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The Media Co-op's next Annual General Meeting (AGM) will take place at 2 pm ET on Sunday, March 27, 2022, on Zoom. Joining instructions are below.
We will be discussing:
- The recently redesigned Media Co-op website, and the future of our open publishing program
- The ongoing low capacity of the organization, and what to do about this
- Coverage over the last years and priorities for the year to come
This year’s AGM, as usual, includes a call for motions from Co-op and Board members (#1 below).
Several Board of Director positions are up for nominations and election (# 2 below). Members of the Board, who are all volunteers, help steer the organization’s financial and strategic decisions and help create policy and bylaws for the cooperative.
To learn more about the organization, check out these links to Media Co-op's bylaws, its structure, and current Board of Directors.
Media Co-op Annual General Meeting 2021-2022
What: A nationwide meeting where we discuss what's happening with the Media Co-op, elect representatives to the Board of Directors, give feedback and engage in envisioning the future of the Co-op.
When: Sunday, March 27, 2022, 2 pm EST (3:30 pm in NL, 3:00 in NS/PEI/NB, 2:00 in QC/ON, 1:00 in MB, 12:00 in SK/AB, 11:00 am in BC).
Where: This year’s AGM will be held virtually on Zoom
To Join Zoom Meeting: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87158556618
Meeting ID: 871 5855 6618
Find your local phone number: https://us02web.zoom.us/u/ke4zjuWdh
Contact info@mediacoop.ca to see about other call-in arrangements.
1. Call for motions: The Media Co-op is all about democratizing media space and allowing our audience/members to have their voices heard. So, if you have anything you’d like to have added to the conversation, feel free to connect with us at info@mediacoop.ca with the subject line “Proposed AGM Agenda Item.” The deadline to send in suggestions is on March 20th, though items can be proposed for consideration up to and during the AGM, pending attendees’ approval.
2. Call for nominations: Democratic media is also participatory. That’s why we encourage our members to nominate anyone, including themselves, who they think would make a great contribution to the team. Simply send in a ~250-word bio and a headshot of the person you’re nominating with the subject line “Board Representative Nomination.” You can nominate yourself. The bio will be posted on our website prior to the AGM to help members make their voting decisions. We suggest sending nominations by March 20th. Nominations can be made past this date, pending approval from AGM attendees. The following positions are open:
- Reader Representative (2 positions)
- Contributor Representative (1 position)
- Editor Representative (1 position)
3) Voting: During the AGM, you'll be able to vote by secret electronic ballot on motions and representative elections. The electronic voting process will be explained during the meeting for those who attend and the results will be publicized on our website and on social media.
4) Questions? Don't hesitate to email us at info@mediacoop.ca
UPDATES
We published articles in 2021 at a similar pace as the year before (2020), which is much higher than the period 2016-2019, which was very low activity. Most consistently, criminologist Jeff Shantz posts a monthly round-up of police involved deaths across Canada (instances of police killing people or people dying in custody), and we post Scott Neigh's radio show Talking Radical, featuring interviews with grassroots activists, each week. On top of this, there has been a good variety of other articles, though the schedule is inconsistent.
A major accomplishment since last AGM has been the launch of this new website. This redesign process started all the way back in 2018. This has cleared up many of the bugs that plagued the old site, but there are a few glitches in the new site we are still working out. Thank you for your patience through this process!
The five members of the board of directors have been on the board for several years together, and have been keeping the organization going as volunteers. There are no staff, and there have not been permanent staff since 2016, due to low revenues. All the board members are busy and it is a stretch to stay caught up on all the work (editorial, financial, IT, administrative) required. With this in mind, the board would like to discuss with Media Co-op supporters and members if and how we can sustain the organization into the future.
We remind members that the local chapters of the Media Co-op are inactive, having no active editorial collectives for years, and being declared inactive in March 2019 at the Media Co-op annual general meeting. Their websites, invaluable records of movement journalism, have been archived and deactivated (see archives: Toronto Media Co-op, Halifax Media Co-op, Vancouver Media Co-op, Montreal Media Co-op, as well as The Dominion).
The board members see value in what the Media Co-op does and what we publish, but something needs to change in order to continue, and to be relevant to movements.
We hope to discuss with many of you March 27th, 2022, at 2 PM ET!
PROPOSED AGENDA
March 27, 2022
1. Designate Facilitator
2. Designate Secretary
3. Land acknowledgment and Introductions
4. Approval of the Agenda
5. Approval of the 2020-21 AGM Minutes
6. Year in Review
6.1 - Board of Directors Statements
6.2 - Q&A
7. Building Capacity to Maintain the Organization
8. Election of Representative to the Board of Directors
8.1 Appoint Chief Returning Officer
8.2 Presentations from Candidates and Q & A
8.3 Voting
9. Presentation of 2020-21 Financial Review
9.1 Presentation of accountant-prepared 2019-20 financial statements (if possible)
9.2 Motion to approve draft 2020-21 financial statements pending CPA review (see statement at bottom of page)
10. Election Results
10.1 Announcement of election results
10.2 Motion to approve election results
11. Other business
Adjourn
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Coop Média assemblée générale annuelle 2021-22
La Coop Média tiendra son assemblée générale annuelle (AGA) dimanche le 27 mars, 14h00 heure HNE, et vous êtes invité.e.s! Certains conseil d'postes de directeur de cette organisation nationale sera ouverte à l'élection, donc si vous voulez être un représentant de l'éditeur, un représentant de lecteur ou un représentant de contributeur, est maintenant votre chance!
Pour en savoir plus, cliquez sur les liens suivants (en anglais): les statuts et règlements de la Coop média, sa structure ainsi que son conseil d'administration du moment.
http://www.mediacoop.ca/index.php?q=bylaws
http://www.mediacoop.ca/about
http://www.mediacoop.ca/about/editors
L'Assemblée générale 2021-22 de la Coop média
Quoi: Un rassemblement à l’échelle nationale où nos lectrices et lecteurs ont la chance de mettre ce qu'ils et elles souhaitent voir à l'agenda, d'élire leurs représentant.e.s, de s'engager à imaginer le futur de la Coop ainsi que d'évaluer le travail que celle-ci fait.
Quand: dimanche, le 27 mars, 2022, 14h HNE
Où: en téléconférence Zoom
Voici les instructions sur la façon de participer à l'appel:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87158556618
ID de la réunion: 871 5855 6618
Les numeros locaux: https://us02web.zoom.us/u/ke4zjuWdh
Si vous habitez ailleurs, envoyer un courriel info@mediacoop.ca et nous vous enverrons des instructions.
1) Propositions: S'il y a quelque chose en particulier que vous aimeriez discuter durant l'Assemblée générale, laissez-le nous savoir en nous envoyant un courriel avec le titre''Proposition de points pour l’ordre du jour de l'Assemblée générale''. La date limite pour nous envoyer vos points à mettre à l’ordre du jour est le 6 mars.
2) Nominations au Conseil d’administration: envoyez un courriel à info@mediacoop.ca avec une courte notice biographique de 250 mots et une photo de la personne que vous voulez présenter, avec comme titre «Nomination au Conseil d’administration». Tu peux te nommer. Cette notice biographique sera publiée sur notre site Internet pendant 7 jours avant l’Assemblée générale et aidera les membres à prendre des décisions informées concernant leur vote. La date limite est le 20 mars et les positions sont :
Représentant.e des contributeurs/contributrices (1)
Représentant.e des lecteurs/lectrices (2)
Représentant.e des editeurs/edetrices (1)
3) Vote: Durant l’Assemblée générale, il y aura la possibilité de voter par bulletins électroniques sur les propositions et les candidat.e.s aux élections. Nous allons publiciser les résultats des élections sur les pages de nos médias sociaux. Le processus de vote sera expliqué durant la réunion pour celles et ceux qui seront présent.e.s (électroniquement ou en personne).
4) Questions? N’hésitez pas à nous envoyer vos questions sur l’Assemblée générale par courriel à info@mediacoop.ca
Agenda et nominations (en anglais pour le moment)
| Media Co-op (Dominion Newspaper Co-operative) Income Statement Financial Year 2020-21 (Apr 1 2020 - March 31 2021) UNAUDITED | Notes | ||
| Income | |||
| 4150 - National Sustainer Donations | 3615.5 | Over-estimate by up to $403.06 due to some donations bouncing (see 5740 below) | |
| 4325 - National Donations | 6000.25 | Mostly from big GoFundMe campaign | |
| 4350 - Grants | 0 | Did not apply for Canada Summer Jobs or other funding | |
| TOTAL INCOME | 9615.75 | ||
| Expenses | |||
| 5140 - Journalists (non-staff) | 3218.75 | Paying journalists for articles | |
| 5160 - Design | 0 | ||
| 5190 - Contractors - other [Production] | 0 | ||
| 5410 - Wages & Salaries | 0 | ||
| 5465 - Payroll Remittances | 0 | ||
| 5610 - Accounting & Legal | 210 | One year of filing taxes, some bookkeeping | |
| 5613 - Contractors-other [Not production] | 1000 | Website maintenance and work on back-end of new site | |
| 5645 - Credit Card Charges | 19.04 | Mainly credit card processing fees | |
| 5680 - Income taxes | 48 | ||
| 5690 - Interest & Bank Charges | 1106.54 | Some of this is from fees for receiving payments (direct deposit and credit card) | |
| 5692 - Payroll Processing Fees | 0 | ||
| 5700 - Office Expense | 991.85 | Rent | |
| 5740 - Miscellaneous Expenses | 403.06 | Some of this is automatic refunds to monthly donations that bounced | |
| TOTAL EXPENSES | 6997.24 | ||
| NET INCOME | 2618.51 | ||
| Balance Sheet for financial year 2020-21 (April 1 2020 - March 31, 2021) | Notes |
| Assets | |
| Opening cash in account (April 1, 2020): 2,808.07 | |
| Closing cash in account (March 31, 2021): 5,416.58 | |
| Credit union shares (April 1, 2020): 165.53 | |
| Credit union shares (March 31, 2021): 167.28 | |
| Liabilities | |
| Accounts payable and accrued liabilities: 3,785 | Estimate of amount owed to former subscribers (turned out to be an overestimate of around $3,000 based on outreach activities conducted in the next financial year |
| Government remittances payable: $0 | |
| Accrued wages payable: $0 |
