At the Canne Film Festival Peter Broderick described new online opportunities for indy 
filmmakers to create, promote and distribute their work. He’s not alone. “Independents” of all kinds are making their own media, leaving how-to-templates in their wake for others to modify for their own use. Ever dream of hosting a community radio show, co-creating an ezine for your club or writing a column about your community or hobby?
But you are daunted by the details. You don’t want to get engulfed in the technology. And you’d like the camaraderie of creating your media with others.
Well, musicians, teachers, city council members, cause advocates and others are enjoying low-cost 
ways to attract audiences, supporters and customers. How? By making their own media – and so can you. For us non-geeks who need a techy translater to describe exactly how to use the new media tools let me introduce David Mathison. By the way, Broderick’s story is in Mathison’s new book.)
This veteran community media activist describes the “me” tools for getting your message out 
(podcasts, blogs, videoblogs, etc). Then hear about the “we” tools to join forces with others to share information and news (social networks, community radio, TV and newspapers, creative commons, wikis, community media centers).
His book, Be the Media, “is a text and bible on how modern methods permit every person and 
organization to reach an audience that only a few years ago was reserved for the multi-billion dollar media conglomerates” according to Pulitzer prize-winning journalist, Ben H. Bagdikian.
If you want to be heard on behalf of your community, cause or group, here are other helpful resources I recommend: Media Alliance, Beth’s Blog, Creative Commons and The Nonprofit Technology Network.
