The Knight Media Forum is the premier gathering of leaders in philanthropy, journalism and technology working to strengthen local news, communities and democracy.
The 2020 election and the pandemic have accelerated the polarization of the media in the United States, hardening Americans into two information silos shaped principally by partisanship. This fractured media ecosystem has serious consequences for American democracy and institutions, from national elections to decision-making at City Hall.
The one medium proven to break through the partisan divide, and bring people together around a common set of facts, is local news.
The 2021 Knight Media Forum will examine how local news innovators and their supporters are responding to the pandemic, the national reckoning over systemic racism, and misinformation that undermines the trust needed for democracy to function. It will highlight business models that are gaining traction, and approaches to audience engagement that are changing local journalism from within.
The event will be oriented towards action; expect to leave with the knowledge you need to address cutting-edge issues and major trends in local news, along with practical tools and replicable ideas to promote more informed and engaged communities.
While the forum is geared towards foundation presidents and leaders in media and technology, the 2021 forum is online and open to all.
Featured speakers include:
Cesar Conde, Chairman, NBCUniversal News Group
Renée DiResta, Stanford Internet Observatory
Professor Henry Louis Gates, Jr., Harvard University
Dr. Helene D. Gayle, The Chicago Community Trust
Tristan Harris, Center for Humane Technology
Brad Smith, Microsoft President
Isabel Wilkerson, Author and Journalist
Thomas Chatterton Williams, American cultural critic and author