News

02.10.10 - Lexington's First Mayoral Candidates' Forum

The last Presidential inauguration was broadcast on CNN with a Facebook comment feed. The largest audience ever tuned in and could comment on the speeches, the classical music, Aretha Franklin’s hat and be part of the American political process.

Potential 2012 candidate Sarah Palin has a Twitter feed. The venerable Christian Science Monitor is an online-only publication. And most political watchers in the Commonwealth get their cues from a combination of their Facebook feeds, Twitter feeds, political blogs and traditional print and broadcast media coverage.

The president in the White House made one of his first acts the appointment of a New Media Director and the “president of the Big Blue House” is 1.3 million strong on Twitter at @ukcoachcalipari. So, it only seems right that key local elections are moving to include digital participation.

Lexington’s mayoral candidates will assemble on Wednesday February 24 for Lexington’s first mayoral forum of 2010: Awesome Issues—Digital Democracy, sponsored by the Scripps Howard First Amendment Center at the University of Kentucky, which is administered by the School of Journalism and Telecommunications in the College of Communications and Information Studies.

The issues-oriented, digital and live forum will be the third in the Nextington series at Awesome, Inc. on E. Main Street Awesome Inc. is a small business and technology incubator that has led the way in the past few years in Lexington’s online entrepreneurial community. Previous events at Awesome, Inc. include a successful “Startup Weekend” event and a “Mobile Applications” conference, which attracted mobile app entrepreneurs and programmers from across the nation.

Mayoral candidates technology manager Skip Horine, former Mayor Teresa Isaac, Vice Mayor Jim Gray and Mayor Jim Newberry have confirmed their participation and will answer questions from a traditional press panel that includes: Tom Eblen (Columnist, Lexington Herald-Leader), Kenny Colston (Editor, The Kentucky Kernel), Erik Carlson (Reporter, Business Lexington) and others. Well-known local bloggers will ask questions as well.

The blogger panel includes: Bianca Spriggs, Rob Morris (“Under the Hood”), and Joe Sonka (“Barefoot and Progressive”).

While the live venue will have limited capacity, with room for only about 60 people, the digital debate will be wide open. The forum will be live videostreamed on Ustream, live-blogged at Cover It Live and live-Tweeted on Twitter with the hashtag #LexMayor.

And with bloggers and the digital ranks of traditional and student media present, the online presence of the event should allow for the multiple voices and perspectives ensured by a healthy and robust First Amendment freedom of speech.

The forum will be moderated by Prof. Kakie Urch of the School of Journalism and Telecommunications. Urch is an assistant professor of multimedia at the school, with experience in managing political coverage of local, statewide and federal races both online and in print for major
media companies when she was editor of The Kentucky Enquirer in Northern Kentucky, assistant managing editor of The Kentucky Post and assistant managing editor of The Desert Sun newspaper in Palm Springs, Calif.

The mission of the Scripps Howard First Amendment Center at the University of Kentucky is to promote understanding of the First Amendment among citizens of Kentucky, to advocate for First Amendment rights in the Commonwealth and nationally, and to produce internationally recognized scholarship concerning the First Amendment and its related freedoms.


Comments
jonny horner says:
Feb 12 2010

some interesting things being said about candidate skip horine

Jack Becker says:
Feb 15 2010

I worked with Melanie for several years when she taught classes where I was employed.  I was always impressed with her amazing “can-do” attitude and her “no fail” follow through.  What a wonderful concept she has for this art park and if there is anyone who has the character and focus to make it happen it will be Mel.  Good luck to you all and I’ll look forward to watching progress.  Best, jb.

jonny horner says:
Feb 22 2010

hey as a follow up on the previous post if you haven’t looked the you might find it interesting. after someone tried to question skip horine’s past business practices. this was noted in the BBB data base


This company appears to be out of business.

On February 17, 2010, the owner of Vexillium Corporation notified the BBB that this company has closed their doors and are no longer in business.

If you have a disupte with this company, you may wish to seek legal advice.

brett says:
Apr 24 2010

In a town where mediocrity and homogeny 646-392 are too often celebrated; where sports reign on the mainstage; where the arts are shoved into a corner 646-391 or expected to be safe and traditional, Bruce has struggled to present something unique, challenging even, and to be a new voice.He is trying to force us, as a community, to take an honest look at who we 646-301  are — even if we aren’t going to like what we find. Today, Bruce acknowledges that there have been many changes n Lexington in the past 15 years, and that there are positive things occurring in the arts here.646-227


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