Taken for Granted

Did my title mislead you?   No, this isn't a rant, complaint, whine, or emo-type post.  No, I just wanted to tell you about the external grant that I've been awarded by Time Warner Cable.  It's a pretty exciting project, if I do say so myself, one that draws on media ecology and general semantics as they relate to media education and media literacy, and that specifically considers how the medium of television is evolving and converging in regard to digital technologies, and the potential that those technologies hold for the future of children's media.  

And when I say that this is a grant that I've been awarded, I mean that I'm the head of the research team that also consists of my colleague at Fordham University, Lewis Freeman, and a player, er researcher, or two to be named later.

The announcement was made on May 6, 2010 (yes, I know I'm lagging behind on my blogging, my apologies).  Here's how the press release reads:

NEW RESEARCH PROGRAM AWARDS FIRST ROUND STIPENDS
 

(New York) May 6, 2010 -- Time Warner Cable (NYSE: TWC) today announced that it had awarded four stipends in its new Research Program on Digital Communications. The Research Program was launched in February 2010 to increase understanding of the benefits and challenges facing the future of digital technologies in the home, office, classroom and community. Each stipend is for $20,000. The deadline for the next round of awards is October 1, 2010. 

Fernando Laguarda, director of the new program and Vice President for External Affairs and Policy Counselor at Time Warner Cable, said, “We were very pleased with the initial research competition. We received high quality applications and believe the selected studies will add to the public debate about major issues now confronting the industry.”

And here's what our study is about:

“The Future of Children’s Television Programming: A Study of How Emerging Digital Technologies Can Facilitate Active and Engaged Participation and Contribute in Media Literacy Foundation” by Lance Strate, Professor, Department of Communication and Media Studies, Fordham University and Lewis Freeman, Professor, Department of Communication and Media Studies, Fordham University

And here's a sightly more detailed write-up:

Project Title: “The Future of Children’s Television Programming: A Study of How Emerging Digital Technologies Can Facilitate Active and Engaged Participation and Contribute in Media Literacy Foundation”
 

Researchers: Lance Strate, Professor, Department of Communication and Media Studies, Fordham University and Lewis Freeman, Professor, Department of Communication and Media Studies, Fordham University, New York, NY
 

Description: This project will increase understanding of how children can engage with television and negotiate the processes of searching, navigating, selecting and receiving the content they view. The outcome from the project will be recommendations for enhancements related to the delivery of children’s video programming using new digital technologies and new applications of current digital technologies.

I think this project is going to yield some very significant results, but of course I'm biased.  It's gratifying to be working on a project with real-world applications, which digital technologies open up in so many interesting ways.  And it's great to be able to collaborate with Lewis, who has a great deal of expertise in the area of children and media.

Special thanks to Fernando Laguarda of Time Warner Cable, I should add. And here's what it says about this new program he started:

About the Time Warner Cable Research Program on Digital Communications
 

The Time Warner Cable Research Program on Digital Communications awards stipends to foster research dedicated to increasing understanding of the benefits and challenges facing the future of digital technologies in the home, office, classroom and community. Individual researchers affiliated with universities and not-for-profits are eligible to apply for the stipends. More information about the program can be found at www.twcresearchprogram.com

And if you want to read more about the grants, and the other three projects that were awarded grants, check out the complete press release online.  As for our project, well, you'll be hearing more about it in the future, I guarantee.