Recently I showed MTN to a group of six Armenian journalists passing through the Twin Cities on a State Department tour. It is difficult describing MTN and our role in the community to newcomers in general but it was especially hard to depict this to a group of professionals from a country long used to having only state-owned media. Now they are just discovering private, capitalist media. The idea that non-professionals could make television was quite a leap; surely there are professional camera people shooting. How could someone “off the streets" make television? Yet they were very impressed when they saw a short compilation of youth-produced public-service announcements (PSAs), direct and freely spoken.
Speaking of youth: the South High seniors of the V.O.I.C.E.S. program have all finished their third tri projects which will be running on Mondays at 8 pm, on Channel 17 through the summer. We have a special class for the Tibetan community under way, composed of youths and adults. They will be working on an encapsulated look at the first ten years of their residency in Minnesota. We also have a group from Americorps Youth Works training on Wednesday afternoons, with a lot to say from their perspectives. There have been 5 or 6 PSAs produced quickly in the last two to three classes alone.
Another producer, Beth Brody, has worked tirelessly compiling an hour long "America The Peaceful" show, originally produced by Indi Thambiah last fall in three parts. Beth is also working on a dance piece/collaboration with a number of artist friends. She has also volunteered numerous times for The League of Women Voters' program "We, The People". Congratulations, Beth!
We now have a third Somali producer, Abdi Abdiaar, turning in another program, Somali American Media. It's an overview of the Somali experience with segments in English as well. One recent episode covered a Somali woman's recent acceptance of an international environmental award.
Well, time and space limit my going on further... more next time.
- Doug Cain
