Find this article in The Tyee, rabble.ca, and VUE Weekly.

It was a holiday gathering much like any other, until I was introduced to a fellow "media person." To my surprise and amusement, he happened to be the Director of Communications for the Canadian Olympic Committee. I had a million questions: What did he think of independent and social media? What about the resistance to the games? What does his job actually entail?

Apparently, the Director of Communications is primarily responsible for keeping the "rights holders" happy and making sure they get to the front of the line of any sought media moment. His job seems to be to ensure that big media maintains its gatekeeper status. As for social and indie media, he didn't have much to say -- they aren't a part of his job. When I asked him about those critical of the games, he gave me a look that read, "Yeah, there's a few people who don't like the games, and that's too bad..." At the very least he seemed unprepared, at the worst, he's working in a media ecology that doesn't exist anymore.

Find this article in The Tyee.

And maybe eight times that, after misspending community media funds to further their own aims.

OpenMedia.ca is a national, nonpartisan, nonprofit organization working to advance and support an open and innovative communications system in Canada. OpenMedia.ca is the organization that coordinates the SaveOurNet.ca Coalition.

We are currently envisioning our direction and YOU have a unique opportunity to help define OpenMedia.ca's work in 2010 and beyond. Take our "OpenMedia.ca Where To?" survey:
http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/QL85KKW

Be a part of Opening the Media!

Join our exciting and growing organization:

Do you care about media? Are you interested in doing substantive work for a national nonprofit organization working on media issues? Want to learn the behind-the-scenes work that goes into effectively running a nonprofit?

OpenMedia.ca is seeking talented and creative volunteer interns to work with us at our young media democracy organization. Demonstrate your enthusiasm and skills in a team-orientated environment and be a part of creating positive social change and open media in Canada.

Find this article in The Tyee, rabble.ca, VUE Weekly, and Common Ground.


Meet the many innovators advancing the open media movement.

Some of us have made New Year resolutions to exercise more, eat healthier, or spend more time with friends and family. While these are important personal goals, it may be the right time to also have a loftier collective resolution -- to drastically open up our media system in 2010.

I've previously written about how the combination of big corporate media's self-mutilation and the increasing proliferation of the open Internet has created a historic opportunity to transform Canada's media system and our concept of citizenship, government and institutions in general. What I have been somewhat remiss in discussing to date is the third and most important factor leading to transformative change in media -- the open media movement.