Community Media: Response

As to the assignment, I didn't so much "learn" from this article as I took away a sense of engagement or encouragement to engage. As we only had the last chapter of this book, we may have missed some content. Regardless, the message comes through, be in community, one way or another; have the conversations you want and need to have, if not just for yourself, for others that need to hear your voice. Your voice can make a difference. As it states at the end, "community, as one theorist describes it, is 'precisely where nobody knows what he or she will say before he or she has said it.' Community media allows that conversation to occur" (p. 195).

Another point that resonates with me is found at the bottom of page 193 where the author states, "the problem of political apathy is intrinsic to contemporary democracies as the conditions of democracy encourage us to participate in spheres outside of formal politics. As community media demonstrates, we are not apathetic when politics is on our own terms and carried out through our own networks and processes." I have absolutely found this in my life. I used to be heavily engaged in my local school district; I attended most board meetings, gathered petition signatures to get a measure on the ballot (that failed) to unify our school district (make it K through 12 instead of K through 8), and more. It would have been easy to not be engaged in this process (apathy). I opted for engagement with feet on the street. It's now easier to be feet on the street via the Internet. We spend time talking about he concerts we go to or the friends we hung out with. I believe that politics matters, everything else is just games. I'm equally guilty of posting about concerts, etc. I am also guilty of posting on political matters because it matters and I am not apathetic. If this chapter offers nothing else, I hope it encourages folks to speak up, no matter what the issue is or their position; engage the conversation. You can't have the conversation if you don't start speaking.