Project Topic: Project Topic

Sanford Phase II: The Search for Solutions, Portland, ME

 in Engagement

Sanford Phase II: The Search for Solutions, Portland, ME 1997

Partners:

The Portland Newspapers
WGME-TV 
Maine Public TV 
Maine Public Radio

What started as an election year effort to get citizen voices in campaign coverage entered a new phase in 1997, as some 40 residents of Sanford, Maine, who’d been empaneled for the “Maine Citizens Campaign” refused to disband when the journalism project was over. The group began a second year exploring issues and meeting with public officials in hopes of taking action for positive civic change. Read more

Front Porch Forum, Seattle, WA 1997

 in Engagement

Front Porch Forum, Seattle, WA 1997

Partners:

The Seattle Times
KCTS
KPLU-FM
KUOW-FM

With all the Seattle area had going for it in the mid-90’s, there was a sense that the region could not sustain its enviable quality of life into the 21st Century. The “Front Porch Forum” partners saw this as an opportunity to expand their civic journalism effort beyond politics and elections and into community-based decision-making about the future. “Puget Sound 2020” involved more than 2,000 citizens in imagining what the region should look like in 20 years and what it would take to make it happen. Read more

We the People/Wisconsin, Madison, WI 1997

 in Engagement

We the People/Wisconsin, Madison, WI 1997

Partners:

Wisconsin StateJournal
Wisconsin Public TV
WISC-TV
Wisconsin Public Radio
Wood Communications

The oldest, continuously operating civic journalism partnership tackled issues of race and culture in 1997 both with programming and outreach activities. With its “We the People500” effort, the partners diversified and broadened the base of citizens who attended their town hall meetings, coffee shop conversations and other listening sessions. Those sessions had generally reflected Wisconsin’s overwhelmingly white population so the partnership reached out to news organizations in seven cities with larger minority populations to join in sponsoring some events. The new partners included print and broadcast media in Milwaukee, La Crosse, Eau Claire, Wausau, Hayward, Superior and Beloit. The partners also held focus groups to learn how minority citizens get their news and how “We the People” could be more involved in reaching those citizens and reconnecting them with public life. Read more

CANCELLED PROJECT, Daytona Beach, FL

 in Engagement

CANCELLED: Daytona Beach, FL 1997 

Partners:

The Daytona Beach News Journal
WCEU-TV (PBS)
WESH-TV (NBC)
Stetson University

At the Pew Center’s request, the partners returned their funding when the project became stalled because of newsroom changes.

The Voters’ Voice, New Hampshire

 in Elections


The Voters’ Voice, New Hampshire 1997

Partners:

New Hampshire Public Radio
The Keene Sentinel
The Portsmouth Herald
UPI of New Hampshire

Inspired by the success of its election year project, “Voter’s Voice,” New Hampshire Public Radio sought citizen participation in coverage of non-election issues through a series of “Citizens Exchange” meetings in different communities, in association with local newspapers. 

The network began the project in early 1997, with a series of call-in shows from its Concord studios, where citizens asked questions of the new governor, their congressmen and senators and engaged in discussions of campaign finance reform, race relations and health care issues. Read more

Maine Citizens’ Campaign Documentary Video, Portland, ME

 in Elections

Maine Citizens’ Campaign Documentary Video, Portland, ME 1997

Partners:

The Portland Newspapers
WGME-TV
Maine Public TV
Maine Public Radio

What started as an election year effort to get citizen voices in campaign coverage entered a new phase in 1997, as some 40 residents of Sanford, Maine, who’d been empaneled for the “Maine Citizens Campaign” refused to disband when the journalism project was over. The group began a second year exploring issues and meeting with public officials in hopes of taking action for positive civic change. Read more

Oregon Electorate Survey, Portland, OR

 in Elections

Oregon Electorate Survey
Portland, OR 1997

Partners:

The Oregonian
Oregon Public Broadcasting

That most fundamental of civic activities, voting, was the subject of a three-part series in the Oregonian and a special call-in show on public radio. Though Oregon had one of the highest voter turn-out records in the nation, there were still nearly a million eligible Oregonians who did not vote. Through a survey of 733 people and three focus groups, reporters learned that voters and non-voters had a great deal in common and that not voting was not an indication of detachment or alienation. In fact, they found 80 percent of non-voters were active in their community, with many involved in three or more civic activities. Read more

Boom Town Faces its Future, Myrtle Beach, SC

 in Economy

Boom Town Faces its Future, Myrtle Beach, SC 1997

Partners:

The Sun News
Cox Broadcasting

After the results of an informal Sun News survey showed serious community concern about rapid growth, the paper launched an 11-month project, “Living in a Boom Town.” The paper had asked readers to respond to six open-ended questions about the Myrtle Beach area. Some 300 responses showed five main areas of concern: traffic, growth, elected officials, schools and culture. A five part series exploring each of these topics began April 27, 1997. Each package included a “primer,” giving background on the issue, comments from readers and additional resources for more information. The paper also set up a phone line for more reader comments and started a discussion forum on growth issues on its Web site. It followed people’s concerns through ongoing coverage of one neighborhood, Socastee, which was wrestling with all of the issues involved. Read more