ImcBristolOffline

Overview

This proposal looks at the viability of producing an off-line newsletter. Bristol Indymedia sheet. A number of other IMCs can and do produce offline sheets and it is proposed that Bristol Indymedia also does one. For an example of a UK offline sheet see: http://www.indymedia.org.uk/media/2004/11/301871.pdf

Resources

• Email list (members only) http://lists.indymedia.org/mailman/listinfo/imc-bristol-announce

Meeting Notes

• BristolOfflineMeetingMarch2008
• BristolOfflineMeetingApril2008
• BristolOfflineMeetingJuly2008

Proposed Articles

• http://www.bristol.indymedia.org/article/688607 - good article critiquing a major event.
• http://www.bristol.indymedia.org/article/688626 - what if....unions and environmental protesters together?
• http://www.bristol.indymedia.org/article/688591 - a take-a-part of a council document

Why produce an offline sheet?

This ideas grows out of the fact that BIMC already produces regular flyers for the film nights, photocopies and distributes them. This proposal would expand that process and add more content into the mix:

• To provide access to Indymedia to people to don't have access to the Internet.
• To promote the film nights and other BIMC events.
• To promote the best articles and content from the site, so encouraging those producers.
• Outreach the project; give people information about how to use the site.
• Provide a means to advertise for new volunteers.
• Address a need; the Bristolian was clearly wanted and was hugely successful distributing thousands and Bristle did well getting the issue out – but both are now sadly gone.

About the proposed BIMC offline sheet

The BIMC offline would be a single photocopied black and white A4 double-sided sheet.

• It is proposed that this be done every 3 months.
• It should be free (and say so!)
• It would also be posted on the site as a PDF so others can download and distribute.
• It would have a project page on the site with information about it and a wiki page to co-ordinate it.
• The BIMC offline would use a standard template with set numbers of headlines,stories, events, images etc. The template would also carry brief information about the project, how to use the site, how to get involved and the ideas of media democracy and indymedia.

Estimated Production Process:

• Select content for the issue; this consists of selecting a number of articles, events, abridging them where possible and adding images where needed. These would either be posted to the wiki or emailed to other offline project people for feedback prior to production. EST. TIME: 2-3 hours? (Should we contact people whose articles we are going to use before?)
• Produce the issue: the selected content would then be produced into an issue and a PDF posted on the site for the next stage. EST. TIME: 2-3 hours all in?
• Print the issue; the issue would then go to the printers to be produced and picked up once done. EST.TIME (for us) 2-4 hours.
• Distribute the issue; This would use the existing channels of distribution we already use for the film night-flyers. This is a mix of hand-distribution to shops and cafe's etc and reciprocal distribution with sympathetic club-night promoters. We could also add distribution from the film-nights, encouraging those who attend to take some with them. EST.TIME 6-10 hours (but much of this is already happening) BimcOfflineDistribution

Estimated costs:

Saxoprint, 2000 double-sided A4 80gsm paper, black & white = £55 please any any suggestions!!!

Estimated Timeline:

• Select content for the issue; this happens over a week or so with a couple of days for feedback and changes once posted.
• Produce the issue: a week for this to happen (including sending a proof out and correcting any issues)
• Print the issue; saxoprint take 12 days to turn-around a print job. A local 'drop-in' place might take less?
• Distribute the issue; This happens over the whole period of the newsletters life!

Example Timeline – Summer Newsletter

(promotes June, July & August film nights and selects content from past 3 months.)

• 1st April: Start the selection of content.
• 8th April: solicit feedback on selections.
• 10th April; final copy agreed.
• 17th April; DTP of issue completed.
• 6th May; returns from printer. Distribution begins.

Example newspapers, links & notes:

Porkbolter – been going ages and was the inspiration for The Bristolian guide to how to do it sample issue Key issue, noted in the 'how to guide' is coming up with a good name!

An example of the Bristolian The Bristolian was popular, it had a strong tabiold and populist style and was very acidic towards all authority, it was in short a very 'un-activist' paper that people related to.

Cool NYC offline, 'Indypendent' 'a free paper for free people' I like this idea, how about 'a free paper for free minds'? Here is an example issue http://www.indypendent.org/?pagename=issue&issue=2-4-08 and they even do a kids issue! This project accepts paid advertising! An overview here

Tech

Proposal to use scribus 1.3.4

Windows version: http://downloads.sourceforge.net/scribus/scribus-1.3.4-win32-install.exe

On a Debian linux based system: apt-get install scribus-ng

Mac http://wiki.scribus.net/index.php/MacOSX_version_of_Scribus

I found that this word count firefox extension was useful for counting words

I also used gimp to crop photos.

Template

• bimc.sla:(right click > save link as.. - then open it with Scribus))

• v1.pdf: Mock up of page 1 - by Crash

• from Andrzej:
  

• from Andrzej:
  

• from Andrzej:
  

• roughs2.pdf: More frontpagey

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