November 2, 2007Newsletter

The Center is looking forward to a full month of events in November, with two special events, both in conjunction with the 2007 Human Rights Film Series: a special screening of Sierra Leone's Refugee All Stars, followed by a reception honoring the PBS documentary series POV, all on Nov. 1. We are also looking forward to a visit with Liz Garbus, producer of the HBO Documentary Ghosts of Abu Ghraib, on Nov. 8. See below for more details on these, and all of our upcoming events.

We're also celebrating the arrival of Pat Aufderheide's new book, Documentary Film: A Very Short Introduction. And our latest report, The Cost of Copyright Confusion for Media Literacy, is reaching new audiences. And more good news--there's a new set of guidelines by the Electronic Frontier Foundation on using copyrighted material online - which you can read more about below.

Finally, registration is now open for the 2008 Making Your Media Matter conference. Space is limited so register now - see below for more information!

2007 Human Rights Film Series
October 3 - November 8, 2007

The 8th Annual Human Rights Film Series showcases films that are making a difference. Discussions with expert speakers follow each screening.

Screenings will take place at the WCL campus and AU's Wechsler theater.

Visit our website for film synopses and full event details!

Sierra Leone's Refugee All Stars
AU Nov 1 @ 5:30
Nov. 1 SPECIAL EVENT--Reception to celebrate the 20th anniversary of public TV series P.O.V. with P.O.V.'s Simon Kilmurry and special friends from all over public broadcasting! FREE! Please RSVP to devin.greenleaf@american.edu

Nov. 8 SPECIAL EVENT - Human Rights in a Time of War
Screening of Ghosts of Abu Ghraib
Katzen Arts Center Nov 8 @ 5:30
An Evening with Ghosts of Abu Ghraib Award-Winning Producer Liz Garbus
Nov. 8
5:30-8:00 pm
Katzen Arts Center, AU, 4400 Massachusetts Ave. NW
Part of the 2007 Human Rights Film Series

Join Fall 2007 Visiting Filmmaker Liz Garbus--a seasoned maker of gripping and effective human rights documentaries--to talk about her new and all- too-timely, award-winning film. This event takes place against the backdrop of Fernando Botero's startlingly barbaric exhibit, Botero: Abu Ghraib. Cost: FREE

Film Movement Series
What's the most intriguing recent international film you've never seen? Watch it with us. Film Movement is an ongoing series of films selected by a panel of film festival curators to showcase the work of important emerging international filmmakers.
See our website for full film listings:
Nov. 7, Ward 1: Madeinusa (Claudia Llosa. Spain-Peru)
Nov. 14 - Wechsler Theater: Bothersome man (Jens Lien. Norway)

Foreign Correspondence and the Future of Public Media, with Keith B. Richburg
Newspaper foreign correspondents have been the public's eyes and ears internationally. Now, as digital platforms become more prevalent, newspapers are in crisis. What happens to international coverage? Keith B. Richburg is the Foreign Editor with the Washington Post
WHEN: Nov. 12, 12:45 - 2pm
WHERE: American University, Mary Graydon Center Room 324
More information on our website

Innovators Forum Speaker Series, With Mike Godwin
Is Wikipedia the new town hall? Can the public count on sharing knowledge in digital space as the new "public media"? Mike Godwin, the new (and first) general counsel for Wikipedia discusses the dangers of new rules and restrictions that could threaten participatory media and its growth, as well as the controversies affecting Wikipedia and how social media has evolved in light of new media technologies.

WHEN: Sat., Nov. 17, 12:15-1:15 pm
WHERE: Mary Graydon Center Banquet Room 3, American University
FREE!
More information on our website.

Registration for the 2008 Making Your Media Matter conference is now open!

Making Your Media Matter is a conference for established and aspiring filmmakers, non-profit communications leaders, funders and students looking so learn and share cutting-edge practices in creating media that matters.

Join filmmakers, distributors, outreach specialists and an impressive cast of media pioneers for a series of panel discussions on the latest tools and trends in creating and distributing social issue media.

Click here to register and learn more!

Ford Foundation Initiative - Fostering Experimentation for Tomorrow's Public Media
The Ford Foundation's Future of Public Media initiative brings together an alliance of leading nonprofits whose work forges the public media structures and projects of tomorrow. The group continues to introduce new, experimental practices that redefine the role of public media in the future. Read more about the projects that they're working on this month.

Center Director Pat Aufderheide Releases New Book - Documentary Film: A Very Short Introduction
Center Director Pat Aufderheide's new book, Documentary Film: A Very Short Introduction (Oxford University Perss, $9.95) is now available, at bookstores (brick-and-mortar and online!) everywhere. The book provides an authoritative overview of the evolution of and controversies around this genre so fundamental to public knowledge and action. Check out our website to buy the book, read excerpts, as well as what people are saying!

The Center to present on new revenue models at IDFA
The Center for Social Media will be present at the 2007 International Documentary Festival Amsterdam (IDFA) to be held from Nov.22 through Dec 2. Neil Sieling, the Center's Media Fellow, will present on new revenue models and other ways to enhance value return for media makers as part of a series of three "Now Media Hours" presented by Center partner DocAgora at the prestigious IDFA Forum from November 26-28. The IDFA Festival and Forum will be a great opportunity to get the word out on the Center's work on "The Future of Public Media" as Sieling and DocAgora will be setting up an extensive resource base to give attendees useful texts and tools for their work, and the Center's published texts will be central to the offerings.

The Now Media Hours are produced in conjunction with Mediamatic, a multidisciplinary media group that is also conducting an innovative educational experience called "Any Media Documentary Course @ IDFA" and Sieling will also be presenting to the class and working with students on their individual projects.

Crisis Management in a Web 2.0 Era
Public media have often served as a lifeline during times of community or national crisis, offering audiences breaking updates, informed perspectives, and information about how to seek help in emergency conditions. But what can media-makers do when an unexpected disaster directly impacts their ability to reach the public? The San Diego fires have revealed the potential that Web 2.0 tools hold for disaster and crisis management. Read more>>

Center endorses new guidelines from the Electronic Frontier Foundation for using copyrighted material
The Center has endorsed a sensible and much- needed set of guidelines from the Electronic Frontier Foundation for managing the use of copyrighted material in online video. Online video has become territory for First Amendment brawls, as content companies have demanded "takedowns" of videos that use some copyrighted material--even when it might be perfectly legal to do so under fair use. The EFF guidelines bring back a little common sense into the process of assessing what is and isn't fair to freedom of speech under the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA). Read about the highlights here. The guidelines can be found on the .

Advances made in Europe for Fair Use!
In light of the success documentary filmmakers had with the Statement of Best Practices in Fair Use, European doc filmmakers came together in a similar effort! On October 19, documentary filmmakers in Europe associated with Doc IT (Italian Documentaries Association) and IDA (International Documentary Association) met in Rome to discuss creating a "European Best Practice on Fair Use in Documentaries". We can't wait to hear more about their progress! Read their resolution here.

New Center report reveals copyright confusion hurts students, teachers and learning
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. Read more about the report and launch event>>

OneWorld launches OneClimate.net - the 'Climate Facebook'
OneClimate.net is a mass collaboration space dedicated to global citizens gathering and distributing solutions to climate change. OneClimate.net links directly through to OneClimate Island, built by OneWorld within the 3D virtual world of Second Life.

Launch of Meaningful Media
Check out Meaningful Media, a non-profit network providing resources to inspire and empower those committed to improving our world through media. Visit the website to learn more about their events.