The power of trust in the media and citizen journalism are among the topics to be discussed by top media names at a two-day forum in London next month hosted by the BBC and Reuters.

The 2006 We Media Global Forum will bring together opinion formers and leaders from media, business and technology to discuss and collaborate on how the media can foster trust and influence global issues in a world made smaller by the Internet.
The Forum takes place on May 3 and 4 – presented by The Media Center, a US-based non-profit think tank committed to building a better-informed society in a connected world.

Forum speakers include:

Jean-Marie Colombani, Chairman & Publisher, Le Monde
Richard Dreyfuss, Actor and Activist
Joanna Fields, Director of Partnerships, Google
Tom Glocer, CEO, Reuters
Scott Heiferman, Founder & CEO, Meetup.com
Wadah Khanfar, Director General, Al Jazeera
Rebecca MacKinnon, Co-Founder, Global Voices
Carolyn McCall, CEO, Guardian Newspapers
Richard Sambrook, Director of Global News, BBC
David Schlesinger, Global Managing Editor, Reuters
Dave Sifry, CEO, Technorati
Mark Thompson, Director General, BBC

Day 1 of the program, at the BBC Television Centre in West London, includes a live broadcast of the BBC's World Service programme, World Have Your Say, and an interactive experience with the Digital Assassins, a group of disruptors and innovators in digital media.

Day 2, at Reuters global Headquarters in Canary Wharf, includes a series of satellite-linked “town hall” meetings around the world, and an in-depth look by venture capitalists and business leaders at the changing economics of media and value of social capital.

Throughout the two days of the program, the Global Forum will offer glimpses of the future in short “Future Forward” segments – first looks at emerging technologies and media from leading developers, entrepreneurs and companies. A full programme of speakers and details is available at www.mediacenter.org/wemedia06

Tom Glocer, CEO of Reuters, said, “The balance of power between content creators, suppliers and consumers is changing, with an end to the notion of a passive audience. The ramifications of this new phenomenon are most acutely felt in the area of trust. As consumers, this democratization of media will have profound effects on where we source news and entertainment, and whom we trust. For a company like Reuters, this is a great time to be taking a 150 year old news brand in exciting new directions.”

BBC Director General Mark Thompson said, “Trust has always been central to BBC values. We all know the pressures that news organisations face in this fast changing multi-media world. I am delighted to welcome participants to the We Media Global Forum and I hope that it will provide a valuable opportunity for all of us to share our insights.”

The London forum is the second We Media event conducted by The Media Center. More than 250 leaders participated in the sold-out initial event in New York City in October 2005.

The Forum is open to members of the public and will enable delegates to learn from each other and to be inspired by the shared knowledge and the collective intelligence of the “connected society”. Online registration is now open at www.mediacenter.org/wemedia06.

Ends

Contact details:

Gloria Pan
Communications Director, The Media Center
gpan@mediacenter.org
1 (703) 715-3301

Yasmeen Khan
Reuters media relations
yasmeen.khan@reuters.com
++ 44 (0) 207 542 0496

David White,
BBC World Service Press Office,
david.white@bbc.co.uk
++ 44 (0) 207 557 3794

About The Media Center
The Media Center is a nonprofit think tank committed to building a better-informed society in a connected world. The Media Center helps individuals and organizations worldwide acquire intelligence and apply insight into the future role and use of media and enabling technology.
For more about The Media Center, go to: www.mediacenter.org

About Reuters
Reuters, the global information company, provides indispensable information tailored for professionals in the financial services, media and corporate markets. Its trusted information drives decision making across the globe based on a reputation for speed, accuracy and independence. Reuters has 15,300 staff in 89 countries, including staff from the acquisition of Telerate in June 2005. It also includes 2,300 editorial staff in 189 bureaux serving 128 countries, making Reuters the world's largest international multimedia news agency. In 2005, Reuters revenues were £2.4 billion. For more about Reuters, visit www.reuters.com

About the BBC
The BBC exists to enrich people's lives with great programmes and services on television, radio and online that inform, educate and entertain. Its vision is to be the most creative, trusted organisation in the world. BBC reporters and correspondents at home and abroad can be called on for expert coverage across a huge range of subject areas. With over sixty foreign bureaux, the BBC has the largest newsgathering operation in the world. BBC World Service provides international news, analysis and information in English and 32 other languages. For more about the BBC, visit www.bbc.co.uk