Knight Commission Presentation to League of Women Voters, June 4, 2010
Transcript of Knight Commission Presentation to League of Women Voters, June 4, 2010
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Knight Commission Presentation to the
League of Women Voters Convention 2010
Workshop on Informing Communities: SustainingCitizen Participation in the Digital Age
Charles M. Firestone
Executive Director
Aspen Institute Communications and Society Program
Atlanta, Georgia
June 4, 2010
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A project of
John S. and James L.
Knight Foundation
and the
Aspen InstituteCommunications & Society
Program
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Commissioners Theodore B. Olson, Co-Chair, former Solicitor General of the U.S.
Marissa Mayer, Co-Chair, VP, Search & User Experience, Google danah boyd, researcher, now with Microsoft Research Lab
John S. Carroll,former editor, Los Angeles Times
Robert W. Decherd, CEO, A.H. Belo newspaper chain
Reed E. Hundt,former Chairman, FCC (Clinton Admin)
Benjamin Todd Jealous,President, NAACP Mary E. Junck, CEO, Lee Enterprises newspaper chain
Monica Lozano,SVP, ImpreMedia, Publisher & CEO, La Opinin
Lisa MacCallum,Managing Director, Nike Foundation
Andrew Mooney,Executive Director, LISC, Chicago
Donna D. Nicely,Director, Nashville Public Library Michael K. Powell,former Chairman, FCC (Bush Admin)
Rey Ramsey, CEO, One Economy
Paul Sagan, CEO, Akamai
Alberto Ibargen, ex officio, CEO, Knight Foundation
Walter Isaacson, ex officio, CEO, Aspen Institute
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Approach
As we face a news media crisis, what are the news
and information needs of local communities?
What should be done to meet them?
The Commission looked at the local geographical
community as that is still the focus of political
decisions and community life.
Vision of informed communities.
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Informed Communities
Communities need information to coordinate, solve
problems, establish public accountability, and
develop a sense ofconnectedness.
Information is as vital to the healthy functioning
of communities as clean air, safe streets, good
schools and public health.
Information ecologies servepersonalas well as civic
information needs.
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Healthy Informed Communities(Appendix I)
A majority of government information and
services online, accessible through a central and
easy to use portal
A local government with a committed policy on
transparency
Quality journalism through local newspapers,
local television and radio stations, and online
sources
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Healthy Informed Communities(Appendix I)
Citizens with effective opportunities to have their
voices heard and to affect public policy
A vibrant public library, or other public center for
information that provides digital resources and
professional assistance
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Healthy Informed Communities(Appendix I)
Ready access to information that enhances quality of
life, including information provided by trusted
intermediary organizations in the community on a
variety of subjects
Local schools have computer and high speed Internet
access, as well as curricula that support digital and
media literacy
High speed Internet is available to all
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Objectives
Envisions the need to:
Maximize the availability of credible information,
Enhance the information capacity of individuals,
and
Promote civic engagement.
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Objective I Findings
Maximizing the Availability of
Relevant and Credible Information
People need relevant and credible information
to be free and self-governing.
T
he current financial challenges facing private news media couldpose a crisis for democracy.
Public media should provide better local news and information.
Not-for-profit and non-traditional media can be importantsources of journalism.
Public information belongs to the public. Government must bemore open.
Informed communities can measure their information health.
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Objective I
Maximizing the Availability of
Relevant and Credible Information
Recommendation 1: Direct media policy
toward innovation, competition, and supportfor business models that provide marketplace
incentives for quality journalism.
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Objective I
Maximizing the Availability of
Relevant and Credible Information
Recommendation 2: Increase support forpublic service media aimed at meeting
community information needs.
Public broadcasting needs to move quickly toward abroader vision ofpublic service media, one that is morelocal, more inclusive, and more interactive.
Greater integration of new technologies andcommunicationpractices with traditional forms ofbroadcasting.
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Objective I
Maximizing the Availability of
Relevant and Credible Information
Recommendation 3: Increase the role of higher
education, community and nonprofitinstitutions as hubs of journalistic activity and
other information-sharing for local
communities.
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Objective I
Maximizing the Availability of
Relevant and Credible Information
Recommendation 4: Require government at alllevels to operate transparently, facilitate easyand low-cost access to public records, and
make civic and social data available instandardized formats that support theproductive public use of such data.
Open Government Laws: employees and contractorsshould apply more vigorously
Transparency: electronic participation; tracking oflegislation with opportunities to comment on all drafts;
cameras in the courts.
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Objective I
Maximizing the Availability of
Relevant and Credible Information
Recommendation 5: Develop systematicquality measures of community informationecologies, and study how they affect socialoutcomes.
Combined with Appendix I of the Report, thiscouldlead to community self assessments,
perhapsled by an independentlocalentity.
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Objective IIFindings
Enhancing the Information Capacity of Individuals
People need tools, skills, and understanding
to use information effectively.
All people have a right to be fully informed.
There need be no second-class citizensininformed communities.
Funding to meet this goal is an investment in the
nations future.
Americans cannot compete globally without newpublic policies and investment in technology.
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Objective II
Enhancing the Information Capacity of Individuals
Recommendation 6: Integrate digital and
media literacy as critical elements foreducation at all levels through collaboration
among federal, state, and local education
officials.
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Objective II
Enhancing the Information Capacity of Individuals
Recommendation 7: Fund and support public
libraries and other community institutions ascenters of digital and media training, especially
for adults.
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Objective II
Enhancing the Information Capacity of Individuals
Recommendation 8: Set ambitious standards
for nationwide broadband availability andadopt public policies encouraging consumer
demand for broadband services.
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Objective II
Enhancing the Information Capacity of Individuals
Recommendation 9: Maintain the national
commitment to open networks as a coreobjective of Internet policy.
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Objective II
Enhancing the Information Capacity of Individuals
Recommendation 10: Support the activities of
information providers to reach local audienceswith quality content through all appropriate
media, such as mobile phones, radio, public
access cable, and new platforms.
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Objective IIIFindings
Promoting Public Engagement
To pursue their true interests, people need to be engagedwith information and with each other.
Creating informed communities is a task for everyone.
Young people have a special role in times of greatchange.
Technology can help everyone be part of thecommunity.
Everyone should feel a responsibility to participate.
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Objective III
Promoting Public Engagement
Recommendation 11: Expand local media
initiatives to reflect the full reality of the
communities they represent.
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Objective III
Promoting Public Engagement
Recommendation 12: Engage young people in
developing the digital information and
communication capacities of local
communities.
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Objective III
Promoting Public Engagement
Recommendation 13: Empower all citizens toparticipate actively in community self-governance,including local community summits to addresscommunity affairs and pursue common goals.
Bridging capital
Initiate community dialogue with summits directed atcreating community action agendas to improve thelocal information environment.
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Objective III
Promoting Public Engagement
Recommendation 14: Emphasize community
information flow in the design and
enhancement of a local communitys public
spaces.
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Objective III
Promoting Public Engagement
Recommendation 15: Ensure that every local
community has at least one high-quality online
hub.
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Conclusion
The information issue is everyones issue.
Join the dialogue at:www.knightcomm.org
OR
via twitter at #knightcomm