Jason Pontin

Jason Pontin is an innovator within his own industry: media. He is engaged in what the The Boston Globe has described as a "strategic overhaul" of MIT Technology Review, whose goal is to make the venerable magazine (est. 1899) into a modern electronic publishing company. AdWeek has commented that "Pontin and MIT Technology Review could set the standard for the transition to a digital future for legacy media." In this talk, Pontin describes the tumult and challenges faced by traditional media organizations, how the public's confidence and interest in their products has collapsed, and why their economic future is so uncertain. He argues that journalism and media organizations should be important to anyone who cares about democracy and open societies, or who wants robust criticism of established corporate or political interests. Pontin says we cannot expect independent bloggers and much of what is called "new media" to fulfill the crucial intellectual and cultural functions of newspapers and magazines. Instead, he lays out a clear, imitable set of prescriptions, combining the best of old and new media practices that will make publications into sustainable businesses for the future.