Chicago Civic Media Projects

2021-2023

Chicago SAFE/Two Chairs public safety proposal for local TV Stations (featured at this site).

2020

ChicagoWRKS, aka Chicago FIXIT. Website promoting a weekly, 30/60 minute, civic-purposed reality TV show to “mobilize the entire city” to address Chicago's violence (per Mayor Lightfoot's 2019 campaign pledge).

2019

The New Chicago Way Blog post. For Chicago SAFE
Here's ChicagoWRKS TV (aka Chicago FIXIT) Blog post showing how FIXIT works. Click graphic to enlarge.

2017

2015

The AUSTIN YOUTH SUMMIT Prime-time TV to improve community/police relations in Chicago (via CAN-TV)

Parents Political University Details of seven weekly meetings with Austin residents to discuss ways of improving community connections in Austin sponsored by THE VOICE NEWSPAPERS with CCM input.

Planning Page: Two Options for a Chicago Youth Resource Directory (YRD) Twin proposals for media-based directories to break the "information bottleneck" that keeps most Chicagoans unaware of the youth support resources available to them in their neighborhoods.

FULL STORY: PowerPoint proposal to Chicago Newspapers for informational coverage of Chicago Violence. Developed from a suggestion from Illinois Public Health Director Dr. Lamar Hasbrouck

CIVIC DISCOURSE IN CHICAGO: IN A STATE OF MISTRUST a graphic illustrating the "missing link" (TRUST stemming from media connectedness) that existed among Chicago's media in 2014. At this time, Tribune and Sun-Times were trying to connect "all" Chicagans in citizen-participatory efforts to strengthen Chicago's future. These efforts failed because they had no connection with each other and therefore could not hope to involve ALL Chicagoans.

On the Chicago Tribune's New Plan of Chicago A running critique of the failure of the Chicago Tribune's bold and initially promising attempt to use reader input to create a holistic, Daniel Burnham-inspired New Plan of Chicago to enable the city to shape its future as thinking information-age city. A sad story.

ChicagoWRKS.com Proposal for an Interactive, citywide, hyperlocal news and information website for Chicago, submitted to Knight News Challenge.

2008 - 2017

Chicago Civic Media Blog Useful stuff here!
- Looks at how two managerial legends of Chicago sports pioneered the media coverage of Chicago sports that today is the #1 source of pride that Chicagoans take in Chicago. And, the #1 profit center for many media.

Scroll down for this post which outlines a hypothetical a fully integrated, four-level civic media framework: CITY, STATE, REGIONAL, NATIONAL.

MINDISM We coined this term to describe a pervasive prejudice in American politics: the destructive belief, widely spread among the nation's so-called managerial class, that most Americans are incapable for one reason or another - overwork, indifference or incapability - of making useful contributions to resolving the issues that affect their lives and communities.

America's Choice Here's Part I of a Two-Part Treatment. It's the grandaddy of our use of network TV to depolarize political discourse at the national level via civic-purposed reality TV that enables citizens and politicians to cooperate (and compete) in ongoing searches to find, develop and implement best solutions to intractable issues ranging from job creation, health care, violence to immigration, reproductive rights and trustworthy elections.

2009 Best version of the Chicago Civic Media website the Wayback Machine can find. Launched in 1996, it was the Internet arm of the Shutdown Project. See below. Click on the image below to view the 2012 version:

1997-2000

West Side Drug Area Shutdown Project The "Shutdown Project" used media-generated citizen input and 15th District police actions to identify and permanently close dozens of public drug dealing areas in Austin. It was a partnership of Austin residents, THE AUSTIN VOICE newspaper, 15th District (Austin) police, WVON radio and CCM. Its success in the 15th district the creation Shutdown Projects in the neighboring 11th and 25th districts.
- 2000: Chicago Shutdown Project Media Update Jan 2000 documents extent of citizen, media, police and community involvement in this project.
- 1997: Nine-beat grid shows 71 public drug hotspots in Austin identified by residents and 15th District police.

KEEPIN' IT REAL Marshall High School Newspaper. 6000 copies of this 16-page, student-produced newspaper were distributed at school and throughout the Marshall service area. Marshall Principal Don Pittman said the paper was probably responsible for 200 new freshman enrolling at Marshall the following school year.

Local School Council (LSC) Student Representative Student Communications Bill (SCB) Created by four LSC high school student reps. Informed by interviews with 50 other LSC student reps.

Coverage of Mayor Richard M. Daley's speech to 50 YMCA Youth Aldermen, one from each of Chicago's 50 wards: "Chicago has lost two generations of young people to gangs and drugs." And his challenge to them: "Adults have failed solve gangs and drugs. I challenge you to formulate a drug policy of your own."

Chicago Newspaper Education Page Proposal for a daily or weekly Education Page, similar to a busines page or sports page, presented to Chicago daily newspapers by the Key Administrators Group of Superintendents of Chicago's public and parochial school systems.

Your Guide to Local School Council Vote 20-page Sun-Times special supplement promoting the historic first Local School Council elections. 400,000 copies distributed citywide. Concept developed by Steve Sewall and presented to Sun-Times Publisher Charles Price by Sewall and President Gordon Berry of the Citizens' School Committee.