New Short Film Examines the Future of Public Media and Blogs

Many to Many: Public Media and the Blogosphere by Martin Lucas




Released by American University's Center for Social Media




Contact: Clark Gregor, AU Media Relations, 202-885-5935, gregor@american.edu




WASHINGTON, DC (April 14, 2006) - In its research on the future of public media, American University's Center for Social Media has been chasing down how new, participatory media are fast becoming a vibrant part of the public media landscape. As part of this research, filmmaker Martin Lucas produced a short video showing the new and growing promise of the "blogosphere."




Many to Many: Public Media and the Blogosphere, is a 12-minute documentary available for download at www.centerforsocialmedia.org . The film examines how public broadcasters are using blogs and other new media tools to interact with their audiences, and how bloggers are creating new public media spaces.



The film features interviews and coverage of:

Dina Mehta and Neha Viswanathan of Global Voices Online, a project that tracks participatory media, such as blogs, podcasts, photo sharing sites, and videoblogs

Cara Mertes, executive director of PBS documentary series P.O.V.

Lucy Hooberman, BBC Research & Development

Chris Lydon and Brendan Greeley of Internet-aware Radio Open Source at PRI

Liza Sabater, of culturekitchen.com, a media, culture and politics blog



"This is more than individuals publishing their thoughts, it's a veritable global, public conversation," said Center for Social Media Director Pat Aufderheide. "We look forward to bloggers, teachers, students and public broadcasters using the film to promote more discussion about open media as public media."




Filmmaker Martin Lucas is a media fellow at American University's Center for Social Media and teaches documentary and new media production at Hunter College, City University of New York.




The Center for Social Media has produced Many to Many as part of its Future of Public Media project, funded by the Ford Foundation. The project showcases and analyzes new directions and technologies in public media.




American University's Center for Social Media showcases and analyzes strategies to use media as creative tools for public knowledge and action. It focuses on social documentaries for civil society and democracy, and on the public media environment that supports them. The Center is part of the AU's School of Communication, a laboratory for professional education, communication research and innovative production across the fields of journalism, film and media arts, and public communication.




To arrange an interview with Martin Lucas or for other media assistance, contact Clark Gregor, AU Media Relations, at 202-885-5935 or email gregor@american.edu.