Summer 1996
What’s Happening in Pew Center Projects
“We the People, Wisconsin”
MADISON, WIS.
PARTNERS: WISCONSIN STATE JOURNAL, WISCONSIN PUBLIC TELEVISION, WISCONSIN PUBLIC RADIO, WISC-TV (CBS) AND WOOD COMMUNICATIONS GROUP
The Partners explored the highly charged budget crunch at University of Wisconsin’s 26-campus system at town meetings in Eau Claire, Wausau and Madison. Then citizens from all three sites reconvened via a round-robin broadcast on April 19 to make recommendations. Nine of the university system’s regents, plus the president and chancellor and many state legislators took questions from the audience. The Eau Claire Leader Telegram and the Wausau Daily Herald also participated as media Partners. Part of the initiative involved comparing the Wisconsin state university system with the statewide University of Virginia system. Those findings were reported in a white paper issued by the media Partners. Last month, when the regents released their recommendations, the “We the People” white paper was attached. Coming up are efforts to set up smaller “We the People” projects with news organizations around the state to cover some key Congressional races.
A standing-room-only crowd attended the April 18 town meeting to focus on how to help the area overcome the effects of corporate downsizing. Since then about 300 citizens have been working on 11 action teams that will make their recommendations at the end of the summer. Meanwhile, a high school task force recently issued its report recommending such things as developing the area as a low-crime retirement destination for New York City residents, starting a mentoring program to encourage young people to return to the region after college, and encouraging the efforts of budding entrepreneurs and start-up small businesses. NYLink, an interactive computer linkup of six local schools administered by WSKG, made recommendations on how to consolidate various government functions to reduce tax burdens.
The Partners planned to be in the field this month with a poll to gather information for their intergenerational project, which will explore the growing economic, social and political tensions dividing generations. Building on lessons learned, they plan to do more reporting before framing stories, reversing the process they used in their “Safer Cities” initiative. Part of the project’s approach will be so-called “immersion reporting,” which involves spending far more reporter time with interview subjects in such places as nursing homes or day care centers to create more trust and avoid superficial sound bite quotes.
An April poll of 570 people was the catalyst for a series of reports by the media Partners. It highlighted such key concerns as the nation’s moral condition and pinpointed such financial concerns as taxes, the cost of living, retirement, and jobs as the major challenges confronting residents. KCTS aired a 60-minute program, “Listening to Washington,” that featured informal chats among residents about the poll findings. KPLU used the results in a lead feature for an NPR series on morality in late June. Last month, the Partners conducted focus groups to explore in more depth the issues of morality, economic anxiety and population growth and used the feedback to design a second poll, now underway, to learn what citizens think government’s role should be in addressing community problems. The Partners are also periodically publishing citizen comments sent via voice mail and e-mail and listing these citizens in a growing database that will be used to invite them to candidate forums in the fall. Debuting in September will be a Web page, featuring content developed by the Partners.
Market leader, WOKR, recently joined the Partners to examine children’s attitudes toward education and violence. The Partners are analyzing the results of a poll of seventh through 12th graders that will provide ideas for coverage. Last month, they hosted youth focus groups and WXXI will use those discussions to make a documentary. The joint newspaper and documentary coverage will be launched on September 21. Contributing to those reports will be 100 students who have been given single-use cameras to document their day.
The newspaper in March launched the first series in a seven-month examination of how a community learns about violence. So far, they have reported on violence in sports, in the media, in the home, and violence learned growing up male. Coming up are take-outs on prejudice and violence; alcohol, drugs and violence; and peer pressure and violence. Each Sunday package of articles is preceded by three week-day stories about people involved in the topic. For example, the sports series focused on an athlete, a coach and a recreation leader who uses sports to teach cooperation and goals, not just winning. Meanwhile, the Partners have recently published “Off the Sidelines,” an information guide listing two dozen Duluth area organizations that need men to help out.
The media Partners continue to report on various aspects of leadership. In April, the newspaper wrote about leadership in black churches. The Partners also surveyed Community Leadership School graduates, who reported that lack of time was their greatest obstacle to taking on the leadership roles for which they were trained. In May, Bradley University surveyed local businesses and learned that fewer than one in five has a formal policy that encourages public service. Meanwhile, the paper has been publishing regular “sketches” of people “on the leading edge” of leadership and has been inviting readers to nominate candidates for these articles.
PARTNERS: PORTLAND PRESS HERALD, MAINE SUNDAY TELEGRAM, MAINE PUBLIC BROADCASTING NETWORK, WGME-TV (CBS) A group of 60 residents of Sanford, Me., are continuing to meet in discussion groups to deal with specific issues. They have, for instance, tackled the trouble with schools and corporate and political greed. In April they questioned three Republicans running for the U.S. Senate. “What steps can we take to end corporate violence to human beings?” asked Bryan Jessup, 48, a minister. The candidates’ response: Not much. In May the citizens questioned the five Democratic candidates for Senate. Here, the concern was about out-of-control health care costs. The media Partners recently completed the second of four polls they plan to take before the November elections; citizens still cited economic issues as their chief concern.
Channel 12 resumed its “Twelve on Tour” visits to four separate communities — one per week — this month. Reporters for the station and the newspapers spend the first three days of the week in the community, listening for key issues, then do a live broadcast from the area on Thursdays that is followed by a town meeting where citizens are invited to discuss their issues. The Partners are also analyzing the results of an issues poll of the community and are planning future election coverage.
“Facing our Future”
BINGHAMTON, N.Y.
PARTNERS: THE PRESS & SUN-BULLETIN, WBNG-TV (CBS), WSKG PUBLIC TELEVISION AND PUBLIC RADIO, SUNY-BINGHAMTON
“What Do We Owe
Each Other?”
ST. PAUL, MINN.
PARTNERS: ST. PAUL PIONEER PRESS,
KARE-TV (NBC), WILDER RESEARCH CENTER, MINNESOTA PUBLIC RADIO
“Front Porch Forum”
SEATTLE, WASH.
PARTNERS: SEATTLE TIMES, KPLU-FM AND KUOW-FM PUBLIC RADIO, KCTS PUBLIC TELEVISION
“Keep Us Safe: Teens Talk About Violence
ROCHESTER, N.Y.
PARTNERS: THE DEMOCRAT AND CHRONICLE AND TIMES-UNION, WXXI-TV PUBLIC TELEVISION, WXXI-AM, AND WOKR-TV (ABC)
“Men as Peacemakers”
DULUTH, MINN.
PARTNERS: DULUTH NEWS-TRIBUNE, WDSE-TV PUBLIC TELEVISION, VIOLENCE FREE DULUTH COMMUNITY ORGANIZATION
“Leadership Challenge”
PEORIA, ILL.
PARTNERS: THE JOURNAL STAR, WMBD-TV (CBS), WMBD-AM, WTVP (PBS), WCBU-FM (NPR), ILLINOIS CENTRAL COLLEGE OF PEORIA AND BRADLEY UNIVERSITY
“Maine Citizens Campaign ’96”
“Voices of the People”
CINCINNATI, OHIO
PARTNERS: WKRC-TV (CBS), THE COMMUNITY PRESS 22 SUBURBAN WEEKLIES, Q102-FM AND WNNK-FM