RSA event proposal: How should the BBC support citizenship and civil society

It looks as if the BBC is planning to spend some £20 million on new web sites for local news, multimedia content and other activities that could help fulfill its Charter purpose of "sustaining citizenship and civil society" now that its platform for local activism, the BBC Action Network, is due to close. More details over here.
This may be a great idea - or there may be better ways to support local democracy and civic innovation. It may seriously damage moves by commercial regional media to support citizen journalism - or networked journalism as it is better known these days.

Networked journalism is where the people formerly known as the audience contribute to the whole editorial process. The public write blogs, take pictures, gather information and comment as part of newsgathering and publishing. The professional journalists become filters, connectors, facilitators and editors.

The problem is we may not get the chance to discuss the pros and cons of how our license money is spent unless the BBC Trust (which has the final say) mounts a rather more effective consultation process than they have in the past.
I think this could be a great opportunity for the RSA to use its convening power to bring together some key interests to discuss both the issues, and the way that citizens should be involved in how the BBC - and other local media - help provide platforms for engagement in future.
I'm being quite shameless here in seeing if some blogging, and the RSA networks initiative, can help influence the way that pillars of society like the BBC and BBC Trust pay more attention to effective citizen-led action - and not take for granted what's needed at grass roots level.
My initial blog post (see comment) has already attracted support from Charlie Beckett, quoted above, who is director of a think tank on journalism and society backed by LSE and the London College of Communications. Charlie asks if anyone is interested in a conference. Another commenter has further suggestions for an open conversation to frame the issues.
What do you think? Is this a good one for RSA networks?

RSA Networks: Action and Openness, 15th Feb 2008

Hi everyone,

As Saul mentioned in his previous post, the new version of the RSA Networks platform is now available on our development servers for fellows to play with and comment.

As with the initial release of the software, we would like to invite you to meet with us face-to-face to discuss the system and how it can help support fellow-led activities within our networks. And, like last time, we'd also like to make this event about the process of developing projects within the RSA networks and not just about technology, which means we want you to bring your own projects for discussion too.

So, you are cordially invited to join us at the RSA on Friday 15th February 2008, 6pm to 8pm, to talk about the online platform, the networks project in general, and the projects arising from it. The (very loose) themes of the event will be:

• Action - how can the RSA and fellows support all the great ideas and discussions within the networks to become practical action projects?
• Openness - what level of openness does this practical action require, and what are the implications for the RSA and its fellowship?
  

Saul and I will be presenting the developments with online engagement, and RSA Fellow Fiona Coffey will be presenting the developments with offline engagement, such as new events, changes to the lecture programme and other ways to support the fellows in their activities. (Thanks Fiona!) We would also like to invite presentations from a couple of fellows who have developed ideas on the online platform, and can talk for a couple of minutes about their experiences of trying to take their projects on to the next level of practical action.

If you would like to attend, or if you want more information, please contact Laura Bunt in the Networks team (Laura.Bunt[at]rsa.org.uk), or myself (andy[at]sociability.org.uk). We promise there will be free wine this time...

OpenRSA meetup on Monday 19th

Here's a chance to meet others involved in OpenRSA, and talk to Eleanor Ford who is researching the RSA Networks process

Malcolm Forbes posted this to Facebook. Sign up there
http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=6189699789
If you aren't in Facebook, it is free to join, and you'll be promoted to sign up. Any problems, email david@partnerships.org.uk

As many people know, the RSA is hosting a big (but closed) event on November 22 to plan ways forward with Fellows. A group of us are meeting for a drink on the evening of Monday November 19 to catch up on developments, and possible ways forward. The get-together is also
an opportunity to meet Eleanor Ford, who posted to the Facebook group:

"As many of you know, I am doing some ethnographic evaluation work on the RSA Networks project with NESTA, and would be really interested in capturing some of the experiences at the heart of the process as it develops. I have had a chat with a few of you, but would love a chance
to speak with some more Fellows before the 22nd, just to get some opinions on the project and where it might be going.
"Just to give you a one line bio - I am an anthropologist, filmmaker and entrepreneur, and am currently working on a new technology service funded by NESTA's Creative Pioneer Programme, the LDA and private investment."

Open to anyone, whether you are attending November 22 or not ... but do sign in at the link above.
Update: We'll be meeting in the Shipley Room, RSA, 8 John Adam Street. Thanks Victoria, of RSA hospitality, for arranging.