Friday, July 28, 2006
Media Forum Details Emerging
This post starts a new era in blogging here at WDNC. Instead of writing, I am speaking into a tiny little digital voice recorder which will be transcribing my words onto my computer. Over the past few years I've written hundreds of essays, put out a book, and had articles published in a variety of publications. It may seem like I'm prolific but I labor over these words that you read and I assure you it takes me way too long. So I'm optimistic that by being able to speak what I want to convey through this blog I can save a lot of time and cover a lot more ground.
The main thing I've been working on recently is the media accountability forum, now set for September 21 at 6 p.m. at the KHUM studios in Ferndale. Confirmed to participate: Mike Dronkers, KHUM program director as the host/facilitator; Tom Sebourn, program director from KGOE; Charles Winkler, editor of the Eureka Times-Standard; and Estelle Fennell, news director at KMUD. I will also be on the panel representing indy media and the blogosphere.
It has been a great experience talking to other members of the media community here in Humboldt County. I've had a very positive response even from people who haven't yet committed to participate. There are only two more open seats that we can fill for this event and the great thing is that in talking to all these other people I am getting the sense that there is an appetite for turning this into a series rather than a one-off occasion. So even once these final seats get claimed for the September 21 event, we will have people who are not only interested but in a position to help plan and execute additional installments in this media accountability series.
Look for the pace of entries here to pick up over the next few days, but one last thing to consider for now. Last September, the Lone Star Iconoclast published the transcript of an interview I did with Editor W. Leon Smith. Here is the intro to that article:Arcata City, Calif. Establishes Model Voter Confidence Resolution For Nation's Cities To Follow
Let it sink in now. We are bringing the decision-makers of Humboldt County media together in an arena where the public will re-define what is required for the media to be considered credible. We are changing the dialogue, and moving the ball downfield.
By W. Leon Smith
Editor-In-Chief, The Iconoclast
September 12, 2005 10:21 PM
ARCATA, Calif. - Voter confidence has plummeted during the past two presidential elections with corporate-owned voting machine tabulations in question from coast to coast. Several organizations have advocated changes in the voting system, but one city is taking it a step further. The City of Arcata, Calif., after months of debate and consideration, has adopted what is called the Voter Confidence Resolution.
According to Dave Berman, one of the resolution's authors, this type of initiative, if adopted by cities throughout the country, could have a decisive impact on the confidence voters achieve by providing unquestionable election returns.
"But we must first change the national dialogue," he said.
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Good job excluding the local independent media, Arkley would be proud.
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As a blogger, I will participate in the forum and so the independent media is not being ignored. Further, this is likely to be one event in a series. I will not claim the indy mantle for each of these. Perhaps anonymous would like to be included in the next installment? Too bad we don't know who you are. But thanks for your sincere interest in a meaningful dialog on media accountability.
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touchy touchy there davey. uneasy lies the crown on your head it appears.
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can we count on dave to ask some tough questions or to let dronkers do his usual feel-good manipulation tricks to make it appear we're all cum-bay-ya? i'd ask for callers but we all know how khum is part of the same censorship-loving gang behind measure t.
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The event, and ideally the series of events, is designed to be a dialog where audience questions are a definite. I have already identified here some of the questions (you judge the toughness) I want to address: reporting only verified election results, not conflating opinion and fact, at least asking the questions about 9/11 contradictions and scientific impossibilities that have remained unanswered, comparing the value of syndicated content over more local opinion, discussing the competition aspect of our local media landscape, especially in light of a free paper published by seemingly endless wealth. What other topics would anonymous like to include? Understand, too, that I'm not just trying to assemble a list of questions here, but as I wrote in the main post, I am trying to change the overall dialogue. Please contribute what you can.
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Random phone calls are best so you can't filter out what you hear. With presorted questions you take out alot of what matters in thoughts of other people. How about how the media aligns itself with each other around here, all giving mostly the same biased format and it shows. Your guests don't see these problems because they are the problem. Not one of them will give both sides fair and square on the Green Party struggle or on our stolen privacy or on the corrupt nonprofits or on a true Justice system. The outside media will not pay attention and just look how corrupt this city is. Integrity is important and all these spokespersons better be ready to look within. The blinding light of truth must stand or everything will fall.
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expecting fairness from this bunch jay? you must not have been paying attention, in their ideology thats the first thing out the window.
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crickets...crickets...well golly dave berman doesnt give a damn what you think after all fellow bloggers. so just sit back and be misrepresented to his hearts content.
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I'm just back from Reggae on the River. It is mostly good to see the dialog here in my absence though we all benefit nothing from such anonymous baiting and non-content. Please participate in our discussion or take your drivel elsewhere.
I agree with Jay about the phone calls and anticipate that the event I've written about will satisfy.
As for the questions I've already raised, they are not meant to be an event guide to prep the other panelists. They are meant to show an outline of at least some of the areas under the accountability umbrella where I'd like to see the dialog go. I do not expect to control the conversation in order to guarantee that all my main concerns will be addressed. However, by promoting them here, I do hope they will prompt some of the points we may hear callers make.
"Fairness from this bunch" is not the issue. To me, the issue is more about compelling them to deal with their unsatisfactory performance, and living up to the standards WE set for them.
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with a biased facilitator its doomed from the start. sorry for wasting your precious time, ill be sure not to waste mine listening to kdumb next month.
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