Imagine you were told the way you have been doing business is obsolete. Who told you this? Mostly government officials. (Yes, I know the government is always on the cutting edge of technology.) How would you respond? You would probably respond similarly to the 5/10/whatever steps of grief/anger. That is pretty much what has happened to Community Media Centers, those places where community folks learned to shoot, edit and produce video. Those places where community organizations, religious organizations and local governments post their events and produce their shows. They have been told they are no longer needed now that the Internet can stream video. (Often referred to as the YouTube phenomenon). They have been told this because the government officials (and those who would restrict future funding) do not understand that distributing the locally produced content on cable is only one piece of the public benefit provided by Community Media Centers.
After going through their multiple steps of grief/anger, community media folks are planning for their future. As a community, they are discussing how to best be of benefit to the individuals in their regions who need them. They are discussing how to post locally created content online, how doing so changes the structure they have been familiar with.
I was honored to engage in these discussions at the Central States Alliance for Community Media Regional Conference & Trade Show where they had asked me to speak on a couple of panels. I love spending time with folks who have dedicated themselves to their cause. And these folks very much have.
Some in community media are very uncomfortable with the idea of becoming an online creation and distribution hub for community media. Others have already started down the path.
During my sessions we discussed the following:
Who does Community Media serve now?
- Viewers in cable geographic area
- Media creators/producers
How do users of a Community Media Center find the Center?
- Word of mouth
- Newsletter, flyers, mailings
- Internet
- TV
- The community - schools, events, public meetings, local organizations
What do Community Media Centers have to offer the community?
- Information from the media creators
- Knowledge about how to create and distribute media
- Production studio including current technology and software
- A soapbox
- Training/education
- A community of local media producers
- Experience
- Unfiltered viewpoints
- Information transparency
- High upload speeds
Considering the idea of creating and distributing online media, how could Community Media Centers expand the community that they currently serve?
- Promote themselves an alternative means of distributing media and promoting media
- Video clubs and camps
- Involve all nonprofits
- Parent/youth classes
- Senior community
- Educators
- Neighborhood centers
- Arts communities (for example, participate in community art hops)
- Local bloggers
- Locals posting to YouTube and other video streaming sites
- Local podcasters
Considering the idea of creating and distributing online media, who are a Community Media Center’s potential partners
- Community Technology Centers
- High School and Middle School Technology Clubs
- Tech/geek organizations (ie. FreeGeek or Dorkbot)
- Arts organizations
- Anyone who values locally generated content published online (ie. community newspapers, local festivals).
Folks at the conference discussed in a very honest manner their struggle with moving in a new direction. Some have already moved. Some Community Media Centers are already providing online creation and distribution tools and have moved into the arena of figuring out the issues that go along with that service (such as copyright issues). Check out Waycross Community Media’s Video on Demand. Other folks are deciding their Center is so much a community hub, it will certainly continue to be so if they are also providing their services online. That is the benefit of a conference, to talk to each other and find out what others are doing. To discuss the possibilities, to argue out the issues.
Huge thank you to Cincinnati Media Bridges for hosting the conference and inviting me. I loved being there. Even if I didn't win the Wii.
