Wallingford’s Moonshot: WPAA-TV and destiny

To be More Than TV and a Destination Station is a moonshot that requires ongoing strategic self-examination and empowerment which is invoked with the hashtag #PowerfulWILDFree. Personal power can be leveraged in the public interest; but where does this power come from. In part, it is in shared experiences and the serendipity of crossing our own abyss as we reach for the moon.

“What can we gain by sailing to the moon if we are not able to cross the abyss that separates us from ourselves? This is the most important of all voyages of discovery, and without it, all the rest are not only useless, but disastrous…”             ~~  Thomas Merton

New community media creators often begin in a somewhat all-knowing place about the content to be produced; however, those that invest time in creation (curating related media, making editing decisions) often are surprised by the self-discovery that accompanies the journey like one’s bias for symmetry, flourishes, simplicity, color, willingness to accommodate or compromise or accept divergent points of view. Every media making decision can inform what we understand about our topic and ourselves and open both up to transformation.

As WPAA-TV ventures into more tech-support of community media creation with the contributor-producer model, there are some regrets that this connecting with self-exploration in media making is a loss. While the model explored in CommUnity Conversations is engaging more community members in the sharing of stories and the creation of media in the public interest the Contributors still need to be prepared to find their authentic voice, recognize the stories that moved them and tap the courage to speak honestly. With each new conversation, we improve the process technically; but more importantly, we have moments of human connection that tap into Broken Dreams and give those of us in the trenches the courage of Drag Queens and Astronauts to reach a new destination where difference and determination are comrades for good.

Technology and Humanity
Technology to Connect Us as a Community: Informing, Listening, Discovering

The primary skill associated with human connectivity is listening to understand but most of us listen to reply. Even tools to help us center ourselves have become leveraged for capital gain like Mindfulness for Productivity.

Our moonshot programs: Team Hercules, Destination Station, ROAR1st and CommUnity Conversations are all connected to the question “How can we reach for the moon if we do not understand ourselves?” The answer lies in connecting through story. So what stories are not being told OR heard that could make a difference in Wallingford? Wallingford has numerous and large community forums on social media and a handful of committed community TV producers yet it is very possible that we are not connecting as a community.

WPAA-TV’s mission to empower people to communicate by providing tools and support must not forgo the bedrock of communication: creating a new understanding.

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