Challenge:  How can US onAir help to better address the polarization, tribalism, and disunity in the US?

Issue Aircasts: One way onAir will be addressing this challenge is by facilitating people on both sides “listening” to and trying to “understand” each other and finding , with their legislators, solutions for current important and divisive issues. US onAir is supporting a “Common Ground” series of issue aircasts – livestreamed, zoom discussions.

Methodology: 

• CURATOR (student or retired person, or nonprofit member edits a post on issue with background information and possible legislative solutions. Curator puts in issue post (and US onAir first post and other relevant posts) as a News post and with Host starts a collaborative doc to storyboard and detail an aircast. Curator, during the aircasts, helps monitor the online discussion forum associated with the aircast as well as can conducts polls with the viewing audience.
• HOST (with deep knowledge of the topic & proposed legislation and trained in our Common Ground (CG) format & guidelines; invites reps or their staff to be the Guest Advocate & Opponent of pending legislation. Host also invites the public to apply to be aircast guests submitting a one minute or less video on their views on the issue and, specifically, how they the bill(s) would affect them personally based on their experience. Host sends guests an acceptance email with aircast instructions (if requested, may do a zoom with their guests prior to aircast).
• AIRCASTER  sets ups upcoming YouTube Live stream and, using Open Broadcast Software, produces the aircast and assists in post-production editing.