International Media Democracy Day, this friday on October 18th, sees events occurring in over 25 cities across the world. Creative actions, protests, film screenings, discussions, lobbying, print publications, subvertising and spoofs are all playing their part in the beginnings of a new global movement around media issues.

Media Democracy Day was held for the first time last year in October 2001. The initial calls and main activities came out of Canada and involved groups like corporate-subvertisers Adbusters, Indymedia Toronto and media monitoring group FAIR. This year the concept has gone global, being supported by high profile groups like The Media Channel, alternative news networks like Indymedia, and smaller grass roots community media groups.

The idea behind Media Democracy Day is to provide an opportunity both to unite and publicise the work of independent, alternative and community media projects, and to protest against the failings of an exclusive corporate media system enslaved by advertising and profit.

Focusing on the key themes of “Education, Promotion, Protest and Change” it seeks to raise the profile of such media issues and place them firmly on the agenda for 2003. At the same time communication rights campaigns are working harder than ever as states all over the world clampdown on human rights and political activity following the September 11 attacks in America.

Indeed 2003 will be a key year. Planning is already underway for Media Democracy Day next year, with a special focus on using it to educate and mobilise grass roots groups ahead of the UN World Summit on Information Society, to be held in Geneva, December 2003. With the UN already looking to allow individual companies to the table, as opposed to the normal representation by their trade associations, many people are already talking about Geneva as “The Media’s Seattle”. The campaign certainly has the potential to unite electronic privacy groups, open source developers and copyright campaigners with media activists, and the myriad of campaign groups that fall under the anti-globalisation banner.

Reclaim The Media!

 http://www.mediademocracyday.org
 http://www.mediademocracyday.org.uk