'Share Your Vision' forum seeks to identify issues of importance

LACONIA — The Solutions Journalism Network will hold a forum on Tuesday, Dec. 10, 6-8 p.m. at the Laconia Public Library, to identify issues of importance to the community.

The facilitated discussion is aimed at those who care about their Lakes Region communities and follow local news coverage, according to Leah Todd, the New England region manager for the nonprofit organization.

“It’s not a free-for-all public forum,” she said. “It’s not a debate, but a moderated discussion with a facilitator who will provide a paper-and-pencil survey with questions we’ve designed. … It’s about understanding overall the news needs of the Laconia community, and what is not being done. Even if they’re not a regular reader, if they care about the future of the community, this project is for them.”

The Solutions Journalism Network was formed to support journalism that examines social problems and the responses to them. It provides a full suite of online resources, as well as helping to secure grant funding to help news organizations pursue issues of importance. SJN serves as a consultant for the Sunshine Project, a grant-funded initiative underwritten by the Endowment for Health and the New Hampshire Charitable Foundation, which supports reporter Roberta Baker’s efforts at The Laconia Daily Sun.

SJN previously conducted a round of 20 focus groups in 10 Midwest communities, but the Laconia forum is the first in several years, and the first in the Northeast. The series of meetings throughout New England is funded by the Barr Foundation, with other sites identified as Bangor, Maine; Montpelier, Vermont; Lawrence, Chelsea, and Pittsfield, Massachusetts; Providence, Rhode Island; and New Haven, Connecticut.

“We hope to learn more about what news topics are relevant across the geography, and which local news outlets are doing well serving the community’s news needs,” Todd said. “We hope to answer what are the issues most important to New England communities today, and how are they getting the information they need.”

Local media have been invited to the forum with the hope of gaining useful insights into the informational needs of the community. “Hopefully, it will be useful for news organizations,” Todd said.

Todd said Laconia was chosen for several reasons. SJN is looking for a diverse range of communities with a mix of demographics. Laconia is more rural than the other forum sites. They also were looking for areas with strong news organizations, and she described The Laconia Daily Sun as having a strong ecosystem.

“We wanted communities that represent a range of issues at play,” she said.

It will take some time for the Solutions Journalism Network to sort through the data collected in the various communities, but it will lead to an accurate, comprehensive picture on which to base future initiatives, she said.

“If there’s a need or an appetite by the news organizations or people, a more collaborative approach could be the result,” she said.

Todd noted that the Barr Foundation maintains a large database of grants and has funded Boston-area news organizations, but has expressed an interest in learning about the needs outside of Boston. Their support makes this initiative possible.

The Solutions Journalism Network has contracted with two researchers to facilitate and delve into the results of the discussions. Facilitator Rachel Edens is a Ph.D. student in Higher Education at UMass Boston after having served as assistant dean and advisor to first-generation, low-income and black students at Dartmouth College. Emily Roseman is a researcher and independent media consultant based in Boston.

Todd previously led SNJ’s work in rural communities in the Intermountain West before becoming the New England region manager.