USC Annenberg and The Berkman Center for Internet & Society at Harvard Law School convene journalists and executives from both traditional and new media together with academic and other researchers to assess "the state of the field of participatory media within the overall news and information environment" with the goal of informing future research, policy-making and other interventions from March 27-28 (click here for an agenda and to register).
Dean Ernest J. Wilson III delivers opening remarks, communication professor Manuel Castells discusses power and media in the networked environment, communication professor Jonathan Taplin examines the future of news and journalism professor Roberto Suro defines the qualities of information our democracy needs.
The conference is part of Media Re:public, a research project that examines the current and potential impact of participatory news media. Funded by a grant from the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, Media Re:public is collaborating with the citizen and professional journalism communities as well the Berkman network to help the many researchers and practitioners working in this field take an analytical but constructive look at the way new voices, sources and formats are changing the information landscape. The goal of the project is to bring the best ideas together to inform the effective creation and dissemination of news and information that is meaningful in people’s lives.
Media Re:public studies how people who are not professional journalists are changing the information landscape and consequently, civic life. The project also looks at how traditional media outlets are using new sources and interactive tools to engage their readers, listeners, and viewers. Through a collaborative research process, Media Re:public is surveying the changes in the media landscape, examining possible scenarios for the future, and putting forward an agenda for research.
