Emphasizing that “elections should be about voters, not candidates,” local media site Richland Source has set out on a unique journey for the fall.

It’s a three-part path. First, it’s about listening, as Richland Source representatives convene voter meetings in each of Mansfield’s wards to allow attendees to share priorities and views on city issues during guided discussions. Second, it’s about moderating the conversation between candidates in the form of the Mansfield Mayoral Debate on October 17 at the Renaissance Theatre, using collected voter input as a guide. And lastly, it’s about sharing a compendium of discussion from those ward meetings with those elected to office in November.

Media across the country are trying new ways of communicating with readers seeking helpful information on election matters and ways to gain a voice in the process. The approach being used locally is consistent with one recently heralded by nationally known figure Jay Rosen, media critic and professor of journalism at New York University. In Rosen’s blog, PressThink, he shared a post this past June entitled “Key steps in the citizen agenda style of campaign coverage.”

One of the key elements of what Rosen called his “citizen agenda concept” is empowering voters to identify the issues to which their potential leaders respond during political campaigns. This is done by taking the time to go out into the community and creating opportunities where voters can feel comfortable in discussing what they in turn would like to see candidates discuss. Instead of being talked to by those seeking office, therefore, they are listened to first, and responded to second.

That is much of what Richland Source has set out to do. Rosen himself provided suggestions to Richland Source representatives via Twitter as to the approach it might take and wording it might use. In turn, several media followers are looking to north central Ohio to see what happens with this experiment.

In a series of Monday night ward-based meetings, one of which has taken place but five of which remain, two representatives will guide discussion in a variety of settings:

Ward 2 – September 16 – Publisher Jay Allred’s home

Ward 3 – September 23 – Theatre 166

Ward 4 – September 30 – Richland Source

Ward 5 – October 7 – North End Community Improvement Collaborative (NECIC)

Ward 6 – October 14 – SC Event Center 

More information about these sessions is available at each of the above links.

We cover Richland Source here at 1812Blockhouse, just as we have with the Mansfield News Journal and other local media. It’s part of our truly comprehensive coverage of Richland County and the people who live and work here, something about which we are very proud.

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