Youth Media

How can we harness the power of digital media to champion a community or social cause important to us? We explored this question in our workshop, looking at a "Turn On The Tap" digital story created by elementary school media makers.

I am fired up.

I am sitting in the Best Western hotel room here in Minneapolis (I like this town, and affectionately refer to it as "Minny") with my old friend - ACME co-founder and co-president Bob McCannon.

We are preparing for ACME's first-ever TEACH-IN at the National Conference on Media Reform.

ACME has attended all four of Free Press' National Media Reform conferences, beginning with the one in Madison back in 2003, running workshops and an exhibit booth advocating the importance of media education for media reform.

On Apr 29, 2008, at 10:20 AM, David Kleeman wrote:
DK: Am I then to conclude you believe that every act of aggression or violence is directly caused by violent media exposure? 

--Not any more than I think a girl with an eating disorder has been affected by the culture, or that a kid who smokes has been affected by movies or a child that is overweight has been affected by advertising. I think that due to the exposure, each act becomes more likely, even if just a tiny bit more likely.

From kiten2cat12345 on YouTube:

"This is a simple, easy to understand, overview of the situation of media in America and where to go to find information and alternative sources.
I don't specifically mention the big media corporations, but if you are interested they are General Electric, Walt Disney Company, Viacom/CBS, Time Warner, and News Corporation.

Important Places You Should Go:
http://www.Stopbigmedia.com
http://www.COAnews.org
http://www.Freepress.net

From ACME Co-President Rob Williams on YouTube:

"What happens when you bring together 10 young Jordanians and 10 young Vermonters for eight months of cross-cultural conversation, media education, leadership training, digital storytelling production, and reciprocal three-week home stays in both countries? The answer: so much. Take a look..."

In the last couple of years, mainstream media has figured out that its future lies in part with figuring out how to engage youth with civic affairs and . . . the news (however the news evolves). Here's a column from the Waco, Texas, daily -- which is owned by Cox Communications of Atlanta, about what they're doing.
-- bill densmore

http://www.wacotrib.com/opin/content/news/opinion/stories/2007/09/30/093...
http://www.wacotrib.com/services/content/services/aboutus.html

HEADLINE: Ken Sury: From print to small screen
PUBLISHED: Sunday, September 30, 2007

Youth media and literacy were key topics at Journalism That Matters: The DC Sessions," a gathering of more than 150 journalists, bloggers, educators and activists Aug. 7-8, 2007, in Washington, D.C. The Media Giraffe Project at UMass convened the two-day gathering as part of a year-long effort to establish "The Next Newsroom," -- a prototype news organization in a U.S. community that will be created from scratch.

OK, here's the deal. I haven't owned or watched television in twenty years.

I watched 1-2 hours a day as a kid. PBS stuff, and Star Trek (the original) when my Mom wasn't looking. I think I am OK.

But it is a different world now.

What worries me more than "teenage problems" - see article below - is the vast amount of hype, spin, distortion and hyperbole that accompany so-called "serious" TV programming.

Like the "news."

And yes, the quotes are there for a reason.

Two college students in a media studies class throw it down in an independent project...