Category Archives: Media & Culture

Empowered to Restore Sanity

Written by . Posted on 22 Nov ’10. Filed under Media & Culture, Nonpartisan Productive Dialogue, Populism, Social Innovation. No comments.

DynamicShift leaders Alan and JoAn Paymar joined the Rally to Restore Sanity, where they found, in the “sea of people” the collective strength of shared ideals. In people who like themselves “empowered to express their concerns.” Here, they share their observations of the public launch event — a key call-to-action for a critically-needed new national attitude.

Football players teach professors

Written by . Posted on 7 May ’10. Filed under Academic & Research, Athletics, Community, Media & Culture. 1 Comment.

University of Minnesota athletes voice their full potentials in a stunningly candid dialogue that transforms professors into learners and proves these star players are powerful teachers — and the strongest kind of men and women.

Citizen music solving public problems

Written by . Posted on 26 Apr ’10. Filed under Arts & Music, Burnsville, Citizens, Community, Economy & Business, Media & Culture. 1 Comment.

Andrea Grazzini Walstrom explains how citizens “perform” public solutions

Pundits calling for real people passions

Written by . Posted on 25 Mar ’10. Filed under Citizen Movement, Civil Discourse, Media & Culture, Politics & Elections, Populism. 1 Comment.

The bad news? Cultural caricatures have become so pervasive that not only politicians but real people have, of late, been living down to destructively low expectations. The good news? The persona of polarized rhetoric is getting an enforced ego-check. This thanks not to media manipulated […]

Middle-of-the-Road Rage

Written by . Posted on 23 Feb ’10. Filed under Academic & Research, Civil Discourse, Media & Culture, Nonpartisan Productive Dialogue, Populism. No comments.

I addressed Newsweek editor Jon Meacham at his recent talk on civil discourse at University of St. Thomas, in St. Paul. Meacham’s speech and the large turnout it drew underscores the accelerating interest in non-ideological dialogue.

Setting up my question to Meacham with a provocative “media-teaser” got his attention and launched an animated conversation. Meacham acknowledged the larger question Nonpartisan Productive Dialogue asks: when will citizens will become agitated enough about the failure of the polarizing rhetoric of our leaders to do something about it?

My published comment to Meacham’s recent Newsweek column captures the conversation and builds on it themes.