Events

FCC Commissioner Mignon Clyburn on the need for universal broadband access and public service

FCC Commissioner Mignon Clyburn with Rappaport Center Communications Coordinator Austra Zubkovs

On November 8, 2011 the Rappaport Center and the Massachusetts Department of Telecommunications and Cable co-hosted a conference on broadband development and access issues. The event featured a keynote address by FCC Commissioner Mignon Clyburn, two moderated panel discussions, as well as remarks by Governor Deval Patrick.

FCC Commissioner Mignon Clyburn addressed the FCC’s commitment to accelerate broadband build-out to the 18 million Americans who live in areas with no broadband infrastructure by reforming the Universal Service Fund to aid in bringing the economic, educational, health, and consumer benefits delivered by broadband access to unserved areas. View photos and download the 3-hour recording (MP3, 182MB) to catch up with the event.

Following the Conference, FCC Commissioner Mignon Clyburn sat down with our Communications Coordinator Austra Zubkovs to discuss the need for universal broadband access for economic development and the importance of public service. Listen to our 10-minute podcast on LegalTalk Network.
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Panel talks to Rappaport Fellows on challenges of new media environment

June 15, 2011  – Rapidly changing technologies are making government-media relations much more complex, a panel of government communications specialists told a meeting of the 2011 Rappaport Fellows in Law and Public Policy on June 15.

“The ubiquity of media is growing exponentially every day,” said Susan Elsbree, Director of Communications for the Boston Redevelopment Authority. With the advent of social media, “Everyone is a reporter.” It’s a world in which government agencies can face a wider array of demands for information, and in which stories can break almost anywhere — as easily on a blog like UniversalHub as in a mainstream media outlet. Continue reading »