About
Our Mission
The goal of the Shorenstein Center’s Documentary Film in the Public Interest (DFPI) initiative is to inspire documentary film practices and infrastructure that contribute to strong, informed societies. DFPI bridges thought and action by bringing together practitioners and researchers, journalists and documentary filmmakers, policy leaders and technologists in a shared project to build a resilient, ethical documentary field focused on serving the public good.
About DFPI
In a time of profound change in media, politics, and the public sphere, documentary’s power to illuminate urgent questions and strengthen public trust has never been more essential. DFPI champions the editorial and ethical foundations of public interest documentaries demonstrating how nonfiction storytelling, rooted in the principles of journalism, can empower citizens and fortify civil society.
Guided by the Shorenstein Center’s mission to address the challenge of information integrity in a time of division and distrust, DFPI’s focus is on nonfiction filmmaking that employs excellence in investigative work, robust editorial standards, thorough fact-checking, and public accountability along with compelling visual storytelling driven by a mission to increase the public’s understanding of our world’s most pressing issues.
Our Commitment
DFPI is a non-partisan, research-informed initiative dedicated to examining and advancing the trustworthy and ethical practice of documentary film. Through our fellowships, convenings, and public programs, we strengthen the role of documentary as a vital source of public knowledge and civic engagement.
Shorenstein Center on Media, Politics and Public Policy at Harvard Kennedy School
At this moment of division and distrust, our broken news environment poses a threat to the public good. Every pressing public policy concern is affected by the flows and flaws in information. The Shorenstein Center on Media, Politics and Public Policy is a Harvard Kennedy School research center dedicated to addressing this challenge at its root by examining how essential information is created, conveyed and consumed. We believe that improving the quality of public information and expanding access to it will bring about healthier, stronger, more peaceful societies.
The center was founded in 1986 to allow journalists to engage with public policy students and faculty at Harvard Kennedy School. In the past two decades it has expanded its mission to advance research across multiple disciplines into the forces and factors that shape our broader media environment.
Today, the Shorenstein Center pursues its core mission through original research, convening leaders in practice and scholarship, providing trainings and educational opportunities for students and media practitioners, and highlighting best practices across the fields of media and content production.
For more information, contact us at docfilm@hks.harvard.edu.