How did activefreemedia start? Recent Background.
After completing a documentary photography project at Duke University in 1999, Colin Mutchler was inspired to make media that effectively blended the active spirit of social responsibility with the free expression of music and art. In the summer of 2000, activefreemedia began selling tshirts, offering web services, and building a vibrant community of people and organizations who shared a commitment to building a democratic and inspired media industry.
Media, Culture, and History: Deep Background.
Since the popularization of the printing press in the late 1400s, mass communication has played a powerful and influential role on culture and society. Recent years have been marked by the convergence of print, radio, television, and the internet into an industry that utilizes the full range of mediums to provide information and entertainment that meets the interests of the largest possible audience.
As a result, a growing global population has emerged that is guided by a desire to consume and process information. The decreasing cost of technology has manifested in the proliferation of micro media: people to people communication through mediums like e-mail, mobile phones, and file sharing networks. Individuals and organizations traditionally ignored by the mass media are gaining access to the tools to create and distribute their own audio and visual stories and perspectives.
Society is faced with the challenge and opportunity to create genuine dialogue and understanding within the overwhelming diversity and multiplicity of the global space. The stage is set for an important turning point in the evolution of human communication.
