I attended my very first National Conference for Media Reform (#NCMR2013), last weekend as a member of the Media Action Grass Roots Network #MediaJustice Delegation. A week later, I am still chewing through so much of the content I absorbed in Denver; from panels on journalism; activism; technology; social and media justice to policy and politics; the conference was filled with passionate discussions on why media matters.
Where I work in Chicago, diversifying the voices in news and public debates has been a priority for Community Media Workshop since 1989. We've worked and done so by providing a unique mix of communications coaching for grassroots, arts and other nonprofit organziations and sourcing grassroots and community news for journalists. Learning how other groups across the country are working towards media justice and media reform, left me energized and hopeful.
As the new media manager at the Workshop, a MAG-Net regional anchor, it's my job to understand how technology can help keep the lines of communication open and free. As I continue to process and reflect upon what I learned at NCMR, I realize that technology played a large role in how I interacted with organizers, panelists and other attendees of NCMR.
I look to my live-tweets from last weekend and understand moreover how social media tools, like Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Google+, Youtube, Vine, etc, don't just allow us to share information with others instantaneously; if harnessed, they allow us to have larger and deeper conversations.
In a conference as large as NCMR, they can also help you find support. For example search under the hashtags #mediajustice, #ncmr2013, #ncmr13 and you'll find tweets specific to these conversations.
Many panels within the conference were smart enough to create their own hashtags. Like the panel, "Building the Future: Women, Code and Inclusion" used the hashtag #xxcode, making it easy to have a lively discussion with the panelists and other attendees simultaneously. Here is a small collection of tweets and retweets, that reflect more of my major takeaways from this weekend:
Proud to be a @mediajustice delegate at #NCMR2013. Live-tweeting from Denver. Learn more about the conference ow.ly/jMC6u
— Adriana Díaz (@adriana9diaz) April 5, 2013
From meeting the MAG-Net staff, and other media justice delegates for the first time,
Meeting the awesome @mediaaction team #NCMR2013 twitter.com/adriana9diaz/s…
— Adriana Díaz (@adriana9diaz) April 5, 2013
Why bother? @lisawilliam: "technology offers us interesting opportunities for activism" #xxcode #NCMR2013
— Adriana Díaz (@adriana9diaz) April 5, 2013
yes! RT @fishnette: Diversity isn't about building the next Facebook, it's about using technology for good says @6gems #xxcode #ncmr13
— Adriana Díaz (@adriana9diaz) April 5, 2013
Art for change #ncmr2013 vine.co/v/bT5w2uhPp5i
— Adriana Díaz (@adriana9diaz) April 5, 2013
Coolest thing today I saw not heard. Someone had a tattoo of the Internet. It was big and complicated and fun #ncmr13
— Gabriella Coleman (@BiellaColeman) April 6, 2013
— Adriana Díaz (@adriana9diaz) April 5, 2013
poignant flick showcasing why this campaign MATTERS RT @guatemalia: #phonejustice Campaign Video premiers NOW at #NCMR13! #mediajustice
— Adriana Díaz (@adriana9diaz) April 6, 2013
some solutions: visit phonejustice.org; contact your legislators; tell the FCC to pass the Wright Petition #phonejustice #mediajustice
— Adriana Díaz (@adriana9diaz) April 6, 2013
A free and open Internet is currently under attack – compromising the freedom of community media – @urbanavisions #NCMR13 #MediaJustice
— MAG-Net (@mediaaction) April 6, 2013
Live-tweeting "Storytelling Strategies for Social Change" w/ @bettyyu21 @mattwhoward @bscottmercer @misselandria & Megan Sheehan #NCMR13
— The Workshop (@npcommunicator) April 7, 2013
moving video by @lnbrkmedia about Iraq Vetarans Against the War showcased the power of good storytelling!
— The Workshop (@npcommunicator) April 7, 2013
!RT @thecivicbeat: Storytelling can help us envision where we want to be in social change. I'd say visual storytelling is quite key. #NCMR13
— The Workshop (@npcommunicator) April 7, 2013
Media is information, and information is not a bad thing – but we need to make sure it's as beneficial as possible – #NCMR13 #MediaJustice
— MAG-Net (@mediaaction) April 7, 2013
thank you @mediaaction fam for your knowledge, wisdom and support this weekend. hope to keep growing together #ncmr13 #mediajustice
— The Workshop (@npcommunicator) April 7, 2013
As the Community Media Workshop's new media manager, Adriana Diaz finds ways to seamlessly bridge communications and technology. She is also a multimedia storyteller; youth-media advocate and community journalist.
