About the Journalism Entrepreneurship Summit

The MADE Project may be among the first initiatives aimed specifically at supporting news startups in the UK and Turkey. But, thankfully, we’re no longer alone. Over the last four years we’ve been joined by other groups, companies, charities and universities keen to understand and support journalism entrepreneurs.

“Isn’t it time for us all to meetup and take stock?” asked MADE founder François Nel, who in 2011 became the only UK winner of the International Press Institute’s inaugural News Innovation contest sponsored by Google.

Yes, said Alison Bethel McKenzie of the IPI. Good idea, said Sarah Hartley and Will Perrin of Talk About Local, who have also contributed to MADE activities. Good idea, said Deborah Fox of Nesta, the  UK charity that supports innovation.  I’m keen too, said Dave Harte of Birmingham City University, who has worked on the  Creative Citizens project.

Let’s call it the Journalism Entrepreneurship Summit, suggested Nel.  The others agreed. The team at Talk About Local signed up to help make the event happen with further support from McKenzie and Javier Luque at the IPI.

François, Javier and Sarah set out to firm up the basics: 

• The Aim: To assemble those who have been (or would like to be) directly involved in supporting news media entrepreneurship - programme leads, participants and funders - to share experiences, best practice and identify ways to move forward.
• The Convenor: François Nel, founder of the MADE Project and director of the Journalism Leaders Programme at the University of Central Lancashire, Preston.
• The Sponsors: MADE with funding from the IPI News Innovation Contest sponsored by Google
• The Secretariat: Talk About Local.
• The Date: Friday, 27 February 2015
• The Location: London
• The Venue: Google Campus London
• The DRAFT Programme: Registration from 9:00am for a 9:30am start. With discussions running through to 5:30pm with a networking reception and dinner to follow at 7:30pm. 
• The Speakers:  An open invitation was extended to all those who want to contribute to any aspect of this question about Journalism Entrepreneurship: "What we did, what we learned, and what we (all) might do next?"  This was followed with a specific call for academic participants.  Confirmed speakers include:
•  Peter Barron is  Google's Director of Communications and Public Affairs for Europe, Middle East and Africa and a former editor of BBC's Newsnight.
• Eliot Higgins is the founder of the Brown Moses Blog and the investigative journalism site Bellingcat, and has pioneered the use of open source investigation in conflict zones.
•  Jane Singer is Professor of Journalism Entrepreneurship and Innovation at City University London.  
• William Perrin is founder of Talk About Local, advisor board member of the Digital Government Review and a former policy advisor to 10 Downing Street. 
• Charlie Beckett is founding director of the think-tank POLIS and Professor in The Media and Communications Department at the London School of Economics.
• Douglas White is Head of Advocacy at the Carnegie UK Trust. He oversees the Trust’s Neighbourhood News and Library Lab programmes and leads the organisation’s working on tackling digital exclusion. He is a Fellow of the RSA.

Please register your interest HERE .  

You can also send suggestions, questions and proposals to François and the team at uclanmade@gmail.com. And join the Google+ nextwork +UCLan MADE UK or follow the Twitter conversation at #JES2015 on @jpreneursummit.