"Democracy & Independence: Sharing News & Information in a Connected World," was the first summit conference of The Media Giraffe Project at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst June 28-July 1, 2006. The active archives of this event include: 

• WIKI HOME PAGE -- A wiki-based home page with links to summit archives.
  

• ONGOING PROJECTS -- We continue to highlight the efforts of MGP2006 alumni from the summit blogsite.
  

• FORUM -- Many participants in MGP2006 continue to subscribe to a moderated forum exchanging thoughts about the future of journalism. Please join and share your ideas and success. 
  

• VIDEO ARCHIVE -- View archived streams of "Democracy & Independence: Sharing News & Politics in a Connected World courtesy of  the University Channel at Princeton University.
  

• BLOGGING -- Independent bloggers reported on the MGP2006 summit.  Here are some examples:
  

• http://considerthis.onlinedemocracy.ca/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=303

• http://www.newhavenindependent.org/archives/2006/06/tell_the_truth.php 

• http://www.buzzmachine.com/index.php/2006/06/28/media-giraffe/ 

• http://www.paidcontent.org/media-giraffe-re-thinking-the-news 

• http://www.huffingtonpost.com/steven-g-brant/reinventing-journalism-t_b_23939.html 

• http://www.jemimakiss.com/ 

• http://narcosphere.narconews.com/story/2006/6/28/201742/529 

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Traditional and citizen journalists, political strategists, educators, bloggers, developers, technology and media researchers convened June 28-July 1, 2006 at University of Massachusetts Amherst for the first Media Giraffe Project conference. The Media Giraffe Project, a non-partisan, interdisplinary research effort of the UMass journalism program, hosted the roundtable summit and how-to sessions designed to:

• Consider and recommend answers to changes to the financing and practice of journalism
• Bridge the gap between new and traditional media
• Show and consider the impact of new media technologies on  journalism and the "public sphere"
• Spotlight emerging business models
• Create new networks of media innovators which bridge traditional carriers among journalism, education, politics and technology
• Watch and share innovations in media-literacy education.

Summit sponsors besides UMass included the Ford Foundation, The Boston Globe Foundation, Omidyar Network, MassLive/The Republican newspaper and the New England Press Association.

Constituencies from mainstream and alternative media rarely meet together.  Yet new technologies are currently upending and interweaving the practice of journalism, politics and teaching.  Journalists see an erosion of traditional revenue sources which supported -- and were supported  by -- their work.  It's not clear what will sustain traditional "watchdog" journalism, or how it will co-exist, or merge, with so-called "citizen journalism." There's an atmosphere of anticipation and intense experimentation.

"Democracy and Independence" -- the first Media Giraffe Project Conference -- is the crossover meeting place for leading thinkers on the impact of Internet technology on journalism, media, education and politics -- and the place to celebrate "above-the-crowd" innovation.

To accommodate attendees from citizen journalism, media, politics, education and technology, a five-track event was  scheduled, starting with a limited-enrollment roundtable summit, followed by a four-track conference.

Individuals working in politics, at  large media, cutting-edge information technology organizations, citizen-powered local-news web services, or in teaching and academia share a goal of fostering participatory democracy and community. "Democracy and Independence: Sharing of News in a Connected World" brought them together to share what's working now and what's coming soon.

This first gathering of The Media Giraffe Project observed changes in the structure of the U.S. media industry, the impact of the Internet on its financing, including copyright, the new relationships among creators and consumers of news, and how democracy is affected.

The event was a chance to meet and learn from profiled Media Giraffe pioneers. "The Media Giraffe Citizen Journalism Bootcamp" presented case-studies of emerging local web-based news and community efforts in a "how-to" format designed to teach citizens and mainstream journalists field-tested approaches for two-way, participatory journalism.

There were panels, discussions, demonstrations and workshops on specific projects underway nationwide (many profiled at: http://www.mediagiraffe.org/profiles/) which use media in innovative, sustainable ways to foster participatory democracy and community.

WHO ATTENDED

The conference was designed for:

• traditional media strategists, editors and practitioners
• Elected officials, political and public-policy strategists
• info-tech pioneers and entrepreneurs
• operators of local-news websites and blogs
• podcasters and vloggers dealing with news, political and public-policy issues.
• academic researchers and students
• citizens who want "how-to" knowledge about participatory media
• anyone interested in new innovations in web, print, film and audio news creation, delivery and financing.

POST-CONFERENCE OPPORTUNITIES:

The event kicked off the Independence Day weekend in 2006.  The Five Colleges area of Massachusetts offers a remarkable combination of sophisticated, urban amenities amid rural beauty and is less than two hours from Boston. Access is via the Bradley International Airport (BDL), Providence or Boston.

Media Giraffe Project

108 Bartlett Hall

University of Massachusetts Amherst

Amherst MA 01003

413-577-4370

mediagiraffe (at) journ.umass.edu

This page is available at: www.mediagiraffe.org/conference.html