Community Media: A Historical Practice and Modern Day Tool
Tabitha Ireifej October 18th, 2022
“If you’re 18, you can be heroes of this generation”, exclaims Cris Ericson in her musically styled video that advocates her candidacy for US Senate. With a little bit of background music and a whole lot of passion, Ericson encourages young voters to get out to the polls and contribute their voices to our democracy. She stands alone in the video yet has the zeal of an entire community behind her, and herein lies the power of community media. Ericson uses the CCTV community media platform to share her hopes and goals for the community. Though this particular message is shared through technology, community media was born far before the existence of any internet platform.
Whether examining today’s community where advanced technological communication tools exist, or age-old communities where communication happened in the most fundamental form, community media has always been present one way or another. Ancient communities adopted the most primal methods of communication such as word of mouth, hieroglyphics, imagery, and other traditional gestures to share messages amongst one another. Community media took on the form of group gatherings or shared religious practices to promote security, preserve culture, and create neighborly bonds. In modern times, community media serves the same purpose.
As society has developed and technology continues to advance, community media has taken on the role of reaching thousands of people at a time to assist democracy, ensure free speech, and promote engagement in local government. The first attempts at public access television date back to the early 1970’s and have continued all the way through to today. Take CCTV’S own Town Meeting TV, for example; a regional government access TV channel that airs election coverage, community events, and all things related to Vermont’s local democracy. Town Meeting TV was launched in 1990 and has since grown into a trusted provider of community media resources, including information on the upcoming November 8th, 2022 local elections. This channel is just one example of how community media is truly a hub for democracy and sharing to take place.
Community media will continue to align with the changes that occur every day in society while never ceasing to provide public access to all people. Social media has become a huge presence in recent history, requiring community media to adapt to platforms such as instagram, facebook, and more. In a world where people of all age groups need access to democracy, community media must occur on social media but continue to stay active in public access television. CCTV strives to do both.
Although “media” is associated with technology, the internet, and the “now”, community media began when the first ever communities existed. In other words, community media has a rich history that dates far and wide to before the conventional assumption of “media” was ever adopted. It is an ever-changing and evolving practice that is truly integral to society and democracy. With the help of community media, communities of all types, sizes, and demographics can have access to democracy and contribute their own voice to society. While this is true, the visual aspect of media with the help of videography, imagery, and technology in general can really amplify a story. Today we have the privilege of sharing stories visually, making them even more special. With that, CCTV will continue to use communicative tools like podcasts, videos, and social media to share and encourage democracy throughout the community.
Stay tuned to Town Meeting TV for commuity meeting coverage, events, local happenings, and interesting community conversations. youtube.com/townmeetingTV, instagram, and ch17.tv!
