Digital Communication Network empower a new generation of communicators and influencers, facilitate the formation of communities and develop open spaces for cross-training, sharing and creating media products and services, adapted to a dynamic information environment

1. Empowering voices and ideas

2. NEW DCN BOARD
Advisory board

3. In light of rising populism and authoritarianism worldwide, massive
disinformation by oppressive regimes, censorship and electoral interference,
digital technology increasingly becomes a primary instrument to empower
alternative voices and ideas. Digital Communication Network (DCN) believes
that technology is the vehicle for positive change and disruption. Only
cooperation of professional journalists, media enthusiasts, developers,
entrepreneurs, lawmakers, and civil activists could ensure a free flow of
information, open internet, as well as transparency, accountability, and civil
society control over governments.
mission is to catalyze such cooperation, to empower a new generation
of communicators and influencers, facilitate the formation of communities
and develop open spaces for cross-training, sharing and creating media
products and services, adapted to a dynamic information environment.
MISSION STATEMENT
2018: empowering voices and ideas

4. Authoritarian regimes around the world have learned to use the digital space
against their political opponents and their own citizens. Armies of trolls, fake news,
alternative truth and censorship distort the media landscape, generate confusion,
and suppress alternative voices and ideas.
Manipulated by state actors and interest groups, traditional media outlets are
increasingly losing credibility with the public. Reliable, objective sources of
information have become an endangered species.
Truth-seeking and social media organizations cannot match the intensity and the
resources of the current offensive against the truth. Journalism cannot win alone.
Thousands of creative grassroots media initiatives emerged on social networks,
they create content for millions of subscribers, followers, and viewers. But these
new producers may not have the same journalistic values as legacy outlets.
BACKGROUND
Photo credit: RFE/RL

5. DEVELOPMENT STAGES
DCN was successfully
formed. It is active
network of 3000
members from more
than 30 countries.
DCN gains visibility,
traction and clout;
becomes a player in
the information space;
organizes training &
networking events.
DCN generates
Products and services;
becomes a media hub
and startup accelerator;
launches a regional
research program.
20192018
2016-
2017

6. DEVELOPMENT STAGES
DCN believes that the training and
development paradigm, when it comes
to communication and information,
needs to evolve and to involve a larger
category of digital communicators from
a variety of fields media,
entrepreneurs, civil society and social
movements, and governments.
DCN functions like an entrepreneurial
startup where digital communication
professionals help one another and work
on joint projects with the purpose of
seeking and promoting truth,
transparency, pluralism, free internet
and unbiased journalism.
Combating disinformation and fake
news involves not only challenging
specific cases but also educating
consumers and for that effort to be
successful, influencers need to be
empowered to generate and filter
information.

7. OBJECTIVES
Training and Networking
1 Organize at least five international events with
an emphasis on the interactive media, fact-
checking, data - and investigative, journalism,
media literacy, blockchain technology, gaming,
big and open data, cyber security, AR/VR,
Artificial Intelligence (including chatbots and
botnets).
2 Organize three summer express-schools for
media and communicators in Central, Eastern
Europe, and Caucasus on 1) media literacy; 2)
social media tools; 3) blockchain and security;
4) data-journalism.
3 Create a DCN toolbox and guidebook for
journalists, communication specialists,
governments, corporations of state
organizations.
4 To launch a training program for governments
starting with Ukraine and Moldova.

8. OBJECTIVES
Development and partnership
5 With the support of national ambassadors, to
create five autonomous national or regional
hubs under DCN umbrella.
6 To reach one million unique individuals with
DCN content on social networks. To launch
DCN pages in Russian.
7 To reinforce existing or establish new
partnerships with local and international
media, such as Radio Liberty, Voice of
America, Current Time TV, BBC World, and
academic institutions. Use universities as a
space for dialogue, debates, and meetups,
engage promising youth in DCN activities.
8 To provide young media innovators from the
region with Digicomnet Short Fellowships. They
will be working in partner organizations.
9 Create the program and infrastructure for the
incubator (including funding) to roll it out in 2019.

9. OBJECTIVES
Research
10 To conduct a regional study on mapping
influencers in media space. It includes
qualitative research on digital initiatives,
information flows, as well as potential
disinformation sources.
11 Do a roadshow in six countries to get: insights
regarding media products, what they need, if
there is a market and how mature are those
products that could enter the incubator.

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