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DC Indymedia Builds Media Democracy
by D.M. Yankowski and D.N. Russo

October, 2001
volume 38, number 8

It goes without saying that freedom of the press is a cornerstone of democracy. Unfortunately, much is NOT said because of corporate-censorship. Across the globe, corporate interests are challenging the freedom of the press. The Independent Media Center (IMC) and its local affiliate, the D.C. Independent Media Center, offers a powerful response to this attack on critical, diverse news coverage.

And it has come just in the nick o' time. Corporations have become more influential than ever in shaping news stories and therefore censoring news that is critical of corporate power. According to a survey of 287 journalists conducted by the Columbia Journalism Review and the Pew Center for the People and Press, three-in-ten journalists acknowledged that stories are sometimes ignored because they conflict with their news organization or advertiser's financial interests.

For example, media tycoon and current Prime Minister of Italy, Silvio Berlusconi, controls the major private broadcasters in Italy, as well as a sports, finance and real estate empire worth around $12 billion. After his election, outcry poured from journalists and democracy activists world-wide, especially after the tragic police misconduct during the G8 summit protests in Genoa last month.

"Whenever media concentration takes place it is inevitable that media will become vehicles for defense of narrow political or commercial self-interest," said Aidan White, General Secretary of the International Federation of Journalists. "It is shocking that in one of the world's leading democracies such a conflict of interest can be permitted."

In November of 1999, shortly after the Viacom/CBS media merger and in direct response to the lack of quality coverage at the World Trade Organization protests in Seattle, a different kind of media merger took place. Concerned media activists formed the Independent Media Center (IMC) to promote media democracy by putting the power to publish in everyone's hands. Far from the billion dollar mergers of Viacom/CBS or Time Warner/AOL, the IMC's focus is to enable all citizens to "become the media" and provide video, audio, and print coverage of events for the world to see on the website "Newswire," for non-profit use only. http://www.indymedia.org

To help the non-corporate and community media, the DC-IMC formed in April of 2000 in response to World Bank/IMF demonstrations then happening in the nation's capital. More than one year later, the DC-IMC has maintained print, radio, video and web media projects, helped community groups create their own media, and held skill sharing and community empowerment workshops.

"Really, the Indymedia effort is the purest expression of the First Amendment and democratic reform," says one volunteer on the DC-IMC Audio Team. "It has so much to do with freedom and community, and less to do with mind-control, domination, economic terrorism, consumption and fear. Anyone can participate, you can comment and correct the stories posted, and there's an open process for making changes. The only big downside is that it's all still so Internet-based, that many people are excluded, because they are scared of the technology or don't have a computer."

Computers have revolutionized the access to media, but not everything is done with a computer. The DC-IMC retains a traditional model of "working groups" (departments) based on media type. Most volunteers still learn video skills on modern cameras, create their own radio interviews for Internet streaming with standard gear, and never have to touch a computer. This empowers everyone to learn new skills, cooperate with strangers to complete projects, and thus build a stronger community on the cornerstone precepts of democracy and freedom of thought.

Thousands have responded to the IMC's call for media democracy, and the movement has quickly grown from a few concerned individuals to an international network. Worldwide, the IMC now boasts over 40 "centers," with an IMC on every continent with the exception of Antarctica (any takers?). That the IMC has gained such international attention directly attests to the need for independent media.

Still, this network is completely volunteer-driven and requires donations of money and especially space. The IMC-DC is currently seeking a large space where planned media projects can happen when waves of creative juice flow into town. Typically a huge space is rented and filled with donated and loaned equipment (copiers, scanners, computers, phones, TVs), and people collaborate to produce cutting-edge media. It's like a gigantic, roving media school.

"It deserves Federal funding as an educational, world community resource," says another volunteer in the chat room, recently. Indeed, despite a seemingly strong globalized network, the DC-IMC volunteers are not full-time workers and need grant support for funding of IMC activities. The multimillion-dollar operations pulled off during large IMC events happen on shoestring budgets and amazing time dedication. "If everyone who read the Newswire were to just donate $30 (a nice meal) on their credit card to the IMC, we could get the backup servers we need and pay for rent for sure," chimes in another.

To help support DC-Independent Media Center, visit: http://dc.indymedia.org/donate.php3 Contact the DC-IMC at dc@indymedia.org

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