[IMC-Boston-Editorial] Outreach letter w/ breast implants

[visnusdream at juno.com]

At the bottom is what I thought about the outreach letter.
I sent it on the 16th, the day I got your draft. I don't know why you didn;t get it. It came through my in box. Oh Well.
Anyway, just let me know how to move ahead with communication with the Word pod casting folks. Do you want to write them, or should I? Is it advertising or just a blog link? Are those two things actually the same thing? I kind of think the blog link stuff is just "empty" more than advertising. What I mean is that a link is not an original piece of news, it just a reference to someone else's site, which may not be governed by the same principles of unity that we use. Therefore, a blog link becomes a way to circumvent our policies. For instance, I suspect that the World podcasting folks are accepting money for their publications or for advertising on their website, or something. Then they post a link on our site, calling it "news." Its not an original submission and it is for their profit. An advertisement. However, those Scot's blog people don't seem to be after money in the same way. Ultimately both these groups just have nothing of substantive value to offer our readers that isn't offered somewhere else. The creation of a "link" is not news or important, nor is the fact that they've created an article or interview someplace else. The post to our site is just empty. It has no real content. 
The World podcasting folks may actually be a bunch of independent folks who enjoy interviewing musicians, authors, and plastic surgeons. I would personally like to see more "culture" on the IMC network, but I almost think we need a separate page for it. Anyway, maybe a blog link needs to go to the 'link to other press' area, but I want a way around referring them there because Scot's blog and these world podcasting folks will just take it over. I'm afraid it will lose its value as a source of tracking real news stories from other outside sources.  
blah, blah, blah 
>From the 16th, regarding the outreach letter. 
OK I revamped it a bit. Feel free to disregard whatever changes you don't like. 
Before we send it out, I'll run it by a friend of mine who is the assistant dean over at Harvard extension school. I work in her office and we get stuff like this all the time. I'm hoping she may also be able to give us some tips on distribution techniques. Usually, when we get stuff like this it comes as a flashy poster and has a little brochure etc. I'm the guy who types it up and sends it out to the whole student body in the regular e-mails. 
Also, what about an honorable mention of some of the print stuff from the past? We should be proud of this stuff and it was significant. Maybe somebody who did some of it could write a little carefully worded description.?? 
Dear School Administrator,
The Boston Independent Media Center (BIMC) is looking for volunteers. This is a great opportunity for students to get real world experience creating print, video, and audio projects, as well as have their work published or aired on television or radio. BIMC is an all-volunteer non-profit organization committed to using media production as a tool for promoting social and economic justice in the Boston area. Please distribute the enclosed flyers to any students and members of faculty who you think may be interested. People who work with us come from diverse educational backgrounds ranging from Communications to Law, from Sociology to Computer Science. We believe in empowering people to "become the media" by providing democratic access to the latest technologies and information. Anyone interested in the way news and media affect contemporary society is encouraged to contact us. 

Some of our current projects include:

* BIMC web site: An "open newswire" site where independent journalists post articles affecting Boston communities. An Editorial Collective maintains the site and makes decisions on articles to be featured www.boston.indymedia.org;

* Incite Media: Discussion and Dissent: A weekly program on Somerville Community TV. It is run by the BIMC Video Collective and includes 10 minutes of headlines plus one or two guests on varied topics such as: global warming, the death penalty, direct action, immigration, etc.
(NEED DAYS AND TIMES)
Many BIMC volunteers have used their experience with Indymedia to move on to paid positions in the communications industry, at places such as Z Magazine, Inter Press Service, Jamaica Plain Gazette, Sounds of Dissent on WZBC 90.3 FM, and more.  

There is no better classroom than hands-on experience.

Sincerely,
The League of Troll hunters
 
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