Feature Archives

Two FCC commissioners will appear at the Oakland Marriott this Friday, October 27th, at 5pm to hear comments from local broadcasters, listeners and media activists as they debate new media ownership rules that would allow a few big corporations to own even more of what we read, watch and listen to. This is the only hearing in the Bay Area dealing with corporate media consolidation and lack of diversity in the media. Details

The Disorientation Guide is a radical resource published by an open collective and distributed for free at the beginning of Fall quarter. It’s for new students, for the Santa Cruz community, and for everyone who wants to get more informed, active, or involved in the radical history of the campus and the rich networks of organizations and coalitions at UCSC and in Santa Cruz.

This is the fourth consecutive year that the Disorientation Guide has been distributed on this campus, adding to the lineage of others, published in 1977, 1982, and 1984. Similar guides are also circulated at universities such as Berkeley, MIT, Yale, U of Texas, Austin, and Concordia, among many others. It was baked lovingly by a collective of students who are excited to see new faces joining us in our tradition of thoughtful resistance. Read more and download the Disorientation Guide

On the eve of his return to federal prison, a benefit for Josh Wolf was held Sept. 21st at Blue Cube in SF. Speakers included filmmaker Kevin Epps and independent journalist Sarah Olson, who spoke of their own run-ins with grand jury investigations targeting the media, as well as Bruce Brugmann, Chris Daly, and Ross Mirkarimi. Josh had been ordered this week to turn himself in to the Dublin Correctional Facility by 1pm on Wednesday. At a Sept. 20th press conference at the gates of the prison in Dublin, Josh announced that he was given a two-day reprieve and will return to prison on Friday. With the civil contempt charge against him re-affirmed by the court, Josh is being returned to jail pending a hearing before the entire 9th Circuit Court of Appeals.

On September 1st, there was a press conference with Josh outside of the 9th Circuit Bldg. in SF. Audio | Photos
On August 31st, independent journalist Josh Wolf was ordered released by a 9th Circuit Court of Appeals. Wolf, 24, had been in federal prison since August 1 for refusing to provide raw video footage to a federal Grand Jury of a 2005 San Francisco protest against the G8 that resulted in an injured police officer.

Radio APPO relay

Santa Cruz IMC reporter Bradley wrote on August 29th: "Oaxaca City is almost entirely closed today... I am the only tourist staying at my hostel today... even the Zocalo is eerily quiet... The radio transmissions for Radio La Ley were cut-off sometime during the (early morning hours). Radio La Ley, a corporate radio station owned by ... Clear Channel, was recently taken over in solidarity with Asamblea Popular del Pueblo de Oaxaca (APPO). Approximately three radio stations are still in the hands of APPO and its supporters. A "MegaMarcha" will be held on September 1st."
Photos: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | Slideshow

Fault Lines, the bi-monthly newsmagazine of the SF Bay Area Independent Media Center, has released its 18th issue of radical political analysis and social commentary (PDF). Free issues of Fault Lines are available at various locations throughout the Bay Area, with many articles online. The Fault Lines page on Indybay has details on how to get involved. The next meeting will be on Wednesday, September 6th.

Independent journalist Josh Wolf was taken into custody on Tuesday, August 1st at a hearing in San Francisco. He was charged with civil contempt and has been jailed until further notice without being convicted of a crime, because he refused to testify or turn over unpublished video to a Federal Grand Jury that is investigating a July, 2005 anti-G8 demonstration. Josh is being held at FCI Dublin, and can receive mail and books there. A resolution is currently before the SF Board of Supervisors, aimed at resisting the federal government's intervention in the local investigation of the G-8 protest and expressing support for the California Shield Law. People are being asked to call the supervisors to encourage them to vote in favor of the resolution and to express their support for Josh.