WTO and the legacy of citizen journalism

This Labor Archives of Washington and MOHAI event focuses on media, democracy, and the legacy of the Seattle WTO protests

SEATTLE, WA (February 12, 2025) — On Tuesday, February 25, 2025, the Museum of History & Industry (MOHAI) will host Jill Freidberg, co-founder of the Independent Media Center and a participant in the 1999 Seattle WTO protests. At 7:00 PM, Freidberg will deliver a keynote address reflecting on IndyMedia’s pivotal role in shaping citizen journalism and sounding the alarm on the dangers of media consolidation—issues that remain critically relevant today.

The event also marks the launch of the WTO Footage Digitization Project, a groundbreaking initiative by the Labor Archives of Washington and MiPops to preserve and make accessible hundreds of hours of rarely seen footage of the WTO protests. Shot by activists on the ground, this footage offers unparalleled insight into the historic demonstrations and serves as the cornerstone of a new online resource for scholars, students, and the public.

Following Freidberg’s keynote, a panel discussion will dive into the process of digitizing, preserving, and describing this unique collection, with insights from project collaborators at MOHAI, MIPoPS, the Labor Archives of Washington (UW Libraries), and others.

Event Details:

• Date: Tuesday, February 25, 2025
• Time: 7:00–9:00 PM
• Location: Museum of History & Industry (MOHAI), Seattle
• Cost: Free (Advance registration required

ASL Interpretation and CART captioning are available during the program. In addition, a limited number of Assistive Listening Devices are available upon request. For more accessibility support, contact programs@mohai.org two weeks before the program.