Comments on: “‘Local’ is just one set of ripples on the lake of information”

By: Amy Gahran

Amy Gahran — Tue, 16 Sep 2008 05:19:15 +0000

Hi, Adam

I'm glad my comment on the Knight Commission blog resonated with you. Just wanted to let you know that the discussion started in the comments to the Commission's blog post is picking up steam, and it's getting really interesting.

(If that link doesn't show up in this comment, try this: http://snurl.com/3qm3n)

This has all given me much to ponder -- so much so that today on my blog Contentious.com I published the first installment in a short series exploring how we could improve civic information and media in ways that would mesh more effectively with human nature.

Being a Citizen Shouldn’t Be So Hard! Part 1: Human Nature
- alternate link: http://snurl.com/3qkxl

I'll be publishing the remaining 3 installments over the next few days. My goal is to engage my readers and others in helping me strengthen and streamline this material so I can contribute it in a useful format to the Knight Commission to aid their deliberations.

If you or your readers get a chance, I'd really appreciate it if you could check out and comment on my series. I welcome all thoughts, questions, challenges, and suggestions.

Thanks,

- Amy Gahran

By: Amy Gahran

Amy Gahran — Tue, 16 Sep 2008 01:19:15 +0000

By: MikeRT

MikeRT — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 13:48:05 +0000

Local media is dying because of the fact that it rarely gives people hard-hitting information about the community. How often do you see investigative journalism being done on local government activities, for example? Too rarely to count, and when it is, it's often done almost as a form of damage control for the government. People are rejecting traditional local media outlets in any area remotely connected to “democracy” because of the fact that the guard dog has now become a lap dog.