David M. Hoffman | |
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Born | [1] | January 18, 1945
Alma mater | Johns Hopkins University; University of Colorado[2] |
Occupation | Media activist |
Known for |
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Awards | Emmy (1989),[3] European Community Humanitarian Office (ECHO) TV and Radio Awards for Broadcast Commitment (1996) |
David Michael Hoffman (born January 18, 1945) is an American author, political commentator, television project director and media activist.[1][4]
He is the Founder and President Emeritus of Internews, a global non-profit organization supporting independent media and access to quality information worldwide. Experts of post-Soviet media "call Hoffman the nonprofit Ted Turner".[3] He is also the Chairman Emeritus of the Global Forum for Media Development, a cross-sector initiative of more than 200 leading media assistance organisations from 70 countries that he spearheaded. He wrote the book Citizens Rising: Independent Journalism and the Spread of Democracy (2013) to tell the stories of the media development field and the activists who are playing a decisive role in political affairs across the globe.[2]
Hoffman has written widely about media and democracy, the Internet, and the importance of supporting pluralistic, local media around the world. His articles have appeared in The New York Times, Foreign Affairs, The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, International Herald Tribune, USA Today, The Huffington Post, and the San Francisco Chronicle.[2]
He has also testified before US House and Senate committees on issues of press freedom and access to information.[2]
Hoffman won an Emmy award as project director for the television series Capital-to-Capital that ran from 1987–1990. It was produced in association with ABC News and Soviet Central Television moderated by Peter Jennings and Leonid Zolatarevsky.[3]