The War on Renewable Energy
The Better Communities Podcast
The Pacific Northwest is in the middle of a renewable energy boom. State legislatures, policy leaders, and voters have aggressively set carbon reduction targets over the last decade – paving the way for a new wave of federal dollars to drive the development and construction of wind, solar, and battery storage facilities across the region. New developments have always generated an element of local resistance. But none have proven to be as divisive as renewable energy. And despite the anti-woke, post-truth messaging from one unusually loud climate denier (see ), these divisions...
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Do Downtowns Still Matter?
The Better Communities Podcast
America’s downtowns are at a crossroads. Many urban economic centers are struggling to get back to pre-pandemic norms. In addition to an increasingly hybrid workforce, many downtowns are confronting a lack of affordable housing, rising crime, and recent policy reforms that have made it difficult to combat a deepening drug crisis on their streets. Seattle is not alone in this struggle. But it has a history of overcoming the odds of previous boom-and-bust economic cycles. But how are we measuring success with downtown Seattle’s recovery? What does the future of downtown look like? And what...
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Bridging the Divide
The Better Communities Podcast
It often feels like the Portland-Vancouver metro region has become bogged down in a culture of political stagnation. We have big ideas. We seek to solve big problems like climate change and social justice. But we have lost our ability to work across our divisions to make big things happen. The I-5 bridge between Oregon and Washington was built more than a century ago. Today, it stands as a symbol of our inability to bridge our own political disagreements to get something done that is vital to the regional economy. After failing to garner support in 2013, there is a new team of community and...
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Rethinking Free Speech in the Era of Cancel Culture
The Better Communities Podcast
The term “cancel culture” is a buzzword these days. Nevertheless, it deserves thoughtful analysis. Nowhere is cancel culture more apparent than on college and university campuses. According to a 2021 survey, more than 80% of American college students reported censoring themselves at least some of the time. This should raise a red flag for everyone. In this episode, we explore the evolving role of colleges and universities in facilitating productive conversation on campus. How do they define the line between harmful speech and free speech? And once the line is defined, how are they holding...
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The Roots of Oregon's Housing Crisis
The Better Communities Podcast
Change is hard. In 1973, Oregon Governor Tom McCall created a pioneering land use policy focused on preserving farmland, reducing pollution and preventing urban sprawl. At the time, it was a visionary move that took bold political leadership. But what seemed visionary 50 years ago has played a pivotal role in creating Oregon’s modern day housing crisis. Today, our rural towns are struggling to address population growth as people seek a new hybrid work, lifestyle in these idyllic communities. Increasingly, rural areas of Oregon once thought to be affordable are now out of reach for most home...
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Activism Beyond the #Hashtag
The Better Communities Podcast
The rise in “hashtag activism” may feel empowering. But is it distracting from needed policy changes across the racial justice, women’s rights, LGTBQ+, and climate change movements?
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Is the Polling Industry Broken?
The Better Communities Podcast
2020 was a tough year. And a global pandemic, a shuttered economy, and the social justice movement made it a uniquely tough election year for opinion pollsters. Election night seemed like a repeat of 2016. The polls simply got it wrong. Again. The predictions of a “blue wave” never materialized. Pollsters had to admit there was something wrong with the models their industry has relied on for decades. So why do the polls keep getting it wrong? The $19 billion opinion research business is now searching for answers. In this episode, we explore how the polling industry is rethinking how...
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Division and the Discomfort of ‘Otherness’
The Better Communities Podcast
We are often told society today is more divided than ever. But what is driving this division? A number of factors are fueling this narrative of “us versus them” in our communities. Ideology, race, gender, class, and geography have come to define who we listen to – and who we distrust. Add in an increasingly complex media ecosystem designed to connect us but which has, in fact, divided us further. Much of this stems from our willingness to make assumptions about others – and to misunderstand other people’s core values, beliefs, and intentions. But are we...
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Losing Faith: Why We Distrust the Media
The Better Communities Podcast
What role does social media play in our understanding of truth? How can journalists utilize the digital age to build civic engagement? And what role does the consumer play in sustaining a trustworthy information ecosystem?
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Farming Through Uncertainty
The Better Communities Podcast
What happens when restaurants are forced to close overnight and shoppers panic buy supermarket shelves? How do farms react to an ever changing market and what will this mean for Oregon's food economy?
info_outlineWhat role does social media play in our understanding of truth? How can journalists utilize the digital age to build civic engagement? And what role does the consumer play in sustaining a trustworthy information ecosystem?
In this episode, we examine our growing distrust in news media and take a closer look at what the future may hold for journalists and consumers to regain trust in this important democratic institution.
Listen as we talk with University of Oregon professors Lisa Heyamoto and Todd Milbourn about the 32 Percent Project – a study aimed at uncovering why less than one third of Americans say they trust the media.
We also sit down with Caitlyn May, a reporter for the Albany Democrat Herald. She explains why journalists play a role in cultivating and reinforcing an honest information ecosystem and how they can use social media more effectively to bolster greater community engagement.
And, we talk to Veryan Kahn, President of the Terrorism Research & Analysis Consortium, about how disinformation is spread online and the impact social media has on our news consumption and production.