About the Summit
As a partnership between the Stavros Niarchos Foundation (SNF) Ithaca Initiative at the University of Delaware Joseph R. Biden, Jr. School of Public Policy and Administration and the incubator for Media Education & Development (iMEdD), the Media & Democracy Summit explores the role and relationship between media and democracy.
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meet this year's Speakers
Composed of keynote presentations, one-on-one interviews, and panel discussions, the summit includes speakers who are local, national, and international media professionals and journalists; scholars who study media and pursue engagement, and civic leaders who advance democratic engagement in communities. Experts from diverse backgrounds shed light on different aspects of a common topic: relevance, challenges, and sustainability of the fourth estate in an increasingly fragmented political and social landscape.
As a partnership between the incubator for Media Education and Development (iMEdD) and the University of Delaware Biden School of Public Policy and Administration’s Stavros Niarchos Foundation (SNF) Ithaca Initiative, the Media & Democracy Summit explores the role and relationship between media and democracy.
May 5 and 6, 2025.
This year's Summit will engage participants in urgent conversations about the media’s role in shaping informed citizenship and democratic resilience. The program will also feature workshops on digital storytelling and short-form video, panels on misinformation, and discussions about rebuilding trust and reimagining journalism for a new generation.
No. Open and free to all, this Summit is an opportunity to listen, learn, and engage with others on issues that affect us all.
All sessions are held in English.
This year's Summit will be held at the Trabant University Center at the University of Delaware, 17 W Main Street, Newark, DE 19716.
Pay-by-plate parking is available in the Trabant University Center Parking Garage.
You can travel by Amtrak or SEPTA train: https://www.amtrak.com/stations/nrk. The station is located on South Campus and a short walk from Central Campus. Additional Amtrak and SEPTA stops are available at the Wilmington station: https://www.amtrak.com/stations/wil
Public transportation by bus is available through the DART Bus and the University of Delaware Shuttle service.
A cost-free, dedicated Wi-Fi connection will be provided for attendees.
No. This year's Summit will not be live streamed.
All updates related to the Summit will be available on this page.
SNF Ithaca, an initiative of the University of Delaware's Joseph R. Biden, Jr. School of Public Policy & Administration, seeks to advance democracy by equipping students with the civil discourse and civic engagement skills necessary to navigate the mediated public square. Supported by the Stavros Niarchos Foundation (SNF), SNF Ithaca is named after the home of Odysseus—one of Greek mythology's greatest heroes. For Odysseus, Ithaca represents not only the beginning of a journey but the ultimate destination. Likewise, the SNF Ithaca Initiative serves as both the beginning of the Biden School students' journey toward becoming engaged and effective citizens and as the ultimate destination for students across the country to come together and work in partnership to develop policy solutions.
Established in 1961 and named in 2018 for the University of Delaware’s most distinguished alumnus, the 46th President of the United States, the Joseph R. Biden, Jr. School of Public Policy and Administration prepares students with the knowledge and skills necessary to engage in research and public service to improve the quality of life in communities around the world. Biden School faculty, staff, students, and alumni create and use interdisciplinary, nonpartisan research, and empirically based analysis to inform effective decision-making and policy and to improve leadership and administration. The Biden School partners with organizations from all sectors to discover innovative and equitable solutions to the critical challenges of our time.
iMEdD (incubator for Media Education & Development) is a non-profit organization in an effort to enhance transparency, credibility, and independence in journalism, founded in 2018 with the exclusive donation of the Stavros Niarchos Foundation (SNF).