What is the True North Media House?

True North Media House (“TNMH”) is a media collaboration campaign to encourage social coverage of the winter sports and cultural events during February-March 2010 in Vancouver, Canada while ensuring civil liberties (and having a good time).

What are the campaign’s intentions?

To encourage social media creation, collaboration and sharing creative commons licensed content to audiences worldwide.

I’m at Vancouver 2010, How can i get involved?

For starters,

Step 1: Sign up and add your name and blog to the list – this way announcements will go TNMH whenever you post news

Step 2: Make a badge this is just for fun and awesomeness and will take you only as far as your jedi mind powers will get you

Step 3: Send a twitter saying what kind of stuff you want to check out – include @tnmh and #tnmh

Step 4: Rally a group for an event – add to the calendar via contact form – Here’s a worksheet of ideas

What types of Media Accreditation are at Vancouver 2010?

For Olympics Media Accreditation, there are 2 levels, the rights holders and the BC International media centre and the deadline past months ago. The Olympics Links page has all the official IOC and VANOC rules and regs and other info about media at the games at the website.

Does True North Media House offer an Accreditation?

True North Media House offers an “alternative” accreditation which is a declaration and great for finding collaborators and info about “Cans and Can’ts” for social reporters. Consider signing up adding your blog/photo feed to the TNMH feed to help gain audience and meet other media makers.

Who’s behind the TNMH campaign?

This project was launched by a group of media makers who covered the past several Olympic Games as un-accredited media. The organization has grown into a extensive group of volunteers from various industries and bringing diverse skills and motivations to the project.

Who’s paying for it?

This is a grassroots campaign supported by volunteers and a few supporting companies.

Can my company sponsor?

You can host an event and invite a group of bloggers, photographers, vidcasts, podcasters, poets, pundits, etc.

Are there other Media Centres?

Visit Reporter Toolkit for more info about other physical spaces hosting journalists plus campaigns about alternative media coverage.

Where can i publish content?

True North Media House isn’t a publishing platform per se but there are several community publishing sites listed in the Reporter Toolkit.

What about the IOC and VANOC?

The organizers of the True North Media House have actively invited and requested participation from members of the IOC and VANOC via online Open Letters with an offer to assist in creating a social media component to up-coming Winter Olympic Games and continued the public dialouge at the Northern Voice conference with a panel called “Social Media and the Olympics: then and now” which VANOC declined to attend. We remain open to discussion with the IOC and VANOC and are not affiliated with them, nor are we working at cross-purposes to the accredited VANOC media centre.

Are you protesters or pro/anti Olympics?

As an organizations, TNMH is neither for, or against, the Olympics. We are a group of citizen reporters, media makers, producers, artists, civil libertarians and documentarians interested in covering aspects of the international sporting events taking place in Vancouver/Whistler in 2010 including the arts and cultural events, the Paralympic events.

What goes on at TNMH meetings?

Just sorting out tasks. All meeting notes and minutes are stored at the wiki as possible. You can come along to the meetings, just ask.

Why is this campaign important?

We feel the TNMH campaign will provide deep coverage of civic issues as well as arts, culture, and the media coverage itself, as well as the impact from the influx of attention and capital from around the world.

This project will enhance the quality of Olympic coverage outside of the “official” venues. Working from the True North Media House, storytellers can collaboratively capture and sharing content, organize photo walks to explore Vancouver area sights, as well as provide coverage of protests and other related incidents.

How can I get involved in TNMH?

Visit the Connect and Follow pages for ways to contact and get participate in the TNMH campaign.

Can I arrange an interview, media quote or speaker to my event?

Yes probably, please visit Media Contact for complete information.