The Future of Civic Engagement in a Broadband-Enabled World

A symposium presented by the MIT Center for Future Civic Media in cooperation with the Federal Communications Commission
Monday, March 1, 2010
4pm - 6:30pm

4:00pm
Keynote address: "Civic Engagement in the 21st Century: Data Transparency, Social Media, Public Media, Innovation in Government, and Digital Democracy"
Eugene Huang, Director of Government Performance and Civic Engagement for the National Broadband Plan, will kick off the Symposium with a speech framing the narrative for civic engagement in the 21st century. He will address topics including data transparency, social media, public media, innovation in government, and digital democracy.

4:55pm
The Future of Government/Citizen Engagement
From the Mayor of Newark's tweets to the President's online town halls, technology has already changed how the public engages with their government. In a world of ubiquitous broadband, this interaction can radically change how government operates and develops policy. This panel will explore how broadband can transform government/citizen engagement.

Moderator: Jerry Mechling, Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University

Speakers:

Nick Grossman, TOPP Labs
Laurel Ruma, O'Reilly Media
John Wonderlich, The Sundlight Foundation
5:45pm
The Future of Digital Public Media
Public media has always played a critical role in our democracy, informing citizens, leading our public conversation, and fostering civic engagement. However, broadband presents an historic opportunity for public media to reach even greater heights. This panel will explore the challenges and opportunities for the 21st century digital public media ecosystem.

Moderator: Jake Shapiro, Public Radio Exchange

Panelists:

• Robert Bole, Corporation for Public Broadcasting
• Keith Neisler, WEKU-Kentucky
• Marita Rivero, WGBH-Boston
• Kinsey Wilson, National Public Radio

6:30pm
Closing Remarks
Damian Thomas, John S. and James L. Knight Foundation