Welcome to the Media Seminar by Ibargüen and Gunderson

On behalf of the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation and the Council on Foundations, thanks for joining us as we examine the information needs of communities in a democracy.

The topic calls to mind the late ABC News anchor Howard K. Smith, who said: “Never underestimate the intelligence of the American people. But never overestimate their knowledge.” With today’s transition to technology-based information, these words are more accurate for today’s communities than ever before. Over the next two days, we’ll explore how the digital revolution is changing the playing field and the ways in which community foundations can become involved in addressing this critical community need.

Democracy is not easy. Citizens need information in order to participate. They need a sense of the issues, ideas and challenges that shape the geography in which they live. They need a sense of their collective selves, of who they are and what they believe, of what is beautiful and even what is funny, or simply what’s happening just around the corner. And leadership needs to explore ways to form the common bonds of information and belief that allow collective action to move communities forward.

In an age where the public square is increasingly digital, we want to encourage community foundation leadership to think broadly about how you can achieve bedrock goals of community involvement and civic betterment.

Your input, your ideas, your willingness to engage in this discussion, and your commitment to community will help shape the outcome of this seminar.

Thank you for your participation. We look forward to the dialogue.