Agenda
Media Re:public
Forum on Participatory Media â Surveying the Field in 2008
March 27-28, 2008
Hosted by
The Berkman Center for Internet & Society at Harvard Law School
and USC's Annenberg School for Communication
Program
Thursday, March 27
18:30 - 19:00 Registration
19: 00 - 23:00 Opening Conversation
Introductory Remarks
Ernest Wilson, USC Annenberg
Introducing Media Re:public -- What we hope to do together here
John Palfrey, Berkman Center
Our Audiences, Ourselves -- How participatory media has and hasnât revolutionized the news
Richard Sambrook, BBC Global News
20:30 Cocktail reception
Friday, March 28
8:30 â 9:00 Registration & Coffee
9:00 â 10:30 Framing the Discussion
Moderated by John Palfrey
Agreeing on Principles -- Defining the qualities of information our democracy needs:
Ellen Hume, Center for Future Civic Media, MIT
The Networked Difference -- How new technologies and behaviors are changing the news
David Weinberger, Berkman Center
Beyond Anecdotes -- Exploring quantitative tools for studying these issues
John Kelly, Berkman Center & Columbia School of Journalism Ethan Zuckerman, Global Voices Jim Kennedy, Associated Press
10:30 â 11:00 Coffee Break
11:00 â 12:30 Breakouts â Research Questions (Two simultaneous sessions)
The Evolving Media Ecosystem The discussion of participatory media needs to go beyond comparing newspapers, political blogs and citizen media sites. Many kinds of social media, non-text formats, and public and other nonprofit media have demonstrated potential to play a role in the news and information environment. How do we take stock of the impact of this complex mix of sources and genres, including their use outside the U.S.?
Moderator: Ivan Sigal, USIP
Presentation: Your City, Your Choice Marcelo Soares, Sao Paulo
Discussants: Torey Malatia, :Vocalo; Jane Kirtley, University of Minnesota; Ron Cooper, Access Sacramento
Background materials: Proposed typology/ies; :Vocalo case study; NGOs as gatekeepers (Annenberg East), Media in conflict zones (Ivan Sigal, USIP)
Defining Success, Measuring Impact
Dozens of experiments with audience-created content have failed; many are in limbo. Meanwhile, traditional media are re-examining their methods for demonstrating success to advertisers or sponsors. How should we define success for projects with different geographic or topical scopes, different target audiences? How much impact is enough? When are popular appeal or financial success not the right indicators?
Moderator: Jan Schaffer, J-Lab
Presentation: Tracking & Analyzing Community News Models in 50 US cities Margaret Duffy, University of Missouri School of Journalism
Discussants: Jimmy Orr, Christian Science Monitor; David Poulson, Great Lakes Wiki; Ethan Zuckerman, Global Voices
Background materials: Backfence.com case study; Media influences on influential people (Berkman/IPDI)
12:30 â 13:30 Lunch - optional Birds of a Feather discussions
13:30 â 14:30 Itâs 2018: Do You Know Where Your News Is? -- Examining scenarios for the future
One of the few areas of agreement among observers of the news environment is that there is much more change to come. There are challenges and opportunities for all involved and both start-ups and legacy media are unsure whether they will survive the next decade. Decisions made over the next decades could have enormous consquences for the breadth and quality of news coverage, depending on which niches thrive and which types of media don't survive. In this session weâll discuss a number of best-case and worst-case scenarios that illustrate possible outcomes over the next decade.
Moderator: Jonathan Zittrain, Berkman Center
Discussants:
Jonathan Taplin, USC Annenberg
Jon Funabiki, San Francisco University
Lisa Williams, Placeblogger.com
14:30 - 16:00 Breakouts -- Translating Research into Action (two simultaneous sessions)
Seeking Sustainable Models New models, both business and editorial, are needed to support excellent local, regional, national and international news gathering and dissemination. Are either market mechanisms or the enthusiasm of individuals sufficient to identify and create sustainable projects? What is the right role for existing or emerging public service media?
Moderator: Bill Buzenberg, Center for Public Integrity
Presentations: Doc Searls, Project VRM/Berkman; Lisa Williams, Placeblogger.com
Discussants: Owen Smith, Newspaper Association of America; Daniel Beckmann, Current.tv; Jake Shapiro, PRX/Berkman
Background material: Current.tv case study
Achieving the New Fourth Estate As the media ecosystem transforms itself, the mechanisms for defining and preserving the public service role of the media must change as well. How do we prioritize needs? From media literacy to universal broadband access to digital spectrum policy, intellectual property regulation to philanthropy, what kinds of interventions have the most promise?
Moderator: Farai Chideya, NPR
Presentation: Fabrice Florin, Newstrust.net
Discussants: Wendy Seltzer, Chilling Effects; Jon Garfunkel, civilities.net; Dan Gillmor, Arizona State University; Tony Pierce, LA Times*, Jonathan Krim*, Washington Post
Background material: Public media white paper (Center for Social Media, American University/Beyond Broadcast Coalition)
16:00 - 16:30 Coffee Break
16:30 â 17:30 Closing Conversation
Report Back on Breakouts - Action Points
Moderator, Rapporteurs TBD
Closing Remarks
John Palfrey
- Invited