Everyday, we are surrounded by information and media. Most are constructed by for-profit organizations, which have a consumer-driven agenda. Community Media exists to help people navigate through these mass media images, by finding a way to utilize different forms of media to convey messages and information that is relevant to their own lives and communities.
The term community implies that there exists some kind of a social group, with common activities and experiences, but no definition designates the size of the group and characteristics. (Hoffer) In community research, it is suggested that voluntary organizations, civic clubs and community planning and action groups all have the common quality of being based on conjunctive relationships. (Bates & Bacon, 1972) This is especially conducive to the practice of creating and developing content for community media, which can be a community development practice in itself.
In this Media and Community Building class, we have explored the ways in which local news and information is disseminated, and how public access media is essential to a healthy democratic society. Some of the key concepts we have focused on around community media, are that it is for the most part independent of market-driven forces, it encourages community participation in the form of open access and training, and its democratic nature allows it to serve a wide variety of groups and address local issues.
Community Media started forming in the 1960’s with the introduction of the porta-pak, artists and film makers began capturing footage from their surroundings, and the “guerrilla television” movement was born. The mission of making “people’s television” was the inspiration for many of these early filmmakers and artists. The early pioneers of community media formed video groups such as Videofreex, People’s Video Theater, Global Village and Raindance Corporation. (Boyle, 1992) As the medium evolved over the years, resulting in more news and public affairs programming, a wider diversity of views expressed and better television and radio service. (Lloyd)
For this blog, I have explored the community media access available for my community of New Bedford, Massachusetts. New Bedford is a city of approximately 100,000 people, with a rich maritime history. Over the last few decades New Bedford has struggled as an economically depressed area. However within the last ten years or so, it has begun to emerge with a renewed arts and culture scene, and is quickly becoming a tourism destination. Along with this recent revitalization, New Bedford has begun to upgrade and improve community access to information and technology. It operates three Community Technology Centers, boasts an award-winning Public Access Television Station and has several local organizations that offer training for a reduced fee, or in many cases for free. Despite these encouraging trends, there is still room for improvement. The City’s presence on the web is minimal, and the official city website is not interactive for the most part.
Overall, the compilation of accessible community media centers throughout this website reflects a city that is diverse and vibrant, with an exciting future that will be fueled by the many civic and artistic organizations that are using community media to help inform the people of New Bedford about many events, issues, political discussions and arts and cultural activities that are available to them.
Works Cited
Bates, F. L., & Bacon, L. (1972). The Community as a Social System. Social Forces , 371-379.
Boyle, D. (1992). From Portapak to Camcorder, A Brief History of Guerrilla Television. Journal of Film and Video , 67-79.
Hoffer, C. (n.d.). Understanding the Community. The American Hournal of Sociology , 616-624.
Lloyd, M. (n.d.). Communications Policy is a Civil Rights Issue. Retrieved 12 8, 2008, from http://www.comtechreview.org/winter-spring-1998/r981lloy.htm
New Bedford, Massachusetts
An Authentic Working Waterfront
Working Definition of Community
Being a member of a community isn’t always easy. In a world where friends can be a click away but a thousand miles apart, where you can be next to someone but can’t talk except via instant messaging, and where you don’t know your neighbors next door but you do know intimate details about your friends across the country on Myspace, a venture into community requires a trust in an unrelated network of people.
Whether communities are defined by geographical boundaries or by the categorization of who belongs to a community and who does not, both are essentially the same, as Cohen suggests “boundary marking processes and rituals are a vital tool for defining community, identity, belonging and exclusion, and give a sense of reality to specific communities, although in fact they are merely mental or social constructs of insiders and outsiders”.
In addition to the idea of community being a group of people with a common interest, be it geographical location, social clubs, religious beliefs or ethnicity, communities can also be influenced by external events beyond their control. With the current economic situation it seems like there’s more call for help and more people in need of support and assistance. In chapter 1 of Community-ariasm, Smith explains how the term community is both shaping and being shaped by society itself, in an endless loop or re-creation. Economic situations, new technologies, available education, and social opportunities are just some of the factors that can contribute to the way in which communities are shaped, and if they are sustainable or if they will eventually die out.
Even a concept as malleable as community has a common thread, however. In the various readings and articles we have covered so far, the idea of community being a vehicle for self-actualization is touched on repeatedly. One of the key benefits people get from participating in community and their reciprocal relationships is a sense of belonging that is a part of their individual identity. “People construct community symbolically, making it a resource and repository of meaning, and a referent of their identity’ (Cohen 1985: 118).
Another defining aspect, which also contributes to the constant flux of the definition of community, is that even though individuals can experience a sense of self through them, often communities are more than just the people who are in it. A community can continue to exist even as its individual members move through it, and as new members enter into it, the community itself can remain rather unchanged.
Aristotle tells us that community requires different kinds of capacity, interest and character among its members because through the interplay of diversities, people are able to serve as compliments of one another and to attain a higher and better life by the mutual exchange of different services. The phrase “sense of community” begins to get at this meaning. It refers to a sharing of common beliefs that involves a connection at a more personal or emotional level. Words like “passion,” “devotion,” and “commitment” also come to mind when discussing the concept “sense of community.”
It is usually assumed that when people feel that they belong to a community, they have an active interest in ensuring that it functions well and are more likely to contribute to the well-being of the community. The emphasis on a collective well-being over individuals is a large part of Community-ariasm which has a focus of interest toward communities and societies and away from the individual. Smith’s explains in Chapter 3 of Community-ariasm that as long ago as 1955 George Hillery listed some 94 definitions of community he had found in the social science literature, and concluded that the only thing they all held in common was a reference to people.
From our class readings so far, it is evident that the definition of community continues to shift and evolve, and the introduction of modern communication methods, i.e. instant messaging, internet, cell phones, etc. have contributed significantly to the rapidly changing idea of community on a global scale. Even with the constant change and the difficulty in defining exactly what community is, it seems clear that the strength of ties between the groups, no matter what the subject matter is, is truly the essence of definition of community.
Works Cited:
Smith, G "Community - arianism" Chapter One: Community; ideology and utopia
Cohen, A. P. (1985) The Symbolic Construction of Community, London: Tavistock (now Routledge). 128 pages.
Whether communities are defined by geographical boundaries or by the categorization of who belongs to a community and who does not, both are essentially the same, as Cohen suggests “boundary marking processes and rituals are a vital tool for defining community, identity, belonging and exclusion, and give a sense of reality to specific communities, although in fact they are merely mental or social constructs of insiders and outsiders”.
In addition to the idea of community being a group of people with a common interest, be it geographical location, social clubs, religious beliefs or ethnicity, communities can also be influenced by external events beyond their control. With the current economic situation it seems like there’s more call for help and more people in need of support and assistance. In chapter 1 of Community-ariasm, Smith explains how the term community is both shaping and being shaped by society itself, in an endless loop or re-creation. Economic situations, new technologies, available education, and social opportunities are just some of the factors that can contribute to the way in which communities are shaped, and if they are sustainable or if they will eventually die out.
Even a concept as malleable as community has a common thread, however. In the various readings and articles we have covered so far, the idea of community being a vehicle for self-actualization is touched on repeatedly. One of the key benefits people get from participating in community and their reciprocal relationships is a sense of belonging that is a part of their individual identity. “People construct community symbolically, making it a resource and repository of meaning, and a referent of their identity’ (Cohen 1985: 118).
Another defining aspect, which also contributes to the constant flux of the definition of community, is that even though individuals can experience a sense of self through them, often communities are more than just the people who are in it. A community can continue to exist even as its individual members move through it, and as new members enter into it, the community itself can remain rather unchanged.
Aristotle tells us that community requires different kinds of capacity, interest and character among its members because through the interplay of diversities, people are able to serve as compliments of one another and to attain a higher and better life by the mutual exchange of different services. The phrase “sense of community” begins to get at this meaning. It refers to a sharing of common beliefs that involves a connection at a more personal or emotional level. Words like “passion,” “devotion,” and “commitment” also come to mind when discussing the concept “sense of community.”
It is usually assumed that when people feel that they belong to a community, they have an active interest in ensuring that it functions well and are more likely to contribute to the well-being of the community. The emphasis on a collective well-being over individuals is a large part of Community-ariasm which has a focus of interest toward communities and societies and away from the individual. Smith’s explains in Chapter 3 of Community-ariasm that as long ago as 1955 George Hillery listed some 94 definitions of community he had found in the social science literature, and concluded that the only thing they all held in common was a reference to people.
From our class readings so far, it is evident that the definition of community continues to shift and evolve, and the introduction of modern communication methods, i.e. instant messaging, internet, cell phones, etc. have contributed significantly to the rapidly changing idea of community on a global scale. Even with the constant change and the difficulty in defining exactly what community is, it seems clear that the strength of ties between the groups, no matter what the subject matter is, is truly the essence of definition of community.
Works Cited:
Smith, G "Community - arianism" Chapter One: Community; ideology and utopia
Cohen, A. P. (1985) The Symbolic Construction of Community, London: Tavistock (now Routledge). 128 pages.
Media and Community Building Conclusion
The boundaries of Community can sometimes be drawn on a map, other times it is a category of people or characteristics of members. (Smith) As a communication tool, community media is beginning to adapt to emerging technologies and the ever-sharpening interactive features online. As a result, community boundaries continue to change and realign, creating a new generation of members with a constantly-evolving sense of community.
In this enviornment, the media landscape will be reshaped by the bottom-up energy of media created by amateurs and hobbyists. (Blau) As an empowerment tool, it is among the poor and oppressed especially, that community becomes a means to group solidarity and mutual help. (Smith) Because Community Media is able to operate independent of traditional corporate influences, public access to Community Media is vital to the democratic health of a community.
Community Media is an effective means of citizens interacting with community leaders and politicians, and an invaluable tool for holding them accountable when necessary. Community Media is also a gateway for the enrichment of educational opportunities for community members who do not have private access to new technologies or who need assistance in utilizing them. The future of Community Media is an exciting prospect, as new technology allows for the dissemination of information with an immediacy never seen before, as well as a rapidly evolving web that features more and more interactive features for the consumer.
All of these exciting technologies require us – the consumers- to be well educated and informed as to who the source of the content is, as well as hone our abilities to discern for ourselves which of these technologies adds value to our individual lives and which don’t.
Works Cited:
Smith, G; Community-arainism, Chapter 1
Blau, Andrew; The Future of Independent Media, Sept. 2004
In this enviornment, the media landscape will be reshaped by the bottom-up energy of media created by amateurs and hobbyists. (Blau) As an empowerment tool, it is among the poor and oppressed especially, that community becomes a means to group solidarity and mutual help. (Smith) Because Community Media is able to operate independent of traditional corporate influences, public access to Community Media is vital to the democratic health of a community.
Community Media is an effective means of citizens interacting with community leaders and politicians, and an invaluable tool for holding them accountable when necessary. Community Media is also a gateway for the enrichment of educational opportunities for community members who do not have private access to new technologies or who need assistance in utilizing them. The future of Community Media is an exciting prospect, as new technology allows for the dissemination of information with an immediacy never seen before, as well as a rapidly evolving web that features more and more interactive features for the consumer.
All of these exciting technologies require us – the consumers- to be well educated and informed as to who the source of the content is, as well as hone our abilities to discern for ourselves which of these technologies adds value to our individual lives and which don’t.
Works Cited:
Smith, G; Community-arainism, Chapter 1
Blau, Andrew; The Future of Independent Media, Sept. 2004
Blog Archive
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2008
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December
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- Introduction
- Community Portrait of New Bedford, Massachusetts
- Telecommunications and Public Policy
- How Community Media Contributes to Public Discours...
- Web 2.0 and Virtual Communities
- Community Access Television
- Literature Review
- Community Radio in New Bedford
- Community Technology Centers in New Bedford, MA
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December
(9)
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