BaKaFORUM's End?

In case you have not yet heard, BaKaFORUM has become a casualty of these difficult economic times. I will paste the notes from general manager Michael Koechlin and program manager Markus Nikel, below, for those who not have seen them.

Here is part of what I wrote to Michael and members of the program committee:

"BaKaFORUM was indeed a forum. But it was also a stage, a platform, a source of friendship, and a gathering place for men and women from every region of the world to dream and share those dreams. My hope is that the seeds sown at BaKaFORUM over the years may become something powerful in the future, obviously now in a different form, or maybe not.

"Perhaps in the coming days, weeks, and months, the many of us who were
enriched by our association with BaKaFORUM can create something new
from what BaKaFORUM began."

(Signed, Irv Kass)

Here are the notes from Michael and Markus:

A Sad End for the BaKaFORUM

"Dear BaKaFORUM Community

I am afraid I have to inform all our supporters, friends and visitors that the BaKaFORUM will cease to exist by the end of 2011. At the end of october, the government of Basel has rejected our application for the funding (subsidy) of the BaKaFORUM and transfer into the department of education as from 2012. Earlier on, the two founders, the SRG and the DEZA, had already reduced their financial support. In these economically difficult times we could not find sponsors who would compensate for these substantial losses of funding. The denial of the official support by the city of Basel logically also ends the partnership Basel-Karlsruhe in funding the BaKaFORUM. Given this situation, the foundation council had no other possibility but to decide in its meeting of 10th November 2011 to dissolve the foundation and to liquidate the BaKaFORUM by the end of 2011.

"I want to thank everybody, especially those many, many BaKaFORUM participants, collaborators, contest participants and winners and all those wonderful partners and friends who have always generously supported the BaKaFORUM over such a long time. I do very much hope that the ideas, the goals, the commitment and the network of the BaKaFORUM will live on in some way, in some place and find other ways of support.

"With all my best wishes and kind regards,

"Michael Koechlin
General Manager

"Dear all

"it's been a pleasure and very enriching professional and human experience to work
for and with the BaKaFORUM. After the decision taken by the City of Basel to end this event, I think it is very important to make sure that the network related to BaKaFORUM finds a new reference and continuity, and I would like you to know that I am working on this matter. Talks have been started already with the EBU's Science and Education Experts Group, and my feeling is that there is a strong interest in maintaining the network alive and in making it productive for the future.

"For any suggestions in this sense, please do not hesitate to contact me at m.nikel@rai.it

"Thank you and best wishes,
Markus Nikel"

A Final Thought--(from Irv Kass)

Please feel free to use the "comments" area of this blog to share ideas in an open forum. My personal hope is that the extraordinary energy, talent, and commitment of those who made BaKaFORUM a success over the years will evolve into an even more exciting future. As economies improve, a second act may become even more powerful than the first.

Thank you.

BaKaFORUM 2012 will not be in January

For those who check this blog from time to time, please take a look at the BaKaFORUM homepage for more information about the decision to not schedule BaKaFORUM 2012 in late January as has been the practice for the last several years. According to BaKaFORUM.net, the hope is to convene BaKaFORUM during the fall of 2012.

We will pass along more information as it becomes available.

A different take on media literacy

Hello, again, everybody. As our memories of BaKaFORUM 2011 become more distant, I continue to reflect upon and process our three days together. One of the key discussion areas was media literacy. This topic is so important for all of us as producers and consumers. The educational efforts of several organizations, quite notably different United Nations entities, help spread the word. Many schools, at every level, have embraced media literacy. Subsets of the topic include news literacy and advertising literacy, to name just two.

As I thought about BaKaFORUM, last week, I wrote a personal blog that was not specifically about media literacy and certainly did not reference the topic. But, as I look back it may have some relevance. So, I post the link for your consideration. My comments refer to the current media environment in the United States. I'm interested in knowing how you see things from other parts of the world.

BaKaFORUM and other gatherings that celebrate the best in media help us also recognize, by contrast, the toxic messages that have always been around. This serves as an antidote to "crap" in its many varieties. And that too is a form of media literacy.

The trip home & pictures from Awards Night

The 6,400 mile (10,300 km) journey home went rather smoothly. The nearly full Boeing 767 that flew us from Zurich to the New York area landed just 20 minutes behind schedule leaving plenty of time to make the connecting flight to California. The only minor excitement happened as the plane from Newark to San Diego was taxiing to the runway. The captain came on the plane's public address system to tell us the emergency vehicles racing to the left side of our aircraft were, in fact, for us. He quickly added that it was nothing to worry about. As our jet's crew fired up the 737's left engine, the pilots in the plane behind saw the engine "belch" (his word) out a little flame. Our captain seemed unconcerned as he explained this happens some time and it's usually not a problem. Safety being most important, this fiery belch required an inspection by emergency crews to be sure the plane was safe to fly. As the fire trucks retreated, the captain got back on and said we were number one for departure. About a minute later, we were in the air headed west, the considerable New York and New Jersey snow on the ground fading in the distance. A little more than five hours later, we landed at San Diego's Lindbergh Field where the temperature was a pleasant 55 F (13 C) degrees at 8:00 in the evening. So, 24 hours after leaving the hotel in Basel, I was home.

BaKaFORUM's attendees come from near and far. Whether close or distant, I hope everybody's journey home went as smoothly as mine. As we all get back to our daily routine, here are some of Werner Laschinger's fine photos from the closing ceremony and reception to help keep the BaKaFORUM spirit fresh in our minds' eyes. Thank you all, particularly our hosts in Basel and the BaKaFORUM team, for an inspiring three days. Enjoy.






 

BaKaFORUM 2011 Prize Winners

2011 BaKaFORUM Awards, photo by Werner Laschinger

The juries have made their selections. Here are your 2011 BaKaFORUM prize winners and finalists:

Cross-Media Prize for School and Youth Education

 Highrise-Out My Window       National Film Board of Canada (PRIZE WINNER)


13 at War                                      NTR                           Netherlands (Finalist)

Lisa’s Mission                              KRO                           Netherlands (Finalist)

Una Ma de Contes                       CCRTV Interactive    Spain (Honorable Mention)

Cross-Media Prize for Adult Education

The Anxiety Monster                 UR                               Sweden (PRIZE WINNER)

Collapsus: The Energy Risk
Conspiracy                                   Submarine                    Netherlands (Finalist)

The Behaviour Challenge            Teachers TV                 United Kingdom (Finalist)



Youth Jury Prize

13 at War                                     NTR                        Netherlands (PRIZE WINNER)

Evolution of Life                          CNDP                      France (Finalist)

Highrise-Out My Window           National Film Board of Canada (Finalist)


Proposal Prize


Let’s Play Please                    Doordarshan             India (PRIZE WINNER)

Bata Ang Bukas                       Anak TV, Inc.              Philippines (Finalist)

SORCERY: A Weapon of
Power                                       Corp. Paz y Media      Colombia (Finalist)

Media literacy and a short, powerful message

This afternoon's media literacy and democracy workshop offered several "enlightening visions" of how educating students and teachers will serve our common interests. Each of the presenters shared projects and strategies to help promote media and information literacy. The United Nations, in particular, was well represented with three presentations having a connection to the UN. Here's a link to the page on the BaKaFORUM website that includes all the links to today's workshop.

Here's one highlight from a project that teaches young people to make one minute "films" in order to tell their stories. What you'll see is how a Black student from the Ukraine chose to produce a message designed to combat racism. It's from the http://theoneminutesjr.org project.

Quick thought on the morning sessions

The morning session's presenters discussed media literacy from a variety of perspectives with an emphasis on educational uses for new media. As tools for teaching and learning, media have wide applications, and a good deal of research backs up the benefits. I look forward to more in depth discussions this afternoon. We also heard a compelling presentation on the role of independent journalism in Sri Lanka.

Of particular interest to me is the dichotomy between computer mediated communication (CMC) and face to face (F2F) interactions. Specifically, does extensive use of CMC affect our capacity for presence in the non-virtutal (F2F) world? And are these effects exacerbated in our young people who have never known a world without portable phones and the internet?

As enthusiastic as I am about CMC and new media in general--particularly the positive role these tools can play in schools--I wonder how we mitigate the inevitable trade-offs, those Faustian bargains, that each new technology contains. No doubt, media literacy is an essential ingredient for a healthy communication ecology. Perhaps these trade-offs are a worthy area for future research and less formal observation. Just a thought.

Short takes and a comment on news of the day

Awards to be announced tonight

Youth and adult juries (photo by Werner Laschinger)

Today is the final day of BaKaFORUM 2011. The juries have been busily working to determine this year's honorees. After the tonight's ceremony, we'll post a list of the entries that receive awards. So check back around 21:00.

Teaching and learning

Today's Focus: School and youth--Teachers day.

The schedule includes afternoon workshops on cross-media concepts for the classroom (13:30-16:30) at Wild'tsches Haus, Petersplatz 13...

And, media literacy and democracy building (14:00-17:00) is the topic at the Kult.Kino, Theaterstrasse 7.

Check your schedule or the BaKaFORUM.net website for more details. I only wish I could attend both workshops.

Connect at the Connect Cafe (Gerbergasse 30)

If you have not yet visited the connect cafe, take the five minute walk from Kult Kino and check it out. There is an attractively laid out media center where you can view various BaKaFORUM entries. The cafe itself is a former bank, quite spacious and a nice place to enjoy a coffee or tea, and a snack.

On a quite serious note

I am by experience, training, and temperament a newsman, a journalist. And while this blog is not journalism in a traditional sense, our thoughts turn to the news of the day. Unrest in Egypt is dominating world events as we begin our final day at BaKaFORUM. Just two days ago we were discussing the benefits of openness on the internet, first at the opening session and later in this blog. Once again we see that our age of  digital empowerment offers powerful tools for enabling a wide range of voices to be heard. The Egyptian government's extraordinary effort to shut down the internet speaks volumes about why net openness is so critically important. Those, here, who document struggles for social justice understand why media remain powerful tools. And, it seems fitting to recall the words of American radio and TV journalist Edward R. Murrow (1908-1965). Murrow was speaking about television, but his words could also apply to the newer technologies examined by us today and in use on the streets of Egypt.

Enlightened visions, indeed.

This instrument can teach, it can illuminate; yes, and it can even inspire. But it can do so only to the extent that humans are determined to use it to those ends. Otherwise it is merely wires and lights in a box. (E.R. Murrow, 1958)

A well deserved thank you

Photo by Werner Laschinger

Before last night's session got underway, BaKaFORUM's new general manager, Michael Koechlin, thanked outgoing GM Robert Ruoff for his many years of service. Myriam Bschir, BaKaFORUM's former assistant general manager, also received BaKaFORUM's signature pyramid, a token of gratitude for her years of service. Those assembled expressed their gratitude with long, enthusiastic applause, as Robert and Myriam were recognized.

Photo by Werner Laschinger

I join BaKaFORUM's official thank you. As a three time attendee, I am grateful to Robert and Myriam for their warm welcomes over the years and the ongoing quality of BaKaFORUM. All best wishes.

Leading with the web as the primary driving force

After about 40 years working in and around television and media, I can count on one hand a few turning-point moments where it became clear to me that everything had changed. Little changes happen all the time. And major changes are often incremental rather than sudden. But for each of us there is often a moment of clarity when it all makes sense. Today, I experienced such a moment at BaKaFORUM.

To provide a little perspective, here are those prior moments that set the stage for where we are today.

    1—Working in daily TV news production, I noticed it all changed when we began phasing out film and instead began producing on videotape. This happened in the mid 1970s.

    2—At the Radio and Television News Directors Association (RTNDA) annual meeting, several local and national news websites were presented as the news delivery platforms of the future. This happened in the mid 1990s.

    3—At the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) convention in Las Vegas, Television and Radio had to share the stage and exhibition floor with digital media; digital media got its own exhibition space for the first time. This happened in the late1990s.

From TAL.tv presentation

Earlier today, I listened and watched as presenters from Switzerland, Canada, South Africa, Argentina, and Brazil explained how the web—not TV or radio—had become the driving force on many new multi-platform projects. As is the case with prior “sea changes,” these transformations have been happening for some time. BaKaFORUM’s focus this year, on cross media production, is helping to bring these important changes into focus.

In case you missed the session, here is a list of links to the projects that were presented.

http://frischfilm.sf.tv

http://www.nfb.ca/interactive

http://worldkidsnews.com

http://tal.tv

And, just for fun, here is the Frischfilm (SRF Switzerland) short animated presentation shown earlier today. Enjoy. If you prefer, here's a link to the SRF website's presentation.

Trade-offs in the digital age

Alain Bieber (holding microphone), Photo by Werner Laschinger

Those technological Faustian bargains--articulated by Neil Postman with great clarity years ago--that we enter into with each new breakthrough, came up, indirectly, in the discussion at last night’s opening session of BaKaFORUM. Panelist Alain Bieber made a forceful statement advocating openness on the web with, for example, no copyright restrictions. To emphasize his point, Alain went on to say he supports the work of WikiLeaks, to which he received enthusiastic applause from many of those attending the session.

As a long time news producer and later an executive, I regularly fought battles to get information released so it could be made public. So, on many levels, my heart is with Alain and those who supported him by their approving response. Okay, you’ve probably figured out that I’m about to say, “but on the other hand.” And yes, that is correct. All this openness has a price. Is there such a thing as “a reasonable expectation of privacy” for us in the digital age? I hope there is, though I’m no longer certain. And aren’t there times when the WikiLeaks mentality promotes reckless disregard for the greater good? Isn't good journalism also about being a responsible "gate-keeper?" (Yes, all these rhetorical questions are designed to provoke a dialogue.)

The work of WikiLeaks embarrasses the powerful. Those who speak truth to power are often persecuted, prosecuted or, in some cases, even murdered. These are risks journalists have been facing since long before the personal computer became a commodity. As we say in the American idiom, “it goes with the territory.” So let’s limit our consideration (or not!) to the more typical, every day varieties of copyright infringements and disclosures of what might be considered private information.

I, and I’m certain many of you, recognized, long ago, that there is a distinction between anonymity and privacy. Clearly, in today’s world, being anonymous is nearly impossible. But what is a reasonable expectation of privacy in today’s world, both for private individuals and the public person? As you answer the question consider it in terms of the tradeoffs we are willing to accept as the technological age leads us to new frontiers. Are we entering a new chapter of “Brave New World” or shining daylight on dark places hiding in the shadows? Obviously, we are in a gray area and I suppose that was Postman’s point when he alerted us to the dual nature of technological progress. As he said, “Technology giveth and technology taketh away.”

As for protecting copyrighted material on the internet, I tend to agree with Alain,with some minimal exceptions. As the saying goes, “the net just wants to be free.” For more on that, I recommend Free: The Future of a Radical Price, by Wired Magazine’s Chris Anderson.  

Finally, it appeared to me that one of the fiction film clips screened last night touched on some of these questions. Zero Point Seven (0.7) seemed to this non-German speaker to be headed in a direction that examines the march of technology in the not so far away future, perhaps touching on these current questions.

And a final, final point… thank you to our translator who did a fine job for those of us who understand English but not German. Simultaneous translation is a bit of an art form when done so well.

Live from Basel

 About 16:00

As I write this post, BaKaFORUM’s opening session is just a few hours away. Tonight’s panel will explore “the future of education and culture in the digital media landscape.” True to its mission, BaKaFORUM 2011’s opening discussion will include perspectives on the topic from Africa, Asia, Europe, and North America.

Youth Jury at work, January 27, 2011

Many of BaKaFORUM’s participants are arriving this afternoon, while others have been working all day. The adult and youth juries are busy selecting prizewinners for announcement at the award ceremony Saturday evening.

If you are reading this for the first time or have been reading the BaKaFORUM blog since last year, once again I invite you to join the conversation. Use the comments section to share your views, insights, or reaction to what is written here or what you hear and see during the next two and a half days. If you’re reading this in Basel, please introduce yourself and, if you would like, share your resources (video, photos, ideas) for the blog. As more people jump in, who knows what we will create. Thank you.

On a personal level, it is delightful to see so many familiar faces along with those who are attending BaKaFORUM for the first time. As we used to say in TV, “stay tuned.”

Media messages old and new

There is a memorable scene in the old Woody Allen movie, Annie Hall (1977), where a pompous professor in a movie line is pontificating about everything from Federico Fellini’s films to Marshall McLuhan’s media theories. Allen’s frustrated character can’t take it any more so he turns and tells the loudmouth that he doesn’t know what he is talking about. When the offending pontificator starts spouting off about his credentials and expertise of McLuhan’s work, Allen’s character produces Marshall McLuhan himself. Dr. McLuhan proceeds to tell the self-proclaimed expert, “You know nothing of my work.”

 

Marshall McLuhan

Marshall McLuhan: You Know Nothing of My Work is the title of a new biography of McLuhan, written by Douglas Coupland. I just started reading it and will finish on the long plane rides from California to Switzerland. So what does this have to do with BaKaFORUM? I’m reminded of McLuhan because he came up in a conversation with Robert Ruoff, BaKaFORUM’s former general manager. It was at BaKaFORUM in Basel in December of 2004. We had just heard a speaker describe the changing media environment. Robert and I turned to each other and acknowledged that we really do live in a “global village.” “Global Village” and “The Medium Is the Message” are two expressions McLuhan coined almost 50 years ago. This new biography notes that McLuhan anticipated today’s environment, with great clarity, long ago.

BaKaFORUM 2011 will focus on Enlightened Visions? Cross Media, and Digital Convergence and The New Face of Education. The question mark after enlightened visions is on the BaKaFORUM homepage. It offers an appropriate level of healthy skepticism for those of us who care about the state of the world and media’s roles in the future. What is most exciting about BaKaFORUM, and why it captures our attention and imagination, is that it promotes and celebrates those who strive to create enlightened visions. And it allows us to explore, today, what others anticipated and what we can anticipate in the years ahead. Our current technologies, those that allow cross media productions and digital convergence, are indeed, in McLuhan’s words, “extensions” of ourselves. These extensions, used for positive purposes, lead to the hoped for enlightened visions that BaKaFORUM will examine, next week.

As I pointed out in anticipation of last year’s BaKaFORUM, with credit to Neil Postman, technological advancement creates Faustian bargains; technology gives and takes away. As we are a year further along in technological advancement it is worth reflecting on what we gain and what we lose with each new device we connect. Whether it is large screen high definition, or small screen portable instant access, our cross platform environment compels us to consider the media messages we present and how those messages move across the universe. McLuhan's vision lives nearly 50 years later; what will our visions look like five decades from now?

Now, thanks to current technology, you can view the clip I referenced at the beginning of the blog. Enjoy. The McLuhan appearance is near the end of the scene. The clip runs 2:43. See you in Basel, or online.

Coming soon: BaKaFORUM 2011

San Diego, California, USA

Hello, again, everybody.

BaKaFORUM 2011 convenes in Basel, Switzerland, in about two weeks. I'm excited to be joining so many talented producers, teachers, and creative members of the world's media community as we  review some of the best work from 2010 and explore the future.

As I did last year, I will be blogging about BaKaFORUM as it is happening. My goal is to provide information and commentary at the speed of news. You are invited to join the conversation by posting comments and creating a dialogue within this blog. Please join in.

For now, here are a few pictures from last year's gathering in Karlsruhe, Germany. And here's a link to BaKaFORUM's home page, for details on this year's program, and a link to last year's blogs, if you want to get an idea of what we'll be offering in this space when BaKaFORUM gets underway.

Thank you. I look forward to seeing you in Basel, or online if you cannot be there in person.

Site of 2010 BaKaFORUM, Karlsruhe, Germany, January 2010

Creative Collaboration, January 2010

Thanking the BaKaFORUM staff, January 2010

Discussing Teza, a powerful film, January 2010