Media Justice refers to an analytical framework and a regional, grassroots movement led by historically disenfranchised communities to transform media and cultural production, rights, and policy in the service of social justice. The Media Justice Framework offers a new way to understand and redistribute media power to achieve a fair and accessible information and cultural apparatus that fulfills its promise to inform the public, watchdog power, and serve all segments of the public equally. The Movement for Media Justice believes that media production and distribution must be under the control of communities, not companies; and that achieving social justice victories requires a secondary strategy for media policy change. 

SOURCE

Facilitator

DeAnne Cuellar

This online course was established for the coordinators, volunteers, and staff of the Media Justice League (MJL).

We are diverse media justice organizers collaborating with communities, advocating for social justice, and providing support to organizations; strategically using all aspects of music, media, and technology at the grassroots. 

-to improve our media justice group's understanding of the Media Justice framework
-teach empowering organizational skills and tools to grassroots leaders
-inspire and align social justice, media justice, and racial justice work within our organization

MJL acknowledges that the Internet has pushed through as one of the most democratizing mediums of our generation, particularly for the working class who depend on public access, net freedoms, and radio broadcasts. However, media policies continue to dismantle our community media freedoms, and technology continues unchecked, the already disempowered stand to lose more than just access to their communities and constituencies. We believe that empowering communities around these intersections, and public policies is crucial to communities success.

DeAnne Cuellar is an Independent media maker, and the Executive Director of the Media Justice League (MJL) formerly the Texas Media Empowerment Project (Texas MEP). After an FCC localism hearing in 2004 she helped to start Texas MEP with the Office of Communication, Inc., and local grassroots organizations in San Antonio, Texas advocating media justice for historically under-represented communities. She has been actively organizing within the independent music community for more than 15 years, and and independent media maker. DeAnne has worked with several social justice organizations, individuals, and media reforms groups to establish a coherent vision that includes: challenging racist, sexist, homophobic, and classist representations of San Antonio and South Texas.

Our small group has limited resources for building capacity, skills building, and leadership development. We look forward to learning together as a group on a new shared space where can all contribute to the educational process.