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"Journalism is Dead; Long Live Journalism”

REGISTRATION FOR THIS EVENT IS NOT YET OPEN.
TO BE ADDED TO OUR MAILING LIST TO RECEIVE NOTICE WHEN REGISTRATION OPENS, SEND A NOTE TO jtm@journalismthatmatters.org.

"Journalism is Dead; Long Live Journalism,” is proposed as a fast-paced, results-focused summit from 10 a.m. on Wed., April 3 through 5 p.m. on Thurs., April 4, 2013 in Denver. Conducted in JTM’s signature "Open Space" style, the event starts by acknowledging that journalism as we’ve known it known may not be sustainable, but that a fast-emerging new ecosystem presents opportunities to renew and extend journalism’s values, principles and purposes. = The body of journalism as we’ve known it is dead. But its values, principles and purposes -- a respect for truth, fierce independence -- are as cherished, vital and needed as ever.

The news was paid for by mass-market advertising – print and broadcast – and through print subscriptions. Those supports are shrinking – fast. Can philanthropy and donations alone pick up the slack? What core elements of the news as we’ve known it are really critical to sustaining and nurturing communities and participatory democracy?

At JTM Denver, we’ll work together to answer those questions. The answers may not be comprehensive, or best, or even fully satisfactory. They may be embodied in stories from the front lines about research, experiments or projects already underway. Or they may describe new forms of collaboration. One thing is certain: Journalists, librarians, media educators, technologists, students and citizens know the time for answers is now. The status quo won’t hold.

"I just wanted to change the world and look out for the little guy," former Wall Street Journal deputy managing editor and New York Times Public Editor Barney Calame told Missouri School of Journalism students in September about why he became a reporter. "I really believe that it's a cause."

Key themes

• Why journalism as we knew it is dead
• What key elements comprise the new journalism ecosystem?
• What do we mean by a “new ethic of public engagement”?
• How do these elements address the values, principles and purposes of “old” journalism?
• What’s the role of news in sustaining communities?
• How does ownership matter, and play out?
• What is "slow media" and why is it important?
• How can atomized, deinstitutionalized news still speak truth to power?
• How does a shift from advertising to "content marketing" affect news?

Five fresh ideas – will one of them be yours?

At JTM-Denver, we’ll not only spotlight what’s working, and seek to nurture at least five new ideas to brighten the future of news and communities.

So what’s your idea? Bring it to JTM-Denver.

Come tell us: Where do you see journalism that matters emerging – off press and off broadcast -- in new forms and partnerships? How does it involve citizens, students, librarians, reporters, editors and technologists working together to foster truth, transparency, civic, engagement and participation?

Our convening partners

“Journalism is Dead; Long Live Journalism” is presented by Journalism That Matters (JTM), a decade-old "do-tank" whose more than 1,600 alumni of a dozen regional and national convenings are focused on connecting journalists with technologists, librarians, educators, public-policy leaders, diverse communities and engaged citizens.

Our convening partners include the Estlow Center at the University of Denver, the Rocky Mountain Investigative News Network (I-News Network), the Donald W. Reynolds Journalism Institute, at the Missouri School of Journalism, FreePress.net, the University of Colorado’s Digital Media Test Kitchen, and others.

JTM-Denver will include the annual Estlow Lecture, a keynote address on Wed., April 3, at 7:00 p.m. And we convene immediately before the fifth National Conference for Media Reform, also in Denver, a project of FreePress.net. Cross-registration is permitted: http://conference.freepress.net/ncmr-home

The new ecosystem -– a snapshot

Throughout most of the 20th century, the printed story served communities well at a time when access to information was limited. Large newsrooms capable of observing, distilling, writing and telling the news from chicken dinners to meetings to major world events. As advertising has decoupled from the news, story-form journalism is starting to break down. There are fewer people to write the stories, fewer eyes and ears in the community on news-organization payrolls. At the same time, network technology allows the public to create and comment on the news directly in forms radically different from the story -- 140-word "tweets" Facebook posts, YouTube videos or Pinterest "pins".

Institutions who were formerly sources to news rooms now may go direct via corporation, retail, municipal, public-advocacy and individual websites. They are deploying the new art of content marketing -- "creating and distributing relevant and valuable content to attract, acquire and engage a defined and understood target audience -- with the objective of driving profitable customer action."

In communities places like Seattle, Denver, Ann Arbor, Mich., and (soon) New Orleans, large communities have lost a major daily news voice. But this is not just a big-city phenomenon. Waves of consolidations have left smaller communities without their own weekly news voice, or a daily replaced by a weekly. Community radio stations have gone dark. Yet hundreds of local online news sites have sprung up; cable public-access centers are think more like news organizations; and community foundations are beginning to see news reporting as an important part of a healthy community.

Most of this change in what we began in 2006 to call the "news ecosystem" has occurred in the last decade, as Internet information technologies matured. The pace of change has been fast. Many cities, towns and interest groups affected have not had the time or inclination for collective reflection about the impact on participatory democracy and community.

Seven focus areas

To illuminate stories and answers, we’ll feature practitioners in at least six areas:

• ROCKIES ECOSYSTEM -- A special day-long workshop: “Life after death: Colorado’s news ecosystem three years after the Rocky Mountain News closure.” From 10 a.m.-3 p.m., Wed., April 3. Charting the ways journalism that matters is emerging from the both the sustaining portions of legacy media and the emerging innovation of the new news ecosystem. Curator: The Rocky Mountain Investigative News Network. (Breakout: 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Wed., April 3)

• LIBRARIANS AND JOURNALISTS -- The growing potential for collaboration between librarians and journalists, who share a passion for facts, openness and public literacy at a time when both of their worlds are relying less on buildings, books and presses and more on public engagement -- online and in new venues -- "third spaces."

• YOUTH AND MEDIA -- The new forms and methods that youth and young adults are using to create and engage with news and civic media, whether games, social networks or video. Example: The Denver South High School experiment (special breakout: 3:30 p.m.-4:30 p.m., Wed., April 3)

• OWNERSHIP AND COMMUNITIES – Throughout our economic system, experts are examining new forms of business ownership to see if they might foster a deeper – sometimes overlapping – connection between the interests of owners, users and customers. We’ll look at experiments testing the idea of co-operatively owns news organizations, and efforts to expand coverage of ethnic and underserved communities.

• SUSTAINABILITY AND REVENUE -- Through the 20th century, mass markets and advertising were the lifeblood of traditional jouranalism. Mass markets are splintered by the efficiency of topical and social networks and advertising is moving to one-to-one personalization. Our participants will includes experts in the trenches discovering new methods for sustaining new forms of of journalism -- from microaccounting and subscriptions, to crowdfunding, philanthropy and targetted advertising.

• CLIMATE CHANGE REPORTING -- Beyond objectivity, beyond independence, all journalists share a common goal of species survival. With the debate about the reality of climate change over, JTM is partnering with FreePress to make climate-change reporting a key focus of both our gathering at the University of Denver as well as the larger National Conference for Media Reform. Our consideration will be guided by experts from the University of Colorado-Boulder, and elsewhere.

• NEWSTOOLS 2012 -- For decades, the vessels for journalism were unchanged -- presses and broadcast transmitters. Forms are now a free-for-all -- blogs, mobile, social networks, tablets, webinars, Skype, Google Hangouts, Vimeo, YouTube, you name it. The new journalism is embedded in new technologies -- including wireless and community broadband. Four years after a ground-breaking gathering at Yahoo, JTM updates news and technology. Bring your cool tool.

How you can help

• Check back to http://www.thenewjournalism.org for a public announcement of this gathering
• Think about how you can contribute examples, ideas and expertise in our focus areas
• Email us now: jtm@journalismthatmatters.org to be added to our mailing list for summit updates.