New Media Consortium

New Media Consortium
Name	New Media Consortium
Formation	1993
Dissolution	2017
Type	Nonprofit consortium
Headquarters	San Mateo, California
Region served	International
Membership	Museums, libraries, corporations, universities

New Media Consortium was an international non‑profit consortium of institutions focused on digital media, instructional technology, and immersive learning. It convened museums, corporations, libraries, and universities to research and forecast emergent technologies affecting pedagogy and public engagement. The consortium produced influential horizon reports, facilitated conferences and workshops, and partnered with a range of cultural and educational institutions before ceasing operations in 2017.

History

The consortium was founded in 1993 amid rapid growth in personal computing, multimedia publishing, and the expansion of the World Wide Web. Early collaborators included leaders from Stanford University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Smithsonian Institution, The Getty Center, and Apple Inc. as stakeholders in multimedia pedagogy and content delivery. During the 1990s it expanded ties with Library of Congress, Harvard University, University of California, Berkeley, and National Science Foundation projects related to digital collections and preservation. Through the 2000s the organization intersected with initiatives at Microsoft Research, Nobel Foundation events, Oxford University Press collaborations, and technology pilots with IBM, Intel, and Google. Major activities coincided with sectoral shifts driven by the launches of YouTube, Facebook, and the introduction of the iPhone. The consortium’s work influenced policy discussions at UNESCO and informed practice at institutions such as British Museum, New York Public Library, and Getty Research Institute.

Organization and Governance

The entity operated as a membership organization governed by a board of directors drawn from universities, corporations, and cultural institutions. Board members and senior staff came from institutions including Columbia University, University of Michigan, Carnegie Mellon University, Princeton University, Yale University, University of Oxford, University of Cambridge, and Australian National University. Leadership included executives with prior roles at Adobe Systems, NPR, PBS, and WGBH. Financial oversight intersected with audits involving regional accounting firms and nonprofit law advisors associated with Internal Revenue Service filings. Membership tiers reflected affiliations with museums like Museum of Modern Art, libraries like New York Public Library, technology firms like Amazon (company), and philanthropic partners such as Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and Andrew W. Mellon Foundation.

Programs and Initiatives

Signature programs included an annual conference, symposia, and the Horizon Project forecasting cycle. Conferences attracted participants from SXSW, SIGGRAPH, EDUCAUSE, AASL, and International Council of Museums. Initiatives explored areas tied to virtual reality pilots with collaborators such as Oculus VR and HTC, augmented reality exhibits with partners like Zappar, and massive open online course pilots aligned with Coursera and edX. Projects addressed digitization workflows used by National Archives and Records Administration and standards promoted by Dublin Core Metadata Initiative and ISO (International Organization for Standardization). Professional development programs reflected practices from Teach For America training, instructional design models from Merrill Lynch-sponsored sessions, and blended learning exemplars from Khan Academy adoption case studies.

Publications and Research

The consortium was best known for the Horizon Reports, annual research documents that identified emerging technologies and timelines for adoption. These reports cited case studies from Museum of Modern Art, British Library, Los Angeles County Museum of Art, University of Pennsylvania, Indiana University Bloomington, and Texas A&M University. Supplementary white papers examined learning analytics aligned with work at Sloan Foundation, digital storytelling influenced by The New York Times Digital, and maker education echoes in programs like Maker Faire. Peer organizations that referenced its research included EDUCAUSE Review, Chronicle of Higher Education, Inside Higher Ed, and policy analyses at OECD. Methodologies drew on Delphi panels composed of scholars from University of Chicago, London School of Economics, National University of Singapore, and practitioners from Accenture and Deloitte.

Partnerships and Collaborations

Collaborative partnerships spanned cultural heritage institutions, technology vendors, and academic consortia. Notable partners included Smithsonian Institution, Library of Congress, European Commission initiatives, and technology alliances with Microsoft, Google, Apple Inc., and Adobe Systems. The organization co‑sponsored events with International Society for Technology in Education, Association of Research Libraries, American Alliance of Museums, and Council on Library and Information Resources. Research collaborations linked to projects funded by National Endowment for the Humanities, National Science Foundation, and philanthropic bodies such as W.K. Kellogg Foundation. Global outreach included ties to Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Tsinghua University, University of Cape Town, and Australian Research Council collaborators.

Legacy and Dissolution

Financial insolvency and abrupt closure in 2017 led to the consortium’s dissolution; operations, assets, and some intellectual property were transferred to other organizations. The Horizon Reports’ methodology and brand were adopted and continued by successor groups and consortia including academic publishing partners and technology observatories. The organization’s influence persists through the archival use of its reports by EDUCAUSE, UNESCO, OECD, and university research centers at Columbia University Teachers College and Harvard Graduate School of Education. Alumni and partner institutions—such as Smithsonian Institution, Getty Research Institute, British Library, Museum of Modern Art, New York Public Library, University of Oxford, and Stanford University—maintain programs and networks that reflect the consortium’s emphasis on immersive media, digital preservation, and instructional innovation.

Category:Defunct nonprofit organizations Category:Digital media organizations