Feature Archives

In this eighth chapter of “Media Workers for Social Change” Peter M profiles journalist JR Valrey. Valrey covers the Black neighborhoods in the Bay Area, addressing issues relevant to community members, and informing people on the outside as to what is going on. His forte is coverage of political prisoners and police issues. He is host of "The Block Report" on KPFA and other stations and works for The San Francisco Bay View.

Indybay has not only survived but thrived for ten years now. On November 13th, 2010, Indybay acknowledged everyone who has contributed over the last decade to the many projects of the SF Bay Area and Santa Cruz Independent Media Centers. We hosted a media conference with speakers, panels, and workshops — and then we threw a benefit party with radical musicians into the night. Thank you to everyone who came out!

Marc Sapir writes, "The core paid staff (representing perhaps 30-50 staff people at KPFA) essentially seized control of KPFA this morning [November 9th] to rally their listener base to resist efforts that could restore KPFA to financial solvency for the first time in 2 years, and bring it back from the brink of collapse (KPFA does not now have cash income to pay the staff regularly). What goes unstated is that the majority of staff at KPFA—over 150 programmers and producers--the people who keep the station on air 24/7 are volunteers are not represented in these antics."

Larry Bensky has had a varied journalistic career, marked by his association with KPFA-FM in Berkeley. Best known as a talk show host, he is famous for anchoring the Iran Contra Hearings from Washington for the national Pacifica Network. Less well known is his early career in mainstream journalism, his activism against the Vietnam War, and his role in the struggle for People’s Park in 1969.

A credentialed reporter, who was prominently displaying a press pass issued by the very police agency who arrested him, can be lawfully arrested for jaywalking simply for standing in a parking indentation/turnout while filming an incident on a street blocked off to traffic, according to a decision issued on October 12th by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. Indybay journalist Mark Burdett's attorney Ben Rosenfeld says the ruling “confirms many people’s disgust that courts today exist to launder the bad behavior of the rich, the powerful, and the police.”

George “Elfie” Ballis, photographer, Indybay contributor, organizer, and chronicler of Fresno’s progressive movement died Friday, September 24. He was 85. In recent years George “Elfie” Ballis spent much of his time producing video documentaries of the progressive movement in Fresno and the Central Valley. Some of his footage about Peace Fresno’s infiltration by the sheriff’s department ended up in Michael Moore’s 2004 hit movie "Fahrenheit 9/11."

On September 16th, Daniel Ellsberg, US Army Col. and diplomat Ann Wright (ret.), senior CIA analyst Ray McGovern (ret.), and KPFA morning host Aimee Allison spoke in Oakland to kick off a nationwide campaign to free alleged whistleblower Bradley Manning, accused of leaking thousands of documents and combat video showing the gunning down of Iraqi civilians and journalists. The event was be streamed live on Indybay as well as Michael Moore's website.