Be The Media

David Mathison to deliver "Access Without Borders" keynote at the Alliance for Community Media conference in Denver, CO (Oct 24-25, 2008)

Be The Media's David Mathison will deliver the keynote address at the Alliance for Community Media (West) conference.

The conference will be held at the Cable Center in Denver, Colorado from October 24-25, 2008, and is appropriately titled: “Access Without Borders: New Frontiers in Community Media,”

According to the ACM West website:

“We’re hoping to inspire folks in our movement to more fully embrace the efficiencies, the community media tools, and the participatory aspects of using technology to generate future (and present) self-sufficiency, increased community engagement, and save time and money."

"We will be highlighting the new media technologies that can be incorporated into the workflow of Public Access Television and Community Technology Centers. Denver Open Media is leading the efforts that allow access centers to operate on a streamlined, user-driven model and is integrating the efforts of other National ACM members, like Manhattan Neighborhood Network (MNN) and Cambridge Community Television (CCTV)."

Check out their technology-infused vision at www.denveropenmedia.org.

Or view this video by Denver Open Media and ED Tony Shawcross:

Key conference sessions will be on:

• Community Engagement
• Using the Web to Educate, Promote, and Fundraise
• Innovative Uses of Government and Educational Channels
• Technology Without Borders, Content Sharing, and Standards
• Public Policy Partnering and Outreach

* Click here for the full schedule.
* Go here to register for the conference.
* Go here for more about the Alliance for Community Media – Western Region.

BE THE MEDIA is featured in Writer's Digest

BE THE MEDIA is featured in the November/December issue of Writers Digest, the Brave New World of Publishing. An excerpt from BE THE MEDIA’s Podcast chapter was included.

We took out an advertisement in the magazine this month (see image to the right), our first in what we hope to be a long and fruitful relationship. 

The Nov/Dec issue includes an interview with best-selling thriller novelist Brad Thor, and features Wired editor and Long Tail author Chris Anderson.

Writer's Digest has chronicled the culture of the modern writer since 1920. Their magazine and website include relevant first-person essays, interviews with bestselling authors and profiles with emerging talent.

According to their website, "Writer's Digest features practical technique articles, and tips and exercises on fiction, nonfiction, poetry and the business-side of writing and publishing."

Writer's Digest has 110,000 magazine subscribers and their website has 100,000 average unique visitors/month, representing the largest community of published and aspiring fiction, poetry, screenplay and non-fiction writers.

New York Civil Liberties Union requests investigation into use of horses at protest outside Hofstra University prior to US Presidential debate

According to Newsday, the New York Civil Liberties Union has asked the Nassau County Police Department to investigate its use of horses to control the crowd during the protest just prior to the third and final US Presidential debate at Hofstra University in Hempstead on October 15, 2008.

The investigation appears to be centered on what happened after the arrests, and whether or not the mounted police put veterans and civilians at risk by using their horses to maintain control, resulting in injuries to at least three people.

A major question appears to be whether or not the injuries took place in the street, or on the sidewalk. Police made it clear to spectators that the sidewalks were "free speech zones," but protesters were not permitted in the street.

Photos and video taken at the scene reveal a partial glimpse of the melee, and its bloody aftermath.

BE THE MEDIA represented at the Frankfurt Book Fair (October 15-19, 2008)

If you are interested in acquiring foreign rights to publish BE THE MEDIA, come visit us at the Frankfurt Book Fair. 

We are represented by Columbine Communications and Publications, located in Hall 8.0 Stand N-933.

For information on acquiring foreign rights to publish Be The Media, contact Columbine President Bob Erdmann. His office can be reached on (209) 586-1566. That's Bob to the right, hard at work securing foreign rights deals for American authors.

The Frankfurt Book Fair was first held in 1480, growing into a major financial and cultural event that was only interrupted by the First and Second World Wars.

The 2007 event had an astounding 283,000 visitors. By contrast, Book Expo America usually gets around 30,000-40,000 visitors. Almost 8,000 exhibitors from 108 countries meet at Frankfurt to buy and sell foreign translation and distribution rights.

It is THE place for writers to have their works exhibited on the world stage. Large numbers of journalists, educators, librarians, government administrators, media celebrities, and news syndicates attend the fair.

David Mathison covering the US Presidential Debate at Hofstra University

David Mathison will cover the third and final US Presidential debate at Hofstra University for the Huffington Post's Off The Bus.

The debate will focus on economic policy and domestic issues.

The debate will be moderated by Bob Schieffer, CBS News Chief Washington correspondent and host of Face The Nation.

The debate will take place at Hofstra’s David S Mack Sports and  Exhibition Complex. The adjacent Physical Fitness Center will serve as the media center for thousands of national and international journalists.

Leading up to the debate, Hofstra is hosting Educate 08, a series of lectures, conferences, artistic performances, exhibitions, town hall meetings, and interactive forums focused on the issues, history, and politics of presidential elections.

The series includes presentations by former US Treasury Secretaries Paul O’Neill and Robert Rubin; George Stephanopoulis; Gloria Steinem; former New York Governor Mario Cuomo; and singer Jason Mraz.

Pandemonium outside Hofstra debate: Mounted police push back protesters and spectators. At least three trampled and injured. Fifteen arrested

<NOTE: This article originally written for Huffington Post's OffTheBus.>

A peaceful protest erupted into pandemonium outside Hofstra University tonight around 8pm, just one hour before the third and final US Presidential debate.

Mounted police pushed back veterans, protesters, and spectators. Fifteen people were arrested, and at least three injured.

The incident occurred as members of Iraq Veterans Against the War (IVAW) attempted to commit an act of non-violent civil disobedience and enter the debate to ask a question of the presidential candidates.

According to eyewitnesses, the IVAW members were arrested as they attempted to cross Hempstead Turnpike to enter the Hofstra campus.

Afterwards, mounted police pushed the crowd back onto the sidewalk, causing at least three people to be trampled under police horses.

Exclusive video and interviews from Be The Media:

David Mathison covering the Time Warner's Politics 2008: The Media Conference for the Election of the President

The TimeWarner companies are pleased to host a two-day conference, October 13-14 at the Time Warner Center in New York City, "Politics 2008 - The Media Conference on the Election of the President."

For this two-day event, Time Warner is inviting leading media organizations and analysts, political insiders and pundits for a series of keynotes, conversations and panel events on topics ranging from the media’s roles and responsibilities in covering the campaign and election to how the digital revolution has changed the race for the White House.

David Mathison will be covering the Time Warner Politics 2008 Summit for the Huffington Post's Off The Bus.

Confirmed Speakers include:

Jeffrey L. Bewkes, President and Chief Executive Officer, Time Warner
Campbell Brown, CNN Anchor
Richard Stengel, Managing Editor, TIME
Jonathan Klein, president of CNN/U.S
Graydon Carter, Editor-in-Chief, Vanity Fair
Anderson Cooper, Anchor, CNN
Wolf Blitzer, Anchor, CNN
Frank Rich, Op-Ed columnist, The New York Times
Christiane Amanpour, Chief International Correspondent, CNN
Jeffrey Toobin, Analyst, CNN Worldwide
Fareed Zakaria, GPS, CNN and editor, Newsweek International
Mark Halperin, Editor-at-Large and Senior Political Analyst, TIME
Dan Rather, Host and Global Correspondent, “Dan Rather Reports”
Howell Raines, Media Columnist, Conde Nast Portfolio, former Executive Editor, New York Times
John King, Chief National Correspondent, CNN
Donna Brazile, Political Activist and Strategist
Candy Crowley, Senior Political Correspondent, CNN
Mike McCurry, principal, Public Strategies Washington, Inc.
Kinsey Wilson, Executive Editor, USA Today
Mark J. Penn, Worldwide President & CEO, Burson-Marsteller
Mark McKinnon, Vice Chairman, Public Strategies, former strategist, George W. Bush and Senator John McCain
Jeffrey Brown, Senior Correspondent and Senior Producer, NewsHour PBS
Bob Safian, Editor and Managing Director, Fast Company
Mark Walsh, Board Member, Air America, Head of Internet Strategy, John Kerry for President
Brian Scanlon, Director of Election Services, Associated Press
David Sirota, Author, Columnist & Journalist, “The Uprising”
Danny Schechter, co-founder and executive producer, Globalvision

And many more…

Click here to to register for the Time Warner - Politics 2008 The Media Conference for the Election of the President