Mission Statement

Mediapede is a nonprofit organization dedicated to improving and extending the study and understanding of communications media worldwide through the collaboration of a broad range of people and institutions.

Mediapede fulfills its mission by:

  • developing and hosting practical tools and resources for media research and education
  • initiating and supporting K-12, continuing, and informal media education programs and curricula that enrich public understanding of media technologies, history, production, and daily use
  • fostering collaborative projects between students and educators at all levels, media and information technology professionals and consumers, and public and nonprofit officials to encourage their mutual understanding and further collaboration

Mediapede’s initial and central project is to develop, organize, and host an annotated directory of traditional and online resources for media research. This basic reference tool will provide a centralized, comprehensive, and current directory of the archives, collections, holdings, and sites worldwide offering materials related to all contemporary media, including digital, film, phonography, photography, print, radio, telegraphy, telephony, and television.

Directory entries will be indexed, cross-referenced, searchable, and include detailed descriptions of the scope, organization, and accessibility of each media resource site. Users will be able to subscribe to customized media topics within the directory, and receive email updates whenever new resources are indexed. As possible, entries will be available in alternative languages. The current directory will be freely available online, with regular editions and ancillary materials available in print and on CD-ROM and/or other portable digital form.

The media resource directory will be produced through the collaborative efforts of scholars, professionals, and the general public worldwide. Individuals will create, submit, and update entries for specific media research resources, maintaining control over and responsibility for their contributions to the directory. As the directory grows, its value as a centralized reference tool will encourage media archives, collections, holdings, and sites to self-submit entries to encourage greater access to their resources.

Building on the collaborative network and centralization of resources established through the ongoing production of the media resource directory, Mediapede will develop and/or support complementary programs to encourage and enable people of all ages and outlooks to access information about contemporary media and think creatively about the role of media in their lives:

  • additional research tools and resources for media scholars, professionals, and the general public
  • collaborative projects to develop and produce media studies activities and curricula for K-12, continuing, and informal education and distribute them widely, especially to groups with limited media studies access and resources
  • projects and events to bring together media scholars, industry professionals, consumers, and public and nonprofit officials to encourage their mutual understanding and further collaboration
  • projects and events to support the study and understanding of issues in contemporary media that cross boundaries of geography and personal identity

Mediapede plans to incorporate and apply for 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status from the US Internal Revenue Service. While Mediapede’s application is pending, all contributions are tax deductible to the full extent of the law through Mediapede’s fiscal conduit, an existing, tax-exempt, nonprofit organization that accepts contributions temporarily for Mediapede.

Mediapede’s Board of Directors and Advisory Council are currently in formation. As possible, directors and advisors represent scholars and schools at all educational levels, media and information technology professionals, firms, consumers, and interest groups, public officials and government institutions, and other nonprofit professionals and organizations.

For more information, contact Mediapede.