The San Francisco Bay Area Independent Media Center, also known as IndyBay, is a left-of-center informal media collective closely tied to the Media Alliance, a left-of-center journalism activist group. The group is an all-volunteer organization that describes itself as encompassing a “variety of different local revolutionary, left-wing, anarchist, communist and other anti-capitalist stances.” The group has published its online news site, IndyBay.org, since 2000, and in 2004, it launched an online magazine called Fault Lines. The group reports on far-left activity and protests on labor, economic, and social issues. The group has also promoted anti-Israel content including covering stories with phrases such as “Actions Protesting Israel’s Attempted Genocide of Palestinians” and “Protests Demand Netanyahu’s Arrest for War Crimes.” ^{1 2 3 4}

Background and History

The San Francisco Bay Area Independent Media Center is one of roughly one hundred local affiliates of the Independent Media Center (IndyMedia), which was formed in 1999 “to allow participants in the anti-globalization movement to report on the protests against the [World Trade Organization] meeting that took place in Seattle, Washington, and to act as an alternative media source.” IndyBay describes local IndyMedia chapters as encompassing a “variety of different local revolutionary, left-wing, anarchist, communist and other anti-capitalist stances.” ⁵

IndyBay launched in 2000 and was initially closely tied to the Media Alliance, a left-of-center journalism activist group based in San Francisco. Early focuses of the site included “exposing bad landlords,” “local labor struggles, forest activism in Northern California, and police brutality.” After the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, the site added coverage of antiwar protests and immigration as well as LGBT issues, local elections, international conflicts, and animal liberation. ⁶

IndyBay’s topics pages include “Animal Liberation, Anti-War, Arts + Action, Drug War, Education, En Español, Environment, Global Justice, Government, Health/Housing, Immigrant, Media, Labor, LGBTI / Queer, Police State, Racial Justice and Womyn.” ⁷

Content

IndyBay operates on an open publishing format under which participants in the collective can self-publish works. The website has published left-of-center and anti-Israel content, covering far-left protests with coverage consisting of phrases including “Actions Protesting Israel’s Attempted Genocide of Palestinians” and “Protests Demand Netanyahu’s Arrest for War Crimes.” One post stated that “Throughout Northern California and the US, demonstrations continue to demand Netanyahu’s arrest and that the US stop enabling Israel’s military as it kills Palestinians by the tens of thousands and destroys huge swaths of infrastructure in Gaza.” ⁸

1. “Protests Demand Netanyahu’s Arrest for War Crimes.” IndyBay. August 1, 2024. Accessed September 13, 2024. https://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2024/08/01/18868374.php
2. “About Us.” IndyBay. Accessed September 13, 2024. https://www.indybay.org/about
3. “Bay Area Shuts it Down on May Day.” IndyBay. April 28, 2024. Accessed September 13, 2024. https://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2024/04/28/18865492.php
4. “Indymedia and Indybay History.” IndyBay. March 11, 2005. Accessed September 13, 2024. https://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2005/03/11/17262451.php
5. “Indymedia and Indybay History.” IndyBay. March 11, 2005. Accessed September 13, 2024. https://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2005/03/11/17262451.php
6. “Indymedia and Indybay History.” IndyBay. March 11, 2005. Accessed September 13, 2024. https://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2005/03/11/17262451.php
7. “Indymedia and Indybay History.” IndyBay. March 11, 2005. Accessed September 13, 2024. https://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2005/03/11/17262451.php
8. “Protests Demand Netanyahu’s Arrest for War Crimes.” IndyBay. August 1, 2024. Accessed September 13, 2024. https://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2024/08/01/18868374.php