[imc-melbourne-work] Future of Melbourne Indymedia

Sat May 5 13:52:54 UTC 2007

Some points re future of indymedia
:
1. True, It is a fact that there are a lot of fragmentary and not 
always reliable news groups etc on line at present, and where to go 
is anybody's gess.  So many uninvestigable sites blowing little 
trumpets all over the place.

2. The linked indymedia had a great potential because it was in 
theory world-wide, international,a very good title, easy to find. 
How it that working out?

3. It is a fact that everywhere organizations are withering away 
without popular support.  I think myself that this is a serious 
social problem, and not confined to efforts like indymedia.    People 
drift into something and drift out again.  I think there are social 
reasons for this increasing loss of energy, and these need to be 
publicised, including on indymedia  because it is in the perceived 
interests of governments and commercial advertisers to have docile 
masses.  Yet in the longer term it wrecks Australia.
The problem of poor literacy also needs action.

So if you can keep someting up on line even with say monthly updates, 
that is worth doing.  What is the cost?

4. I have offered stuff, but is there any interest?   Let's know yes 
or know.  I'd appreciate that.

val y

>nice one jem!
>
>we had a radio meeting last night, and one of the outcomes was that 
>we decided to not only read the indymedia news during the show, but 
>extend the show a bit into a production unit too. we decided to 
>cover one local story each week - either have somebody in to 
>interview, or record and edit some audio before the show.
>
>we thought that immediately after the show each week, we could jump 
>on a computer at 3cr make this content into a story or feature on 
>MIM. would that work do people think? would this take a bit of the 
>burden off you harry and takver?
>
>i agree with and_ that flogging a dead horse is not a great idea, 
>but is that the situation, or is it an inevitable ebb in the cycle? 
>sometimes it's hard to tell. my opinion on this is obviously worth a 
>lot less than the people who have been in the collective for a long 
>time now.
>
>i think MIM still has a lot of value to the local activist 
>community. and we're not necessarily in the same boat as indymedia 
>italy.
>
>open publishing is not a useful aim anymore, i agree. local activist 
>news still needs an outlet though - where else do people go to look 
>for it? what is going to fill that gap, if the site closes even for 
>a short time? perhaps shutting the site for a while would make 
>people feel that gap, and then new energy come to fill it in a new 
>way. i guess that's what you're suggesting, and_. or it could kill 
>it off completely..
>
>if there's energy around radio at the moment, maybe indymedia could 
>become a radio show, with a podcast, a blog and calendar attached... 
>but could that even be called an imc? perhaps and_ is right, the 
>whole concept needs re-inventing.
>
>the community may be better served by a bunch of local indy-style 
>journos getting together and starting a blog about locally based 
>issues and campaigns. or a blog with a "newswire" if people could be 
>bothered moderating it.
>
>just my present thoughts..
>anna
>
>
>
>
>Jem Wilson wrote:
>>hi everyone,
>>  in response to the news that melbourne indymedia is struggling 
>>i've chucked together an article about the public meeting in 
>>fitzroy tonight (damn, last night, i need sleep!). I don't know 
>>anything about the moderating side of things but if anyone wants to 
>>bump it up to a feature I've published it to the newswire and the 
>>text is also listed below.
>>  cheers, jem
>>  ps. thanks for all your good work takver and harry and i'm sorry 
>>that you guys have had to keep the show running on your own for so 
>>long. hopefully we'll get some more people involved asap.
>>   
>>*Public Forum on Anti-terror legislation and the G20 arrests*
>>by K Flat /Friday April 27, 2007 at 01:31 AM/
>>
>>     Article relating to public forum at Fitzroy Town hall last night
>>     on the G20 arrests.
>>
>>Last night at the Fitzroy Town Hall a crowd of around 50 people 
>>attended a public meeting organised by the G20 solidarity network 
>>and Civil Rights Defence. Speakers discussed the current political 
>>climate in regards to anti-terror legislation and the charges 
>>facing the G20 arrestees.
>>
>>The first speaker, Anita Thompson, discussed the tactics used in 
>>the stop-G20 movement and the media representations of both the 
>>protests and the subsequent arrests. Forty people have now been 
>>arrested in relation to the G20 protests.
>>
>>Thompson said attempts by protesters to breach police barricades 
>>were a challenge to the G20 system - a system which sustains a 
>>world order whereby "twenty percent of the world's people control 
>>eighty percent of the world wealth".
>>
>>Thompson argued that protesters "embraced a diversity of tactics" 
>>and they were far from the "apolitical thugs" that the media had 
>>portrayed them to be. She stated that "capitalism is inherently 
>>violent" and the police should not be viewed as "a neutral body". 
>>Thompson further stated that the crackdown on those involved in the 
>>G20 protests should be seen as an attempt by the state to demonise 
>>protesters and delegitimise the right to demonstrate.
>>
>>Marcus Banks then spoke regarding his experiences with Austudy 5. 
>>Banks said that like the G20 arrestees, these protests resulted in 
>>dawn raids by the police and a "cascade of charges". Banks said the 
>>police tended to use militant actions as "an opportunity" to arrest 
>>and repress unpopular groups and individuals. He said the affect of 
>>this was "to make people feel fearful" causing actions to become 
>>less militant. Colin Mitchell of Civil Rights Defense supported 
>>this sentiment, saying that the charges against the G20 arrestees 
>>were symptomatic of the "demonisation for political purposes" that 
>>is a characteristic of the war on terror.
>>
>>Rob Starry, the lawyer who is defending some of the G20 arrestees, 
>>Jack Thomas and the Barwon 13, then gave an update on these cases 
>>and how they can be viewed in light of recent anti-terror 
>>legislation.
>>
>>Starry stated that the case against Muslim convert Jack Thomas is 
>>currently being adjourned after a number of trials and retrials. 
>>Thomas is charged with possessing a falsified passport and 
>>receiving funds from a terrorist organisation. Starry also spoke of 
>>the charges against the so-called Barwon 13, who are facing 
>>multiple charges in relation to allegations that they attended 
>>terrorist training camps.
>>
>>Starry said that since July 2002 the Commonwealth Government has 
>>passed forty pieces of anti-terror legislation almost unanimously. 
>>He said that the most worrying piece of legislation inducted was 
>>the National Security Information Act, which allows court 
>>proceedings to be conducted in secret, in the absence of the 
>>accused or the legal representative.
>>
>>In regards to G20 arrests, Starry said that charges like riot, 
>>affray and criminal damage were "an incredible overreaction" by the 
>>police to "a bit of property damage" and they will "cost the 
>>community literally millions of dollars".
>>
>>The case against the G20 protesters is listed for mention tomorrow. 
>>However, Starry told the audience rather emphatically "we're not 
>>pleading guilty."
>>
>>There are meetings at Trades Hall on every second Friday (I think?) 
>>in solidarity with the G20 arrestees.
>>
>>Thanks to Food not Bombs for supplying the lovely nibblies.
>>
>>
>>------------------------------------------------------------------------
>>Your Future Starts Here. Dream it? Then be it! Find it at 
>>www.ninemsn.seek.com.au <http://g.msn.com/8HMBENAU/2749??PS=47575>
>>------------------------------------------------------------------------
>>
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