Mark Little, former RTÉ journalist and first Media Fellow of the Trinity Long Room Hub, will speak at the launch of the Schuler Democracy Forum at 4pm on September 15, 2021.
The Trinity Long Room Hub will officially launch the Schuler Democracy Forum on September 15, 2021.
At the launch, Mark Little, first Media Fellow of the Trinity Long Room Hub, will speak about Media for Humanity – a brief history of the future of journalism.
Entrepreneur, Trinity College graduate, CEO of Kinzen company and former RTÉ journalist, Mark Little has spent 30 years working at the intersection of media, technology, and democracy. In his inaugural talk as Media Fellow, he will look back on three decades of media disruption and builds the optimist’s case for a new era of purpose-driven journalism.
Mark’s talk will take place on the United Nations International Day of Democracy. In advance of his talk, he comments:
“More than ever, we need a conversation about media and democracy that is grounded in the reality of human lives rather than short-term rows between big tech and traditional gatekeepers. As Media Fellow, I’m excited to explore long-term thinking that could help overcome the most immediate challenges for democratic media.”
The Schuler Forum for Democracy is a new three-year initiative funded by Dr Beate Schuler which engages Trinity’s research in the arts and humanities with questions relating to the media and democracy. Working with media, enterprise, policymakers, and civil society organisations, the Forum is committed to transforming research into real-world practice and activity.
The Forum builds on the work of the Hub in pioneering Arts and Humanities approaches to democracy research, including the 2018-19 CHCI-Mellon Global Humanities Institute on the Crises of Democracy and the 2020 Rethinking Democracy in an Age of Pandemic webinar and podcast series.
Dr Beate Schuler, a scientist and education philanthropist, spoke about her inspiration for supporting such an ambitious project:
“In 2021, with the global decline in democracy, it is essential that we have independent, diverse and trustworthy media systems with responsible media practitioners. We need to build cultures of open discussion and tolerance which allow people to disagree in a civil manner. We need publics equipped with the tools to identify fake or manipulative news and prepared to stand up against it.
Highlighting the cross-sector collaboration and public engagement which will also be key tenets of the initiative, Dr Schuler added:
“I do not think we can do this without engaging the unique skills and perspectives of the Arts and Humanities.”
Professor Eve Patten, Director of the Trinity Long Room Hub, welcomed Mark Little:
“We are honoured to have Mark join us as Media Fellow. He brings a wealth of knowledge and experience in the field to this project, together with valuable insights into the role that Arts and Humanities researchers can play in the work of democratic renewal. I would also like to express our gratitude to Beate Schuler for her vision and support in funding this initiative.”
To register for Mark Little’s talk at 4pm on September 15, click https://bit.ly/DemoDayTLRH
Philanthropists Eric & Barbara Kinsella donate €30m to Trinity College Dublin