The Future of Alternative Media in America? Funding!

The Future of Alternative Media in America? Funding!

ByLloyd Hart

As America comes out of its shock and awe after September 11, 2001 and begins to sober up, Americans will be and are in definite need of information of the kind that can explain the complexities that brought about not only global opposition to the illegal U.S. invasion and occupation in Iraq but also how the world's sympathy after the attack on September 11, 2001 turned to almost universal hostility as the mask was torn away from the war on terrorism to reveal bald faced belligerent imperialism emanating from the Bush regime. These answers are not being supplied by the corporate media in America rather quite the opposite is being perpetrated by this unprecedented level of shrill cowardice of what can only be viewed as bimbo journalism. I'm not sure how Americans are coping but they definitely know that their cities and towns are going broke and their state budgets are being slashed. People keep losing jobs while the man that calls himself President sitting in the White House continues to demand the public's trust when he does not deserve it on any level of human decency.

The fact is, since the hijacking of an election 2000 by the Bush league who ethnically, politically and militarily cleansed the voter list (a federally indictable crime) and the Bush regime dropping the air defense ball on the morning of September 11th because as they claim, they could not connect the dots after being warned by the entire world as well as by the FBI and the CIA, that massive hijackings were going to occur within the United States (at the very least presidential and cabinet resignation material) and the deliberate and planned dismantling of every social and environmental contract made in the name of the public trust disguised as massive tax cuts and the war on terrorism (also presidential and cabinet resignation material) and the illegal invasion of Iraq slaughtering thousands of men and women and children in the name of oil economics (definitely grounds for indictment in the International Court for violations of human rights) I have been incited to write, film, interview and publish.

By using http://indymedia.org open newswire where anyone can publish (once you follow the instructions) as my outlet to get my analysis and point of the view out I have succeeded in developing a regular readership. Mostly publishing on in the http://indymedia.org open newswire has also got my writing noticed by the publishing collectives on many of the Indy sites leading to being featured by those sites. Now I'm not sure how many people visit the http://indymedia.org sites but I can tell you the traffic at my site http://dadapop.com has gone through the roof as a result of publishing the articles on http://indymedia.org. When I interviewed Greg Palast of http://gregpalast.com I published the interview first on the http://indymedia.org sites globally and then http://zmag.org secondly wanting to lend Greg's talent and skill in answering my questions to the http://indymedia.org revolution. I will continue to publish on http://indymedia.org but have also been submitting film to Amy Goodman's http://democracynow.org that broadcasts on Pacifica Radio http://pacifica.org and http://freespeech.org . Lately I participated as a cameraman on the crew of an Alternative Broadcasters Distribution Network (abdn) production put together by Mike Clerren and in cooperation with http://freespeech.org that broadcast live to satellite the International A.N.S.W.E.R. peace rally in Washington DC on April 12th 2003. Just recently I've been quoted in Danny Schechter's Web Blog http://mediachannel.org and have been credited in the INN Report http://radiofreeamerica.tv which is broadcast over the Dish Network by http://freespeech.org . I have also spent every spare penny of my own money to make a film called "Build Up to Peace" which showcases the speeches, the songs, the poetry, the placards and the chants from the major gatherings of this peace movement to end this war and occupation in Iraq which will be used as a fund-raising tool for the peace movement and alternative media outlets. You can check out a sample of "Build Up to Peace" at my website http://dadapop.com along with many more links to alternative media sites that represent the world's greatest media revolution since the invention of radio and television and for that matter the printing press. A revolution to permanently counter the monopolized corporate feudalism found across the spectrum in broadcasting in America today.

I believe it to be of the utmost importance at this time in our journey on this planet where global communication is instantaneous. Even though many may not have a computer, those that do however have printers and can disseminate information from around the world to their community more so now than at any other time in the history. Creating a global relationship that shows that the political struggles of the poor and working people are the same no matter where you live. The idea that "The truth can set you free" is now a global phenomenon reveals to me the conscious desire for all humanity to come together and solve our Global Environmental and Social Crisis. Add to the Internet media revolution the advent of Free Speech TV http://freespeech.org and now abdn Alternative Broadcasters Distribution Network the truth can truly be distributed in every accessible form (radio, television, internet and print) on not only a national scale but a global one as well. But in order to do so we must vote with our dollars, our money. We must fund all of the alternative media outlets most of which are nonprofit organizations and can take your donations. Without the funds that people have donated so far we could not expect to have a hundred video cameras at every peace demonstration ensuring that the truth be seen and not just in the corporate media's spin. Anyone that reads this should be prepared to write checks or pull your credit cards out and give some money to these alternative media outlets you can find listed at my site http://dadapop.com . (If there are links that are missing at my site that you feel should be there let me know)

Special Request

We have built a Global Movement that is now a political force in the world and America. As the people of the United States of America head into the presidential primary season this political force must be brought to bear against the corruption that the Bush regime and the U.S. military have rot on the American ballot box and judicial system as they will most definitely attempt to steal the election in 2004. The alternative media must be there representing a new evolution in human communication undermining the hold that the corporate media has on the imaginations of the misinformed public and giving the truth to those deeply frustrated with the bimbo journalism that has swept the corporate media landscape.

Now that we have an alternative media revolution how do we get it to be of a benefit to everyone on a global as well as a national scale without every alternative media outlet spending funds to send a film crew to every event that occurs? Instead of sending an entire crew, an alternative media outlet can send a single journalist/cameraman/woman (or no one at all for that matter or send an entire crew that can add there special brand of interviews or camera work) to join the abdn production at the event and with help of the collective live to satellite crew can still secure interviews, speeches etc. a great deal of which will go live to satellite and after the event, tape to satellite feed. An Alternative Media Coalition journalist can now take free of charge the Alternative Broadcasters Distribution Network satellite feed where professional audio and video are being produced on the spot in a satellite uplink production truck with dozens of cameras linked to the live to satelite feed, running tape at the same time to ensure full and complete coverage of the significant events such as the peace rallies, peace and justice discussion panels, non-violent civil disobedience direct actions, peace and justice demonstrations at ruling class political conventions etc. etc.. With the resultant tape from these productions, independent filmmakers and alternatives media outlets will have a catalog of professionally produced material that can be utilized for what ever future retrospective or indepth projects for broadcast and print. Because the satellite feed goes out free of charge many media outlets outside the U.S. will be tempted as happened on April 12, 2003 in Washington D.C. at the International A.N.S.W.E.R rally, to take the feed and show it to their viewers as Italian national television did. The major benefit abroad though, will be the spawning of alternative broadcast distribution networks throughout the world supplying us with live feed from Europe, Africa, South and Central America etc.. With enough funding abdn could put up live to satellite multiple feeds giving the opportunity for alternative media outlets to have a choice of taking an interview when it's happening while another feed is continuing live broadcast of whichever event. I would urge all citizens and alternative media journalists to take a close look at abdn and consider supporting and using this new resource on the playing field of alternative media as a means to get the story and distribute it to your viewers, listeners and readers. With http://www.freespeech.org being a founding member of abdn you can go to the Free Speech TV site and contribute to this new effort. http://www.freespeech.org.

If you get this article in an e-mail or read it on http://indymedia.org please send it on. For 2004 will be the most important and historic year in the evolution of democracy in America and around the world and the alternative media needs the funds to insure the truth gets out as it happens no matter where happens. If you donate some money to an alternative media outlet tell 10 friends what you did and get them to do the same and then tell them to tell 10 of their friends to do the same. The Handmaid's Tale is just around the corner and unless we have the resources to spread the truth democracy could very well die in 2004. So please give so that the truth may live.