In this forum we consider the pivotal role of information and facts in a healthy democracy.

Many people think that America is coming apart at the seams, for a variety of reasons.  Most glaringly, polarization has split entire communities, dividing friends and families from each other so that prospects for the next election look grim. However, there might be some good news on the horizon.  Literally.  Recent research shows that one way to improve voter activity, decrease polarization and boost municipal bond rating is to inject community news into people’s lives. Local news, it would seem, acts as a binding agent for democracy.

Speakers

Charles Sennott

Charles Sennott, Founder and Editor-in-Chief of The GroundTruth Project, is home to Report for America. Sennott is an award-winning correspondent, best-selling author and editor with 30 years of experience in international, national and local journalism. A leading social entrepreneur, Sennott is a graduate of Columbia University’s Graduate School of Journalism and was a Nieman Fellow at Harvard University. Sennott is joined by a panel of journalists and media entrepreneurs from around the country who will discuss how delivering local news can glue democracy back together. 

Carol Wood

Carol Wood is Business Innovation Director for the Colorado News Collaborative, which supports 180 media organizations in Colorado.  Founder of Emerge Media Group, she provides fractional COO services, as well as monetization and sustainability consulting, to news organizations across the country.  Carol’s passion to protect democracy and press freedom drives her work helping all types of media companies develop sustainable business practices, strategy, growth and sound operations.

“Bobbie” Roessner

“Bobbie” Roessner, founding editor of The New Bedford Light, is passionate about the power of public service journalism to inform and empower communities. Roessner was a Knight Journalism Fellow at Stanford University and has twice been a Pulitzer juror. She currently serves on the board of the New England First Amendment Coalition, advocating for open government and press freedoms.

Tracie Powell

Tracie Powell is a leader in philanthropic efforts to increase racial equity and diversity in news media and founder of the Pivot Fund, which supports independent BIPOC community news.    Powell was founding fund manager of the Racial Equity in Journalism (REJ) Fund at Borealis Philanthropy. Powell is also the founder of AllDigitocracy.org, which focuses on the media and its impact on diverse communities.