Civic Journalism: Six Case Studies
TALLAHASSEE, FLA.
"The Public Agenda"

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In September and October, "The Public Agenda" sponsored two National Issues Forum training seminars. The two-part seminars trained moderators to facilitate public discussions. Some of the participants started their own discussion groups even before the project was formally launched; others led the first discussion sessions after the launch.

At the Tallahassee Democrat, City Editor Byron Dobson assigned reporters Keith Thomas and Barbara Ash to work as "The Public Agenda" team. The paper kicked off the project with a four-part, Page-One series that ended on November 16, the day of the first community dialogue.

WCTV6 introduced "The Public Agenda" on its Sunday public affairs show and began producing a special based on the community dialogue and interviews with survey participants.

As they planned the kick-off, the partners and staff worked to make the event as accessible as possible. Detailed maps that highlighted where participants could park were published on November 15 and 16. Refreshments were served a half-hour before the 6 p.m. start; child care and transportation were provided. All entrances to the Capitol were open and signs clearly marked the way to seating in the House of Representatives chamber.

The planners hoped for 150 to 200 participants; instead, more than 300 people crowded into the chamber. The organizers ran out of some supplies, including information packets. The event was so successful, plans were immediately made to hold another community dialogue on December 1 at a local church.

The Democrat reported the results of the meeting on Page One the next day, with a fisheye-lens photo that captured the size of the crowd. "Full House establishes a dialogue," declared the headline.

"This was [the participants'] chance to say what's been on their minds and to listen to their neighbors -- maybe find some common ground," wrote reporters Ash and Thomas. "It was their chance to begin working toward solutions and to shape 'The Public Agenda'."

Mike Smith was surprised by how quickly "The Public Agenda" caught on: "The other station has actually done stories about it. They even had Mimi [Jones, the project director] on live one night. It was just too big a thing to ignore."

About 250 people showed up at Bethel AME Church on December 1. The crowd quickly split into smaller groups to focus on seven issues identified in the research and the earlier meeting: Children, Education and Values; Community Improvement; Community and Race Relations; Crime; Growth and the Environment; Jobs and the Economy. Participants then chose times to meet again. A person didn't have to attend one of the larger sessions to join a discussion group later, as Willie Merrick discovered.