Communications
Department
The Communications department is responsible for informing people about
Burning Man. We educate participants, government entities, the media,
and the general public. We use our Regional
Contacts network, our worldwide web site (www.burningman.com), the
Jack Rabbit Speaks Internet newsletter, the Burning Man Journal (our twice-yearly
newsletter) and the ticket holder's Survival Guide to make contact with
people throughout the year. During the event, the Black
Rock Gazette, the What Where When (events publication), and Media
Mecca speak directly to participants.
In 1999, the Communications department, in cooperation with the Art
department, also began to document art. Our Documentation
Team created a record of every artwork at Burning Man. But the most
notable new communications document we have produced this year is this
AfterBurn Report and Survey. This document was initially intended to
answer questions about our accomplishments and problems in 2001, but it
has become a history and an explanation of nearly everything we try to
do.
Our effort to communicate also includes lectures in various cities by
Larry Harvey and other organizers. Several such forums were held in 2001,
most notably the Grace Cathedral Forum on May 20, 2001 which featured
a talk by Larry entitled Radical Ritual. Plans for 2002 also include
a lecture by Larry at Cooper Union and other regional outreach events
in New York City in late April. The Communications department also works
to organize Burning Man's technological resources. 2001 saw the beginning
of our Extranet Project, inception of a committed Sys Admin team and examination
of our database platforms. If we are to communicate with the world, we
must better communicate with ourselves.
Our year-round efforts to communicate also address government relations,
the education of the press and media, qualifying interested Regional Contacts,
print production and distribution
of stickers, posters and postcards, and maintenance of the Burning Man
archive of press clips, videos and imagery. All of these efforts were
better organized in 2001. In 2002, we intend to use more resources to
communicate with an even larger world. As Burning Man expands beyond our
desert event, we will dedicate more of our time to making our growing
community aware of itself. 