Progressive Media Summit

  • Podium with mic and laptop

Progressive Media Summit

By Rev. John Stanley, Wisconsin Grassroots Network

You are invited to the Progressive Media Summit on Saturday, August 8. The place is 2220 Division Street, Stevens Point, Wisconsin. The time is 2 – 5 p.m.

This summit is aimed at creating a network of progressive media groups from around the state, forming a Media Association.  Our goal is to develop a network to compete with the far-right monopolized media.

Here is the Agenda:

2 p m. Introduction/Welcome: Rev. John Stanley (For WGN)

SPEAKERS:

2:10 – 2:25 Social Media Chris McDonough (from Wisconsin Grassroots Network)

2:25 – 2:40 Messaging: Karen Edson (from Wisconsin Grassroots Network)

2:40 – 2:55 Television Media: Mary Cardona (from Wisconsin Community Media)

2:55 – 3:10 The Printed Word Media: Mark Taylor (from the Daily Call)

3:10 – 3:25 Radio: Doug Cunningham (from the Wisconsin Independent News)

3:25 -3:40 Funding Media: Joyce Luedke (From Middle Wisconsin)

10 minute break:

3:50 – 4:10 News Association/Regional Organizing Strategy

4:10 – 4:40 Breakout session: Organizing

4:40 – 5:00 Report by Breakouts

Next Steps

In case you are not familiar with the story of Paul Julius Reuters: Mr. Reuters owned a carrier pigeon business that did very well, until the telegraph service killed his company.

This did not stop Mr. Reuters. He decided to take on an even more ambitious goal of providing the news. He believed that the news did not belong to ANYONE, but EVERYONE! So what did he do? He started a news service which is still in service today.

It would publish news and not its own, but the news of all news sources; such as the London Times. Today the name REUTERS is of great renown and REUTERS is still a powerhouse in journalism.

When you have only one straw it is easy to bend. When you have a stack of straws, it is very hard to bend them.

I have an idea that will stack the straws of the independent news sources around Wisconsin, and make them stronger against the blows of the corporate owned media in this state.

I ask that you join us on August 8 in Stevens Point and see what it is I am proposing. I have already talked with many of you about this idea, and the response has been encouraging, but now we must take the idea and bring it into fruition.

I hope you will join us and that we will be able to work toward a unified media association.

My Grandfather was Rae Stanley. He changed his name from Rae Stahoviak. He was a pioneer in early radio and television in Wisconsin. He went to Congress to get funding for public television and educational television.

My dad has stories of having dinner with Rod Sirling, Morrie Amsterdam and even Mr. Rogers. My Grandmother started the series “Chapter A Day” She was Hellen Stanley, an English teacher here in Madison. They strongly believed in free unfettered media, media that belonged to all and not a few.

I hope they see the work I am trying to accomplish (they have all since passed) and will see that I am NOT going to let our media simply be the casualty of a class warfare war, where only the rich and privileged get their say, but that I am trying to preserve the ideas of free press and free speech, by working for a free media.

So if you have any questions, please feel free to call me@ 1-608-846-0759

or1-608-846-0759.

You can e-mail me @ Alwayssing3@hotmail.com

I will be glad to answer any questions that I can.