Propose a 2015 Session here.
2014 Schedule Outline
Friday September 19th, 6-9 PM
CMC Opening Dinner and Movie Night at Musicians Union Local 99, 325 NE 20th Ave.
Saturday September 20th at University of Oregon Turnbull Center
10-11:30 1st workshop session 11:45-1:15 2nd workshop session
1:15-2 Lunch 2-3:30 3rd workshop session
3:45-6 Media-based Break out Session (video, radio, print, tech)
7-8:45 Screening of Authority and Expectations, hosted by Recruiter Watch, at the Lotus Seed, 6 NE Tillamook St.
9PM CMC Saturday Concert: Music is the Weapon at the Lotus Seed, 6 NE Tillamook St.
Sunday September 21st at University of Oregon Turnbull Center
10-11:30 4th workshop session
11:45-1:15 5th workshop session 1:15-2 Lunch 2-4 Issue-based Strategy Session (Housing Justice, Regional Coalition, etc.)
4:15-7ish Closing Plenary Strategy Session, in which conference participants discuss how we can collaborate regionally going forward.
Friday Night Opening Dinner and Movie Night
Friday September 19th 2014
6:00pm-9:00pm
CMC Opening Dinner and Movie Night
Musicians Union Hall, 325 NE 20th Ave
Featuring:
Project Censored the Movie: Ending the Reign of Junk Food News
We will be kicking off the CMC in style with an assortment of food, conversation and politically conscious film making. Dinner and social hour will begin at 6pm with food served by Enjoni’s Ethiopian Restaurant. Organizers will then provide a brief introduction to the conference, some of the ideas that have inspired us to bring this gathering together, and what we hope to achieve during the weekend.
Then we’re going to kick back and relax with an assortment of films by independent producers highlighting the power of film to raise consciousness. Each film maker will give a brief introduction to explain their work and what drives them.
Films will include:
Project Censored The Movie: Ending the Reign of Junk Food News (1 hour)
Presented by directors Doug Hecker and Christopher Oscar
This film takes an in depth look at what is wrong with the news media in the US today and highlights the work of 37 year veteran media democracy organization Project Censored (PC) and their commitment to media literacy education as an antidote to top-down, managed news propaganda and censorship.
Behind Being (20 min)
Presented by director Quincy Davis
In 2012, Quincy journeyed to the islands of Bali and Java, Indonesia, where he found himself captivated by the mysterious beauty of the land, the people and connected way of life. Quincy has created a 20-minute documentary to share his experience and explore the hidden power of art & culture, rooted in community.
Friendshipment Caravan: From Cascadia to Cuba con Amor (3-5 Min)
Presented by Tortured Monkey Films
For a quarter century, the Interreligious Foundation for Community Organization has sponsored humanitarian aid shipments via buses which cross multiple borders and the Gulf of Mexico to challenge the US-led embargo against neighboring Cuba. This short follows a coalition of activists uniting across the US-Canada border as they stand in solidarity with Cubans and work to fight the blockade.
Revolución / Revolution (1963) (9 Min)
Dir. Jorge Sanjinés
Presented by Juan Daniel F. Molero
Revolución could be considered Bolivia’s first experimental film. In addition to using cinema to resist dictatorships and American imperialism, Jorge Sanjinés was also one of the first to theorize the representation of non-Western subjectivities in cinema.
Saturday Workshops
Saturday September 20th 2014
10:00am-11:30pm
Radio Renaissance: From the Ground Up
Jefferson Smith & Jenny Logan- XRAY FM
Paul Riismandel- Radio Survivor
The first section of this two part workshop will focus on building practical skills important for the day to day operations of a radio station, either low power stations just getting off the ground, or established stations needing advice on how to keep the lights on. Some of the topics covered will be fundraising, legal advice and how to build strong station culture.
MacLaren Community Voice- Youth Empowerment with Morpheus Youth Project
Carlos Chavez- Morpheus Youth Project
For three years Carlos Chavez has been working with youth incarcerated at MacLaren Youth Corrections teaching a class on radio journalism. Through this class he teaches skills in recording, editing and producing, while exposing youth to culture and a true sense of identity. For youth serving long sentences in Oregon’s largest youth correctional facility, radio group provides a voice for those who might not have had one.
Media as History: A Tool for Movement Building
Claude Marks and Nathaniel Moore- Freedom Archives
The Freedom Archives will share our experiences as a small community-based media archive to discuss how we use historic media to promote community building and social change.
Desde Abajo: A Model for Building Grassroots Movements Through Media
Katrina Kozarek- ANMCLA media network of Venezuela
A discussion of ANMCLA, a community network of 300 independent media outlets in Venezuela, and their revolutionary model for organizing communities through media empowerment.
Story Building for Video Projects
Jeannie Fisher and Art Rios- The Empowered Voices Media Project
Members of EVMP will lead this hands on workshop covering the basic skills involved in story building in order to bring your short video idea to life.
Saturday 11:45am-1:15pm
Networking the Networks: Building Community Radio Coalitions
Sakura Saunders- formerly Prometheus Radio Project
Connie Saldana- Oregon Community Media, KSKQ
Pearl Stark- Oregon Community Media, KPOV
Gavin Dahl- Alternative Radio & Open Media Foundation & KGNU
Sabrina Roach- Brownpaper Tickets
Yuko Kodama- KBCS
This mediated panel discussion will include a number of veteran radio organizers sharing their experiences in building various networks and coalitions of local community radio stations. These reflections and critical analysis of what lessons they have learned through the processes will serve to better understand how we can create a stronger media network and interdependence between radio stations throughout the NW.
The 21st Century Newsroom
Wes Pope-Professor of Multimedia Journalism U of O
Amanda Eckerson- Graduate Student Multimedia Journalism U of O
Nat Needham- Videographer, B Media Collective
What does a 21st century newsroom need? Lessons from a three month experiment with the San Francisco Chronicle and the U of O Multimedia Journalism department to see whether video can drive viewership and revenue while reinvigorating the traditional print newsroom. Efficacy and importance of video, integration issues, and ways to make video link up with a community of viewership will be discussed.
Black American Story Inventors: Inventors, Wanderers, Dabblers, and Tricksters
Intisar Abioto- The Black Portlanders Project
This workshop will track the traditional and continuing inventive aspects of Black American Story Traditions. If story is something that is carried in our bodies and seeks multiple ways and means of expression through, then the unique Black American experience has birthed multiple new story forms. We will look at and contrast great Black American Story-form inventors, dabblers, and tricksters… as source inspiration for developing our own personal storytelling means and modalities.
Print Media and the Pelican Bay Prisoner Uprising
Ed Mead- California Prison Focus, Prison Art, The Rock
Mark Cook- The Rock
We will talk about various art and media related projects that have been used as tools for organizing among the prison population, including how prison papers were instrumental in the the Pelican Bay prisoner uprising. Projects profiled will be the Rock (a newspaper written by and for prisoners), the Prison Focus newspaper, and Prison Art.
Stories as Dialogues: There’s an App for That!
Laura Lo Forti and Andrew DeVigal- A Fourth Act
We’ll explore how digital technology can empower individuals to share their perspectives and be active participants in collective action-oriented dialogue by capturing their emotional responses to stories. Participants are invited to use their mobile web application to express their insights as they watch a short documentary on domestic minor sex trafficking. We’ll show how the resulting engagement data can deepen the impact of post-screening conversations.
[LUNCH BREAK] 1:15pm-2:00pm
2:00pm-3:30pm
Oral History for Movement Building
Sarah K. Loose- Groundswell
Laura Lo Forti- North Portland Multimedia Training Center
Milo Reed- Timbers Army History Committee
Renee Mitchell- artist and community activist
Our stories are our power! In this workshop, we will explore how the process & products of oral history can empower, mobilize, connect, educate, and inspire in our movements for justice. We will take a look at what it means to apply an anti-oppression framework to doing oral history (before, during and after an interview), and strategize in small group discussions around session participants’ ethical, methodological, and practical questions and concerns.
Graffiti and Activism: Unmediated Access and Communication in Public Space
Portland Street Art Alliance, Endless Canvas (Oakland) and Graffiti Defense Coalition (Seattle)
An informal discussion on graffiti and street art as a form of activism, direct action, and an important tool for autonomous communication. This discussion is hosted by a variety of graffiti collectives based in the Pacific Northwest.
Collective Media Production: Fluid Roles, Skill-building and Radical Feminist Aesthetics
Jodi Darby, Julie Perini, and Erin Yanke- Arresting Power
The producers of the in-production documentary Arresting Power: Resisting Police Violence in Portland Oregon (formerly known as Safe and Sound?) talk about sharing skills and creating media in non-traditional ways.
Walking the Talk: Workers and Media Justice
Kari Koch and Megan Hise- Rise Communications
Media-makers and media justice activists are workers, too.
In this workshop, we will discuss:
– organizing in your workplace
– the rise of precarious work
– bringing a class lens to our issues or coverage of the issues
Digital Security for Media Activists
Jake McGinty- Open Whisper Systems
Thomas Schreiber- Celly and Cryptoparty PDX
Explore the labyrinth of how to fight digital surveillance, and the challenges of creating effective tools. We’ll discuss what is being done to keep the internet and mobile communications free from de facto mass surveillance, as well as how best to avert the threats we face from the prying eye of governments, corporations and other adversaries.
Media Based Breakout Sessions
Saturday, 3:45pm-5:45pm
Video Break-out
Hosted by: NW Film Center, Freedom Archives, B Media Collective
Tech/Open Source Break-out
Hosted by: Celly, Open Whisper Systems
Radio Break-out
Print Break-out
Saturday at the Lotus Seed
Saturday, 7:00pm-8:45pm
Screening and discussion of Authority and Expectations
Directed by Ken Lori
Hosted by Joanne Luchini and Recruiter Watch
The Lotus Seed, 6 NE Tillamook St.
An 18-year old metal head Wray Harris enlists to fight the war on terror in Baghdad. Then the metamorphosis: murder, depression, drugs, meds, PTSD, discharge and apostasy: “realizing a new set of ideals through experience and observation”. Veteran Wray Harris speaks to the tragedy of Iraq, underage drinking on base, sectarian conflict ignited by the U.S., Abu Ghraib, casualty sites, soldier suicides, the myth of reintegration, cops shooting vets and the war that rages forever in the ones that make it back.
9:00pm-1:00am
CMC Saturday Concert: Music is the Weapon
Music is one of the most powerful mediums for moving people to action, and the CMC wouldn’t be complete without a showcase performance for some of the best local socially conscious hip hop artists and DJs to show you how to move.
Music lineup includes:
Mic Crenshaw
China Lucy
Japperwock
DJ Klavical
Abyss Infinite
Soul Minor
Talilo
Sunday Workshops
Sunday, September 21st
10:00am-11:30am
Community Media’s New Policy Agenda
Tracy Rosenberg- Media Alliance
Jenka Soderberg- KBOO
What do independent and community media makers need from their government? What kinds of policies will protect us and enable our work to reach more people? In this interactive workshop, led by independent and community media leaders, we will brainstorm solutions and work collaboratively on shaping a shared policy agenda. How can media makers work to own our infrastructure? What approaching opportunities do we need to prepare for now? If you care about the future of community media, you need to be part of this discussion.
Cancelled
Streaming Live Video A-Z and What to Do When the Internet Goes Down
John Parulis of KPFA and Brightpath Video
The session will be a skill set delivery class covering a variety of live streaming modalities from Smartphones to Laptops and mini broadcasting devices. There will be a discussion on technologies to address and combat internet interference, blockages and shutdowns.
Replaced by
Community Based Journalism
Delphine Criscenzo
Collaboration between journalists and marginalized communities is essential to empower individuals to participate in content creation. Community based journalism as discussed during this session, will encourage media makers to consider involving a community with creating content but also with exchanging skills and expertise.
The Promise and Pitfalls of Radical Print Media
Gregory Nipper- PM Press
Charles- Eberhardt Press
Lara Messersmith-Glavin- Institute for Anarchist Studies
This panel will provide an overview of different methods for organizing print shops, journals and independent publishers from radical, anti-authoritarian and anarchist political perspectives. Panelists will examine the advantages and disadvantages of each model and how they interact with movements for radical social change. Other connected issues such as outreach, funding, sustainability, and the reasons why some materials are more successful than others, will be addressed.
OCM Statewide Election Night Coverage 2014
Erin Yanke & Don Merrill- Oregon Community Media & KBOO radio
Oregon Community Media is planning statewide election night coverage for the radio stations in the organization. This is an initial meeting to begin the organizing and skill sharing to make this state wide broadcast happen.
Interviewing the Homeless
Ibrahim Mubarak and other members of Right 2 Survive Radio
This will be a workshop covering the basic skills of how to conduct a radio interview, using a recording device, interviewing techniques, but with a twist. Participants will conduct their interviews on the streets of Old Town with Portland’s houseless population. Right 2 Survive members will demonstrate the particular challenges of gathering stories from the streets.
Sunday, 11:45am-1:15pm
The Tower of Babel: Community Media & Intercultural Movement Building
Patrick McDade- People Places Things
This discussion session will be lightly facilitated, focusing on people’s experiences working cross culturally, and how we can effectively move information across different language & cultural groups. We will explore common pitfalls of working cross culturally, including issues of privilege and power.
Perspectives and Questions on Global Hiphop and the Afrikan Hiphop Caravan
Mic Crenshaw- Global Fam & KBOO radio
Mic Crenshaw is a participant and the Lead U.S. Organizer of the Afrikan Hiphop Caravan. Come for the information stay for the discussion as Mic shares his experience and the vision of this ongoing project.
Proposal for Cascadia Media Network
Paul Roland- KBOO radio
Discuss the idea of a regional web/audio podcast network based (mostly) out of KBOO to gather and produce news stories, interviews, features, etc. and develop a pool of local correspondents and producers to regularly report on issues of concern and interest to their communities. A regular news podcast would be produced at KBOO, and a dedicated website would describe the Network and link to the podcast and other audio uploaded on KBOO’s system.
Winning Campaigns with Creative Tactics and Story-Based Strategy
James John Bell and J Cookson- SmartMeme Studios
Backbone Campaign
The Backbone Campaign and Smartmeme Studios will share their experiences using a variety of media strategies that have resulted in successful campaigns, and how workshop participants can use them in their own organizing work. Smartmeme will discuss how a process called story-based strategy can help environmental and social justice movements tell their stories in order to intervene and change existing dominant narratives. Backbone will highlight best practices for designing actions and deploying creative tactics in order to earn sympathetic mainstream media coverage, inspire and mobilize people to action.
Sunday 11:45am-2pm
Making Alien Boy & Fighting the Cops
Jason Renaud- Producer of Alien Boy
Discussion and demonstration of seven year project to help people with mental illness speak up and speak out. Media tools include nationally distributed documentary film, website archive with 4000+ documents, Twitter account with 20K followers, political and MSM integration. Workshop will include 30 minute presentation, followed by a screening of the film and short Q&A session. Participants should note that the presentation/screening will take up most of the lunch break as well, so plan accordingly
Issue Based Strategy Sessions
Sunday 2:00pm-4:00pm
Housing Justice
Community organizations: Right 2 Survive, B Media Collective
Description: The struggle around housing has been one of the most pervasive issues facing communities in the NW and beyond in recent years. Nearly every city is dealing with the effects gentrification, displacement, mass homelessness, foreclosures and mistreatment of tenants. We will take inventory of some of the community work and media work focused around housing justice issues and look to identify projects and points of collaboration that organizers and media makers can engage in to advance housing justice work.
Regional Media Coalition Discussion
Community organizations: NAAME, Media Island
Description: In this session we will discuss possibilities for carrying momentum forward from the convergence and determining what regional collaboration could look like. We will look for common ground about how we can design projects that can establish an ongoing process of media collaboration that can do work to support wider social justice organizing. Some of the many ideas we could discuss include; the role and future of the CMC, campaign support from media makers, establishing funding sources for independent journalists, training institutes, building grassroots media platforms, etc.
Academic/Community Collaboration
Community organizations: U of O Turnbull Center faculty and students
Description: In this session we will think outside the box about how to link the resources of the academy with the community needs around it. Portland is teeming with incredible projects and groups that could use the work of strategic media and multimedia journalists. Many times, students work on projects that don’t get seen outside the classroom. Some questions we will explore include: How can universities work with real organizations to design projects and opportunities that generate ongoing collaboration between students, resources, and wider community needs? How can non-profits and community groups plug in with the resources of academia to benefit from the resources of the institution? Join us to deepen the dialogue.
Final Session
Sunday 4:15pm-7:00pm
Closing Plenary Strategy Session
The final session of the CMC will be where we bring together all of the different conversations we have had over the course of the weekend and determine in what ways we want to move forward working together. The various breakouts and strategy sessions will report on what they talked about and what decisions they arrived at (if any). There will then be time for organizations and individuals to make proposals for further action based on what people have expressed the most interest in working on, and we will form breakout groups to further discuss the projects or campaigns that have been proposed. After the breakouts conclude we will share what groups are committed to working on moving forward from the convergence