An insiders game and the public has been left out of that conversation. The news has become a place for experts, not ordinary people and their concerns. It is synonymous with conflict, with a polarized discussion that's akin to a talk show in which people from only the most extreme ends of the spectrum get invited. Take the issue of abortion, for 20 years the flash point of American politics. Civic journalism is about framing stories through a different lens, through a lens that includes the citizens' perspective not just the journalists', not just public officials'.
Civic journalism is about inclusion, about getting the people into the tent.
If you believe in democracy, you have to hope that happens. Yes, we think so, and I would be happy to talk about how it's working during the q and a. But in the few seconds I have left, let me just answer the question that's usually asked next. You might want to ask Bob Oakes and Sam Fleming at WBUR in Boston, Sally Eisele and Raul Ramirez in San Francisco, Marla Crockett and Jeff McCrehan in Dallas. They have been using the techniques every day for several years.