National Conference for Media Reform 2011, Call for Suggestions

We need your ideas to help shape our program for the 2011 National Conference for Media Reform in Boston. Please provide input by suggesting a session, presenter or topic.

The deadline for suggestions is 5 p.m. ET on Sept. 10, 2010, so be sure to submit your ideas before then. Click on the links below to read more about the call for suggestions.

• Call for Suggestions and Guidelines

• Session Selection Process

• Suggest a Session, Speaker or Topic

• Timeline and Presenter Responsibilities

Call for Suggestions and Guidelines

Program Priorities

We are looking for session proposals on topics related to media reform, media activism and media policy.

In order to be considered, sessions should fit into one of our themed tracks for the conference:

• Policy and Politics

  Sessions in this track will highlight today’s most pressing media policy debates, discuss how to advance the public interest in Washington, and explore the media’s impact on some of the world’s most pressing political issues.

• Social Justice and Movement Building

  Sessions in this track will look at the connections between media and social, political and economic justice issues, as well as share strategies for organizing a diverse, savvy and effective popular movement for better media.  

• Journalism and Public Media

  Sessions in this track will focus on the future of journalism, spotlight innovative projects and policy ideas, and survey the diverse landscape of public, noncommercial, community, ethnic, alternative and new media.

• Media Makers, Culture and the Arts

  Sessions in this track will explore music, art, film and other creative media, showcasing inspiring projects, examining how media and technology are affecting our culture, and connecting the arts to media policy and politics.

• Technology and Innovation

  Sessions in this track will investigate how technology is reshaping media, politics and our daily lives. These sessions will feature new ideas from innovative thinkers using technology for social change.

• Workshops and Trainings

  Sessions in this track will include how-to workshops, hands-on training, skills-building, "best practices" case studies, models for successful campaigns and strategies for engaging key constituencies.

Sessions should be designed to:

• Energize, motivate and inspire participants to reform the media.

• Educate on pressing media reform issues and actions to achieve real change.

• Share models for successful media reform campaigns and actions.

• Strengthen the skills of activists working for media reform.

• Examine "who's doing what" in various sectors of media reform, media policy and media activism.

• Provide opportunities to network, connect with allies, and meet others interested in making media better.

• Discuss strategies for realizing concrete change in our media system.

Presentation Format

• Each session will be slotted for 90 minutes. Session designers may propose to use two time slots for multi-part sessions, in particular for skill-building workshops.
• Sessions will be held in rooms that vary in size from 25 participants to 800 participants.
• All sessions should be interactive and participatory. Q&A, discussions, debates and creative ways to engage with attendees and move beyond traditional panel-and-questions formats are highly encouraged. Sessions should include presenters who can offer a range of perspectives on media reform, media policy and activism. Diversity of views may be based on age, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation and gender identity, ideology, physical ability, socio-economic background, profession or political views, among other identifying features.

Session Selection Process

For NCMR 2011, we’ll have a two-part selection process. The first part will consist of a new online voting system. The second part will consist of review by the Free Press program committee.

Part 1: Online Voting System

Session proposals that meet the program priorities and selection criteria and fit into one of the themed tracks will be included in an online voting system. The online voting system will allow people to provide feedback on session ideas and “vote” for their favorites. This feedback will help us identify the best proposals and shape the final program. You are encouraged to promote your proposal to your networks and invite people to support your session.

Here’s how it works:

• You submit your session idea before Sept. 10, 2010.
• Your idea goes through a quick approval process to ensure that it’s on topic, relevant to media reform and fits with the priorities of this conference and the interests of conference participants.
• You will receive an e-mail notification letting you know whether your session has been approved.
• If approved, we will enter your session into the online voting system in early October, when voting opens.
• At that time, you will receive a follow-up e-mail letting you know that your session is open for voting. The e-mail will contain an individual ‘permalink’ page to send to your networks to encourage them to vote for your session. We encourage session designers to promote their sessions by circulating the permalink to their networks. (Need more information about promoting your session? See "How do I promote my session?")
• You can log in to vote on other sessions as well.

Please note that the Free Press program committee will give strong consideration to session proposals that get high vote counts. However, other criteria will also be considered by the committee to determine the final program. We reserve the right to accept or reject any proposal.

Please keep in mind that we will likely receive many more session proposals than can be included in the NCMR 2011 program. Many worthy sessions may be declined simply due to the constraints of space and time. In instances where we have multiple proposals for a similar topic or presenter, we may ask session designers to collaborate with each other and merge their proposals.

Part 2: Determining the Final Program

The Free Press program committee will select sessions using the following criteria:

• Objective & Fit: Does this session fit with the priorities of this conference and our audience? Does it address solutions to the problems of our media system? Does it inspire individuals to become more involved in media reform? Is the objective clear? Is it doable in a 90-minute session? Is the session topic too broad or narrow?
• Need: Is this one of the most pressing topics in media reform?
• Presenter Qualifications: Are the proposed presenters the most qualified available to address the proposed topic? Will they be engaging, knowledgeable, inclusive and well-prepared? Will the proposed speakers be able to attend the conference? Are there other speakers who should be included?
• Diversity: Will the proposed presenters offer a diversity of perspectives that are relevant to the discussion?
• Audience: Does this session fit the needs and interests of a broad swath of conference participants? What level of knowledge or familiarity with the topic does it assume?
• Balance: Does this session include a balanced presentation of topics, opinions or perspectives?
• Format: Is the format appropriate for the topic? Is the proposed session interactive? Does it improve upon or go beyond the typical panel/Q&A format? Is this a format the conference can accommodate?
• Willingness to collaborate: Is the submitter willing to collaborate with other presenters or with others who have suggested similar topics? Is the submitter open to merging proposals?
• Votes: How was the proposal received by the public? How many votes did it receive compared to other session proposals?

We will likely receive many more session proposals than we can include in the conference program. Many worthy sessions and suggestions may be declined simply due to the constraints of space and time.

The Free Press program committee will oversee and shape each track. The committee may suggest that you combine or merge your proposed session with another session, shift the focus of your session, or alter your proposed lineup of speakers.

When are proposals due?

The call for suggestions will close on Sept. 10, 2010, so be sure to get your proposals in before the deadline. Proposals submitted after the deadline will be difficult to incorporate and are not guaranteed to be reviewed by the Free Press program committee or entered into the online voting system.
 
Voting will open on Oct. 4, 2010, and will close on Oct. 25, 2010. All deadlines are 5 p.m. ET.

Only ideas submitted through this online process will be considered. We’re happy to discuss your ideas this summer, but it’s your responsibility to ensure that your idea is submitted online and confirmed before the deadline. You will know that your idea has been confirmed when you receive a confirmation e-mail from Free Press.

Please do not send hard copies, attachments or any other documents.

We can make accommodations as needed for those who do not have Internet access by providing a paper copy of the submission forms. To discuss this option or to request a paper copy, please call 877-888-1533 x 202.

How will I know my submission has been received?

When you submit your session idea online, you will receive an e-mail confirmation acknowledging your submission and letting you know whether your suggestion has been approved for voting. If you do not receive an e-mail within five business days, contact us at 877-888-1533 x 202 or conference@freepress.net

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Suggest a Session, Speaker or Topic

I Want to Propose a Session >>

If you are interested in proposing a panel or workshop idea, please be sure to read our guidelines for session proposals. Then, review the proposal submission form and write your proposal. When you are ready, please complete the proposal submission form. Session proposals received before the Sept. 10, 2010, deadline will be considered for inclusion in the online voting system.
 

I Want to Recommend a Speaker >>

If you have an informal recommendation for a presenter you’d like to see at the conference, please make a suggestion here. We’ll consider these suggestions in addition to formal session proposals. We won’t include presenter suggestions in the online voting system, however.
 

I Want to Recommend a Topic >>

If you’d like to informally suggest a topic you’d like to see addressed at the conference, please make a suggestion here. We’ll consider these suggestions in addition to formal session proposals. We won’t include topic suggestions in the online voting system, however.
 
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Timeline and Presenter Responsibilities

When will I hear from Free Press about my proposal?

This tentative timeline will give you a sense of what to expect. All deadlines are 5 p.m. ET.

July – September 2010	Session proposals will be solicited and reviewed on a rolling basis. Sessions that meet program priorities and other conference criteria will be added to the online voting system.
Sept. 10, 2010	Deadline for submitting session proposals.
Oct. 4, 2010	Voting will open.
Oct. 25, 2010	Voting will close.
November – December 2010	The Free Press program committee will review all submissions and select sessions. Session designers may be asked to clarify aspects of their proposal or provide additional information so that the committee can make an informed decision.
January 2011	All session designers will receive information from Free Press about the status of each proposal. Proposals may be accepted, invited with modifications, or declined.
January – February 2011	Session designers will work with co-presenters, refine the session's content, make modifications as requested, complete format and agenda, submit room set-up and audio-visual needs.
March 1, 2011	The Free Press program committee will confirm the schedule (day and time) for all sessions.
April 8-10, 2011	Designers of selected sessions will oversee presentation of the sessions at the conference.

If my proposal is selected, what am I responsible for?

Registration, travel, lodging

• Presenters must do their own travel planning and book their own transportation and lodging.
• All presenters will receive free admission to the conference. We’ll waive the $175 registration fee.

Communication with Free Press and co-presenters; advance preparation

If your session is accepted, we’ll ask you to:

• Make modifications to the session as requested by the Free Press program committee.
• Communicate with the Free Press program committee staff promptly as needed.
• Identify room setup and audio/visual requirements by the deadline requested.
• Communicate with co-presenters.
• Plan and prepare presentations before the conference.
• Promote your session in advance of the conference.
• Attend the conference.
• Bring with you any resource materials to be distributed at the conference.

I have more questions ...

If you have other questions that are not answered here or in the FAQ, please e-mail Mary Alice Crim at conference@freepress.net

Please submit your ideas for sessions, workshops, presenters and topics through the links provided above – not through this e-mail address.

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