Uth TV  is an outlet for the next generation of storytellers. Young people have always had something to say, they just haven't been able to get their voices heard, especially through the mainstream media. There are plenty of teen-oriented television programs out there, but they're produced by adults, and as a result, young people rarely get to see their culture or their perspectives represented in an authentic way. They're farther down the media food chain - consuming content not producing it.

Uth TV wants to invert this food chain and empower teens to become media producers. With digital video cameras and editing software so accessible, talented young filmmakers can now be found in every corner of the country. But instead of having only a handful of people see their work at a school assembly, youth film festival, or in their families' living room, Uth TV can air the piece on a UPN station and reach hundreds of thousands of teenage viewers. Not to mention all of the folks who'll see it on the website.

Although the first two programs this summer are focused on Bay Area youth, we invite young people from all over the country (and internationally as well) to weigh in on the subjects that matter to them. Youth have always had a voice. Now, with Uth TV, there's a place to hear them.

Dave Yanofsky

UNICEF SOMALIA

YOUTH BROADCASTING INITIATIVE

Tiffany,

Please visit the UNICEF Somalia website for more information on the Youth Broadcasting Initiative

Regards,

Robert Kihara,
Communication and External Relations Section,
UNICEF Somalia.

For more information on UNICEF Somalia

+++++++++++++++++++++++

For Every Child
Health, Education, Equality, Protection
ADVANCE HUMANITY”

Here are some excerpts from a document Mr. Kihara sent me about background history and future goals of the UNICEF Somalia Youth Broadcasting Initiative.

Background

“Somali youth are fast becoming leaders in their devastated society by giving voice to their concerns in the production and broadcast of radio programmes and video productions. More than 200 youth groups have been formed throughout Somalia and in many respects, these youth groups are the same as others around the world— they are the forum where youth get together to play sports, make music or just simply hang out with friends.”

“However, they are unique in their focus on community development. Through UNICEF support in leadership and organizational development, non-formal education, and life skills youth from these groups are given tools to carry out awareness about development issues and training for their peers….In the past elders were the voices of Somali leadership; these days, it is increasingly the youth who are being heard on a local level, especially when it comes to community development.”

“The development of better broadcasting and access to information is an essential means for providing people with the tools they need to understand and develop solutions to local development issues…In Somalia the youth broadcasting initiative was developed to broaden the scope and reach of media for youth in Somalia…. giving them a clearer, louder and more informed voice on issues that are of interest to them. The information they provide through their programmes provides also provides a critical link between local experts and the general public.”

“The youth broadcasting initiative is a network of 20 youth groups around the country. Local media professionals provide hands-on training working with the youth to produce programmes. UNICEF supports the initiative through the provision of equipment and technical information about the programme topics.”

“The youth broadcasting initiative is designed to empower youth as agents of change, lead to productions that represent local people and provide information for their community information needs. UNICEF has the greatest on the ground presence of any single agency operating in Somalia…During the season when malaria is a greater threat the youth broadcast programmes about prevention measures, on International Children’s Day they broadcast programmes about child rights. Youth determine the plans for programmes, the persons they will interview and questions they will ask.”

“Youth have demonstrated incredible access to even the most controversial figures and issues: warlords have been interviewed about the threat of landmines, sheikhs have been interviewed about the importance of girls’ education and child soldiers have sadly spoken on camera about their desire to have a family.”

Why radio and video?

“Somalia remains a strongly oral culture so the importance of mass media as a conduit of the spoken word by radio or video is fundamental. Drama, debate, traditional songs and poetry are still a means of entertainment that Somali people enjoy at community events, weddings and during a night out. Radio and video are increasingly becoming forums for people to enjoy these traditional forms. Broadcast media is widely watched and listened to in Somalia, yet the country posses a typically underdeveloped media infrastructure.”

“At 5:30pm daily Somali’s across the country stop what they are doing and gather to listen to the daily British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) news short-wave broadcast. But despite such apparent demand, there is little funding available to increase the reach of locally produced radio. The popularity of radio in Somalia is palpable opening up the opportunities to reach eager audiences, produce in new formats and interest audiences with more professionally produced programmes.

“Good production of youth radio programmes will be influential and afford the public access to information on critical human rights, health and development issues….”

“Recently the media landscape in Somalia has seen the proliferation of a new kind of media that requires less investment and gets less attention from authorities but has spread to towns throughout the landscape where other mass media has not reached.  Video centres are private businesses where audiences pay about $.05 to watch a movie on a television screen with other customers. Largely attended by audiences from 14-28 in age, video centres provide an opportunity to reach youth of Somalia that no development agency has accessed. Video centres offer low operating costs, are able to withstand political influences, and primarily serve under-privileged youth audiences, making them a good way to bring media into villages and to audiences that radio doesn’t reach. The youth broadcasting initiative utilizes this media outlet for broadcast of video productions.”

Future for the Youth

“The youth broadcasting initiative engages youth broadcasters to build a local media that better addresses community information needs and strengthens the voice of youth in Somalia. It has been through a conceptualization phase in 2002, a pilot phase in 2003 and now in 2004 it is becoming a strong network whereby the youth groups involved are producing 20 programmes each month.”

“The 80 youth who are involved in the initiative continue to work with UNICEF and on behalf of their communities throughout Somalia in a variety of capacities. Just in the last year some of the youth who were trained as part of the initiative have gone on to work with the BBC, produce local programmes on children’s issues, produce local news and take part in polio eradication campaigns.”

“Through the youth broadcasting initiative and ongoing UNICEF support to youth in Somalia, the future is brighter for youth and their communities.”

  YOUTH MEDIA COUNCIL

1) Act Now to Revoke Clear Channel’s license
2) Introducing the YMC’s Media Action Center
3) Join Us Friday for a Day of Community Outreach

Clear Channel wants a new 8-year license to use our music against us...

We have 4 months to stop them!

Act Now

Tell the FCC to Revoke 's Broadcast License

Clear Channel Communications is an explicitly anti-poor, anti-union, and pro-war media corporation making billions from our music on  and , and then using talk radio like  to promote racism, homophobia and bigotry that hurts us all. Clear Channel owns more than 1200 radio stations, sponsors pro-war rallies, censors progressive content, donates millions to the Republican Party, and bullied a West Oakland neighborhood to make room for massive billboards.

We think the Bay Area deserves better. From August to November 2005, join thousands of youth, people of color, women, artists, parents and progressives in the UNPLUG CLEAR CHANNEL campaign to protect our public airwaves. Don’t let Clear Channel use our music against us. Pull the plug on corporate radio and tell the FCC to hold Clear Channel accountable, or revoke their broadcast license.

In Cali: Send a Postcard to the  Now

Elsewhere: Show your support and endorse the Campaign

...and while you're at it check out the new YOUTH MEDIA COUNCIL media action center

The YOUTH MEDIA COUNCIL announces its Media Action Center... a clearinghouse for media justice fights and a resource for youth, educators, media activists and marginalized communities who understand that challenging corporate media and creating alternatives are critical steps in the fight for a more just society.

UPDATE: Over the past several weeks the YMC has been working hard to launch this exciting new site. On July 11th, the Youth Media Council and Media Alliance sent out our first campaign action alert demanding that Clear Channel fire bigoted producer Rick Delgado from Wild 94.9. With your help we sent more than 150 letters to CC execs, forcing them to respond. In the coming months, we will renew the call for Clear Channel to act on listeners' demands and stop using our public airwaves to promote racism.

In the meantime, take action by signing a postcard to the FCC and sign up for Action Alerts:

UPCOMING EVENTS
'Talk Back to Radio' Day of Community Outreach
Friday, August 5th, 1:30-6pm

Youth Media Council and Media Alliance are teaming up with dozens of community groups, students and local artists to conduct public education and outreach take back our radio! Join us for door-knocking in Fruitvale and West Oakland to let our people know that we won't stand for Clear Channel's control of our airwaves!

Meet at 1611 Telegraph Avenue, Suite 500.
Contact Taishi Duchicela (510) 444-0640 x 381 to RSVP and get more info

Rather than let our brains roast like the rest of our peers from the scorching, relentless July heat and ‘hot’, similarly deadening summer blockbusters, we’d rather keep on our toes by checking out film festivals that make us think, question, and most importantly, participate. Here’s the lowdown on programs for youth at the San Francisco Jewish Film Festival, the coolest event in town.

* Interview with festival Executive Director Peter Stein below

SAN FRANCISCO
JEWISH FILM FESTIVAL

Jul 21 - Jul 28 : San Francisco
Jul 31 - Aug 6 : Berkeley

Jul 31 - Aug 4 : Mountain View
Aug 6 - Aug 8 : San Rafael

Tickets by phone:
Monday - Friday between 9am to 5pm
(925) 275-9490

Fax to: (925) 866-9597

Mail orders to:

SFJFF Box Office
PO Box 2229
Danville, CA 94526

Online Box Office

New Jewish Filmmaking Project

- produced by Citizen’s Film

- now in its 4^th year

- 5-12 kids, 15-19 years old

- work throughout the year on their own film project, brainstormed, storyboarded, written and directed themselves

- shot on 16 millimeter 

“We have a pretty innovative project called the New Jewish Filmmaking project…it’s an attempt to have that cohort, that group of youth articulate their own stories about negotiating their Jewish identity in today’s world. The youth who’ve been making these films have addressed everything – love…”

SFJFF is currently recruiting a small group of kids, specifically young men who have immigrated from the former Soviet Union to finish their trilogy.

Shown last Saturday at the Castro theater. Upcoming screenings at the Mountainview Century Cinema Tuesday, August 2, 4:15, and at the Berkeley Roda Theater Saturday, August 6, 12:00.

REEL PASS

$40 gets you into any movie you want to see if you're 25 or under.

YOUTH AND FAMILY PROGRAM 

- ages 10 and up & families

- special program of short films 

- primary audience ages 10-17 and their families

 

Showing this Sunday, free of charge at the Roda

We spoke to SFJFF Executive Director Peter Stein about youth involvement in his festival and festivals in general:                         

  

What’s the turnout to youth-made films usually like? How many youth in general show up to any of the films?  

As I’m sure you know, particularly during the summer, teenage audiences are extremely hard to pin down: they make their own plans, make commitments at the last minute, and it’s not so easy to organize groups of kids through schools since school’s out. That’s been one of the challenges to bringing younger audiences into the festival.

The youth filmmakers and their cohort of people are an amazing marketing army; they went out and sold hundreds of tickets. We had hundreds of kids under twenty the other day who came out.  

We also try to get younger audiences through the youth pass. 40 bucks gets you into any movie you want to see, and we’ve already sold 50-60 of those passes. Young people are actually willing to commit to a whole pass. There’s also seriously discounted student pricing.

We also have other films in the festival that are great for teens to see. There’s The First Time I Was 20 (with Marilou Berry from Look at Me), a completely wonderful French film about a 17-year-old girl in France in the 1960s who’s a talented musician who wants to play bass but is a bit of a misfit.

 

We’ve also used viral marketing, like for Talent Given Us, a sexy film for ages 15, 16 and up, a very underground, American independent, Sundance type. We did word of mouth marketing at bars and clubs and 900 people under 30 years old showed up.

Most people who haven’t been to the festival see SFJJ and might assume it’s for an older crowd or wonder if it’s religious, and that’s absolutely not the focus

I’ve heard people say they avoid special “youth showings” because they’re afraid the quality of the work isn’t going to be up to par with what the rest of the festival is offering. any comments on that?

The fear is correct, and that’s one reason why we don’t bill our youth creations as “special youth films”. We show it as a short before a solid professional film festival film because the films and theatrical work from our Filmmaking Project stands on par with anything we program.

But for many youth productions, a lot of stuff necessarily is going to be raw-edged, not as polished, some of the storytelling techniques are going to be weaker…but that doesn’t mean that the voices aren’t just as authentic. We need to value this work as representing a generation just finding its own way to tell its own stories.

Why do you think youth involvement and input in international festivals tends to be so low, and what can the filmmaking community do about it?

Most film festivals around the world do not have the organizational bandwidth or resources to screen and program much youth film. Obviously, there are great exceptions like the Golden Gate youth awards from the SF International Film Festival.

But on the whole, most film festivals don’t have the resources to have the program staff be soliciting and screening and programming films from a student or youth constituency if their main goal is to be reaching young adults and older audiences.  

But it’s a mistake not to include youth voices. Youth filmmakers are the experienced filmmakers of tomorrow and youth audiences are the adult audiences of tomorrow. My hope is, as we’ve done with this community-based festival, to make room for the widest possibility of voices. While programming funds are always limited, we want to make sure that this segment of the population that is so useful and changing is represented at least through a popout program, or at least have a series of films that speaks to younger audiences.

And it’s not just about the programming: there should be young people represented on the board. There’s the hope that we can one day do that, have programming advisory boards that include young people, because that constituency is vital.