MEDIA + TECHNOLOGY FUNDING OUTLOOK The State and Future of the Field

In philanthropy, media affects everything we do. Broadcast media, print journalism, documentary film, Internet search, and mobile devices are all capable of conveying information that can help us achieve our philanthropic goals.

Please join Grantmakers in Film + Electronic Media on June 16 in New York for a dynamic day of conversation and exchange with thought leaders at the forefront of philanthropy, media and technology as we explore the myriad ways that philanthropy employs and supports media, journalism and technology to support social action.

Presented in collaboration with Philanthropy New York, sponsored by the Wyncote Foundation and held at the Paley Center for Media, this year's media forum explores new initiatives in documentary film; the growing role of nonprofit media in delivering local journalism; and critical issues in media policy, like access to broadband Internet services and telecommunications and media industry consolidation, among other issues. 

Our keynote speaker will be Steve Waldman, special advisor to the chairman of the Federal Communications Commission, who will discuss recommendations from a new report on the information needs of communities. Responding to Mr. Waldman will be Steve Coll, president of the New America Foundation and a regular contributor to the New Yorker.

We will also have a special address from Luis Ubinas, president of the Ford Foundation, who will describe the many ways the foundation supports media: directly through its Freedom of Expression unit, and indirectly to advance the work of every other program area at Ford.

Panel sessions will include:

A conversation on Nonprofit Journalism and Public Media moderated by Emily Bell of Columbia University; with Paul Steiger, Pro Publica and former managing editor of The Wall Street Journal; Amy Goodman, Democracy Now!; and Maxie Jackson, National Federation of Community Broadcasters.

A discussion on Trends and Practices in Contemporary Documentary Film moderated by Cara Mertes, Sundance Documentary Program; with Rick Allen, Snag Films; Orlando Bagwell, Ford Foundation, JustFilms Initiative; Pamela Yates, Skylight Pictures.  

A dialogue moderated by Helen Brunner, The Media Democracy Fund, on the ways that Washington has shaped the media and technology environment and the ways that new technology has transformed Washington, with insights from Andrew Rasiej, Personal Democracy Forum and Josh Silver, Democracy Fund.

Additional Speakers and Respondents:

Professor Rodney Benson, an expert on international trends in support of public media from New York University; Geoffrey MacDougall, an expert on organizing support for the open Internet from the Mozilla Foundation; Yvette Alberdingk Thijm, executive director of WITNESS; Emily Verellen of The Fledgling Fund; and Josh Fox, maker of the documentary GASLAND.

Jeff Jarvis, director of the Tow-Knight Center for Entrepreneurial Journalism and author of What Would Google Do?, will help us wrap up the day by leading a group discussion of what we heard and what we think needs to be done by foundations to support a vibrant and healthy media ecosystem.

Registration:

Attendance at the Media + Technology Funding Outlook event on June 16th is limited to funders and foundation staff. There is no fee to attend. Seating is limited, and a reservation is required by COB ET June 15. Reserve your space today at http://mediatechfunding2011.eventbrite.com/.

Further Information: To request more information, please contact Pamela Harris, pharris@gfem.org.

Join us on the evening of Wednesday, June 15 for a special screening of the Academy Award®-winning film INSIDE JOB as part of Philanthropy New York's Documentary Series at the Paley Center for Media. Register for the screening here: http://bit.ly/eXZjZS. 

Schedule

June 15 | Screening + Discussion

• 5:30 pm: Kick off the convening with a special screening of the Academy Award® winning film INSIDE JOB as part of Philanthropy New York’s Documentary Screening Series at the Paley Center. (REGISTER HERE: http://bit.ly/eXZjZS)

June 16 | Media + Technology Funding Outlook (REGISTER HERE: http://mediatechfunding2011.eventbrite.com/)

• 8:30 a.m. Continental breakfast and registration

• 9:00 a.m. Welcome and Open from GFEM

• 9:15 – 9:40 a.m. Keynote:  Steven Waldman, FCC

• 9:40 – 10:15 a.m. Respondent and discussion: Steve Coll, New America Foundation

• 10:15 – 11:15 a.m. Panel Nonprofit Journalism and Public Media: Paul Steiger, Pro Publica; Amy Goodman, Democracy Now!; Maxie Jackson, NFCB; Emily Bell (Moderator), Columbia University; and Rodney Benson (Resource), NYU

• 11:15 – 11:30 a.m. Media Interlude: Local case: Pittsburgh on Video with Grant Oliphant, Pittsburgh Foundation

• 11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. Panel New Trends and Practices in Documentary Film: Orlando Bagwell, Ford Foundation/Just Films; Rick Allen, Snag Films; Pamela Yates, Skylight Pictures; Cara Mertes (Moderator), Sundance Institute; Yvette Alberdingk Thijm (Resource), Witness

• 12:30 – 1:30 p.m.  Lunch

• 1:30 – 1:45 p.m. Media Interlude: Josh Fox, Gasland and Emily Verellen, Fledgling Fund 

• 1:45 – 2:15 p.m. Keynote: Luis Ubinas – Why Media Matters to Ford and How They Weave It into Everything They Do

• 2:15 – 3:15 p.m. Panel Media Policy: Where Are We Now? Andrew Rasiej, Personal Democracy Forum; Josh Silver, Democracy Fund; Jean Cook, Future of Music Coalition, Helen Brunner (Moderator), Media Democracy Fund; and Geoff MacDougall (Resource), Mozilla Foundation 

• 3:15 p.m. – 3:30 p.m.  Break 

• 3:30 – 4:45 p.m. Open Dialogue: What matters to Participants – Funders and Practitioners; Jeff Jarvis, CUNY Journalism School 

• 5:00 – 6:00 p.m. Reception

Nearby Hotels:
Manhattan Centre Hotel
Warwick Hotel New York
The Jewel New York
New York Hilton
Sheraton Towers
The Blakely
The Shoreham
Flatotel

The use of The Paley Center for Media's facilities does not constitute endorsement by the Paley Center of any views expressed during this event.