Moderated by nonprofit entrepreneur Allison Fine, the panelists included James Rucker, of ColorofChange.org, Dina Kaplan of BlipTV and Joan “McJoan” McCarter of DailyKos.

Some of the more interesting points:

• Rucker pointed out that despite the widespread of popularity of YouTube, there’s no easy way to tell a story around the video and to anchor the content as information presented by a reputable source. That’s why in part, he says, people still turn to sources like CNN, not only because stories are told by personalities people “trust,” but also that news is filtered for them.
• Kaplan shared some success stories of videoblogging on blip.tv., including Alive in Baghdad (ongoing video reports that empower Iraqis to share their stories with the world through their own words, rather than through the canned, soundbite-driven news packages), John Edwards sharing his presidential campaign launch through Rocketboom, and presidential candidate Tom Vilsack’s videoblog.
• Kaplan also described how easy it was for the average Net user to create video content: “Just shoot a video on your phone, upload it and you’re a citizen journalist.” I think that is an example of how the citizen journalist concept has been oversimplified. Dan Gillmor in this audioblog reveals that the distinction between the mainstream journalist and the citizen journalist has become increasingly blurred by the act of journalism itself.

The presentation by Sascha Meinrath of the Champaign-Urbana Community Wireless Network was especially interesting in that he focused on how the infrastructure and the telecom policies developed by carriers and cable companies work to marginalize communities of color and poor communities.

rikomatic.com will host links, powerpoint files and other resources from the session.

Veteran television journalist Bill Moyers opened the National Conference for Media Reform Friday with praise for SavetheInternet.com’s grassroots campaign to keep the Internet open and fair for all comers. – Save the Internet

[Democracy Now co-host Juan} Gonzalez, who comes across both on the screen and in person as anything but in-your-face, gave an impassioned plea for greater recognition of the fact that media repression didn't start with the Bush administration. He traced it back to the 1830's, with particular emphasis on Teddy Roosevelt's disenchantment with the fourth estate. - Daily Kos

Sitting at the table next to us was none other than actor and progressive activist, Danny Glover. I opted to give him space while he gabbed and ate with his table mates, figuring that I would get another chance to meet him -- and potentially interview him -- later on at the conference. - Afro-Netizen

The ["Save the Internet"] panel laid out at length how the victory came to pass and what the future holds in the ongoing struggle to preserve a fair and equal internet. The panel included Moveon.org’s Adam Green, MyDD.com’s Matt Stoller, viral community activist Scott Goodstein, and the Save the Internet coalition’s Aslyn White. Dane101 took the opportunity to speak with Save the Internet folks to make sure we can keep the fire hot under Kohl until we know his position. – Dane101.com

It wasn’t on the original schedule of the National Conference for Media Reform, but Dennis Kucinich agreed to hold a press conference tonight. Kucinich ran for president of the United States in 2004. He has indicated that he plans to run again in 2008. – Dangerous Intersection

A new House subcommittee chaired by Rep. Dennis Kucinich, D-Ohio, will turn its oversight to a range of government agencies, particularly the Federal Communications Commission, Kucinich announced here on Friday night. – DrewClark.com

I was lucky enough to connect with the Progressive Communicators Network (PCN) a few years ago. PCN connects media and public relations practitioners to increase the power and reach of grassroots voices in the media and the formation of public policy and opinion. PCN holds annual national gatherings as well as regional gatherings. I attended at 2004 meeting in Oakland and found all of the participants incredibly experienced, skilled and motivated to move progressive issues forward.

It was through PCN that I met Tracy Van Slyke of In These Times, Josh Seidenfeld of SPIN Project, Carolyn Cushing of PCN and others who I continue to interact with as a communications practitioner with EJS.

I then joined Laura Efurd and Ruth Williams of the Community Technology Foundation of California at dinner. Laura is a native of Hawai’i like me. Her father was the pastor at the Baptist church I attended as a little kid.

At the conference evening event, I ran into Mark Cooper, research director, of the Consumer Federation of America. Mark was one of the speakers at our 2005 national conference at UCLA, which focused on corporations and social justcie. Mark shared with me his successful efforts to extract a Net Neutrality commitment from AT&T in the company’s merger with Bell South.

I’m here in an online activism session where Scott Goldstein from the Save the Internet coalition and Matt Stoller from MyDD.com are talking about Tron, ninjas, myspace and net neutrality.

UPDATE: rikomatic.com has a good post on the session.