Gwu-program

[GWU SMPA Building]

AN URGENT DISCUSSION:

"From Gatekeeper to Information Valet:

A Workplan for Sustaining Journalism"

Mon., April 27, 2009 / 10 a.m.-4 p.m. / The George Washington University / Jack Morton Auditorium / 805 21st Street NW / Washington D.C.

RJI PICTURED

THE RJI VISION

---

REGISTER NOW ($45/full day; $25 half day

---

"We need many news organizations to keep our country strong. We need to help each other. We need to partner, we need to experiment and we need to accept and agree that we will continue, we will not accept failure and we need to keep trying and trying different models until we get it right."

Vivian Schiller, CEO of National Public Radio, March 30, 2009, at the NewsVision Conference.

In a March 16 Time Magazine story about the Project on Excellence in Journalism's 2009 "State of the News Media," report, M.J. Stephey wrote: " . . . (I)f solutions aren't obvious, the report's overall message is: Will the future leaders of journalism please stand up?"

[Jack Morton Auditorium in use]

Annnouncing the Journalism Trust initiative

On Monday, April 27, help launch the Journalism Trust initiative (JTI) -- a place, and ideas, around which journalism's supporters can stand up, partner, experiment, leave the gates behind, and begin sharing in a new information commons. "From Gatekeeper to Information Valet: A Workplan for Sustaining Journalism," is convened by the Donald W. Reynolds Journalism Institute, at the Missouri School of Journalism, in collaboration with The George Washington University School of Media & Public Affairs. It's the next step in a process which began Dec. 3-5, 2008, at "Blueprinting the Information Valet Economy," in Columbia, Mo.

We'll convene in the state-of-the-art Jack Morton Auditorium at 805 21st Street NW, in downtown Washington, D.C., two blocks from the Foggy Bottom Metro stop. ALTERNATE VIEW

This participatory event will include a morning briefing on the JTI . . . a strategic overview of news-industry opportunities and challenges . . . and discussion of the origin, vision and promise of the Information Valet Project.

After lunch, Dr. Lee Wilkins, professor, Missouri School of Journalism, will unveil and comment on findings from a new national survey of public attitudes toward the sharing of private information via the web; Missouri graduate student Emily Sussman will document and discuss a 14-year history of efforts to "monetize" news and other web content . . . participants will host briefings on key initiatives and technologies . . . and we'll manage one round of breakout sessions to assess what we've learned and consider next steps. Time permitting, we may assemble a discussion panel including experts on Internet privacy, advertising and commerce.

---

VIEW PROGRAM/SCHEDULE

---

Tentative Program and Schedule

(Times and presenters subject to change / check this page for last-minute updates)

10 a.m. -- Inaugural Briefing: The Journalism Trust Innovation Engine

• with the intention of broadly collaborating with other institutions and enterprises, the Donald W. Reynolds Journalism Institute at the Missouri School of Journalism is seeding the Journalism Trust Innovation Engine at RJI. It's a one-year, "do-tank" to discover, assess, integrate and deploy multiple revenue solutions for the news industry across multiple platforms. Learn about the ideas and people behind the Engine in a short briefing and an interactive idea-gathering session. (Discussion leaders: Martin Langeveld / Jeff Vander Clute)

10:30 a.m. -- The Strategic Landscape: A briefing by Steve Mott

• RJI commissioned former journalist and noted payments-industry analyst and consultant Stephen Mott of BetterBuyDesign to comprehensively study the best research on mobile, print and web marketplaces to paint a picture from a non-news-industry perspective of strategies for sustaining journalism. Be prepared for some surprises in his thought-provoking report.

[SMPA break-out space]

11 a.m. -- Work in progress: The Information in Valet Project

• Moving from mass markets to mass customization, from gatekeeper to "information valet" is an urgent task for traditional print and broadcast news organizations. Reynolds Fellow Bill Densmore, InfoCard's Paul Trevithick and other collaborators present a work-in-progress concept solution addressing user privacy, interest-based advertising, customized news and multi-site subscription networks -- including a proposed launch timetable. What's missing? A Q&A follows.

11:45 a.m. -- The Wall of ideas: Taping the wisdom of our crowd

• The Jack Morton Auditorium and adjacent foyer offers the space during lunch for participants to caucus and agree on critical topics to propose for discussion during one round of concurrent, group-called breakout sessions in the afternoon. We'll describe how the convening process works before serving a box lunch. But first, we'll as everyone in the room: What are you working on?

12:15-1 p.m. -- BOX LUNCH -- A chance to network ideas, and post breakouts

• Post discussion topics on the News Wall, and negotiate with fellow convenors to combine or morph related topics.

1 p.m. -- The Value of privacy: Findings from a new national study -- Prof. Lee Wilkins

• As the public becomes more aware of how its time and attention is "monetized," what are citizens willing to trade for the privacy, and how is it valued? Missouri School of Journalism Prof. Lee Wilkins reveals results from a new national study completed in in early April.

1:45 p.m. -- The value of information: The Internet's 14-year flirtation with "paying for content"

• Missouri School of Journalism graduate researcher Emily Sussman quickly previews her forthcoming paper surveying 14 years of experiments aimed at finding a new source of online revenue for news besides advertisements. Have any ideas worked? Remember the New Century Network? What do pioneers think today? What has been the impact on news? A Q&A follows.

2:15 p.m. -- BRIEFINGS

Briefings are 10-minute updates on key projects, ideas and technologies ongoing concurrently.

• Charles "Chuck" Lewis, American University, founder Center for Public Integrity -- "Update on formation and funding of non-profit national and regional investigative journalism initiatives."
• James "Jay" Hamilton, Duke University, author All the News That's Fit to Sell -- "Concepts for trading of privacy as an economic good."

[lobby / breakout space]

2:30 p.m. -- Discussion and snack break -- preparing for breakouts

• Five briefings in four hours: It's time to connect the dots, assess options and get ready for a flight of breakout sessions.

2:45 p.m -- Self-identified convenors call their 2-5 breakouts

• Breakouts disperse within Jack Morton, the atrium and other designated spaces. The goal: Formula recommendations and ideas for action for the Innovation Engine, the InfoValet Project and the general journalism community. Return with three ideas and at least one proposed action step.

3:30 p.m. -- What we've learned / Next steps

• Our breakout session scribes return and present -- A fast, faciliated "what have we learned" and "next steps" session. (Bill Densmore)
• Joining the Journalism Trust initiative

---

For more information email Bill Densmore, 2008-2009 Reynolds Fellow, or call 573-882-9812 for more information.

---

VIEW PROGRAM / SCHEDULE

---

For more information email Bill Densmore, 2008-2009 Reynolds Fellow, or call 573-882-9812.