Annenberg Civic Media Fellowship

WHO IS THIS FOR?

This program aims to support a new generation of practitioners and makers who use media, technology and culture to increase public participation, enable exchange of meaningful information, foster social connectivity, construct critical perspectives, promote transparency and accountability, or strengthen civic agency. We seek to elevate the work of social entrepreneurs, artists, activists, scholars and other catalysts to increase awareness, understanding and engagement around pressing areas of public interest, with particular attention to underrepresented communities and their ideas. Not all of these folks may be situating their work within the emergent field of civic media, and we are not trying to categorize individuals or their work. Rather, we are committed to an expansive and inclusive Fellowship, strengthening this emergent field, and catalyzing new communities of practice and scholarship.

Civic Media Fellows are emerging leaders in leveraging digital and popular culture, media and technology for social progress, and come from diverse perspectives, communities and areas of practice — people doing vital work that bridges the cultural and the political in new and exciting ways that defy easy categorization.

Just as Fellows come from different backgrounds, modes of engagement, strengths and perspectives, the purpose the experience serves varies — some may use it to step outside current involvements, to reflect and explore a new issue, media, technology or community. Others might have hit a proverbial wall in their own practice and need to reinvigorate themselves. All will be eager to contribute to the field itself as we collectively develop and share a deeper understanding of the practice of Civic Media. These motivations (and more!) are welcome as we work together to create a program that nurtures and advances both individuals within and the field of civic media itself.

WHY DID YOU CREATE THE CIVIC MEDIA FELLOWSHIP?

We were inspired to launch this fellowship because while there is tremendous innovation, progress and commitment among civic media practitioners, there are altogether too few supports for them to push boundaries, develop new approaches, and cross-pollinate among communities, disciplines and sectors. Their path is difficult not simply due to the subject matter, long hours or scarce resources, but because it is untrodden and their destination is emergent. They know the danger of the bleeding edge, the challenge of learning how to actually do the work well, the frustration of not fitting into existing offerings neatly, and life between the rock and hard place of great expectations and neverending need. Painfully aware that these realities are exacerbated due to the relatively few communities working in these ways, we aim to to support them directly and through engagement with a participatory civic media network.

WHEN DID THE CIVIC MEDIA FELLOWSHIP START?

Our founding cohort began in January, 2019 with four Residential Fellows, who were joined by five Remote Fellows in March 2019. You can meet the full cohort here.

WHAT DOES THE FELLOWSHIP OFFER?

Civic Media Fellows form the core of a learning community, innovation hub and network