Abla Kandalaft
Chair
Abla is a journalist, researcher and film programmer, as well as a writer and media consultant for The Canary. She currently edits myDylarama, and hosts and produces its podcast, as well as the Garden Cinema Film Talk Podcast. Aside from film, she specialises in labour relations, the Middle East and the media landscape.
Thomas Barlow
Treasurer
Thomas manages the operations, finances and administrative work that holds the organisation together. He was previously the cofounder of Real Media, The Media Fund and Bywire and currently sits on the board of the Media Reform Coalition and has worked on many Media Democracy festivals. In a past life he was a festival organiser and a club night promoter.
James Lock
General Secretary
James is the Co-founder and Director at Opus Independents Ltd, Trustee on the Board of Voluntary Action Sheffield, Social Entrepreneur in Residence at Hallam University, Co Founder of the Neighbourhood Democracy Movement, Now Then Magazine, Festival of Debate, Foundation Earth, and the UBI Lab Network.
John Ranson
NUJ Officer
John was part of the original team at The Canary. He's now an editor with Phoenix Media Co-operative. He sits on the NUJ's ethics council as New Media representative and is the chair of his local NUJ branch in Norfolk. John also writes occasionally about films and football.
Nathan Sparkes
Policy and Campaigns Officer
Nathan is the Chief Executive of Hacked Off, which campaigns for media freedom and press accountability. They are also on the steering committee of the Media Reform Coalition.
Monica Del Pilar Uribe Marin
Communications Officer
Monica graduated in journalism at the Xaveriana University and is the founder and director of "The Prisma - The Multicultural Newspaper", a pioneering and unique media project in the UK focused on migrants and refugees.
Debbie and Jason Cridland
Non-Portfolio Board Member
Dorset Eye is an independent nonprofit news website co-founded by Debbie and Jason Cridland in June 2012. With absolutely no financial backing or outside investment, they have rapidly built a brand new media outlet from scratch through determination in their progressive values and engaging content.
Rikki Blue
Non-Portfolio Board Member
Rikki Blue is a filmmaker and journalist who joined the Real Media cooperative shortly after its inception in 2016 and is now the principle content producer for that platform, dedicated to ‘The View From Below’. He documents new protest movements and social justice issues and is passionate about building an independent media sector not captured by state or corporate interests.