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Information Stories tell of personal stakes in healthy info communities

Posted by Amy Garmer on Apr 17, 2013 in Blog, Civic Engagement, Featured, Local Journalism, Open Government, Spotlight, Universal Broadband

“What’s at stake when local news and information flow doesn’t serve all members of a community equally well? How can people respond?”
These questions lie at the heart of Information Stories, a riveting series of twelve three-to-five minute videos that show how people can overcome the powerlessness caused by living in an information vacuum. Combining the [...]

Implementing the Recommendations of the Knight Commission

Posted by KnightComm on Jun 22, 2012 in Blog, Civic Engagement, Digital Literacy, Local Journalism, Open Government, Public Service Media, Universal Broadband, White Paper Series

The Knight Commission on the Information Needs of Communities in a Democracy released its report “Informing Communities: Sustaining Democracy in the Digital Age” in 2009 with 15 recommendations to better meet community information needs. Immediately following the release of “Informing Communities,” the Aspen Institute Communications and Society Program and the John S. and James L. [...]

Delaware Gets First State-Focused Public Radio Station

Posted by Amy Garmer on Apr 18, 2012 in Blog, Local Journalism, Public Service Media

A first for the state known as “The First State”: Delaware will soon have its first ever Delaware-focused public radio station, WDDE-FM 91.1. The nonprofit Delaware First Media company owns the station, which will be a partnership among Delaware First Media, the University of Delaware and Delaware State University. Delaware State will host the station [...]

Adam Thierer: Thinking about the Future of Informed Communities and Journalism

Posted by KnightComm on Apr 18, 2012 in Civic Engagement, Digital Literacy, Local Journalism, News, Open Government, Public Service Media, Universal Broadband

Democracy can likely get by with less information and civic engagement than some suggest. But that doesn’t mean we can get by without any.

Mike Fancher: A Tipping Point for Journalism

Posted by KnightComm on Apr 18, 2012 in Local Journalism, News

Journalism must be re-imagined for a networked world in which people use technology for themselves to do things they once relied on journalists to do for them.

New Round of Knight Community Information Challenge Now Open

Posted by Amy Garmer on Jan 18, 2012 in Blog, Civic Engagement, Digital Literacy, Local Journalism, Public Service Media

The John S. and James L. Knight Foundation today opened a new round of funding for the Knight Community Information Challenge. The challenge provides matching grants to community foundations seeking to fund news and information projects.
To submit an application or for further information, go to www.informationneeds.org. Non-foundation community partners may participate, but they must partner [...]

Fellowship Opportunities to Spur Innovation in Journalism

Posted by Amy Garmer on Jan 12, 2012 in Blog, Local Journalism

Deadlines are approaching for two fellowship opportunities designed to spur innovation in journalism.
The Donald W. Reynolds Journalism Institute at the University of Missouri is seeking applications for its 2012-2013 class of Reynolds fellows. RJI is seeking proposals for eight-month fellowships that would leverage the university’s technology, research and experimentation to advance innovative ideas in journalism. [...]

Might the new web journalism model be neither for-profit nor nonprofit?

Posted by Amy Garmer on Dec 09, 2011 in Blog, Civic Engagement, Local Journalism

There’s a third option, Tom Stites argues: a co-op model that lets communities advance their own interests.

Layoffs and Cutbacks Lead to a New World of News Deserts

Posted by Amy Garmer on Dec 08, 2011 in Blog, Civic Engagement, Local Journalism

Perhaps an energizing frame like news desert can widen the aperture of thinking about journalism’s future and sharpen the focus on people’s and democracy’s needs – on journalism as public good.

Thierer: Thinking about the Future of Informed Communities and Journalism

Posted by Amy Garmer on Dec 05, 2011 in Blog, Civic Engagement, Digital Literacy, Local Journalism, Universal Broadband

Adam Thierer’s most recent op-ed (“Thinking about the Future of Informed Communities and Journalism”) in his Technologies of Freedom column on Forbes.com is worthy of note– and not just because it mentions the work of the Knight Commission and the related series of eight white papers published by the Aspen Institute Communications and Society Program. [...]

Gary Knell Takes Helm at NPR, Cochran Advises: Fight for Federal Funding

Posted by Amy Garmer on Dec 01, 2011 in Blog, Local Journalism, Public Service Media

Barbara Cochran, the author of “Rethinking Public Media: More Local, More Inclusive, More Interactive,” has a featured blog post on the Huffington Post front page today making the case for the continuation of modest federal funding for public media. The op-ed, “Why Federal Funds for Public Broadcasting is the Right Decision,” is especially timely as [...]

Assessing Community Information Needs: A Practical Guide

Posted by Amy Garmer on Oct 17, 2011 in Blog, Civic Engagement, Digital Literacy, Local Journalism, Open Government, Public Service Media, Spotlight, Universal Broadband, White Paper Series

Free flowing news and information is essential to the health of democratic communities, but not all information environments are equally effective at meeting community information needs. What can a community do to measure the quality of its information environment, identify its information needs and take steps to build a more robust news and information ecosystem?
Assessing [...]

Progress Announced on Key Recommendations of “Information Needs of Communities” Report

Posted by Amy Garmer on Oct 05, 2011 in Blog, Local Journalism, Public Service Media, Universal Broadband

Two years ago this week, the Knight Commission on the Information Needs of Communities in a Democracy released its Informing Communities report, which has served as a catalyst for a broader national conversation on how to bring the benefits and opportunities of the digital age to every community.
The fruits of this ongoing conversation were on [...]

What are the Information Needs of Communities?

Posted by KnightComm on Aug 15, 2011 in Blog, Civic Engagement, Digital Literacy, Featured, Local Journalism, Open Government, Public Service Media, Universal Broadband

In the digital age, technological, economic and behavioral changes are dramatically altering how Americans communicate. Information is more fragmented. Communications systems no longer run along the same lines as local governance.

Fancher: “American journalism is at a tipping point”

Posted by KnightComm on Jul 19, 2011 in Blog, Local Journalism, Public Service Media

In an interactive world, journalism must be a trusting partnership between journalists and the public. Building that partnership will require enlightened leadership within traditional and emerging news organizations. And partnerships will require involvement by local governments and foundations, schools and universities, libraries and churches, social groups and, most important, individual citizens.