The Media Co-op has a board of directors, which oversees the governance of the organization, and an editorial collective, which engages in the day-to-day editorial labour that keeps the co-op running. These days, those two bodies significantly overlap.
The board has spaces for five editor representatives, two contributor representatives, and two reader representatives. If you are interested in getting involved, please be in touch!
Board Members
Fernando Arce
(editorial collective member, editor representative on the board)
A Toronto-based freelance multimedia journalist covering Indigenous issues, foreign policy, and grassroots movements strictly from an anti-imperialist, anti-colonial perspective. He joined the Media Co-op Board as an editorial representative in 2018 and has helped edit and publish many stories since then. He has a BA in Political Science from York University and an MA in Journalism from Western University.
Kerry Coast
(editorial collective member, reader representative)
Kerry Coast was born beyond the treaty frontier on the west coast of what is today called "Canada." In time, Kerry put her experiences in decolonizing to work as a journalist, dramatist, and human rights advocate. She is the author of several books of history and fiction, and was the founding editor of The St’at’imc Runner newspaper, and co-founder of The BC Treaty Negotiating Times newspaper. Kerry consults with the International Human Rights Association of American Minorities on the unprecedented Edmonds v. Canada, IACHR case #12-929, where the Inter-American Court admitted the case on the basis that no domestic remedy is available to the jurisdictional dispute between Lil'wat and Canada. In 2017, Kerry founded an independent book label, Electromagnetic Print, to get some important voices in print.
Today she is building an archive of the documentary record of Indigenous roadblocks against British Columbia – the last resort of people whose legal issues have led to armed standoffs and individual persecution.
The Vancouver Media Co-op was an essential communications platform over the last 20 years, especially at the time of the 2010 Winter Olympics and throughout the controversial BC treaty process.
Takem i nsnukw'nukwa ~ All my relations
David Gray-Donald
(he/him; editorial collective member, editor representative on the board)
Has been a journalist since 2014, often covering climate justice issues, and joined The Media Co-op's board in 2016. He has edited and written many Media Co-op articles since then, and also plays a role in administration. From 2017-2019 he was the publisher of Briarpatch Magazine in Regina (Treaty 4, SK) and he is currently the publisher and editorial director of The Grind in Toronto.
Rushdia Mehreen
(she/they; editorial collective member, reader representative)
Is an organizer based in Tiohtià:ke/Montreal, on unceded Kanien’kehá:ka territories. For over a decade she has been involved in various social justice struggles, including Palestine/anti-colonial solidarity, the Quebec student movement, migrant justice, anti-racist organizing and collective care. Currently a college teacher/part-time prof in a precarious capacity, she is struggling to find time for her phd research work. Rushdia has been associated with The Media Co-op as a contributor and reader for over a decade and joined the board in 2022.
Scott Neigh
(he/him; editorial collective member, editor representative on the board)
Scott has been a writer and grassroots media-maker since the 1990s. From 2013 to 2023, he was the host and producer of Talking Radical Radio, a weekly half-hour show that featured grassroots voices from across Canada. He is the author of three books, most recently Listen! Knowing the World and Fighting to Change It. He lives in Hamilton, Ontario, and has been an editor and board member at The Media Co-op since late 2020.
Barry Rueger
(he/him; editorial collective member, contributor representative on the board)
Barry is known for his work over twenty years in the non-profit sector. During that time he worked primarily (but not exclusively) with Arts and Media organizations as a volunteer, Board Member, Staff, and in various consulting capacities. During those years he wrote for and edited publications for non-profit broadcasters, web sites for arts groups, and training materials for clients and from time to time was published in various newspapers and magazines.
In 1998 the Community Foundation of Ottawa-Carleton presented Barry with an Investing in People Award In recognition for work developing and encouraging community radio in Canada. 2017 marked a focused return to writing as a primary activity and Barry has been published in the Globe and Mail, Fortune, the Guardian, and Next Avenue among other places.