Phil Wider, University of Pennsylvania and Media Mobilizing Project
Danilo Yanich, University of Delaware

Organizational Partners:

Media Mobilizing Project, Philadelphia, PA

Philly Media Watch is seeking funding to complete a broad based media monitoring study and to conduct a pilot issue-specific media monitoring study with the Philadelphia Student Union.  These studies will bring community members together with social scientists and media activists to analyze the content of Philadelphia’s local mainstream news coverage and specifically how issues affecting low-income communities are portrayed in the local news.  The results of these studies – relayed through a report, workshops, a toolkit and website – will inform local media education and advocacy work, as well as independent media production and distribution.

Philly Media Watch believes that a true reinvigoration of US media activism, armed with concrete social science data and new constituencies, will only emerge to the extent that US media activism works towards building a larger social movement for economic and social justice.  Towards this end the results of Philly Media Watch’s study will be incorporated into existing community organizing work in Philadelphia and the model, shared with others in the form of a toolkit and website, will have the ability to inform and inspire media monitoring projects around the country.

Contacts:  

Phil Wider
Philly Media Watch
Media Mobilizing Project
267/977-0418
pwider@gmail.com

Danilo Yanich, Ph.D.
Director, Urban Affairs & Public Policy Graduate Program
School of Urban Affairs & Public Policy
Center for Community Research & Service
University of Delaware
302/ 831-1710
dyanich@udel.edu