FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
1 October 2002
CONTACT:
Rachel Gazda, KWRU press office:
215-203-1948 mobile: 267-974-3083
rachel@kwru.org

BREAK THE MEDIA BLACKOUT CONFERENCE:
Poor people and the media democracy movement link together to address corporate America’s blackout of economic crisis.

On Friday, October 4th, activists from around the country will gather to improve their media skills and learn to document economic human rights violations occurring in the US. The conference will kick-off at the Prince Music Theater (Broad & Chestnut) with the first evening of a two day film festival, featuring works of grassroots anti-poverty organizations as well as independent media makers. Workshops, skill shares and panel discussions will take place at the Ritter Annex (Broad & Cecil B Moore) on the campus of Temple University on Saturday and Sunday. Panel discussions will address two alarming trends in the US today: the growth of poverty and the reduction of the number of companies who own the media. The conference will close on Sunday, October 6th with a panel discussion around the ways in which independent media and the movement to end poverty are working together to allow the poor a voice in today’s media.

The conference is sponsored by the Poor People’s Economic Human Rights Campaign, which includes the Philadelphia based Kensington Welfare Rights Union (KWRU). The KWRU has been joined in the planning of this conference by several local independent media and media democracy groups including: Human Rights Tech, Philadelphia Independent Media Center, Drexel University Television, Media Tank, Philadelphia Community Access Coalition, and Prometheus Radio Project.

“For too long, media owned by the rich have blacked out the struggles of poor people. By calling this conference, KWRU seeks to build partnerships that will force change in the way the media covers or does not cover issues of life and death issues of food, housing and clothing. The media acts as if they are unbiased but clearly they only serve the interests of the corporations who own them,” says Cheri Honkala, director of the Kensington Welfare Rights Union.

Speakers and those attending the conference include farm workers from Florida, day laborers from Baltimore, Deaf and Deaf-Blind workers from Ohio, and residents of public housing in Chicago as well as media activists and professionals. More information about the Break the Media Blackout conference can be found on the web site: http://www.kwru.org/conference

KWRU member Joy Butts, host of a Drexel University television program has this to say about the upcoming conference, “I expect this conference to give the poor the tools necessary to create their own media that will tell the truth about the poor and dispel myths and stereotypes. The Break the Media Blackout Conference will bring together independent media and grassroots organizations of the poor to form a new alliance of those who want the poor to be heard.”

Co-sponsors include: Kensington Welfare Rights Union, Human Rights Tech, Social Work Action Alliance, The Media College of The University of the Poor, Deaf and Deaf-Blind Committee for Human Rights, Economic Human Rights Theater, Philadelphia Independent Media Center, Drexel University Television, Media Tank, Philadelphia Community Access Coalition, Temple University School of Social Administration, Prometheus Radio Project.

Conference organizers will be available for interview prior to the conference. A press conference is scheduled for Saturday October 5th at 1PM at Temple University, on the 5th floor of the Ritter Annex, Broad and Cecil B Moore.
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