I came into journalism by way of the Black Panther Party — and not J‑school or a corporate bourgeois institution — so I tried to do news, writing, and reporting that had social, political, and racial content and context.”
"Today's empire is tomorrow's ashes."
—Mumia Abu-Jamal"
Mumia Abu-Jamal is a world-renowned journalist, author, and former Black Panther whose reporting has exposed racism, classism, and state violence for over four decades. From death row, he has produced groundbreaking political commentary, challenging media censorship and advocating for the oppressed. His work stands as a testament to journalism as a tool of resistance — unapologetically political, fiercely truthful, and never neutral. (Click here for longer bio.)
(click image for bio)
Who We Are
We are a network of media workers, grassroots organizers, cultural workers, and everyday people moved by conscience—truth-seekers, and community builders who believe that media is a vital form of political expression. Media is how we educate, agitate, and mobilize for equal rights and justice; how we expose the machinery of harm and amplify the voices that power tries to silence. We defend the right to speak boldly and clearly—to name injustice, to advocate for the wounded—free from fear of surveillance, prosecution, or erasure.
We are committed to the dismantling of all forms of systemic injustice, whether rooted in race, gender, class, ability, sexuality, religion, or nationality, and against all forms of economic inequality, and militarization.
We take our name from Ida B. Wells, the fearless journalist and anti-lynching crusader who exposed the machinery of white supremacy with unflinching truth. She confronted not only racial terror but the systems and policies that enabled crafting counter-narratives, demanding accountability, and advocating for justice.
Like Wells, we believe truth is not neutral, and speech is not free unless it serves the oppressed. We speak from the margins, from the frontlines, and from the heart of struggle.
We are not silent.
A Pledge of Resistance
We seek to unite individuals and organizations in a shared commitment to defend dissent, resist censorship, and build a culture of solidarity, truth-telling, and protection for those who use media as a tool for justice.
We invite individuals and organizations to take a public stand—binding themselves to a shared ethical commitment to defend political speech, resist repression, and build a culture of solidarity and truth-telling.
Take the Pledge & Become a Member Here
Broadcasting Dissent:
Defending Media from the Machinery of Power
A media workshop to organize resistance, defend media freedom
-Grassroots Radio Conference, Spokane, WA
-Fri., Sept. 12 (2-3 PM), nxÊ·yxÊ·yetkÊ· Hall (3rd fl.)
The attack is already underway—broadcast licenses weaponized, laws twisted to extort compliance, and fear driving media into self-censorship before a word is spoken. This workshop is a call to fight back from the Ida B. Wells Media Defense Network. We’ll develop plans to form a Rapid Response Network to deal with attacks, and to distribute a bold Pledge of Resistance—a national affirmation of press freedom and our First Amendment right to political expression. We’ll also discuss how to use (and refine) an Operational Code of Media Defense—a tactical guide to resist government overreach, protect our platforms, and stand firm against coercion. At the core: a commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion in how we govern, produce, and defend our media.
Journalist speakers:
Mumia Abu-Jamal, Black journalist and political prisoner (by special audio)
Peggy Heinkel-Wolfe, writer for Community Media Assistance Project, former news producer
Michael Novick, former Interim General Manager, Pacifica station KPFK/L.A.
Mimi Rosenberg, producer/host at Pacifica Radio, “Building Bridges” and “Equal Rights and Justice”
