innovation

“News is just too important to leave to those who shout the loudest … or have the biggest purse.”

Caroline Thomson, chief operating officer of the BBC, made these remarks at this week’s Washington, D.C. forum on innovation in public media. “The Next Big Thing” featured a range of leaders from public and community media, plus demos and videos of new projects and debate about how we create and consume journalism in the digital age.

Other speakers included Jake Shapiro, the founding CEO of the Public Radio Exchange, Sue Schardt, the CEO of the Association of Independents in Radio, Joaquin Alvarado, head of innovation for American Public Media, and Craig Aaron, Free Press president and CEO.

For footage of Tuesday’s event click the links below:

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Over the weekend the journalism tweetosphere and blogs were abuzz with rumors of a government plot to freeze journalism in time by propping up a range of failing business models at the expense of new innovation in news. The document that set off this flurry of digital doomsday warnings was a “Discussion Draft” of possible policy changes released by the Federal Trade Commission team working on their future of journalism initiative and the announcement of a June 15th roundtable discussion where the draft will be debated.

For the past year the FTC has been examining how laws related to copyright, antitrust, advertising, and tax status could be changed to ensure that our communities have access to the news and information they need. Along the way it has sought public input and has heard from thousands of people (Free Press members submitted over 2,000 comments last fall). Now it is preparing its report and seeking feedback on its draft.

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