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IndyMedia Sets up in Burlington Vermont
As spring blooms, Vermont has an Independent Media Center. Discussion about this began last year surrounding the Independent Media Conference held in Burlington. About two months ago, an organizing group began to meet, at first focusing on the upcoming mobilization in response to the Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA). Since then, it has defined a mission for an ongoing Vermont IMC, launched a Web Site at
Vermont.Indymedia.org, and opened an office.
By early April, the space is expected to be fully operational, complete with broadband, work stations for local and visiting media makers, an audio studio for webcasting, etc., and working teams to coordinate activities in the areas of video, audio, web, print, and photography. An editorial committee will also be established. For those planning to cover the FTAA protests, as well as actions at and near the US border, the Burlington IMC will be a place to finish and transmit your work, and to keep in contact with other journalists and latest developments. Burlington is an hour from the Canadian border, and about three hours drive from Quebec City.
Mission and Activities
IndyMedia Vermont’s mission statement is still being discussed, but it is expected to include something to the effect of: “The Vermont IMC seeks to redefine the nature of journalism in Vermont by providing a fair and accurate alternative media source. Special focus will be placed on those stories ignored by the corporate media. Our main objective is to educate, empower, and facilitate communication.”
Editorial policies are also being developed. Upcoming activities being planned include:
The office should be running full-time by April 1. An open house will be held Friday, April 6, 7-9 p.m.
On Saturday, April 7 and Sunday, April 8, workshops and plenary sessions on “Media Skills for Everyone” will be held at the IMC. The office is located at 266 Pine Street, within a few blocks of downtown Burlington. IndyMedia intends to make the Vermont IMC a permanent part of Vermont. Because their initial focus will primarily be on events occurring outside Burlington, IndyMedia hopes to emphasize education. Thus, they are organizing a weekend of workshops intended to involve the community. They will include such topics as: intro to journalism, radio, audio, video, print, photo, web production, and intro to using the web (IMC site).
If you are interested in attending any of these workshops or would like to help facilitate one, e-mail
IMCworkshops@yahoo.com
, or call Ryan White at (802) 864-1892. Ryan currently represents the Vermont IMC on the Coordinating Council of the Vermont Mobilization for Global Justice, the coalition formed to coordinate Vermont activities during the FTAA mobilization.
During the April mobilization, the IMC will cover regional activities, including border actions, developing written, video and audio reports. Media makers from around the US are welcome to join IndyMedia in Burlington, Vermont. If you plan to be in Vermont, please try to let us know in advance. We also expect to produce one or more live TV broadcasts in cooperation with Channel 17, a cable access channel operated by Chittenden Community Television (CCTV). These will be broadcast at 6 p.m. (dates to be determined soon).
Getting Involved
In the next weeks, IndyMedia will need help setting up the center, including additional equipment, volunteers to staff the office, and content producers for the Website, radio, and video. The news wire (to which anyone can post an article) is already running; feature articles will begin to appear soon. In addition, IndyMedia needs writing in six current topic areas -- Agriculture, Legal, Environment, First Nations, Labor, and Military - for posting to the site.
IndyMedia needs also include: equipment, money, and contact with all IMC’s intending to cover FTAA solidarity actions, specifically, but not limited to, border actions.
Beginning around April 16, the IMC will be operating at full capacity. By that time, IndyMedia will need video and audio folks to cover events at border crossings and around Vermont, as well as writers and photographers. Through the Vermont IMC, you’ll be able to keep in contact with events in Quebec, and get your own work to a global audience through the IMC network.
The Vermont IMC holds meetings each Wednesday evening at the office.
If you want to keep in touch with V-IMC developments, just join the listserv by going to lists.indymedia.org. Once you join, you’ll receive all messages and be able to participate by sending to
imc-vermont@lists.indymedia.org.
By Ryan White
(As edited into third person)
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