About Journalism That Matters — and who we are

Journalism That Matters is the name used by an informal collaborative which has been meeting and talking for six years.

Building a news ecology

JOURNALISM THAT MATTERS hosts conversations with a purpose. It engages the entire system of journalism –- reporters, editors, publishers, camera people, photographers, academics and audience, from newspapers, radio, television, and online media, including both mainstream and alternative sources — with the changing nature and definition of news in a changing world. The point is to recommit journalism to what is fundamental for connecting news with its audience so that it serves and sustains us. We talk about building a news ecology which recognizes the pivotal role played by technology and networks, and the elevation of the news consumer to a role creating news as well.

Origins and alumni

Hundreds of people have participated in five JTM convenings since 2001. A representative list of JTM “alumni,” and a short narrative about the originals of JTM, is included in the downloadable PDF backgrounder. Dozens of people have make regular, important contributions to the work of JTM. Here are some of the people who have been most consistently and recently involved in organizing the convenings:

• Chris Peck, editor, The Commercial Appeal, Memphis, Tenn.
• Jim Shaffer, dean, Southern Maine University School of Business
• Stephen Silha, director, Washington News Council
• Peggy Holman, principal, The Open Space Company
• Bill Densmore, director, The Media Giraffe Project at UMass Amherst
• Len Witt, professor, Kennesaw State University

The Media Giraffe Project

The Media Giraffe Project at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, helps to administer JTM initiatives and manages grants and gifts for that purpose.

Bill Densmore / Director-Editor
The Media Giraffe Project
c/o Journalism Program
108 Bartlett Hall
University of Massachusetts
Amherst MA 01003
413-577-4370
jtm@mediagiraffe.org