Government and Media: Visions and Revisions

Abstract

Historically, the independent media producer's involvement has consisted of documenting the struggles and confrontations of other groups. Coal miners, auto workers, anti-war demonstrators, plutonium victims have all had their stories told by committed and supportive video- and film-makers. There has been relatively little attempt by independents to direct their energies to changing their own material position within the dominant media structures. If these structures were considered at all, it was to make use of them – garnering the air time on the news with some Yippie-type action, or occasionally being allowed “access.” … The activity of independents in the past two years has marked somewhat of a departure. Frustrated with the increasingly competitive and unresponsive structures of both PBS and the networks, independents have banded together to press their demands. These demands, however, are not just for access and more grant money. They are now addressing the issue of control of the system as a whole. This is a new fight and one that runs counter to a tradition of political impotence in the media field.