Future of Media event, Toronto, Ontario. — © Digital Journal
DigitalJournal.com hosted the first in what is to become a regular series called the “Future of Media.” Taking place at the Drake Hotel in downtown Toronto, a panel of media executives looked at changes to the media biz and where citizen journalism fits.
Toronto, Canada – Journalism is evolving, thanks to the Internet. Social media and citizen journalism have stormed the establishment and very quickly rattled the editorial cage.
Facebook has practically become a news outlet, Twitter is often more real-time than television and people are engaging with news outlets in ways publishers never envisioned. To discuss these changes and their implications for the future, DigitalJournal.com hosted a free “Future of Media” event at the Drake Hotel with a panel made up of noted media experts.
Joining the panel was Rachel Nixon, director of digital media at CBC News and former editor at NowPublic; Richard Mcilveen, producer of the local late-night CTV News and the tech trends segment Webmania; Keith McArthur, senior director of social media and digital communications for Rogers Communications; Tim Shore, founder of Toronto news site blogTO; and Chris Hogg, CEO of citizen journalism news network DigitalJournal.com (full speaker bios here). The event was moderated by DigitalJournal.com Managing Editor, David Silverberg.
File photo: Speakers on DigitalJournal.com’s “Future of Media” panel event discuss the evening’s topics ahead of the event’s start at the Drake Hotel Sept. 24, 2009.
Photo by DigitalJournal.com
As an inaugural event, DigitalJournal.com was not sure what to expect for turnout. But the team was blown away when the line-up snaked out the door and up the stairs ahead of doors opening at 7:30 p.m. When the event started at 8 p.m., about 150 people filled the room, leaving standing room only.
“I’m amazed at the attendance,” says DigitalJournal.com Managing Editor David Silverberg. “When the event finished, I was taken aback by the number of people who approached panelists to express their thanks for the discussion and to share their thoughts on just how much they learned.”
Starting out the night, Silverberg began by asking the panel questions about the changing economy and its effect on journalism before delving into conversations surrounding people’s interaction with news today.
The overwhelming theme of the night was that news was changing irrevocably and the panel seemed to unanimously agree media has become a two-way street of communication. Any media organization that wants to be on the leading edge of technology and journalism, the panel debated, needs to find ways to involve average people in the news-gathering process.
The first guests arrive to DigitalJournal.com’s “Future of Media” panel event took place at the Drake Hotel Sept. 24. The inaugural event filled to be standing room only and boasted experts from various media outlets.
Photo by DigitalJournal.com
“Just a few of years ago it would’ve been unheard of for high-ranking officials from CBC, CTV and Rogers to share equal stage time with a blogger and an advocate for amateur journalism — and yet they all did so quite comfortably last night at the Future of Media discussion at the Drake Hotel,” writes one reviewer for a local news outlet in Toronto.
The evening also involved a Q&A session including questions from @djfom followers on Twitter; facebook fans, and live, in-person queries from the audience.
“We were very happy to get discussion going across such a diverse group of people at this event,” says DigitalJournal.com CEO Chris Hogg. “There are certainly a lot of conferences that touch on various aspects of media, but so many people approached us to thank us for keeping this event free, and thus more accessible to a wider audience. We’re already excited about the next panel discussion, and we’re looking forward to feedback from guests so that we can make every event better than its predecessor.”
DigitalJournal.com’s “Future of Media” panel event took place at the Drake Hotel Sept. 24. The inaugural event was standing room only and boasted experts from various media outlets. From left to right: Keith McArthur of Rogers Communications; Tim Shore of blogTO; and Rachel Nixon of CBC News.
Photo by DigitalJournal.com
The event also featured some venerable sponsors, including Toshiba Canada, Rogers Communications, The Flip, Lacie Canada, and POIFriend.com. Sponsors donated more than a dozen high-end prizes that were awarded via a raffle at the end of the event, including:
- 5 Flip Video MinoHD camcorders fitted with a custom Digital Journal logo
- 3 GPS devices pre-loaded with special “Points of Interest” from POIfriend.com
- 2 HP Mini 110 netbooks with embedded mobile broadband technology from Rogers
- 3 LaCinema Rugged 320GB portable multimedia hard drives from LaCie
- 1 Toshiba Satellite U500 notebook
Reviews of the evening are just starting to make their way to the Web, and DigitalJournal.com will be posting video from the two-hour event on its YouTube channel here. In the meantime, we’ll leave you with these images from the night where the Future of Media began to take shape:
David Silverberg, Managing Editor of DigitalJournal.com, was moderator of DigitalJournal.com’s “Future of Media” panel event at the Drake Hotel Sept. 24. The inaugural event was standing room only and boasted experts from various media outlets.
Photo by DigitalJournal.com
DigitalJournal.com’s “Future of Media” panel event took place at the Drake Hotel Sept. 24.From left to right: Moderator David Silverberg of DigitalJournal.com; Keith McArthur of Rogers Communications; Tim Shore of blogTO; Rachel Nixon of CBC News; Richard Mcilveen of CTV; and Chris Hogg of DigitalJournal.com
Photo by DigitalJournal.com
DigitalJournal.com’s “Future of Media” panel event took place at the Drake Hotel Sept. 24, 2009. The inaugural event was standing room only and boasted experts from various media outlets. From left to right: Tim Shore of blogTO; Rachel Nixon of CBC News; and Richard Mcilveen of CTV.
Photo by DigitalJournal.com
DigitalJournal.com’s “Future of Media” panel event took place at the Drake Hotel Sept. 24, 2009. The inaugural event was standing room only and boasted experts from various media outlets. From left to right: Keith McArthur of Rogers Communications; Tim Shore of blogTO; Rachel Nixon of CBC News; Richard Mcilveen of CTV; and Chris Hogg of DigitalJournal.com
Photo by DigitalJournal.com
DigitalJournal.com’s “Future of Media” panel event took place at the Drake Hotel Sept. 24. The inaugural event was standing room only and boasted experts from various media outlets. From left to right: Keith McArthur of Rogers Communications; and Tim Shore of blogTO.
Photo by DigitalJournal.com
Attendees of DigitalJournal.com’s “Future of Media” panel event listen to speakers discuss the pros and cons of today’s media outlets and what needs to be done to bring journalism into the future.
Photo by DigitalJournal.com
DigitalJournal.com’s “Future of Media” panel event took place at the Drake Hotel Sept. 24. The inaugural event was standing room only and boasted experts from various media outlets. From left to right: Tim Shore of blogTO; Rachel Nixon of CBC News.
Photo by DigitalJournal.com
Richard Mcilveen, producer of the local late-night CTV News and the tech trends segment Webmania, spoke at DigitalJournal.com’s “Future of Media” panel event at the Drake Hotel Sept. 24. The inaugural event was standing room only and boasted experts from various media outlets.
Photo by DigitalJournal.com
DigitalJournal.com’s “Future of Media” panel event took place at the Drake Hotel Sept. 24. The inaugural event was standing room only and boasted experts from various media outlets. From left to right: Richard Mcilveen of CTV; and Chris Hogg of DigitalJournal.com.
Photo by DigitalJournal.com
Chris Hogg, CEO of citizen journalism news network DigitalJournal.com., spoke at the “Future of Media” panel event at the Drake Hotel Sept. 24. The inaugural event was standing room only and boasted experts from various media outlets.
Photo by DigitalJournal.com
DigitalJournal.com’s “Future of Media” panel event took place at the Drake Hotel Sept. 24. The inaugural event was standing room only and boasted experts from various media outlets. From left to right: Keith McArthur of Rogers Communications; Tim Shore of blogTO; Rachel Nixon of CBC News; Richard Mcilveen of CTV; and Chris Hogg of DigitalJournal.com
Photo by DigitalJournal.com
File photo: Attendees of DigitalJournal.com’s 2009 “Future of Media” event listen to speakers discuss the pros and cons of today’s media outlets and what needs to be done to bring journalism into the future.
Photo by DigitalJournal.com
A CFTO cameraman films part of DigitalJournal.com’s “Future of Media” panel event. The event took place at the Drake Hotel in Toronto.
Photo by DigitalJournal.com
DigitalJournal.com’s “Future of Media” panel event took place at the Drake Hotel Sept. 24. The inaugural event was standing room only and boasted experts from various media outlets. From left to right: Keith McArthur of Rogers Communications; Tim Shore of blogTO; and Rachel Nixon of CBC News.
Photo by DigitalJournal.com
DigitalJournal.com’s “Future of Media” panel event took place at the Drake Hotel Sept. 24. The inaugural event was standing room only and boasted experts from various media outlets. From left to right: Keith McArthur of Rogers Communications; Tim Shore of blogTO; Rachel Nixon of CBC News; Richard Mcilveen of CTV; and Chris Hogg of DigitalJournal.com
Photo by DigitalJournal.com
DigitalJournal.com’s “Future of Media” panel event took place at the Drake Hotel Sept. 24. The inaugural event was standing room only and boasted experts from various media outlets. From left to right: Tim Shore of blogTO; Rachel Nixon of CBC News; and Richard Mcilveen of CTV.
Photo by DigitalJournal.com
Attendees of DigitalJournal.com’s “Future of Media” panel event listen to speakers discuss the pros and cons of today’s media outlets and what needs to be done to bring journalism into the future.
Photo by DigitalJournal.com
DigitalJournal.com’s “Future of Media” panel event took place at the Drake Hotel Sept. 24. The inaugural event was standing room only and boasted experts from various media outlets. From left to right: Keith McArthur of Rogers Communications; Tim Shore of blogTO; Rachel Nixon of CBC News; Richard Mcilveen of CTV; and Chris Hogg of DigitalJournal.com
Photo by DigitalJournal.com
DigitalJournal.com’s “Future of Media” panel event took place at the Drake Hotel Sept. 24. The inaugural event was standing room only and boasted experts from various media outlets. From left to right: Moderator David Silverberg of DigitalJournal.com; Jane May, volunteer; Keith McArthur of Rogers Communications; Tim Shore of blogTO; Rachel Nixon of CBC News; Richard Mcilveen of CTV; and Chris Hogg of DigitalJournal.com.
Photo by DigitalJournal.com
DigitalJournal.com’s “Future of Media” panel event took place at the Drake Hotel Sept. 24. The inaugural event was standing room only and boasted experts from various media outlets. From left to right: Moderator David Silverberg of DigitalJournal.com; Jane May, volunteer; Keith McArthur of Rogers Communications; Tim Shore of blogTO; Rachel Nixon of CBC News; and Richard Mcilveen of CTV.
Photo by DigitalJournal.com
Melissa Moore of Toshiba stands with DigitalJournal.com’s David Silverberg as the pair draws a ticket to award a guest of the “Future of Media” with a brand new Toshiba U500 notebook computer.
Photo by DigitalJournal.com
Tim Shore, founder of Toronto news site blogTO, spoke at DigitalJournal.com’s “Future of Media” panel event at the Drake Hotel Sept. 24. The inaugural event was standing room only and boasted experts from various media outlets.
Photo by DigitalJournal.com
Rachel Nixon, director of digital media at CBC News and former editor at NowPublic, spoke at DigitalJournal.com’s “Future of Media” panel event at the Drake Hotel Sept. 24. The inaugural event was standing room only and boasted experts from various media outlets.
Photo by DigitalJournal.com
Keith McArthur, senior director of social media and digital communications for Rogers Communications, spoke at DigitalJournal.com’s “Future of Media” panel event at the Drake Hotel Sept. 24. The inaugural event was standing room only and boasted experts from various media outlets.
Photo by DigitalJournal.com
Rachel Nixon, director of digital media at CBC News and former editor at NowPublic, spoke at DigitalJournal.com’s “Future of Media” panel event at the Drake Hotel Sept. 24. The inaugural event was standing room only and boasted experts from various media outlets.
Photo by DigitalJournal.com
Richard Mcilveen, producer of the local late-night CTV News and the tech trends segment Webmania, spoke at DigitalJournal.com’s “Future of Media” panel event at the Drake Hotel Sept. 24. The inaugural event was standing room only and boasted experts from various media outlets.
Photo by DigitalJournal.com
Richard Mcilveen, producer of the local late-night CTV News and the tech trends segment Webmania, spoke at DigitalJournal.com’s “Future of Media” panel event at the Drake Hotel Sept. 24. The inaugural event was standing room only and boasted experts from various media outlets.
Photo by DigitalJournal.com
Chris Hogg, CEO of citizen journalism news network DigitalJournal.com., spoke at the “Future of Media” panel event at the Drake Hotel Sept. 24. The inaugural event was standing room only and boasted experts from various media outlets.
Photo by DigitalJournal.com
Chris Hogg, CEO of citizen journalism news network DigitalJournal.com., spoke at the “Future of Media” panel event at the Drake Hotel Sept. 24. The inaugural event was standing room only and boasted experts from various media outlets.
Photo by DigitalJournal.com
Richard Mcilveen, producer of the local late-night CTV News and the tech trends segment Webmania, spoke at DigitalJournal.com’s “Future of Media” panel event at the Drake Hotel Sept. 24. The inaugural event was standing room only and boasted experts from various media outlets.
Photo by DigitalJournal.com
DigitalJournal.com’s “Future of Media” panel event took place at the Drake Hotel Sept. 24. The inaugural event was standing room only and boasted experts from various media outlets. From left to right: Moderator David Silverberg of DigitalJournal.com; Keith McArthur of Rogers Communications; Tim Shore of blogTO; Rachel Nixon of CBC News; Richard Mcilveen of CTV; and Chris Hogg of DigitalJournal.com
Photo by DigitalJournal.com
DigitalJournal.com’s Alex Chumak awaits the arrival of guests to the “Future of Media” panel event that took place at the Drake Hotel Sept. 24. The inaugural event was standing room only and boasted experts from various media outlets.
Photo by DigitalJournal.com
