Regent Park Speaker's Corner

I came across this video from Regent Park TV, and it got me thinking about the people of Regent Park and how the Internet has really given them a voice and a platform to get their views out there.

Whether it’s a blog, a YouTube video or a community-based news site, the internet gives power back to the people both to have their stories told and, perhaps more importantly, to tell them.

Before the Internet allowed people to tell their own stories, the majority of the coverage regarding Regent Park was about the social problems in the neighbourhood or violence and those kinds of stories just stigmatized the neighbourhood. While those stories still exist, it is good to see that we are heading in the mere vicinity of the direction of having a balanced media that can get to the heart of what makes a community tick.

For a community that previously had no access to the media, organizations like Regent Park Focus are really working to tell the stories of Regent Park. Not only that, but they are training the youth of the community in how to be media producers, which is a great sign for the media of the future.