70th Anniversary Convocation Weekend
November 7-9, 2008
True Grit: Advancing Journalism's Covenant in the 21st Century
Dear Nieman Friends,
It's hard to imagine what our benefactor, Agnes Wahl Nieman, would think of journalism in all its many forms today. From iPods to BlackBerrys and 24-hour cable news operations to online newspapers, we've come a long way from the days when the daily broadsheet and a 15-minute radio newscast were the only choices for news.
Now, as we prepare for the Nieman Foundation's 70th anniversary, I'd like to think Agnes would approve of the foundation's role through the years in furthering our mission “to promote and elevate the standards of journalism” — and that she'd be especially proud of the worldwide scope of the Nieman Fellowship program today.
We plan to gather in Cambridge this fall to celebrate this remarkable program and share stories about how our fellowship experiences have affected our lives and careers. We'll also take a critical look at journalism today, examining both the challenges and new opportunities that new media and shifting business models present.
The theme of our convocation weekend, “True Grit: Advancing Journalism's Covenant in the 21st Century,” addresses the thorny question of how to best preserve journalism as a public trust and strengthen its public service mission at a time when the rules of the game are changing and anxiety is rampant in newsrooms.
Please join us for our 70th anniversary convocation. The timing is opportune, immediately following the presidential election, which offers us the opportunity to reflect on the role of the press at the dawn of a new administration in Washington. I look forward to seeing you in November.
Bob Giles
Curator