Jtm-sv-program1

Creating a framework

We're creating a framework -- a conceptual mashup -- for journalists, technologists and entrepreneurs and others to convene groups over one to three days. These groups can invent, share and pursue ideas, projects, systems or solutions for sustaining journalism that matters in a connected world. You can get a feel for the process we're planning by reading this page. Format details won't be settled until closer to April 30. But we're already posting definite breakout topics. To see what they are, and add your own, click on the MAIN TOPICS PAGE. To suggest specific program elements, discussions, speakers or panels, email jtm@mediagiraffe.org

PRELIMINARY AGENDA

Wednesday, April 30, 2008: Understanding the context

Purpose: Who’s here and what do we need to know to have a productive time together?

2:00 p.m. Registration

3:00-6:00 p.m.

• Welcome from organizers
• Meeting intentions
• Who is in the room?
• Newsroom Maps -- A primer for technologists and refresher for journalists. Visualizing the work flow which manufactured news in legacy systems -- to understand what needs to change and what's worth preserving.

6:00-7:00 p.m. Dinner

7:00-8:30 p.m. A short course in key emerging technologies

Thursday, May 1 -- Possibilities Day: What ideas/projects shall we explore/design?

• Purpose: To explore a wide range of possibilities at the intersection of journalism and technology

• Organizing question: "What can we create at the intersection of journalism and technology to support the well-being of democracy?"

• Structure: A combination of Open Space-style convenings, and pre-announced breakouts.

8:30-9:00 a.m. -- Continental breakfast and networking

9:00–noon -- First Open Space period. Participants who have posted " Pre-convening topics can announce and conduct their work plans for Thursday afternoon and Friday morning.

noon-1 p.m. -- Buffet lunch with check-in discussion/announcements about morning breakouts and convenings.

1 p.m.-1:30 p.m. -- Networking time.

1:30 p.m.-5 p.m. -- Second Open Space period. Participants who have posted " Pre-convening topics can continue their breakout sessions, or join the general Open Space activities.

(Optional afternoon break/snacks available 3 p.m.-3:30 p.m.)

6:00 p.m.-8:00 p.m. -- Dinner/discussion with "Untalent Show"

8:30 p.m.-???? -- Optional discussions/design concept workshops can continue at the conference hotel, where meeting spaces will be available.

Friday, May 2 -- Design-Build Day: What's your next step?

• Purpose: To provide space for taking action on initiatives which have life beyond this event.

8:30-9:00 a.m. -- Continental breakfast and networking

9:00 a.m.-10 a.m. -- Organizing the day:

• Marketplace of ideas -- Project or discussion breakout leaders each get two minutes to explain their initiative and concept-design-build workplan for the day. (Note: those coming with initiatives are welcome to make those sessions known in advance)
• Organizing the day's agenda -- Real-time scheduling based on the number of breakouts. If you wish to run an all-day session, we suggest scheduling specific aspects of the work, so people can drop in when their interests or expertise coincide.

10 a.m.-12:30 p.m. -- Morning breakout time.

12:30 p.m.-1:30 p.m. -- Buffet lunch with check-in discussion/announcements about morning breakouts and convenings.

1:30 p.m.-3:30 p.m. -- Afternoon discussion/work breakouts resume.

3:30 p.m.-4:30 p.m. -- Afternoon snacks and report in. Breakout facilitators describe project/discussion progress.

4:30-5 p.m. -- Closing-circle reflection -- What has been accomplished? What's next?

DINNER ON YOUR OWN

• Breakout task groups are encouraged to make arrangements for continued discussion or work over dinner at the conference hotel or elsewhere.

Saturday, May 3 -- JournoExpo or . . . the work continues

Purpose: Provide the time and space to:

• Take the work further and/or
• Share it with others

Open to anyone (Invite hackers to come)

9:00-noon

• Organize the agenda for design-build discussions in real time
• Closing: projects who want to present can do so in in a "JournoExpo" organized by the Northern California Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ).

Journalism That Matters background

This approach -- linking journalists with a constituent group with a focus on a paticular task -- is simlar to five other convenings around the country as the Journalism That Matters collaborative, the most recent at The George Washington University in August. There our focus was on journalism and education, because we deliberately chose a time and venue alongside the annual convention of the Association of Educators in Journalism and Mass Communications (AEJMC).

Valley, Yahoo roles

The news business is now being driven more than anything by technology, and that's why the Journalism That Matters collaborative and the Media Giraffe Project choose to locate this event in Silicon Valley, seeking to involve the leadership of the venture-capital, entrepreneurial and technology/developer communities. Yahoo! is a participating sponsor in order to help convene a dialog about the future of journalism and participatory democracy.