Authors

This paper was written by four primary authors. These authors drew on the effort and expertise of larger teams, many of whom are mentioned in the case study section where their roles and contributions are covered in more detail. The primary authors are:

Taylor Owen is an assistant professor of digital media and global affairs at the University of British Columbia and the former research director at the Tow Center for Digital Journalism. He is the founding editor-in-chief of the Canadian International Council’s international affairs platform OpenCanada.org and the director of an international research project studying the impact of digital technology on international affairs called the International Relations and Digital Technology Project (IRDTP). Owen’s most recent book, Disruptive Power: The Crisis of the State in the Digital Age, was published by Oxford University Press in April of 2015. He earned his Ph.D. from the University of Oxford and was a research fellow at Yale University and the London School of Economics.

Fergus Pitt is a media policy analyst and senior research fellow at the Tow Center for Digital Journalism. He wrote the center’s major report “Sensors + Journalism,” designed and taught a Columbia University of Graduate School for Journalism course on the subject, and managed a number of innovative sensor-based collaborations. He also consults for policy think tank The Australia Institute. Previously, he led digital product development for The Australian Broadcasting Corporation’s radio division, where he also oversaw the rollout of digital radio and mobile services. He started his career as a journalist and producer for ABC Radio in Australia, and holds a Master of Arts in Business and Economics Journalism from the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.

Raney Aronson-Rath is executive producer of Frontline, PBS’s flagship investigative journalism series. She has developed and managed nearly 30 journalism partnerships with outlets including ProPublica, The New York Times, and Univision. Under her leadership, Frontline has won every major award in broadcast journalism and expanded its digital footprint. A 2014–2015 fellow at the MIT Open Doc Lab, Aronson-Rath has spoken on the future of journalism at the Skoll World Forum, the TV Next Summit, the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism, and many other conferences. She joined Frontline as a senior producer in 2007, became deputy executive producer in 2012, and executive producer in May 2015. Aronson-Rath previously worked at ABC News, The Wall Street Journal, and MSNBC.

James Milward is the founder, executive producer, and president of the multi-Emmy Award-winning content studio for emerging platforms Secret Location, and a frequent speaker at international conferences around the world. An entrepreneur as well as a producer, Milward has developed and built several original concepts into successful IP and venture-funded businesses. Under his leadership, the company has won over 50 awards, including an Emmy Award for its “Sleepy Hollow” VR work, a Digital Emmy Award for “Endgame Interactive,” and a Gemini Award (Canada’s equivalent to the Emmy) for stormingjuno.ca. He also serves on the digital advisory board of the Academy of Canadian Cinema and Television, Strategy Magazine’s AToMiC Summit, The Playback Summit, and nextMEDIA.