Public funding for the media in the 21st century

Around the world, journalists and their communities are rethinking what public support for journalism means. In the US, the state of New Jersey launched a publicly managed fund for local news and information projects. In the UK, the BBC is supporting local news organizations through their Local News Partnerships program. And the Canadian government recently passed a $595 million package in support of local news and information.

This panel will introduce attendees to a new way to think about meeting a community's needs by decentralizing ownership, accountability, and financing of community information production. Attendees will hear from the people playing a role in these publicly-financed efforts to keep local democracies alive. They'll leave with a vision for how these solutions can be implemented in their communities.