Beyond Broadcast 2006 ‘Reinventing Public Media in a Participatory Culture’. The panel session ‘The future of digital community.’ Rhea Mokand Director ‘listen up’

Listen Up! is a youth media network that connects young video producers and their allies to resources, support, and projects in order to develop the field and achieve an authentic youth voice in the mass media.

Rhea focuses on video production. Initially their objective was to bring together a cohesive collaborative space for youth media. They also identified a need to integrate youth media organisations within their own known networks. They have formed a partnership with the Internet archive as a means to get server space. Over time listen up has become the largest collection of youth video on the Internet. The content is made and curated by youth. Each participant has their own space on the web site to meet and discuss with others including production issues for example. The only censorship the organisers do is keep an eye on unacceptable comments. The intiative now attracts particpation from schools and community media organisations globally. The listen up site is an example of an “exclusive” online social media community.