[imc-melbourne-work] Future of Melbourne Indymedia
takver
tirin at takver.com
Mon May 7 07:53:21 UTC 2007
Since May 2003 I have been the principal feature writer. At various
times others have contributed greatly. Here is what I think needs to
happen.
Its great to hear the activity on the indymedia radio collective. But
we need to go back to basics and look at what we do and how we do it.
Firstly, I think there is still a need for an independent grassroots
activist NEWS site for Melbourne or Victoria. This is still a
worthwhile activity. Most of what happens on MIM is more opinion than
news at the moment, more suitable for a blog rather than a news site.
But News should still be our priority.
==Problems==
Currently the site is plagued by trolls, is overly opinionated, with
not enough grassroots reports of actions, meetings and activities.
What reports are being made usually come from a select few regulars,
including myself.
There needs to be more people reporting for the site. This means
proselitizing out in the field and through meetings and workshops. It
also means educating people how to write a good article or report. But
first we need to fix the software platform.
I think the editorial collective, that do the features, needs at least
5 people each willing to commit to writing at least one feature a week
on average. I think the site can manage one feature a day, but just
two people doing the features for any length of time will ultimately
burn out. I am surprised I have lasted so long. We need to increase
the size of the editorial group to at least 4 or 5 or more to be
sustainable.
More people should be able to moderate the newswire. If I spend an
hour moderating the newswire, I just don't feel motivated to spending
another hour trying to write a feature. A well moderated site will
ultimately increase patronage, and will also result in more "reports
from the field".
==Software==
In terms of software, the Melbourne site really needs that upgrade.
* We need Userids for identification of quality users.
* We need an Option for users when they post an article to decide
whether they want a) no comments B) approved comments c) all comments
* At least one newswire that is only for articles posted by "trusted
users" and that members of the editorial collective can move articles
to. Without this, we can not met the requirements of Google News and
we become just another opinionated blog.
My inspiration comes from indybay.org. Indybay IMC use three
newswires: local, global and breaking. All posts go to breaking and
the Ed collective moves the quality posts to the local and global
newswires. This is labour intensive but ensures two quality newswires.
With a new platform we should be able to duplicate this and reduce the
labour necessary. It is one of the few IMCs in the global network
indexed by Google News.
==Personal feelings==
At the moment I'm feeling pretty burnt out, and demoralised that we
haven't been able to upgrade the software platform.
Notifying Google to remove us from their news indexing really reduced
my commitment to the site. We had to do it because of Mick and other
trolls posting inappropriately, but I really was hoping we would have
the new platform up and running before too long with at least one
newswire that the editorial collective had control over.
One of the highpoints from last year came when one of the people on a
picket started posting stories about the picket line and the
industrial dispute to MIM. Those posting were picked up by Google News
and featured alongside corporate journalist reports. That was
something really positive that we were able to do. Similarly with
logging protests in Tasmania. Without Google News we are reduced to
the realm of blogging
WE do suffer from way too much crossposting, and opinion pieces and
far too little direct reports.
I remain committed to MIMC and to the editorial collective, but we
really need a good makeover on the organisational and software sides
if we are to continue to provide a useful activist NEWS resource.
--
in solidarity
Takver
> 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.
> >>
> >>
> >>-------------------------------------------------------------------
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> >>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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