Funding free media: new approaches to sustain the bedrock of democracy

Ambassador Mark Gitenstein is a lawyer who recently retired from Mayer Brown LLP, where he had served over the last 30 years as partner and counsel. Gitenstein has previously served as US Ambassador to Romania. He began his career with 17 years of service in the US Senate on the judiciary and intelligence committees, working for then-Senator Biden for 13 of those years. Since 2009 he has, either as ambassador or as counsel to NGOs and commercial clients, focused on preserving and fortifying democracy by ensuring transparency in equity markets, fighting corruption and strengthening the rule of law, particularly in central and eastern Europe.

Frank Blethen is publisher of The Seattle Times, the second largest newspaper on the United States’ West Coast and one of the country’s last independent and locally owned newspapers. Known for its strong local coverage and its aggressive investigative reporting, The Times has won 11 Pulitzer Prizes and has been a Pulitzer finalist 14 other times since 1982. Blethen is a strong advocate of the local free press system and active in pursing public policy for its preservation. Committed to independent journalism and family-owned businesses, he is an active participant in the national grassroots movement in opposition to newspaper and media ownership consolidation. He is also a longtime and passionate advocate for high-quality public education for all school children, across income and racial barriers. The Seattle Times and the Blethen family are known as strong advocates for diversity, inclusion and gender equity, and have continuously received significant local and national recognition for their commitment and leadership.

Joaquin Alvarado is a media and non-profit leader with over 20 years of experience in the successful development of innovative programmes and organisations. From strategy to sustainability, he has engaged in widely recognised initiatives in public service journalism. As the Founder of Studiotobe, Alvarado invests in finding and sharing stories that matter. Previously, he ran The Center for Investigative Reporting, the United States’ oldest and largest journalism organisation of its kind. He has also led large organisations to focus on the challenges pressuring journalists and impinging upon freedom of the press. He serves on the boards of Cityside, Consumer Reports, The James B. McClatchy Foundation and Techsoup.