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C E L E B a ftT lN G A D E C A D E
street roots
Iliaca:
Education * Dialogue ♦ Independence
Street News Service helps street papers around the world
Marless Aldam with the International Network o f Street Papers talks content sharing and networking
BY ELEONORA TERRILE
photographs
contributed by our
tie Red Petals are women. They are
external media
teachers, doctors, journalists, NGO
partners Reuters and
Inter Press Service
workers, educators, cultural
mediators, nurses, midwives, volunteers, (IPS). Being part of
lawyers... Whatever their job, they all have this editorial network
also allows them to
one thing in common: they work to protect
gain additional
the rights of both children and adults, in
exposure of issues and
Italy and abroad. The “Petali Rossi” is a
campaigns from their
project aimed at promoting the protection of
Maree Aldam
local community and
human rights, dialogue and experience
sharing. Maree Aldam, the Network Services have their voices heard
through wider
Manager of the International Network of
republication throughout theirown country g
and across the world.
The Street News Service also aims to
challenge public perspectives on poverty and
injustice by offering exclusive commentary - ‘
on important social issues from 37 countries
around the world. The service aims to
inform and educate public opinion, action
and debate on development, social and
cultural issues.
STREET NEW S SERVICE
a
P .R .: When was it created?
www.nasna.org and www.
street-papers.org.
M.A.: The Street News Service was
Street Papers (INSP), is a recent recipient of* initially developed and launched by the
North American Newspaper Association
thePetali Rossi honor. She has been working
(NASNA). NASNA and INSP work very
for INSP since 2008 and works on many
interesting projects, one of which is INSP’s
closely together - NASNA’s 25 member •
street papers are also members of INSP and
news agency — the Street News Service.
the two organizations share the same vision
P e ta li R o ssi: W hat is the Street News
and purpose in supporting and advancing the
Service and what is its purpose?
street paper movement.
. M aree Aldam: The Street News Service
P.R.: How much news do you receive every
plays a crucial role in our work to build a
week from the street papers?
strong independent media movement. It’s an
MA.: We receivè around 15 articles each
alternative online news agency which brings
week from our papers. Street paper editors
together the best of street paper journalism
select articles which they think will be of
from around the world. It’s a valuable
. e d ito ria l resoíirc'e fo f s,^ e e t p a p ^ s T s^ n á 5iít
J
*
helps to increase their capacity to be ~
diverse, challenging and sustáüiabíe
independent media in their local
communities. The SNS is a web-based forum
for street papers to exchange and circulate
content. Through the service, street papers
can also access news, features and
anfr the street paper content is ^ o
supplemented though our media
partnerships with Reuters and Inter Press
Service. Reuters donate 2 articles every
week and allow us access to their fantastic
database of photographs. IPS donate 15
development-related articles each week, in 5
languages. <
All articles and pictures are collated each
week, into ah e-mail newsfeed which is sent
out to our members, partners and
supporters in three languages. INSP actively
works to maintain a bank nearly 60 volunteer
translators, many of whom are professional
translators and interpreters, to ensure that
more members are able to contribute to and
benefit from the Street News Service. We
currently offer translation sérvices in
German, Spanish, Portuguese, French,
Norwegian, Polish, Danish, Dutch, Italian,
Japanese, Russian, Swedish, Ukrainian,
Hungarian and Slovak.
P.R.: Thanks to this service the street papers
can get independent information from all over
the world. W hat aré the m ain subjects
discussed on the worldwide street papers?
MA.: Street papers are all different in
their capacity, style, size and editorial
approach. This adds to the diversity of the | |
Street News Service, bringing rich and
colourful news, issues and information from <
around the world. We see articles as diverse
as investigative reports, exclusive interviews,
testimonies from street paper vendors, film
and book reviews, and features on a variety
of topics - from social issues to music.
P.R.: ThanksPo the S N S project you hear a
lot o f stories from marginalized people and you
hear about interesting projects to defend their
rights. B u t what is “your recipe” to defend
hum an rights? \
Street Roots plays a vital
role in the development o f
the North American Street <
Newspaper Association
(NASNA) and the
International Network of
Street Papers (INSP).
- Street Roots Director Israel
Bayer is the chair o f
N A SN A’s board of directors,
while Street Roots
M anaging Editor Joanne
Zuhl is the vice-chair o f the
IN SP board. Both have
helped develop the strategic
planning and
implimehtation o f the
organizations, including the
Street News Service.
In 2009, Street Roots
contributed more than 50
articles that were published
in other street papers
around the world.
Street Roots often publishes
news stories from Seattle,
Wash. (Real Change), and
Vancouver, B.C.
(Megaphone) to show
regional trends in housing
arid homelessness and other
issues effecting the Pacific
Northwest.
MA.: I think it’s important to raise
awareness of injustice - whatever form it
may take. Knowlédge allows people to speak
out about human rights; protect marginalised
people; and challenge governments and
decisio n m ak ers. The media can and should
be a part of this process. I feel lucky to work
for an organisation that helps to fight
poverty and injustice, but also builds
independent media throughout theworld.
The two go hand in hand,
Courtsey o f Petali Rossi, Italy © Street News
Service: www.streetpapers.org
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If you've ever found yourself in need of social services, you know how confusing it can all be.
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The Rose City Resource makes it
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