It's a lazy holiday week here at Open Media Boston HQ - not just because lots of folks are taking a couple of days off, but also because it's really really cold and not too much is happening around our usual beats. So what better time to bring up how our viewers can help us keep growing and improving our almost 2 year old news operation by helping us out. Yes, with money - although I addressed that subject in our holiday appeal a few weeks ago - but also with other kinds of support.
First off, though, I'd like to thank the fantastic OMB staff and interns for pumping out over 250 original articles, audio pieces, videos, and photo sets in 2009. For an all-volunteer operation on a shoestring budget I think that's quite an achievement. So congratulations to Liz DeWolf, Elise Filo, David Goodman, Jesse Kirdahy-Scalia, Diana Mai, Ana Traynin, and Liz Washburn. It's been really great working with you all this year, and I look forward to doing lots more work together in the year to come. I'd also like to thank our newest intern Joequnna Butler from Greater Egleston High School for finding us and plugging us into her school's innovative internship program. We're working on training her to be our youngest reporter yet.
Second, I'd like to thank everyone that's donated to OMB this year - including our supporters in the funding world: the Grassroots Infrastructure Trust, Haymarket People's Fund, and the Solidago Foundation. We've been able to do what we do in large part because of individual donations and foundation grants. And we're truly grateful for every penny people send our way.
Third, I'd like to thank our fiscal sponsor - a well-known documentary film makers collaborative - for being the bedrock upon which OMB stands. MWG has backed this project from the moment I first proposed it in July 2007, stood behind us as we've grown, and constantly offered useful advice and assistance that have had an extremely positive effect on our development. Hats off to you all as always.
Finally, even as we work on raising the funds we need to pay ourselves, become a larger publication, and better serve all the diverse communities we cover, there are 3 key ways that OMB viewers can help us out.
1) Donate equipment. Modern multimedia news production requires a certain amount of modern production equipment.The more late model equipment we have, the more we can do, and the more we can supply needed equipment to new journalists who may not be able to afford to buy their own. So digital cameras (Advanced Point-and-Shoots, DSLRs or the sweet new PEN cameras), digital audio recorders (pro flash memory units if possible), digital video cameras (true HD, if possible - Flip Video units and knockoffs can be useful although full-sized pro units are preferred ... miniDV or flash memory units are both fine), netbooks, tablets and laptops (preferably Mac, or at least "Hackintosh" ready) would all be great things to donate. Accessories like mics, lenses, headphones, etc. are also helpful. If you want to make this kind of donation, and aren't sure what we need, just contact us anytime.
2) Donate skills. Are you an accounting wiz? Coop expert? Web developer? Fundraiser? Marketing maven? Do you have any of a dozen or more professional skills that could usefully contribute to a community news gathering effort like Open Media Boston? Looking for a volunteer opportunity? Come on down ...
3) Become an OMB reporter. Do you have some journalism training? Are you politically progressive? Willing to do the news thing as a volunteer for the near-to-medium term while we raise money to pay ourselves? Well, there's a half a million stories in this medium-sized metropolis, and we need help covering a reasonable fraction of them on a regular basis. So drop us a line today and we'll chat ... no, don't wait ... the news waits for no one ... like Ahnold says "DO IT NOW!"
Otherwise, have a Happy New Year! Best wishes to all our viewers and your families. Here's hoping for Peace, Justice and Democracy for All in 2010.
Jason Pramas is Editor/Publisher of Open Media Boston
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