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PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS / 
registration information 

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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-seven 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 230th 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 on Wednesday, White House press-corps dean and author of a new book, Helen Thomas; on Thursday Pulitzer-prizing-winning web editor Jon Donley of the New Orleans Times-Picayune and former Christian Science Monitor Publisher Stephen Gray and, on Friday,  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.

 TWELVE REASONS TO ATTEND

 Here's a sampling of 12 key events which are part of "Democracy & Independence: Sharing News & Politics in a Connected World."

 1)     A free public talk and book signing by veteran White House columnist Helen Thomas starting at 5:00 p.m. on Wed., June 28 in the Campus Center Reading Room. 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, Teresa Hanafin of Boston.com and others.

2)      At 8:15 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)  At 9:15 a.m. on Thursday, Jon Donley, web editor for the Pulitzer Prize-winning New Orleans Times-Picayune, will join a panel "Finding a New Definition of Journalism." After, he'll engage in a dialog with Cooper Munro, co-manager of a Katrina relief blog, about how the worst natural disaster in recent U.S. history illuminates the new information ecology. 

4)  During and after lunch on Thursday, we tackle what may be the most important issue now facing U.S. newspapers and broadcasters -- is Congress about to put the telcommunication industry in control of the content which flows across the "press" of the future -- the public Internet? Author, attorney and Consumer Federation of America researcher Mark Cooper will direct the discussion, entitled:  "When the Press Becomes a Pipe, Who Controls?" 

5)   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.

6) Ownership of the Philadelphia newspapers is scheduled to change hands on Thurs., June 29. Corante Media Hub's Vin Crosbie and New York University Prof. Jay Rosen will help us take a  look after Thursday dinner at whether ownership forms make a difference in the way media organizations view and execute a responsibility to inform the public. 

7) At 9:30 a.m. on Friday, Common Cause President Chellie Pingree will keynote a panel on "The Internet as an Organizing Tool." She'll be joined by Josh Silver, director of FreePress.NET, Aldon Hynes, of the Ned Lamont Senate campaign in Connecticut; and veteran campaign strategist Richard Viguerie, of ConservativeHQ.com. In 2004, the Internet took the main stage as a political organizing tool for U.S. political strategists. Learn what.s going on behind the scenes to make the 2008 presidential race an order of magnitude closer to .digital democracy. . and what role citizens will play. 

8)   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.

9)      At 11 a.m. on Friday, 10 Jordanian and 10 Vermont teen-agers visiting the Media Giraffe summit will show and discuss video clips from a two-month digital storytelling exchange called MEDIA - "Media Education and Democracy In Action." On Saturday, they will also summarize their reaction -- and teens -- to what they've learned about the future of journalism from the MGP summit. MEDIA is funded in part by the U.S. State Department.

10)      Friday.s luncheon talk and discussion will be a provocative challenge from veteran daily newspaper editor Tom Stites, incoming associate editor of the Washington, D.C.-based Center for Public Integrity, where he will edit the center's "Buying of the President, 2008" coverage. His topic: "Is Media Performance Democracy's Critical Issue?" He'll make the claim that part of the reason America.s newspapers are losing readers is because they.ve forgotten who their readers are and what they really want to read. 

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

12)      After dinner on Friday, Rob Williams, Ph.D., professor, Champlain College, and president of the Action Coalition on Media Education, will explore ways news organizations, bloggers and others can help youth to become smarter media consumers and creators.  After his talk: "Why Doesn't Johnny Care? How Media Can Bring Young Adults Back into the Public Sphere?" he'll talk with three media educators. 

Here are all the topics we're covering in 27 discussion sessions:

  •  Will journalism stay relevant? To whom? And How?
  • Setting the scene: What's the Future of the Web and News?
  • The Madison Commons: Can MSM and citizens work together?
  • 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
  • (tentative) The Philadelphia experiment
  • Journalism That Matters: The New News Ecology
  • Can Ownership Make a Difference?
  • The Internet as an Organizing Tool
  • When Web Data Makes News
  • 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?
  • Anonymity and identity: Journalists/bloggers sources and whistleblowers
  • 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 to arrange this option.

 ABOUT THE MEDIA GIRAFFE PROJECT

The Media Giraffe Project is a non-partisan research effort of the journalism program at UMass Amherst. We are finding and spotlighting "above-the-crowd" individuals making innovative, sustainable use of media to foster participatory democracy and community. Our online database of "giraffe prospects" has over 320 entries.

We plan a book, and one-hour documentary film for classroom and educational use, which uses "giraffes" as examples to inspire youth and adults to become smarter media consumers and creators. The initiative began in April 2005. For more information see:

http://www.mediagiraffe.org/links/


The Media Giraffe Project 
Journalism Program / Communication Studies 
108 Bartlett Hall / Univ. of Mass. Amherst MA 01003 
OFF: 413-577-4370 / CELL: 413-458-8001
mediagiraffe (at) journ.umass.edu


"The Media Giraffe Project was launched with the collaboration of The Giraffe Heroes Project, a separate organization that since 1982 has been moving people to stick their necks out for the common good." Top of Page


SUMMIT PROGRAM
Latest Postings
WHO'S COMING? 
NEWS-Donley, Thomas keynote summit conference on Internet-driven changes in politics, communities, news
HOW TO REGISTER: Choosing a track and events; COST
TRACK ONE: Future of Journalism Roundtable Summit
TRACK TWO: Citizen Media Bootcamp and frontline lessons
TRACK THREE: Politics and the Internet: What's Next
TRACK FOUR: Educating Smart Media Consumers/Creators
TRACK FIVE: Technology/Multimedia: Where's journalism?
THURSDAY: Citizen Filmmaking Workshop & Festival
FRIDAY: "Journalism That Matters" seminar
TRAVEL: How to get to Amherst -- air,  train etc.
LODGING: Information about hotel options on and off campus

LOGISTICS: Details about food, Internet access, parking, maps
SPONSORS: Conference supported by UMass and private donors
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How to support the Media Giraffe Project
MISSION/GOALS: What is the Media Giraffe Project accomplishing?
PROBLEM / SOLUTION: Stories about people unite media, reformers, citizens around common purpose
RESULTS: What is The Media Giraffe Project achieving?
ACTION: The Media Giraffe Project three-year program
TEAM: Who is the Media Giraffe Project?
ADVISORS: Taking a lead in the giraffe search
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