We create the stories of the connected society

A lot of people have emailed me about my remarks, considered provocative by some, at the Interactive Media Conference in Las Vegas. Here’s what I said:
“We trust people to drive moving vehicles at high speeds on our highways. We arm them and ask them to fight wars in the name of democracy. We put life [...]

The John S. and James L. Knight Foundation invests $25 million in innovative approaches to journalism to strengthens local communities.
Session Chair: Eric Newton, VP, Journalism Programs, Knight Foundation

Nora Paul, Director, Institute for New Media Studies, University of Minnesota
Amy Gahran, Content Strategist and Independent Journalist
Gary Kebbel, Journalism Program Officer, Knight Foundation

Blogged by Jessica [...]

As the economics of industrial journalism give way to the disruption and innovation of a digital, connected culture, new models of financing and practicing journalism are emerging. What lessons from social entrepreneurship are applicable here? If journalism makes the world better, should we think of it as a social cause rather than a commercial venture? [...]

Everything is networked: friendship, professional life, customers, knowledge, causes and commerce. These networks represent new opportunities to invent, innovate and disrupt. What do philanthropists, advocates, social entrepreneurs, tech startups, journalists, venture capitals and everyday users now have in common? Have networks changed the nature of business?
Session Chair: Merrill Brown, Chairman, NowPublic

Lawrence Wilkinson, Founder, Global Business [...]

Join a fascinating group discussion on how to find good journalism online, hosted by NewsTrust.net, our social news network. We will have a diverse group of journalists, educators, technologists and community leaders for this conversation. After a short presentation about NewsTrust, we will break into small work groups. First, groups will review an article together [...]

In a networked culture, innovation and creativity emerge everywhere. This workshop will illustrate how small networked teams of part-time employees and volunteers collaborate to produce Global Voices Online, a human-powered aggregator of ideas emerging from every corner of the planet.
Session leaders: Solana Larsen and Georgia Popplewell, Co-Managing Editors, Global Voices

If you can’t google it, does it exist? Search functions unlock the Internet’s potential, but how can we make it easier for everyone to find relevant information and act on it? Innovative thinking about metadata, permissions and trust could provide the necessary breakthroughs.
Session Chair: Jim Kennedy, VP Strategy, The Associated Press

Fabrice Florin, Executive Director, NewsTrust
[...]

With the traditional media losing its monopoly on information, opinion and storytelling, all sectors of society now have the power through media and communications to make themselves heard. How can we use this new power to make the world a better place?
Session Chair: Andrew Nachison, Co-Founder, iFOCOS

J. Sebastian Traeger, CEO, Razoo
Jim Brady, Executive [...]

Andrew Nachison and Dale Peskin, Co-Founders, iFOCOS
Blogged by Barbara Iverson: post one, two, three, and four.

Sponsored by Fleishman-Hillard
Social networking, un-conferences, wikis and other web tools can not only strength communities but also build momentum for brands and causes. Their success, however, depends on more than just digital connections. How can companies make the connection between online networks and real-world outcomes?
Session Chair: Susan Mernit, Senior Director, Yahoo! Personals

Maria Gallagher, Senior Vice [...]

Traditional (legacy) news organizations have no choice but to continue to change in order to respond to the growth of aggregators and other WeMedia players. Learn how leaders in the field are tackling editorial, business and management challenges in the culture of empowered content creatives.
Session Chair: Carin Dessauer, Senior Fellow, iFOCOS

Neil Budde, former VP and [...]

Indigenous communities around the world have long had their stories told for them by anthropologists, journalists and documentary-film makers. Today, more and more of these communities are online, telling their own stories.
Introduced by:
Sanjeev Chaterjee, Director, Knight Center for International Media
Session Chair: David Sasaki, Rising Voices

Cristina Quisbert, Producer and Eduardo ?Åvila, Director, Voces Bolivianas
Luis Ramiro [...]

Rather than trying to control content spiraling through the mediascape, enterprising businesses allow content to have a life of its own, as others repost, edit, parody, mashup or comment on it. While surrendering control may seem a counter-intuitive business strategy, content free-for-alls, with soft brand associations, can expand audiences, reach and influence.
Session Chair: Dale Peskin, [...]

The hierarchy between journalist and audience has broken down. While some fear the change, others see the enormous potential in bringing the work of professional and amateur journalists together. How are eyewitnesses, often using social networks, creating new story-telling models? What is the best way to leverage the experience of professional journalists in this new [...]

As commercial journalism evolves, the influence and impact of nonprofit media is expanding. Non-profits are developing new journalistic models; advocacy groups who once relied on journalists are now making the news themselves. How do these changes effect the delivery, dissemination, and our understanding of news? What are the potential risks and benefits?
Session chair: John Bracken, [...]