I interviewed Euan last week and asked him how we at KETC - or any TV station for that matter - could do a better job at having real conversations with our community. Our concern is that the media mostly seems to inflame or leave us helpless - the larger context then is what could we do to help people who do have differences find a common pathway.

Here is a opening snip of my synthesized precis of his response. 

Engagement can only take place between equals. It can only take place between humans and never with an institution.

The media relies on a large power difference. The media is jealous of its power and allows no equals. The media see people as marketing segments to be manipulated.

Within the powerful institutions of the media, journalists see themselves as “professionals” who are above us as well. To fit into their profession, they deliberately obscure their own humanity. They are aloof, omniscient, even pompous.

They seek perfection in an imperfect world. In this context, things are right or they are wrong. People are good or bad. They make the judgment.

We, the public, respond to this use of power as children often do to over protective parents. We act out. We feel helpless. We get angry. We blame.

So long as they hold onto this power and there can be no conversation. Without a conversation, there can be no engagement. With no engagement, there can be no learning. With no learning there can be no progress. All there can be is anger and so more polarization.

This then is the context for our politics.

With anger and polarization, we are stuck. We cannot see a pathway to any solution. We can only widen the breach or deepen the wounds.

He then goes onto to talk about what would work better and what we or YOU can do in particular.