BE THE MEDIA!

Madison Indymedia, The Madison Infoshop, and WORT 89.9 FM Madison’s community radio station invite you to BE THE MEDIA at the National Conference on Media Reform in Madison, WI, November 7-9.

Moving beyond critique to action, the National Conference on Media Reform is a groundbreaking forum to democratize the debate over media policymaking. A broad range of media reform activists will join members of Congress, the FCC, and leaders of major groups working for civil rights, women's rights, rural renewal, the environment, labor, community development and other issues to:
· Mobilize new constituencies;
· Strengthen coalitions working in Washington and at the grassroots;
· Develop unified action plans for immediate and long-term reforms; and
· Generate policies and strategies that will structurally improve the media system.

Join speakers including Naomi Klein, author of No Logo, Amy Goodman of Democracy NOW!, Juan Gonzalez of the National Association of Hispanic Journalists and musicians including Tom Morello and Billy Bragg. For a list of the many more speakers and musicians as well as a schedule of workshops and events go to www.mediareform.net. Access to this part of the conference requires registration and a fee by November 3.

As part of the weekend, however, there will be a number of workshops and events, free and open to the public, with the theme "BE THE MEDIA." These do-it-yourself (DIY) workshops are designed for people who want to learn more about how we take the media into our own hands to start spreading truth to affect social change. So, whether you want reform or replacement or both, come to Madison, Wisconsin, for the weekend of November 7-9 and BE THE MEDIA!

( If you are coming from out of town and would like a place to crash, contact us at the Madison Infoshop and we will try to find you a place. Call 608-262-9036 or email chimarenga@ziplip.com.)

BE THE MEDIA events will kick-off on Friday, November 7 at noon on Library Mall on the UW-Madison campus with music from madisonhiphop.com. Later Friday evening at 6PM on Library Mall there will be free food, music and a festival march up to the Orpheum Theatre in celebration of alternative media.Workshops will be held through out the day on Saturday, November 8.

WORKSHOP SCHEDULE

On Saturday, Nov. 8th skill-share workshops to promote do-it-yourself media will be held at the Catacombs Coffeehouse, 731 State St. (at Library Mall). Some will move next door to the Humanities Building. The schedule will be as follows:

8:00 AM Breakfast: coffee and bagels

9:00 Be the Media—welcome and introduction

9:15 --10:30 Workshop Block 1

A) Starting and sustaining Community Media Centers (Urbana-Champaign IMC, and Madison Infoshop)
B) Making bilingual media (¿Hasta Cuando? from Chicago)

10:45—12:00 Workshop Block II

A) Introduction to Indymedia.org—How to start an IMC in your community. (Michigan IMC)
B) Political Theatre (Madtown Liberty Players, Jill Hopke, and others)

12:00-2:00 PM Lunch
(Catacombs will offer cheap organic lunch, get it while it lasts! Proceeds will go to help sustain the Madison Infoshop)

During Lunch: Indymedia Discussion
(A time for all Indymedia activists at the conference to come together and discuss the future of Indymedia as a movement)

2:15 PM –3:30 PM Workshop Block III

A) Independent Newspapers and Magazines (Clamor Magazine, Madison Insurgent)
B) Microradio—DIY broadcasting (system P & Prometheus Radio Project)

3:45-5:00PM Workshop Block IV

A) Hip Hop as a Movement (madisonhiphop.com)
B) Labor cartoons, street stenciling, grafitti, and silk skreening (Mike Konopecki and other activists)

LIVE COVERAGE

Also, throughout the day on Saturday, Indymedia activists, Guerrilla News Network (GNN), and WORT 89.9 FM will be covering much of The National Conference on Media Reform, some of which will be broadcast live on Internet Radio and community radio stations. Conference speakers and participants will be encouraged to call The Madison Infoshop to share their thoughts on media reform at 608-262-9036. Please contact your local community radio station and see if they would like to broadcast coverage of the conference as well.

madison.indymedia.org/