[Imc-g8-2005] G8Alternatives Mainstream Media Centre

[planet-mail at burngreave.net]

Hi,

Just a quick heads up on a developing project.

G8Alternatives are planning on setting up a small media centre to engage
corporate media. Their idea is to have it in central edinburgh to mostly deal
with their counter-conference and their demo on the first day of the summit. 

They envisage a media room with a few computers and laptop connections / phones
/ photocopier / isdn  etc for use by mainstream journalists - as well as a
press conference / interview room which could be booked by other groups who may
want to use it.

It's clear that many groups will be running their own press engagement
operations from their own press offices (eg trident ploughshares / cnd) - but
they may of course want to participate in a broader public mainstream press
centre. 

Gill Hubbard and David Millar (the two G8A people who co-edited the book they've
published) have recently been asking indymedia people about what imc has
planned. After explaining what imc is and what it does / has planned (and the
fact that imc is not for mainstream journos) they seemed less interested  in
co-ordinating alt media coverage and more interested in engaging the corporate
press.

One of them came to the Glasgow Independent media space meeting last week to
explain what they wanted to do, and off the back of that meeting i went to
brief them on tuesday on what indymedia is doing. 

I made it clear I was there in a personal capacity and was just information
sharing about what indymedia has planned.

They also envisage the recent NUJ motion to support "a centre to provide
alternative sources of information apart from the G8 government official
sources" as support for their project - see motion below.

They will have discussed this further at the main G8Alternatives meeting in
scotland this evening, and we can give an update on this at the convergence
event.

cheers,
dave

=========================


NUJ MOTION

NOTE: Not sure if this was from National Executive, rather than Annual Delegate
meeting

Late Notice Motion 17 stated (among other things): "ADM further notes the
setting up of a centre to provide alternative sources of information apart
from the G8 government official sources, and instructs the NEC to provide
practical and financial support."

NOTE: What this means in practice will be decided at the NEC next month.