{"id":1200,"date":"2022-08-08T06:35:02","date_gmt":"2022-08-08T06:35:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/listeningpostcollective.org\/?p=1200"},"modified":"2022-08-08T18:20:18","modified_gmt":"2022-08-08T18:20:18","slug":"a-call-for-a-civic-media-renaissance-its-about-damn-time","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/listeningpostcollective.org\/a-call-for-a-civic-media-renaissance-its-about-damn-time\/","title":{"rendered":"A Call for a Civic Media Renaissance – It’s About Damn Time"},"content":{"rendered":"

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The Listening Post Collective unveiled its\u00a02021-2023 strategic framework in August 2021 and shared the following remarks at the 2021 Annual Journalism Funders Gathering organized by the Media Impact Funders. LPC edited them to reflect their priorities as of August 2022, as it launched its new civic media playbook and website.\u00a0<\/div><\/div><\/span><\/p>\n

By Silvia Rivera<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

Aren’t we all listening to Beyonce’s Summer Renaissance<\/em>? Maybe Lizzo’s It’s About Damn Time<\/em> is your summer jam. At the Listening Post Collective (LPC) virtual office, these anthems have helped fuel the many hours we’ve put into the launch of our new website and digital learning platform. If you aren’t already familiar with our work, let me give you the cliff notes:<\/p>\n

The Listening Post Collective is a project of Internews<\/a>, an<\/span>\u00a0international organization that supports independent media in 100 countries<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>to<\/span> provide people with quality, local information that saves <\/span>lives<\/span>, improves livelihoods, and upholds democracy.<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

Working with Internews, we’ve learned that the challenges of providing vital news access to remote communities in\u00a0<\/span>South Sudan<\/span><\/strong><\/a>\u00a0or developing media literacy campaigns to fight misinformation in\u00a0<\/span>Latin America<\/span><\/strong><\/a>\u00a0aren’t very different from the challenges we face in\u00a0<\/span>Fresno<\/span><\/strong><\/a>, California,\u00a0<\/span>Phoenix<\/span><\/strong><\/a>, Arizona, or\u00a0<\/span>New Orleans<\/span><\/strong><\/a>, Louisiana.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Successful information and media solutions must be rooted in local culture, values, and capacities.<\/p>\n

\"\"This understanding is why my colleague, Jesse Hardman, launched the LPC in 2013. He wanted to bring Internews’ international approach to community listening to the U.S. Since its founding, the Listening Post Collective has conducted dozens of Information Needs Assessments in communities nationwide and provided seed funding to groups with solutions to address those information needs.<\/span><\/p>\n

For example, this helped launch\u00a0<\/span>NOISE<\/span><\/strong><\/a>, a Black and POC-centric news initiative in Omaha. In Oakland, this helped launch\u00a0<\/span>El T\u00edmpano<\/span><\/strong><\/a>, a two-way reporting platform that engages local Latino immigrants with information about immigration, housing, health, education, and more. In Fresno, this helped launch\u00a0<\/span>uSpark<\/span><\/strong><\/a>, a digital platform that serves Latinx, Black Millennial, and Gen Z residents with information on public health, policing, employment, and government.<\/span><\/p>\n

Our assessments have helped community leaders, journalists, and independent media organizations understand their communities’ information needs more profoundly and represent the expressed needs of their communities. As a result of this deep listening and investments, we have become very clear-eyed about the following:\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n