From the Editor:

As this association continues to grow, I feel like there is a need to add context to who I am as editor, and answer some possible questions.

I started the IMA after I saw a need to provide continuous coverage from location in my home town for events that weren’t being covered by mainstream media. When I wanted to know more, I found that most of the information that was coming out was on social media. As an amateur photographer, I had the gear, so I started going to these events to capture the story and amplify community members’ voices. At that point, I bought the web domain for the IMA and went to work. I started the site with the intention of reaching and adding more contributors who could learn and practice journalism. I believe that any citizen can fill the role of press and help people become more engaged in their communities. As an abolitionist, I believe in reimagining our society outside of carceral logics. Freedom of speech, as well as the freedom to protest are integral to that goal. As civil rights leaders like Fannie Lou Hamer remind us, "Nobody's free until everybody's free," so until we as a society act like "all men are created equal" I will choose to point my lens at the people whose freedoms are threatened and whose stories are excluded.

Other IMA contributors’ views don’t and shouldn’t always match my own or that of the other core team members, but we do ask all our contributors to center the viewpoints and lived experiences of those most impacted. While we do maintain editorial control for pieces shared for publication through IMA channels, IMA welcomes all viewpoints, and does not discriminate based on opposing viewpoints from IMA journalists.

Thank you for the support so far,

Andrei Stoica

Managing Editor