Media
Giraffe Project Summary
(http://www.newshare.com/giraffe/giraffe_summary.html)
August
1, 2005
The Media Giraffe1 Project (MGP) is a research initiative
housed with the journalism program at the University of Massachusetts-Amherst. Its mission is to help citizens find and support democracy-focused2 media -- as both consumers and
creators. It does so by:
·
Finding and spotlighting individuals making
innovative, sustainable use of media (old and new) to foster participatory
democracy and community. The
individuals (or organizations) are (a) starting and supporting independent
local and topical publications, electronic and new media – profit, non-profit
or cooperative or (b) uniquely using existing media to hold government or major
private interests accountable to democratic values. We examine entrepreneurs
and mavericks within both independent, local, new-media efforts as well as
"giraffes" who are sticking their necks out in traditional, major
media.
·
Developing tools for consumers to find and
support objective, quantifiable, professional standards for media
responsiveness to democratic values. These tools
may include a web-content recommendation service, or training on how to
consume, and create, media that foster democracy.
Together
these efforts are intended to uncover and illustrate 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. In addition, they
may produce ideas for structural rules changes which might increase the
competitive and marketing advantages of independent media.
The Media
Giraffe Project responds to public concern that our nation’s media are failing
to equip citizens with knowledge they need to demand open, honest, accountable
and participatory self government. This threatens effective democracy and
strong communities. At the same time, some view American journalism -- print,
electronic, online -- as adrift, lacking a sense of mission, perhaps even a
sense of purpose. Journalists are unsure whether a new era of weblogs (“blogs”)
and “citizen journalism” can support whatever mission they pursue, and insecure
about the willingness of their customers to support that mission.
The
Project is assisted by scholars, works
in collaboration with reformers inside media, and with activists outside the
industry. It is research-driven and non-partisan.
In
year one, the project:
1)
Spotlights individuals and organizations starting
and supporting independent local and topical publications, electronic and new
media -- profit, non-profit or cooperative.
2)
Joins in documenting 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.
In year two:
3)
Publishes -- via a book, articles, web services,
multimedia, a documentary film and speaking engagements -– “how-to,”
step-by-step examples of individuals (“giraffes”) using media (old and new) in
innovative ways to advance U.S. democracy. The book, for publication by the
University of Massachusetts Press, will be a series of 15-20 human-interest
profiles -- in a Q&A format .
4)
Convenes a fall 2006 summit on the structure of the
U.S. media industry, the impact of the Internet on its financing models,
including copyright, and how democracy is being affected.
5)
Conducts workshops in major cities, using “media
giraffes” as presentors, on best-practices for media consumption and creation.
In year three:
6)
Documents any 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.
7)
Joins in documenting 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.
8)
Presents ideas for structural rules changes which
might increase the competitive and marketing advantages of independent media
and the responsiveness of established media.
Media
Giraffe Project / Journalism Program Office / 108
Bartlett Hall / Univ. of Massachustts-Amherst / Amherst
MA 10003 413-577-4370 mediagiraffe@journ.umass.edu