Our Vermont Independent publisher Rob Williams spent this past weekend at Goddard College running an immersive “Backpack Journalism” mini-course for GIV high school student leaders from all over our Green Mountains. In addition to a “deep dive” into Edward Hermann and Noam Chomsky’s “Propaganda Model of News” 2.0 (updated for our Digital Age) in which we explored the differences between REAL and FAKE news, our GIV students worked in teams to produce real news we can use, with a focus on the GIV work being done by our 75 student leaders.

Local coverage here and below from our Vermont news affiliates:

Here’s a photo montage of the GIV weekend – and we’ll be running a five part series on the GIV stories produced by our high school journalists -in-training over the few weeks.

Find out more about GIV here, and support their worthy work.

GIV welcome! (photo credit: VI publisher Rob Williams)

“Backpack Journalism” team. (photo credit: VI publisher Rob Williams)

Goddard College. Dawn Patrol. (photo credit: VI publisher Rob Williams)

Mobile J with the Pros. (photo credit: VI publisher Rob Williams)

GIV’s Grace LaFramboisse sharing our work with the pros, and our teams working on deadline. 

(photo credit: VI publisher Rob Williams)

GIV’s Ethan Schmitt and GIV teams on deadline.

 (photo credit: VI publisher Rob Williams)

The entire GIV 2019 community. (photo credit: VI publisher Rob Williams)

EDITOR’S NOTE: No political views, decentralist or otherwise, were shared over the course of the GIV weekend. Our GIV workshop focused on critical media literacy education, the political economy of news media in the digital age, and multimedia mobile news production.

February 11, 2019

Governor’s Institute of Vermont (GIV) 2019! (BACKPACK JOURNALISM)

Our Vermont Independent publisher Rob Williams spent this past weekend at Goddard College running an immersive “Backpack Journalism” mini-course for GIV high school student leaders from […]
February 10, 2019

The Venezuela Myth Keeping Us from Transforming The US Economy (PUBLIC BANKING)

Publisher’s note: Subtitled, Why our emerging 2nd Vermont Republic needs a Public Bank. Plan V! Modern Monetary Theory (MMT) is getting significant media attention these days, […]
February 9, 2019

Planetary Resonance, Geoengineering, and Lockheed Martin’s “Space Fence” (GLOBAL ENVIRONMENT)

Publisher’s note: We are continuing to work on connecting the dots between the rollout of 5G (millimeter wave technology) tele-communications network, Earth’s geomagnetic spectrum, the geoengineering […]
February 7, 2019

CarShare VT: Accelerating Towards a More Sustainable Vermont Future (VT TRANSPO)  

A low hum of traffic lines Burlington’s streets at 8:45 am on a Monday morning. Cars inch along, waiting impatiently for their turn at the stop […]
February 6, 2019

The US Empire’s “Space Fence,” Under An Ionized Sky (GEOENGINEERING)

Publisher’s note: We’ve reviewed Elana Freeland’s two books on geoengineering here, in addition to our years of work researching and publishing our featured multi-essay series “Our […]
February 6, 2019

The US Empire’s “Forced Injection” Program (HEALTHY PEOPLE 2020?)

Publisher’s note: We haven’t written about the US Empire’s “forced injection” program since 2016’s Vermont-wide screening of the issue. Here, the Del Bigtree, who has spent […]
February 6, 2019

“Democracy Dies In Darkness” Is A Mission Statement (#RussiaGate/STUPOR BOWL)

Publisher’s note: MSNBC’s $30K per day “news” performance artist Rachel Maddow jumped the shark on the #RussiaGate nonsense this week when she claimed that the Russian […]
February 6, 2019

The Lobby, the “Integrity Initiative” and “New Knowledge” (FAKE NEWS)

Publisher’s note: The “fake news” bullshit is flying so fast and furiously right now, it’s hard to keep up. Global disinformation campaigns abound. Fortunately, independent investigative […]
January 29, 2019

The “Wounded Beast” of US Empire, and the World to Come (TRUTH DIG)

Publisher’s note: Pulitzer prize winning former New York Times journalist Chris Hedges holds forth.  The ruling elites are painfully aware that the foundations of American power […]
January 28, 2019

US Empire v. Venezuela: Trump’s Attempted Coup D’Etat In Context (INDY NEWS)

Publisher’s Note: Given the US Empire’s pervasive “news” media propaganda re: current economic and political realities on the ground in Venezuela, here are some indy news […]
January 27, 2019

GREEN NEW DEAL: What Vermont Can Learn About $$/Finance From China And Germany (PUBLIC BANK)

Publisher’s Note: PUBLIC FINANCE is the FIRST of our Plan ‘V’ planks in our 2nd Vermont Republic platform, and Web Of Debt author Ellen Brown explains […]
January 26, 2019

Vermont Premiere of “The Independents” (THE SWEET REMAINS)

It’s not often we @ Vermont Independent get a chance to review a truly independent film featuring three of our planet’s finest acoustic singer songwriters in […]