If you're like me, you don't give much thought to how front-page Inquirer articles are selected, or who chooses the lead stories on Action News. Who gives a rip, right? But the answer is far more complex than it seems.

Who Makes the News? brings together some of Philadelphia's most influential media figures to discuss the complicated and widely unexamined news-gathering process. The event is sponsored by Media Tank, a nonprofit that concentrates on building public awareness of contemporary media issues.

The panel, which features NBC-10 news director Chris Blackman and Daily News editor Yvette Ousley, will take a closer look at the unique facets and shortcomings of Philly's media. (For example, we're the largest city in the country that doesn't have a public access channel.)

"We want to open up a dialogue," says programming coordinator Amy Johnson. "How do local news outlets disseminate factual, important, timely information? And what is their role in framing the issues? We're getting people to think critically about the structure of the media, and who's making money off of it. [We want people to say], 'Holy shit, the media plays a bigger role in my life than I thought it did.'"