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Future of Public Media

From Story to Storyworld: A Conversation with Futurestates’ Karim Ahmad

Futurestates.tv

“I’ve figured it out. I can open the door, but they have to walk through it.”

Thus starts the innovative, interactive experience that is Futurestates.tv, the online platform for the final season of ITVS’s "Futurestates." The cryptic message invites the audience to explore a selection of short films and related videos that offer a glimpse of what technology could become in the future – and what such advancements might mean for us as a society. Read more...

Classroom into Newsroom: 9 Steps to a Multimedia Class Project

Like many of you, I embrace the guide-on-the-side model for teaching vs. the sage-on-the-stage version. That’s why each spring, about five weeks into the semester, my Writing and Editing for Convergent Media course at American University transforms from a classroom into a newsroom, complete with assigned roles, Google spreadsheets, closed Facebook groups and ethical issues to tackle. Read more...

What’s Public Media These Days?

The latest Media Impact Funders (MIF) event, “Remaking Public Media,” showcased the evolution of what we called “Public Media 2.0” in the 2009 white paper that launched a field-wide discussion. In a user-centric environment, legacy public media institutions are key collaborators, and they also depend on many other institutions and relationships to make and distribute media. It’s not about institutions any more, but the “ecosystem,” to use a word of MIF head Vince Stehle.  Read more...

FCC Seeks Comments on Open Internet

FCCThe Federal Communications Commission has opened the door for public comments on how to regulate Internet service, the issue widely known as “net neutrality.”  Many public interest organizations are urging citizens, especially media makers, to contribute.

Internet service providers such as Verizon and Comcast can, both in theory and practice, favor some kinds of traffic over others for their own purposes.  Read more...

AIR Challenges Public Media to “Go Outside”

What's Outside?A recent report published by the Association for Independents in Radio (AIR) found that the public media system “is ready, willing, and able to take bold moves” to utilize new media technologies, reach across platforms, and touch more audiences.

The report, titled “What’s Outside?” in keeping with AIR’s focus on thinking outside the box, is an evaluative summary of key takeaways from AIR’s Localore initiative. It is also a call to action for public media. Read more...