Building Tomorrow's Media Leaders

Peggy and I discussed this year39s upcoming conference which is produced through her nonprofit educational organization the Future Now Media Foundation as well as her thoughts on media trends and her hopes for the industryGlenn Greenbergamp160 What39s different about this year39s conference from last year39samp160amp160 Peggy Kimamp160amp160We have more than doubled our applicants from last year and expect to double our overall attendance this year We39ve also expanded our roster of speakers and mentors and we have a growing network of over 200 colleges and universities across the countryamp160amp160Part of the DNA of Future Now is diversity and that includes geographical diversityamp160 Last year we had students coming from 15 different states from 44 different schools around the country and this year that has also expandedamp160 We39re getting a lot of students from Michigan California Texas Florida Georgia and all along the eastern seaboardGreenbergamp160 What39s the key thing you want people to know about the conferenceamp160 Kimamp160 This is an opportunity for students to be able to connect with people that they would not ordinarily be able to connect with and to be here in New York City the media capital of the worldamp160 This conference is free to themamp160 It39s the chance of a lifetimeamp160 Just making that oneonone personal connection is very difficultamp160 That39s why the conference is so beneficialamp160 It39s the personal it39s the facetoface it39s with people who actually care and understand the value of connecting with this next generationI39m grateful to companies like HBO and AE Networks has come aboard as a sponsor this yearamp160 We39re working with the T Howard Foundation which has done phenomenal work for many many years in promoting diversity in media and obviously MediaVillage whose President and Chief Operating Officer John McMenamin will keynote and so many others in the industryamp160Greenbergamp160 What are the most significant changes you39ve seen in the media latelyKimamp160amp160In the last couple of yearsamp160we39ve seen a lot of tectonic shifts in the industry and a lot of business challenges and we39ve seen some ugly truths finally exposedamp160 We39ve come to a kind of watershed moment especially in the last year and that39s because of people who have chosen and actually had the courage to speak upamp160 The MeToo movementamp160took an immense amount of courage for women and men to finally say somethingamp160amp160The lack of diversity and representation both behind and in front of the camera have also been longstanding issues that I think are finally getting real attention and not just lip serviceamp160 I think that companies are taking more initiative and are being more proactive in their hiring practices and in equal payamp160I think the changes are not just about the industry it39s what39s been happening in our society and our cultureamp160 There39s been a lot of polarity and divisionamp160 Critical thinking is so important and we as a country as a society as a cultureamp160and as a media cultureamp160have been lacking that pieceamp160 There39s been a lot of talk about quotfake newsquotamp160and people planting stories that are not trueamp160 This has seriously compromised public trust in the media and made the work of legitimate journalists that much harderamp160 We need to rebuild and reearn that trustWe have long hard work ahead as an industry but what I find wonderful and encouraging in all this is that there seems to be an awakening and a rebirth of activism with this younger generationamp160 My hope through the work of the Future Now Media Foundation is to nurture and build up these future leaders and catalyze them for success not just for themselves but for the industryWhat I would like to really impart to our colleagues today as well as to the young new leaders coming up is quotLet39s be thoughtful about this What is the impact of what we39re putting out thereamp160 Is this positiveamp160 Negativeamp160 Edifyingamp160 Or is it tearing downamp160 Are we solving problems or are we creating problemsamp160 Are we perpetuating problemsquotI love our industry for all its challengesamp160 I39m in it because I love itamp160and I want others to continue to love itamp160 There39s so much incredible power in what we do as an industry we39re driving opinions what people eat buy wear think and we need to think critically about that and whether we39re being responsible with that powerGreenbergamp160 You mentioned business challengesamp160 Which one would you say is the most significantKimamp160 The changing technology and the way that younger generations are now consuming media has turned everything on its headamp160 What better way for us to figure out how to problemsolve some of these issues than to actually connect with this nextgen consumeramp160 These students attending the conference are our nextgen consumers they are our nextgen leaders and our nextgen problem solversTo learn more about the Future Now Media ampamp Entertainment Conference and the Future Now Media Foundationamp160visitamp160wwwfuturenowconferencecomClick the social buttons above or below to share this story with your friends and colleaguesThe opinions and points of view expressed in this content are exclusively the views of the author andor subjects and do not necessarily represent the views of MediaVillagecomMyersBizNet Inc management or associated writers

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Glenn Greenberg

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