Matter of Survival

Last Updated on April 10, 2025

Digital media, like oral or print media, is essentially storytelling; the narrative orients an audience toward a point of view or perception of reality. Based on that perception, an inspired audience can become further educated, make efforts at organizing others, and participate in community actions for social change. The articles in this post on netwar contain ideas relevant to how digital media relates to activism, and would be especially useful for students.

The application of one’s worldview, as I note in this post, also benefits from an informed analysis of social evolution. A comprehension of this broader context enables digital media writers, editors and publishers to seek out correspondents investigating how applied research is more effective when exposed to sociological concepts. This book examines some of the relationships between digital media and Indigenous activism in Chiapas, Mexico.

Communication in Network Society looks at how competing narratives redistribute political power. In this post, I describe how digital media storytelling is a matter of survival for Indigenous peoples.

Dear reader,

Across the world right now, Indigenous peoples are facing a renewed assault on their lands, rights, and ways of life. From extractive industries pushing deeper into ancestral territories, to governments rolling back hard-won protections, the threat is global—and it is growing.

What makes this moment especially dangerous is how little attention it receives.

Stories like this are disappearing in real time. Mainstream media barely covers it and the coverage is fragmented. The public is left without the context needed to understand what is truly at stake.

That is exactly why IC Magazine exists..

For more than 20 years, IC has reported on Indigenous struggles worldwide — consistently, independently, and without compromise. We don’t follow news cycles; we trace patterns. We don’t sensationalize; we provide context. And when the world looks away, we stay focused.

But this work is increasingly difficult to sustain.

We refuse to lock our reporting behind a paywall. We don’t sell access through subscriptions. And we don’t answer to advertisers. IC Magazine survives solely because readers like you choose to support independent Indigenous journalism.

Please donate today if you can. Every contribution helps us to continue this crucial work.

Thank you,

John Ahni Schertow
Founder and Editor in Chief

Dear reader,

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