Peoples Production House

Calls from Home: Mama’s Day Broadcast

Anjum — Fri, 11 May 2012 03:28:45 +0000

Hosted by PPH’s Sylvia Guerrero, this radio project connects incarcerated women to their families, friends and communities. We’re proud to have supported the Media Literacy Project, Strong Families and Thousand Kites in the production of this special broadcast. You can listen to it here.

PPH POP SQUAD!

Anjum — Thu, 26 Apr 2012 22:06:18 +0000

Working closely with our partners at the Hive NYC, we’re using Mozilla Popcorn to introduce youth to interactive storytelling and incorporate this training in youth media programs across the city. On April 10 at Eyebeam Art+Technology Center, PPH led a hands-on demo of Popcorn for Tribeca Film Institute Youth Film Fellows, where we experimented with creating remixed, recontextualized and tricked-out web-based media of all kinds. And at PPH, we’ve got our own POP SQUAD: a cadre of tech-savvy teens who are learning the ins and outs of Popcorn, and teaching their peers how to use this open source tool for creating interactive videos on the web. Catch them in action at the Hive NYC First Amendment Hack Jam on May 12!

Participatory Budgeting NYC

Anjum — Tue, 24 Apr 2012 19:46:55 +0000

PPH helped document an important experiment in direct democracy taking place in several local NYC council districts. Participatory Budgeting, a process where residents decide how one million dollars will be spent in their communities, was piloted in four city council districts in Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens and the Bronx.

On March 14th, PPH videotaped and interviewed residents of Brad Lander’s district at a science-fair style expo at the Park Slope Armory where the 20 different projects were on display. Proposals ranged from repaving streets and subways, repairing school bathrooms and auditoriums to creating more public space by extending library community room hours and building a community garden to celebrate cultural diversity.

Brad Lander praised our work, noting that the videos “do a lot to humanize the projects.” And that several of his constituents have mentioned that “it really made a difference to them in understanding the projects & the process, and in thinking about what to vote for.” Residents are able to vote from March 27th through March 29 and from March 31st through April 1st. To learn more and see the videos, click here.

[Image via Participatory Budgeting Project]

PPH and PBS NewsHour

Anjum — Sat, 07 Apr 2012 18:45:29 +0000

Following last year’s Checking In On Dropping Out and Youth Profiles from Zuccotti Park, our partnership with PBS NewsHour continues this semester at Central Park East High School, where youth reporters are producing a documentary investigating the digital divide through the lens of technology and education. Stay tuned for details about live screening of this exciting project!

Using Conference Call Technology, Immigrants Find a Way to ‘Broadcast’

Abdulai Bah — Thu, 05 Apr 2012 17:12:21 +0000

Traditional U.S. news outlets seldom focus on Africa, making it difficult for immigrants from that continent to stay informed about their homeland. However thanks to the innovative uses of modern technology some African immigrants are changing the way information is shared. Abdulai Bah filed this report for WNYC.

By Abdulai Bah

Checking In On Dropping Out

Marisa — Thu, 05 Apr 2012 13:15:04 +0000

Nationally, about 70 percent of U.S. students graduate on time with a regular diploma. For Hispanic and African American students, the proportion drops to about half. Sadly, over two million teenagers attend so-called “dropout factory” schools where only 60 percent of the students finish high school in four years.

“Checking In On Dropping Out” is a collaborative project by PBS NewsHour’s Student Reporting Labs and PPH’s Radio Rootz program. Many of the Radio Rootz journalists come from these very “Dropout Factories” and their reporting investigates why so many of their classmates are not finishing high school and how their peers feel about the perceptions and realities of public education.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Watch the Videos Rootz Youth Produced for PBS Newshour’s Student Reporting Labs

On June 22, 2011 at Hillyer Art Space in Washington DC, an exciting screening featured the 5 minute shorts produced by D.C. and Radio Rootz young reporters. Following the screening, a lively panel discussion featured youth, local journalists and education leaders on the topic of drop outs and school improvement. Check out a video or photos of the event.

MODERATOR Hari Sreenivasan, On-Air Correspondent for The PBS NewsHour

RESPONDANTS:
John Bridgeland, President & CEO of Civic Enterprises
Anurima Bhargava, Chief, Educational Opportunities Section, Department of Justice
Kavitha Cardoza, Senior Reporter, DC WAMU 88.5
Del McFadden, Columbia Heights/Shaw Family Support Collaborative
Khalis Marshall, Ingrid Cerón, Youth Reporters for Radio Rootz in DC

HOSTS:
Leigh Ann Caldwell, Producer for C-SPAN, and DC Director of Radio Rootz/People’s Production House
Leah Clapman, Managing Editor, Education, PBS NewsHour

Are You With Me? (Louis Reyes Rivera 1945-2012)

Abdulai Bah — Mon, 02 Apr 2012 17:06:18 +0000

This is a film dedicated to freedom fighter Louis Reyes Rivera who died on March 3, 2012. Rivera was a member of the 1969 occupation of City College, which was led by students of Color. On October 27, 2011, “The Janitor of History” as Rivera was known by many, spoke to Students United for a Free CUNY at the AME Church in Harlem. Iva Rad & Martyna Starosta who were at the event produced this film documentary.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Strand Workers Standing Firm for their Rights

Abdulai Bah — Fri, 30 Mar 2012 21:51:37 +0000

Since last August, employees of The Strand bookstore have been without a contract. Two of the workers, Courtney Holbrook and Alex Cornett, came on Global Movements, Urban Struggles, a weekly show on WBAI 99.5FM to talk about their struggle. The interview airs live on Thursday March 29th 2012.

By Christine and Rob

With a Melody, Activists Fight Off the Auction Of Foreclosed Homes

Abdulai Bah — Fri, 30 Mar 2012 21:21:10 +0000

Members of Organizing for Occupation (o4o) along with several other New Yorkers are fighting off financial institutions that are vying to sell foreclosed homes to speculators. This new tactic is slowly spreading in other cities across the country. Adam Roth, member of o4o, appeared on WBAI 99.5FM to talk about their strategy of using music to defend home owners.

By Rob and Christine

Congolese Migrants Denounce Police Harassment in South Africa

Abdulai Bah — Fri, 30 Mar 2012 20:23:30 +0000

Congolese migrants recently held a rally to protest the atrocities that are being committed in their home country and denounced daily harassment from the South African Department of Home Affairs. Community News Production Institute reporter and Fulbright Scholar, Janis Rosheuvel was at the protest to collect these voices. This piece originally aired on WBAI 99.5FM.

Report by Janis Rosheuvel