http://www.centerforsocialmedia.org/ The Center for Social Media showcases and analyzes strategies to use media as creative tools for public knowledge and action. It focuses on social documentaries for civil society and democracy, and on the public media environment that supports them. The Center is part of the School of Communication at American University. en-us socialmedia@american.edu Copyright 2009 2009-05-18T13:00:00-05:00 http://www.centerforsocialmedia.org/resources/publications/fair_use_in_online_video This document is a code of best practices that helps creators, online providers, copyright holders, and others interested in the making of online video interpret the copyright doctrine of fair use. Fair use is the right to use copyrighted material without permission or payment under some circumstances. This is a guide to current acceptable practices, drawing on the actual activities of creators, as discussed among other places in the study Recut, Reframe, Recycle: Quoting Copyrighted Material in User-Generated Video and backed by the judgment of a national panel of experts. It also draws, by way of analogy, upon the professional judgment and experience of documentary filmmakers, whose own code of best practices has been recognized throughout the film and television businesses. Copyright & Fair Use in Teaching, Copyright & Fair Use in Documentary Film, Online Video, CSM Feature, Online Video 2009-05-18T13:00:00-05:00 http://www.centerforsocialmedia.org/resources/publications/fair_use_in_online_video http://www.centerforsocialmedia.org/resources/publications/making_your_media_matter_2009_rapporteurs_report On February 12-13 2009, the Center for Social Media (CSM) hosted its 5th annual MAKING YOUR MEDIA MATTER conference. Read this Rapporteur’s Report to learn about the topics discussed and watch videos from the conference. The videos within this report are just part 1 of each panel. If you want to continue on, you can click on the links below the video. Making Your Media Matter 2009-02-27T13:51:00-05:00 http://www.centerforsocialmedia.org/resources/publications/making_your_media_matter_2009_rapporteurs_report http://www.centerforsocialmedia.org/resources/publications/public_media_2_0_dynamic_engaged_publics Public broadcasting, newspapers, magazines, and network newscasts have all played a central role in our democracy, informing citizens and guiding public conversation. But the top-down dissemination technologies that supported them are being supplanted by an open, many-to-many networked media environment. What platforms, standards, and practices will replace or transform legacy public media? This white paper lays out an expanded vision for “public media 2.0” that places engaged publics at its core, showcasing innovative experiments from its “first two minutes,” and revealing related trends, stakeholders, and policies. Public media 2.0 may look and function differently, but it will share the same goals as the projects that preceded it: educating, informing, and mobilizing its users. Multiplatform, participatory, and digital, public media 2.0 will be an essential feature of truly democratic public life from here on in. And it’ll be media both for and by the public. The grassroots mobilization around the 2008 electoral campaign is just one signal of how digital tools for making and sharing media open up new opportunities for civic engagement. But public media 2.0 won’t happen by accident, or for free. The same bottom-line logic that runs media today will run tomorrow’s media as well. If we’re going to have media for vibrant democratic culture, we have to plan for it, try it out, show people that it matters, and build new constituencies to invest in it. The first and crucial step is to embrace the participatory—the feature that has also been most disruptive of current media models. We also need standards and metrics to define truly meaningful participation in media for public life. And we need policies, initiatives, and sustainable financial models that can turn today’s assets and experiments into tomorrow’s tried-and-true public media. Public media stakeholders, especially such trusted institutions as public broadcasting, need to take leadership in creating a true public investment in public media 2.0. Future of Public Media, Beyond Broadcast, Social Media Distribution, New Media Practices, Policy Issues, CSM Feature 2009-02-16T14:22:00-05:00 http://www.centerforsocialmedia.org/resources/publications/public_media_2_0_dynamic_engaged_publics http://www.centerforsocialmedia.org/resources/publications/greenfilm Making Your Media Matter 2009-02-03T21:10:00-05:00 http://www.centerforsocialmedia.org/resources/publications/greenfilm http://www.centerforsocialmedia.org/resources/publications/code_for_media_literacy_education This document is a code of best practices that helps educators using media literacy concepts and techniques to interpret the copyright doctrine of fair use. Fair use is the right to use copyrighted material without permission or payment under some circumstances—especially when the cultural or social benefits of the use are predominant. It is a general right that applies even in situations where the law provides no specific authorization for the use in question—as it does for certain narrowly defined classroom activities. This guide identifies five principles that represent the media literacy education community’s current consensus about acceptable practices for the fair use of copyrighted materials, wherever and however it occurs: in K–12 education, in higher education, in nonprofit organizations that offer programs for children and youth, and in adult education. Copyright & Fair Use in Teaching, CSM Feature, Media Literacy 2008-11-10T20:42:00-05:00 http://www.centerforsocialmedia.org/resources/publications/code_for_media_literacy_education http://www.centerforsocialmedia.org/resources/publications/media_literacy_faq Educators need to make better use of their fair use rights under copyright law. The Code of Best Practices in Fair Use for Media Literacy Education helps clear away the copyright confusion and, in the process, encourage the use of mass media, popular culture and digital media as a means to build students' critical thinking and communication skills. Here, the Media Education Lab answers some common questions about the Code. Copyright & Fair Use in Teaching, Media Literacy 2008-11-10T14:36:00-05:00 http://www.centerforsocialmedia.org/resources/publications/media_literacy_faq http://www.centerforsocialmedia.org/resources/publications/bb08_rap_report The 3rd annual Beyond Broadcast Conference, titled “Mapping Public Media,” was held June 17th, 2008 at American University. Roundtable discussions, demos and exhibits examined the explosion of digital, participatory maps as public media, and as tools for visualizing the radical shifts in our media terrain. This rapporteur's report offers highlights of the day's events, and includes audio and video of speakers and multimedia presentations. Future of Public Media, Beyond Broadcast, CSM Feature 2008-07-03T12:24:00-05:00 http://www.centerforsocialmedia.org/resources/publications/bb08_rap_report http://www.centerforsocialmedia.org/resources/publications/beyond_broadcast08_downloads Downloads of the Beyond Broadcast podcasts, videos and other materials, for those who just can't get enough of the 2008 Beyond Broadcast conference! Future of Public Media, Beyond Broadcast, CSM Feature 2008-07-02T20:48:00-05:00 http://www.centerforsocialmedia.org/resources/publications/beyond_broadcast08_downloads http://www.centerforsocialmedia.org/resources/publications/public_media_faq In this moment of shifting technologies and emerging platforms, how can we identify public media? Here at the Center for Social Media, we define them as any media expressions or platforms that promote public knowledge and action—that is, the formation of publics that can act together to address common problems. Future of Public Media 2008-04-10T16:58:00-05:00 http://www.centerforsocialmedia.org/resources/publications/public_media_faq http://www.centerforsocialmedia.org/resources/publications/mymm08_rap_report Making Your Media Matter 2008-02-27T16:16:00-05:00 http://www.centerforsocialmedia.org/resources/publications/mymm08_rap_report http://www.centerforsocialmedia.org/resources/publications/mymm_2008_podcast1 Audio podcasts and takeaways from the 2008 Making Your Media Matter conference are now available! We welcome your comments and thoughts about the conference in our discussion forum at the bottom of the page. Making Your Media Matter 2008-02-09T16:16:00-05:00 http://www.centerforsocialmedia.org/resources/publications/mymm_2008_podcast1 http://www.centerforsocialmedia.org/artists/peter_davis Peter Davis, an Emmy/Peabody Award winner, made waves in the documentary film world with his 1974 film about Vietnam, Hearts and Minds. This incendiary film caused great controversy at the time, and has since become regarded as one of the most grippingly honest films about the Vietnam War ever made. 2008-01-23T21:26:00-05:00 http://www.centerforsocialmedia.org/artists/peter_davis http://www.centerforsocialmedia.org/resources/publications/recut_reframe_recycle Online videos frequently quote copyrighted material without permission, in ways that could be entirely legal through fair use. But these works are threatened by anti-piracy measures that do not distinguish adequately between legal and illegal uses. Future of Public Media, Fair Use Teaching Tools, Copyright & Fair Use in Documentary Film, Online Video, Online Video 2007-12-31T22:17:00-05:00 http://www.centerforsocialmedia.org/resources/publications/recut_reframe_recycle http://www.centerforsocialmedia.org/resources/publications/mapping_public_media_inside_and_out This analysis by Center for Social Media Research Director Jessica Clark contrasts the findings revealed by CSM case studies to Govcom.org’s maps of the same media projects, below. Mapping Public Media 2007-12-19T16:45:00-05:00 http://www.centerforsocialmedia.org/resources/publications/mapping_public_media_inside_and_out http://www.centerforsocialmedia.org/resources/publications/fair_use_frequently_asked_questions Since the release of The Statement of Best Practices we have received many inquires about fair use. Here are some of our more commonly asked items. Copyright & Fair Use in Documentary Film, Documentary 2007-12-02T17:22:00-05:00 http://www.centerforsocialmedia.org/resources/publications/fair_use_frequently_asked_questions http://www.centerforsocialmedia.org/resources/articles/map_conclusions Govcom.org's research conclusions Mapping Public Media 2007-11-08T18:24:00-05:00 http://www.centerforsocialmedia.org/resources/articles/map_conclusions http://www.centerforsocialmedia.org/resources/articles/map_global_voices Mapping Public Media 2007-11-06T18:23:01-05:00 http://www.centerforsocialmedia.org/resources/articles/map_global_voices http://www.centerforsocialmedia.org/resources/articles/global_publics This case study by CSM Media Fellow Martin Lucas explores the origins, structure, and impact of Global Voices, an international blogging site designed to increase communication across borders and reveal international issues from the perspectives of citizen media-makers. Mapping Public Media 2007-11-05T15:30:00-05:00 http://www.centerforsocialmedia.org/resources/articles/global_publics http://www.centerforsocialmedia.org/resources/articles/map_the_war_tapes Mapping Public Media 2007-11-04T18:30:00-05:00 http://www.centerforsocialmedia.org/resources/articles/map_the_war_tapes http://www.centerforsocialmedia.org/resources/articles/war_tapes_case_study This case study by CSM Research Fellow Katja Wittke explores the origins, structure, outreach strategies and impact of The War Tapes, a documentary film about the Iraq conflict that incorporated footage shot by soldiers on the front line. Mapping Public Media 2007-11-03T15:38:00-05:00 http://www.centerforsocialmedia.org/resources/articles/war_tapes_case_study http://www.centerforsocialmedia.org/resources/publications/pov_view On the occasion of the 20th anniversary of the groundbreaking PBS documentary series P.O.V., the Center for Social Media interviewed several of those who have led the project through its last two decades on the goals, challenges, and the vision for one of television’s most productive sites for imagining and innovating the future of public media. Future of Public Media 2007-11-02T19:33:00-05:00 http://www.centerforsocialmedia.org/resources/publications/pov_view http://www.centerforsocialmedia.org/resources/publications/research_protocol This Govcom.org research protocol explains the methods used to produce the maps featured below. Mapping Public Media 2007-11-01T20:24:00-05:00 http://www.centerforsocialmedia.org/resources/publications/research_protocol http://www.centerforsocialmedia.org/resources/publications/issue_mapping This conceptual essay by Govcom.org’s director Richard Rogers provides additional information about the Issue Crawler toolset. Mapping Public Media 2007-11-01T20:23:01-05:00 http://www.centerforsocialmedia.org/resources/publications/issue_mapping http://www.centerforsocialmedia.org/resources/articles/map_a_lion_in_the_house Mapping Public Media 2007-11-01T18:22:00-05:00 http://www.centerforsocialmedia.org/resources/articles/map_a_lion_in_the_house http://www.centerforsocialmedia.org/resources/articles/a_lion_in_the_house This case study by CSM Research Fellow Barbara Abrash explores the origins and trajectory of A Lion in the House—a documentary project about childhood cancer—focusing on innovative outreach strategies used to extend its impact. Mapping Public Media 2007-11-01T16:35:01-05:00 http://www.centerforsocialmedia.org/resources/articles/a_lion_in_the_house http://www.centerforsocialmedia.org/resources/publications/mymm "Making Your Media Matter" is a conference for established and aspiring filmmakers, non-profit communications leaders, funders and students looking to learn and share cutting-edge practices for creating media that matters. CSM Feature 2007-10-29T18:17:00-05:00 http://www.centerforsocialmedia.org/resources/publications/mymm http://www.centerforsocialmedia.org/resources/publications/the_cost_of_copyright_confusion_for_media_literacy The Cost of Copyright Confusion for Media Literacy, based on scores of longform interviews with teachers, shows that the fundamental goals of media literacy education—to cultivate critical thinking and expression about media and its social role—are compromised by unnecessary copyright restrictions. As a result of poor guidance, counterproductive guidelines, and fear, teachers use less effective teaching techniques, teach and transmit erroneous copyright information, fail to share innovative instructional approaches, and do not take advantage of new digital platforms. This is not only unfortunate but unnecessary, since copyright law permits a wide range of uses of copyrighted material without permission or payment. However, educators today have no consensus around what constitutes acceptable fair use practices. The report concludes with a call for educators to develop a consensus around their interpretation of their most valuable copyright tool: fair use. Copyright & Fair Use in Teaching, Media Literacy 2007-09-25T16:40:00-05:00 http://www.centerforsocialmedia.org/resources/publications/the_cost_of_copyright_confusion_for_media_literacy http://www.centerforsocialmedia.org/artists/liz_garbus Academy-Award Nominated, Sundance Grand Jury Prize-Winning and Emmy- Award Winning Producer/Director Liz Garbus, co-founder of Moxie Firecracker Films in New York City, is one of the most celebrated young voices in American documentary filmmaking. She will be visiting American University as the Fall 2007 visiting filmmaker on November 8, 2007, when we will be screening her latest film, Ghosts of Abu Ghraib in the 2007 Human Rights Film Series. See our website for details on this special event. Audience Engagement, CSM Feature 2007-08-27T19:58:00-05:00 http://www.centerforsocialmedia.org/artists/liz_garbus http://www.centerforsocialmedia.org/resources/publications/public_radio This report analyzes the results of a survey of public radio stations and highlights the successes and challenges of integrating new social media tools into the mission of public radio. Future of Public Media 2007-08-07T14:44:00-05:00 http://www.centerforsocialmedia.org/resources/publications/public_radio http://www.centerforsocialmedia.org/resources/publications/filmanthropy_rapporteurs_report_now_online On June 16, 2007, more than 70 filmmakers, nonprofit communication managers and public engagement practitioners and strategists met during SILVERDOCS to discuss partnerships on social action, advocacy and public information campaigns. Read on! Future of Public Media, Audience Engagement 2007-08-02T16:00:00-05:00 http://www.centerforsocialmedia.org/resources/publications/filmanthropy_rapporteurs_report_now_online http://www.centerforsocialmedia.org/resources/publications/newdeal2007 The New Deal Version 1.5: Monetizing and Mission is the Center's annual report on the nuts and bolts of digital distribution deal- making. Curious about who's making these deals? Average percentages for independent filmmakers? Average license periods? All of this and more in this highly-anticipated new publication. Future of Public Media 2007-06-12T14:36:01-05:00 http://www.centerforsocialmedia.org/resources/publications/newdeal2007 http://www.centerforsocialmedia.org/resources/publications/unauthorized Suppose you’re running an online video platform, and people start uploading video that uses other people’s work. How should unauthorized use of other people’s work be treated in this new environment? Copyright & Fair Use in Documentary Film, Online Video 2007-04-25T13:36:01-05:00 http://www.centerforsocialmedia.org/resources/publications/unauthorized http://www.centerforsocialmedia.org/resources/publications/the_good_bad_and_confusing How do creators of content on the plethora of sites that accept online video understand their rights and responsibilities regarding intellectual property? Addressing this question is challenging, since the pool of creators is not only diffuse but constantly changing. In this study, undergraduate and graduate college students who upload online video were asked to describe their practices and attitudes on using copyrighted material to make new work and on the value to them of their own copyright. Includes links to press coverage of report. Copyright & Fair Use in Documentary Film, Online Video 2007-04-10T15:30:00-05:00 http://www.centerforsocialmedia.org/resources/publications/the_good_bad_and_confusing http://www.centerforsocialmedia.org/resources/publications/arab_public_media The Center for Social Media collaborated with the Arab Media and Public Life (AMPLE) project at American University for a year-long conference series on public media in the Arab world and focused on changes in the media environment, the role of the state, and what “public media” means in the Arab world. The Center's latest report highlights the proceedings of the project. Future of Public Media 2007-03-28T12:44:00-05:00 http://www.centerforsocialmedia.org/resources/publications/arab_public_media http://www.centerforsocialmedia.org/resources/publications/making_your_documentary_matter_2007_report Making Your Documentary Matter: Public Engagement Strategies that Work January 31 – February 1, 2007 Making Your Media Matter 2007-02-13T10:25:00-05:00 http://www.centerforsocialmedia.org/resources/publications/making_your_documentary_matter_2007_report http://www.centerforsocialmedia.org/artists/haskell_wexler Academy Award-winning cinematographer, film producer and director Haskell Wexler will join the Center for a public screening and discussion of his film Who Needs Sleep?. Join us March 7th at 5:30 in the Wechsler Theater, 3rd Fl., MGC! 2007-02-09T14:10:00-05:00 http://www.centerforsocialmedia.org/artists/haskell_wexler http://www.centerforsocialmedia.org/resources/publications/2007_mydm_agenda Audio podcasts and power points from the 2007 Making Your Documentary Matter conference are now available! We welcome your comments and thoughts about the conference in our discussion forum at the bottom of the page. And please let us know what you think about our new adventure in podcasting! We especially want to know how this page can be as easy as possible for you to use! Making Your Media Matter, CSM Feature 2007-02-08T17:47:00-05:00 http://www.centerforsocialmedia.org/resources/publications/2007_mydm_agenda http://www.centerforsocialmedia.org/resources/publications/bigdreams Learn how popular commercial online digital video platforms, such as YouTube, GoogleVideo and MySpace, are being used to create, exchange, and comment upon information for public knowledge and action—and what their limitations are! Future of Public Media, Making Your Media Matter 2007-01-30T20:06:00-05:00 http://www.centerforsocialmedia.org/resources/publications/bigdreams http://www.centerforsocialmedia.org/resources/publications/docsonamission Read about how the Sierra Club, The American Civil Liberties Union and local environmental groups use documentaries for high-impact and action Future of Public Media, Audience Engagement, Funding Social Media, Social Media Distribution, Making Your Media Matter, New Media Practices 2007-01-29T14:53:00-05:00 http://www.centerforsocialmedia.org/resources/publications/docsonamission http://www.centerforsocialmedia.org/resources/publications/2007_mydm_bios Read the bios of our list of participants in the 2007 Making Your Documentary Matter Conference. Making Your Media Matter 2007-01-12T18:35:01-05:00 http://www.centerforsocialmedia.org/resources/publications/2007_mydm_bios