MEDIA GIRAFFE PROJECT

KEY POINTS

·         PROBLEM: Democracy can't thrive without an informed and engaged public. Technological change is disrupting business model(s) of mainstream, "watchdog"  journalism.

·         OPPORTUNITY: Change is empowering citizens to be journalists (via the Internet). What does this mean for democracy -- and journalism?

·         MISSION:  The Media Giraffe Project mission is to foster participatory democracy and community. We do so by discovering and celebrating above-the-crowd individuals making innovative, sustainable use of media (old and new). They use fresh, effective tools and approaches that empower and inform citizens.  

·         STRUCTURE: Non-partisan, non-profit, affiliated with journalism program at University of Massachusetts Amherst as fiscal sponsor and source of interdisciplinary academic help and interest.  Eighteen-person advisory board.

·         OUTPUTS: Major conference announced for June 29-July 1, 2006 at the UMass Amherst campus.
 "Democracy and Independence: Sharing of News and Politics in a Connected World"

http://www.mediagiraffe.org/conference.html

Three-year project timeline involving:

o        Research – building a database of over 300 potential giraffes

o        Communicate – Telling their stories with website, book, documentary film

o        Educate – With film, workshops, curriculum, reach high school- and college-age youth with message that one person can affect public policy; teach smart media consumption and creation.

·         RESOURCES:  Begun April, 2005; first-year budget about $65,000 raised from private donors and combined cash and in-kind match from UMass.  Journalism Prof. Norm Sims is principal investigator; journalist/entrepreneur/lecturer Bill Densmore is director/editor. Fund-raising underway on three-year budget.