Princeton University

Woodrow Wilson School, Robertson Hall

8:30 a.m. REGISTRATION & BREAKFAST

9:00 a.m. WELCOME & OPENING REMARKS

Richard F. Keevey, Director, Policy Research Institute for the Region

9:15 a.m. GOODBYE TO THE AGE OF NEWSPAPERS: (HELLO TO A NEW ERA OF CORRUPTION)

Paul E. Starr, Stuart Professor of Communications and Public Affairs in the Woodrow Wilson School, Professor of Sociology and Public Affairs

9:45 a.m. THE NEWSPAPER CRISIS IN THE REGION

Local newspapers across the country are in crisis, and those in our region are no exception. Closures, lay-offs, and decreased circulation have resulted in less news coverage and diminished transparency. What does that mean to the public and how does that affect the democratic process? Expert panelists will discuss the decline of the local newspaper industry in New Jersey and Philadelphia, particularly the implications for coverage of state and city governments. They will discuss the dimensions of the crisis in the region, the changes in local journalism, and how those changes impact urban policy.

• Phyllis Kaniss, Executive Director of the American Academy of Political and Social Science; author of “Making Local News”
• Charles Layton, Senior writer for the American Journalism Review; former editor, Philadelphia Inquirer
• Richard A. Lee, Director of Communications, Hall Institute of Public Policy
• Jim Willse, Editor, Star Ledger

11:15 a.m. RESPONDING TO THE CRISIS: NATIONAL MODELS

New forms of local and regional journalism are emerging online. How are these alternative models structured and how are they funded? What are the opportunities for positive innovation and the risks of lower editorial quality? Panelists will discuss the emerging on-line news services, alternative funding for newspapers through non-profits or philanthropy, and the changing face of news in light of the diminished number of traditional newspapers and the increased use of the Internet as a source of information.

• Stephen Engelberg, Managing Editor, ProPublica
• Charles Firestone, Executive Director, Communications and Society Program, Aspen Institute
• Joel Kramer, CEO and Editor, MinnPost.com
• Dunstan McNichol, former reporter, Star Ledger

1:00 pm CLOSING REMARKS