Meet-n-Greet + Building a Framework for Evaluating the News

Seems like it would be good to start this going! This will be a two-part meeting, stay for one or both parts...

The "meet-n-greet" format has been working well for another meetup group I run, so let's start this by just getting to know each other, to talk about our particular interests, and to make connections. We'll figure this is 45 minutes.

Then, for those who would like or have the time to stay, I'd propose to do an activity on looking at how we read the news. This would be another 45 minutes.

How do you read the news? What sources do you read? Do you search for different perspectives even among alternative news sources? How do you determine what sources or information you "trust?"

We'll share the answers to these questions, plus I'd like to explore a method for a group to look at an example issue or event in depth:

• Start with: "What questions would you like to ask or have answered about this issue or event?" Brainstorm a list

• Members of the group choose questions to research, spend 15 - 20 minutes looking up online the answers.

• Group comes back together, information gathered is put up on a board or flip charts.

• Group determines what is known and what is not know at that point and what future questions they might want to ask individually.

I believe this method (or one that evolves from this) might allow for a good, productive, less emotional conversation about issues which easily become emotional.

Hope you'll join us!