GBH Media Summit
Journalists, scholars, philanthropic leaders, experts on civic participation, and media representatives explore ways to reduce polarization, increase trust, and strengthen democracy.
Featured Speakers
Summit Focus Areas
Schedule
Location: Boston Public Library, 700 Boylston Street, Boston
2:50 - 3:00 PM Welcome Remarks
3:00 - 3:40 PM Seeding the Future: Educating and Empowering our Youngest Generation
3:45 - 4:30 PM Speaking Across the Divide: Civil Discourse in an AI-Driven World
4:45 - 5:45 PM Accessing Reliable Information: Fireside Chat with Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden and Harvard University 300th Anniversary Professor Martha Minow
Intro by Boston Public Library President David Leonard
Piano performance by Miki Sawada
5:45 - 7:30 PM Welcome Reception: Bridging the Divide in 2025
Welcome Remarks from Susan Goldberg & Dame Louise Richardson
Poem by Kwame Alexander
*Schedule subject to change
Location: GBH, 1 Guest Street, Boston
7:30 - 8:45 AM Attendee Breakfast & Registration
8:00 - 8:45 AM Opening the Doors Within: Join a Guided Meditation
9:00 - 10:00 AM Opening Plenary
- Laying the Groundwork: State of Democracy Today
10:15 - 11:15 AM Session Block 1
- Losing Trust: How False Narratives Take Hold and What We Can Do About It
- Bridging the Religious Divide
- Protecting Free Speech: From the Campus to the Newsroom
11:30 - 12:30 PM Session Block 2
- Real Talk: How Did We Get So Divided and What Can Be Done About It?
- Building Trust and Transparency in Journalism
- Lifting Every Voice: Gaining Trust From Diverse Communities (GBH News Rooted Session)
1:00 - 1:45 PM Lunch & Programming
- Fireside Chat with Maria Ressa and Ann Marie Lipinski
- Mining Best Practices: R&D for Your Markets
2:00 - 3:00 PM Session Block 3
- Civic Stage to the Silver Screen: How Digital Innovators are Moving the Masses
- Making Room for Paradox: How Embracing Complex Narratives Enhances Connection
- The Battle to Save Local News
3:15 - 4:15 PM Session Block 4
- Civic (R)evolution: Fueling the Next Generation
- What Legacy Media and Digital Content Creators Can Learn From Each Other
4:30 - 5:30 PM Closing Plenary
- Looking to the Future
5:30 - 6:30 PM Closing Reception
*Schedule subject to change
Understanding Challenges
Amid polarization, dramatic technological shifts, and rampant distrust in our institutions, we are facing an essential question: How can media address these fractures shaking our democracy?
Featured Speakers
Highlighted Sessions
Real Talk: How Did We Get So Divided and What Can Be Done About It?
Losing Trust: How False Narratives Take Hold and What We Can Do About It
Protecting Free Speech: From the Campus to the Newsroom
Exploring Opportunities
How can the media strengthen democracy and reduce polarization in a time of shifting norms and a fractured media landscape?
Featured Speakers
Highlighted Sessions
Building Trust and Transparency in Journalism
The Battle to Save Local News
Mining Best Practices: R&D for Your Markets
Widening the Lens
How can the media embrace a wide variety of voices and complex narratives?
Featured Speakers
Highlighted Sessions
Bridging the Religious Divide
Making Room for Paradox: How Embracing Complex Narratives Enhances Connection
Civic Stage to the Silver Screen: How Digital Innovators are Moving the Masses
Speaking Across the Divide: Civil Discourse in an AI-Driven World
Engaging Younger Generations
From influencers to educators, how can the media connect our next generation with civic participation and news literacy?
Featured Speakers
Highlighted Sessions
Civic (R)evolution: Fueling the Next Generation
What Legacy Media and Digital Content Creators Can Learn From Each Other
Seeding the Future: Educating and Empowering our Youngest Generation
Learn More
What Americans Want from the News
A look at the intersection of Media, polarization, and the new journalism landscape.