Our Team
Media Democracy Days is a collaborative event supported by an ever changing collection of community partners, exhibitors, speakers, and volunteers. As an organization, we are based at the School of Communication at Simon Fraser University, and work actively with our long-time coordinating partners at OpenMedia.ca and our co-sponsors, the Vancouver Public Library. Our steering committee is made up of:
Dr. Kathi Cross: Dr. Cross is a Lecturer in the School of Communication at Simon Fraser University where her research interests include democratic communication, news media analysis, gender in media, media theory (cultural and critical theory), public opinion, and the analysis of political campaigns and elections. She also serves as a National Coordinator for the Global Media Monitoring Project, focused on gender representation in media.
Dr. Stuart Poyntz: Dr. Poyntz is an Assistant Professor in the School of Communication at Simon Fraser University. His research interests include the relationship of children and youth with media, public sphere theory, with specific concern for the work of Hannah Arendt, and young people’s historical thinking, particularly in relation to digital media technologies. Dr. Poyntz works with Media Democracy Days as our programming advisor.
Dr. Robert Hackett: Dr. Hackett has taught at the SFU School of Communication since 1984. From 1993 to 2003, he co-directed NewsWatch Canada, a news media monitoring program based at SFU.Bob is on the editorial board of Journalism Studies. He has conducted numerous media interviews and public taks, written policy briefs, and has helped to found several community-based media action and education initiatives, including Media Democracy Day itself.
Steve Anderson: Steve is the national coordinator for OpenMedia.ca. He is a contributing author of Censored: 2008 and Battleground: The Media and has written for The Tyee, Toronto Star, Epoch Times, Common Ground, Rabble.ca, and Adbusters.
We are also supported by a rotating team of coordinators and organizers. Our 2011 staff:
Gala Milne: Gala is a student in the SFU School of Communication with a strong interest in community-based media systems, environmental communication, and dialogue as a tool for social change. Gala believes Vancouver is home to a unique media democracy movement, and is honoured to serve as Head Coordinator for this year’s events.
Jasmine Politeski: Jasmine is a fourth year Communication Major at SFU who is committed to furthering her knowledge of media literacy and education as a student and in practice as she embarks upon her career. She is Media Democracy Day’s newest member and will be acting as a Coordinator for MDD 2011.
Katie Raso: Katie’s interest in Media Democracy Day grew out of her own experiences of working with the media as a community organizer. Her involvement with MDD began in Toronto in 2004 where she spoke about these experiences. Katie joined Vancouver MDD in 2007 where her work has included building communication strategies, organizing the media fair, and connecting communities with MDD programs.
Tyler Morgenstern: Tyler is a student at the SFU School of Communication, where he focuses his research on the question of how digital media impacts the formation of political subjectivities, with a particular focus on contemporary visions of radicalism. Tyler began working with MDD in 2009 as a volunteer, and was fortunate enough to serve as head coordinator of the event in 2010.
Rob Prey: Robert Prey is a PhD candidate in the School of Communication at Simon Fraser University. Robert joined the MDD organizing team because he feels strongly about the centrality of media and communications in fomenting democratic change.
Josh Tabish: Josh an undergraduate student currently completing a BA in Linguistics and Communication at Simon Fraser University. Since moving to Vancouver in 2007, he has been involved in several initiatives both on and off campus, including several years in SFU’s Student Learning Commons as a writing tutor, and, most recently, in organizing SlutWalk Vancouver. Josh is very excited to contribute to this year’s Media Fair, and to help those in the struggle for democratic media reform share their stories with the public and each other.
