Next Monday I’ll be in Manchester to deliver a 10 minute presentation. Not to difficult for me you might think, but this has been one of the hardest things I’ve ever done. The reason? It’s the opening shot in the big push towards the Community Media Hub at Phoenix Square to cover the London 2012 Olympics and Paralympics.

The theme for the day is “Will citizen media take over the 2012 Games?”

The event website says:

“This day-long event will be the first public presentation of Professor Andy Miah’s Media Blueprint for London 2012, an independent proposal to create a UK wide Underground Media Zone during the London 2012 Games. The event is co-sponsored by Abandon Normal Devices, the London 2012 Creative Programmers Network and the University of the West of Scotland.

The symposium will bring citizen journalists, artists, cultural producers and media from the Olympic Games of Beijing, Vancouver, London, Sochi and Rio. Discussions will focus on opportunities, strategy and vision, to create a publicly owned new media legacy for the Games and encourage UK independent media networks to discuss prospects within the context of an increasingly Digital Britain.”

By meeting with a London 2012 Ambassador Jennifer Jones, whose PhD is all about the role of citizens and social media around the Olympics, I appear to have stumbled on a collection of people across the UK passionate about using 2012 as a catalyst for change.

Not tub-thumping change through revolution but the empowerment of ordinary citizens to have their say using free technologies.

‘Welcome to the evolution’ will be the rallying cry for our 2,012 Community Reporters currently being recruited throughout the city and county. Citizen Journalists working within the mainstream media.

Its nice to know we are not alone in wanting to do something positive for our communities and hope this link will be beneficial.

I’m due to speak at 3.30pm. A 10 minute presentation that involves showing 20 slides and talking for no longer than 20 seconds per slide. Then 5 minutes is allocated for questions.

I mentioned earlier it’s been really quite a challenge to do. The reason for this is deciding what images to use that convey what we are all about. No large chunks of text so the accompanying commentary I’m drafting has to be effective.

The trouble is I can talk forever (and often do) about Citizens’ Eye and the Community Reporters 2012 project so it’s been very difficult but a new discipline that I need to learn.

When asked to explain Citizens’ Eye I normally reply with “what floor are you going to?” This refers to the saying about elevator speeches. I seem to remember it’s a 3 minute speech normally.

Each of the 20 slides lays out a clear journey from the start of Citizens’ Eye on Monday 7th January 2008 (the day I left prison), through the 2009 Special Olympics and Sky Ride 2010 to our relationship with the Leicester Mercury and the Phoenix.

It weaves together the 3 parts of the Olympic family – Special Olympics, Olympics 2012 and the Paralympics 2012 – and ends with the legacy for Leicester.

So what will the legacy be from this whole experience? Hopefully 2,012 members of the public with new reporting skills that can help to bring increased coverage of communities and maybe even a few new friendships made along the way would be a great outcome.

I’ve also identified a building in Leicester city centre to develop into a Community News-eum and Community Media Hub. It will open in 2012 to continue the work after we pack up at the Phoenix in September.

I hope the delegates who are travelling from across the world enjoy my short but informative presentation. I’ve looked at the guest list and when you see Channel 4, the Press Association and numerous others who know what their talking about when it comes to the media, the old heart does get a bit faster.

But I know I’ll get through for a few reasons.

Firstly, the Community Reporters we have already do a great job of covering ward meetings and events such as the Sky Ride where we deployed over 50 Media Hub volunteers. They are a great inspiration to me and to see James Black’s article in the Mercury yesterday was a great moment. Well done Agent Black!

Secondly, all the communities we represent who look to us for coverage of their positive efforts that sometimes get missed or ignored by the mainstream media. Especially the family members of young people involved in the Wave newspaper. Being from an outer estate doesn’t automatically make you a bad person!

Thirdly, dedicated individuals like Tina Barton and Simon Parker who strive everyday to help people, often with little thought for themselves and the hours involved.

Finally, it amazes me who looks at Citizens’ Eye. I’ve been contacted by journalists from both the Mercury and BBC Radio Leicester over the last few months. Also BBC Radio 4 following up an asylum story. Then the Guardian re-tweeted a story. The Media Trust confirmed they would like to come and look at what we have to see if it’s a model for citizen journalism. Three days ago the Director of the Community Media Association asked if I could contact them to see how they could join our Community Media Week in November…

We must be doing something right!

Nervous? Yes.

Confident? Of course … because of all the people who stand beside me.

So how long to go?

Olympics – 666 days & Paralympics – 699.

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