April 20, 2016
CivicMedia-Minnesota Production Co., Inc. is a Saint Paul, Minnesota nonprofit that was created to bring media and civic literacy through information, education and empowerment of residents and students in local, state and regional public affairs. They engage citizens and students in understanding issues of governance and public policy, critiquing media coverage of critical policy matters, encouraging public discourse and taking collective action to resolve problems and influence public policy.
TruthToTell, is CivicMedia-Minnesota’s flagship public affairs radio program. This program is an independent production financed, produced and brought to the public as a primary vehicle to expand discussion and debate on local governance at all levels. It aims to engage and empower citizens and students (with major emphasis on underserved communities throughout the Twin Cities metro area) in learning, debating and acting to solve issues. It further seeks to assist these individuals in identifying political barriers often encountered in those processes and understanding and coping with formal and informal systems directly affecting their communities, neighborhoods, schools and livelihoods.
The funding provided by Voqal has enabled CivicMedia-Minnesota to invest in a critical redesign of the TruthtoTell website. The new website will enable the organization to more effectively communicate with its community by offering a more interactive web experience. Features of the new website include:
- A more user-friendly search function for the TruthtoTell program archives
- A podcast subscriber function for listeners to receive weekly TruthtoTell programs
- Connection with Facebook, Twitter and other social media
- Easy access for community members looking to volunteer, suggest and produce programs
- A clearing house function for links to a variety of community/public media and information sources
- A “board of connectors” page to foster ongoing communication with community based leaders, organizations and public officials
The new TruthtoTell website will enable CivicMedia-Minnesota to expand its efforts at creating a community of media literate individuals engaged in the discussion of the public policies and affairs that directly affect them.