Empowerment through Media: Need Some Feedback

[Hanna]

My name is Hanna Adcock and I am currently in the process of setting up a media empowerment organisation. Working with charities and businesses, Citizen Camera will run workshops in visual media technologies for marginalised communities and groups. Our aim is to create video and photography that you can use as promotional or campaigning material. The difference with Citizen Camera is that we will work closely with the communities and peoples affected, teaching them documentation and journalistic skills so that they can generate their own stories. This will not only encourage personal development and transferable skills but will produce media material that is from a unique, fair and truthful perspective. We will work closely with the charity to develop footage that will be both beneficial to those involved and for your campaign strategy.
Members of Citizen Camera are established teachers and media practitioners. We have worked both worldwide and locally with a wide range of issues including poverty, migration, disabalism and conflict. We have seen the powerful effects of media empowerment first hand and are now passionate about promoting this further, fighting current negative media portrayals that are still so common.
I am currently conducting some basic research to ensure that our values and ideals are appropriate and to apply for relevant funding to make sure that this can happen. I would greatly appreciate you taking a couple of minutes to answer a few questions below. Or just give any general feedback


Is this something that you are currently doing in your
organisation?


If yes, in what capacity and with whom?


Do you believe that you are using video and photography to the
greatest benefit?


Is a media empowerment program something that you would
potentially be interested in doing?


If yes, why?


If no, why?


Please type any additional comments here:


Thank you very much for your time. If you would like any further information please do not hesitate to contact me on: [e-mail]
Kind Regards
Hanna Adcock

[Jenara Nerenberg]

Hi Hanna,
This is a great idea. One organization you may be interested in is Jessica Mayberry's Channel 19.

All the best,
Jenara

[Hanna]

Thanks for that Jenara, the work looks amazing, full of issues that are never ever reported well over here. Good to see a program like this working so well, I really think the next step is to create greater coverage for the films that have been made. How did you find out about her work?
Cheers and Kind Regards
Hanna

[Jenara Nerenberg]

Hi Hanna,
I've done a lot of research on participatory video, as it relates to my interest in new media marketing to the base of the pyramid. I've explored the themes and Jessica's work on my site, BOP Source and in my post on NextBillion.net and have started a business around connecting the BoP with companies through social media. I'd like to see Jessica's work taken further, onto cell phones in the form of mobile videos and even further to turn the footage into consumer research for companies.

I also did my Masters in Social Marketing at Harvard so I am familiar with a lot of innovative communications programs. Let me know if you'd like to connect further on any of these topics.

All the best,
Jenara

[Delanta Frink]

I think media...positive media is an effective tool to create inspiration and hope amongst nations. People are heavily influenced by their environment and what they consumed their thoughts around. News Media, T.V, and radio are several traditional mediums in which information is exchanged amongst people. These forms of media tend to be biased and somewhat negative to the audience in which is portrayed because they are usually "one-sided".

But with the rise of the information Age with the internet, biased and negative forms of media have lost its place in society due to certain platforms like Youtube where ideas from opinions are FREELY expressed.

I think this is an awesome idea, so my question is what type of platform will you develop and how will it be different from what is available today.....

Will it be structure like Youtube..Ning, or will it have its own unique structure to present to the world.

[Mark Trotter]

An interesting project and certainly a courageous approach to a life and death issue for many.

I work with organisations throughout the UK, EU, Africa and South America, I think one of the issues that has always concerned some of the people in those areas is reprisals. People have tried in northern souh america to tell a positive story through media and found themselves the target of violent gangs who do not welcome the attention this attracts.

I believe in telling the story and getting it across as a personal experience however there are real constraints to where it can be used and just how effective it will be. Personally it is a great project and wish you every success,

passion, honesty and personal

[jessica romo]

Hi Hanna,

i send you an email to the email you provide above and I am afraid I have no had any reply from you. I was wondering if you received it at all I used a gmail account: [e-mail]

In my email I comment a couple of things related to your project and I was looking forward to receiving your comments.

Thanks,
Jessica

[Hanna]

Hello, sorry for the delayed reply I have been away from the world of computers for a few days filming.
Community media is definitely something that is one the rise. Although some media will be placed on networking sites, I plan to build my own news forum, I have a real interest in making stories that have a real news quality to them. I have done a lot of investigative journalism throughout my career, and hope to teach some of these techniques. The news forum will hopefully become a portal for other journalists to gather information and for community groups to link up to tackle certain issues. In response to you Mark, i have also found this situation to be the case. I have previously worked with indigenous communities in the Philippines where they have been deeply persecuted by the army. In this situation, we found it inappropriate to publish some of the findings for the risk of their own safety. What I have found however is that by teaching documentation skills, communities can build up substantial evidence to document human rights abuses which carried alot more weight than their previous methods. It is difficult to make these things entirely unique in todays market place, but this isn't something that i am solely focused on. My main interest is that the communities that make these films and photographs gain substantially from them, that their stories are actually heard, documented and acted upon. The films will be used as political tools as the makers themselves wish but through the process of making them, transferable knowledge is gained and new opportunities arise. Jenara- I will be doing my major thesis on this topic, so I will definately get in touch in the future for some advice, it looks like you have a very good knowledge of this sector, thank you for your input.
Hanna

[Hanna]

Hello Jessica,
yes i did receive your email, thank you very much, it was really interesting. I am actually on the same MA course as you so i thought it best we could have a chat in class! I will reply anyway as sometimes time is limited!
Cheers
Hanna

[jessica romo]

Hanna,

I had no idea you were the same Hanna from my class! what a silly coincidence. I think it would be great to have a chat sometime at school :)

I am very interested in find out your opinions on the model I proposed for a project like yours, although after reading some of the more detailed comments you have posted I realise that your project is a bit different that what I initially though.

Take care!
jess

[Alan Ivor Mills]

Peoples and Technology plays a very important in our society, therefore Global Education should be a topic to be considered.