MIT has launched its Center for Future Civic Media with a $5 Million Grant from the Knight Foundation. The Center will be a collaboration between the Comparative Media Studies program and the Media Lab. Last night the center held a talk on the question of What is Civic Media? Speakers addressed the idea that Civic Media must transcend pure talk and must find its way into being translated into action. Check out the C4FCM blog here.

Press Pass TV met with the Teens in Print team at the Boston Globe on Thursday to brainstorm story ideas to collaborate on for T.i.P’s December issue. Press Pass TV youth will take care of the video production while the TiP reporters will handle the writing and reporting. Work will be featured on the T.i.P and PPTV websites.

By engaging youth in the production of civic-minded journalism, Press Pass TV is aiming to promote participatory culture. What is participatory culture? Participatory culture is where we stop passively consuming media and begin making our own for others to see. Participatory culture also helps to promote dialog, be it artistic or political. Most importantly, participatory culture is a major factor in civic engagement. Check out what MIT’s New Media Literacy project has to say about teaching youth to be part of a participatory culture.