For Immediate Release
Contact: Beverley Walter, 708-447-1547

Chicago will shortly be the site for 2009 Media Democracy Day - Chicago, 1-4 pm, Saturday, November 7, 2009, at Grace Place, 637 S. Dearborn Ave., in Chicago’s South Loop.

This year the Metro Chicago Progressive Media Network, a group of media activists and professionals, is organizing 2009 Media Democracy Day - Chicago with the objective of including representation and participation from all around the Chicago area. The timing of the event is planned to coincide with Media Democracy Day in Vancouver, Canada.

Initially Media Democracy Day (MD Day) was organized by local Toronto and Vancouver groups in of the Campaign for Press and Broadcasting Freedom in Canada. In 2002, events were held in cities around the world. Today the tradition of MD Day is carried on by local citizens and student groups in Canada and around the world.

The event is divided into four parts. Part I will be a panel featuring concise (5-7 minutes) presentations by key area media activists, media professionals, media-related organizations and academics with the goal of covering the full spectrum of the reform media map: 1) mainstream media itself, its content, structure, sources, balance, etc.; 2) alternative media of all types, including TV, radio, print, internet, performance, and graphics; 3) public awareness and education about the media; and 4)the media environment, including legislation and regulations.

The event is also planned, in so far as possible, to include representation of communities issues, such as those of the Latin-American community, the African-American community, women, youth, and the GLBT community.

The panel will feature: Veronica Arreola; Educator, Blogger (vivalafeminista.com); Mike Barr, Documentary filmmaker; Joel Bleifuss, Editor, In These Times; Karen Bond, National Black Coalition for Media Justice; Larry Duncan, Labor Beat; Jeanette Foreman, Youth Media Justice Project; Kevin Gozstola, documentary filmmaker working on a film/video degree at Columbia College: Robert Koehler, Syndicated Columnist; Kevin O’Donnell, Service Employees International Union, Local 1: Mitchell Szczepanczyk, Chicago Media Action; Tim Wais, HumanThread; Harvey Wells, Vice President, WCPT820 AM; and Antonio Zavala, freelance journalist .

Part 2 will be breakout sessions open to all participants. The breakout sessions will include first discussion and then formulation of actionable ideas. There will also be a Skills Sharing option, such as blogging. Part 3 will be a facilitated report-back session. A summary of the report-back will be made available to interested attendees.

The suggested attendance donation is being kept to a minimum so that no one who wishes to participate will be excluded. The suggested donations are: $10.00 General admission, or $5.00 Student/Senior/Low Income or whatever is affordable.

Progressive Media Network (MCPMN), which was formed in November 2007, is an area networking group of media professionals and media activists,

For more information, see: www.chicagoprogmedia.org or call 708.447.1547.