Since the advent of social media, we have entered a new era of journalism and news reporting that relies as much on individual voices as on large media networks. These networks pick and choose what is aired and often have a bias for American news, which leaves many people in the dark when it comes to important global issues. One of the primary organizations working against this trend is Global Voices, which has more than 1,000 volunteers around the world covering underreported, yet important stories. Since its inception, Global Voices has forged partnerships with established news sources, such as Slate and The Guardian, to expand its reach. So-called citizen journalism will become increasingly important as a source of real, meaningful news in years to come, but organizations like Global Voices need the help of news consumers to stay viable. Currently, Global Voices makes a small profit from a translation agency that it runs, and it also receives grants. However, if this and similar organizations are going to expand, they will need support from their readers. Individuals need to think about the type of news they like to consume and actively support the media outlets they find most meaningful. In this way, they will play a role in ensuring that important global stories are heard.
Since 1965, the Edward R. Murrow Center for a Digital World at Tufts University has preserved the legacy of its namesake through innovative media research and thought leadership. Carrying Murrow’s groundbreaking work in the realms of media, technology, and public diplomacy into the 21st century, the center attempts to glean new insights into how the digital revolution is driving broader societal changes. It pursues this goal via a combination of educational events and workshops, robust public communications, and research. Through a project known as ICEBERG, the Murrow Center aims to combat the increasingly compartmentalized nature of the media and online communities. Even as technology spurs the development of a more globalized, connected world, factors such as news-organization business models and social media algorithms have turned many individuals’ media experiences into an echo chamber. This trend has driven nationalistic tendencies and a general lack of international understanding within the global community.ICEBERG is a comparative news analysis platform designed to address this issue by compiling diverse news, analysis, and opinions from leading minds around the world. By presenting comparative analyses of varied ideas on an innovative online platform, the Murrow Center intends to engage the public with the diverse voices impacting international events.Developed in conjunction with digital design firm Charming Robot and numerous partners from the academic and media sectors, ICEBERG is currently in its alpha test stage. This experimental effort, overseen by former NPR foreign editor John Felton, will focus on human security and operate out of leading academic and research institutions throughout the United States and Europe.
Established in 2006, the Al Jazeera Center for Studies is a think tank operating as an offshoot of the Al Jazeera Media Network. Through in-depth research and analysis focused on both regional and global current affairs, the center provides insight that not only serves Al Jazeera’s vast international operations, which span more than 140 countries, but also seeks to inform society at large. As an extension of a multinational news media organization based in the Middle East, the Al Jazeera Center for Studies leverages its unique perspective on the region’s cultural and sociopolitical climate to focus primarily on geopolitical events in Arab regions. It seeks to provide timely information that promotes a global understanding of current events, drawing on the efforts of a global network of subject experts and research professionals. As the center brings together great minds from around the world, it aims to promote similar connections within the public, working toward mutual understanding and cooperation among cultures. Since its inception, the Al Jazeera Center for Studies has developed a global reputation for providing accurate and timely research that upholds rigorous academic standards. For three years, the center ranked sixth among more than 500 organizations in the American University of Pennsylvania’s annual world index of research centers. In January 2016, the institution announced that the Al Jazeera Center had advanced to the fifth spot.
