Media Democracy Days Vancouver

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:

Josh Tabish: Josh is currently at SFU completing a double major Communication and Linguistics and is passionate about helping those in the struggle for democratic media reform share their stories with the public and each other. Josh’s interests are in telecommunication policy, environmental communication, and, increasingly, the future of public broadcasting.  Outside of MDD he has been involved in several community initiatives including several years as a writing tutor in SFU’s Student Learning Commons, as well as, recently, helping organize SlutWalk Vancouver 2011. Josh began working with MDD in 2011 as the Media Fair Coordinator, and is excited to serve as Lead Coordinator this year.

Kavya Joseph: Kavya Joseph is an undergraduate student at the SFU School of Communication. As an international transfer student, her research interests include youth media literacy and education and  communication strategies that promote social change. Kavya was first involved with MDD 2010 as an intern and was part of the official media team that covered the event. She is honoured to be working in the position of Co-Coordinator at MDD 2012.

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.

Robert 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.