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May 6, 2009, 6:31 a.m.

Today is J-Day in the U.S. Senate

A reminder: Today, in Washington, The Senate Commerce Committee convenes a panel of celebrities and journalists to discuss “The Future of Journalism.”

The notion of a Senate hearing about fixing the news business puts me in mind of something Ronald Reagan might have said, mockingly, if he were still stalking the crust: “We’re from the government, and we’re here to help you cover the news.”

Whatever the actual outcome of such an event, if nothing else the YouTube excerpts should be entertaining, especially if David Simon decides to unleash one of his screeds about the newspaper business. If you’d like to follow along, the schedule is here – it begins at 2:30 eastern.

POSTED     May 6, 2009, 6:31 a.m.
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The media becomes an activist for democracy
“We cannot be neutral about this, by definition. A free press that doesn’t agitate for democracy is an oxymoron.”
Embracing influencers as allies
“News organizations will increasingly rely on digital creators not just as amplifiers but as integral partners in storytelling.”
Action over analysis
“We’ve overindexed on problem articulation, to the point of problem admiring. The risk is that we are analyzing ourselves into inaction and irrelevance.”