The 2022 Media Impact Forum: Stories for Justice, held at the National Geographic Society in Washington, D.C., showcased media and dialogue about the ways in which funders can support storytelling as a powerful lever in the fight for equal justice.
Below, you’ll find recordings of each session, links to resources, and transcripts for each session in chronological order so that you can watch any portion of the day. Also check out our 2022 Media Impact Forum photo album, which captures the excitement and energy of our network!
Agenda
Resourcing Voices from Around the World
What is authentic storytelling? What are the best examples of effective philanthropic support? This expert panel showcased powerful examples of resourcing and sustaining voices and stories of justice from around the world, raising our awareness of the different approaches philanthropy can pursue to support equal justice.
- Cristi Hegranes, CEO & Publisher, Global Press
- Khadija Patel, Head of Programs, International Fund for Public Interest Media (on screen)
- Ivan Sigal, Executive Director, Global Voices
- Alex Jakana, Program Officer, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation; Member of the Media Impact Funders Board of Directors (moderator)
Relevant resources related to this discussion:
- Global Press Duty of Care Program
- International Fund for Public Interest Media Call for Proposals
Research Spotlight
The science behind decision making, negotiations and conflict
Julia Minson, Associate Professor of Public Policy at the Harvard Kennedy School of Government and a Civic Science Fellow at the Shorenstein Center, is a decision scientist whose research addresses the “psychology of disagreement”: How do people engage with opinions, judgments and decisions that are different from our own? Julia, a native of Russia, is partnering on an international initiative, mail2RU, to send anti-war messaging and independent news to the people of Russia.
There’s a huge untapped workforce of people who want to fight disinformation and build bridges across divides. But people have a hard time communicating effectively in the midst of conflict. @JuliaMinson #MIForum
— Media Impact Funders (@MediaFunders) June 1, 2022
Relevant resources related to this discussion:
- International initiative to correct disinformation about the Russian invasion of Ukraine: mail2ru.org
- Julia’s presentation on the “psychology of disagreement” at the 2022 Frank gathering
Engaging Affected Communities With “The Territory”
The National Geographic film “The Territory” is a powerful example of engaging communities affected by climate change and stolen land in the media making process.
- Marianna Olinger, Lead Impact Producer, “The Territory”
- Alex Pritz, Director, “The Territory”
- Txai Suruí, Executive Producer, “The Territory” (on screen)
The impact campaign for “The Territory” was led by the Idigenous Uru-eu-wau-wau community. Objectives: Elevate Indigenous voices, protect Indigenous land, advance legislation & reduce consumption of products fueling deforestation. @MariannaOlinger #MIForum
— Media Impact Funders (@MediaFunders) June 1, 2022
Uncovering Hidden Truths about Facebook
In 2021, former Facebook data scientist Frances Haugen disclosed thousands of internal documents to lawmakers and regulators, sparking allegations that Facebook intentionally placed profit over the public good. After the release of “The Facebook Papers,” Color of Change—the nation’s largest online social justice organization—called for immediate government intervention. This fascinating conversation, moderated by Doris Duke Charitable Foundation President Sam Gill, explored the social consequences of algorithms that push misinformation, disinformation and hate speech.
- Frances Haugen, Former Facebook Data Scientist and Whistleblower
- Rashad Robinson, President, Color of Change
- Sam Gill, President and CEO, Doris Duke Charitable Foundation (moderator)
Facebook knew that we could not grow a network of accountability if they did not release data that peels back the curtain on their operations. Without legislative action, we’ll never be able to build muscle on platform accountability. @FrancesHaugen #MIForum
— Media Impact Funders (@MediaFunders) June 1, 2022
Civil rights requires transparency in societies with power imbalances. We know they will exist, but not being able to track or have accountability on social platforms will drag us into the past, not move us forward into the future. @rashadrobinson @ColorOfChange #MIForum
— Media Impact Funders (@MediaFunders) June 1, 2022
Relevant resources related to this discussion:
- Inside Color of Change’s fight to fix Big Tech
- A roundup of news articles about The Facebook Papers
A Brief Update on the Effort to Subsidize Journalism
Steve Waldman, Co-Founder and President of Report for America, and Founder and Chair of the Rebuild Local News Coalition, will share the latest developments on the Local Journalism Sustainability Act, a bill that would provide Americans with a five-year credit of up to $250 annually to subscribe or donate to local news outlets.
Breakout session: Story to drive lasting change: A Look at the Florida Wildlife Corridor
Watch this breakout session for a deep look at how funders can support compelling and well-designed stories that lead to lasting, observable change. Our panel deconstructed Florida’s successful effort to drive publicly funded conservation, and shared four research-based principles that you can bring to your next project.
- Vanessa Serrao, Executive Producer and Creative Director of Impact Media at National Geographic Society
- Ann Searight, director of the UF Center for Public Interest Communications and clinical professor of public relations
- Matt Sheehan, managing director of the UF Center for Public Interest Communications and senior lecturer of journalism
View the slides from this presentation.
A Focus on Storytelling with the Chicago Community Trust
More community foundations are recognizing the importance of public-interest media as a critical ingredient in building and sustaining healthy communities. Watch this clip for a spotlight on efforts by the Chicago Community Trust to support local journalism and storytelling platforms authentic to and anchored within Chicago’s Black and Latinx communities.
- Daniel Ash, Associate Vice President of Community Impact, Chicago Community Trust
Below are relevant resources related to this discussion:
- The Triibe digital platform seeking to reshape the Black narrative in Chicago
- Community Foundations & Media: Funding Data from 2009-2021
Reframing, Reclaiming and Preserving Black Narratives
This rich panel discussion introduced funders to storytellers, curators and archivists who are all working to reshape narratives around the Black experience.
- Kamau Sadiki, Past President of the National Association of Black Scuba Divers and lead diving instructor for Diving with a Purpose—the team that identified the Clotilda, the last-known ship to bring slaves from Africa to the United States.
- Angela J. Ford, Executive Director, Obsidian Collection—a resource hub for Black journalists and media organizations
- Mary Elliott, Curator, Smithsonian National Museum of African American History & Culture
- Tara Roberts, National Geographic Explorer and Storyteller (moderator)
Relevant resources related to this discussion:
- “Into the Depths” podcast hosted by National Geographic Explorer Tara Roberts
Research Spotlight: Media impact research
University of Southern California’s Norman Lear Center Managing Director Johanna Blakley will share the organization’s overall approach to media impact research. Norman Lear’s research focuses on understanding the content of media narratives, the audiences who consume them, and their impact on knowledge, attitudes and behavior.
- Johanna Blakley, Managing Director of the Norman Lear Center
View the slides for this presentation.
Breakout sessions
What Works in Science Journalism? Best Practices for Maximizing Impact
Norman Lear Center Director of Research Erica Rosenthal discussed preliminary findings from a study of “what works” in science journalism, supported by the Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI). Drawing from interviews with journalists and climate communication experts, along with a landscape analysis describing the state of the field of science journalism, she will present 10 emerging best practices for maximizing the impact of science reporting. The goal of this research, which is still ongoing, is to inform future investments in science journalism. Next steps include an analysis of the prevalence of the identified best practices in stories produced through an HHMI-funded climate journalism initiative and the relationships between these best practices and social media reach and engagement.
Overview of The Guardian’s Journalism Impact Toolkit
The Guardian has developed a robust suite of tools to measure impact and gain insights about philanthropically supported journalism. In this presentation, Rachel White—Executive Vice President of Philanthropic & Strategic Partnerships at Guardian News & Media—offered an overview of the Guardian’s impact toolkit, three brief case studies of how impact measurement tools were deployed for specific editorial projects, and brought particular focus to the role of social listening tools.
- Erica Rosenthal, Director of Research, Norman Lear Center
- Rachel White, Executive Vice President of Philanthropic & Strategic Partnerships, Guardian News & Media
Stories for Justice: A Multiyear Storytelling Initiative
As storytelling about the criminal justice system surged in recent years, ITVS (the largest funder of independent documentary film for public television) and its Emmy Award-winning PBS documentary series “Independent Lens” built Stories for Justice, a multiyear strategy to spark community conversations and boost the work of those on the front lines of justice reform.
- Grace Anglin, ITVS Director of Research and Evaluation, A 10+ year veteran of evaluation focused on equity in health and social services
- Angela Tucker, Producer of “Belly of the Beast”
- Noland Walker, ITVS VP of Content, co-curator of Independent Lens, executive producer of the forthcoming Stories for Justice docuseries The Dallas Project and member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences
- Lolly Bowean, Program Officer, Creativity and Free Expression, Ford Foundation (moderator)
Relevant resources related to this discussion:
- Stories for Justice impact report