‘Conversations’ conference: How can the media build bridges to fragmented communities?
Tweeting the story of conference
Compiled by Matt Carroll <@MattCData>
Our country has split into many fragmented communities, with each shouting past the other. So what is the responsibility of the media in creating bridges between these communities, so that civil conversation can replace pointless shouting?
That was the question we asked ourselves when planning our conference “Conversations: New frameworks for public discourse.” The meetup at Northeastern University in Boston, sponsored by the College of Arts, Media & Design, brought together top media experts and academics from around the country, along with more than 150 people, for panels and roundtable discussions. (Full panels, with bios, here.)
These are the results, as seen through the robust Twitter conversation that tracked the panel discussions, as panelists and the audience worked to articulate paths forward. It’s meant to give a taste of what happened, not a with a more complete report coming in a bit.
Opening comments by Jonathan Kaufman, director of Northeastern’s School of Journalism
Panel: True listening beyond the data: Making sure we hear and understand the people behind the numbers
Panel: How to foster reasoned public dialogue on issues of diversity & difference
Panel: Preparing journalists to “co-create”: Working with the communities they serve in reporting the news
Panel: Are we hard wired for hard conversations? Navigating the cultural and neurobiological obstacles to communicating across difference
… and the conference is over…
