Positive Core Value: Catalyzing civic engagement

As an advocate for citizens’ access to media in Dayton, Jon Rocco played a crucial role enabling a community group to make use of media production tools and cable channels to educate the public about the dangers of a chemical company’s plan to bury nerve gas in the area. Despite its potential short-term economic benefits, the plan was defeated. Public access television contributed to the success of the citizens’ campaign. Early in his career, Robert Byrd’s documentary, The Shadow of the Beast, raised awareness of torture through sharing the stories of survivors. Although he is no longer producing films, Robert’s early producing experiences shaped his awareness of the power of moving image media to create social change—an awareness that continues to fuel his advocacy today. Similarly, through his experience producing radio stories and training journalists in war-torn conditions in the former Yugoslavia, Mike Wassenaar developed a long-term commitment to using media tools to work for peace and justice.

Several media arts practitioners shared examples that involved connecting local audiences with global issues through personal human stories. In creating the Words, Camera, Action program at Intermedia Arts, Marlina Gonzalez researched and produced an interactive presentation and performance to raise awareness about the abduction and conscription of child soldiers worldwide. Through the efforts of an intermediary in Sierra Leone, child soldiers who were on the run shared their stories by contributing spoken word poetry on scraps of their clothing; these fragments were scanned and transmitted back to Intermedia.

Another international project, Herb E. Smith’s short film about the risks facing coal miners, served both as an appreciation of miners and a catalyst to motivate improved safety conditions in the mines. In reflecting on the experience of producing Coal is Black and Sometimes Red in collaboration with filmmakers from five Eastern European countries, Herb E. was reminded of the centrality of art-making within the human experience, commenting, “Art is active. It’s not separate from our reality, it’s part of our reality.”

The End of a Nightstick, a Community TV Network documentary, was broadcast nationally by P.O.V. and community education on police brutality has continued through distribution of the film to grassroots groups, churches and international organizations such as Amnesty International. Working on the project was a life-changing experience for the youth involved and many now have jobs in the media industry. Attorneys were able to make use of the film as documentation for clients brutalized by police. In sharing her experience with this project, Denise Zaccardi said, “Films can create social change. This film was a model for what media can do.”

Powerful results grew from a young filmmaker’s decision to take part in a public screening to share her intensely personal video, Silence is a Virtue, but it can Kill You, a story of abuse. According to Street Level Youth Media’s Manwah Lee, not only did the young filmmaker inspire the audience at the screening, she also inspired other young women who had similar stories to come forward and get help. Renee Hobbs partnered with an alternative community high school to help a teacher incorporate media literacy in her classroom on the anniversary of 9/11. The project involved students critically analyzing films with different points of view, and then creating and presenting their own multimedia presentations at Temple University to an audience of family, peers, teachers and community members.

In organizing the San Antonio community to testify at an FCC hearing, the Prometheus Radio Project and partners helped to influence national public policy affecting community radio stations. According to Prometheus’ Hannah Sassaman, the process also helped to strengthen the capacity of local San Antonio groups who were able to win their fight to reclaim their community radio station.Debbie Rudman described a collaborative effort to provide independent coverage of the Republican National Convention in 2002 as “a beacon of hope” in contrast to mainstream media coverage. From her position within the Drexel University system in Philadelphia, she was able to help connect local people, involve national partners such as Free Speech TV, and extend the reach of grassroots independent producers.

Explore more POSITIVE CORE values:

• Community building and collaboration
• Empowerment and public voice
• Learning and mentoring
• Catalyzing civic engagement and a more just world
• Supporting artists and diverse voices
• Cultural bridging
• Innovating and inspiring audiences across disciplines
• Partnering for greater impact

During her tenure with Lowell Telecommunications Corporation, Felicia Sullivan experienced the transformation of a technology training program into a force for community collaboration and expressive communication. According to Felicia, “We were building the capacity of the community with media, helping to transform the community.” find this story on the timeline