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Professional Conference Pamphlet Sample
Journalism Conference Why have we come here today? What is “Alternative Journalism” anyway, and what is its role in society? A commuter train lobs through the city, its passengers silent, immune to the thoughts of those who share their seats. Doors open and shutter closed as backs and briefcases lower and then disappear into the shadows of anonymous parking lots. After a pause, the train resumes its course. Riders will tell you that the depots are familiar. But ask them about the rooms beyond the turnstiles. Inquire about the lives that diverge from their own when the rail doors sweep shut. They will likely be able to reveal as much as the fading sky. Regrettable, sure, but how could each rider know what lives she and her fellow passengers speed toward? If she holds in her hands a traditional newspaper, she may get part of the picture, hear one version of the story. If she rides in silence, the train will make its familiar stops, lurch past the same darkened houses that tomorrow might be noted in new crime statistics or inspire a young writer; lanes that may guide a determined marathoner or witness unspeakable police brutality. But if she turns to study the faces of the other passengers, she will see it. If she lowers her head to listen, she will hear even more. By raising her eyes and meeting those of her neighbors, she has taken a step toward realizing an answer, or acknowledging an issue. Will she speak? Will she hear those brave others who do? She and the commuters sharing her rush hour train decide whether that train runs on time, where it stops, and who gets to ride - ultimately whether her city succeeds or fails. People who speak up, who communicate, who reach for creative solutions to challenges, and especially those who protest, build cities where opportunity and fair-mindedness open for a multiplicity of voices. It is this chorus that allows the many to travel beyond obstacles over which a few might collapse. This is the dynamic of alternative journalism. It has an imperative role in the functioning of healthy cities. As this train carries us along, swaying fitfully through the city streets, where does alternative journalism fit? At its heart. Standing amid people who cast votes in legislative bodies, among those who diagnose and treat disease, alongside those who educate children, and especially with those who bend invisibly into the day’s labor for others who dominate courtrooms, justice systems, churches, and synagogues. What does alternative journalism resist? What does it repeatedly forget to bring to the page? Agendas, partisanship, blinkered thinking, bias, and myopia. In today’s society, alternative journalism is necessary. Democratic vigor demands it. Alternative journalism can be a megaphone held to the experience, ideas, injustice, and creativity of people whose days too often pass unnoticed. It can be the view finder that brings focus to an issue that is usually ignored. It has the power to climb above the din and crush of the Internet’s often invaluable and frequently overwhelming amount of information. Alternative journalism is an un-retouched photo, one that reveals a fair and honest picture of the lives of our neighbors. After seeing accurate pictures, individuals can better envision, organize, and commit to designing and operating a system that allows growing numbers of people to grasp opportunities, enjoy life, endure difficulties with dignity, and lead communities in which they acknowledge and accommodate the lives, goals, and identities of themselves and their neighbors. Though the frightening and profound implications are not considered deeply enough, it is no secret that media convergence in this nation has created a tightly wound and rarely penetrated media fortress. Consider what this fortress protects and the need for alternative media is glaringly, potently, painfully clear. “Real news” often takes on the style and function – and disposability - of entertainment. There has always been only one thing that can face big money, outdated networks, racism, and corporate conglomeration: a chorus of voices - cacophonous, harmonious, disagreeable, and complete. The voices belong to you and your neighbors. Alternative journalism elevates a single voice, and those who have gathered. The train ride we share can be different. We can be riders or we can guide the train into the right choices. We can watch only for own itinerary or we can look into and listen for the lives of others as well. The right choices improve our cities and our lives. Alternative journalism is a strong part of the answer. © Cesca Janece Waterfield Back
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