Jtm-dc-04-12a
NEXT CALL: Thurs. April 19: 2:30 p.m. Eastern Time (605) 990-0100 272059#
NOTES OF Thurs., March 22, 2007 CALL among Len, Stephen, Chris and Bill
LINK BACKS:
JTM mission summary (Sept. 2006)
JTM-DC Sessions Program Concept
Key March 9 teleconference notes
The news organization of the future
Previous meeting (03-19) minutes
Notes of 03-22 phone-in
On the call: Jan Schaffer, J-Lab; Bill Densmore, Media Giraffe Project; Peggy Holman and Stephen Silha.
This is Jan's first call-in participation since being invited to collaborate. She asks for a synopsis of what we're doing; Densmore emails link to PDF program/funding invite:
http://www.mediagiraffe.org/pdf/jtm-dc-announcement.pdf
Jan raises some practical considerations: Hotels very expensive in Washington; it is agreed we should seek out economical alternatives -- possibly a GWU dormitory -- and realize that beyond AEJMC attendees our cachement area may be mostly people who live in DC or can get there via Amtrak.
Discussion of how many might attend; between 50 and 150; Jan says 150 feels large; she usually gets between 100 to 125 to Batten Symposiums at the National Press Club. Nobody is around in August. It is hot and most everybody clears out. That might help discounting with hotel space. OTOH, AEJMC will bring in quite a number. Will they or their department swing another night for them? A lot of them are on a per diem expenditure.
It is agreed that the JTM planners will draft an invite letter and then ask Jan to circulate it to her J-Lab network.
Jan also asks about the "What will happen when all that's left is the journalism?" framing. Discussion.
Bill: Are you Ok with the fundamental premise, the three bullet points?
Jan: Not sure there is one overarching play that will save journalism. The plays are actually happening all over the country quite virally. She doesn't think there will be one solution. Not likely to end up with one credible solution.
Stephen: Agrees. One of the purpose is to come up with and to inspire multiple models of The Next Newsroom.
Peggy: There is no way there will be a single model that solves it. Coming up with multiple models and creating the connection that they learn from each other, that is the larger and more interesting question.
Bill: Emphasizes that J-Lab is pioneering in this area.
Jan: Not sure small journalism constructs will carry to big J journalism. A lot of what she funds in the media world is news and information but is not always journalism.
Stephen: Bottom line is communication and healthy communities with journalism as a piece but not the whole thing.
Jan: There is a different conversation to be had that also deals with journalism convention. That some of the old conventions are getting in the way of good journalism. It becomes less valuable to a consumer and is less competitive in the marketplace. She has written about this concept in grant proposals. She is not sure this is the venue to talk about that.
Peggy: Yes and no. As she thinks about the implications it would be great if she could present.
Discussed the fact that Jan has a potential new funder to pursue this, may find out in June if it is funded. She is going to talk with the funder. She may or may not have it.
Bill: Asks for where to go to seek participants.
Jan: Other than JTM network, AEJMC. She suggests a conversation with the National Press Club. She doesn't have a contact person.
Refer back to 03-22 notes for fundraising and program work.
