Citizen media

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Radio pod-sharing, community-media center subject of GCMC meeting

WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass., Dec. 6, 2006 -- Citizen-run radio stations in the Berkshires and southwestern Vermont may soon begin trading audio files over the Internet to enhance their programming, and Southern Vermont College is considering filing a grant application to establish a regional community media center, a group was told on Wednesday night. A total of 21 people gathered for a meeting of the fledgling Greylock Citizens Media Collaborative (GCMC) at the Williamstown Public library.

Click below to play audio stream: An ad-hoc group of citizens explored ways to deepen and extend news and community information in the Berkshires and southwestern Vermont at its second meeting Wed., Dec. 6 from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Milne Public Library. The Greylock Citizen Media Collaborative convened at the suggestion of Williamstown resident Bill Densmore.

EARLIER INFORMATION:

Report of Greylock Citizen/Media Collaborative to meet Aug. 2, 6:30 p.m. at Williamstown library

Seventeen people attended a first brainstorming meeting of the Greylock Region Citizen/Media Collaborative on Wed., Aug. 2, in the large back meeting room of the Williamstown Public Library. Among co-convenors were Wendy Penner,Gail Burns, Bernadette Archibald, Gail Burns, Debby Dane, Linda Carman, Ed Cating and Fred Daly.

Link to Aug. 2 meeting story

Why the need for action now?

The shrinking commitment to local news of our existing commercial media in northern Berkshire County calls us to consider supplements. We just completed an amazing conference of The Media Giraffe Project at UMass Amherst where we learned about initiatives around the northeast, in Minneapolis, the Rockies and elsewhere to create local online news communities -- many of them citizen-driven, not-for-profits.

See for example this partial national list of local online news sites.

This "citizen-media" movement is gaining stream around the nation as technical tools for websites get simpler, advertisers realize the power and reach of the online medium, more and more people turn to the web as a major news source, and the nation's news and broadcast chains are ever-more squeezed. What might be possible in our Greylock region?

A local news "blog"?

One option is to establish a local news "blog" -- greylocknews.org -- which would be authored and edited largely by volunteers and which might solicit advertisers and sponsors. It would be rigorously non-partisan, factual, independent and non profit.

To help us consider this, or any other, idea, we hope to invite the operator(s) of another online local news community in New England to talk about what they do.

In addition, we'll have an Internet connection and we'll take a 15-minute tour of some of the other sites already in operation around the country.

"The Daily Grind" -- local news site operators talk about their work

Optionally, starting at 5:15 p.m. for those who are interested to come early, we'll screen a video of one of the sessions from the Media Giraffe Conference in which five local online news operators describe their "daily grind." What exactly do they do and how do they do it -- and why?

If you can watch QuickTime downloads on your computer, you can view it anytime via the University Channel at Princeton University. It's a July 1, 2006 panel discuss from Saturday, July 1, at UMass Amherst of five citizen journalists talking about their "daily grind" (daily routine). It took place at the first summit conference of The Media Giraffe Project at UMass Amherst. (CLICK HERE to start QuickTime download).

The library has reserved the room for us; we'll figure out something vs. refreshments. We may even offer light sandwiches and soda/juice/water drinks for folks who arrive for the 5:15 p.m. screening and sit through the dinner hour.

CO-CONVENERS

All affiliations are for identication purposes only and do not imply endorsement or knowledge of the named organization.

1. Bernadette Archibald, former executive director, Williamstown Chamber of Commerce
2. Edward Cating, WilliNet, artist
3. Fred Daly, editor, Hill Country Observer

WHO ATTENDED?

Here's an alpha list of attendees at the Aug. 2 meeting.

1. Jamie Bairstow, Willinet volunteer municipal videographer
2. Krystle Barhaghi, WCFM, Williams College radio
3. Gail Burns, co-director, Starlight Stage Company, GreylockNews.com blogger
4. Linda Carman, former reporter, The Advocate Newsweekly
5. Deb Dane, executive director, WilliNet
6. Bill Densmore, consultant, Densmore Associates
7. Harris Elder, emeritus professor of English/Broadcast, MCLA, WJJW representative
8. Wes Flinn, Assistant Professor of Music, MCLA; Blogger and freelance writer
9. Juliana Haubrich, events coordinator, WRLF & Images Cinema
10. Janet Keep, community and church activist
11. Liz Kodela, graphic artist
12. Wendy Penner
13. Greg Roach, Chef, Helen's Place; Freelance writer and blogger
14. Anne Skinner, president, Williamstown League of Women Voters
15. Christine Stuart, editor CTNewsjunkie.com
16. Margie Ware, Candidate for State Senate, Berkshire Hampshire Franklin District
17. Sally White, writer, MGRHS school board

EXPRESSING INTEREST BUT UNABLE TO ATTEND

1. Alex Brooks, writer, publisher, the Eastwick Press
2. Edward Epping, professor, Williams College
3. Daniel Gendron, Member of the Affordable Housing Committee, former selectman
4. Sherwood Guernsey, attorney, former state representative
5. Jennifer Browdy de Hernandez, professor, Simons Rock College
6. Jeff Stripp, Treeage Software