NEXT STEPS: What we learned, what we want to happen next after MGP2006

AMHERST, Mass. -- What did some of the 230 participants in MGP2006, the first summit of the Media Giraffe Project, learn? What do they want to happen next?  Here's what a sampling said at the end of the June 28-July 1, 2006 gathering at the University of Massachusetts Amherst:

(source: Easel pad notes taken by Bill Densmore)

Q: What should happen next?

• Build a process to keep things going 
• Connect with Investigative Reporters & Editors in order to present substance and medium in one place.  (Geoff Davidian)
• More talking and sharing of resources and intelligence via social-networking tools (Wayne MacPhail)
• Citzen journalists should get together and support one another (Tish Grier)
• End the marginalization of media education. It is up to journalists to engage with schools to change curriculum (Gillian Andrews)
• Find ways to support independent journalists (Ilona Meagher)
• Mainstream media needs to share platform vision which includes rather than competes with citizen journalists (John Wilpers)
• Accept a role as leaders; don’t assume mainstream media doesn’t want help – they do and they do care. (Gary Kebbel)
• Must reconvene in 2006: We are at our best when sharing.  (Aldon Hynes)
• Pick five people you met to do something with over the next month (Aldon Hynes)
• Organize a ‘retreat’ in Brattleboro for citizen journalists (Chris Grotke)
• Adopt best practices discovered from others at MGP2006 which melp make the audience the creators of news (Maureen Mann)
• Get more people to become activists (Paul Thomas)
• Work to eradicate complacency in both MSM and citizen media (Vin Crosbie)
• Don’t all try to do the same thing – that would duplicate the current problem of media homogenization (Remus Bryce)
• Partner to develop new content (Steve Brandt)
• Figure out how to build local online news communities (Jon Garfunkel)
• Involve young people in important conferences (Eman AlAraj)
• Start more outlets for “authentic journalism” (Ben Melancon)
• Start your own local website (Ben Melancon)
• Build a platform to connect local online news/blog communities – an open collaboration which preserves local independence (Ben Melancon)
• Youth should use media to express opinions (Uli  Botzojorns)
• Encourage a spirit of compromise (esp. among youth)  to join with MSM  (Mike Deehan)
• Harness ideas of the “crusty older generation” of MSM retirees who formerly “got paid too much to say what they felt.”  (Josh Wilson)
• Use timer cards at conference panels  (Josh Wilson)
• Youth should step up efforts to learn about media and info tech (Tianna Mason)
• Reconvene next year; see opportunities not obstacles; continue dialogues toward evolution/revolution – more exciting than draining.  (Mark Karlin)
• Remember to share not just watch. “You’re not here unless you share.” (Muhammed Abu-Jamous)
• Spread and repeat the MGP2006 experience. (Fatim Toghui)
• What are we going to do to stick our necks out a little more? (Stephen Silha)
• Talk about journalists as citizens (Stephen Silha)
• Initiate Journalism That Matters training in conjunction with b-schools (Stephen Silha)
• Embrace “both/and” not “either/or” thinking; come to ACME October (Rob Williams)
• Read the New York Times complaint (Helena Sassower)
• Be a player in the community; facilitate dialog; don’t just incite conflict (Terry Mollner)
• Secure seed money for working on new organizations (Donna Liu)
• Understand that not all leadership is noisy (Bruce Wilson)
• Bridge the gap with mainstream media; don’t dismiss (Michael Stoll)
• Join the Society of Professional Journalists; they want to reach online (Michael Stoll)
• Focus on needs and assume everyone is doing the best they can with what they have (Eric Muten)
• Develop a source for good models (Jane Johnston)
• Post “how-to” tutorials to MGP wiki (Jessica Duda)
• Start a monthly videoconference (Paul Thomas)
• Form a community-media center; offer wireless; newspapers should focus on access to content, not content itself (Wally Bowen)

Q: What did you learn at MGP2006?

·          The value of getting people together in physical space

·          That doing it differently is probably doing it right.

·          New communication tools

·          The need to “get a second life!”

·          How to engage people through multimedia

·          Tips on learning who you are reaching

·          The need to share social tools, resources utilities among those doing “local stuff.”

·          Patronizing attitudes toward education by traditional reporters

·          New ways to support citizen journalism

·          Need for MSM to “share the platform” with citizen journalists

·          How MSM “has not got it,” but “they are getting it.”

·          How to congratulate ourselves on point of connection between MSM and bloggers

·          The great connection with people at MGP2006

·          No two citizen blog/journalism sites is doing the same thing. All are unique; but all care deeply about the quality of journalism.

·          A (wrong)  perception that CitiJ doesn’t have standards.  Now sees CitJ as interested in content

·          A chance to meet other people, share new ideas

·          The group is self-selected voices. How to get more people involved?

·          That tech talk goes over some people’s heads and leaves them behind.

·          Complacency is a common enemy of MSM and new media.

·          That doing it differently is probably doing it right.

·          Report solutions, rather than just problems

·          Saw systematic research showing details of how things are working

·          No one can represent youth except youth

·          Local citizen reporting is exciting

·          Some people care about youth and media

·          Need more students – they will  become the MSM when the over-50s set retires

·          Like spices to food – anything in media can be powerful

·          It’s not enough to watch – you have to share, too

·          See opportunities rather than obstacles – a revolutionary process is underway in media.

·          Saw boundaries breaking down between citizens and journalists

·          Groups function better with “both/and” rather than “either/or” thinking

·          Large swaths of information are still being kept from the public.

·          Insure sustainability of organizations such as MGP.

·          Profound innovation online and good journalism in MSM – need to combine

·          Sustainability issues important to both MSM and other media.

·          Access issues as important as journaism topic.

PROGRAM SUGGESTIONS

·          Integrate  the tracks more without contrivance

·          Break down the panelist/audience relationship 

Comments

[Benjamin Melançon]

We learned that a lot of cool people are doing a lot of cool things, and we learned Bill Densmore is an incredible, self-less organizer.

I hope everyone will become regular readers and supporters of:

the NewStandard - http://newstandardnews.net/
Narco News Bulletin - http://narconews.com/
Black Commentator - http://blackcommentator.com/

and most of all their local independent news source or citizen journalism blog-- and that if they don't have one, they start their own! My web design collective can provide internet space and community reporting web sites for low or no cost. Contact us at http://agaricdesign.com/

And I hope other programmers, web developers, and concerned human beings can help People Who Give a Damn - http://pwgd.org/ - create the infrastructure of a wholly democratic media and action network.

[Benjamin Melançon]

And Steve Anderson's http://coanews.org/ also!

[Benjamin Melançon]

And listeners to Free Speech Radio News! http://fsrn.org/

[Josh Wilson]

Clarification on my comment about "crusty elders paid too much to say what they felt" ... by which I mean: Newspaper executives are not paid handsomely so that they can speak publicly about problems with their business model. Quite the contrary. Their job is to implement and defend that model. After they retire, however, they seem to find religion, and are more willing to critically address the challenges of running a for-profit news outlet. I suppose that's a bit of a generalization ...