HELP SHAPE FUTURE OF JOURNALISM, DEMOCRACY: ATTEND FIRST MEDIA GIRAFFE PROJECT SUMMIT AT UMASS-AMHERST, WED.-SAT. JUNE 28-JULY 1, 2006
(REGISTRATION INFO / COST INFO AT BOTTOM OF PAGE) 

LINK: Start registration process now

THE PURPOSE

Many Americans are concerned about the quality our media.  Younger Americans are less inclined to read newspapers.  "Democracy & Independence: Sharing News & Information in a Connected World" is the first Media Giraffe Project roundtable summit and conference . . . .at UMass Amherst . . . from Wed. through Sat. June 28-July 1 .

Join dozens of visionaries in media, politics, education and technology . "above-the-crowd" individuals -- as we examine and perhaps help mold the future and sustainability of journalism, democracy, and communities in the Internet age. Meet visionaries outside of your normal sphere -- "cross-over" briefly to another viewpoint and hatch fresh ideas, fresh solutions. Come to participate and plan . . . to connect . . . not just listen.  

 Each day is different. Attend the one-day, "Future of Journalism" roundtable summit on Thursday. Then choose -- or mix and match -- among four tracks on Friday and Saturday themed to citizen media, politics, education and technology.
 For the full schedule, download the program at:  http://www.mediagiraffe.org/program.pdf , or go to http://www.mediagiraffe.org/register/ . Both will be updated regularly until the summit begins.  The event is a terrific opportunity to get a quick grounding on the forces affecting what we all read and see in the media . . . how media-literacy education might improve the situation . . . and what the impact is on the political and public-policy spheres.

 Twenty-eight sessions . . . more than 50 panelist and speakers  . . . special tracks on citizen filmmaking and citizen media . . . and on how to educate smart media consumers and creators . . . a seminar to envision the newsroom of the future . . . a talk by White House columnist Helen Thomas . . . the latest on news industry research, and  Internet entrepreneurship . . . all coming together right before the 230^th anniversary of the U.S. Declaration of Independence.

 There's an exclusive "Media Cafe" for informal talking and scheming . . . an ice-cream social to perk up Friday afternoon . . . a live teleconference with Philadelphia citizens as its daily papers pass from chain to local hands in an historic shift . . . a wired 1,400 campus in between semesters . . .  and a region brimming with arts, culture and outdoor activities waiting after the summit winds up on Saturday, July 1 at noon.

 WHO'S SPEAKING?

Keynote speakers Wed.-Saturday include White House press-corps dean and author of a new book, Helen Thomas; Pulitzer-prizing-winning web editor Jon Donley of the New Orleans Times-Picayune; former Christian Science Monitor Publisher Stephen Gray and Common Cause President Chellie Pingree.

 Sponsors include The Boston Globe (and the Worcester Telegram & Gazette), the New England Press Association, MassLive/The [Springfield] Republican, and Omidyar Network, in addition to UMass.

 SPECIAL SESSIONS

 Special features include:

 1)      A talk and book signing by veteran White House columnist Helen Thomas starting at 5:00 p.m. on Wednesday, June 28. In the evening, Thomas will speak briefly again, setting the tone for our dinner-and-discussion session: "Will journalism continue to be relevant? How? In what form?" along with Marty Baron of the Boston Globe, and others.

2)      At 8:30 a.m. on Thursday, a keynote talk by Steve Gray, the former publisher of the Christian Science Monitor, who is now directing a $2-million study and pilot program for American Press Institute called "Newspaper Next". His topic: "Innovate, Die Or Be Sold: A Prescription for the News Company of the Future".

3)      On Thursday afternoon, a Citizens Filmmaking Workshop & Festival for people who know how to use a video camera, but want to learn how to take the next step of editing and putting their work online -- as part of the emerging citizen's media movement.

4)      On Friday and Saturday, Steven Silha and Chris Peck bring the acclaimed "Journalism That Matters," seminar to the Media Giraffe Summit. It's a structured "Open Circle" process for news professionals and other stakeholders. Participants invent projects with the potential to sustain civic, watchdog journalism in the news organizations of the future.

5)      At 11 a.m. on Friday, 10 Jordanian and 10 Vermont teen-agers visiting the Media Giraffe summit will describe and show and discuss video clips from a two-month digital storytelling exchange called MEDIA - "Media Education and Democracy In Action." MEDIA is funded in part by the U.S. State Department.

6)      At lunch on Friday, a second keynote by Tom Stites, incoming associate editor of the Washington, D.C.-based Center for Public Integrity, where he will edit the centers "Selling of the President, 2008" coverage. His topic: "Is Media Performance Democracy's Critical Issue?"

7)     During the day on Friday, New England political bloggers will be gathering to talk about the fall election races, and about how they collaborate or compete with mainstream media.

8)     At noon on Friday,  Open Source Radio host Christopher Lydon will lead a planning session for the launch "The New England Common," a web-based journal of politics, culture, environment and engagement.

9)      After dinner on Friday, a third keynote talk by Rob Williams, Ph.D., a professor, Champlain College, and president of the Action Coalition on Media Education, on the topic: "Why Doesn't Johnny Care? How Media Can Bring Young Adults Back into the Public Sphere?"

Topics we're covering in 28 discussion sessions include:

•  Will journalism stay relevant? To whom? And How?
• Setting the scene: What's the Future of the Web and News?
• Finding a New Definition Of Journalism
• Quality: How Do You Measure It?
• When the Press Becomes a Pipe, Who Controls?
• Can Free Media Sustain Democracy?
• Immigrant / Ethnic Markets: No Longer Below the Radar
• Can Ownership Make a Difference?
• The Internet as an Organizing Tool
• When Web Data Makes News
• d.The Internet as a Government-to-Citizen Tool
• Building Bridges with Blogging  -- a Case Study"
• The Maine Blogger: Case Study of a Blogstorm
• Is it Time to Build the New England Common?
• What Will Sustain a Platform for Public Debate?
• What's Going On In Citizen Journalism Today?
• Creating Digital Video For Classrooms -- a Case Study
• News a la Carte . Fracturing The Public Sphere?
• The Internet As An Advocacy Tool -- Case Studies
• Morphing from Music: iPods enter the Classroom
• .Who Will Narrow the Digital Divide?.
• Political Blogs: Free Speech or Campaigning?
• Merging Forms: Is the Medium Still the Message?
• Streaming Source Material:  Lectures On Demand?

BACKGROUND LINKS

 To see who's attending, go to:
http://www.mediagiraffe.org/wiki

The latest news (updated regularly), is at:
 http://www.mediagiraffe.org/news/

A descriptive invitation is at:
 http://www.mediagiraffe.org/invite/

The whole program (updating regularly), is downloadable as a PDF at this URL:
http://www.mediagiraffe.org/program.pdf

The program is also linked by topic -- media, education, politics and technology -- along with registration information from this page:  http://www.mediagiraffe.org/register/

 REGISTRATION / COST

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

 A single registration of $395 includes the entire program, and all meals from Wednesday evening through Saturday lunch.  For lodging, you can choose economical dormitory living, for $28/night per person double or $33/night for a private room . both with shared bath. Or stay in the Campus Center Hotel at $85-$105/night.

 There.s even a less-expensive food option for the budget conscious. Pay for meals a-la-carte at the campus BlueWall cafeteria . or bring your own . and you can register for all conference events, including receptions and seating at after-meal discussions, for $250.  Simply write .no-food-$250. in the .other information. field when registering online. 

 SINGLE DAY

 For drive-in, single-day attendance without food, registration is $95 per day for Thursday, Friday or Saturday.  Some stipend assistance may be available.  Email conference@mediagiraffe.org.