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New GFEM Report - "Funding Media, Strengthening Democracy: Grantmaking for the 21st Century"

tvBaltimore, MD – Despite the pervasiveness of media, the amount of philanthropic dollars in support of public interest media remains minuscule.  The findings, released today by Grantmakers in Film + Electronic Media (GFEM), suggest that commercial interests continue to dominate media.  Within a 12-month period, more commercial money was invested in a single Hollywood blockbuster than was invested in all public service media by three of the largest philanthropic donors combined: the Ford Foundation, the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation and the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation. read more

Member News

Sundance Institute Announces 2010 Cinereach Project at Sundance Institute Grantees

[Source: Sundance Institute, July 27, 2010]
Eleven Documentary and Narrative Feature Film Projects Selected for Development, Production and Post-Production Support

MAP Fund Announces its 2010 Grantees

[Source: Creative Capital, July 8, 2010]
ANNUAL MAP FUND AWARDS TOTAL $1,000,000 TO SUPPORT GROUNDBREAKING LIVE PERFORMANCE, WITH ADDITIONAL FUNDS FOR GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORTGrants awarded to playwright Taylor Mac, roots-music ensemble ...

GFEM Events

Community Foundations Conference – GFEM | COF Film & Video Festival

Monday, September 13, 2010 - Wednesday, September 15, 2010
Charlotte, NC

GFEM at the Association of Small Foundations Conference

Monday, October 11, 2010 - Wednesday, October 13, 2010
Austin, TX

GFEM at Grantmakers in the Arts Annual Conference

Sunday, October 17, 2010 - Wednesday, October 20, 2010
Chicago, IL

Other Events

3G Summit, The Future of Girls, Gaming and Gender

Thursday, August 12, 2010 - Sunday, August 15, 2010
Chicago, IL

Open Video Conference

Friday, October 1, 2010 - Saturday, October 2, 2010
New York, NY

10th Anniversary Future of Music Policy Summit

Sunday, October 3, 2010 - Tuesday, October 5, 2010
Washington, D.C.

Stories from the Field

New Study: Media, Race and Obama's First Year

[Source: Journalism.org, July 26, 2010]
A Study of African Americans in U.S. News CoverageContacts: Amy Mitchell, PEJ Deputy Director, 202-419-3650The fallout from the firing of Agriculture Department official Shirley Sherrod and the ...

MTV Rated Excellent, CBS Fails in GLAAD's Fourth Annual Network Responsibility Index

[Source: GLADD.org, July 22, 2010]
The CW Leads Broadcast Networks for First Time; CBS Once Again Receives a “Failing” Rating for Lack of Inclusion of the LGBT Community

Grantcraft Offers New Guide "Working with Government"

[Source: Grantcraft.org, July 22, 2010]
Are grantmakers pursuing partnerships with government more than in the recent past? Government's resources matched with philanthropy's flexibility with funds can make a persuasive case for ...

GFEM Pictures + Words

This section of the GFEM Web site contains audio and video recordings from GFEM sponsored funder briefings.

Highlights from 2010 Media Grantmaking — The State and Future of the Field

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The 2010 Funder Conversation: Media Grantmaking — The State (and Future) of the FieldPresented by: Grantmakers in Film + Electronic Media and the Media Democracy FundHosted by: The Open Society ...

Webinar for Grantmakers: Using the GFEM Media Database

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Join us for this Webinar entitled "Using the New GFEM Media Database: A Dynamic Resource for Connecting Funders and Grantseekers." The session was presented to grantmakers on January 28, ...

FCC Commissioners and e-Waste Expert Address Funders (NCMR 2008)

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Hear from Ted Smith of the Electronics TakeBack Coalition and FCC Commissioners Michael Copps and Jonathon Adelstein.

Policy

On Landmark Law's 20th Anniversary, House Passes Bill to Make Internet More Accessible for Disabled

[Source: Washington Post, by Cecilia Kang, July 26, 2010]
The House late Monday passed a bill that aimed at making the Internet and mobile phones more accessible to the disabled through video captions for the hearing impaired and better descriptions of ...

'Jailbreaking' Smartphones Ruled Legal Under U.S. Copyright Law

[Source: Silicon Valley Mercury News, by Brandon Bailey, July 26, 2010]
In a decision that strikes at Apple's iron-fisted control over iPhone apps, the Librarian of Congress ruled Monday that consumers can "jailbreak" their smartphones, or alter their phone's software ...

Fair Use Victories on the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DCMA)

[Source: Center for Social Media at American Univeristy, by Patricia Aufderheide, July 26, 2010]
Another victory for common sense and fair use came today from the Librarian of Congress, acting on recommendations from Copyright Office. The latest ruling on exemptions to the Digital ...

FCC Defends Authority To Loosen Newspaper/Broadcast Cross-Ownership

[Source: Broadcasting & Cable, by John Eggerton, July 21, 2010]
The FCC Wednesday filed a brief with the Third Circuit Court of Appeals defending its authority under then-Chairman Kevin Martin to loosen the newspaper-broadcast cross-ownership ban.The ...

Content

Public Media Joins Forces for One Big Platform

[Source: Wired, by Eliot Van Buskirk, June 14, 2010]
The country’s five silos of public radio and television are spilling into each other with a joint program that will allow them, and eventually the public, to build apps, stations, websites and other media services.

Alcohol Marketing in the Digital Age

[Source: Center for Digital Democracy and Berkeley Media Studies Group, by Jeff Chester, Kathryn Montgomery, Lori Dorfman, May 20, 2010]
 

New Report from Public Knowledge About Copyright Reform Act

[Source: Public Knowledge, May 11, 2010]
Public Knowledge presents a 2nd proposal in their Copyright Reform Act series.

Annenberg Agenda - Spring 2010 edition

This edition of The Annenberg Agenda focuses on communications leadership, economic literacy and reporting for future communicators and research on our networked society.The digital edition is ...

Infrastructure

Future of Music Coalition Comments in the FCC's Broadband Legal Framework Proceedings

[Source: Future of Music Coalition, July 15, 2010]
Musicians and other creators depend on open internet platforms and access to broadband technologyOn July 15, 2010 Future of Music Coalition filed comments (download below) in the FCC’s Notice of ...

Free Press Releases Report: "New Public Media: A Plan for Action"

[Source: Free Press, by Josh Silver, Candace Clement, Craig Aaron, S. Derek Turner, May 11, 2010]
A new policy paper from Free Press called New Public Media: A Plan for Action presents a series of creative policies and proposes reforms to support quality news reporting in local communities and to build a world-class noncommercial media system in America.

Fact-Checking Verizon's CEO on US Broadband Awesomeness

[Source: ArsTechnica.com, by Nate Anderson, April 16, 2010]
Arstechnica debunks Verizon CEO's myths of US broadband greatness

Federal Court Denies FCC Authority Over Broadband

[Source: Huffington Post, by Josh Silver, Free Press, April 6, 2010]
In Tuesday's ruling, Judge David Tatel said the FCC lacked "any statutorily mandated responsibility" to enforce network neutrality rules. So, the government agency that is charged with overseeing the nation's communications infrastructure now has no authority to regulate broadband -- the 21st century's primary communications platform?