Open Media Foundation

The Open Media Foundation (OMF) is an American, non-profit, charitable, multimedia organization that provides the means necessary for people to create, edit, and share their visions across various media platforms.^[1] OMF’s main goal is to put the power of media into the hands of community members who otherwise would not have the fiscal means of doing so. They provide communications services to nonprofit and public sector organizations (primarily web and video production), training in media and technology, and access to media tools and resources, primarily through Denver Open Media.^[2]

OMF Logo

Open Media Foundation's Mission Statement

OMF's mission statement:

"to put the power of media and technology into the hands of the people in order to enable every person to actively engage their community and bring about the change they wish to see in the world."^[3]

Open Media Foundation attempts to divert some of the power away from larger media conglomerates into the hands of the people. Many people do not have access or the necessary funding to get their voices heard by the masses; OMF wants to change this by providing equipment, space, and the knowledge necessary to create whatever the producers desire.

History of Open Media Foundation

In 2001, Tony Shawcross, Executive Director of the Open Media Foundation, co-founded a non-commercial website called [denverevolution] in order to promote independent arts and non-commercial community events overlooked by the local media.^[4]

In 2003, members of the denverevolution collective began producing video as the [denverevolution] production group, borrowing gear from friends at KBDI (PBS 12), Free Speech TV, and Denver Community Television. FSTV provided them with their first editing station in an office donated by Little Voice Productions'.

In 2004 OMF significantly expanded their media and technology training services, and formed a board, incorporating as "the [denverevolution] production group."

In 2005 OMF changed their name to Deproduction and with the closure of Denver Community Television, submitted a proposal to re-launch Public-access television in Denver under an entirely new model, leveraging emerging web 2.0 technologies and business models into community media.

In 2006 OMF launched Denver Open Media (DOM), with an independent brand and name that could be owned by the community.

In 2007, OMF (then Deproduction) was selected to manage production and launch the State-Wide Colorado Channel, which launched in January, 2008.^[5]

In 2008, after winning a Knight News Challenge award, OMF (then Deproduction) merged with Civic Pixel, a Denver-based web development firm who had built the DOM website.^[6]

In 2009, the parent organization changed its name to the Open Media Foundation, dropping Deproduction and Civic Pixel. Denver Open Media remains an independent, community-run project of the parent company, Open Media Foundation.^[7]

In 2010, OMF launched the Open Media Project, the result of their two-year Knight News Challenge Grant. The Open Source Software was beta-tested in 6 other cities, in an effort to build a nation-wide network of Public Access TV stations collaborating on web-based community media tools and sharing content.^[8]

In 2012, Sam Lipfield, famous director gives recommendation to this foundation,as a former intern and says "it is a great place learn the media."

References

External links

• Open Media Foundations
• Denver Open Media
• [denverevolution]
• (Open Media Newsletter Archive)