Journalists and PR executives can be part of the solution to global problems, say Transformational Media Summit organisers
Media and communications industry leaders, thinkers and innovators from around the world will gather in Washington DC this November for the Transformational Media Summit, an event focused on how storytelling and the media can create positive change in our lives.
Following on from the inaugural London summit, held in September 2012, this year’s event will bring together speakers and attendees from a variety of backgrounds including film, photography, journalism, music, technology, business and economics. Workshops and talks will cover areas such as constructive journalism, the power of storytelling, sustainable business, health, wellbeing and mindfulness.
Organisers hope to see affiliated events such as film screenings and discussion groups held around the world in the week leading up to the main summit on 1 November. Attendees that complete a preliminary workshop at the UN Foundation on 31 October will also earn a certificate from the UPEACE Centre for Executive Education.
“We have a unique opportunity now to harness the tools of media to support individual and collective transformation.”
Speakers at the summit include industry leaders and sustainable business professionals such as UN Foundation vice president for communications Aaron Sherinian, ABC News anchor Dan Harris and Positive News editor Seán Dagan Wood.
Wood said: “We are now surrounded by a constant deluge of information, so we have to ask questions about how it affects us and about what information is really valuable.”
“Realising the power of the stories we tell, and the impact of the way in which we tell them, people in the media industries are increasingly looking to create media with purpose and values,” Wood added. “At a time when we face significant economic, social and environmental challenges, we have a unique opportunity now to harness the tools of media to support individual and collective transformation.”
The summit is intended to bring together people from around the world who understand that the narratives we create can shape the world we share, said summit coordinator and Ideal Media founder Jeremy Wickremer.
Like what you’re reading? Positive News depends on your support to publish quality inspiring content. Please donate to help us continue pioneering a more constructive news media.
“By working together to create new, better narratives for our lives, for business and society we can bring these stories into reality,” Wickremer said. “By gathering people and organisations from across sectors that are connecting the dots between interrelated issues and looking at the big picture for collective good, the summit hopes to create lasting impactful change.”
The Transformational Media Summit has partnered with a number of organisations including Girl Up, a youth campaign that supports UN programmes serving adolescent girls in developing countries. During the summit the UN foundation will also host a working session of change-making organisations and individuals to discuss collaboration and partnerships for good causes.
