At the Scottish Beacon, we believe in doing journalism differently, and we believe that the future of journalism is collaborative. That means local newsrooms collaborating with each other. But it also means working more collaboratively with our readers and the communities we serve.
That’s why we’re asking our readers to set the Citizens’ Agenda for political coverage of the general election campaign.
Rather than let the candidates and party machines determine the topics that get coverage, this approach is designed to put power back in the hands of the people that politicians are meant to be serving.
So we want to hear from you. What do you want the candidates standing in your constituency to be talking about as they compete for votes? Tell us your thoughts here.
Based on the responses we receive, we will work with participating publishers to develop a constituency-specific set of questions that we will put to each of the candidates standing in that area. And we will publish their answers to produce voter guides that are based on the issues you have highlighted as being important.
Why do we need a Citizens’ Agenda?
When it comes to elections, too much traditional media coverage focuses on horse-race poll numbers and candidate scandals, which have limited use to citizens when it comes to participating in democracy. We want to change the power dynamic so that candidates answer to citizens on the subjects that really matter to them, as opposed to the agenda the politicians themselves set out. We want to change that and set an example to other media to do the same.
How can you get involved?
With a general election taking place in 2024, political scrutiny feels more important than ever, so if you have something to say about the issues that matter to you or your community the most, share them with us in the survey below.
Once you’ve completed the survey, you can also share this callout with your friends, family, neighbours, and community groups so they can add their voice.
Have your say by filling in this VERY short survey here.
This project has been funded by the Joseph Rowntree Reform Trust.
No news is bad news
Big Tech greed and corporate takeovers are strangling local news, and the Independent local news providers that bring you the news you need are struggling to keep the lights on. All of our partner publications are run by the community, for the community, and we need your help to support them.Throughout June, we are taking part in the ‘No News is Bad News’ campaign. Any money we raise for the project during June will be doubled by an Indie News Fund. If you value local, independent publication, please consider supporting The Scottish Beacon with a donation here.
