My Questions for Albert Ibargüen of Knight

I’m on my way to Miami shortly for the WeMedia conference.  On Thursday afternoon, I will have the pleasure of having a conversation with Alberto Ibargüen, the President of the Knight Foundation, about the future of our communities.  I’ve tweeted, emailed, pinged, and read to gather some thoughts about topics to talk about.  So, here they are so far.  Of course, I hold out the possibility of having a minipheny on the plane ride down! If you have additional topics, please feel free to pass them my way.

• Is there a balance between citizen journalism and traditional newspapers?  If so, what is it?
• A year ago you announced a major investment in arts in Miami. You said, “We need to build a sense of community that is inclusive and functional, a fusion culture that works for us in this place and time.” How can communities best support the arts in difficult economic times?
• You’ve invested in “Nerds, news and neighborhoods.” through the Knight News Challenge.  What have you learned so far through these ambitious efforts?
• Do you think the nonprofit model for newspapers makes sense – or is it an attempt to protect an unsustainable model?  Does it possibly give foundations and big donors too much sway in journalism?
• The Foundation’s focus has been largely on new forms of journalism.  Are there any funding plans to research new economic models?
• What are you most excited about undertaking professionally in the next five years?

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