The People's Production House (PPH) is a comprehensive national media justice organization based in New York City. We believe a diverse, ethical, and independent media is an essential element of social change, and we believe that historically excluded communities must be protagonists at all levels of the media.
PPH has three main programs, each involving deep collaborations with multiple social justice organizing groups.
RADIO ROOTZ:
Our largest and longest-running project is Radio Rootz, a youth media program that teaches radio production, media literacy and media activism in high schools and middle schools in New York City and Washington, DC. Rootz also runs a summer program, linking Rootz students with young organizers to create movement-building radio documentaries. The program fosters leadership development and civic engagement, through a focused training institute and peer reaching.
COMMUNITY NEWS PRODUCTION INSTITUTE:
In 2005, the Community News Production Institute (CNPI) was launched to build the media capacity of base-building organizations, training their members as journalists. CNPI trainings allow immigrant and low-income workers to create their own media, advancing their policy goals by drawing attention to their struggles and experiences. CNPI works closely with groups including Domestic Workers United, Street Vendor Project, Families for Freedom, New Immigrant Community Empowerment, and Nah We Yone, which serves refugees. CNPI recently expanded to the Gulf Coast where we have begun long-term capacity-building and media organizing projects with groups including Coastal Women for Change, Mississippi Worker's Center, North Gulfport Community Land Trust, Moore House, Houma Nation, Renaissance Village Youth Center, and the New Orleans Worker's Center for Racial Justice.
DIGITAL EXPANSION INITIATIVE:
Our newest project is the Digital Expansion Initiative (DEI), which uses research, media production, public education, and community organizing to transform Internet policy and expand meaningful Internet access to low-income communities and communities of color.
Community researches trained by PPH are conducting intensive interviews and research into the political, physical, social, and financial barriers to Internet access. They will become experts on the issue, and will develop an engaged base from their interviewees and their community organizations.
This project is central to our goal of changing the face of the media mouvement, a movement still led primarily by white men. Through the DEI, we are pioneering a new model of community-led media policy.