September 23 Writers' Collective Meeting

September 23
Writers' Collective Meeting

http://www.stlimc.org

Present: Sam, Tiffany, Emily, Digger, Maggie, Sean (facilitator), Greg (notes)

1.)Introductions and Backgrounds

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2.)IMC and Confluence Updates

1.Digger: Confluence has been publishing for 13 years, and has run into a number of problems that have disrupted the publishing schedule. Two main problems have arisen: 1.) there is little money left 2.) Labor and writing shortages because the layout process is too tedious. As of now, the Confluence is out of publication. Part of Digger's vision is to collaborate with the IMC.

2.Greg: the IMC is a collective of media activists who have created a forum for posting alternative news. STL IMC is in the process of re-tooling the website and reaching out to local writers.
3.Sean: an editorial collective is forming that would oversee the content of the site. At the next IMC meeting, this will be established.

4.Digger: All are welcome to the meeting, but it is not required to contribute content for IMC or the confluence.

5.Maggie: What is the problem with the layout on the Confluence?

6.Digger: Initially, the computers were ancient and they took too long to complete the layout. Currently, a new, more sophisticated technology setup has made it difficult due to lack of skills/knowledge of software.

7.Sean: It is crucial that we build a cadre of interested people for Indymedia in St. Louis.

8.Emily: We should add outreach as an agenda item.

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3.)Outreach

1.Emily: Indymedia needs to reach out more to the universities in St. Louis at large. Positive relationships need to be built to take advantage of an atmosphere of like minds and young people.
2.Greg: needs to check back with Bobbee about a STLIMC announcement on air.
3.Emily: We should post to the art-list serve called critical mass. I will send a link out for this
4.Tiffany: will tap into a network of college activists who met last Saturday for a training workshop.
5.Digger: Suggested that we create stickers that can be distributed to get word out about the website. We should also contact other sites and bloggers who could put out information about IMC. Michael Allen might be an option, also pubdef could be too. Digger would be willing to bottom line this.
6.Emily: We should build our general list-serve, and compile a list of list-serves so we can quickly distribute information.
7.Maggie: Recommends that we build relationships with the St. Louis Linux User List that would help us on tech issues.
8.Sean: we should build relationships with other allied groups in St. Louis

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4.)General Topics for the IMC to cover (a discussion ensued about possible general topics)

1.Net Neutrality/Broadband Politics (and white spaces)
2.Environmental Politics
3.Agriculture
4.GMO's
1.Monsanto's Round-up
5.Corporate Politics
6.Education System/Neighborhood Schools
7.Race Relations
8.History of St. Louis
9.Transportation
10.Police Brutality/Accountability
1.Investigations behind Use-of-Force Documents
2.Race and correlations with convictions
11.Transportation
1.METRO
2.Urban Planning
12.City-County Relations and Segmentation
13.Electoral Politics, critiques of mainstream?
14.St. Louis Media
1.Dis-empowerment vs. Apathy
15.St. Louis Political Economy
16.Make sure that fun topics are included!

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5.)What topics/mindsets should we avoid?

1.Editorializing the news
2.Mainstream issues
Digger: We should not rely on “official news sources”. When something happens, we should go to the community for a voice.
Maggie: maybe we could do investigative reporting on issues
3.Greg: building Relationships with groups and individuals that are fruitful and based around solidarity, and not fostering destructive relationships create fissures between ourselves (as the media) and the community.
4.Maggie/Digger: avoid unsubstantiated opinions on issues.

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6.)Specific Topics

1.Emily – Radical History of St. Louis
2.Digger – 1.) Democracy Now! Based on survey of KDHX Listeners and Members 2.) Source that is writing a book about Round-up, Digger will talk with her about Monsanto
3.Maggie & Sean – Alternative Transportation Initiatives, and options that are not being explored in St. Louis
4.Maggie – Biking
5.Hannah – Metro-link River Front Times articles
6.Greg: 1.) Public Transportation Story 2.) School Board Questions, closing of schools, railroading of school closures.

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7.)Submitting Feature Stories
1.Email stories to the list for now in the absence of automatic voting promotion feature on the website.

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8.)We are tentatively scheduling a fund-raiser for STL IMC and Confluence for October 16 or October 23

1.We need to get the word out to the county, pull at those heartstrings and bleeding hearts!
2.We need a flier prototype

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9.)Next Meeting is Wednesday, October 8 @ 7:30 at CAMP
1.Set up editorial board
2.Set up regular meeting time

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Commitments:

1.)Sean: Graphics
2.)Digger – Bands
3.)Emily: contact bands
4.)Greg: Talk to BlackBear about fundraiser, familiarize with tech, add new emails to listserve

Everyone commits to investigating new listserves for outreach

10.)Next Meeting is Wednesday, October 8 @ 7:30 at CAMP
1.Set up editorial board
2.Set up regular meeting time