The willingness of half a dozen people to join the New Scoop interim board is one indication of the appetite for an alternative news platform in Calgary.
Launched in early 2014, New Scoop is unique for two key reasons: it is intended to be a multi-stakeholder co-op and it is committed to practising Generative Journalism.
| “Generative Journalism’s goal is to build communities, not simply report on their wounds.” — Peter Block |
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While its journey to becoming a sustainable co-op has taken longer and been more arduous than anticipated, co-founder Sarah Arthurs says the willingness of the interim board members — all of whom hail from the industries of either news, media or community development — to commit their time, energy and expertise, has definitely had a bolstering effect.
“New Scoop has also been energized to be joined by four associate members of the worker co-op group, who are building their capacity as Generative Journalists as they do the work,” Sarah says.
The fact that author and consultant Peter Block, who lives in Cincinnati, has signed on as a long-distance member of the New Scoop initiative, is validating as he lends his support through Skype conversations with the team. “Generative Journalism’s goal is to build communities, not simply report on their wounds,” Peter Block said in a recent dialogue with the board and members of New Scoop.
Seeing an early “win” in the form of the development of a Calgary co-housing initiative has also been encouraging. New Scoop was instrumental in sharing stories about the conversations and possibilities encircling a desire to create a new co-housing unit in the city. As a result of both the stories and the gatherings, a project group has now been formed to develop another co-housing option in Calgary.
| “It’s not about starting new things; it’s more about bringing together folk who are perhaps not familiar with one another for the purpose of collaborating on articulating that narrative.” — Sarah Arthurs |
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“New Scoop was a partner in that process because we were able to use our storying and our networks to engage people,” Sarah says. She adds it was fascinating and exciting to be part of the conversations in which people were invited to consider their level of commitment to bringing this co-housing option into being — and to see them move from “zero to full commitment.”
New Scoop is now keenly interested in further exploring similar partnerships and collaborations as it moves in the unique and privileged space between many meaningful, exciting and important efforts that may not necessarily be aware of and connected to each other.
“I’m coming across these nodes of stuff that are a perfect fit for what New Scoop wants to be about, these nodes of activity/need/opportunity. Part of what I see we can do, is to gather people around those nodes,” Sarah says.
“It’s not about starting new things; it’s more about bringing together folk who are perhaps not familiar with one another for the purpose of collaborating on articulating that narrative.”
New Scoop is hosting a gathering in November for those interested in exploring how they might support, join, work with and partner on the New Scoop mission. Watch for updates on the New Scoop site at www.newscoopyyc.coop.
- More to Come
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