Poynter Digital Ethics Symposium to Be Held Oct. 23 in NYC; First Authors Commit to Day Funded by Craig Newmark

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla., Aug. 13, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Poynter Institute and craigconnnects, the Web-based initiative created by Craig Newmark, have teamed up with the Paley Center for Media to host the Poynter Digital Journalism Ethics Symposium. To be held Tuesday, October 23, at the Paley Center in New York City, the daylong symposium will give a select group of authors the opportunity to test the ideas they are contributing to Poynter's new book on journalism ethics in the digital age.

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"The Paley Center for Media has a record of hosting forward-thinking people in exciting discussions," said Poynter President Karen Dunlap. "It is the right place for Poynter to engage a conversation on the ethics of digital media."

Thus far, the authors include: Clay Shirky, writer, consultant and professor; Vivian Schiller, Chief Digital Officer, NBC News; Ann Friedman, writer and editor; Eric Deggans, Media Critic, Tampa Bay Times; Emily Bell, Director of the Tow Centre for Digital Journalism, Columbia University; Tom Huang, Sunday and Enterprise Editor, The Dallas Morning News; Monica Guzman, Columnist, The Seattle Times; Steve Myers, formerly of Poynter and now Deputy Managing Editor at The (New Orleans) Lens; and danah boyd (preferred spelling), professor and Senior Researcher, Microsoft Research. The book will be co-edited by Kelly McBride, Poynter's Senior Ethics Faculty, and Tom Rosenstiel, founder and director of Pew Research Center's Project for Excellence in Journalism.

Based on the work of the contributors, McBride and Rosenstiel will propose a new set of guiding principles for journalists and other content creators concerned with democratic standards of truth in the digital age.

"This event is exciting, because right now there's not a lot of agreement about what the standards for truth and accuracy should be," said McBride. "I'm not delusional, but I think we can make great progress toward setting a baseline for ethical standards."

Craig Newmark, who contributed a $25,000 grant through his craigconnects initiative to host the symposium authors, said he is hoping the forum will deal with some of the tougher questions.

"I've been saying that the 'press is the immune system of democracy' for a couple of years now," Newmark said. "My interest is motivated by conversations with people in journalism; they'd like to restore trustworthy behavior to news media, not in just a few pockets of it."

"In these challenging times it's essential to bring the best minds in our community together to chart the way forward to promote a robust Fourth Estate," said J. Max Robins Vice President and Executive Director of Industry Programs of The Paley Center for Media. "This is core to the mission of The Paley Center and we are thrilled to be partnering with Poynter and craigconnects."

Because seating is limited, attendance at the symposium will be by invitation. The Paley Center will stream the events live and provide a video archive. For information about accessing the event online, please visit http://www.paleycenter.org/mc-dialogue-poynter. The live stream will also be available through Poynter's website, http://www.poynter.org.

About The Poynter Institute
Founded in 1975 in St. Petersburg, Fla., The Poynter Institute is one of the nation's top schools for professional journalists and news media leaders, as well as future journalists and journalism teachers. Poynter offers training throughout the year in the areas of online and multimedia, leadership and management, reporting, writing and editing, TV and radio, ethics and diversity, journalism education and visual journalism. Poynter's News University (www.newsu.org) offers journalism training to the public through more than 200 interactive modules and other forms of e-learning. It has more than 200,000 registered users in 225 countries. Poynter's website, (www.poynter.org) is the dominant provider of journalism news, with a focus on business analysis and the opportunities and implications of technology.

About craigconnects
Launched in March 2011, craigconnects is Craig Newmark's personal, Web-based initiative to support philanthropy, public service, and organizations getting results in both areas.  The initiative spotlights individuals, organizations and agencies working for veterans and military families, open government, public diplomacy, back-to-basics journalism, consumer protection, election protection and voter registration, and technology for the common good.  craigconnects is a fiscally sponsored project of Community Initiatives. 

About Media Council at the Paley Center for Media
The Media Council brings together top executives and leading thinkers in the global media industry to discuss critical issues that will define the media and its role in society for generations to come. The Media Council's global reach and extraordinary convening authority enable it to host a broad spectrum of gatherings—including Roundtable Breakfasts, Boardroom Luncheons, Dialogues, Panel Discussions, and other special events—at its distinctive locations in New York City and Los Angeles. Serving as both catalyst and independent forum, it facilitates discussions on pressing topics that span all areas of the industry, including communications, technology, creative content, and journalism. For information about becoming a member of the Media Council, please contact Stephanie Kousoulas at 212.621.6732 or [email protected].

CONTACT: 

Kelly McBride
Senior Faculty, Ethics, Reporting and Writing
The Poynter Institute
[email protected]
727-821-9494

Jessica Blais
Marketing Director
The Poynter Institute
[email protected] 
727-821-9494

Bruce Bonafede
Media Liaison
craigconnects
760-831-5080
[email protected] 

Joel Topcik
Director, Industry Programs
The Paley Center for Media
212-621-6612
[email protected]

SOURCE The Poynter Institute