Greg graciously pointed me towards the Citizen Media Fair going on this Saturday afternoon.

Concerned about the news media? You are not alone. Americans all across the political spectrum are increasingly dissatisfied with - and distrustful of - the performance of local and national news sources. A Citizen Media Fair to be held June 4 from 1 to 5 p.m. at Hamline University’s Klas Center will bring together journalists, media activists and concerned citizens to talk about what citizens can do to increase media accountability, quality and diversity. The fast-paced program will feature panel discussions, hands-on workshops, screenings of documentaries on the news media, and a keynote address by Air America Minnesota talk show host Wendy Wilde. The Klas Center is located on the Hamline University campus at Taylor Ave. near Snelling.

(Emphasis mine, so I didn’t have to re-type the details.)

Perhaps of particular interest for blog nerds is the following:

“Don’t hate the media - become the media” is the theme of the second panel, which will give people concrete ways to stop being passive consumers and become active media producers. Panelists will include Pam Colby of the Minneapolis Telecommunications Network, Janis Lane-Ewart, executive director of KFAI Community Radio; public affairs programming producer John Slade of the Counter Propaganda Coalition. and Twin Cities IndyMedia; and documentary producer (Blogumentary) and blogger Chuck Olsen.

AND, if all that’s not enough, you can then celebrate Chuck’s birthday with him.

So if pub crawling is not your bag, there’s something for the more cerebral/activist/curious type. I’m sure there are many well-rounded folks who would happily partake in both, but they’re at the same time, so no can do. Don’t feel badly for choosing one over the other.

Related posts:

1. Life After Newspapers
2. New Media, New Standards? Ethics in Online Journalism
3. Community Blogging and Community Media
4. “The Local Media Crisis”
5. The Future of News and Newspapers: So what?