RTM's June community meeting will be focused on our Comcast campaign to win a better cable franchise agreement for Seattle.

The meeting will be held Thurs. June 16 6:30-8:30 pm at the Miller Community Center, 330 19th Ave. E. on Capitol Hill. [directions]

On Sunday, June 19, RTM's Jonathan Lawson and Seattle media activist Sharon Maeda (Media Justice Network, former Pacifica Network ED) will discuss free speech and big media as guests on Speaking of Freedom, the American Civil Liberties Union's monthly television program. Hosted by ACLU-Washington communications director Doug Honig, the program airs on SCAN public access TV in Seattle (channel 29/77) at 7:30pm the third Sunday of each month, and is later rebroadcast on cable stations in Vancouver, Longview, Olympia, and Snohomish County.

May 10 is the date for Reclaim the Media's first Community Meeting--a chance for local media activists to get together, talk about what to expect from the upcoming National Conference on Media Reform (whether or not you're going), and discuss current and upcoming media activist campaigns in the Northwest.

WHEN: Tuesday, May 10, 6:30-8:30 pm
WHERE: At the CAMP Firehouse (Central Area Motivation Program), 722 18th Ave at E. Cherry, in Seattle's Central District.

Next week, Seattle gets a brief visit from Tony Riddle, executive director of the Alliance for Community Media. On Weds. April 20 he'll host a public conversation about community media (5:30pm April 20, Langston Hughes Performing Arts Center, 17th and Yesler), organized by Reclaim the Media's Media and Democracy Coffee Club.

From our friends in Bellingham:

Saturday May 21, 9:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. in Bellingham; Garden St. Family Center 1231 N. Garden St.

BELLINGHAM GRASSROOTS & INDEPENDENT MEDIA CONFERENCE
Speakers include Patrick Reinsborough of Smartmeme on "Winning the Battle of the Story: Creating a Culture of Change," Bert Sacks on "Sanctions, War, Occupation, and other Failures of the Media", John Sinno of Arab Film Distribution and much more! Celebrate the growing local and regional culture of independent media production, mobilize support for grassroots-powered media reform, build awareness of local and regional radio, video and web-based media projects. If you are interested in participating or want to get more information please contact Nate Johnson at norwesty@gmail.com or 360-510-4833, or visit www.whatcompjc.org/mediaconf.

May 13-15 is the date, St. Louis the place for the second National Conference on Media Reform, organized by Free Press. Three days of workshops, panel discussions, inspiring keynotes and informal strategizing will cover a host of topics, including info on upcoming legislative battles, media literacy and critical tools, and information on how to build local campaigns on behalf of independent media and media accountability. Details on the draft schedule.

YES! Magazine and Clamor are both devoting their March/April issues to media activism. In a strange but happy coincidence, both issues devote their covers to Democracy Now! cohost Amy Goodman. She does seem to get around! Both issues feature Reclaim the Media's work in oblique ways: RTM co-director Susan Gleason is also marketing and outreach manager for YES!; and RTM's Jonathan Lawson has articles in both issues - a brief profile of activist filmmaker DeeDee Halleck in YES! and an article on Fixing Radio in Clamor. This month, Clamor also recognizes Reclaim the Media with a "Golden Soapbox" award for best media literacy/activism organization, along with the Action Coalition for Media Education and our friends at the Prometheus Radio Project.