Gwu-program
Forwarded message ----------
Date: Tue, 7 Apr 2009 11:54:17 -0400 (EDT) From: Bill Densmore <densmorew@rjionline.org> To: "Picht, Randy" <RPICHT@ap.org> Subject: A discussion starter for a phone call shortly?
OK. Discussions are going on here. We think we want to go in two directions:
(1) Push on prototype of InfoValet and
(2) Work more broadly to push a variety of other services/products for sustaining journalism and the news industry through what we're calling an Innovation Engine at RJI.
Candidly, the development of InfoValet slowed the last few weeks because we weren't sure there was catalytic marketplace support for the idea. Your call, and Dean Singleton's speech, seem to suggest we were wrong.
So here is what April 27 might look like. What do you think?
Times are approximate.
In the morning that day:
1) 10 a.m. -- Announce the "Journalism Trust Initiative's Innovation Engine at RJI" Martin Langeveld would be project director. A one-year do-tank to discover, assess, integrate and deploy multiple revenue solutions for the news industry (of which InfoValet is just one) Platform agnostic (which is why this can't be done by NAA or API).
2) 10:30 a.m. -- Present a strategic analysis of the news/journalism business and marketplace, with lots of research data (not new data, but a comprehensive compilation and synthesis by Steve Mott, who you know is an ex-McKinsey type)
10:45 a.m. -- break
3) 11:00 a.m. Present InfoValet. Concept demonstration of "how InfoValet will work". Do not imply this is working code; the idea is to present the idea and check that there is consensus on need. Provide some guidance on when to expect prototype. Bill Densmore and Jeff VanderClute will present.
4) 11:45 a.m. -- We'll describe the afternoon proceedings, and will ask people to, during lunch, post on a wall ideas for afternoon breakout sessions.
Noon -- We'll then do a box lunch in an environment where people can mingle, which will allow for informal sharing of reactions to what's just been presented -- some informal sense making.
During lunch, I and other organizers will be looking at the break-out calls, and trying to boil them down to a number of sessions (2-5 depending on overall attendance) that are related in their called topics. This is sort of like what we did at "Blueprint."
AFter the box lunch:
4) 1 p.m. -- Lee Wilkins will present the privacy-study results, with Q&A; possibly some briefs from other privacy/demographics experts, if we get them in the room.
5) 1:45 p.m. -- For this whole semester, we've had a brilliant grad student at Mizzou working on a conceptual history of efforts to finance web news content, going back to 1995. She's going to report that history in a PowerPoint, with her own critical analysis. It should give people a baseline. Her name is Emily Sussman.
Recall also that John Hart, who was general counsel to the New Century Network and who has been advising InfoValet, will also be there. There may be many other people in the Jack Morton Auditorium at GWU (a really stunning facility, BTW), with specific knowledge; and we'll probably get some Q&A going after both Lee's and Emily's presentations.
2:30 p.m. -- Discussion and snack break. (Behind the scenes, we tee up the breakouts)
6. 3:00 p.m. -- Self-identified convenors call their 2-5 breakouts. (We will have done a bit of orchestrating of the ideas posted and checked with each lead convenor or convenors who we want to conflate their ideas).
3:45 p.m.-4:15 p.m. -- Break outs return -- A very fast faciliated "what have we learned" and "next steps" session. (Bill Densmore)
