Here’s Why I’m Headed to Denver

There are just a few slots left for the National Conference for Media Reform. (You can get registered here.)

Here’s why I’m going, along with thousands of other activists, media makers, techies and journalists:

Back in 2001, I created a website calling for a multilateral approach to fighting terrorism in the wake of the 9/11 attacks. That site merged with MoveOn.org and a few years later I became MoveOn’s executive director. At MoveOn, we used the Internet to help millions of people become online and offline activists.

More recently I wrote a book called The Filter Bubble that describes how, as millions of us share goofy videos every day, the stuff that really matters falls out of the picture. And to help fix that problem, I co-founded Upworthy.com, a website that makes sharing important stuff as easy as sharing a video of some guy surfing off his roof. Upworthy became one of the fastest-growing media sites in history.

Everything I’ve done over the last decade or so has depended on the open Internet. The rise of online activism reflects our ability to say and do anything we like online — without Internet providers or the government getting in our way.

That’s why the National Conference for Media Reform is so important. No other event brings together such a diverse range of people dedicated to strengthening our means of communication and building a better democracy.

I’m going to weigh in on the art of sharing information online at a session called “The Title of This Session Matters More Than My Talk,” but I’m also looking forward to meeting and learning from the media makers, thought leaders, social entrepreneurs, artists and activists who will be there.

Please join me at the National Conference for Media Reform — click here to register now.

I hope to see you in Denver!