering to build a citywide
wireless or even wired network at little or no upfront cost to the
city. That arrangement is especially attractive to local elected
officials who fear that government lacks the expertise to manage a high
tech network and who worry about the possible impact on their budget.
“This is an excellent time to remember to look that gift horse in the
mouth,” maintains Becca Vargo Daggett, the report’s author and the
director of the Institute’s Telecommunication as Commons Project.
“Even
deals framed as coming at no cost to the city require the public sector
to enter into extended contracts to pay millions for their own services
over the new privately owned network. Cities owe it to themselves and
their citizens to carefully evaluate the costs and benefits of public
ownership.”
Ms. Vargo Daggett also notes that cities
that own infrastructure like roads and water pipelines should not fear
owning the physical information network. “Concerns about obsolescence
are overstated. Fiber optics is the gold standard, with essentially
unlimited capacity and a lifespan measured in decades. Wireless
technology is rapidly evolving, but its price is low and the payback
period is short.”
Moreover, unlike investments in
traditional infrastructure, an investment in information networks can
generate a significant return. “The investment will not only pay for
itself, but can generate revenue that can pay for other important
municipal services.”
Authors: Fred Johnson (UMASS) and Karen Menechelli (Benton Foundation)
This report summarizes the findings of a nationwide scan of effective and emerging community media practices conducted by the Benton Foundation in collaboration with the Community Media and Technology Program of the Univ. of Massachusetts, Boston. The report shines a spotlight on media that go beyond the standard notions of media in the public interest to embrace practices that increase citizen participation in media production, governance, and policy.
scholarship exchange program for South African media practitioners
Description:
Awards
Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA) Scholarships For media practitioners from Southern Africa...
Deadline: Rolling Deadline
Coordinated by the Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA), this
scholarship exchange programme aims to assist individual media
practitioners from Southern Africa in all areas of the media
(managerial, editorial, advertising, and technical) to work on
attachment in another media institution to learn new skills and develop
existing ones. This includes full-time employees and freelance workers,
journalists, media managers, editors, advertising executives, media
entrepreneurs and production staff. Individuals who are involved in
human rights organisations in a media capacity may also be considered.
The programme also supports staff from MISA's national chapters to be
attached at the MISA Regional Secretariat and/or at the offices of
other national chapters.
The exchange programme pairs up media outlets with participants for
internships lasting up to three months. Travel and other costs are
covered by MISA.
Click here for more information on this scholarship.
All applicants must be MISA members and annual subscriptions to the
relevant MISA national chapter must be paid up in full. Applications
can be made at any time of the year.
The following documentation must be submitted with the application letter:
A 1000-word essay motivating the application and stating what the applicant wishes to achieve.
Written acceptance from the organisation to which the applicant
wishes to be attached. This acceptance must also specify the period of
attachment.
Written consent from the applicant's current employer. It must
indicate that the current employer will continue to pay the salary of
the employee for the period of the attachment (not applicable to
freelancers).
A budget, which must include all costs i.e. transport, reasonably
priced accommodation, and a reasonable stipend. MISA will pay all
stipends and accommodation expenses directly to the organisation to
which the applicant will be attached.
Proof of MISA membership (up-to-date receipt for subscription payments to the relevant MISA chapter).
Applications will be rejected if documentation is incomplete.
Contact: The Scholarship Exchange Programme
MISA Secretariat
Private bag 13386
Windhoek, Namibia
Tel: +264 61 232 975
Fax: +264 61 248 016 jennifer [at] misa [dot] org MISA website
Open Society Initiative for Southern Africa (OSISA) Grants For Southern African media, ICT, human rights…
Deadline: Rolling deadline
OSISA oversees US$5 million in grants distributed annually in Angola,
Botswana, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Swaziland, Zambia and
Zimbabwe. Support is offered for projects that are both national and
regional. The programmes broadly focus on education, media, information
and communication technology (ICT), human rights and democracy.
OSISA's funding relies on and encourages donor, government and other
partnerships wherever possible. Community involvement and in-kind or
monetary contributions to a project by a grantee are also encouraged.
OSISA is committed to developing funding strategies that inherently
encourage and develop self-reliance and effectiveness.
Funding principles:
OSISA will provide start-up funds for a project on the explicit
understanding that no further support will be granted if, in the course
of the first year, an organisation fails to develop a credible plan to
sustain itself without further OSISA funding after more than another
two years.
OSISA will generally fund projects on the basis of proposals that
set forth a credible plan to sustain the initiative without continued
OSISA funding after no more than three years.
OSISA may provide funds for projects that, by their nature, would be completed within a three-year period.
OSISA will provide no more than one third of the resources needed
by an organisation on condition that the remaining amount needed is
obtained from other sources.
Click here for more information about OSISA programmes.
In addition to the body of the proposal, all organisations should include the following information as attachments:
covering
letter signed by the Chairperson of the board of the organisation or
any other executive authority in your organisation;
current activities and financial report or, if they differ, a most recent annual report and audited financial statement;
proof of registration and statutes of your organisation;
list of board members, trustees and staff;
most recent evaluation of your organisation or of a programme related to the proposal.
Click here for more information about proposal guidelines.
Contact: OSISA
12th Floor Braamfontein Centre
23 Jorissen Street (corner Bertha)
Braamfontein 2017
Johannesburg
South Africa
PO Box 678
Wits 2050
Johannesburg
South Africa
Tel: +27 11 403 3414/5/6
Fax: +27 11 403 2708 grantproposals [at] osisa [dot] org OSISA website
Media Development and Diversity Agency (MDDA) For promoting media diversity in South Africa...
Deadline: Rolling deadline
The Media Development and Diversity Agency (MDDA) offers support to
community and small commercial media projects. The Agency offers
support to organisations or institutions (including producers of media,
training institutions, network organisations, other service
organisations) to undertake projects or research.
Application forms include questions on the impact the project will have
on media diversity and the extent to which the project will encourage
participation and access by historically disadvantaged groups and
people not adequately served by the media. Quality and innovation will
also be assessed in the process. Projects are required to submit
business plans and evidence of corporate governance as well as a budget
outlining what the grant would be used for and how the project will
ensure it is sustainable in future.
Media projects can apply for support at any time of the year.
Applications will be considered at quarterly Board meetings.
An application should be in at least one month before a Board meeting if it is to be considered at such meeting.
Click here for access to further application information and the application forms.
Contact: Media Development and Diversity Agency (MDDA)
PO Box 42846
Fordsburg, 2033
South Africa
Tel: + 27 (0)11 492 2003
Fax: + 27 (0)11 492 1198 info [at] mdda [dot] org [dot] za Media Development and Diversity Agency (MDDA) website
Update on the upcoming telecom Act Promoting Consumer Choice and Competition of Cable Service
Author:
Nolan Bowie
Description:
A look at the upcoming telecom hearing on the Act Promoting Consumer Choice and Competition of Cable Service and it threatens local control of cable franchising process.
