A hodgepodge coalition of community activists, youthful leaders, public-access producers, and others interested in the future of media access gathered in the DCC this weekend to participate in the Media Matters conference, sponsored by the Alliance for Community Media.
The conference focused on connecting communities in the digital age. "This has been one of the best conferences we have ever had," said Chuck Sherwood, chair of the Northeast Region of the Alliance for Community Media.
Vice President for Student Life Eddie Knowles, along with Troy Mayor Mark Pattison, welcomed conference attendees with opening remarks on Friday.
"As a host we wanted to explain the role Rensselaer wants to play in community media. From a university perspective we want to become a major player in Media Matters," Knowles said. He went on to outline the connection between the conference and the vision for the EMPAC project.
Amy Goodman, famed journalist and current host of Pacifica Radio’s national magazine Democracy Now, was Media Matter’s closing speaker. Goodman’s remarks focused conference attendees on the importance of their role in the media and ultimately the importance of diverse and independent sources of information.
"We have to fight for freedom of speech. We have to critically question media sources. News coverage is not only about accuracy but also about the voices not heard," said Goodman.
She concluded by saying that "with the increasing convergence and corporatization of media sources, the large independent community radio movement can’t be held back. In the words of Bernard White, ‘Stay strong and pay close attention.’"
Pacifica Radio, the first and largest independent community radio system, is currently struggling with issues regarding its future.
Steve Pierce, STS graduate student and a key organizer of the conference, said, "Our goal was to bring together those who have been successful in using public access, learning from their experiences, and effectively using new technology."
One of Pierce’s main efforts was to educate local community members to the public-access opportunities available to the city when renewing its contract with Time Warner Cable.
Another key initiative of the conference was the inclusion of youthful media creators with a strong desire to close the digital divide.
The Youth Media workshop concentrated on giving the 75 youth media leaders from New York City and other areas around the New England and New York region exposure to high-tech equipment found in the RPI IEAR lab. This was the Alliance for Community Media’s first conference to include a focus on youth with youth participants. The group later produced a cross-platform website and eight public-service announcements promoting youth media.
RPI arts Professor Branda Miller and RPI students worked closely with the group. "We produced media for advocacy and networking, and the youths themselves also had the opportunity to network. It was an exciting moment that’s going to effect many communities," said Miller.
Miller hopes to continue the groundwork laid at the conference with more students at RPI and possibly connecting it to the First-Year Experience initiatives.
"I know there are many more students who are interested in using the tremendous technological skills they gain as an RPI student in the local Troy community. Troy and RPI both have a lot to offer each other. Sometimes students get into this belief that ‘there’s nothing to do in Troy’ but we’ve shown that is not the case," she said.
