Media

Interactive Deliberation

Submitted by Aldon Hynes on Thu, 02/24/2005 - 10:34

Recently, I received an email from a friend who works for the evening news at one of the major networks. I had sent him an email about Epic. He found it interesting and send a great email back. I started writing my response, but as it tied in more and more of what has been going on for me over the past few weeks, it occurred to me that it might be a better blog post. So, please continue reading for a long entry about journalism, politics and technology.

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Buster Baxter

Submitted by Aldon Hynes on Tue, 02/22/2005 - 16:57

(Letter sent to New York Times concerning their article about politics around Postcards from Bustor.)

My three-year-old daughter is learning how to act nicely with people that are different from her. She often watches ‘Postcards from Buster’ on PBS. In one episode, Buster visits kids in Kentucky that are clogging. While I recognize that some religious groups consider dancing sinful, I’m glad that my daughter had a chance to learn about this different lifestyle. In another episode, Buster visits a fair in Indiana where a boy shows a pig and talks about how it will go to the slaughterhouse. While I recognize that some animal rights groups consider this wrong, I’m glad my daughter had a chance to learn about this lifestyle as well.

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What are your communication goals?

Submitted by Aldon Hynes on Thu, 02/03/2005 - 11:59

I am on a mailing list of people interested in using technology for not for profits. On this mailing list a discussion erupted concerning when to post to the mailing list, when to put information on a blog and whether it is appropriate to post some of the information on the mailing list with a pointer back to the blog for a more detailed discussion.

I think the emails going back and forth bring us back to an important underlying concept. Whatever you write, think about the goals you have is what you are sending out and question whether the content and the medium effectively serve these goals.

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A Frame for Framing

Submitted by Aldon Hynes on Thu, 02/03/2005 - 09:11

(Originally published in Greater Democracy)

Recently, progressives have discovered ‘framing’, or how to talk about their beliefs in a way that other people will listen and respond. Granted, there are all kinds of bells and whistles about how to do this effectively, however, a friend recently wrote down these thoughts (with a little minor editing of my own) about what we really need to be doing.

Get in touch with your own values; know them well. Engage in respectful discussions with people with different viewpoints. Do not argue. Do not be vitriolic. Express your values and find common ground with the person you’ve been talking with. Shake hands over your newfound friend; go buy him or her a beer. Participate in the local culture. Watch a Sitcom, go to a little league game, attend a PTA meeting, and chat at a beauty salon. Embrace and smile, knowing we are all Americans after all.

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