In this page, you will find news and updates on what's been (and what will be) going on at PMR. We will also include anything that catches our eye that may be related and relatable to community media makers, activists, and organizations in Philly and beyond. In addition, we will include discussions of any hot reads and resources that may spark the interest of these communities. Enjoy!
At People’s Media Record, we understand that “resource” means so much more than money. This is a call to action to pledge your skills, knowledge, and labor, to support the preservation efforts of PMR’s 2025 Preserving and Archiving Community Media (PACME) fellows, even after the fellowship officially ends in December. From assistance with digitizing Hi8 tapes, to assistance […]
At the start of October, People’s Media Record hosted the inaugural People’s Media Camp—a three-day gathering for memory workers, community archivists, storytellers, and allied practitioners. More than 200 participants joined workshops, skillshares, roundtables, screenings, and media exhibitions designed to spark practical learning and honest dialogue about mutual support, resource redistribution, and community activation. Attendees reflected on challenges, affirmed one another’s efforts, and developed collective strategies to move the work forward. Camp also featured The People’s Bazaar, a free exchange of tools and know-how. Partners included cinèSPEAK and the Folk-Arts Cultural Treasures School. The energy points toward a bigger return in 2026.
Do you have many materials documenting community stories, cultural work, or activism that need to be digitized and preserved? Have you been documenting your group or organization’s history for a long time, but are not sure how to preserve it? Are you interested in learning more about the ins and outs of archiving and preserving, […]
PHILADELPHIA, Pa. — September 3, 2025 — In July, People’s Media Record (PMR) announced People’s Media Camp, a three-day gathering for Philadelphia’s grassroots memory workers, community archivists, and storytellers. From Friday, October 3, through Sunday, October 5, the Camp will feature workshops, skill-shares, roundtables, breakout sessions, screenings, collective mapping, art activations, and The People’s Bazaar, which is a […]
The Peoples’ Media Record is thrilled to introduce the group of wonderful individuals we selected for this year’s Preserving and Archiving Community Media Fellowship. From April to December, the Preserving and Archiving Community Media fellows will embark on a journey to enhance their archiving and preservation skills and develop comprehensive plans for the long-term care of […]
The Peoples’ Media Record is thrilled to introduce the group of wonderful individuals we selected for this year’s Preserving and Archiving Community Media Fellowship and Philly Resistance Histories Fellowship. The Preserving and Archiving Community Media Fellowship is generously funded by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, and the Philly Resistance Histories Fellowship is generously funded by […]
During winter and spring, we have been working very hard planning our summer workshop series: How to Take Care of Community AV Collections. These workshops, which will be taught by several archiving and preservation experts, will help attendants expand their knowledge on preservation, digitization, and metadata, copyright, and fair use. The workshops are geared towards […]
On April 14, 2023, the People’s Media Record celebrated the launch of the Philadelphia Audiovisual Collections Evaluation report (PACE), which examined the needs and gaps of local media organizations and makers around audiovisual preservation. The event represented the culmination of more than a year of dedicated work by our former director, Helyx Horwitz, who exited […]
On February 26, I had the pleasure of participating in a thought-provoking conversation about community media and its history and current state in Philadelphia, with a focus on Black activist and producer Marion Stokes and her preservation of the 24/7 news cycle. The event, which was organized by the Friends of the Laurel Hill Cemetery […]
In December of last year, our then director Helyx Horwitz and our digital archivist Khalila Chaar-Pérez traveled to Pittsburgh to the annual conference of the Association of Moving Image Archivists. The Association of Moving Image Archivists is a nonprofit international organization dedicated to the preservation and use of moving image media; every year they hold […]
