City Bureau’s Post

We all dream of a better world, of a community where every citizen feels integrated and valued. This year's edition of the Civil Society Gala, in which I am honored to be part of the Social Impact Jury, urges us to reflect on the importance of "Communities for the Common Good", emphasizing the mobilization and involvement of citizens in projects that bring significant improvements in our lives and those around us. It is an opportunity to unite our efforts and make a difference in a world that often seems full of challenges and uncertainties. And it brings to mind spotmedia.ro, the project to which I have dedicated the past four years of my life and which has gained much more confidence as communities have been built around it: engaged readers, open partners, clients who care beyond metrics. It defends the right of each of us to accurate information, aware that this is a cornerstone of democracy and our progress as a society. And all it needs is for those involved, whether readers, companies, or agencies, to understand the crucial importance they have and to support it through concrete and responsible actions. In the end, we only need to understand that the power to change the world lies in our hands. Every gesture of involvement and support for initiatives that promote the common good is a precious stone in building a better future for all of us. Only together can we build communities for the common good😊 #CivilSocietyGala #CommunitiesForTheCommonGood

A few days ago, we started sharing key insights that guide our efforts in reshaping narratives for a brighter, more inclusive future for Arkansas. Today, we're sharing part 3/5. Over the course of our Narrative journey, we have listened, learned, and mapped opportunities for connection and collaboration. Among the most important findings about our narrative terrain, we found that: — Mainstream and local media - the historic vehicle for content that shapes public policy - needs an infusion of long-term capital if it is to continue to be a vital and neutral source of information for the general public — Citizen journalists and community storytellers - often found within NPOs - are an integral part of the future of media and deserve/need robust and well-resourced platforms to disseminate their work — Connecting artists and storytellers to community organizations and community-centered conversations is one way to saturate the AR media ecosystem with equity-based narratives — Many Arkansans are missing access to vital news about their communities, laws, and policies because they are not plugged into mainstream media and, instead, receive their news from social media or trusted public figures Did you miss our first two #narrativechange lessons? Check out our recent posts to get caught up. #EquityinAction #NarrativeChange #WRF #RelentlessPursuit

How can fictional futures help us strengthen truth and facts online? Imagine a world where reliable, well-sourced, and human-verified information is not only flourishing, but public trust in it is growing. Can this world exist beyond fantasy fiction? How do we make it a reality? These are the questions we want to explore in our panel at #SXSW 2025. Speakers include: ➡️ Stephen Harrison – Author, “The Editors” ➡️ Karen Lord – Award-winning science fiction author  ➡️ Sewell Chan – Editor-in-Chief, Texas Tribune ➡️ Rebecca MacKinnon – Vice-President of Global Advocacy, Wikimedia Foundation We need your help to bring this important conversation to a broader audience. Vote for our panel to be included in next year’s conference! The SXSW community voting phase runs until 18 August. It is a crucial step in helping to determine whether our panel will be selected. Vote here ➡️ https://lnkd.in/deNQ95wE

Does public media have a role to play in community building? We think it does. And to explore this question, we're arranging an exclusive screening of the documentary, Join or Die, just for public media broadcasters. In this film, Rebecca Davis and Pete Davis examine Harvard Professor Robert D. Putnam's argument that social capital is vital to democracy. Afterward, I'll moderate a virtual panel discussion with Rebecca, community expert Carrie Melissa Jones, M.A., public health expert Abdul El-Sayed, MD, DPhil, and public media expert Mike Henry. I hope you'll be able to join us for this important conversation about the role of public media in American society. Get more details here: https://lnkd.in/gEZwgesX #communitybuilding #publicmedia #socialcapital

I had the honour of being a guest speaker for the final panel of CROSSROADS Vitural event, focusing on intergenerational perspectives. The final panel, which I was thrilled to be a part of, delved into intergenerational perspectives on infrastructure. We explored how different generations view infrastructure priorities, preferences, and the importance of planning for the future. I spoke about the need to consider how we interact with our surroundings, sharing a story of a mokopuna (grandchild) wanting to visit their grandparents. Whether the journey is just up the road or across the city, what is their experience? Why is it that way? What can we change? Now, more than ever, we need to understand how our decisions will impact future generations we will never meet. CROSSROADS provides a fascinating snapshot of community sentiment, capturing multi-generational preferences, priorities, and perspectives through an infrastructure lens.

WATCH ON DEMAND: Missed our recent CROSSROADS virtual events? Never fear – recordings of each panel discussion, expertly moderated by world-renown advisor, author and urbanist Prof Greg Clark CBE FAcSS are now available for on-demand viewing: https://lnkd.in/e2P3b3tQ Timed with the launch of CROSSROADS – a comprehensive survey of more than 10,000 people across 10 countries – these virtual events brought together diverse panellists from around the world to unpack the challenge of promoting fair and fit-for-purpose infrastructure, from one generation to the next.   CROSSROADS presents a fascinating snapshot of community sentiment – including multi-generational preferences, priorities and perspectives – through an infrastructure lens. The key findings from this wide-ranging study set the scene for a series of engaging panel discussions exploring how we can make the right decisions today, to help chart a course to a more equitable infrastructure future, tomorrow.   Discover our panellists’ value-adding insights here: https://lnkd.in/e2P3b3tQ   #CROSSROADS #FutureCommunities #PowerofCommitment

What better way to kickoff News Literacy Week? Solving the local news crisis requires a major shift away from large, consolidated media group’s narratives and failed policy prescriptions that got us to now. This outstanding panel of doers, shapers and shepherds promises valuable, actionable insights.

New in The Washington Post: research on a homegrown, alternative social media platform finds it to be useful, positive, and very valuable for communities. They are able to do this by breaking free of a business model that incentivizes unrestricted growth and engagement. Didn’t think that was possible with social media? You may have never heard of it, but Front Porch Forum is in every town in Vermont. And people really love it. From the new article by Will Oremus: "'I can’t imagine life in rural Vermont without FPF,' said Don Heise of Calais, Vt., (pop. 1,661 according to the 2020 U.S. census), who described it as 'the glue that holds our community together.'" Every post is read and vetted by a local human moderator before being published, which slows things down. There are no reaction buttons or instant comments. Local ads are targeted only by geography, as opposed to a surveillance-based business model. With our partners at the Center for Media Engagement - The University of Texas at Austin, we surveyed more than 13,000 FPF members and asked them about the platform’s performance, using our Civic Signals framework — 14 signals to guide the creation of healthy digital spaces. We found that FPF makes building community easier, from block parties to civic participation. Small interactions, like borrowing a ladder or getting a ride somewhere, build local social capital and cultivate a sense of community that benefits the whole neighborhood. Front Porch Forum proves that social media doesn’t have to be a toxic place that tears us apart. We can design and build digital public spaces that bring us together, if we choose to. 

To Media Houses in our country 🇿🇲 As media houses, you wield immense power in shaping the narrative of our world. Your platforms have the ability to inspire, educate, and uplift. Yet, we often find ourselves mired in the quagmire of politics, neglecting the very essence of our humanity. Let us not forget that the stories we tell, the voices we amplify, and the issues we highlight have a profound impact on our collective future. While political events unfold, let us not overlook the countless tales of struggle, resilience, and hope that surround us. We see hundreds of journalists freely covering political events, but when it comes to the plight of the suffering, it often takes a concerted effort to shed light on their stories. Let us rebalance our priorities. Remember, the content you create today will shape the world your children will inherit tomorrow. They will bear the consequences of the narratives we perpetuate. Let us choose to promote humanity over politics. Let us amplify the voices of community activists, humanitarians, and everyday heroes. Let us share stories of hope, kindness, and compassion. By doing so, we can create a media landscape that inspires empathy, understanding, and positive change. The world needs it, and future generations depend on it. Together, let us redefine the narrative and shine a light on the good in humanity. #TogetherAsOne

TGIF, Scientifically Speaking community! 🎉 As we wrap up the week, let's explore the role of community engagement in shaping business strategies. Vote on how it has impacted your approach to change, and don't forget to add your insights in the comments! #ScientificallySpeaking #CommunityInnovation #FridayThoughts