Rebecca MacKinnon

 

Research Fellow, Berkman Ctr. for Internet and Society

Harvard Law School, Baker House

1587 Massachusetts Avenue

Cambridge, MA 02138

Tel: 1- 617- 495-7547, Fax: 617-812-7950

e-mail: [email protected], g-mail: [email protected]

Skype: rebeccamack AIM: rebmack2004 YahooIM: rebecca_mackinnon

 

(For an online version of this page with live web links, please visit: http://rconversation.blogs.com/about.html)

 

 

IN BRIEF:

  • Former CNN Beijing and Tokyo Bureau Chief with 13 years' journalism experience in Northeast Asia
  • Co-founder and leader of the global citizens' media site, www.GlobalVoicesOnline.org
  • Research Fellow at Harvard Law School's Berkman Center for Internet & Society
  • Commentator, speaker and writer on the future of journalism, new media, freedom of speech online, and the Internet & new media technologies in China and Northeast Asia
  • Consultant to companies and media organizations on weblogs and participatory media

 

RECENT POSITIONS:

 

July 2004- 2006: Research Fellow: Berkman Center for Internet and Society, Harvard Law School. Co-founder of Global Voices Online (www.GlobalVoicesOnline.org) a global online citizens' media network. Conduct research, write articles, lecture, and comment in the media on the following issues: online participatory media, the future of journalism, the development of new media and Internet techologies in China and Northeast Asia, internet censorship and freedom of speech issues. Also organized a conference on "Blogging, Journalism and Credibility" in January 2005, plus two daylong international bloggers' conferences in December 2004 and 2005. Currently writing a book chapter on Chinese blogs for a Michigan University Press book on blogs and politics.

Please see my personal weblog, www.RConversation.com for regular updates on what I am doing and thinking.

 

Spring 2004 Fellow: Shorenstein Center on the Press, Politics & Public Policy, John F. Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University. Conducted research and wrote a research paper about the impact of new forms of online participatory media on international news. Started an experimental weblog on North Korea, www.NKzone.org (still active). Also wrote and lectured on events in Northeast Asia.

 

Summer 2004-present: media consultant: Advise established and startup media organizations on new ways to use participatory media to enhance journalism and build stronger relationships with audiences. Have also consulted non-profit organizations on how to use weblogs.

 

BROADCAST JOURNALISM CAREER:

 

July 2001-December 2003: CNN Tokyo Bureau Chief: Responsible for CNN's news coverage of Japan, in addition to other Asian assignments. Served as CNN's only on-air correspondent in Japan. Managed a news team of five people. Major ongoing stories included: Prime Minister Koizumi's rise to power and battle with the bureaucracy; North Korean nuclear crisis; Japan's response to 9/11 and support for the U.S. in Iraq; Japan's uneasy relationship with China, etc.

Assignments outside of Japan included: Peshawar, Pakistan (2 months post-9/11), Philippines (focus: U.S. war on terror), Korea (North and South).

 

March 1998-June 2001: CNN Beijing Bureau Chief. Managed a news team of seven people. Set the direction for the network's China coverage as CNN's main China correspondent. Major stories included: U.S.-China spyplane standoff; Taiwan-China tensions/relations; China's WTO entry and related issues; the rise of the Falun Gong meditation group and the Chinese government's crackdown; 10th anniversary of the June 4th crackdown; Chinese reaction to Belgrade embassy bombing; China's relations with its neighbors; Chinese internal politics; economic reform; natural disasters; major regional talks on issues like India/Pakistan, Inter-Korean talks, etc. Also reported from North Korea on three separate occasions.

 

World Leaders interviewed: Junichiro Koizumi (Japan); Dalai Lama (Tibet); Pervez Musharraf (Pakistan); Mohammad Khatami (Iran)

 

March 1997-98: CNN Beijing Producer/Correspondent. Planned and organized CNN's China coverage. Also reported on-air in the Bureau Chief's absence, and when news demand was heavy.

 

March 1996-97: CNN Beijing Producer. Planned and organized CNN's China coverage.

November 1993-March 96: CNN Beijing Associate Producer.

November 1992-93: CNN Beijing Bureau Assistant.

 

December 1991-August 1992: Newsweek Taiwan stringer. Wrote stories concerning Taiwan for Newsweek, provided information and did reporting for numerous regional roundup stories which included Taiwan.

 

RECENTLY INTERVIEWED AND QUOTED BY (in the past year):

ABC Nightline, CNN, MSNBC, NPR, BBC, Radio Open Source, Wired, Newsweek, Wall Street Journal, New York Times, Online Journalism Review and many others.

 

RECENT PUBLISHED WORK:

 

ACADEMIC LECTURES:

  • Freeman Visiting Lecturer, Indiana University School of Journalism and East Asia Studies Center March 29-April 1, 2004. Spent one full week lecturing to classes in the Journalism and East Asian Studies departments.
  • Harvard Asia Center, Spring 2004 lecture on covering China and Northeast Asia as a CNN correspondent
  • Harvard Kennedy School: spoke to various classes and seminars about online media
  • Berkeley School of Journalism, November 2004: guest lectured to East Asian Studies students and Digital China class
  • Emerson College, October 2004: guest lecture on blogs, new media and the future of journalism
  • Harvard Law School, November 2004: lectured on participatory media to Digital Democracy course; Spring 2004: Brown Bag talk to East Asian Legal Studies program.

 

RECENT PUBLIC SPEAKING:

 

 

OTHER HONORS/ACTIVITIES:

 

World Economic Forum: Global Leader of Tomorrow 2003. One of 100 accomplished professionals aged 37 and under selected annually to attend the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland for a term of three years.

 

Fellow, Asian Security Seminar, Center for War, Peace and the News Media. November 2000. Selected as one of 15 journalists from the United States and around Asia to attend a one-week conference in Honolulu.

 

September 1991-May 1992: Fulbright scholar in Taiwan. Focus: press and politics in modern Taiwan. Attended graduate courses on Taiwan politics and Taiwan-mainland relations at National Taiwan University. Worked as an intern at a local Chinese language news magazine.

 

 

EDUCATION:

 

Languages: Mandarin Chinese (fluent), Japanese (basic), Russian (2.5 years in college), French (high school)

 

Harvard University. 1991 BA Magna Cum Laude in Government. Senior thesis on Russian nationalism.

Editor-in-Chief, Harvard International Review.

 

Other education: Public middle and high schools in Tempe, Arizona. Primary school in Arizona, India (Delhi Public School), Hong Kong (Quarry Bay School), and Beijing, China (Fangcaodi Primary).

 

 

(Revised:November 28, 2005)