Jtm-sv-program-topics

Creating the program -- posting ideas

Our purpose at JTM-Silicon Valley is to create a framework for journalists and technologists to form groups -- we're calling them "design circles" -- which will produce ideas, projects, systems and businesses for sustaining elements of journalism critical to participatory democracy.

There will be plenty of time to do so from Wednesday afternoon through Friday, and the option to continue on Saturday morning. Here are some of the sessions we know will be included. Add your ideas to this wiki with your name and contact information and we'll contact you in the next few weeks to help you flesh out and post your session.

-- Bill Densmore, 413-458-8001

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Mapping the newsroom

• We'll create two conceptual maps which chart the manufacturing of news has it has been done historically, and how it might be done in the future. This will encourage specific discussion about points where technology and business models need change, and make sure non-journalists understand the current system.

What's he core worth saving?

• Some legacy processes in the newsroom are artifacts of old technology. Others protect and enhance core ethical values or standards. Which are worth saving and which can be jettisoned to make way for more collaborative, inclusive approaches? We'll make some lists and match those worth saving to possible enabling technologies that are better, faster, cheaper than today.

What's the matter with journalists?

• Technologists and media reformers discuss why mainstream media "doesn't get it." The idea is to put "it" on the table and ask MSM journalists to explain why they don't get it. The point is to find common ground: Is it possible that some of the ideas resisted by "MSM" -- such as greater reliance on fix-it-on-the-fly fact gathering -- are historically flawed? Or not?

At least five technologies disrupting the news

• We'll describe at least five technologies disrupting -- and reinventing the news. Examples include search, social networks, mobile computing, crowdsourcing, audience fragmentaion database mashups and identity management. How should the news -- and journalism -- adapt? Design circles may breakout to work on the ideas. Breakout convenor: Paul Gillen, author, former editor, ComputerWorld magazine.

Does ownership matter?

• An update on experiments in alternative forms of media ownership, and how they may change the origins, flow, and impact of news. Examples might include Center for Public Integrity, ProPublica, ePluribus Media, the California Media Project, Village Soup Commons, the New Haven Independent, the employee-owned Tribune Co., and a variety of open-source projects.

What will sustain journalism that matters?

• An update on the state of small-scale citizen journalism efforts. What technologies do they use? Are they getting traction with advertisers? Are volunteership and avocation sustainable? How does that change the journalism which results? What new business models are possible? Breakout convenor: Len Witt, Kennesaw State University.

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. that come up with lots of interesting ideas, projects, systems that get traction and are pursued."

We're nearly four months out and won't settle the format precisely until late March. However, here are some thoughts. You can view some working documentation at: http://www.mediagiraffe.org/wiki/index.php/jtm-sv

Wednesday afternoon

Convene about 3 p.m.; introductory remarks by Chris Peck and other co-convenors. Followed by participant introductions and intentions.

In the late afternoon, a short course on "mapping the newsroom" to give technologists and other non-MSM journalists a grounding on how news is "manufactured."

Wednesday dinner/discussion: "What's worth saving?"

"What are the essential elements of journalism which need to be sustained?" -- A brief agenda-setting speaker and a facilitated discussion including three other discussants, and time for general input from all event participants. The goal of the evening is to frame the challenges which appear addressable by technology solutions.

THURSDAY: Morning -- "What's the matter with journalists?"

A during and post-breakfast wake-up discussion: "Journalists don't get it!" lead by a technologist/journalist who explains what the tech community believes journalism should look like going forward. After the discussion, a facilitated process to develop interest groups who will convene either as "design circles" or "discussion circles" for the rest of the morning, and on on Thursday afternoon (and evening/Friday as needed).

Design circles

On Thursday afternoon and most the day on Friday, we'll create an environment where groups -- many of them pre-arranged and each headed by a journalist and a technologist -- can break out as design circles and craft solutions.

At day's end on Friday, we'll re-convene and learn what's been hatched. After an opening evening Friday, these design circles will reconvene on Saturday morning and either finish their work, meet informally, or attend a morning "idea fair" featuring juried innovators in citizen and social media.

Concurrent Thursday Roundtable discussions

For those participants who prefer not to be part of a design circle, there will be roundtable discussions throughout Thursday afternoon and part of Friday. These might include:

• a Current-awareness briefing on the 5-10 technologies most likely to disrupt -- and reinvent -- journalism, news and democracy

• News and specific updates about the latest experiments in non-profit journalism, citizen journalism and the technologies they are using. These may feature new uses, new business models, new management practices and new ethical standards made possible by the new technologies.

• Shared insights on how the concept and practice of journalism may adapt to search and social networks, crowdsourcing, diverse, fragmented audiences and digital, participatory politics. For example, as news migrates on the web increasingly to "social network" platforms, it becomes important to know how these platforms treat the identities, preferences, privacy and financial authorizations of users.

Thursday lunch panel: "What will sustain journalism that matters?"

A Thursday lunch panel, lead by Paul Gillen, former editor of ComputerWorld magazine and author of "The New Influencers: A Marketer's Guide to Social Media," will consider the desires of journalists, expressed Wednesday evening, the reply of technologists, expressed Thursday morning, and will create a scenario for tech-driven journalism of the future, and challenge fellow participants to poke holes and suggest alternatives.

Thursday evening

An early buffet dinner will afford time for information meetings and interactions, followed by an optional evening presentation. Some participants may choose to continue design-circle meetings into the evening at the Yahoo facility or the conference hotel. (This meal and evening program could be hosted offsite by a specific sponsor if desired.)

FRIDAY: morning

After a buffet breakfast and speaker, and a 30-minute period of morning reflection and announcements, design circles reconvene. A concurrent moderated morning discussion will tackle the question of revenue models for journalism's future, with participants invited to develop and propose their own solutions during an open discussion period. -=-

Friday lunch

Program to TBD

Friday afternoon

Design circles wrap up by 3 p.m., followed by a facilitate session for reporting out design-circle outcomes/projects. These can be concluding reports, or interim reports from groups which intend to continue to meet Friday night or on Saturday morning. Members of Northern California Society of Professional Journalists who are attending on Saturday will be welcomed at the 3 p.m. reporting session.

Friday evening

After a light hors d'oeuvres reception from about 5 p.m. to 6 p.m., conference attendees are on their own for dinner or more work Friday night.

SATURDAY: JournaTech expo

After a continental breakfast and morning-news session, the Northern California chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists will be meeting on Saturday. SPJ will organize a juried "JournaTech Expo" on Saturday morning for entrepreneurs, startups and non-profits/NGOs with innovative technologies, systems, collaborations or ideas advancing journalism. Some of these presentations will by companies or groups not otherwise involved in JTM-SV; others may be the outcomes of design circles. The presenters will be vetted an announced in advance of the conference so participants will know who to look for. The format will be "booth like", but there will also be a series of scheduled, 15-minute presentations through the morning.

Saturday box lunch

A box lunch will be served to both SPJ's Saturday-only attendees as well as continuing JTM-SV event attendees. No specific lunch program is planned -- a time for wrap-up networking.

In the afternoon, SPJ plans at least two flights of workshops, TBD.

Flexible attendance

Some participants won't be able to devote two full days, a Wednesday evening and a Saturday morning to this. So we'll make it easy -- and acceptable -- for folks to drop in for what matters to them. Because we'll develop many ideas via pre-convening, web-based collaboration, people who can't attend at all can still make a useful contribution and learn.

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