Communique 16: The Future of Media Activism Jammers,
Media activism, in all its disparate strains, is slowly but surely becoming a movement. In part, it's being spurred by the rise of information insecurity. But also by the growing realization that our corporate media system has a profound effect on nearly every other social and political issue we face. People, desperate for change, are organizing around media like never before. There's a feeling that media reform is truly the issue of issues, and that the wind is finally in our sails.
What's still missing though is a larger narrative that describes and explains our common cause. What's our "frame"? What's the storyline that can gel our currently disparate threads of activism into a real, global media movement -- a movement that parallels other great social movements of our time, like environmentalism, feminism and civil rights? Mental environmentalism is one such powerfully simple idea.
Learn more, weigh in, and help this movement gel: adbusters
JULY 4TH: INDEPENDENCE DAY
These are bleak times in America. Indeed, thanks to Bush and the neocons, the prevailing mood has become a dangerous mix of hopelessness and fear. In this sorry state, it's ironic perhaps that as July 4th approaches Americans will be making plans to celebrate freedom.
It's time for jammers to take this opportunity, get together with others and build new kinds of meaning. JammerGroups across the United States are brainstorming about potentially creative and provocative actions for this Independence Day. How can we express our resistance and help take America back? Share your plans, join your local JammerGroup and find out more: unbrandamerica
BLACKSPOT SHOES
Our experiment in grassroots capitalism just took a major step forward with our inaugural shareholder vote. People who have purchased a pair of the classic Blackspot Sneaker -- in other words, the shareholders of The Blackspot Anticorporation -- voted on the retail price of v2.0: The Unswoosher, our new organic hemp, recycled tire boot. In the end, the shareholders made it loud and clear that they want not just affordability, but also enough revenue to tackle all of the anti-corporate, pro-environmental ideals that make Blackspot Shoes so unique.
Stay tuned for the results from more shareholder votes. For the latest Blackspot developments, go to:
Best, Adbusters
PS. Our comrades in Europe just published a new German edition of CULTURE JAM by KALLE LASN. You can now order copies in English, Italian, Turkish, Dutch, Estonian or German, at: