Media Democracy Day: Renowned News Chief to Speak on Journalism’s Future

Tony Burman, senior executive of Al Jazeera English to open Media Democracy Day 2010

VANCOUVER, B.C., September 16, 2010- The School of Communication at Simon Fraser University, OpenMedia.ca, and the Vancouver Public Library (VPL) are thrilled to announce that Tony Burman has been confirmed as the opening keynote speaker for Media Democracy Day 2010 (MDD), taking place November 6th at the Vancouver Public Library, Central Library, from 12-5 PM.

A 35-year veteran of the CBC, Mr. Burman represents a strong belief in a media system that fills a public service mandate, and explores the most pressing social issues of our time. As quoted in the Canadian Association of Journalists Newsletter in 2006, he says, “there is no more important contribution that we can make to society than strong, publicly-spirited investigative journalism.” His past projects include serving as executive producer for The National, producing many award-winning documentaries for The Journal, and working as chief news editor for CBC Television. He was CBC’s editor in chief from 2000-2007.

In May 2008, Mr. Burman was appointed as the managing director for Al Jazeera English (AJE), the English-language branch of the Al Jazeera news network, an organization celebrated for its democratizing influence on media cultures around the globe. Established in 2006, AJE is free of commercial and political pressures, and provides a unique counterbalance to the global corporate media. Where major news networks tend to headquarter themselves in developed nations like the United States, Al Jazeera has operations centres in both developed and developing nations: the UK, the United States, Qatar, and Malaysia. This autumn, Mr. Burman is moving from Doha, Qatar to his new position as Al Jazeera’s senior executive for the Americas, based in Washington and Toronto.

“I am delighted and honoured to be speaking at Media Democracy Day,” said Mr. Burman. “Nothing is more important to the vibrancy of a democracy than independent and public service media, a fact that makes this special day so important.”

Tyler Morgenstern, coordinator for Media Democracy Day says, “we couldn’t find a better representative of the media democratization movement than Mr. Burman. His work in public service broadcasting, his efforts to tell diverse and credible stories, and his belief that citizen and professional journalists can work together to benefit the whole media system is inspiring. He is at the centre of a shift in the media ecology.”

About Media Democracy Day:
Launched simultaneously in Vancouver and Toronto in 2001, MDD responded to a growing global media democratization movement. This movement seeks to create a more participatory media system by supporting independent and public service media production, celebrating innovation, and creating dialogue around the politics and biases linked to our increasingly corporate and concentrated media. To learn more, visit http://www.mediademocracyday.org

About the School of Communication:
For more than 35 years, the School of Communication at Simon Fraser University has fostered the development of critical, interdisciplinary approaches to the study of media and technology with a commitment to social theory and political economy. Led by an award-winning team of educators, the School of Communication is at the leading edge of media policy research, technological innovation, and cultural transformation on a global scale. For more information, visit http://cmns.sfu.ca

About OpenMedia.ca:
OpenMedia.ca is a national, non-partisan, non-profit public engagement organization working to advance and support an open and innovative communications system in Canada. Our primary goal is to increase public awareness and informed participation in Canadian media, cultural, information, and telecommunication policy formation. More at: http://openmedia.ca

About Vancouver Public Library:
Founded in 1887, Vancouver Public Library is one of Canada's largest library systems dedicated to meeting the lifelong learning, reading, recreation and information needs of the people of Vancouver. Each year, the Library’s 22 branches serve over six million visitors and offer over 2.5 million items, including books, CDs, DVDs, magazines and countless online resources. For more information, visit http://www.vpl.vancouver.bc.ca/

About Al Jazeera:
Al Jazeera challenges dominant north-to-south media flows, particularly when covering conflict and crises. Al Jazeera tells stories from behind civilian lines, instead of from within the ranks of invading armies as CNN-style embedded journalism does. The channel aims to give voice to untold stories, promote debate, challenge established perceptions, and provide a unique grassroots perspective from under-reported regions around the world to a potential global audience of over one billion English speakers. More information at: http://english.aljazeera.net/

Contact: Tony Burman, Managing Director, Al Jazeera English
Phone: (202) 496-5772
[email protected]

Tyler Morgenstern
Coordinator, Media Democracy Day
Office: (778) 782-7353
[email protected]
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Tyler Morgenstern
Co-coordinator, Media Democracy Day 2010
[email protected]
P: 778.782.7353 | C: 778.385.8448

Gala Milne,
Co-coordinator, Media Democracy Day 2010
[email protected]
C: 778.847.4252

Twitter: @MediaDemocDay, #MDDVan
Facebook: "Media Democracy Day Vancouver"