Media Institute for Social Change

Who runs the program?

We have a well-qualified and enthused management staff, and each year work with a strong network of accomplished professionals. We always welcome inquiries about employment.

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR: PHIL BUSSE

For the past 15 years, Executive Director Phil Busse has worked as a college instructor, a journalist, media producer and political advisor. Phil serves as an adjunct instructor for Portland State University and has written for publications like salon.com, The Believer, and The Oregonian.

Before starting the Media Institute, he helped launched the Portland Mercury in 2000 and served for six years as the Managing Editor. He helped build the weekly newspaper into a successful publication and one of the most popular sources of news and entertainment in Oregon. As a spin-off from his political reporting and columns, Phil ran for mayor of Portland in 2004. Out of 23 candidates and outspent by the lead candidate by $1 million, Phil placed third behind a two-time city council member and the former police chief.

A former attorney in San Francisco, Phil has served on the faculty at the University of Oregon School of Business as the assistant director for the Entreprenuership Center. Phil also has worked with other programs in higher education, including teaching at Portland State, St Olaf College, and working as the Program Director for School for Field Studies sea turtle program in Costa Rica and as the head coach for crew teams at Lewis & Clark College and the University of Portland.

Phil graduated from Middlebury College in 1992 and earned his law degree from the University of Oregon in 1997.

To hear more about the program in Phil's own words, please check out this video.

PROGRAM MANAGER: JOSH KLETZKIN

Josh Kletzkin is an editor and cinematographer based in Portland. He recently directed the documentary feature 'A is for ASH' about Irish rock legends Ash, and co-produced 'Throw Down Your Heart,' a documentary about musician Bela Fleck's journey to Africa in search of the roots of the banjo. His recent credits as an editor include Bravo's 'Tim Gunn's Guide to Style,' Nickelodeon's 'The Wonder Pets' and MTV's 'True Life.' As cinematographer, Josh has shot music videos and live concert footage for artists including The Punch Brothers, Panic at the Disco, The Terrordactyls, and The Panama Kings. He was also camera operator for Live@MTV, a web based performance series that has featured Bjork, Fall Out Boy, John Mayer, and others. Josh graduated from Wesleyan College in 1995.

PRODUCTION MANAGER: MATT MARTIN

Matt Martin is currently editing a documentary on the first Vietnamese-American Congressman (Joseph Cao R-LA) for PBS funded by the Center for Asian-American Media. Prior editing credits include 'No Impact Man,' which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival, was released theatrically by Oscilloscope Pictures and was broadcast on Discovery Planet Green. Matt also served as an editor for the seminal political documentary 'Unprecedented: the 2000 Presidential Election,' which played in over 50 film festivals and won 9 Best Documentary or Audience Awards prior to broadcast on the Sundance Channel. 'Time & Tide' examined the effects of globalization and climate change on the South Pacific island nation of Tuvalu and won two Best Documentary Awards while playing at 25 film festivals prior to its broadcast on PBS. In addition to editing, Matt produced and directed 'No Excuses: a Season with the U.S. Disabled Ski Team,' which was broadcast on the Documentary Channel.

Matt has also edited commercials and branded content for clients such as the Ford Motor Company, the ACLU, the Sundance Preserve, Legoland, and the Los Angeles Philharmonic.

Matt received a B.A. from Middlebury College and an M.F.A. in Film Production from the University of Southern California.

How do you get in touch with us?

You can email us using our online form or call us at (503) 975.4545. Otherwise, feel free to send correspondences to 4013 N. Ganteinbein., Portland, Oregon 97227.

With whom do we partner?

Many filmmakers, community organizers, and businesses donate their time and expertise to help make this a powerful experience for our students. For each program we draw from the community and beyond to expose students to experts in their given field.

We have been fortunate to build strong partnerships with individuals and institutions around Portland, and around the country. For example, for our Summer Documentary Program in Oregon Portland State University provides classroom space and offers academic credit to attending students, and Portland Community Media provides state-of-the-art camera equipment for the video production. For our Radio Summer in Minnesota, Macalester College provides classroom space, and we work with esteemed journalists from MPR and PRI.

In addition to our institutional partners, we have developed a wide base of support from individuals, including media producers and politicians who teach seminars and mentor students. We have worked with journalists from the Oregonian, Oregon Public Broadcasting and the Portland Mercury. During our last session, Robert Greenwald (Brave New Productions, “Outfoxed”) taught a seminar that instructed students on ways to use social media to distribute their films.

Students work with the likes of Fiona Otway, a film editor nominated for an Academy Award for her work on “Iraq in Fragments” and with Matt Martin, film editor for “No Impact Man.” Moreover, students have attended seminars taught by Curt Ellis (producer, “King Corn”).

To learn about the inner working of local and national politics, we are anchored by a wide base of support from elected officials like Sam Adams (Mayor, City of Portland), Josh Kardon (Chief of Staff, U.S. Senator Ron Wyden) and Brian Young (Communication Director, U.S. Senator John Kerry), all who teach seminars about the interaction between the media and politics. We work with professors from top colleges like Reed and St. Olaf.

Board of Directors

Beth Burns, Board Secretary

Executive Director, p:ear

Louis Cohen

Program Manager, Friends of the Children

John Haines

Executive Director, Mercy CorpsNW

Tony Iaccarino

Research & Policy Director, City Club

Amy Ruiz, Board Chair

Planning Policy Advisor, City of Portland

David Yewman

Principal, Dash Consulting

Who attends your programs?

For more information, please check out our students.

You may also hear from the students in their own words on the student blog.