Friday, November 7, 2025
Duan Family Center for Computing & Data Sciences, Floor 17The inaugural Media Innovation & Social Impact Summit brings together leading voices from government, academia, journalism, and activism for a timely conversation on the theme of “Communicating Climate.” As the climate crisis intensifies, so too does the urgency to understand how media messages about climate are shaped, circulated, and become trusted—or not. This day-long event will explore climate communication across platforms and sectors, examining the role of misinformation and disinformation, the challenges and opportunities of emerging business models, and the power of narrative strategies to shape public perception and policy. The summit also marks the official launch of Boston University’s Center for Media Innovation & Social Impact (MISI), a new hub dedicated to applied research at the intersection of media, democracy, and civic trust.
9:00 am: Welcome
- Eric Gordon, Director, Center for Media Innovation & Social Impact at Boston University
9:15–10:00 am: Keynote Conversation: Power, Policy, and the Climate Narrative
How do we tell the story of climate change—and what stories actually move people and policy? This keynote conversation brings together two of the most incisive thinkers in law, media, and public policy to explore how climate narratives shape political will, public trust, and personal responsibility.
- Cass Sunstein, Harvard Law Professor and former White House regulatory official, is a pioneering scholar of behavioral economics and public policy. He’ll reflect on how governments can design better systems for climate action—nudging individuals, institutions, and markets toward choices that benefit both people and the planet. With a focus on the psychology of risk and responsibility, Sunstein will explore what it takes to align personal behavior with global necessity.
- Michael Grunwald, acclaimed journalist and author of the new book The Earth Is Eating Itself, brings a storyteller’s clarity to the complex intersections of climate, politics, and power. Known for his influential book The New New Deal, and deep reporting on infrastructure and environmental innovation, Grunwald will offer a sharp take on what’s broken, what’s working, and what’s at stake in the next chapter of the climate crisis.
Moderated by the Dean of the College of Communication at BU, Mariette diChristina, this keynote will examine how we build policy that’s not only effective—but trusted—and how narrative, evidence, and behavioral insight can help shift both systems and society.
10:00–11:00 aM: Panel #1: Policy, Science, and Public Engagement in an Age of Skepticism
How can we more effectively connect climate science, policy, and public understanding to drive urgent action? This panel brings together leading voices from government, academia, and advocacy to explore the evolving role of communication in the climate crisis.
- Carol Gregory, Senior Vice President for Communications and Marketing at the Conservation Law Foundation, will discuss how legal advocacy organizations shape public narratives and mobilize support for environmental justice.
- Melissa Hoffer, Climate Chief of Massachusetts, will share insights from the front lines of climate governance, detailing how the state is aligning communication, regulation, and innovation to build a more resilient future.
- Nathan Phillips, Professor of Earth and Environment at Boston University and a physiological ecologist, will reflect on the power and limitations of scientific communication in catalyzing civic and political change.
Moderated by Amml Hussein, Civic Science Fellow at Boston University, this conversation will examine how communicators, scientists, and policymakers can work together to bridge divides, combat misinformation, and reimagine the relationship between people and planet
11:00–11:15 AM: Break
11:15–12:15 pm: Panel #2: Ground Truth: Local Action and the Fight Against Climate Misinformation
As climate misinformation spreads across social media and seeps into local conversations, trusted community voices and place-based advocacy are critical to fostering public understanding—and protecting public health. This panel brings together artists, scientists, activists, and organizers working on the frontlines of environmental justice to explore how local action can effectively counter disinformation and drive meaningful change.
- Kenneth Bailey, Co-Founder of the Design Studio for Social Intervention (DS4SI), will discuss how creative civic practices can surface local truths, disrupt common misguided assumptions and inspire public imagination.
- Patricia Fabian, Associate Professor of Environmental Health and Associate Director at the Institute for Global Sustainability at Boston University, will bring insights from environmental health research to address how misinformation exacerbates community vulnerability and undermines public trust.
Moderated by Kannan Thiruvengadam, Director of Eastie Farm and Co-Director of the Community Impact Fellowship (CIF) at BU, this conversation will explore how interdisciplinary and hyperlocal strategies—anchored in trust, culture, and care—can combat misinformation and empower communities to lead on climate.
12:15–2:00 pm: Lunch and Workshop: Circus for Communicating Risk
Led by Pedro Mello e Cruz, the workshop will immerse participants in an atmosphere of intense collaboration and heightened awareness. Basic circus concepts will be explored to help participants recognize how we behave—both individually and collectively—in unfamiliar and high-risk situations. From simple counterweight exercises to understanding the center of gravity in a human pyramid, the workshop uses a playful approach to demonstrate how we must read, interpret, communicate, and respond when faced with imminent risk.
In this context, interdependence is key. Human bodies serve as a metaphor for learning how to rely on, trust, support, and collaborate with one another to build complex solutions for society’s challenges.
2:00–3:00 pm: Panel #3: Telling the Climate Story: Journalism, Trust, and Cultural Relevance in a Time of Crisis
In an era marked by climate chaos, public distrust, and fragmented media ecosystems, how can journalists shape stories that are scientifically grounded, compelling, resonant, and trusted by diverse audiences? This panel brings together leading journalists and storytellers working across platforms—from breaking news to documentary film—to discuss the evolving role of climate journalism and the challenges of communicating complexity with clarity.
- Andrew Revkin, with 40 years on the climate beat, mostly at The New York Times, will explain how a shift from focusing on climate change to climate risk opens a host of impactful reporting paths.
- Nick Valencia, former CNN journalist, will share insights from covering disasters, environmental justice, and misinformation in real time, particularly for communities underrepresented in mainstream climate narratives.
- Ian Cheney, Emmy-nominated documentary filmmaker, will explore how film and long-form storytelling can bridge science and emotion to reach new audiences and reframe the climate conversation.
Moderated by David Abel, Professor of the Practice of Journalism at Boston University, environmental reporter, and documentary filmmaker, the panel will examine how climate stories are constructed and contested—and what it takes to build confidence in science.
3:00–3:45 pm: Panel #4: The Business of News: Audience Trust and the Future of Science and Climate Policy Journalism
As newsrooms face economic instability, eroding public trust, and an increasingly complex information landscape, journalism’s foundational role in informing democracy is under pressure. This panel brings together leaders from public media, academia, and newsrooms to explore how emerging business models—nonprofit, public, hybrid, and institutional—can sustain trustworthy reporting, especially in science and public policy.
- Brian McGrory chair of the Journalism Department at BU and former editor of the Boston Globe, will discuss how the challenges facing newsrooms have evolved over the last decade.
- Sue Robinson, Helen Firstbrook Franklin Professor of Journalism at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, will share research on evolving journalistic norms and how media organizations can center civic trust in their business strategies.
Moderated by Meghan Irons, investigative journalist and Professor of the Practice at Boston University, this conversation will examine how journalism’s future depends not just on business innovation—but on renewing its core mission to inform, empower, and build public trust.
3:45–4:30 pm: Coffee break and exhibits
- Art exhibition
- MIT Press/MIT Museum
4:30–5:30 PM: Panel #5: Signals and Noise: Emerging Media, AI, and the Climate Crisis
New technologies are reshaping how we understand—and misunderstand—the climate emergency. Artificial intelligence, social platforms, and algorithmic media offer powerful tools for modeling futures, mobilizing communities, and translating science. But they also amplify misinformation, distort public discourse, and challenge democratic oversight. How can we harness the power of new media to confront the climate crisis without deepening the divides that prevent action?
This panel brings together scholars, technologists, and public officials to explore the promise and peril of emerging media in the climate fight.
- Ethan Zuckerman, Associate Professor of Public Policy, Communication and Information at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, will explore how civic media infrastructures and decentralized platforms can support collective climate action—and resist manipulation.
- Joan Donovan, Assistant Professor of Journalism and Emerging Media Studies at Boston University, will draw on her expertise in media manipulation and technology studies to trace how disinformation circulates through digital systems and shapes climate narratives.
- Ainissa Ramirez, scientist, author, and science communicator, will speak to the challenges and responsibilities of translating complex science in a media environment saturated with noise and driven by engagement algorithms.
- Santi Garces, Chief Information Officer for the City of Boston, will offer a practitioner’s perspective on how cities can use data, AI, and digital tools to drive local climate innovation—while safeguarding public trust.
Moderated by Chris Wells, Professor of Communication at Boston University, this conversation will examine how we can design media systems that not only inform—but empower—people to act in the face of a planetary emergency.
5:30–5:45 pm: Closing remarks
5:45 pm: Reception
The inaugural Media Innovation & Social Impact Summit brings together leading voices from government, academia, journalism, and activism for a timely conversation on the theme of “Communicating Climate.” As the climate crisis intensifies, so too does the urgency to understand how media messages about climate are shaped, circulated, and become trusted—or not. This day-long event will explore climate communication across platforms and sectors, examining the role of misinformation and disinformation, the challenges and opportunities of emerging business models, and the power of narrative strategies to shape public perception and policy. The summit also marks the official launch of Boston University’s Center for Media Innovation & Social Impact (MISI), a new hub dedicated to applied research at the intersection of media, democracy, and civic trust.
9:00 am: Welcome
- Eric Gordon, Director, Center for Media Innovation & Social Impact at Boston University
9:15–10:00 am: Keynote Conversation: Power, Policy, and the Climate Narrative
How do we tell the story of climate change—and what stories actually move people and policy? This keynote conversation brings together two of the most incisive thinkers in law, media, and public policy to explore how climate narratives shape political will, public trust, and personal responsibility.
- Cass Sunstein, Harvard Law Professor and former White House regulatory official, is a pioneering scholar of behavioral economics and public policy. He’ll reflect on how governments can design better systems for climate action—nudging individuals, institutions, and markets toward choices that benefit both people and the planet. With a focus on the psychology of risk and responsibility, Sunstein will explore what it takes to align personal behavior with global necessity.
- Michael Grunwald, acclaimed journalist and author of the new book The Earth Is Eating Itself, brings a storyteller’s clarity to the complex intersections of climate, politics, and power. Known for his influential book The New New Deal, and deep reporting on infrastructure and environmental innovation, Grunwald will offer a sharp take on what’s broken, what’s working, and what’s at stake in the next chapter of the climate crisis.
Moderated by the Dean of the College of Communication at BU, Mariette diChristina, this keynote will examine how we build policy that’s not only effective—but trusted—and how narrative, evidence, and behavioral insight can help shift both systems and society.
10:00–11:00 aM: Panel #1: Policy, Science, and Public Engagement in an Age of Skepticism
How can we more effectively connect climate science, policy, and public understanding to drive urgent action? This panel brings together leading voices from government, academia, and advocacy to explore the evolving role of communication in the climate crisis.
- Carol Gregory, Senior Vice President for Communications and Marketing at the Conservation Law Foundation, will discuss how legal advocacy organizations shape public narratives and mobilize support for environmental justice.
- Melissa Hoffer, Climate Chief of Massachusetts, will share insights from the front lines of climate governance, detailing how the state is aligning communication, regulation, and innovation to build a more resilient future.
- Nathan Phillips, Professor of Earth and Environment at Boston University and a physiological ecologist, will reflect on the power and limitations of scientific communication in catalyzing civic and political change.
Moderated by Amml Hussein, Civic Science Fellow at Boston University, this conversation will examine how communicators, scientists, and policymakers can work together to bridge divides, combat misinformation, and reimagine the relationship between people and planet
11:00–11:15 AM: Break
11:15–12:15 pm: Panel #2: Ground Truth: Local Action and the Fight Against Climate Misinformation
As climate misinformation spreads across social media and seeps into local conversations, trusted community voices and place-based advocacy are critical to fostering public understanding—and protecting public health. This panel brings together artists, scientists, activists, and organizers working on the frontlines of environmental justice to explore how local action can effectively counter disinformation and drive meaningful change.
- Kenneth Bailey, Co-Founder of the Design Studio for Social Intervention (DS4SI), will discuss how creative civic practices can surface local truths, disrupt common misguided assumptions and inspire public imagination.
- Patricia Fabian, Associate Professor of Environmental Health and Associate Director at the Institute for Global Sustainability at Boston University, will bring insights from environmental health research to address how misinformation exacerbates community vulnerability and undermines public trust.
Moderated by Kannan Thiruvengadam, Director of Eastie Farm and Co-Director of the Community Impact Fellowship (CIF) at BU, this conversation will explore how interdisciplinary and hyperlocal strategies—anchored in trust, culture, and care—can combat misinformation and empower communities to lead on climate.
12:15–2:00 pm: Lunch and Workshop: Circus for Communicating Risk
Led by Pedro Mello e Cruz, the workshop will immerse participants in an atmosphere of intense collaboration and heightened awareness. Basic circus concepts will be explored to help participants recognize how we behave—both individually and collectively—in unfamiliar and high-risk situations. From simple counterweight exercises to understanding the center of gravity in a human pyramid, the workshop uses a playful approach to demonstrate how we must read, interpret, communicate, and respond when faced with imminent risk.
In this context, interdependence is key. Human bodies serve as a metaphor for learning how to rely on, trust, support, and collaborate with one another to build complex solutions for society’s challenges.
2:00–3:00 pm: Panel #3: Telling the Climate Story: Journalism, Trust, and Cultural Relevance in a Time of Crisis
In an era marked by climate chaos, public distrust, and fragmented media ecosystems, how can journalists shape stories that are scientifically grounded, compelling, resonant, and trusted by diverse audiences? This panel brings together leading journalists and storytellers working across platforms—from breaking news to documentary film—to discuss the evolving role of climate journalism and the challenges of communicating complexity with clarity.
- Andrew Revkin, with 40 years on the climate beat, mostly at The New York Times, will explain how a shift from focusing on climate change to climate risk opens a host of impactful reporting paths.
- Nick Valencia, former CNN journalist, will share insights from covering disasters, environmental justice, and misinformation in real time, particularly for communities underrepresented in mainstream climate narratives.
- Ian Cheney, Emmy-nominated documentary filmmaker, will explore how film and long-form storytelling can bridge science and emotion to reach new audiences and reframe the climate conversation.
Moderated by David Abel, Professor of the Practice of Journalism at Boston University, environmental reporter, and documentary filmmaker, the panel will examine how climate stories are constructed and contested—and what it takes to build confidence in science.
3:00–3:45 pm: Panel #4: The Business of News: Audience Trust and the Future of Science and Climate Policy Journalism
As newsrooms face economic instability, eroding public trust, and an increasingly complex information landscape, journalism’s foundational role in informing democracy is under pressure. This panel brings together leaders from public media, academia, and newsrooms to explore how emerging business models—nonprofit, public, hybrid, and institutional—can sustain trustworthy reporting, especially in science and public policy.
- Brian McGrory chair of the Journalism Department at BU and former editor of the Boston Globe, will discuss how the challenges facing newsrooms have evolved over the last decade.
- Sue Robinson, Helen Firstbrook Franklin Professor of Journalism at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, will share research on evolving journalistic norms and how media organizations can center civic trust in their business strategies.
Moderated by Meghan Irons, investigative journalist and Professor of the Practice at Boston University, this conversation will examine how journalism’s future depends not just on business innovation—but on renewing its core mission to inform, empower, and build public trust.
3:45–4:30 pm: Coffee break and exhibits
- Art exhibition
- MIT Press/MIT Museum
4:30–5:30 PM: Panel #5: Signals and Noise: Emerging Media, AI, and the Climate Crisis
New technologies are reshaping how we understand—and misunderstand—the climate emergency. Artificial intelligence, social platforms, and algorithmic media offer powerful tools for modeling futures, mobilizing communities, and translating science. But they also amplify misinformation, distort public discourse, and challenge democratic oversight. How can we harness the power of new media to confront the climate crisis without deepening the divides that prevent action?
This panel brings together scholars, technologists, and public officials to explore the promise and peril of emerging media in the climate fight.
- Ethan Zuckerman, Associate Professor of Public Policy, Communication and Information at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, will explore how civic media infrastructures and decentralized platforms can support collective climate action—and resist manipulation.
- Joan Donovan, Assistant Professor of Journalism and Emerging Media Studies at Boston University, will draw on her expertise in media manipulation and technology studies to trace how disinformation circulates through digital systems and shapes climate narratives.
- Ainissa Ramirez, scientist, author, and science communicator, will speak to the challenges and responsibilities of translating complex science in a media environment saturated with noise and driven by engagement algorithms.
- Santi Garces, Chief Information Officer for the City of Boston, will offer a practitioner’s perspective on how cities can use data, AI, and digital tools to drive local climate innovation—while safeguarding public trust.
Moderated by Chris Wells, Professor of Communication at Boston University, this conversation will examine how we can design media systems that not only inform—but empower—people to act in the face of a planetary emergency.