National Issues Forum Focuses On Social And Traditional Media

Criticism of both social and traditional media was a theme that ran throughout the National Issues Forum on “A House Divided” held at the Oconee County Library last Saturday.

Discussion leader Margaret Holt brought up the media even before turning to the first of the three discussion topics, which focused on “dangerous, toxic talk” in the media and elsewhere.

Holt returned to the media at the end of the 99-minute session, asking participants what they would hope any journalists present “would tell the people of the county who weren’t here happened in this forum?”

“I would hope they would paint the picture of what the work of civic engagement looks like,” Jonathan Wallace, one of the discussion moderators and former Georgia House District 119 representative, said. “I think that is what we are engaged in here.”

No professional journalists were present to take up Holt’s challenge.

The local session of the National Issues Forum was sponsored by the Oconee Progressives.

The group also is joining with the congregants of Browns Chapel Baptist Church outside Bishop for an hour-long event called “Long History, New Friends” at 4 p.m. on March 23.

The two groups are inviting everyone in the community to get to know each other through an exercise that involves conversational pairings and discussion of nonpolitical topics.

For more on the story, with a video of the National Issues Forum, please go to Oconee County Observations.