The 2025 Media Impact Forum Agenda

The 2025 Media Impact Forum: Safeguarding Media & Journalism

The media landscape is undergoing a seismic shift. Influencers aren't just trendsetters anymore; they're newsmakers who are reshaping how we consume and interpret information. With nearly 40% of young adults turning to influencers to make sense of current events, the lines between journalism, commentary, and influencer are blurring. How news is consumed and how stories are told represents a fundamental shift that is challenging the philanthropic community to confront a critical question: How can we ensure a future with truth-telling and a shared understanding of the world? Our 2025 Media Impact Forum will address these dynamics and the implications of how audiences consume content on journalism, truth, and democracy. During our daylong showcase, we’ll spotlight the research, storytellers and projects that are redefining the way audiences engage with news and media. Join us as we examine the challenges and opportunities presented by this new media ecosystem and discuss strategies to foster a future in which accurate information prevails.

June 10, 2025

8:15 a.m.–7 p.m. ET

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MORNING BLOCK

8:15 a.m.—Registration and Networking

Welcome & Introductions

The Media’s Role in Democracy: A Call for Responsibility and Change
“Death by a thousand cuts” is the phrase Maria Ressa—a Filipino-American journalist who co-founded Rappler, a Manila-based digital media company known for its investigative journalism—has used to describe the gradual erosion of democratic norms and institutions. This slow, insidious process, Maria warns, can weaken democracies to the point of collapse. Awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for her efforts to safeguard freedom of expression, Maria is joining us as the opening keynote speaker for our Media Impact Forum on June 10 at the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia. Maria, in conversation with WURD President and CEO Sara Lomax, will be sharing her perspectives on the impact of disinformation and the role of social media in shaping public perception; how today’s technology platforms undermine democratic processes and fuel division; and the path forward for fostering a media ecosystem rooted in truth, integrity, and empathy.

  • Maria Ressa, Co-Founder, Rappler
  • Sara Lomax, President and CEO, WURD

Bridging Impact: Nonprofits, Creators, and the Future of Digital Engagement
Building on the exploration of democracy’s challenges, Ashwath Narayanan, CEO of Social Currant, will examine how nonprofits can harness the power of creator partnerships to reach and engage diverse audiences. This session will spotlight actionable strategies and insights into navigating the rapidly evolving social media landscape, highlighting a nonprofit’s success story that demonstrates the transformative potential of these collaborations.

  • Ashwath Narayanan, CEO, Social Currant

Brain Burst: Engaging Nano and Micro-Influencers
“Newsfluencers” are more than just social media media magnets. They are micro-media outlets with deep domain expertise who create opinion-setting content for highly engaged local audiences. Justin Arenstein, co-CEO of ICFJ+ (International Center for Journalists), explains how to use narrative mapping and social listening to find the right allies for building mutually beneficial partnerships.

  • Justin Arenstein, Co-Founder & CEO, Code for Africa; co-CEO, ICFJ+ (International Center for Journalists)

Networking Break (45 minutes)

The Power of Narrative: Understanding the Playbook Shaping Public Opinion
Rita Parhad and Sydney Apple from Protagonist, which specializes in narrative strategy, will present an overview of highly compelling research conducted in partnership with the Lumina Foundation about how partisan media shapes our public discourse. With a particular focus on the influential right-wing media ecosystem, Rita and Sydney will show how certain tactics are advancing a core set of strategic narratives that are shaping how Americans view themselves and their place in the world. This session will also include an update on Protagonist’s most recent research: an examination of left-wing media outlets and their own efforts to shape the public conversation. Rita and Sydney will lay the foundation for understanding how these dynamics shape issues such as academic freedom, immigrant rights, climate action, racial & gender equity, and economic justice. Attendees interested in learning actionable insights can participate in an afternoon breakout session for deeper engagement and solutions-focused discussion.

  • Rita Parhad, President, Protagonist
  • Sydney Apple, Director of Foundation and Nonprofit Work, Protagonist

Brain Burst: Science Meets Storytelling
These are challenging times for science, as misinformation rises and resources disappear. Amid this, many Americans are tuning out, overwhelmed by heavy headlines. Yet, science literacy is more vital than ever. Flora Lichtman, the new host of Science Friday, is redefining how science connects with the public. By transforming viral pop culture moments into teachable opportunities, she weaves science into everyday narratives. Drawing from her experience as host of Gimlet’s Every Little Thing podcast, Flora uses curiosity and storytelling to engage audiences and build trust. Flora will share how Science Friday is inspiring new audiences with playful, relevant content, offering a blueprint for making science—and truth—accessible and engaging in today’s fragmented media landscape.

  • Flora Lichtman, Host, Science Friday

Putting Research into Action: Culture-First Approach to Climate Narratives
This session explores how Harmony Labs and Earth Alliance collaborated to identify and engage audiences missing from the climate conversation, blending together in one pilot project groundbreaking behavioral media research with influencer partnerships and media testing and iteration. Harmony Labs Executive Director Brian Waniewski will share key research findings and showcase how these findings informed an influencer media strategy to connect with untapped audiences, offering climate communicators new pathways for engaging diverse communities.

  • Brian Waniewski, Executive Director, Harmony Labs

Networking Lunch (65 minutes)

AFTERNOON BLOCK

Brain Burst: Beyond the Mainstream with Hyper-Local Radio

Hyper-local radio outlets play a crucial role in fostering trust, amplifying diverse voices, and addressing the unique needs of their communities. G-Town Radio, a community station based in the Germantown neighborhood of Philadelphia, exemplifies this mission by broadcasting local content, community news and a diverse spectrum of music that mainstream media often overlooks. G-Town Radio highlights the essential role hyper-local media plays in strengthening democracy and supporting vibrant, informed communities.

  • Tom Casetta, Station Manager, G-Town Radio/WGGT-LP 92.9fm

Strengthening Connections: Using the Civic Information Index to Bridge Information Gaps
How can media outlets better connect with their communities and audiences? In this session, Jesse Hardman of Listening Post Collective and Maritza Félix of Conecta Arizona will explore how the Civic Information Index—developed through a collaboration between the Listening Post Collective at Internews, the Information Futures Lab at Brown University, and an expert advisory group—maps drivers of engaged, informed, and equitable communities. By identifying gaps in civic information, the Index helped Conecta Arizona focus on under-addressed topics, fostering more meaningful and relevant connections with their community. With data on volunteerism, housing insecurity, medical debt, and local news presence, the Index offers media organizations a powerful tool to understand community strengths and challenges. This session will showcase how the Index framework, methodology, and findings can guide journalism stakeholders in building deeper, data-driven relationships with their audiences and addressing critical community needs.

  • Jesse Hardman, Founder and Senior Program Advisor, Listening Post Collective
  • Maritza Félix, Founder and Director, Conecta Arizona

Musical Performance by Dillon Scott

Attendees will enjoy a performance by and conversation with violist Dillon Scott, the Mark E. Rubenstein Fellow at the Curtis Institute of Music. Dillon will be in conversation with WRTI General Manager Bill Johnson.

Public Media’s Evolution in the Digital Age

As we look to the future, this final session confronts a key question: How do we envision and build the next phase of public media and public interest technologies, ensuring that they are vital resources in evolving media ecosystems?

Building on the day’s discussions around disinformation, creator partnerships, hyper-local impact, and bridging information gaps, this forward-looking conversation will feature Ivan Sigal, the interim executive director of Free our Feeds and Ryan Merkley, COO of NPR. Moderated by Bill Johnson of WRTI, the conversation will tackle the challenge of how public media, often operating with established “old-school” approaches, can strategically leverage emerging technologies and develop entirely new concepts to not only reach audiences that may not currently be engaged, but also to foster environments where the public actively participates in and critically engages with crucial information.

  • Bill Johnson, General Manager, WRTI (moderator)
  • Ryan Merkley, COO, NPR
  • Ivan Sigal, Interim Executive Director, Free our Feeds

Break (30 minutes)

3:30-4:25 p.m.—CONCURRENT SESSIONS

Session 1: Countering Strategic Narratives: Solutions for Advancing Social Progress
For those looking to dive deeper into the research presented by Rita Parhad and Sydney Apple of Protagonist, this breakout session offers an opportunity to engage with thought leaders and practitioners on strategies to build the infrastructure for strategic narratives. In conversation with Nima Shirazi from Spitfire Strategies, alongside Rita Parhad from Protagonist, Janai Raphael of Lumina Foundation, moderated by Sandy Herz, the session will explore actionable steps funders and stakeholders can take to build infrastructures for fair and thriving media ecosystems.

Through a mix of discussion and collaboration, attendees will examine case studies, share challenges, and identify solutions to amplify social movements, protect academic freedom, and promote equitable policies. This session is designed for those ready to connect research insights to tangible actions that foster a more just and inclusive society. What is the call to action? Supporting this work is worth doing.

  • Nima Shirazi, Vice President, Spitfire Strategies
  • Rita Parhad, President, Protagonist
  • Janai Raphael, Strategy Officer for Access, Lumina Foundation
  • Sandy Herz, Co-founder, WUCO Impact (moderator)

Session 2: From Misinformation to Understanding: Tools for a Less Polarized World
In this session, experts will explore actionable strategies to combat the dual challenges of misinformation and polarization. Andy Norman will discuss the emerging sciences of infectious and manipulative information, offering insights into how we can help individuals build resistance to the worst vectors of cognitive contagion. Julia Minson will complement this by sharing research-backed strategies for fostering receptiveness and engaging constructively with opposing views. Together, they will illustrate how improving both how we process and communicate information can lead to healthier, more solutions-oriented dialogue.

  • Julia Minson, Associate Professor of Public Policy, Harvard Kennedy School of Government
  • Andy Norman, Professor at Carnegie Mellon University; Author of “Mental Immunity: Infectious Ideas, Mind-Parasites and the Search for a Better Way to Think”
  • Nancy Gibbs, Director, Shorenstein Center on Media, Politics and Public Policy, Harvard Kennedy School (moderator)

Session 3: Beyond the Newsroom—Lessons in Trust and Engagement from the Creator Economy
As trust in news continues to erode, how can journalists adopt proven strategies from influencer spaces to connect meaningfully with audiences and rebuild credibility? Well, as it turns out, many individuals sharing information in these influencer spaces are themselves journalists—often referred to as “creator journalists”—highlighting the blurring lines in today’s media ecosystem. This session examines the evolving media landscape and offers funders insight into how news organizations can adapt to meet changing audience behaviors and support the entire spectrum of information providers.

The panelists will discuss approaches to leveraging social platforms, building stronger audience relationships, and fostering trust in journalism. Funders will gain a deeper understanding of how supporting these practices can empower newsrooms and creator journalists alike to connect with diverse communities and sustain trust in public media across this wide spectrum of options.

  • Joy Mayer, Executive Director, Trusting News
  • Liz Kelly Nelson, Founder, Project C (moderator)
  • Jai Smith, Founder and Editor-in-Chief, Lehigh Daily
  • Chris Wink, Co-Founder, Technical.ly

4:45 p.m.—Next Challenge Awards (60 minutes)

MIF is excited to announce a partnership with the Glen Nelson Center at American Public Media Group. As part of Media Impact Forum programming, MIF and the Glen Nelson Center are co-hosting the 2025 Next Challenge for Media & Journalism National Awards Celebration.

The Next Challenge is a national competition promoting groundbreaking ideas and trailblazing startups that will reinvent the media industry over the coming decade. This year’s competition will award $200,000 in grants to both nonprofit and for-profit startups transforming local news, building technology to power newsrooms, and analyzing publicly-available data to power essential local journalism. Media Impact Forum attendees will find inspiration in these early-stage startups tackling the very questions the Media Impact Forum is exploring about the future of media and journalism.

This year’s competition is aligned with Press Forward, a national coalition of funders investing more than $500 million to strengthen local newsrooms, close longstanding gaps in journalism coverage, advance public policy that expands access to local news, and to scale the infrastructure the sector needs to survive.

5:45-7 p.m.—Cocktail Hour (75 minutes)