---
title: 'We [Already] Make the Media. Now, we need to organize a nonprofit to help Portland journalism prosper.'
date: '2009-11-20T15:31:41-08:00'
type: post
word_count: 464
char_count: 3056
tokens: 604
categories:
  - '#featured'
  - Events
  - Journalism
  - Journalists
  - Media
  - Oregon
  - Portland
tags:
  - Journalism
  - journalist
  - Media
  - nonprofit
  - organize
  - 'we make the media'
---

# We [Already] Make the Media. Now, we need to organize a nonprofit to help Portland journalism prosper.

You’re hearing it [more](http://pdxsucks.com/2009/11/17/maybe-portland-doesnt-suck-after-all-pt-1/ "Maybe Portland Doesn’t Suck After All") and [more](http://twitter.com/petegrillo/status/5833398028 "Pete Grillo on Portland's new media"). There’s something special happening in Portland these days. There’s a groundswell, a number of things coming together, and just a general feeling of momentum around the reinvention of how we both produce and consume media.

To date, it’s been very much of a grassroots effort. Separate people doing their own thing. Or small groups of independent blogs, podcasts, and publications fighting the good fight.

Now, there may be an organization to help. Introducing [We Make the Media](http://wemakethemedia.org/ "We Make the Media").

We Make the Media proposes to “build a new community journalism enterprise for the Portland metropolitan region.” And this Saturday, they’re [meeting to discuss how that might happen](http://www.wemakethemedia.org/agenda/index.php "We Make the Media agenda").

Who is pulling all of this together? A [team of veteran journalists](http://www.wemakethemedia.org/about/ "About We Make the Media") who have a vested interest in seeing journalism continue to persevere and survive—despite what may be happening in the world of media.

> The team shares the perspective that historically, newspapers have been the breeding ground and backbone for journalism that protects our democracy. But the success of the Internet is challenging the traditional advertising-based scaffolding for reporting and journalism, while as yet there is no viable model for financially robust Internet journalism.

If you want to be part of helping organize this organization—or if you’d simply like to teach me to write, so that I don’t compose phrases like that in the future—the conference will be held Saturday, December 21 at the [University of Oregon / White Stag building in downtown Portland](http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=White+Stag+Building,+Portland+OR&sll=45.522917,-122.467895&sspn=0.008359,0.018818&g=NE+Couch,+Portland,+Multnomah,+Oregon+97230&ie=UTF8&hq=White+Stag+Building,&hnear=Portland,+OR&ll=45.524142,-122.671173&spn=0.00209,0.004705&t=h&z=18&iwloc=A "University of Oregon White Stag building"). The cost to attend is $25.

For more information or to register, visit [We Make the Media](http://wemakethemedia.org/ "We Make the Media"). Or you can [follow @WeMakeTheMedia on Twitter](http://twitter.com/wemakethemedia "follow @WeMakeTheMedia on Twitter"). Or listen to [Abraham Hyatt](http://twitter.com/abrahamhyatt "Abraham Hyatt") and [Dr. Normal](http://twitter.com/drnormal "Dr. Normal") discuss We Make the Media on a recent [Crazy Talk](http://www.electrotainment.com/ "Crazy Talk on Electrontainment"), below.

*([Image courtesy ShironekoEuro](http://www.flickr.com/photos/shironekoeuro/4040697914/ "Old Newspapers"). Used under Creative Commons.)*