We Are Change launching media university to train activist journalists

(NaturalNews) An activist organization that says the mainstream media has "failed" the country has launched its own "media university" to train journalists who are not beholden to the ideology of legacy publications or corporate interests.

"The mainstream media has failed us time and time again," says the non-partisan, nonprofit group, "We Are Change," on its website. "Their appalling lack of integrity, tenacity, and spine continues on a daily basis, insulting anyone paying attention.

"We Are Change is creating a platform where aspiring journalists can achieve success and develop their careers without jumping through degrading corporate hoops," the group says.

In a video outlining the goals of the new school, Change Media University, guerrilla journalist Luke Rudkowski says decentralization of media control is essential to change the culture of institutionalized ideology and singularity of thought.

"If we take that power away from them [the corporate media], and shame them, and make them obsolete by doing their job better -- what if we become the mainstream media?" he asks.

'Creating a new generation of journalists'

In the announcement for the university, Rudkowski wrote:

11 years ago with a cheap camera borrowed from a friend, I dedicated my life to confronting those who repeatedly escaped justice. No longer would the perpetrators of hate and violence continue to walk amongst us without repercussions.

We have successfully exposed the hypocrisies of Henry Kissinger, Ben Bernanke, Joe Biden, Mitt Romney, Jacob Rothschild, Mayor Bloomberg, Larry Silverstein, and the Rockefeller family. We have reached millions of people, operating on a shoestring budget while effecting laws, vindicating people who were falsely charged, creating national debates, and awareness on issues that would have never seen the light of day.

The organization's mission "is to create a new generation of journalists, unafraid of institutionalized authority, unafraid to challenge the status quo and preconceived notions." Rudkowski stated, "Let's promote honesty, open discussion, transparency, compassion, and critical thinking."

The course includes:

-- Techniques in investigative reporting with online classes, as well as a physical classroom located in NYC

-- How to break the mold of contemporary journalism

-- Avoiding student-loan debt

-- Bypassing "the failed 'higher learning centers'"

-- Getting press passes and entry into events

-- Learning the skills required for independent journalism

-- The chance to work with We Are Change as a full-fledged member of their staff

-- Learning how to independently start your own media organization from the bottom up

Students under the age of 18 and low-income individuals will receive the curriculum for free, said the group, which is operated via non-corporate donations.

'No shrinking violet'

"We are made up of independent journalists, concerned citizens, activists, and anyone who wants to shape the direction our world is going in. We seek to expose the lies of governments and the corporate elite who constantly trash our humanity. By asking the hard questions the mainstream media refuses to ask, we shine a little more light on truth," says the group's mission statement.

"Furthermore, we seek to connect, educate, and motivate those who are interested in alerting the public to the pertinent issues that are affecting our lives each and every day. Our goal is to create a community of truth-seekers and peacemakers who share a commitment to nonviolent action."

Says The New York Times about Rudkowski:

Mr. Rudkowski is no shrinking violet. Armed with a video camera and a YouTube account, he has confronted the likes of Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr.; Larry A. Silverstein, the leaseholder on the Trade Center; and Thomas H. Kean, a former governor of New Jersey who was chairman of the federal Sept. 11 commission.

But not everyone is a fan -- especially many of his targets.

Vice President Biden told him to "Get a life." Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich of Georgia told him that he was living a "fantasy" life. And former MSNBC host Dylan Ratigan once tweeted, "@LukeRudkowski Keep it funny. Keep it true. Keep putting it on youtube! :)"

Sources:

http://wearechange.org

https://www.youtube.com

http://www.naturalnews.com

http://wearechange.org

http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com

http://wearechange.org