Description:

The Northwest Film Forum presents a screening of WAR MADE EASY
with Norman Solomon, JAN 11 – 17, Friday-Thursay at 7 and 9pm

NORMAN SOLOMON IN PERSON FRIDAY AND SATURDAY
Sponsored by KBCS 91.3 FM
(dir. Loretta Alper, Jeremy Earp, USA, 2007, BETA-SP, 73 min)

WAR MADE EASY reaches into the Orwellian past to expose a 50-year pattern of government deception and media spin that has dragged the United States into one war after another from Vietnam to Iraq. Narrated by actor and activist Sean Penn, the film exhumes remarkable archival footage of official distortion and exaggeration from LBJ to George W. Bush, revealing in stunning detail how the American news media have uncritically disseminated the pro-war messages of successive presidential administrations. WAR MADE EASY gives special attention to parallels between the Vietnam War and the war in Iraq. Guided by media critic Norman Solomon's meticulous research and tough-minded analysis, the film presents disturbing examples of propaganda and media complicity. These are presented alongside rare footage of political leaders and leading journalists from the past, including Lyndon Johnson, Richard Nixon, Defense Secretary Robert McNamara, dissident Senator Wayne Morse, and news correspondents Walter Cronkite and Morley Safer.

Description:

The Northwest Film Forum presents a screening of WAR MADE EASY
with Norman Solomon, JAN 11 – 17, Friday-Thursay at 7 and 9pm

NORMAN SOLOMON IN PERSON FRIDAY AND SATURDAY
Sponsored by KBCS 91.3 FM
(dir. Loretta Alper, Jeremy Earp, USA, 2007, BETA-SP, 73 min)

WAR MADE EASY reaches into the Orwellian past to expose a 50-year pattern of government deception and media spin that has dragged the United States into one war after another from Vietnam to Iraq. Narrated by actor and activist Sean Penn, the film exhumes remarkable archival footage of official distortion and exaggeration from LBJ to George W. Bush, revealing in stunning detail how the American news media have uncritically disseminated the pro-war messages of successive presidential administrations. WAR MADE EASY gives special attention to parallels between the Vietnam War and the war in Iraq. Guided by media critic Norman Solomon's meticulous research and tough-minded analysis, the film presents disturbing examples of propaganda and media complicity. These are presented alongside rare footage of political leaders and leading journalists from the past, including Lyndon Johnson, Richard Nixon, Defense Secretary Robert McNamara, dissident Senator Wayne Morse, and news correspondents Walter Cronkite and Morley Safer.

Description:

The Northwest Film Forum presents a screening of WAR MADE EASY
with Norman Solomon, JAN 11 – 17, Friday-Thursay at 7 and 9pm

NORMAN SOLOMON IN PERSON FRIDAY AND SATURDAY
Sponsored by KBCS 91.3 FM
(dir. Loretta Alper, Jeremy Earp, USA, 2007, BETA-SP, 73 min)

WAR MADE EASY reaches into the Orwellian past to expose a 50-year pattern of government deception and media spin that has dragged the United States into one war after another from Vietnam to Iraq. Narrated by actor and activist Sean Penn, the film exhumes remarkable archival footage of official distortion and exaggeration from LBJ to George W. Bush, revealing in stunning detail how the American news media have uncritically disseminated the pro-war messages of successive presidential administrations. WAR MADE EASY gives special attention to parallels between the Vietnam War and the war in Iraq. Guided by media critic Norman Solomon's meticulous research and tough-minded analysis, the film presents disturbing examples of propaganda and media complicity. These are presented alongside rare footage of political leaders and leading journalists from the past, including Lyndon Johnson, Richard Nixon, Defense Secretary Robert McNamara, dissident Senator Wayne Morse, and news correspondents Walter Cronkite and Morley Safer.

Description:

The Northwest Film Forum presents a screening of WAR MADE EASY
with Norman Solomon, JAN 11 – 17, Friday-Thursay at 7 and 9pm

NORMAN SOLOMON IN PERSON FRIDAY AND SATURDAY
Sponsored by KBCS 91.3 FM
(dir. Loretta Alper, Jeremy Earp, USA, 2007, BETA-SP, 73 min)

WAR MADE EASY reaches into the Orwellian past to expose a 50-year pattern of government deception and media spin that has dragged the United States into one war after another from Vietnam to Iraq. Narrated by actor and activist Sean Penn, the film exhumes remarkable archival footage of official distortion and exaggeration from LBJ to George W. Bush, revealing in stunning detail how the American news media have uncritically disseminated the pro-war messages of successive presidential administrations. WAR MADE EASY gives special attention to parallels between the Vietnam War and the war in Iraq. Guided by media critic Norman Solomon's meticulous research and tough-minded analysis, the film presents disturbing examples of propaganda and media complicity. These are presented alongside rare footage of political leaders and leading journalists from the past, including Lyndon Johnson, Richard Nixon, Defense Secretary Robert McNamara, dissident Senator Wayne Morse, and news correspondents Walter Cronkite and Morley Safer.

Description:

The Northwest Film Forum presents a screening of WAR MADE EASY
with Norman Solomon, JAN 11 – 17, Friday-Thursay at 7 and 9pm

NORMAN SOLOMON IN PERSON FRIDAY AND SATURDAY
Sponsored by KBCS 91.3 FM
(dir. Loretta Alper, Jeremy Earp, USA, 2007, BETA-SP, 73 min)

WAR MADE EASY reaches into the Orwellian past to expose a 50-year pattern of government deception and media spin that has dragged the United States into one war after another from Vietnam to Iraq. Narrated by actor and activist Sean Penn, the film exhumes remarkable archival footage of official distortion and exaggeration from LBJ to George W. Bush, revealing in stunning detail how the American news media have uncritically disseminated the pro-war messages of successive presidential administrations. WAR MADE EASY gives special attention to parallels between the Vietnam War and the war in Iraq. Guided by media critic Norman Solomon's meticulous research and tough-minded analysis, the film presents disturbing examples of propaganda and media complicity. These are presented alongside rare footage of political leaders and leading journalists from the past, including Lyndon Johnson, Richard Nixon, Defense Secretary Robert McNamara, dissident Senator Wayne Morse, and news correspondents Walter Cronkite and Morley Safer.

Description:

The Northwest Film Forum presents a screening of WAR MADE EASY
with Norman Solomon, JAN 11 – 17, Friday-Thursay at 7 and 9pm

NORMAN SOLOMON IN PERSON FRIDAY AND SATURDAY
Sponsored by KBCS 91.3 FM
(dir. Loretta Alper, Jeremy Earp, USA, 2007, BETA-SP, 73 min)

WAR MADE EASY reaches into the Orwellian past to expose a 50-year pattern of government deception and media spin that has dragged the United States into one war after another from Vietnam to Iraq. Narrated by actor and activist Sean Penn, the film exhumes remarkable archival footage of official distortion and exaggeration from LBJ to George W. Bush, revealing in stunning detail how the American news media have uncritically disseminated the pro-war messages of successive presidential administrations. WAR MADE EASY gives special attention to parallels between the Vietnam War and the war in Iraq. Guided by media critic Norman Solomon's meticulous research and tough-minded analysis, the film presents disturbing examples of propaganda and media complicity. These are presented alongside rare footage of political leaders and leading journalists from the past, including Lyndon Johnson, Richard Nixon, Defense Secretary Robert McNamara, dissident Senator Wayne Morse, and news correspondents Walter Cronkite and Morley Safer.

Description:

The Northwest Film Forum presents a screening of WAR MADE EASY
with Norman Solomon, JAN 11 – 17, Friday-Thursay at 7 and 9pm

NORMAN SOLOMON IN PERSON FRIDAY AND SATURDAY
Sponsored by KBCS 91.3 FM
(dir. Loretta Alper, Jeremy Earp, USA, 2007, BETA-SP, 73 min)

WAR MADE EASY reaches into the Orwellian past to expose a 50-year pattern of government deception and media spin that has dragged the United States into one war after another from Vietnam to Iraq. Narrated by actor and activist Sean Penn, the film exhumes remarkable archival footage of official distortion and exaggeration from LBJ to George W. Bush, revealing in stunning detail how the American news media have uncritically disseminated the pro-war messages of successive presidential administrations. WAR MADE EASY gives special attention to parallels between the Vietnam War and the war in Iraq. Guided by media critic Norman Solomon's meticulous research and tough-minded analysis, the film presents disturbing examples of propaganda and media complicity. These are presented alongside rare footage of political leaders and leading journalists from the past, including Lyndon Johnson, Richard Nixon, Defense Secretary Robert McNamara, dissident Senator Wayne Morse, and news correspondents Walter Cronkite and Morley Safer.

Description:

PINAY sa Seattle Presents....
INDAYog II: The Rhythm in the Movement:
An All Women's Hip Hop Show to Counter State Repression

This show will spotlight the cutting-edge work of both new and established female hip-hop artists in the Seattle area. The current lineup includes: Skim ( L.A.), Piece, Beyond Reality, Melissa Noelle Green, El Dia, Southern Komfort, DJ B-Girl, Angel 179, Onion, Julie C, Mystikal Fire, rogue pinay, Beloved1, Jill Laxamana (Vancouver, CA), DJ B-Girl on the ones and twos and numerous youth performers. This announcement is also an open call for b-girls to participate in a dance cipher during the show.

This is a performance not to be missed!

Doors Open at 6pm
Show Begins Promptly at 7pm
All Ages Welcome!
Tickets $10 at the door and available at Brown Paper tickets:
www.brownpapertickets.com/event/2551

Cosponsored by Reclaim the Media, Communities Against Rape and Abuse (CARA), Youth Speaks Seattle, 206 Zulu, Hiphop Congress, KBCS 91.3fm Community Radio, B Girl Bench, and BAYAN USA.

Description:

the Seattle Iranian American Community Alliance presents:

Media Coverage of US-Iranian Relations

Thursday, Jan 31, 6:30pm, UW Kane Hall Room 210

Wading through the flood of news on Iran?
Wondering what it all means?

Join us for an evening of short lectures and conversation.

UW Professors Arzoo Osanloo and David Domke will provide critical tools and knowledge you can use to make sense of news coverage on Iran and US-Iran relations.

Professor David Domke, UW Department of Communication:
“The United States news media missed the story on Iraq's alleged weapons of mass destruction. When the Bush administration touted the presence of such WMDs, U.S. journalists passed along the message. Now, the Bush administration is making the case that Iran is a threat that must be contained and controlled. How are the news media covering this line of argument by the administration? Are the press more closely examining U.S.-Iran relations, and if so what does this coverage look like? What might we expect in coming months and years in U.S. news coverage?”

Professor Arzoo Osanloo, UW Department of Anthropology:
The U.S. foreign policy program favoring regime change in Iran mobilizes ‘women’s rights’ as a means to garner domestic (U.S.) sympathy for intervention. However, the day-to-day realities of Iranian women’s lives are often misconstrued, and internal women’s rights movements are neglected by outside observers. What are the effects of international pressure on local Iranian women and on local women’s rights movements? Given the anti-imperialist tenor of the 1979 revolution and the centrality of women’s status therein, what are the effects of contemporary discourses of regime change that highlight women’s rights? Do such efforts help or hurt internal reform movements?

For more info or to endorse, please contact:
events@iaca-seattle.org

Description:

The League of Women Voters of Portland is hosting a media and democracy forum on Wednesday, February 13.

The meeting will begin at 7 p.m. in the Board Room of the Multnomah Building, 501 SE Hawthorne, Portland. The event is free, and the public is invited to attend.

The democratic ideal of informed public participation in government can be enhanced by a vibrant media that values diverse voices and in-depth discussion of the many issues facing our society. Do we have such a media? Have you heard enough about movie stars and want to learn more about community concerns on TV news? Do you want radio stations to play more tunes by local artists? Those are some of the issues the panel will address.

Andrea Cano, board member of OC, Inc. (Office of Communications of the United Church of Christ), will discuss last November’s hearing of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) in Seattle and explore opportunities for public involvement in broadcast media policy development.

Rob Brading, CEO of MetroEast Community Media, will discuss challenges facing local access cable providers that air programs produced by local organizations and individuals.

David Olson, Director of Portland’s Office of Cable Communications & Franchise Management, will discuss the future of broadband in the metro region.

League member Janice Thompson, Executive Director of Democracy Reform Oregon, will moderate the discussion.

Last year Democracy Reform Oregon challenged the license renewal of Portland TV stations before the FCC based on research indicating that poor coverage of local politics on TV news in the month before the November 2004 election failed to meet the stations’ obligation under federal law to serve the public interest. The organizations represented by these speakers are also active in the Oregon Alliance to Reform Media. Portland Community Media will broadcast the forum live on Channel 30. Repeat broadcasts will be aired on Channel 30 on Friday, February 15, at 5p.m.; Sunday, February 17, at 6 p.m.; Tuesday, February 19, at 3 p.m.; and Friday, February 22, at 11 p.m.

Description:

D.I.Y. MEDIA!!
Fear of a Handmade Planet

They’re smaller, smarter, and feistier, and they number in the millions, but can D.I.Y. zines, blogs, and viral videos overthrow the corporate media dinosaurs?

Find out from Anne Elizabeth Moore and Franklin López as they brazenly celebrate independent media in Seattle and world-wide. Anne is the Chicago-based author of Unmarketable: Brandalism, Copyfighting, Mocketing, and the Erosion of Integrity and has been self-publishing her own work since she was 15.

Vancouver’s subMedia genius and producer of the hilarious and foul-mouthed news vlog It’s the End of the World As We Know It and I Feel Fine, Frank hosts an eclectic evening of spoof ads, book excerpts, video shorts, and inquiry into the rebellious forces driving the D.I.Y. movement.

Join Anne and Frank as they explore the bizarro world of corporate marketing, where revolution is a commodity, the punk scene is a target demographic, and graffiti is a brand. What happens to cultural resistance when it becomes just another marketing platform?

"People need independent media because it is vital to democracy," explains Anne. "People do it for inherently political reasons, or for no reason at all, but in an intellectually free nation, they must be secured the right to do it."

Non-commercial media is essential for freedom, Anne argues. "In the US, hyper-commercialism has created a system of economic censorship," she says. "Dissenting voices are being pushed off the shelves of bookstores, out of the pages of newspapers, off the radio dials. These vital elements of healthy democracy have been effectively silenced."

Anne recognizes the frustration of those who reject corporate media as disconnected from the reality they see everyday. "As far as the kids who view the media critically . . . you're not alone!" she asserts. "But as long as you see it as a two-way street, you should be OK."

*****
In the past seven years, Frank López’s politically-charged films have racked up millions of views online. His work has been featured and reviewed in the New York Times, Wired, BET, and more. Recently drafted as a producer for Amy Goodman's "Democracy Now!" Frank is currently producing a film inspired by Derrick's Jensen's bestseller Endgame. View Frank's work at www.submedia.tv

Anne Elizabeth Moore's Unmarketable was called "sharp and valuable muckraking" by Time Out New York, and "a work of honesty and, yes, integrity" by Kirkus. Mother Jones described it as "conversational, intellectually curious, and charmingly ragged, Unmarketable is an anti-corporate manifesto with a difference: It exudes raw coolness," and the LA Times said it offers "something distinctly more radical than merely protesting against consumerism: a total rejection of the competitive ethos that drives capitalist culture." This winter, Anne taught self-publishing to a group of 32 women university students in Cambodia, where freedom of expression is frequently met with government-backed police violence. More about Unmarketable and her work in Cambodia can be found at www.anneelizabethmoore.com.

Anne and Frank welcome fellow media critics, D.I.Y. enthusiasts, and the general public Sunday February 17th at the Rendezvous JewelBox Theatre in Seattle (2322 Second Ave.) starting at 7:00 pm. Tickets are only $5, and books will be available courtesy the University Bookstore.

Description:

Jean Kilbourne on "The Naked Truth: Advertising's Image of Women"
Thursday, March 20, 7pm
The Bush School, Gymnasium

We are each exposed to more than 5,000 ads every day, yet most of us believe we are not influenced by advertising. This presentation illustrates that ads sell a great deal more than products. They sell values and concepts of success and worth, love, sexuality, and normalcy. Drawing on more than 30 years of research, Jean Kilbourne explores the relationship of advertising images to problems in society, such as violence, sexual abuse, eating disorders, racism, and sexism. For a list of Kilbourne's suggested resources, click here.

The Diversity Speaker Series is focused on exploring issues related to diversity, privilege, and oppression. Each year we invite experts in these areas to speak and engage with members of The Bush School and the greater Seattle community. These events are free and open to the public. For more information about The Bush School’s Diversity Speaker Series, please visit www.bush.edu/diversity. For seating reservations and if you have any questions, please call Dr. Eddie Moore Jr., Director of Diversity, at 206-326-7731 or eddie.moorejr@bush.edu.

Description:

Town Hall Center for Civic Life presents:
ERIC ALTERMAN: 'WHY WE'RE LIBERALS'
FRIDAY, MARCH 28 AT 7:30 PM

"Liberal" has become a dirty word in American political discourse of late, yet public opinion polls consistently show that the majority of Americans hold liberal views on everything from health care to foreign policy. Eric Alterman, a journalist and author well-known for his political weblog Altercation, examines liberalism's development and seeks to restore to its rightful honored place in our country's political life in Why We're Liberals. Presented by the Town Hall Center for Civic Life with Elliott Bay Book Company.
Tickets are $5 at the door only. Town Hall members receive priority seating. Downstairs at Town Hall, enter on Seneca Street.

In his extensively documented counterattack on right-wing spin and misinformation, Alterman disposes of such canards as "Liberals Hate God" and "Liberals Are Soft On Terrorism," reclaiming liberalism from the definitions foisted upon it by the right and repeated everywhere else. Alterman aims to bring clarity and perspective to what he believes has often been a one-sided debate for nothing less than the heart and soul of America.

Alterman is a Distinguished Professor of English, Brooklyn College, City University of New York, and Professor of Journalism at the CUNY Graduate School of Journalism. He is also 'The Liberal Media' columnist for The Nation and a fellow of the Nation Institute, a senior fellow and Altercation web blogger for Media Matters for America, (formerly at MSNBC.com) in Washington, DC; a senior fellow at the Center for American Progress in Washington, DC, where he writes and edits the 'Think Again' column; a senior fellow (since 1985) at the World Policy Institute at The New School in New York; and a history consultant to HBO Films. Alterman is the author of seven books, including the national bestsellers, What Liberal Media? The Truth About Bias and the News and The Book on Bush: How George W. (Mis)leads America; When Presidents Lie: A History of Official Deception and its Consequences, His Sound & Fury: The Making of the Punditocracy , which won the 1992 George Orwell Award; It Ain't No Sin to be Glad You're Alive: The Promise of Bruce Springsteen , which won the 1999 Stephen Crane Literary Award; and Who Speaks for America? Why Democracy Matters in Foreign Policy.

Termed "the most honest and incisive media critic writing today" in the National Catholic Reporter, and author of "the smartest and funniest political journal out there," in The San Francisco Chronicle, Alterman is frequent lecturer and contributor to numerous publications in the US, Europe and Latin America. In recent years, he has also been a columnist for Worth, Rolling Stone, Mother Jones, and The Sunday Express (London). A former Adjunct Professor of Journalism at NYU and Columbia, Alterman received his B.A. in History and Government from Cornell, his M.A. in International Relations from Yale, and his Ph.D. in US History from Stanford.

Description:

Progressive broadcaster Jim Hightower speaks as part of the Seattle Green Festival.

Description:

Air America host Thom Hartmann speaks as part of the Seattle Green Festival.

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Democracy Now! cohost Amy Goodman speaks as part of the Seattle Green Festival.

Description:

The Washington News Council presents:

The First Amendment: Our Rights at Risk?
a special presentation by John Seigenthaler of the First Amendment Center.

No admission fee.

John Seigenthaler founded the First Amendment Center in 1991 with the mission of creating national discussion, dialogue and debate about First Amendment rights and values (See www.firstamendmentcenter.org).

Seigenthaler was founding editorial director of USA TODAY. He was formerly editor, publisher and CEO of the Nashville Tennessean. He also served as president of the American Society of Newspaper Editors.

Seigenthaler served as administrative assistant to Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy in the 1960s. During the Freedom Rides in Alabama, he was attacked by a mob of Ku Klux Klansmen and hospitalized. He is also a senior advisory trustee of the Freedom Forum.