Transformational media is media that creates positive change through a transformational process, and comes from a space of clarity with the intention to build a better world.
 

Just as we are seeing the intensification and acceleration of changes throughout the world related to issues such as innovation and use of technology, population growth, urbanization, social revolution, and climate change–our media landscape is also undergoing rapid and wide-scale change.
 

There is a shift from media content owned and broadcast by the powerful few to the creation and dissemination of media by the empowered many. Another billion people are expected to be connected to the world wide web in the next decade to add to the 2.2 billion that are already connected. Wael Ghanim, the Google Executive that started a Facebook page that helped spark the Egyptian revolution says, “the power of the people is much stronger than the people in power.” Our media is really starting to reflect our deep human desire to bond, as well as the state of our global interconnectedness.
 

The media revolution that is now happening could be compared in significance to the invention of the printing press over 500 years ago. At the time it ushered in an era of democratization of knowledge and social change. This social media revolution we are now witnessing on the web takes this evolution a step further. It is collaborative, and connects people instantaneously across the world. Although much of the content is still controlled by wealthy media owners and advertising, instantaneous dissemination means that censorship is bypassed and it is the closest thing to democratic media there has ever been.
 

So does 2.2 billion people able to produce and instantaneously disseminate media necessarily lead to a democratic and equitable world? Well, no. The reason being that if there is not a corresponding shift in consciousness, the end product can still be the same. It is evolution rather than revolution. Just as guns donʼt create wars, social media doesnʼt lead to equality. The internet is merely a tool to be used for good and bad.
 

The factors mentioned at the beginning of this article reflect the ever-changing nature of our world or indeed a period of transformation taking place on a global scale. At the same time as we are seeing gross acts of greed, leading to the economic collapse, violence against the environment with reckless grasping of the Earthʼs resources (Deepwater Horizon oil spill, Tar Sands in Canada), and violence against each other (numerous conflicts). There is also an increasing group of people dedicated to conscious evolution and bringing this awareness into their work. This can be prompted by an ambition to improve external conditions in the world, by an earnest search for meaning, and/or by the desire to bringing peace into peopleʼs lives.
 

In the last few years there has been a significant rise in the creation and viewing of transformational media. Transformational media is media that creates positive change through a transformational process, and comes from a space of clarity with the intention to build a better world:
 

The inner and outer qualities of transformational media. Creativity which comes from a space of clarity and insight with a deep understanding of the potential of humanity.
 

Transformational media may be focused on inner qualities or practical solutions. Its goal is to unite rather than divide, bring peace rather than conflict, and create rather than destroy.
 

Perhaps one of the most differentiating characteristics of transformational media is that it leads us towards our true nature. It seeks to answer those deep questions about what it means to be human, like “how can we find purpose and fulfill our potential?” or “what is the nature of the world we live in?.” In contrast much of what we see in mainstream media can serve as a distraction to these questions or lead us away from the answers. Worse still it can serve to increase prejudices, and feelings of separation and glamorize violent behavior.
 

Maddy Harland, co founder of Permaculture Magazine puts it like this, “The true purpose of media, like art, is to communicate new ideas that deepen our understanding of humanity and ultimately at his time in our history our capacity to live in a more creative and gentle way on the planet. We are here to learn how to make peace with our fellow human beings and to nurture and steward the Earth and all of its wonderful myriad of species. This model of transformational media is a million miles away from much of our current commercial media. That is why it is so important that people begin to discriminate what media we consume. We are what we eat and we become what we consume.”
 

The media reflects our stories, our beliefs and our desires. This is played out in the films, books, and advertising that fill our screens and airwaves. The media has become a platform that so often distracts us from our own inner qualities and sources of inner happiness. It distracts us from our true nature as creative beings. One reason that Facebook, YouTube and Twitter have become so popular is that they tap into two of the deepest purposes of humanity: to communicate and to create. Fearless, authentic communications, as well as being our purpose in life, also leads us to fulfilling our potential.
 

Conscious creativity, as opposed to reactive or mechanical creativity, comes from the connection to our true nature and also points to our true nature, and the nature of the world we live in. Already, by their nature, these social media sites lean towards collaboration and sharing. Truth now spreads more quickly than propaganda and lies as commercial agendas are put aside and citizen journalists have the same reach as mainstream outlets. If Twitter, Facebook and YouTube are to help us connect and find our true nature, the creativity in tweets, posts, and videos will need to come from a space of clarity and compassion.
 

There is an ever-increasing group of pioneering people creating media from this space including filmmakers, journalists, photographers, artists, poets and authors. Many of these leaders will gather together in London later this year for the inauguralTransformational Media Summit. The Summit seeks, through introspection, discussion, and inspiration, to uncover the answer(s) to the question: how can media help create a better world?
 

Key themes include web 2.0, conscious creativity, and transformational stories. The summit brings together a diverse group of experts and intelligent optimists working within the media industry from across the world such as Duane Elgin, visionary author; Maddy Harland, co founder of Permaculture Magazine; Jude Ower, founder of PlayMob; Dara Marks, Hollywoodʼs #1 rated script writing consultant; Stuart Hughes, Diplomatic Producer at the BBC; and Gilles Vanderpooten, co founder of Reporters Dʼespoirs.
 

This group of experts represent a growing number of people attuned to the potential of media to act as a force for good in the world. It seems–now more than ever–there is an urgency to address this issue, as global events reach critical situations and online media becomes an ever present aspect of our lives.
 

If youʼd like to find out more about these pioneers in transformational media and the summit you can follow the Twitter feed or visit the website.
 

By Jeremy Wickremer | Founder, Ideal Media and the Transformational Media Summit