Progress made visible

July was one for the record books, with a heat wave that just wouldn’t end. At Davis Media Access (DMA), we watched as various contractors worked through that heat to put up drywall and paint it; reroute and add new ductwork, and otherwise complete some of the heaviest work of the remodel project. It’s interesting to work under ceilings still open to all the ductwork and insulation, but when I gave a tour to a couple of volunteers this week, they echoed my own feelings: it’s starting to feel real. 

Elsewhere, my summer is centered on pursuing funding for the community information needs assessment phase of our envisioned civic information project. For the moment, I am gratified to have earned early support from Yolo County Supervisors Lucas Frerichs and Jim Provenza, and from the City of Davis. Each has contributed $5,000 towards seeding the countywide assessment effort. The Supervisors’ contributions are made from their American Rescue Plan Community Benefit Funds, and the City’s support was made with the support of all five council members.

If you’re wondering why DMA is pursuing this project in stages, it’s because civic media practice includes connecting with community stakeholders to find out what information they need, how and when they will access it, and what’s important to them. And so this next phase of our work is about creating an inclusive process, asking strategic questions and listening deeply. I’m personally driven to create something meaningful and with lasting impact, and proud to be leading this effort.

 

In community,

Autumn Labbé-Renault, Executive Director

Statement of Purpose - Yolo Local

In the void left by shrinking news coverage in Yolo County, Davis Media Access (DMA) is working to build a civic information project for Davis and beyond. We’ve named this project Yolo Local.

We believe the shrinking of local newsrooms and corresponding loss of vital news and information affects every aspect of community life. When information is scarce or inequitable, civic engagement is diminished and our communities suffer.

On 7-11, we celebrate Bob

This here is a tale about a good guy from Slatter's Court, that storied, somewhat seedy enclave down by the train tracks in Davis, CA. A modest man who wrote outsider poetry and lyrics, and who amused many and brightened plenty of average days in his various guises.

A well-known figure in the Davis musicians’ community, Bob was a gifted guitar player, songwriter and singer. He played in several bands, including Fun Attic, Anywhere But Iowa, Polyester Jones, ChickeeBob and B&K Roadshow as well as performing solo as “Bobnoxious.” A prodigious composer of original music and lyrics, his songs were clever, wry and expressive of his real-life experiences and observations. He enjoyed organizing “Bobbapalooza” concerts where he performed music and provided free beer for his many fans.

A decision not lightly made

This column was originally published under the title "Pondering, should I stay or should I go?'  in the "Davis Enterprise" on June 9, 2024.

By Autumn Labbe-Renault


It’s been a chaotic few weeks for this newspaper and community. In the wake of other departures, I’ve had people ask me if I’ll continue to write this column.

I’m here, so the answer is yes. I write not as an individual but on behalf on an organization, so it’s not my choice alone. I write for free, and The Enterprise has published my writing for 25 years, helping to give voice and visibility to our nonprofit.

I’m also in the process of developing a community information needs assessment for Yolo County, and it deserves the visibility this column in the Enterprise can help deliver. I’ve publicly stated that a primary goal is not to replace local newspapers, but to fill in the gaps in civic information, and to utilize technology and technological expertise that is Davis Media Access (DMA’s) bread and butter.

Though based in Davis, DMA is the only noncommercial media center in Yolo County. We are in year four of an ongoing project supporting Woodland Community College's eLearning Suite. We work with elected officials, candidates for office, and nonprofits throughout the county, and our community radio station KDRT 95.7FM has had tremendous regional impact.

Statement on Local Media from Davis Media Access

By Autumn Labbé-Renault, Executive Director

May 9, 2024

As the Davis Enterprise continues to recede, something has to evolve as a source of community information and news. We think Davis Media Access (DMA) can offer part of the solution.

With journalistic expertise at staff, board and volunteer levels, we’ve been talking internally about Davis’ growing news drought at DMA for months before the Enterprise made its latest cut — the stunning layoff of Bob Dunning, who wrote a column and sports stories for the paper for 55 years.

(You might have noticed another new hole at the Enterprise, by the way — Bruce Gallaudet hasn’t had a story in the paper since April 28, when he wrote “goodbye, all!” at the end of his story that Sunday. This is a big loss for covering local sports.)

Since last fall, DMA has been developing an idea for a Civic Information Hub—not to supplant local news, but to fill in the gaps in our local information ecosystem. I’ve met with dozens of journalists, elected officials, librarians, educators and other community leaders towards that end. You can listen to a very early discussion about the idea on the KDRT program Davisville, although I want to emphasize the word “early.”

Pardon Our Dust, It's a Remodel

By Autumn Labbe-Renault
, Executive Director

This column was originally published in The Davis Enterprise

It not only feels like I’ve been writing about the pending remodel at Davis Media Access (DMA) for years, I have actually been writing about it for years. My board and staff have heard me say “0/10  - I don’t recommended trying to start a remodel at the start of a global pandemic.” It’s been complicated, to say the least.

But today (May 1, 2024) as I write, Joe Albertazzi and his crew at Albertazzi Construction have begun demolition work at the media center at 1623 Fifth St. In my book, this is cause for celebration.

How did we get here, and what does it have to do with noncommercial community media?

Thank you for your Big Day of Giving generosity

From the board, staff and volunteers at Davis Media Access, we thank our community for tremendous support on yesterday's Big Day of Giving. We exceeded our BDoG goal in support of services including community radio station KDRT, local election coverage, and arts and culture programming. Much gratitude to Sacramento Regional Community Foundation and Yolo Community Foundation. Proud to be part of our region's nonprofit community!

Mayor Chapman guests on "The City Considers"

Davis Mayor Josh Chapman is the guest on the most recent episode of "The City Considers." The show aims to provide discussion and insight into the people and services behind City government. 

Elected to the Davis City Council in 2020, Chapman began his term as mayor in January of this year. He is the owner and manager of Armadillo Music in Downtown Davis, and has served on a variety of community boards and planning efforts.

Cherry Blossom Fest celebrates hope, art

"In the Studio," host Tim Gaffaney talks with Gregory Wada, founder and executive director of the Davis Cherry Blossom Festiva,l which takes place April 13-14. They discuss what prompted him to start the festival; its conitinuing mission, the cultural role of Taiko and the groups that will perform at the festival. Also discussed: special food and beer, and the makers' fair with over 60 booths offering visual arts and crafts. Although admission is free, each year the festival identifies charities to which they funnel donations that are made at the festival, and new this year, they are accepting in-kind donations. Wtach the episode here, and for more information visit the festival website

Concept Paper: Community Media Meets Public Service Journalism

Community Media Meets Public Service Journalism
Creating a Civic Information Hub for Yolo County
By Autumn Labbé-Renault, Executive Director, Davis Media Access
Updated April 2024

This is a vision for a project that seeks to bring together an award-winning noncommercial community
media center in Davis, CA with other local news and culture resources, including student-run newspapers
and podcasts; a community arts/culture/entertainment newspaper, and a once-robust local newspaper—
all in the service of a community and its citizens’ information needs.

Generally, this would be a new source of community and civic information about Davis/Yolo, drawing on
the strengths and needs of people in the community, and available to all. We don't see this as a
commercial venture; we do see it as a supplement to existing local sources of information. How this
would work or function, or how it would be funded, are questions we hope to answer through our
exploration phase, but we envision a three-year runway to get the project up and running in Davis in Year
1, with expansion to covering other important news in Yolo County beginning in Year 2.