Tag Archives: US

It is one of those places I’ve heard about since I don’t know how long… the famed freetown Christiania. An autonomous area in the heart of Copenhagen. People used to talk about how people there lived differently; built their own houses. More communal living. Ran things their way. Were free of the trends and many of the expectations of the outside world. At some point, in my mind, it became a legend. “One day”, I thought to myself, “I will go to Christiania and see for myself.”

And so that day finally came. I found myself at last in Copenhagen and sure enough, wasted little time in getting over there.

At first I wasn’t sure what the entrance would look like. A building perhaps. No an archway with a sign, almost like disneyland minus the ridiculous consumer culture and talking mouse. With a arial map burned into my head, and a few cafe’s, bikeshops, and galleries as points of reference, I knew once I was in, I would figure it out. So as we approached the initial path, the bright colors of graphitti tags and distinct shadeyness of the guys standing around the path led me to conclude this was the place – be not afraid.

As I walked I enjoyed the visual of the dirt covered path, turned slightly muddy by the rain. Every few meters the official red flag with the three yellow dots in a window or a sign. A few meters further, a whole stand selling all manner of gear with that same logo. No shock of course, as someone would later tell me, Christiania is the second most popular tourist attraction in Copenhagen.

The sign behind me, leading out of the community, reads “Now Entering the EU”, a hilarious site and a reminder that this place plays by different rules and different values. The EU should have sent a delegation to meet Christiania’s representatives long ago, they might have learned something about participation and civics…. to take back to Brussels.

As a videoblogger and podcaster I’m surprised and slightly annoyed at the constant signs to not take pictures. Almost out of principle I took pictures whenever I was alone. Admittedly I never asked why the rule exists, but truthfully in the year 2008 and the era of citizen powered media, Christianians should be proud and confident that there are many visitors who take pictures in hopes of inspiring the world, and showing that there is another way. Then again, as a visitor, there are many things I didn’t realize about this place, and many other factors that probably created the somewhat suspicious feeling I couldn’t shake as a journalist among a people who’s way of life is, in many ways in danger of extinction.

Fast forward to the Gallery. After a delicious vegetarian meal in hands down the coziest place I’ve ever eaten in Scandinavia, I eventually ended up at the gallery opening that a kind person at Christiania.org had invited me to. She had told me to go there, and I will surely meet people to whom I can ask questions.

As I walked up the stairs and smelled that familiar concert venue stench, it reminded me of all the shows at the dark and revered Stone Pony in Asbury Park. At the top of the stairs, a door led to a warm and comfy gallery, where several people had gathered to see the lively paintings, meet the very good looking artist, and partake in the cake, drinks, and atmosphere. After glancing at everyone, and asking around , I eventually was able to find a group of Christianians who I might be able to interview for a podcast. I inched my way towards they table, careful to not interrupt the animated discussion over 3d art, number patterns, and what I suspect were conspiracy theories. To my surprise these seasoned veterans were not the least bit thrown off by the fact that I sat down at their table. It was almost as if that is normal in this community… you’re welcome at the table, whoever you are.

When I saw the chance, I introduced myself, and asked for an interview. Of course not everyone was up for it, this time not for reasons of suspicion about who I am, but more out of, what they described as, fatigue.. of telling the story of Christiania and describing the current situation which calls into question what will become of this place in the coming years. Kindly, they pointed across the table to a quiet gentlemen who they labelled as very happy to talk. I was surprised as he seemed the quietest and most mysterious with his long coat and fedora hat. But again, never judge too quickly, especially not here, because what followed was an interview conversation that we both enjoyed and I will not soon forget.

The details of this conversation, you’ll hear in a forthcoming podcast later this week. Eventually it did come to an end, and I thanked the man and we wished each other an excellent life, though I suspect we will meet again. Another slice of cake, a quick purchase of a poster from a Christiania artist, and off we went. In the dark I tried to look back and take another mental picture of this unique place. Too dark. I walked away telling my friend all the details of this enlightening conversation.. all of a sudden I thought of myself as some kind of Christiania expert. Off to other place to tell the tales to other people, many of whom will do just as I did.. come to see this very special place for themselves.

Thanks Christianians. Pardon the pictures and until we meet again.

During my time at the Village Voice, I would occasionally hear the name Jimmy Breslin. No one told me who he was, it was just a name that would sometimes appear written on a folder or a piece of paper, hell I think the desk I would sometimes sit at used to be his… but I’m not sure about that either. Whether it was conversations with people in the break room or names written on folders, I figured out on my own that Jimmy Breslin was not just a name, he was – and is, a legend in journalism.

I had never heard his voice, until last week.

Clicking on my usual dose of On Point from NPR, the guest is none other than Jimmy Breslin talking about the mob and his latest book. Now some people talk and its just a conversation, no big deal. When Jimmy began to speak, it became very obvious that HERE was a man that is not afraid of anyone and more than that, not afraid to speak his mind no matter what people might think of him.

He comes down pretty hard on blogs, but like I said yesterday, I don’t mind, people need to stop praising blogs so much and get a grip on the reality that we face as professional journalism is starved to death. Plus if a man with the experience and independence of Breslin says it, you know you’re hearing the voice of real experience talking.

Listen to this program, it is my recommendation of the week. Pay special attention to how he handles the accusations that journalists like him, along with television and film, are only serving to glorify the mafia. And enjoy his solution for crime in New York City.

Part of being a fairly old school blogger and very old school podcaster who calls himself a journalist, means that I get invited to speak at conferences and quite often, to give my point of view on issues relating to new media. So as much as I hate to take time out of really discussing and analyzing topics that need our attention, I’ll use this post to do a little META talk and respond to a very scathing article in Mother Jones on the topic of citizen journalism.

In Adam Weinstein’s article “Stop the Press Releases” he tears into newspapers that have cut back on staff and replaced traditional…. real journalism with bloggers who produce content for free. He slams the content produced by these bloggers as filled with fluff and often – straight up marketing propaganda. Throughout the text he refers to the transforming of newspapers to some sort of collection of user generated, mob rule, mess. As Weinstein puts it:

Content has become “platform agnostic”—making print and online versions interchangeable. The chain’s newsrooms were rechristened “information centers” and reporters became “mojos”—mobile journalists who shoot their own photos and videos (badly, it turns out) and post them to the web without editing. Long-form and investigative stories were replaced by short, searchable bursts of information.

I call myself a citizen journalist because I seek to report about issues and events unfolding in the world. Of course, I do this as an independent podcaster, so I make use, as best I can, of the resources available to me from my own experiences and contacts, as well as those I can find using the internetS. There are plenty of things that traditional journalists, full-time paid on-staff journalists, can afford to do in terms of time and resources, that I simply can’t. But then again, I have the advantage of being free of their institutional and professional limitations. (Like being able to call the internet the internetS. )

If you’ve ever heard me speak on the topic, you might have caught me at a moment of over excitement where I make a sweeping statement that I don’t mean. Something like “old media is dead, good riddance!” It is fun to say, I admit it. But the truth is, I share the criticisms of Weinstein; I’ve seen newsrooms picked apart and newspapers that slash jobs for journalists who do serious in-depth research and investigation. I’ve watched as insitutions sanction blogs, pretending that they care about the spirit of openness and candidness. The bloggers that arrive on the scene and proceed to do nothing but marketing and navel gazing, while being showered with a few perks and access to elite events.

As someone dedicated to citizen journalism, despite the fact that I don’t have any formal institution behind me nor a steady funding stream to compensate me for my work… it is not my hope that newspapers disappear. Sure they’ve done some terrible work over the years. And sure, they too should and can be accused of doing their own marketing and irresponsible reporting. They may deserve a wake up call, but once newspaper owners and managing editors decide they can fire everyone and just use free work from citizen reporters, thats when it goes to far for me.

We have our place, and I can tell you from experience, we’re fighting to earn this place within the media landscape. But newspapers and news media from formal institutions, tv, radio, newspaper, they can still serve a very important role for all of us. And if business logic, and profit margins continue to recommend they just throw it all away in favor of free labor and fluff blogging… then our world will fall even further into a destructive, corrupted, abyss.