The Launch of Newspiration in Holland

It was a Dutch sociologist named Fred Polak, who, in 1973, called our attention to the relationship between the images a society creates and its future.  For him the positive image of the future is the single most important dynamic and explanatory variable for understanding cultural evolution.    He suggests that the rise and fall of images of the future precedes or accompanies the rise and fall of cultures.  Think of Italy and England in their renaissance or even Silicon Valley in the 1980’s and 90’s.  This week another Dutchman, Robbert Zoon, is launching a new international Website “Newspiration” [ http://newspiration.com ], to support the creation of inspiring news and information.
 
Media is a kind of “commons” – a place where a whole society comes to engage and make meaning of what is happening around them.  Just as the oceans and the sky are the province of all of humanity, the media ecosystem is also open and available to all.  It directly affects the quality of our public discourse, influencing all who “graze” there.

Of course media needs to talk about the bad things that happen.  No one is interested in a gloss of the events of the day.  But it is how we tell the stories of our day that matters.  Some of the most powerful stories to come out of the tragedies of the past decade have helped us to interpret those events and to put them in a context of constructive meaning making.   Some of the most exciting stories of our times – stories of real genius, profound acts of generosity, and promising innovation – barely make it into our broadcasts and publications.

What my friend Robbert is creating with his Newspiration site is a gift to the people of world – a wellspring of stories about the true, the good, and the possible.  In launching Newspiration, Robbert joins an expanding community of those who see constructive media as a crucial force for elevating public discourse and helping the world to move towards its best possible future  Congratulations Robbert, and thank you for Newspiration.