Autonomous media are the vehicles of social movements. They are attempts to subvert the social order by re-claiming media and public spaces from the private domain. Autonomous media are defined by their openness—in terms of content and membership—and their objective of amplifying the voices of people and groups that normally do not have access to the media. They are intended to provide people and communities with information that is alternative to that within the corporate mass media, and audiences are encouraged to participate directly in the production of content.
This book can also be downloaded (for non-profit use only!):
- table of contents
- introduction by Andrea Langlois & Frédéric Dubois
- one—hard at work in the bamboo garden: media activists & social movements by Scott Uzelman
- two—broadcasting on our own terms: temporary autonomous radio by Marian van der Zon
- three—how open is open?: the politics of open publishing by Andrea Langlois
- four—101 tricks to play with the mainstream: culture jamming as subversive recreation by Tom Liacas
- five—independent reporting: a tool for international solidarity building by Andréa Schmidt
- six—echoes from the curb: street newspapers and empowerment by Isabelle Béique Mailloux
- seven—screening the revolution: FAQs about video activism by David Widgington
- eight—re/writing media: weblogs as autonomous spaces by Dawn Paley
- nine—networkers unite!: strengthening media solidarity by Frédéric Dubois
- afterword: linking back, looking forward by Dorothy Kidd
- bibliography—contributors—acknowledgements
“Autonomous Media is a bold and terrific contribution to media activists’ thinking and practice. Langlois and Dubois have captured a number of the most intense communication developments and debates within the current global social justice/altermondialiste move-ments. Like the most promising projects at the present time, they constantly combine local and global issues: low power radio, open publishing, blogging, culture-jamming and more. They provide solid fuel for the fire that continues to burn in Québec, in Canada, and across the planet.” — John Downing, author of Radical Media & editor of the upcoming Sage Encyclopedia of Alternative Media
"Autonomous media activists deploy their weapons of choice – video cameras, spray cans, blogs, laptops – to liberate “meaning-making” from PR specialists and corporate board rooms. As they engage, connect, and project the voices of people around the world who are demanding freedom and justice, they crack open spaces in which social movements can grow and genuine democracy can flourish." — Naomi Klein, author of No Logo
“At a time when the reach of corporate media extends into the deepest recesses of private life, few struggles are more important than the contest over access to the means of representing the world we share — yet few must fight harder against the weight of so-called ‘common sense’. This important collection of writings about what’s currently going on in autonomous media (from open publishing to street newspapers) should be welcomed for opening a new perspective on this struggle in such a clear-sighted and self-critical way.” — Nick Couldry author of Contesting Media Power
“An exciting collection of essays examining the efforts of communities and social move-ments to appropriate media technologies. Autonomous Media: Activating Resistance and Dissent explores vital issues such as re-creating communication and information technologies, re-inventing democracy, and re-designing local and global net-works. Written by media activists, this book is living proof that the construction of knowledge is not restricted to academia; the editors and contributors of Autonomous Media are genuine organic intellectuals producing creative, solid, and significant knowledge from the heart of social change communication initiatives.” —Clemencia Rodriguez author of Fissures in the Mediascape
“This collection of essays shows, among other things, that the anti-globalization movement has managed to contructively acquire new technologies and means of communication to make their claims known.” —Ulysse Bergeron, trente: Le magazine du journalisme au Québec
Edited by Andrea Langlois and Frédéric Dubois
Illustrations: Fanchon Esquieu, Élise Gravel, Pink Panthers Collective, Public Works Collective, Jesse Purcell & Marielle Levine, Chester Rhoder.
Photographs: Bernard Bastien, Clara Gabriel, Andrew Stern, Dawn Paley, Chester Rhoder