We are combining our monthly meeting this Friday at 7 PM with a potluck to follow. April annual meeting is coming up, and we need new people to get involved. It will be at 3707 Penn in KC.
Naomi Klein – Schlock-Doctrine
In The Guardian, Naomi Klein says that by using the media, the Republican party showcases Donald Trump’s ‘mental instability and out-of-control ego to distract from their policies, which are destroying many things.
Good Turnout to Monthly Social Event
Had about 10 people come to FCM’s monthly social get-together and discussed issues until Midnight. Next FCM meeting is scheduled for 3/9 – but may have to reschedule. Next potluck/gathering will be probably 3/23.
Upcoming Social Event
Saturday’s presentation by Medea Benjamin was well-attended in spite of freezing rain and snow conditions.
This Friday 2/22/19 at 7 PM there will be a social gathering of people interested in media reform at 3707 Pennsylvania in Kansas City. There will be a potluck, so if you can bring something, that would be fine.
Important Event Saturday 2/16/19
Medea Benjamin – Building a Peace Movement in an Era of Endless WarSaturday February 16, 6:30pmAll Souls UU Church, 4501 Walnut, Kansas City, MO 64110
Medea is co-founder of Code Pink and Global Exchange. She’s famous for her gutsy confrontations with powerful plutocrats, an expert on the Middle East, a leader in the peace movement and she is a frequent guest on KKFI’s Democracy Now. Her most recent book is Inside Iran; The Real History and Politics of the Islamic Republic of Iran. The Saudi Arabia book was published in 2016.
Meeting to discuss news entity
Spencer Graves has set up a meeting at All-Souls on Wednesday to discuss our shrinking news environment and solutions. Here’s the text of his message:
Hello, All:
I’m primarily focused on trying to organize a local nonprofit
news organization to replace the shrinking Star. The Institute for
Nonprofit News (inn.org) is hosting a “Town Hall” to describe how
different communities are doing this. You can sign up to participate in
this from anywhere via
“https://inn.org/event/inn-town-hall-possibilities-in-nonprofit-news/“.
Or you can come to the Conover Rm in All Souls UU Church this
Wednesday, Feb. 13, 2 PM. A group of us will watch it together there
and then discuss what, if anything, people want to to here about this.
The Kansas City Star will reportedly be laying off up to 50 more
employees, shrinking from 250 to 200 (down from 2,000 in 2007). INN is
a network of close to 200 nonprofit newsrooms and is ideally placed to
help new ventures like this.
However, if we can improve the media, it will be much easier to
make progress on virtually all our other concerns.
Spencer
Monthly Meeting Postponed
The Friends of Community Media meeting scheduled for 1/19/19 has been postponed because of the weather. Check back for a new rescheduled time for Sunday 3:00 PM 1/27/19 at the KKFI Annex.
Monthly social – potluck – planner
Friday 12/14/18 7 PM 3707 Penn.
A monthly get-together with people interested in the media. Food, friends, discussion. Continuing the discussion of a series on the media for 2019.
We discussed have a monthly series of programs themed, “Do You Trust Your Media” which would have a panel discussion, or guest speakers. Some ideas we kicked around were:
- Legal Issues in the Media – where we could invite experts like Robin and encourage discussion;
- Conversion Therapy in the Media – how media uncritically cover fundamentalist “conversion therapy” which attempts through torturous ways to convert homosexuals away from the way they were born;
- Religion in the Media – how some religions are covered in the more “equally” and accurately than other religions;
- Media – for Profit, or Not-for profit – difficulty and successes of some independent media and why they are successful or fail;
- Why do Conservatives and Progressives Hate the Media – panel discussion of people from opposite points of view on the media – could be lively;
- Honesty in Reporting – Is there really such thing as “objective media” and how do we tell?;
- Panel of People Who Have Left the Media – forced out or quit like those recently from channel 4 and the Kansas City Star. And what are their perspectives on the place they left and media in general.
These are just a few ideas on programs for 2019 and we need more topics to fill out the year. We targeted the first of the series for the 18th of January and discussed looking for a good venue to have these presentations. Ideas on a location are needed preferably a place that might allow drink, and light food. More media topics are needed, and we decided to discuss this further at our next social event / pot luck.
Decided to have the next potluck on the 14th of December (next week) at 3707 Penn. 7 PM.
