Pete Tridish, Prometheus Radio Project
Blake McDowell, Paper Tiger Television
Sarah Groff-Palermo, Soft Skull Press
Shira Golding, MediaRights

With large corporations dominating the mainstream media, political artists and activists have turned increasingly to small, independent radio and television stations, production companies, and publishing houses as alternative venues through which to broadcast their creative work and dissenting views. What place do these organizations occupy in the contemporary media landscape? How are activist-run media outlets able to stay afloat in a market controlled by companies with much greater financial resources and publicity networks? What strategies can independent media organizations use to extend their reach, target untapped audiences, and avoid simply preaching to the converted?

In this panel discussion, microradio activist Pete Tridish will discuss his work as a founding member of Radio Mutiny, a Philadelphia radio station, and the Prometheus Radio Project, a nonprofit organization dedicated to establishing and facilitating the growth of local radio stations. Blake McDowell of Paper Tiger Television will offer his perspectives on video activism as an alternative to corporate-controlled television networks. Sarah Groff-Palermo will describe her activities as managing editor of Soft Skull Press, an independent publishing house. The panel will be mediated by Shira Golding of MediaRights, a non-profit organization promoting film as a tool for social change.