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March 27 , 2007

Douglas Rushkoff examines new media and its impact on culture and business at Spark: KLRU’s Engaging Speaker Series presented by AMD

Austin, Texas — Douglas Rushkoff, one of the first social commentators to identify the impact of new media on culture, commerce, and communication, will share his views on Wednesday, April 18, at 7:30 p.m. at the Paramount Theatre as part of Spark: KLRU’s Engaging Speaker Series presented by AMD.

Tickets are on sale now for $37 (plus service fees) through klru.org/spark or at the Paramount Theatre box office at 713 Congress Avenue. KLRU’s Spark events feature a 45-minute presentation followed by a 30-minute question-and-answer session.Spark KLRU’s Engaging Speaker Series presented by AMD.

As one of the leaders of the cyberpunk movement, Rushkoff has written 10 best-selling books including Get Back in the Box: Innovation from the Inside Out, Cyberia, Media Virus and Playing the Future.  Through a decade of speaking, consulting, and advising companies he has become an expert on the ways people can re-orient their businesses and lives to the changing culture that new media has created. Likening the emergence of an Internet-enabled society to the intellectual and technological ferment of the Enlightenment, Rushkoff reveals the unprecedented opportunity to re-integrate new perspective with the work we actually do. Topics will include:
• The end of mass production, mass media, and mass marketing.
• The real dangers of outsourcing.
• Profit in an open source culture.
• Creating a business culture that includes employees and customers.

Rushkoff has written and hosted two award-winning PBS Frontline documentaries — “The Merchants of Cool” and  “The Persuaders” — both focusing on the impact of advertising and marketing on culture. “The Persuaders” will air on Wednesday, April 11, at 10 p.m. and Friday, April 13, at 8 p.m. on KLRU-TV, Austin PBS, (broadcast 18, cable 9). He also regularly provides commentary for NPR's All Things Considered.

He currently teaches media theory at New York University's (NYU) Interactive Telecommunications Program where he is a founder of Technorealism, which involves a continuous critical examination of how technologies might help or hinder people in the struggle to improve the quality of their lives, their communities, and their economic, social, and political structures.

Spark features on event per month January through May. The series continues with:
• May 15: Everyday life viewed through a quirky, spiritual literary truth with award-winning novelist Anne Lamott.

 

About SPARK

Over nine years, KLRU has established a reputation for bringing Austin some of the world's most talented and recognizable individuals through our Speaker Series. The content of the Series — purposefully diverse, thought provoking and relevant — is fashioned in the spirit of KLRU’s educational and inspirational programming. Spark is sponsored by AMD, Wells Fargo, The Austin Chronicle Austinist.com and KUT. All proceeds benefit KLRU-TV, a 501 c (3) non-profit organization.

About KLRU

KLRU-TV, Austin PBS, reflects, celebrates and inspires Central Texas through creative excellence,
community engagement and lifelong learning. Although primarily a television station providing locally produced and quality national programming, KLRU is also a non-profit organization helping to build a stronger community through educational workshops, community outreach projects and public events. Get more information about KLRU at klru.org.

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