A multimedia video production training center is being developed at The Skanner Newsgroup's North Portland offices.
The Skanner Newsgroup is partnering with The Skanner Foundation, the Mt. Hood Cable Regulatory Commission and Portland Community Media to create the production center.
The center was conceived to address the lack of equipment access and training opportunities in North and Northeast Portland neighborhoods and will help to balance the disparities found in every African American community in the United States.
The training center will follow Portland Community Media's model and will extend the organization's outreach efforts. The center's founders hope that the technology training it will provide can instill a sense of unity in the community, increase community members' earning potential and provide a voice for North and Northeast Portland.
The project's initial trainees will be made up of its partners' organizational staff and volunteers from the community. Each aspect of production will serve as a training guide, from selecting a script to screening a final product. Trainees also will be taught journalistic principles to use as a production guide. The resulting productions will be available for use on community access TV channels throughout the area, as well as on The Skanner Newsgroup's Web site.
