05/04/09 - Main Street Project MEDIA JUSTICE update
Rural MEDIA JUSTICE
"Communication is an essential human need and a fundamental human right."
That's our paraphrase of Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and a simple summary of why rural media justice has become an important focus at Main Street Project. The last several months of media justice work have been extremely busy - but in a good way. We're making progress and see the potential to move towards digital inclusion, bringing more and more people into the conversation about our future. That includes friends and allies like you - we'd love to hear your ideas and get your feedback and support.
Making the DTV TRANSITION work for everyone
"It's been really difficult for me being that I live on a fixed income."
That's what Samantha Villagomez told a local TV reporter at the April 17 DTV Day of Action (news coverage here) event at Minneapolis' Midtown Global Market. Samantha and more than 200 other people got help ordering government converter box coupons, or redeemed their coupons for a 'no-cost box' from our local retail partner, Mosquito Productions.
The DTV Day of Action was part of a national campaign promoting a socially responsible analog to digital TV transition sponsored by MAG-Net (Media Action Grassroots Network) and the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights Education Fund, and locally by us along with Lao Assistance Center, Somali Action Alliance, Minnesotano Media Empowerment Project and other partners.
As the June 12 transition date draws near, community partners plan to hold more no-cost-box events, helping to eliminate barriers to continued TV access (which is still the primary source of information for many people). To date, we've helped collect over 100 unused coupons, enabling our allies to distribute free boxes to people who need them.
YOU CAN HELP
If your family doesn't
need converter box coupons, you can order them here and then donate them here.
The BROADBAND policy opportunity
"Rural residents need a comprehensive policy that allows them to participate in the national conversation about their future - across all media."
Sign that reads Amalia Deloney, Senior Fellow at Main Street Project, has led our organization's effort to influence rural broadband policy.
The federal stimulus package has created an unprecedented opportunity to set a national broadband strategy that includes unserved and underserved rural communities, and addresses communications rights in an intentional way.
As part of a Rural Broadband Policy
Group that includes the Center for Rural Strategies and other
organizations, we filed comments (download PDF) with both the FCC and the NTIA, urging them to create a national broadband strategy focused on four main needs of rural communities:
- Accurate data on service availability and adoption
- Locally-owned infrastructure
- Assistance in technology adoption
- Uniform and transparent federal policies
Our latest mini-white paper, Broadband Policy: Making it work for everyone (download PDF), is a succinct overview of principles we see as most important to communities and residents.
JUSTICE 2.0 to help communities find their voice
"The [storytelling] workshop was powerful! It helped me see the potential of what a community organizer could be."
After their recent Justice 2.0 training, 2009 graduates of the Organizing Apprenticeship Project(OAP) in Minneapolis were excited about how they could use stories to create social change, and eager to put that knowledge to work in their organizing campaigns.
Justice 2.0 training with OAP Main Street Project's new Justice 2.0 initiative addresses communication challenges related to access, knowledge and empowerment for rural communities and communities of color. Training tracks for organizations and individuals include media justice education, hands-on skill building with Web 2.0 tools (blogs, Twitter and Facebook), and PlaceStories - an easy-to-use, low-bandwidth visual storytelling software.
Our thanks go to all the generous funders who are helping us bring Justice 2.0 to communities across Minnesota and Iowa, including our most recent philanthropy partner, The Nathan Cummings Foundation.
And at the same time...
We're relieved that our community
partners in Fargo-Moorhead - People Escaping Poverty Project (PEPP)
and Cultural Diversity Resources - have weathered the recent floods.
Our joint Common Threads Project Community Kick-off Meeting has been rescheduled for May 9. Consider yourself invited!
The Rural Enterprise Center is getting ready to expand community gardens and add more locations, and launch more free-range poultry operations. We'll keep you posted as the pieces of the Agripreneur Training Project take off. Think spring. Think possibilities.
MSP_MEDIA_JUSTICE_update_05_04_09.pdf