Consortia and Joint Programs

A joint effort between MIT's Media Lab and Comparative Media Studies Program, the Center for Future Civic Media creates technical and social systems for sharing, prioritizing, organizing, and acting on information. The Center uses the term civic media, rather than citizen journalism: civic media is any form of communication that strengthens the social bonds within a community or creates a strong sense of civic engagement among its residents. Civic media goes beyond news gathering and reporting: it ensures the diversity of inputs and mutual respect necessary for democratic deliberation. The Center for Future Civic Media is funded by a four-year grant from the Knight Foundation and is directed by Chris Csikszentmihályi (ML), Henry Jenkins (CMS), and Mitchel Resnick (ML).