A big thank you to our guests at the 2006 Making Your Documentary Matter workshop, who provided us with feedback that shows the community of ?media that matters? makers is far larger than it may appear! And to Michael Donaldson, for brilliant teaching of fair use strategies in copyright clearance, both at RealSCreen conference and at the Center in February. The screening of Stanley Nelson?s Sweet Honey in the Rock, with Dr. Bernice Johnson Reagon, drew an audience across several of the Center?s communities. And our convening of public media leaders generated projects with much promise for the future.

Last month, the Center cosponsored a San Francisco and Los Angeles event on fair use practices, and we look forward to more collaborations that let our work travel. We look forward to seeing you at a Center event in March, whether in New York or Washington, D.C.

In February the Center said a sad farewell to Michon Boston, who is seizing an opportunity to take up her documentary work again. This month, we welcome Jessica Duda, our new Associate Director. Read more about Jessica and her new role in the exciting programs presented by the Center for Social Media.

March 2
The Republic of Blogs: New Media and Democracy - Demos, NYC

March 3
Free Speech? Fair Use! Who Owns Our History? Who Shapes Our Culture? Cooper Union's Wollman Auditorium, NYC
Speakers include veteran makers George Stoney and Albert Maysles in addition to Pat Aufderheide and Peter Jaszi, and more!

Beginning March 16
Environmental Film Festival
See the DC premiere of John de Graaf's ?Buyer Be Fair? and join the ever-entertaining Chris Palmer for an evening on ?How to film Sharks and Bears and Live to Tell About it!?

March 20-23
Adrian Cowell, renowned British filmmaker will present his work and visit classes as the Center's spring Visiting Filmmaker.

A new poll shows that the American people still trust, value, and support public broadcasting in the United States. So why do public media keep getting so much heat over issues of fairness, balance, and objectivity?

The Center just held its third convening of the Future of Public Media project to address this very question -- and to begin to uncover what people find so valuable about public media. Joined by the ombudsmen of PBS and NPR, station managers and producers from leading public broadcasting stations around the country, and other innovative thinkers, producers, and researchers, the meeting began to identify what makes public media so valuable -- and what it should continue to aspire to: its mission to serve the public good, to be an independent voice for the public, and to tend to the security and the sustainability of the public sphere.

Listen to WAMU's Kojo Nnamdi's interview with PBS ombudsman Michael Getler and NPR's ombudsman Jeffrey Dvorkin about ?the responsibilities of public media? (airdate: February 16, 2006).

Other resources from the Center are available including independent producer Mylene Moreno's report from the editorial standards meeting, Willard Rowland's history of public broadcasting and Michael Skolar's new article on Public Insight Journalism.

The journey to bring the Documentary Filmmakers' Statement of Best Practices in Fair Use to the documentary community is charging ahead. February saw events in Los Angeles, San Francisco and Washington DC, with more in March in New York, Austin and a national online discussion through NAMAC. In addition to filmmakers, teachers from colleges and universities are addressing teaching fair use to students. The Center presented teaching tools at a southeast regional gathering of UFVA, an official endorser of the project.

Documentary producer/writer and former NBC Hong Kong, Saigon, and London bureau chief Ron Steinman reviews the Statement, saying ?It is worthwhile for everyone to read, digest, copy and attach to the bulletin board for frequent reference.? Read the article>>

Upcoming events include March 3rd at Cooper Union, March 13th at SXSW in Austin and starting March 1st an online discussion for NAMAC members running until March 14th. Want to plan an event? Email outreach coordinator Agnes Varnum at aavarnum@gmail.com.

For more information, visit Working Films

ITVS Open Call
Attention filmmakers! Looking for funding for your next project? Independent Television Service (ITVS) seeks proposals for public TV programs which take creative risks, serve underrepresented audiences and express points of view seldom seen on commercial or public TV. Applicants must be independent producers with previous film or TV production experience in a principal role. Students are not eligible. ITVS accepts proposals for single programs (not series) in any genre (drama, documentary, animation, experimental).

Diversity Development Fund supports ethnic minority artists for research and development, up to $15,000. Deadline: March 31

LInCS provides matching funds up to $100,000 to partnerships between public TV stations and independents. Deadline: May 26

For complete guidelines and to apply online visit ITVS

WITNESS uses the power of video to expose human rights abuses. By partnering with local organizations around the globe, WITNESS empowers human rights defenders to use video to catalyze grassroots activism, political engagement and lasting change. For more information, please visit WITNESS

The 57-page report is available both as a downloadable PDF document and as a series of pages online, including a collection of links to hundreds of new-media resources.