MISSION: What is the Media Giraffe Project accomplishing?

A-About MGP
MISSION: What is the Media Giraffe Project accomplishing?
By MGP Staff
Feb 11, 2005, 3:46pm

The Media Giraffe Project's mission is to foster participatory democracy and strong communities through independent-minded media.

It does so by finding and spotlighting individuals taking personal or professional risk to make innovative, sustainable use of media (old and new). Their use is aimed at advancing opening, honest, accountable and effective government and society.

The pilot project is assisted by scholars, and draws upon the insights and experiences of both media insiders and activists. It is research driven and non-partisan.

The Media Giraffe Project responds to public concern that our nation’s media are failing to equip citizens with knowledge they need to demand accountable government. This threatens effective democracy and strong communities. While technology has created many new “voices”, the largest voices, print and electronic, are run by a closing circle of major companies. Some observers are concerned that the industry’s structure and incentives no longer serve democracy as envisioned by our nation’s Founding Fathers.

The Project:

Identifies individuals and collaboratives who are starting and supporting independent local and topical publications, electronic and new media -- profit, non-profit or cooperative.
Publishes -- via a book, articles, web services, multimedia and speaking engagements – “how-to,” step-by-step examples of individuals (“giraffes”) using media in innovative ways to advance U.S. democracy.
Uncovers and illustrates market forces promoting media responsiveness to the information needs of a sustainable democracy, including support for literacy, civic participation and reflection of justice, equality, fairness, free-speech and open-government values.
Documents the extent to which established media institutions and their managers are able, within the current media financing and regulatory structures, to treat the fostering of democracy as a primary mission.
Presents ideas for structural rules changes which might increase the competitive and marketing advantages of independent media and the responsiveness of established media.
Will consider convening a 2006 summit conference on the structure of the U.S. media industry, the impact of the Internet on its financing models, including copyright, and how democracy will be affected.
Determine whether to establish an ongoing, independent non-profit Media Giraffe Project beyond the one-year pilot phase and deliverables.

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