Hundreds of media professionals and scholars from around the world will explore the future of media and its potential to serve the public at the fourth annual Beyond Broadcast conference starting June 3 at USC Annenberg, which includes live Webcasts on the BB09 site.

This year’s theme, “Public Service Media from Local to Global,” focuses on best practices in participatory public service media from the hyper-local to the global. Speakers include luminaries from a wide range of disciplines and represent broad geographical and professional viewpoints on media.

“USC Annenberg is pleased to host this year’s Beyond Broadcast conference, which ties so well to the School’s mission of international engagement, leadership and entrepreneurism,” said Dean Ernest J. Wilson III (pictured, right). “Our program committee has worked tirelessly for the past six months to develop sessions that reflect the changing nature of media, the diversity of voices and needs from local to global, and the challenges we face in the field of communication. USC Annenberg’s scholarly efforts will inform our interactions with our international colleagues as we explore these topics. Just as USC Annenberg’s core programs address these critical issues, Beyond Broadcast 2009 continues the focus with practitioners and scholars from around the world.” 

Twenty-four sessions over two-and-a-half days will explore a wide variety of issues including the future of media, changing patterns of media use and selection, editorial quality in a participatory environment, the role of global media in a digital era, and more. For a complete agenda and list of speakers go to www.beyondbroadcast.net. 

Attendees have access to speakers such as: 

• Diana Diaz, editor, head of programming and content, Radio Television Nacional de Columbia
• Pat Harrison, President and CEO, Corporation for Public Broadcasting
• Ali Jaber, dean, Mohammed Bin Rashid School for Communication and Journalism, American University in Dubai
• Henry Jenkins, USC Provost’s Professor of Communication, Journalism and Cinematic Arts
• Kevin Klose, president emeritus, National Public Radio and dean, University of Maryland Philip Merrill College of Journalism
• Juana Ponce deLeon, executive director, New York Community Media Alliance
• Rey Ramsey, CEO, One Economy
• Kim Spencer, President, Link TV
• More than 80 additional expert speakers from Africa, Asia, Latin America, Europe, Canada and the United States

“We are proud of the array of global partners and participants that constitute the Beyond Broadcast conference,” conference program director Michael Kleeman said. “The issues addressed over those few days – from the impact of new media and distribution models to the role of communication in areas of conflict, as well as in the areas of health, safety and the public interest – will continue to have profound consequences for our economic, political and social lives. Our goal in each case is to build lasting and real-world bridges between participants and find solutions to these issues to advance the common good.”

Beyond Broadcast 2009 will kick off with a keynote address by Henry Jenkins on Wednesday, June 3, at 5:00 p.m. in the USC Annenberg Auditorium, followed by a welcome reception.  For complete conference information go to www.beyondbroadcast.net.

Sponsors for this year’s Beyond Broadcast are:

• American University in Dubai, Mohammed bin Rashid School for Communication and Journalism
• BBC World Service Trust
• Ford Foundation
• KCRW 89.9
• KUSC 91.5
• National Black Programming Consortium
• Public Radio Exchange
• Social Science Research Council

About Beyond Broadcast

Since 2006, the annual Beyond Broadcast conference has explored the evolution of participatory digital public media. It has served as a lively forum for scholars, media-makers, policy experts and programmers interested in the intersection of media and democracy. The initial conference, "Reinventing Public Media in a Participatory Culture," took place on the Harvard campus; the 2007 conference, "From Participatory Culture to Participatory Democracy," took place at MIT, and the 2008 Beyond Broadcast, "Mapping Public Media," was held at American University. Five academic institutions serve as founding partners:  American University Center for Social Media, Berkman Center for Internet & Society at Harvard University, MIT’s Comparative Media Studies program, NYU Center for Media, Culture and History and the USC Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism.