By Betty Yu
The regional Anchors of The Media Action Grassroots Network (MAG-Net) will be kicking off our 4-day annual retreat and meeting starting tomorrow, April 17th at the National Labor College in Silver Spring, Maryland. The gathering will bring together 14 organizational leaders from 11 MAG-Net regional chapters from across the United States.
We’re excited to have Anchor representatives from:
Media Alliance (Bay Area, California)
IDEPSCA / Instituto de Educación Popular del Sur de California (Los Angeles, California)
Community Media Workshop (Chicago)
Urbana Champaign Independent Media Center (Urbana, Illinois)
Media Literacy Project (Albuquerque, New Mexico)
Southwest Workers Union, Martinez Street Women’s Center & Local 782 (San Antonio, Texas)
Main Street Project (Minneapolis, Minnesota)
People’s Production House (New York)
Media Mobilizing Project (Philadelphia)
Highlander Research and Education Center, Art is Change, Working Narratives(Southeast)
We will also be joined by long-time MAG-Net member, Native Public Media. In addition, since MAG-Net is a project of the Center for Media Justice (CMJ), CMJ staff will be providing facilitation, documentation and event coordination, and support for the retreat.
This past year, MAG-Net experienced steady growth, bringing in six new anchor organizations, launching three new regional chapters expanding to 135 organizational members. This year’s retreat planning committee included representatives from Media Literacy Project, Working Narratives, and Center for Media Justice. This year’s retreat will provide Anchors with the opportunity to do some self-reflection and necessary self-assessment. As MAG-Net enters its’ seventh year, MAG-Net is at important crossroads. The Network has been catapulted into the national arena and has been recognized as a leading grassroots voice for media justice and media policy change. At this year’s retreat, the Anchors will be looking at ways to strengthen our governance body and infrastructure, identify our years’ priorities, and ensure our sustainability and growth.
To get a recap of the day’s events during our 4-day retreat from Tuesday, April 17th to Friday, April 20th, please check our Highlights and Blog section on the front page of our website daily to see our photo slideshows and read guest blogs from our a select group of Anchors that include, Carol Ammons of Urbana Champaign Independent Media Center, Laura Muraida of Southwest Workers Union, Rusita Avila of Media Literacy Project and Sage Crump of Art is Change. Also, stay tuned for a report that will generated and shared with the entire MAG-Net membership and allies a few weeks following the retreat.
