1. Citizen Production – report on events
2. Citizen Dialogue – engage in discussion on forums
3. Citizen Action – move to action, arranging events, etc.

The website is wholly in Mandarin, so the labelled guide provided (in one of the slides) was useful! Some stories from the site are picked up and given wider coverage on Taiwan TV – which users (in the study) valued for the validation it gave, in terms of attention to an issue that might not have got previous coverage, and validation of their own concern.

As I write this Pradip Thomas has started his response (as discussant). His claims:

1. Citizens’ Journalism is here to stay
2. Mainstreams are integrating elements of it, in order to retain audiences
3. Arguments based on Habermas’ rational public sphere are ‘overblown’ because decisions in the real world aren’t based only on rationality. (One speaker had done a content analysis that noted prevalence of incivility, etc.)
4. There are individual participants in Taiwan, but many are linked with NGOs, etc.
5. Crisis: How can the media be involved in finding a dignified closure to crises. (This in response to a Finnish speaker who critiqued the coverage of crisis situations by Finnish media.)
6. We need better theorizing of ht nature of interactivity, including “Why?” – who gets what out of it? What do audiences/the corporate sector get out of it?

At first – indeed, second – glance, the premise of the campaign seems flawed. Surely the energy and imagination of the many individuals who had tried to get Branson’s attention – the long distance swimmer was only the last of a long line – could better be spent in raising small sums from a larger number of individuals, than on this long shot. And digging deeper, it seems that those at the station recognize this point:

But our decision to ask a billionaire for financial support shouldn’t be the concern. What’s really concerning is this: a station commanding a listenership of nearly a quarter of a million can’t rely on the community to put their money where their preset is.

The story at the station is not so much a parable as a series of parables. The station spent AUS$0.5m on its legal struggle to get on air. The recession has hit their normal fundraising hard – youth employment has been particularly hard hit. The station now faces a AUS$1m hole in its finances. The station has been, in any event, getting limited direct financial support from listeners: “FBi has 219,000 people tuning in every week. 2% of these are financial supporters.” There’s a billionaire, with his own private island, based inside the station’s coverage area.

Still, seeking large donations of this nature is a rather long bet, and speaks to the need for more sustainable models of support. Community radio can be – and is, in many communities – an important tool for community building, something that’s perhaps particularly important in economically troubled times such as these. But because of the indirect, and not always obvious, linkages between community radio and such development, it’s difficult to solicit support – from government or individuals, let alone corporate donors – at times such as these, when budgets are stretched and there’s an increased demand for public support, and a need for quick-acting economic boosts.

This is why it’s important for community stations to develop mixed-funding models, including support from government agencies, tariffs on commercial broadcasting revenues, and direct listener donations. Some stations may also be able to develop side-businesses, such as sound recording and professional services (space rental, training). Each of these will be hit when the economy takes a turn for the worse, but diversification of revenue sources will minimize the risk to the operation as a whole.

In the meantime, best of luck to FBi in their fundraising campaign!

Expressions of Interest are an initial step in which groups encourage the BCI to issue a call for applications for specific stations (usually covering specific areas or audiences). Thus, at this stage groups are not competing against other applications (though there are practical limitations to how many stations the BCI is likely to look to contract with at any time). The Application stage, on the other hand, is competitive, and the BCI usually decides to contract with only one applicant in any area, or sometimes not to move forward with any applications.

I’m limited my my availability at the moment, but will try to provide advice to any interested groups who wish to make contact with me. (Specific questions are always more useful than ‘how do I go about this project’-style general queries.)

The keynotes, by independent journalists from Oaxaca and Palestine, were humbling and inspiring. I look forward to downloading the promised audio soon and making it available through A Critical Ear.

The food… the food was abundant and delicious. Props to the various caterers and restaurants used. The scenery, in Portland and on the train journey from and to Seattle, was beautiful and refreshing. Powell’s was a rare treat (as was a return visit to Left Bank Books in Seattle this afternoon).

Finally, the KBOO studios were impressive and inspiring. Their audio archive – with 40 years of public affairs tapes, cassettes, and more, from independent and radical sources – is the sort of place I’d love to have an opportunity to ensconce myself in for a considerable period.

More detail when I return to Urbana and am able to compile some of my notes and recordings from the event. Until then, a fair summary is: inspiring and useful. Both Portland and GRC demand return visits.

This morning I took part in a session on social activism in community radio, where we pooled stories of how different stations have accomplished this, all while abiding by FCC and IRS regulations. This afternoon I plan to attend a session titled “Non-violence: Culture Change”, headed up by KBOO station manager Arthur Davis and Cherie Blackfeather, followed by one on AMARC.

It’s always interesting to pick up the ‘swag’ brought along by different stations. WORT (in Madison, WI) have interesting fans, useful in this hot weather, with the cute slogan “I’m a WORT fan” emblazoned over an image of an old-fashioned radio – easily the most inventive and striking item here. KBOO‘s August Listener’s Guide, in turn, shows what can be done with a single folded sheet of newsprint. Among the interesting items here is their decision to move Democracy Now! from 11am to 7am (part of a move to combat recent declines in listenership levels and revenues). The new 11am slot is still in flux, but one of the things they’re experimenting with through August will be “the work of well known activists and experts” including Bob McChesney – which I guess could mean another station picking up Media Matters, which many of you will know I currently produce.

I got in a little late – no surprise – but caught the talk from the Reclaim the Media speaker, Karen Toering, who talked about their use of events (film screenings, parties, play dates for parents) to draw in those who might not otherwise attend a ‘meeting.’ Just as I heard at last week’s AGEL conference (where grad union leaders met in Urbana) the reminder to capture names at each event seems very basic, but is a key point to building a network of activists and supporters. Leveraging links to established groups – building on their capacity and networks – is of course a delicate political balance on occasion (how do you reach out to those networks, in a way that’s seen as mutually beneficial, which relies I think on getting ‘buy-in’ from leaders and gatekeepers, so that they will grant access to mailing lists, or to speak at meetings, etc.).

The Q&A session at the moment is addressing the complicated question of how to mesh radical activists with more moderate participants within a single network. Again, links to other organizing in the response, as mention is made of the Gay Rights movement, where direct action and lobbying both played roles, even if different participants prioritized different events.

Tracy from The Media Mobilization Project had some great quotables. Noting the seeming paradox of almost unlimited potential for expression online paired with increased media consolidation: [This is] “ultimately making the right to be head more important than the right to free speech.” Her closing riposte: “Movements begin with the telling of untold stories.”

To which I would note that the organizing approach is all about listening to those stories, encouraging individuals to tell their stories to each other, and to use those stories to identify desired changes and actions.