A few months ago Michael Caputo reached out to me to discuss an idea he was working on. Caputo is a producer/reporter for Minnesota Public Radio. He was working on developing an online forum for discussing various community issues facing Minnesota. A few weeks ago Caputo and MPR launched Insight Now, an “online town square” for Minnesotans. Insight Now is part of MPR’s Minnesota Today website – a hub for Minnesota news, art and culture.
Online forums are not new; however, what MPR’s Insight Now focuses on is unique to our region. According to their website, it is created for people who
- Value conversation with those who hold differing points-of-view;
- Have a passion about an issue and want to share information about it;
- Are concerned citizens who want to engage with their neighborhood and with greater Minnesota.
Caputo is the moderator of the site. By moderating the site he ensures the comments and discussions are concise and appropriate. Participants must register before being able to comment. Caputo starts some of the discussions, but other non-MPR individuals have been selected to also start discussions. Many topics are currently being discussed. Here are a few examples:
- What’s the glue that holds your community together?
- Women in Minnesota politics: Why the power gap?
- Minnesota’s achievement gap problem
I applaud Caputo and MPR for striving to create civil and informed online discussions regarding our community. Insight Now and this Leadership and Community blog are somewhat similar but take different approaches. Insight Now is using discussion to create awareness. Leadership and Community is providing an avenue for bloggers to increase awareness that could lead to discussion. We need to hear each other’s ideas and points-of-view. Either way, I encourage you to engage and participate.
