Is Your Community a Healthy Information Community?
No one has developed a system for scientifically measuring the quality of a local community’s information environment although, following the release of the Knight Commission report, efforts to do so are now underway. But communities can begin to take stock of their information environments by considering the following eight features that the Knight Commission report stresses as elements of a healthy information community. To what extent are these features present in your own community and where is there room for improvement? What other features are important for a healthy, informed community?
Read through this checklist, then tell us about the information health of your community. What measures has your community taken that are particularly useful and worthy of adapting in other communities? Share your ideas in the Comments section below.
1. A majority of government information and services online, accessible through a central and easy to use portal
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2. A local government with a committed policy on transparency
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3. Quality journalism through local newspapers, local television and radio stations, and online sources
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4. Citizens with effective opportunities to have their voices heard and to affect public policy
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5. A vibrant public library, or other public center for information that provides digital resources and professional assistance
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6. Ready access to information that enhances quality of life, including information provided by trusted intermediary organizations in the community on a variety of subjects:
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7. Local schools have computer and high-speed Internet access, as well as curricula that support digital and media literacy
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8. High-speed Internet is available to all citizens
