NPR: Launching Sunday Soapbox

Launching Sunday Soapbox

A couple months ago, our social networking guru, Andy Carvin, and I set out to create a new weekend political blog as a way to interact not only with our radio listeners but with YOU on the Web. So we created Sunday Soapbox. It's the Web companion to Weekend Edition Sunday's (WESUN) political coverage. WESUN is a two-hour Sunday morning news magazine hosted by Liane Hansen.

Given that we are in an election season, Sunday Soapbox focuses on issues, the candidates and the role of the Web in the 2008 election. From YouTube to Facebook, blogging to text messaging, our Election Bloggers will talk about how campaigns and voters are embracing new technologies, and how the Web has forever changed the way citizens engage in politics. And we want to engage you in our radio show. For instance, when we're getting ready to interview political newsmakers, we'll give you a heads up and ask for your input.

We're lucky to have three engaging, thoughtful and experienced bloggers, Faye Anderson, Mindy Finn and Joshua Levy, who will dissect the latest political news. They come from different political persuasions, and that should make for some lively commentary! Here's hoping you will agree or disagree - but do it with civility!

On a more personal note, my children and stepchildren are the inspiration for this blog. All eight of them depend on the Web for their information and entertainment. Whether it's drudgereport.com, www.collegehumor.com, www.funnyjunk.com, Facebook, Myspace, digg or Webkinz.

Our oldest is in law school and is frequently on "Blawgs" where the legal community discusses upcoming issues and the implications of new legislation and case law. "They're actually pretty entertaining," he says. Five out of eight of our kids are over 18 and will vote in this year's election. They're both Republicans and Democrats. It made sense to create a public radio political blog on the weekend that speaks not only to them but to those of all ages who get their information online. Plus, our own NPR news blogger, Tom Regan, is happy someone will be blogging on the weekend!

Finally, my 18-year-old daughter and I voted recently in the Maryland presidential primary. Afterwards, she acted kind of nonchalant and wasn't sure her vote would count. I looked at her and said, "There are countries in this world that don't allow young women like you to vote." She paused, and suddenly realized that her vote DOES count because it's a reflection of who she is.

So it makes sense to embrace and acknowledge our new, e-civic society this important election year -- and beyond.

--- Davar Iran Ardalan, Supervising Senior Producer, WESUN

12:15 PM ET | 04-18-2008 | permalink

Comments (Send a comment)

I look forward to following your new blog. Best of luck!

Sent by Karim | 2:31 AM ET | 04-19-2008

Thank you for yet another way to express free thought. Sunday soapbox is a great Idea. Thanks Liane for telling us about it. Weekend edition is a breath of fresh air in our home. We wake to NPR everyday at 5 A.M. and listen throughout our commute of 35 Miles.
I hope the web can stay a free expression network and not become subject to the Seven words and Janet???s??? Boob syndrome we live in today. Oh, to have a President that reads at least at grade school level again??? We can feel comfortable Mr. Bush will never add or subtract to anything like this concept. Looking forward to reading a well balanced and smartly written blog site. There are many far right and far left places to vent, very, very few where you can discuss important issues with the type of people that can make you think at a higher level than when you sat down. Thanks again,
MrBill. Member of radio KVCR

Sent by Bill & Penny VanDaWalker | 9:40 AM ET | 04-20-2008

This should prove to be another great way to express free thought, which is something many people in many regimes don't enjoy.
While I do believe that our current president is capable of reading at a grade school level, I know what you mean by it- he could take many bits of good advice from grade schoolers who are not necessarily at the top of the class.
I only bring this up to make this one point- that pointless insults add nothing to intelligent dialog, whether in person or online. So lets be civil.
Peace.

Sent by Jon Allen | 10:14 AM ET | 04-20-2008

Since I see the one Republican and two Democratic candidates as terrible choices whom I would never vote for, I find this a totally sterile discussion. I will only vote for a candidate who genuinely wants to end the war, who stands for universal single-payer health care, who wants to end the state terrorism coming from the White House which is the principal threat to freedom and democracy in the world, who advocates raising taxes on the rich, who challenges the unfettered and amoral behavior of corporations, ... I could go on, but I'll stop here. Once again, I will vote for Ralph Nader instead of opting for degrees of evil. I would not waste my vote on any of these three. Widen the spectrum and include those of us who find Republicrats totally irrelevant to solving the serious problems that this country--and the world--face.

Sent by Steve Goldfield, Ph.D. | 11:38 AM ET | 04-20-2008

How about a blog about the elephant in the living room--let's call it "the Environment." We could call it "Global Warming" or "the Survival of the Planet" --whatever. None of the candidates are speaking about it with the urgency the issue demands.

In my opinion, we as a society are in massive denial. The analogy I like to use is the U.S. in, say, 1938. We know that there is something very big and very bad that is coming, but we are avoiding even talking about it.

Sent by John T. | 11:43 AM ET | 04-20-2008

Thanks for the new forum--
It's time to start injecting some substance into all political/election coverage.
--FUEL ECONOMY cars/furnaces/planes/trucks/A-C & what r the economic opportunities? Why does Europe have 90 autos that get over 50 mpg--& we have only FOUR? Natural gas power plants AREN'T the answer-burned gas gives off CO2 & costs 6X as much as coal. Give us the whole story
--NO MORE GLOBAL WARMING stories--let's talk about consumption reduction. How do we do this without collapsing our economic security?
--SOCIAL CRISES- drop outs/high incarceration/inadequate single parenting-- who is teaching relationship skills to help mom and dad to stay together well and raise the kids well? (hint: it's NOT psychotherapy!)
--The so called WAR is absolutely devasting our economy. This isn't a cut & run matter--it's doing our best to turn over our role--& do it rather quickly.
PLEASE don't let the candidates or parties set the agenda -If every reporter was like Bill Moyers we could have some real discussion and problem solving (of course, NPR is already the best)

Sent by Homebuilding | 12:12 PM ET | 04-20-2008

Great forum for discussion. Touching story on how kids take voting for granted. We are lucky to be in the US where elections are free, and we're able to voice our opinions. The young generation does get all their news from the web and we older ones could learn a thing or two! Good luck...

Sent by Mani Farhadi | 3:42 AM ET | 04-21-2008

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