Robert Paterson is doing some interesting work these days:
KETC, a client of mine, the Public TV Channel in St Louis, has been chosen by CPB to test how well a public TV station can be in Convening the wide community of its city to come together and help each other cope with a giant crisis. Here is a link to the background.I am writing today to offer up an early report. This week we held the first on air/web town hall meeting.
For the first time St Louisans could see that they were not alone. The room was full of all sorts of people. St Louisans could see the enormous amount of help that was there for them. They could hear stories of all the things that could happen for bad or good. They could feel hope.
The crises is the mortgage crises in the US which is having some devastating effects on communities, neighbourhoods cities and regions. This is some compelling use of storytelling, to explore the crises, get in touch with voices who are in the thick of it and provide news you can use, which is the only news which is important especially as systemic level change is taking place. Stories like this help people move beyond passive consumers of disaster and tragedy and get involved in taking responsibility for their own lives and the lives of their communities.
