Building communities & tools to reform & transform media systems Harmony Labs builds communities and tools to reform and transform media systems.
Our mission is to create a world where media systems support healthy, democratic culture and healthy, happy people. We’re organizing partners and publics to identify and gain consensus on the mechanics of media influence, and the values and design principles that underlie beneficial media. And, we’re building solid, sustainable interventions and innovations that start moving us in the direction of media that can serve the public good. Harmony Labs has evolved from nearly a decade of research and prototyping. Our partners and funders include leading players like Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Ford Foundation, Google, MTV, and others.
Our mission is to create a world where media systems support healthy, democratic culture and healthy, happy people. We’re organizing partners and publics to identify and gain consensus on the mechanics of media influence, and the values and design principles that underlie beneficial media. And, we’re building solid, sustainable interventions and innovations that start moving us in the direction of media that can serve the public good. Harmony Labs has evolved from nearly a decade of research and prototyping. Our partners and funders include leading players like Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Ford Foundation, Google, MTV, and others.
Mission: Harmony Labs builds communities and tools to reform and transform media systems. Our mission is to create a world where media systems support healthy, democratic culture and healthy, happy people. We’re organizing partners and publics to identify and gain consensus on the mechanics of media influence, and the values and design principles that underlie beneficial media. And, we’re building solid, sustainable interventions and innovations that start moving us in the direction of media that can serve the public good. Harmony Labs has evolved from nearly a decade of research and prototyping. Our partners and funders include leading players like Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Ford Foundation, Google, MTV, and others.
Operating as usual
A short reflection on the year that was and the work we have planned for the year ahead. Read the latest Harmony Labs newsletter: https://mailchi.mp/harmonylabs/2020-year-in-review
And, subscribe for future email updates in 2021 here: https://harmonylabs.org/contact/#contact-subscribe
Is your audience more Tiger King or Hamilton? Strategy for culture change requires understanding not just audiences’ demographics, but their cultures: the TV, news, games, music, food, film, and fashion people regularly engage with. Read more about our approach to audience analysis for storytellers:
Understanding people’s media habits gives us a deeper view into who they are, the values they hold, and how to best engage them. So…
Latest from the Harmony blog: What’s a Narrative? A brief exploration—and a few short videos—on how we are thinking about narrative and narrative change.
https://medium.com/harmony-labs/whats-a-narrative-fbddf88375a9?source=friends_link&sk=26fd19712ce37032dd5cf0d17c7187a0
An exploration of Harmony Labs’ approach to defining, identifying, and measuring narrative change.
To help organizations & media makers gain a richer understanding of their audiences, we analyzed 100K+ media artifacts consumed by 50K+ Americans to create a “day in the media life” for 4 values-distinct U.S. audiences. Explore the results here: https://obiaudiences.org
Reminder: Join us Wednesday, 9/23 at 2 pm ET for a discussion on the responsibilities of media makers to produce narratives that serve the public good in our current information environment. Register here: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/6716000920659/WN_KTdnuU1JRZ6uWeQl_GRu8Q
Join us next Wednesday, 9/23 at 2 pm ET as we continue our beneficial media livestream series.
Michael Slaby from Harmony Labs will be talking with Jess Brillhart, Adnaan Wasey, Erin Potts, and Kelly Leonard about good narratives and the role content creators can play in combating mis/dis-information. Panel discussion will be followed by Q&A.
Register here: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/6716000920659/WN_KTdnuU1JRZ6uWeQl_GRu8Q
Reminder: Join us tomorrow (8/12) at 2 pm ET for a livestream discussion about race and anti-racism in media. Register here: https://www.crowdcast.io/e/antiracism-in-media-08122020/register
As part of our ongoing Beneficial Media livestream series, we are happy to welcome Andre Banks of A/B Partners as guest host for our next discussion on race and anti-racism in media.
Join Andre, Ashley Bryant (A/B Partners), Adaora Udoji (RLab), and Riki Conrey (Harmony Labs) on Wednesday, August 12 at 2 pm ET to discuss a recent collaborative research project between A/B Partners, Win Black - Pa’lante, and Harmony Labs about Black communities and their interaction with media.
RSVP here: https://www.crowdcast.io/e/antiracism-in-media-08122020
As part of our ongoing Beneficial Media livestream series, we are happy to welcome Andre Banks of A/B Partners as guest host for our next discussion on race and anti-racism in media.
Join Andre, Ashley Bryant (A/B Partners), Adaora Udoji (RLab), and Riki Conrey (Harmony Labs) on Wednesday, August 12 at 2 pm ET to discuss a recent collaborative research project between A/B Partners, Win Black - Pa’lante, and Harmony Labs about Black communities and their interaction with media.
RSVP here: https://www.crowdcast.io/e/antiracism-in-media-08122020
Coming up tomorrow (6/24) at 2 pm ET: the next installment of our beneficial media livestream series where we talk to the experts about what media will be like and should be like in a post-COVID world. This week’s panel will be discussing the impact of mis/dis-information on public health, politics and more, with a particular focus on what possible solutions and approaches may be emerging. Register here to attend:
https://www.crowdcast.io/e/misinformation-06242020/register
Join us next Wednesday, 6/24 at 2 pm ET as we continue our discussion series on the future of beneficial media, post-pandemic.
Michael Slaby from Harmony Labs will be talking with Claire Wardle (First Draft), Ashley Bryant (A/B Partners), and Lisa Kaplan (Alethea Group) about mis/dis-information and the potential for media systems to improve public health and policy outcomes. Panel discussion will be followed by Q&A.
Register here: https://www.crowdcast.io/e/misinformation-06242020/register
Our discussion on beneficial media starts in just under an hour. We hope you'll join us! https://www.crowdcast.io/e/beneficial-media-future-052720
Join us on Wednesday, 5/27 at 2 pm ET for a discussion on beneficial media post-pandemic.
Michael Slaby from Harmony Labs will be talking with Talia Stroud (Center for Media Engagement at The University of Texas), Justin Purnell (NBCUniversal Media), and Aimee Woodall (The Black Sheep Agency) about how to reform and transform media systems post-pandemic. Panel discussion will be followed by Q&A.
Register here: https://www.crowdcast.io/e/beneficial-media-future-052720
Reminder: Join us tomorrow at 2 pm ET for a livestream discussion about what media will be like and should be like in a post-COVID world with Talia Stroud (Center for Media Engagement at The University of Texas), Justin Purnell (NBCUniversal Media), Aimee Woodall (The Black Sheep Agency), and Michael Slaby (Harmony Labs). Register here to attend: https://www.crowdcast.io/e/beneficial-media-future-052720
Join us on Wednesday, 5/27 at 2 pm ET for a discussion on beneficial media post-pandemic.
Michael Slaby from Harmony Labs will be talking with Talia Stroud (Center for Media Engagement at The University of Texas), Justin Purnell (NBCUniversal Media), and Aimee Woodall (The Black Sheep Agency) about how to reform and transform media systems post-pandemic. Panel discussion will be followed by Q&A.
Register here: https://www.crowdcast.io/e/beneficial-media-future-052720
Building a movement, boosting civic engagement, or telling a new story in response to #COVID19? Apply to New Media Ventures' expanded Open Call! They’re eager to hear from entrepreneurs and activists from vulnerable communities affected by the crisis.
https://bit.ly/NMVexpanded2020
Wrestling with the challenges facing our democracy in this time of crisis? We want to hear from you!
We partnered with Equis Research and PredictWise to find out what media matters to Latinx Americans. The result: a map of media consumption across TV, online, and the news. Read our key-takeaways and download the full report here: https://medium.com/harmony-labs/what-media-matters-for-latinx-americans-6b9752c32b5d
Mapping media consumption across TV, the internet, and the news
What to do about disinformation, in politics and public health? We explore some possibilities in our latest post:
https://medium.com/harmony-labs/what-to-do-about-disinformation-content-for-citizen-resilience-5ae44e34dc56
By Asch Harwood and Brian Waniewski
How can communities and creatives fight back in an age of mis/dis/mal-information? We explore some possibilities in our latest blog: https://medium.com/harmony-labs/what-to-do-about-disinformation-content-for-citizen-resilience-5ae44e34dc56
By Asch Harwood and Brian Waniewski
Seeking a Data Scientist and a Software Engineer. Go to: https://harmonylabs.org/careers
See our open positions and join our team on it’s mission to understand how media influence works at scale and to experiment with using media to support an open, resilient democratic society.
The @newmediaventures open call is only open for another week. If you’re building movements, media, and technology to shift power and move democracy forward, don’t miss this opportunity. Nonprofits, for-profits, and collaborations are all welcome, and grants and investments range from $50K–$250K. Plus, you get introductions, exposure, and support from an amazing network of people. http://bit.ly/NMV2020
Wrestling with the challenges facing our democracy? We want to hear from you!
Featured today in Columbia Journalism Review, our latest narrative analysis project looking at cable news coverage of the collusion scandal, the potential opportunity cost, and its impact on public opinion. Read more: https://www.cjr.org/analysis/cable-news-trump-russia-ukraine.php
With Donald Trump now facing an impeachment inquiry, cable news is, understandably, all-in on the Ukraine story. Trump’s July 25 phone call with Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky, and the whistleblower complaint that stemmed from it, has meant that a national press corps already obsessed with T...
Opportunity alert! We’re looking for two field researchers/data collectors in Atlanta and NYC to support our lead researcher in an exciting project studying the social impact of VR.
This is a freelance position starting in April and runs for approximately two months, evenings and weekends, 20 - 30 hours per week. For more information, visit: https://bit.ly/2HrX8dm
Ready to apply? Email [email protected] with your resume.
Does your idea for social progress need funding to scale? Now is the moment to go for it! Apply to the New Media Ventures 2019 Open Call: http://bit.ly/NMV2019 (The deadline is Feb 11, so don’t wait!)
@newmediaventures is looking for startups building movements, media and technology to shift power and move democracy forward! Nonprofits and for-profits can apply.
Grants and investments range from $50k-$250k. Plus, you get introductions, exposure and support from an amazing network of people!
New Media Ventures is the first seed fund and national network of angel investors supporting media and tech startups that disrupt politics and catalyze progressive change.
Check out our latest blog post for a look back at our inaugural media tech accelerator and the six amazing startups working at the intersection of media and civic action: https://bit.ly/2QWKhQT
At Harmony Labs, our mission is to understand the social effects of media and to use this understanding to experiment with new solutions…
New Media Ventures
👏👏Calling all innovators👏👏 We are pleased to announce the 2019 New Media Ventures Open Call! Apply now: http://bit.ly/NMV2019. From January 14th to February 11th, NMV is calling for pitches from activists and entrepreneurs thinking big and working hard to shift power. Can you help us find the next big thing by sharing this widely or tagging a friend who’s been telling you about that great idea they are building?
From Blavity and Sister District Project to Mijente and MobilizeAmerica, the groups who seek and win investment in the Open Call are diverse and transformative. Are you next? Find our FAQ and apply for the Open Call now: http://bit.ly/NMV2019.
ICYMI, our latest news narrative analysis examines whether the media tends to act as neutral observer, perpetuator, or instigator when covering events of national interest, like mass shootings. More on our blog: http://bit.ly/2Q8dAEq
We recently completed a news narrative analysis project centered on mass shootings and how they are covered by the media. What we found is that in almost every case, there were fairly consistent narrative patterns, in day-to-day reporting across different events, and in the treatment of these events by particular media publishers. You can read the results from this project here: https://medium.com/@HarmonyLabs/anatomy-of-a-news-media-event-ba18f262385a
Thanks to all who attended our first media data science meetup last night! Great to chat with like-minded folks and hear what everyone has been working on. If you’d like to be notified of our next meet up, sign up here: https://goo.gl/forms/1Tn0USJcpRUts9MA3
New Media Ventures
How can campaigns research, create, test, and deploy better, more persuasive messages? In our latest blog post, Managing Director Julie Menter shares some of what she's seen, as well as the questions anyone sending a message should think about.
https://www.newmediaventures.org/tools_for_change/details/sending-a-message-new-approaches-to-political-messaging
Engagement != Persuasion. Recent results from our Meme Factory project featured in WIRED. Read more below or learn more about this project on our website.
https://www.wired.com/story/viral-political-ads-not-as-persuasive-as-you-think/?mbid=social_twitter_onsiteshare
Does more engagement mean your message is resonating with more people? For politicians campaigning on social media, focusing too much on shares and likes might be a mistake.
New job alert! We are currently seeking a Data Engineer to join our amazing team at Harmony Labs. Learn more about this new role and our team on our website.
http://harmonylabs.org/careers
See our open positions and help us help people leverage the power of media to build a better world.
Announcing another new project from Harmony Labs: Vizlab
Using computer vision, image forensics, and metadata analysis to build meme family lineages and identify originating source communities online, Vizlab seeks to provide journalists, researchers and the public visual search and discovery tools to help track memes as they travel and evolve. The project started in March 2018 and has already collected over 100,000 memes.
Learn more at https://harmonylabs.org/vizlab
Vizlab: Surfacing the visual malware text-based tracking misses
The latest from the lab: One of our newest projects, Ratio, seeks to evolve our information ecosystems by providing a first-of-its-kind cross-platform mapping of news content, as it moves through the "information funnel.” Learn more: https://t.co/IA6gkbI519
Project Ratio: Evolving and improving the news information ecosystems that underpin democracy.
Reminder: deadline to apply for @harmonylabs & @newmediaventure Innovation Fund is tomorrow, 2/9! If you’re a media tech start-up working on issues like the spread & influence of information online & could benefit from funding, apply now: https://t.co/tppmNUJkQk #ShiftTheStory
We are excited to announce the Open Call for the New Media Ventures Innovation Fund! Apply now and spread the word! Over the past year, we have seen alarming attacks on vulnerable communities and rising threats to democratic institutions, including the media. Instead of giving in to outrage and over...
Have an idea for tackling filters bubbles or the spread & influence of misinformation? Does your startup need funding to take it from prototype to product? We’ve teamed up w/ @newmediaventure to fund early-stage companies working in these areas. Apply now: https://t.co/tppmNV0VHS
We are excited to announce the Open Call for the New Media Ventures Innovation Fund! Apply now and spread the word! Over the past year, we have seen alarming attacks on vulnerable communities and rising threats to democratic institutions, including the media. Instead of giving in to outrage and over...
We’re excited to team up with New Media Ventures to help fund new companies looking to solve some of society’s biggest systemic challenges via innovative technology and media approaches. Apply by 2/9 to have your idea considered. More info here: http://bit.ly/2Gs4QR5
We are excited to announce the Open Call for the New Media Ventures Innovation Fund! Apply now and spread the word! Over the past year, we have seen alarming attacks on vulnerable communities and rising threats to democratic institutions, including the media. Instead of giving in to outrage and over...
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