LA MUJER OBRERA

CHICANNÁ MEDIA CENTER

*Mission Statment

The Mayapán Media Center aims to improve the accessibility of public news on issues relevant for the South-Central neighborhood of El Paso, Texas, and to promote the union of community with technology so as to educate and train the people of today for the opportunities of tomorrow.

*Function of the Media Center

The Mayapán Media Center acts as a beacon for the hopes of La Mujer Obrera to reach out and aid the community and its displaced women workers in their struggles for equality. The Media Center will develop their capabilities to preserve their culture, beliefs and history while developing and operating a self-sufficient, self-sustained economy. The Mayapán Media Center is made of three components: Journalism, Education, and Economic Development.

*Journalism

Journalism is the most important function of the Mayapán Media Center, in that it serves as its foundation for providing channels of outreach to the community in the form of video, internet, newsletters and the possibility of radio and online news sources.

The Media Center will work in association with La Mujer Obrera’s Museum to document and archive social and cultural events and activities to preserve the organization’s history and the culture of its people. This documentation will also develop stories and coverage for news segments that can be viewed on television, web casts (webpage, youtube.com, and other on-line video
outlets), and DVDs.

In the form of print media, the Mayapán Media Center will publish a monthly newsletter to inform the community of current news for those who do not have access to the Internet. Flyers are also sent out periodically to inform the community of programs, classes and seminars offered by the Media Center. La Mujer Obrera has demonstrated that through journalism one voice can echo the cries of thousands. So is the same for the Mayapán Media Center, which is a crucial tool in the fight for rights to be heard and understood in the organization’s cause for justice and equity.

*Education

One of the goals of the Mayapán Media Center is to provide space where immigrant women and the Spanish-speaking community can learn about technology and use it as a tool to become self-sustainable and at the same time reach their potential. It will also serve as a practice center where students will have opportunities to apply what they have learned by creating materials for Centro Mayapán, thus providing technology support for its new businesses.

In linking with journalism, the Mayapán Media Center will offer class and seminars for those interested in learning about journalism and mass communication in the form of writing, video and still photography. It will also provide introductory classes to the impact of technology on society. These courses will eventually include:

Journalism (print media)
• Journalism: News Story Writing 101
• Investigative Reporting / Collecting Sources
• Digital Photography / Photo Compositing
• Page Layout and Editing
• Utilizing Media Outlets

Beginning Technology
• Basic Computer Usage (PC & MAC)
• Surfing the Net: Introduction to Use of the Internet

Basic Video / Graphic Courses in Software
• Basic Adobe InDesign and Photoshop
• Introduction to Video Production (camera, grip & gaffing)
• Introduction to Video Post-production (editing and graphic design)
• Webpage Construction

Aside from courses and seminars, the Mayapán Media Center’s laboratory will be open to the public. A person may seek private tutoring sessions in the courses provided if they feel need additional guidance, and the Center will also offer tutorials in more advanced software.

Through such courses, seminars and private tutorials, the Mayapán Media Center will enable people to develop a more technologically proficient community. The goal is to offer adults the training to better succeed in the workplace, as well as to help their children excel in school and prepare for the future.

*Economic Develpoment with the Community

In addition, the Mayapán Media Center will generate revenue through video production and graphic design to help offset costs of materials and supplies. The Media Center will provide businesses, organizations and individuals in the community with services such as: design of business cards and logos, letterheads, flyers, banners and webpages. The Media Center will also rent space and studio time for meetings and production, as well as offer package deals for documentation and video production for
such specific events.

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