The VPM News team wants to expand its unique look at major news events with the return of the People's Agenda starting Jan. 4, 2023. VPM News wants to hear your responses to one question: What do you want to learn about the most during the 2023 General Assembly session?
What is the General Assembly?
The General Assembly of Virginia is our legislative body: The House of Delegates and State Senate meet annually to pass bills for Virginia's governor to sign into law. This year, the GA will meet Jan. 11 - Feb. 25, when passed bills will head to the governor. Starting April 12, the GA will consider legislative changes and vetoes. Most approved laws will take effect on July 1.
How did you produce the People’s Agenda?
The People’s Agenda is based off ideas of the Charlotte Observer and the Poynter Institute from 1992. Media critic and New York University professor Jay Rosen proposed the concept again in 2018. It has since been used by Hearken, an audience engagement company that works with newsrooms to develop step-by-step guides to more community-focused reporting. VPM News has been working with Hearken since 2020.
What will you do with responses?
Responses to the survey will be used by the VPM News team to help determine which topics and stories reporters pursue during the 2023 General Assembly session. Questions can be asked directly to legislators, used to guide coverage or be used in VPM News–hosted events with officials.
If respondents include their name and contact information in the survey, a reporter might reach out to learn more about experiences that led you to pose the question(s).
Who is looking at the responses?
A team of VPM News staff members and one person in VPM’s community engagement division will review submissions to find trends among community members’ responses. The group features a wide range of ages and life experiences, as well as a diversity of gender and racial backgrounds.
Will community members be able to give feedback on the People’s Agenda?
Yes! About halfway through collecting submissions for the online survey, VPM News will release a few of the top questions and topics people posed. The public will be able to vote on which questions seem most pertinent as we begin to develop the People’s Agenda.
Can I participate if I’m not a U.S. citizen or registered to vote?
VPM News wants all community members to participate, no matter their eligibility to vote.
We ask that people 16 years old and up participate, in accordance with interview guidance from The Associated Press. If a parent or guardian has any questions, please feel free to reach out.
Have a different question? Email us at [email protected]!