Republican & Democrat Convention Info.

[Gregory Sotir]

Subject:Alternative Media Coverage of the Counter-Convention activities
at the Republican and Democratic Conventions in August.

To all media makers--I am sending you this message to encourage of all
you to bring your notebooks and pens, powerbooks, cameras,
videocameras, audio-cassettes,etc. and come down to San Diego during
the Republican Convention from August 12-15 and to Chicago during the
Democratic Convention from August 26-29. An emerging progressive
movement will be unfolding at both cities and we can be there to
record it.

After the Media and Democracy Congress and the Cultural Environment
Movement conferences in March, I called a meeting of those in LA who
attended and we constituted the Los Angeles Alternative Media Network
(LAAMN) in April. We are now 150 members--a network of journalists in
print, radio, TV, film, video as well as internet pubishers,
photographers, musicians, artists and media watch activists and
researchers who have come together to develop a strong presence for the
independent, alternative media in LA. Through cross-collaboration, we
intend to reach a wide audience with a progressive message and to
report on the work of community-based organizations, providing a 'voice
for the voiceless' in the Southland. We are culturally inclusive,
opposed to racism, sexism and homophobia and function democratically as
a network of working groups and coordinating groups around various
projects. We stand for tolerance, justice, equality and human rights
as opposed to corporate-controlled media which stands for profit and
keeping the majority of people ignorant of political, social and
economic issues which
impact them.

The LAAMN has organized a media project in San Diego during the
Republican convention. We will be covering all events and we'd like you
to join us. On August 10-11 in San Diego there will be numerous
demonstrations and counter-convention activities in the city, prior to
the actual Convention which begins August 12. For example, a march of
people from Sacramento, which is protesting the racist anti-affirmative
action initiative on the November California ballot, will be arriving
that weekend in San Diego and holding a huge rally; the Central Labor
Council will be holding a massive rally protesting job loss,
union-busting, etc.; the Support Committee for Maquiladora Workers will
be sponsoring an "Alternative Bus Tour" to Tijuana and setting up
interviews with the workers, giving you a first-hand view of the
effects of NAFTA;the National Woman's Political Caucus, a bipartisan
group, has organized a flotilla of boats--a parade of sails with
pro-choice banners and signs. (These are just a 'few' of the
activities!) Then, from August 12-15, during the Convention, an
Alternative Media Center will hold 4 press conferences a day for the 4
days given by representatives of many grass-roots organizations and
focusing on the issues of immigration, women, diversity, seniors, the
environment, nuclear America, human welfare, religion, labor, consumer
affairs, media democracy, political reform, human rights, law and
liberty, the new majority and peace and non-violence. This Center,
located within walking distance of the Republican Convention, has been
organized by the editors and writers of the San Diego Review--the only
progressive newspaper in San Diego. This Center will also sponsor
several evenings of multi-cultural entertainment. Outside the
Alternative Media Center and the Republican Convention is a
'free-speech' area designated by the Mayor and the Police Dept. as a
place where groups can apply for permits and hold their rallies each
day and many grass-roots organizations plan to rally at this site.
There will also be many demonstrations during each day of the
Convention as well as cultural events, etc.

The LAAMN media project has been divided into teams:

1. Video team--we have enlisted videographers and editors from San
Francisco, LA and San Diego and we will be covering all the
counter-convention events that week. We have obtained an editing
facility at no cost and every evening we will be editing our footage.
Then on Friday, August 16, we will go up on satellite with a 2 hour
video feed "The Unconventional, Unofficial Coverage of the Republican
Convention", which will be downlinked by 250 cable stations across the
country, as well as by individuals who have satellite dishes. Dee Dee
Halleck of Deep Dish TV Network is arranging our satellite feed and
helping us with publicity.

2. Radio team--several of the news reporters from KPFK radio in LA, who
are in LAAMN, will be joining Norman Solomon and Julie Light of KPFA,
Berkeley who will be co-hosting the radio show "Making Contact", which
will be produced from the Alternative Media Center. The one hour show
will go up on satellite every day and at least 60 community radio
stations will downlink and play the program, which will be grassroots
coverage of the convention and counter-convention activities.

3. Internet team--a member of LAAMN who is the director of interactive
services for Planet Central TV Network will be installing computer
equipment, a scanner, etc., in the Alternative Media Center and will
feed stories onto the internet given to him by reporters,
photographers, etc. in the field. He will also be linked up to Web
sites around the country.

4. Photography team--a group of photgraphers in LA will be taking
pictures of all events and putting together an exhibition at the LA
Center for Photographic Studies in the fall.

5. Artists team--Many artists in LA are joining artists in San Diego to
create murals, floats, banners, etc.

6. Print media team--Many free-lancers and representatives of the print
alternative media will be writing stories for their publications and
also for the internet.

An organization similar to LAAMN has been created in Chicago--called
Counter Media--and they intend to have video, print, and internet teams
covering all the counter-convention activities during the Democratic
Convention from August 26-29. For example, a coalition called Not On
The Guest List is holding a march and rally to oppose the racism and
classism of the criminal justice system, to oppose police brutality,
and to call for money for schools, not for more prisons; another
coalition is organizing a large march to the convention center called
"Stop the War on The People" and yet another coalition is organizing a
"Campaign to Cash the Check" which is protesting the Democratic Party's
economic policies which are devastating the African American
communities and other communities of color.

So--there's lots of grass-roots activities in both cities this summer
and this is an opportunity for those of us in the alternative media
around the country to work together. I foresee this as a building block
for the CEM as well as for a national federation of alternative media.
Aside from the new media formations in LA and Chicago, Seattle has
formed an Independent Media Coalition and I'm sure other cities are
doing the same. I think we need to build these media networks and
coalitions in our own cities and towns--it will strengthen our national
movement.

Here are some phone numbers and e-mail addresses to contact people:

To contact the Los Angeles Alternative Media Network and get
information about joining our media project, call(310)458-6566 or
email:sek...@labridge.com We are in the process of raising funds for
our satellite video feed so if you have any suggestions, we'd
appreciate it.

To contact the Alternative Media Center in San Diego, call
(619)286-4026
or email: sd...@electriciti.com

To contact the Chicago CounterMedia call (312)670-9673 or
email:xme...@ripco.com

Hope to see some of you in August. Joan Sekler

[John Moppett]

What has this got to do with living history??????????

I can't think of any re-enactment period that would use any of the accessories
recommended!!!!

Anyway, if this doesn't happen until NEXT MONTH, how th hell can it be called
history??????