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Some of the most important faces in game-changing, independent media today - Amy Goodman, Arianna Huffington, Matt Drudge - are well over 40 years old. But to make an impact in the world, you don't need to have 40 - or in Huffington's case, 60 - years of life and career experience under your belt. That's what Libuse Binder has proven with 10 Ways to Change the World in Your 20s, which details some steps that young people can take to leave their mark on the world. Some, like registering to vote and casting that ballot, are easy. Others, like recognizing a problem area in a community, brainstorming a potential solution, and implementing that solution to get at the root of the issue, can be more difficult. But all of the steps, Binder said at a speaking engagement at Ithaca College on Tuesday, Oct. 26, are possible.

Binder's philosophy, although she applies it largely to changing the world through working with non-profits, lobbying for environmental measures and raising money to fight for the causes that we believe in, is directly parallel to the mission of independent media sources. Find something you're passionate about - whether it's climate change (like IC alum Kate Sheppard, who works for Mother Jones), LGBT activism (like - and no, I won't stop heralding her incredible work - Pam Spaulding of Pam's House Blend) or simply truth-telling and accuracy in general (like Glenn Greenwald or even the student journalists at News 21) - educate yourself on that topic, and then show people why they too should care

In her speech, Binder didn't specifically discuss much about how students involved with media can leave their impact, although she did remark on the world-changing potential of films, which, "if done well, can do it in an hour and a half." Her website, however, tenways.org, includes a comprehensive database of businesses and organizations that are making a positive difference by sticking to their values and pushing what they believe in. On this list are indy publications like The Huffington Post, E/The Environmental Magazine, TreeHugger, The Daily Beast, Grist and blog search engine Technorati.

Curiously, corporate mega-giants like The Washington Post, Fox News, MSNBC, CNN, The Wall Street Journal and The New York Times were overlooked by Binder and the tenways.org team. 

The company that publishes Binder's own book - Sourcebooks, Inc. - is itself an independent entity, demonstrating one way that Binder is resolute in practicing what she preaches. How refreshing.




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