MGP2006: Democracy & Independence -- Sharing News & Politics in a Connected World

EVENT: New Pamphleteers/New Reporters, June 4-5, Minneapolis -- training for passion about place

A host of MGP2006/JTM alumni are coming together to host "New Pamphleteers/New Reporters: Convening entrepreneurs who combine journalism, democracy, place and blogs," on June 4-5, 2008 in the McNamara Alumni Center at the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis. DETAILS:

https://www.123signup.com/event?id=tzfmb OR:
http://www.mediagiraffe.org/wiki/index.php/Jtm-mn

"We're presenting a how-to program for people who are passionate about place," says Bill Densmore, Media Giraffe Project director and a member of the Journalism That Matters collaborative. "We're pulling together experts for discussions on the business, marketing, legal, advertising, journalistic, technical and fund-raising skills needed for local oneline news and community-building websites to approach success." Densmore says the event may also be the launching pad for the American Society of News and Community Forums (ASNCF), a professional/trade group for "placebloggers" -- part pamphleteers, part reporters and part entrepreneurs. "America's new online citizen journalists are inventing a new business and a new passion -- the business of building local, literate, digital domains on the web where community and commerce flourish," says Densmore. "But efforts -- and structure -- to share best practices are only just emerging."

The event is timed to occur immediately before the fourth National Conference on Media Reform, also in Minneapolis on June 6-8 and discounted registration to NCMR is an option for those attending "New Pamphleteers/New Reporters." "We'll serve as an incubator / think-and-do tank for those who are considering starting their own civic engagement / citizen journalism projects in urban/rural Minnesota and nationally," says Densmore.

TO REGISTER: https://www.123signup.com/event?id=tzfmb

DC gathering invites participants for "next newsroom" prototype launch plan

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Want to play a role in developing and launching a prototype "next newsroom"? More than 100 people have already signed up for a two-day event in Washington, part of the "Journalism That Matters" series. Pre-registration rates end on Friday.

The Aug. 7-8 gathering, subtitled: "What happens when only the journalism is left?" is hosted by the School of Media & Public Affairs at The George Washington University, Washington, D.C. Among participants and co-convenors are Merrill Brown, Dan Gillmor, Lee Huebner, Ellen Hume, Geneva Overholser, Chris Peck, Jay Rosen, Jan Schaffer and Bill Kovach.

It will include a 1 p.m. public briefing on Tuesday, Aug. 7, in the Jack Morton Auditorium at GWU, entitled: "The State of Citizen Media."

The goal is to plan how journalism will endure as advertising and 20th-century structures which supported it go elsewhere or fall away, says Bill Densmore, director of the Media Giraffe Project, at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, which is helping organize the gathering.

"Strip away the platforms, the jobs, the institutions, and what will sustain participatory democracy?" asks Densmore. "Are we advancing to a news ecosystem more like English coffeehouses and pamphleteering than mass media?"

To move beyond just talk, Journalism That Matters will pick an ideal location and help start a new news organization from scratch, using the best-available technology and ideas, and without the obligations or burdens of legacy processes or infrastructure, says Densmore. "Next month, we'll be deciding where it will be, what it will look like, who will own it, and how it will run," he says.

ABOUT JOURNALISM THAT MATTERS

Journalism That Matters is an informal collaboration of journalists which has convened five meetings over two years to gather ideas for the "next newsroom" prototype. Using discussion and dialog, rather than panels and speakers, Journalism That Matters participants consider new economic models, training and education and the relationship between professional and citizen, or amateur, journalists.

Funding and support comes from The Media Giraffe Project, the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation, the Scripps Howard Foundation, the Blandin Foundation, the Kellogg Foundation, FreePress, Voxant Inc. and The Washington Post Co., among others.

To register, start at http://www.mediagiraffe.org/jtm

Journalism That Matters and the Media Giraffe Project are seeking participant diversity and welcome requests for registration fee waivers from students (including high-school students), people representing underserved communities, and stand-alone citizen journalists who might not otherwise be able to attend. Send requests or nominee information to jtm@mediagiraffe.org before July 17.

WHO'S COMING: http://www.mediagiraffe.org/wiki/index.php/Jtm-dc-roster
REGISTER: https://www.123signup.com/event?id=xtfyv
OVERVIEW: http://www.mediagiraffe.org/jtm
INVITATION: http://www.mediagiraffe.org/jtm/email-invitation.html
ANOUNCEMENT: http://www.mediagiraffe.org/pdf/jtm-dc-announcement.pdf
PROGRAM: http://www.mediagiraffe.org/jtm/jtm-dc-program-agenda.pdf

Who's selling into local markets and how are they doing it?

A key to the sustainability of journalism has always been local advertising. But now new competitors to the local newspaper -- and to web local startups -- are developing technologies for reaching into the local market and selling local advertising online. In Santa Clara, Calif., this week, the Kelsey Group, a Princeton, N.J.-based consultancy, is running a conference focused not on news or journalism but on the business of selling local advertising through search engines and other strategies. "Drilling Down on Local '07" is the name of the event. MGP2006 alum Peter Krasilovsky is one of the curators/organizers of the conference and he engineered the The Media Giraffe Project receiving a free "press pass" to the event with the expectation we would "blog" about the event.Rather than multiple posts, we've created an aggregation wiki page from which you can link to some specific reports: http://www.mediagiraffe.org/wiki/index.php/Kelsey-drilling-down-local

-- bill densmore

CONFERENCE: The New(s) England Revolution: Politics to courtroom to classroom -- April 7 at UMass Lowell with Vt. Gov. Jim Douglas

Registration is open for the New England News Forum's April 7 inaugural public gathering: "The New(s) England Revolution: From Politics to Courtroom to Classroom." It's a one-day interactive seminar for teachers, journalists, local and political bloggers, community videographers and active citizens exploring how changing media is changing civic engagement. DOWNLOAD PDF FLYER  /  DOWNLOAD NEWS RELEASE

MGP2006 alums among organizers of "Beyond Broadcast" Feb. 24 at MIT

MIT's Comparative Media Studies Program, Harvard Law School's Berkman Center for Internet & Society and the Yale Law School's Information Society Project are co-sponsoring the day-long "Beyond Broadcast 2007" gathering at MIT on Sat., Feb. 24. For the second year, the event is trying to explain the way media is turn from broadcast to participatory.  Several MGP2006 alums are core organizers of this event.

For background go to: http://www.beyondbroadcast.net/blog

More than 500 gather in D.C. to celebrate investigative journalism in ethnic media

Figuring out how to connect their diverse communities so they will be more visible to mainstream America was the key theme as hundreds of ethnic-media journalists gathered for two days this week at a Washington, D.C., hotel.  New America Media organized the “First National Ethnic Media Awards” banquet and training seminars.    READ MORE . . .

First national look at journalistic excellence in ethnic media set for Nov. 14 in D.C. -- MGP2006's Close wonders: Can you attend?

Are you fully aware of the outstanding journalism practiced by America’s ethnic media? You can be, for $100 and a night in Washington, D.C., next week. With rapid changes in the demographics of the United States, and the aging of mainstream media’s core audience, ethnic and youth media are no longer serving “niche” audiences. And one of the first people to bring that message to mainstream media has been MGP2006-Amherst participant Sandy Close, of San Francisco’s New America Media. For years, her news outfit, formerly known as Pacific News Service, has organized state awards honoring journalistic excellence in ethnic media. Now she’s doing it on a national scale – and she hopes other Media Giraffe Project collaborators will consider taking part.  If you can get to Washington, D.C. for Tuesday, Nov. 14, the First National Ethnic Media Awards banquet is set for the Mayflower Hotel, with a reception at 6 p.m. and dinner at 7 p.m.  Tickets are $100, which includes both reception and banquet.  To register, go to the New America Media website, and click on the tile ad for the dinner -- or call registrar Pha Lo at (415) 503-4170 ext. 242.  You can get a preview of this year's winners. There’s also a day of seminars on Wednesday, Nov. 15, at the Mayflower, for just another $30 if you’re coming in for dinner the night before. Wednesday's events include a kick-off breakfast talk by Benton Foundation President Gloria Tristani, an investigative-reporting workshop by IRE' s Brant Houston, and skills sessions on radio interviewing, marketing, writing, blogs and FOI. Let Pha Lo know if you are responding to this note from the MGP2006 blog – we’re trying to organize a group table for dinner.  Or email Densmore@journ.umass.edu so that we can connect.  ALSO: Hotel options.

Learn video-audio web techniques at free "PodCamp" Sept. 9-10 in Boston

LINK TO PODCAMP.ORG HOME PAGE  / LINK TO REGISTRATION PAGE

MGP2006 co-convenor and presenter Steve Garfield is helping to organize Podcamp-Boston. Learn and share with other audio and/or video podcasters, sharing experiences, trading information, networking, and growing knowledge from each other’s experiences -- at PodCamp-Boston, Saturday and Sunday Sept. 9 and 10. The free event, sponsored by the Museum of Science, Boston, is being held at Bunker Hill Community College in the Charlestown section of Boston, an easy subway ride from downtown, Cambridge or Logan Airport. Free refreshments, including meals, will be served throughout the day, Garfield says. He says everyone from enthusiasts not-yet-into-the-pool to semi-pros, to old hats with lots of stuff to pass on to us new folks will be well-served by the event. Low-cost hotel options can be worked out for attendees who sign up at the website.

Current list of organizers Format is "unconference" where all contribute Who should attend Session details as of Aug. 19 (but go HERE for THE LATEST Five-minute lightning talks Sessions wanted (don't post on this page, go to the Podcamp.org site Sponsors besides Museum of Science sought How to promote PodCamp Boston

EVENT: Workshops for college educators, citizen journalists preceed Online News Assn. conference Oct. 5-7 in DC

The Online News Association, formed by the new-media managers of major journalism organizations, is offering four one-day workshops prior to its annual conference, which this year is Oct. 6-7 in Washington, D.C.  There's a citizens-media summit at the Capital Hilton, a college-educators summit convening at USAToday's offices and at American University, a crafting-multimedia content session, and one on "digitizing the print newsroom."   All four workshops take place on Thurs., Oct. 5.  There's also a conference blog established.