The liveliest television-related activity often occurs when two people fight over control of the remote. We give away coffee mugs and refrigerator magnets, create computer-generated station ids and develop new programming to give viewers a reason to remember both who we are and where we are. We are the vehicles that allow our elected and appointed public officials to communicate directly to citizens.
Communication is a two-way street.
We should put more emphasis on developing ways for citizens to respond to government decision-makers. We can create opportunities for civic dialogue between citizens and public officials and build our station identities by letting people know that this is where citizen voices will be heard. If you dropped into a public hearing in almost any city or town in America, you would see the same scenario played out time and again. A few vested interests show up to read prepared statements of support or opposition. Their allies applaud.