The great American institution we call the free media is under attack. Giant corporations pretty much own every news outlet available aside from the Internet, which, by the way, is under extreme pressure to become privatized and controlled. Believe me when I tell you that those in power will convince us that locking down cyberspace is in our best interest and for our safety or that of our children. Did you really think Dateline NBC’s “To Catch a Predator” was for justice and our entertainment? No, it’s setting the stage for the great Internet takeover. Pull up a seat in the hot tub and have some sweet tea, the end is near. Perhaps I’m a conspiracy nut who’s reaching, but stranger things have happened. We need a problem before we can implement a “solution.” In extreme fascist and communist nations, the media has generally been a tool for spreading propaganda, but in a democracy it’s supposed to be what enlightens the masses to injustice, spreads messages, and educates the people from many points of view. It is with this education that we can take action for change. Without the media we’re ignorant and closed off from the world, our world, however small or large. This weekend in Manhattan the NYC Grassroots Media Coalition will be running their fourth annual Grassroots Media Conference. If you care about any of the things I’ve just mentioned take heed.

The NYC Grassroots Media Coalition (NYCGMC) is a volunteer collective that has taken the shape of a “growing alliance of media makers, artists, independent media organizations and community based organizations who are interested in working towards a more democratic media in NYC” (nycgrassrootsmedia.org). This year’s theme is Media & Movements Beyond Borders. Participants are asked to consider what commonalities exist in world struggles for social change and how media helps our understanding of injustice and its root causes across the globe. The topics will be broad and varied but will focus on why media representation is the key to advancing social justice here and throughout the world. The first conference, in 2004, was a direct response to the FCC’s absurd attempts to further deregulate the media by allowing ownership of public airways to be split among a handful of large conglomerates. The yearly regrouping of the conference will help to continue the fight and build media systems strategies that will connect communities, link local and international struggles, and battle for social change outside our immediate, daily reality. If you’re a media person it’s a place to network and learn new things. If you’re not you can get to understand why all of this is so important. Another primer might be the film Orwell Rolls in His Grave. It expands on what I was saying about big companies owning the media and consequently the information we receive, thus owning our minds. It’s a very scary prospect and the film will definitely piss you off. Check it out.

Hundreds of organizations and thousands of people have participated in NYCGMC events. This year will have films, an art show, panels, and a free lunch. There’s a ton of stuff going on and it’s all aimed at using your skills and abilities to push forward social change. Learn to silkscreen your personal propaganda, engage in policy, do it yourself media, hip hop activism, or join the many workshops on topics like police brutality, immigrant rights, and voting rights. Opening Reception is Friday, February 23, 6 p.m.-8 p.m. at the New School’s Wollman Hall, 66 West 12th Street, 5th floor. Click nycgrassrootsmedia.org or call (917) 279-4344 for dates, times and more.

When in Manhattan

Media is the Message