[imc-memphis] Indymedia Primer - resend

[Memphis IMC Discussion List]

Let's get this going. 

I think one of the greatest challenges we will face is enlisting a crew of folks to write and post the news, videos....etc. It seems like we have a lot of people that are posting to independent blogs, sites, and social networks. So it may be as easy as getting a group of committed folks together that would commit to cross posting what they are already doing. Thoughts?

I would also suggest that we co ahead and set a first face-to-face meeting of the group so we can start to move....

On Mar 2, 2011, at 1:35 PM, Memphis IMC Discussion List wrote:

Howdy folks -

After Monday's meeting pretty much every new subscriber has been added 
and verified, so now here again is the primer email I sent before with 
details on what's what and how to proceed.

Please now everyone check this out and let's start the discussion for 
proceeding with this. We currently have this list serv, and eventually 
we want to get memphis.indymedia.org set up. I have server space for 
this, as does the MSPJC, and once we get on the same page in terms of 
responsibility and expectations we can move forward with the official 
application to Indymedia.

Respond to this email to join the discussion.

Welcome to the imc-memphis discussion list!

Here we enter preliminary discussions on what it takes to establish the
Memphis Independent Media Center - an all-volunteer, independent
journalist collective. Tell us all what you think, and ask whatever
questions you have, big or small.

This is a discussion list. Please reply to this email with
questions/comments which will broadcast to all 13 subscribers (so far,
including Nick Cooper, our delegate/facilitator from Houston IMC) as a
means of moving forward with the discussion of the Memphis IMC mission
and modus operandi.

If you get too many emails from this list, please click the link at the
bottom of any email to change your settings to a daily (or weekly or
whatever) digest of list activity.

Please take time to read the documentation on creating a new Indymedia
working group here. If you encounter the security certificate error,
click through to make the exception so you can view the page, and ignore
the dead links where applicable:
http://docs.indymedia.org/view/Global/NewImc

This email list is for us in Memphis to discuss the logistics and
responsibilites to move forward with this collective. Memphis has waited
a while to fulfill IMC process items 1A, 1B and 1C, but now the iron is
hot, so let's keep this going for everyone's benefit.

For those of you who are not completely familiar with IndyMedia, or if
you're sick and tired of corporate-sponsored journalism for profit,
please visit http://indymedia.org or check out one of the local sites
(what we aim to provide in Memphis):

http://neworleans.indymedia.org/
http://atlanta.indymedia.org/
http://houston.indymedia.org/
http://chiapas.indymedia.org/
http://athens.indymedia.org/
http://southafrica.indymedia.org/
http://nyc.indymedia.org/
http://italy.indymedia.org/
http://portland.indymedia.org/
http://indymedia.nl/
http://la.indymedia.org/
http://israel.indymedia.org/
http://beirut.indymedia.org/
http://mexico.indymedia.org/
etc etc etc etc etc

Also here are other (open) Indymedia Mailing Lists, like this one we're
now using:
http://lists.indymedia.org/ (already posted, we are).

Here in Memphis we could stop with just an email discussion list, but
it'd be most excellent if we can publish memphis.indymedia.org for the
World to read. But we have to come together (please read the NewImcHowTo
link above and the items below)

Most sites have the same editorial policy and publishing guidelines.
Here is a great example from PDX:
http://publish.portland.indymedia.org/en/static/edpolicy.shtml

Editorially, in a nutshell:
We are citizen journalists, and maintain a safe space for others of our
kind, whomever, wherever they may be.
We do not discriminate and do not publish articles that promote racism,
homophobia, sexism or other oppression agains human or non-human lifeforms.
We do not advocate detailed criminal activity.
We do not print libel or slander.
We do not publish commercial advertisements.
We do not spread dis-information.
We do not sabotage Peoples' struggles.
We do not parrot corporate media.

It is the responsibility of the Editors' committee (yes, another
committee) to define and uphold these principles, in accordance with the
consensus of Global IMC Movement.

As PDX put it so eloquently, "the world sucks right now....stay strong
and focus on the world we want to create." For this, journalism and a
well-informed populace is KEY.

Of course there's more...

We also need:
(6A) A Mission Statement (easy enough, and examples from our peers are
posted on the NewImcHowTo page)
(6B) An editorial policy (ie, what I just pecked above paraphrasing PDX)
IMC Wiki documentation
(7A) Membership Criteria (see
https://docs.indymedia.org/Global/MembershipCriteria)
(7B) Principles Of UNITY (see
https://docs.indymedia.org/Global/PrinciplesOfUnity)

And still a bit more (it's all on the NewImcHowTo page). Yes, we have to
form one or two more committees (can we call them circles or councils
now and then?) And then we're ready to start broadcasting independent
media from Memphis!

Everyone - please check all this out as best as you can, and add your
input. I'm just one human guy and I don't speak for everyone. This is
YOUR IMC - let's get it UP. At the very least, reply with a 'ping' or
'twinkle' to show your support and participatory ambition. Once we get
through the seeding process we'll have a nice wire for anyone to publish
to and a platform to join others around the world in this wonderful
concert. We can do this...

Yours Cooperatively,
-James

-- 
James Traynor
james at earthroot.net
+1 303 819 2625

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