Back to School
By Al Giordano
Today we begin constructing the campuses for the 2010 Narco News School of Authentic Journalism, its 32 scholars and 40+ professors, on Mexico's Yucatán peninsula. The students and professors arrive by February 3 for ten days of intensive training in investigative reporting, online journalism, documentary filmmaking and viral video production.
The theme of this year's school is Journalism and Civil Resistance, to better train ourselves to report on social movements, civil resistances, community organizing and nonviolent campaigns, and to better understand the underlying strategic dynamics at play through the eyes of the strategists and organizers at the grassroots level.
You will be able to read a multitude of written reports by our students about the school's sessions, as well as see photographs and videos and daily updates - once the school begins - on the pages of Narco News. And for years to come you will be able to read, see and listen to the good works to come by the 70+ participants who will be giving each other an upgrade in these skills to be able to do this work of authentic journalism faster, better and more coherently.
Southeastern Mexico was one of five places on earth from where the phonetic written word was developed, replacing pictographs and bringing with it a great evolutionary leap forward for human society and our capacity to communicate with each other. We hope and plan that during these ten days we might take a small step ahead in the same direction to evolve this craft to the next level.
So if I'm a bit more quiet around here for the next couple of weeks, that's because we're off-screen, out there in the real world, laying the groundwork for even more reporting and information to come your way very, very soon.
Many of the Field Hands and readers here contributed to make the 2010 School of Authentic Journalism possible. Thank you again. Very shortly, you will begin to see a return on that investment in the works of a new generation of talents of conscience who do what we do here.
Do check in regularly for updates, and when I can send up a flare here on The Field, you know I will.
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Talents of Conscience...
Submitted on January 25th, 2010 by Lorie Cavin...I love that description of our scholars! Really looking forward to the stories, videos anything and everything we can get. You all inspire me!
Al, it's such a great feeling to support the school. I'll look for your flares here on The Field when you send them to US.
Beautiful work
Submitted on January 25th, 2010 by Mahakali Overdrive (not verified)Now this is something I can get behind. Thanks for the real.
A Request For Sanity
Submitted on January 26th, 2010 by Jonathan (not verified)I know this is off-topic, so please forgive me for this, but can you get something up soon regarding the spending freeze plan. I can no longer read anything that is being rational and realizes that it's not a total or permanent freeze, or how the President has once again betrayed everyone, etc, etc.
Will anyone be filming / youtube-ing the lectures?
Submitted on January 26th, 2010 by BR (not verified)I'd love to watch and learn from the journalists you have giving the lectures, and I'm sure others would as well.
@ Jonathan
Submitted on January 27th, 2010 by Laura M. PoyneerBy far the best thing I have read on the spending freeze is here.
Howard Zinn has died
Submitted on January 27th, 2010 by Mary in Seattle (not verified)What a huge huge loss.
Everything you needed to know
Submitted on January 29th, 2010 by Joel Wienssome pre work before J-School starts...
Newswipe!
@ Joel Wiens
Submitted on January 29th, 2010 by Lorie CavinSince the word "asswipe" has escaped my lips upon occasion, I laughed outloud at the "Newswipe" link. My husband and I watched and laughed even more, together. "When the going gets weird, the weird turn pro." This Hunter T. quote is a mantra in our home.
Thanks for the pre-J school report. My thoughts are with all at school.
Good Luck
Submitted on February 2nd, 2010 by Samson (not verified)Good luck to everyone down there. Sounds like fun. :) If I think about it too much, I'll probably wish I was out of the CO cold rain and snow and down there instead. So, instead I'll just wish good luck and lots of energy to everyone who is there. :)
The spending freeze plan is simple to understand. We spend over a trillion dollars a year on 'empire' (defense, off-budget wars, homeland security, intel). In the last year and a half, we've promised the wall street banks that they can have trillions of our dollars if they need it. This is why the budget deficits are high.
So, naturally the big idea that the Democrats and the Republicans can agree on is that its the parts of the government that actually do some good for American citizens that must absolutely be frozen if not cut back.
Someone has to pay for the wars and the bailouts, and its us.