FAQs

What's the story behind ACME?

In response to great demand from media education advocates and enthusiasts, a new continental coalition - an organization of organizations - is forming to tackle the challenges brought on by our current media system.

A multitude of organizers, community members, students and educators have witnessed, for decades, the powerful impact that real media education can make in the lives of children, teenagers, women, groups of color, and all of us who live in this media-saturated world. From small organizations to prominent leaders, media activists have made considerable headway in promoting democratic values, challenging censorship, fighting for equality and confronting corporate interests in the media.

ACME seeks to build on those efforts by connecting educators, students, parents, media makers, public health advocates, and citizen activists, and helping them to identify and create educational resources that will inspire citizens, especially young people, to actively engage with media in a way that will support healthy lives, healthy communities and a healthy democracy.

What is Media Education?

Media education is an educational process/pedagogy designed to help individuals gain the knowledge and skills needed to access, analyze, interpret, and create media—to help them become "media literate." Media literacy education is a natural extension of "text literacy," but goes far beyond the skill of reading and writing text. In an age when most people get most of the information visually—through television, film, computers, video, etc—citizens need to know how to think critically about what they see and hear, not just what they read, and feel encouraged to engage our media culture as citizens and media producers, not just as media consumers.

Why the name ACME (Action Coalition for Media Education)?

ACTION suggests change, effort and movement. The idea of many people, groups or parties coming together in a coalition to take action is powerful, and many educators and those interested in media issues have been seeking an opportunity to turn their energy into positive change. Media Education, although frequently associated solely with the classroom, should be used in broader contexts, encompassing classroom, after-school, community, and adult education.

What kind of an organization is ACME?

Free of corporate media funding, ACME is a strategic network linking educators, students, parents, health advocates, media reformers, independent media makers, community organizers and others.

ACME will serve the interests of educators, youth leaders, community organizers, parents, researchers, students, children, teens, schools/school districts, community ad non-profit organizations, and anyone else who feels it's time to advocate fpr media literacy education that inspires citizens to action about important issues. ACME offers media education trainings and workshops for schools and communities across the continent - if you are interested in hosting an ACME event, please contact us!

How was ACME created?

A Planning Committee of media education advocates and enthusiasts worked together to plan ACME, beginning in December 2001. The committee members represented a diverse scope of perspectives within the media education community, yet all on the committee agreed that there is a great need for collaboration and stronger networking within the media education community. Planning Committee members voluntarily chose to be a part of this effort.

The ACME Planning Committee included: Annemarie Charlesworth, Scot Davis, Peter DeBenedittis, Aliza Dichter, Denis Doyon, Tom Gardner, Elizabeth Gleckler, Viveca Greene, Andy Hagelshaw, Peter Hart, Emily Heath, Karen Hellyer, Vaishali Mane, Bob McCannon, Carrie McLaren, Jim Metrock, Laurie Mullikin, Ann Petit, Susan Rogers, Diane Samples, Damon Scott, Victor Strasburger, Frank Vespe, Erik Vidstrand and Rob Williams.

How is ACME governed?

ACME now is governed by a Board of Directors and supported by an Advisory Board. You can meet our Board and Advisory Board members on our web site.

These individuals have media literacy, education and/or production experience; possess strong leadership, organizational, networking and/or fundraising skills; and are committed to carrying out ACME's organizational vision. Board members serve two year terms.

The Board is dedicated to broadening the professional and cultural diversity of the ACME membership. Board members will fully disclose their nonprofit and media business connections to avoid any real or perceived conflicts of interest with ACME's mission.

We encourage all who meet the above requirements to consider running for the ACME board or to nominate a respected colleague for a board position.

What was the purpose of ACME Summits 2002 and 2004?

Our ACME Summits featured inspirational plenary sessions and informative, interactive workshops covering today's most pressing media issues, and identified positive and tangible actions in response to our media-saturated society. Summit participants explored strategies for creating, using and pursuing effective media education techniques; solidified the organizational vision and develop ACME's future goals; and elected ACME's leadership team—a Board that is committed to improving the health of our culture, and providing direction for ACME.

What types of sessions did the Summit offer?

The ACME Summits offered three specific tracks. Some sessions overlapped with the interests of the other tracks; in addition, the Summit encouraged educator/reformer networking.

1) Media Education—highlighted the broad context of education. Speakers emphasized the strengths of using action-oriented media education inside and outside of a traditional classroom setting to better inform citizens and students of the ways in which the global media monopoly affects us all.

2) Changing the Media System—explored effective reform strategies and identified the means to coordinate community, regional and national media activism efforts.

3) Organizational Development—lessons learned from past efforts, possibilities for ACME, and facilitatng the election of a group of leaders who will work to further the development of ACME as an organization.

In addition to information-sharing and discussion-based sessions, attendees were able to participate in sessions to exchange active media education techniques and strategies. Pre- and Post-Summit Workshops provided attendees with specific tools, materials, and media education techniques in their area of interest.

Who should attend ACME Summits?

ACME Summits are open to anyone and everyone concerned about media issues. We hope ACME will inspire attendees and members to take media education more seriously, and to stand up to the Big Media cartel and its corporate front-groups. We hope our Summits represent a diverse array of people, perspectives and professions. Anyone willing to take action toward building a positive future for our children, our culture and our democracy is welcome:

• Community, activist, student and youth organizers
• Teachers and education reformers
• Activists and activist organizations that will promote media education
• Pragmatic, clever visionaries that can define a practical focus and tangible projects
• New allies and organizations that will strengthen ACME and media education activism
• Progressive media critics and action-based media literacy educators/trainers
• Experienced coalition-builders/movement makers

Are individuals/organizations that don't consider themselves "activists" still welcome?

Yes! We don't want to deter any good minds from participating in ACME's work just because a title doesn't fit. We believe that being an activist, or including action-oriented approaches to media education and reform will lead to positive changes that reflect the interests and needs of the public.

Did the ACME 2002 Summit actually "found" the new organization?

The 2002 Summit served as an organizational forum and planning meeting. A leadership group emerged from the 2002 Summit that is committed to building ACME based on the interest and suggestions of the Summit participants and our growing ACME membership.