JTM

by Matt Rosenberg

In January of this year, I was one of several hundred participants in a Pacific Northwest conference staged by a national organization with Seattle-area roots, Journalism That Matters. Since their initial conference in New York City in October 2001, JTM has been bringing together journalists and increasingly, others interested in the growing and changing public information ecosphere. The aim has been to puzzle through epic changes in the news and information landscape and creatively develop new approaches, alliances and projects that strengthen bonds of community and democracy through constructive engagement. The JTM Pacific Northwest (JTM-PNW) conference at the University of Washington in Seattle drew a diverse group of current and former legacy media journalists, specialty media, new media and social media practitioners, representatives of non-profits including civic and advocacy groups, some very talented and capable students, and others. Ten initiatives have come forward as a direct result of the conference. They are at varying stages.

If you attended all or part of Re-imagining News & Community in the Pacific Northwest  from January 7-10, 2010, we invite your feedback in the comments of this post.  Here are some questions to consider:

1. What's your key takeaway from the conference for U.S. journalism?

2. What do you believe can happen, what will change, as a result of the conference?

3. What will you be doing?

4.  What else would you like to say about your conference experience?

Thanks again for joining us for Re-imagining News and Community in the Pacific Northwest.

The JTM-PNW Organizers

Sanjay Bhatt, Michael C. Bradbury, Deb Brandt, Bill Densmore, Mike Fancher, John Hamer, Sheri Herndon, Peggy Holman, Jonathan Lawson, Dave Messerschmidt, Cate Montana, Stephen Silha, Anne Stadler