Preamble

The principles are based on the consensus of the people, who are forming the Indymedia in Austria (at.IMC) collective. at.IMC is a project, which itself is a process, that is continuously changing. This is especially valid for the principles. The project relies on the people, who are involved in the project.

What is at.IMC?

at.IMC is an open, independent and non-commercial multimedia platform. It is open for alternative reports about social and political topics and events as well as for discussions about such topics. at.IMC provides space and channels to overcome divisions and borders.

The basic idea of at.IMC is OPEN PUBLISHING. Open Publishing guarantees the principles of openess and transparency for all users. at.IMC becomes a platform for all critical ideas and reports that are neglected by the monopol mainstream-media.

The international indymedia-network as well as the political devolpments in Austria had inspired at.IMC to bring together different media fields to transport multilingual and independent political ideas. at.IMC wants to coordinate, support and cooperate with existing alternative media structures.

To reach its goals IMC.at plans to work with a variety of media channels, not only with internet, such as: pictures, reports, audio and video.

ImcNantesPrinciples of at.IMC

Open access!

Indymedia considers itself to be an open platform where all people can participate. This ensures the principle of OPEN PUBLISHING - but also the general possibility to partipate in the whole organisation. So all people can be a part of Indymedia and create the flow of information as well as the developement of this project. Therefore Indymedia can never be more than the sum of the voices, words and pictures of the participants.

Variety of information!

Indymedia offers ways and means to spread all kinds of political knowledge and information. Information and knowledge are fundamently formed by individual perspectives and positions. OPEN PUBLISHING allows and supports this variety of perspectives. The published informations are obligated to share the principle of equality and individuality of all human kind and may not discriminate any person based on their ethnic origin, sex, age, class, sexual orientation and/or their associated lifestyles.

Decentrality!

Indymedia is based on a decentral conception. As consequence of the open access anyone from everywhere can be part of Indymedia. Everyone can produce and distribute information, nobody is sentenced to pure consumption. The concept aims at the breaking down of these borders between production and consumption.

No hierarchy!

For this at.IMC proclaims to break down all kinds of hierarchy in its organisation. To ensure this, all contradictions in the structures - which are dependent on the individual participants - have to be continuously reflected in a very critical manner. Because Indymedia has its own structural contradictions critic is essential to evoid all kinds of hierarchy. This continuous confrontation is central part of social processes in non-hierarchical stuctures - e.g. which already reach its borders by the use of the medium internet, even though many people have the possibility to share their knowledge with each other. And for example language itself has to be considered as a current - but not unbreakable - discrimination. There is a need for a gender-neutral writing style (especially in the german language).

Transparency!

All fields and processes of Indymedia have to be as transparent as possible for everyone. By this it should be avoided that within the processes power concentrations evolve. All participants should have a say in all processes and decisions.

Beyond this at.IMC - as well as all other IMCs around the world - follows the priciples of unity.

Contents of at.IMC

The distribution of information within at.IMC is not influenced by commercial or other interests. The responsibility for newswire postings are situated by the poster. This cannot be transfered on another person. The possibility to publish on at.IMC is based on the copyleft-principles.

The distribution of reports taken from commercial-mainstream media is not desireable.

The middle column is formed by editorial staff open to all interested people. The work of the editorial staff is based on the editorial policy. The features of the middle columns are summarizing severall postings from the newswire, but there is also the possibility to create a new topic, driven by own interests.

Indymedia is always part of the movement, which is the main theme of all reports!

-- PabLow - 11 Jun 2002
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