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.
Reporting kicked off in the summer of 1997 with 13 reporters from the participating newsrooms attending a series of “Pizza on the Porch” parties in which 1,500 residents talked about the region’s future informally over pizza in private homes. Concerns that emerged included traffic, affordable housing and teachers’ salaries. The results were used to formulate a public opinion poll conducted in September.
Then in October, 1997, the partners empaneled a mock “jury” of 100 citizens selected randomly from the area that heard oral arguments by “prosecutors” and “defense attorneys” on regional issues. They found the region “guilty” of failing to plan well enough for the future. The judge “sentenced” them to return for a second Saturday of deliberations to come up with solutions. The sessions were covered by the paper and aired in edited form by the broadcast partners. The deliberations also yielded a report for policy makers on sustaining the region’s quality of life. That report was integrated into election coverage, with “jurors” asking candidates for King County Executive and Seattle Mayor to respond to the suggestions at separate forums.
Contacts:
David Boardman
Managing Editor
The Seattle Times Co.
PO Box 70
Seattle, WA 98111
TEL: (206) 464-2160
FAX: (206) 464-2261
EMAIL: dboardman@seattletimes.com
Marion Woyvodich
1138 North 82nd Street
Seattle, WA 98103-4405
TEL: (206) 522-5754
FAX: (206) 528-5528
EMAIL: MWoyvodich@aol.com
Eric Pryne
Staff Reporter
The Seattle Times
P.O. Box 70
Seattle, WA 98111
TEL: (206) 464-2231
FAX: (206) 464-2261
EMAIL: epryne@seattletimes.com
Ross Reynolds
Program Director/News Director
KUOW-FM
PO Box 535750
Seattle, WA 98195
Phone: (206) 543-2710
Email: rar@u.washington.edu