Santa Barbara Indymedia

SB-IMC is dedicated to open publishing as a means of creating a transparent community forum for events and issues of social concern in Santa Barbara and around the tri-county region. Anyone can post an eyewitness or investigative report, news analysis, or video or audio clips of events to the newswire. The newswire is not edited for content, but SB-IMC will not tolerate messages of hate.

SB-IMC is participating in a global experiment in free speech, in transparent, open structure, unconstrained by the pressures of advertising, corporations, or government. We recognize that no reporter, whether professional journalist or IMC contributor, speaks from a place of objectivity, and that all news takes shape through a series of choices informed by the unique perceptions and biases of its reporter. We therefore encourage all SB-IMC contributors to strive for fairness, breadth, and accuracy in their reporting, and to tap into their own experiences as sources of wisdom and knowledge. We support grassroots reporting and will not be restricted by the standards of commercial news. We believe that people communicating in their own voices about the issues that matter to them is the first step to creating a more inclusive society.

The SB-IMC editorial group checks the newswire regularly for stories to feature on the website's main page. Features may be edited for spelling, format, and clarity. We expect all contributions to the SB-IMC newswire to meet one or more of the following guidelines, and will assess possible features according to them:

• timely stories on local issues
• stories with picture, video or audio
• well-researched pieces
• upcoming events
• stories not yet reported in other media
• stories offering opportunities for immediate response/action

Occasionally, the editorial group will hide certain posts. (Hidden posts can be viewed on this page.) Posts meeting one or more of the following criteria may be hidden:

• duplicates
• spam
• hardcore porn with no news or cultural value
• details of illegal actions or plans
• advertisements
• slander or libel
• unsigned articles
• unreadable or corrupted material

To post to the SB-IMC newswire, please click here.