One small step toward bridging the divide in Dayton
While living and working in Tennessee, I had the honor of facilitating StoryCorps’ One Small Step project. The initiative invites two people with differing views to sit down for a conversation — not to argue, not to convince, but simply to listen. And in that simple act, something powerful can unfold: understanding. I saw firsthand the impact of bringing people from different backgrounds and beliefs together to share honest, vulnerable conversations. Session after session, I watched barriers dissolve and empathy grow. It wasn’t just impactful for the participants — it changed me, too. It reminded me that connection is still possible — and that listening can be the first step toward healing.
- Read more from Will Davis, director of the Eichelberger Center for Community Voices at WYSO.
Local journalism is our best defense against polarization
We know from research that when towns lack local news, community involvement and voting turnout decline. In Oxford, anecdotal evidence offers some good news about the return of a weekly newspaper. Our editor’s sources have seen an increase in awareness around housing issues; local social service agencies have received more individual donations; the library reports patrons stopping in just to pick up copies of the paper; and news coverage of a Fire/EMS levy laid out the stakes to voters and passed with almost 73% support, the widest margin ever for a county levy here in a November election.
Two studies demonstrate that access to local news lessens polarization by refocusing communities on issues that affect our everyday lives, issues that we can do something about.
- Read more from Richard Campbell, co-founder of the nonprofit Oxford Free Press.
Trust is earned story by story, conversation by conversation
In a time when headlines often feel more like battle lines, local public media is helping communities find common ground. At ThinkTV, our staff comes to work every day with a simple but essential mission: to strengthen, educate and engage the communities we serve. That commitment led to the creation of Brick By Brick, our locally produced multiplatform initiative rooted in solutions journalism. Through broadcast and on-demand video episodes, podcasts, and digital articles, it reports on the complex issues shaping our region and just as importantly, highlights what’s working and why.
- Read more from Colin Scianamblo, Chief Content Officer for ThinkTV.