Polaris: for better neighbourhoods

Whether it’s news, social media, notifications or videos – we are inundated with a flood of information on a daily basis. And it’s not just the sheer, increasingly overwhelming volume that causes problems: it’s also getting more and more difficult to identify trustworthy sources. This results in a growing mistrust not just of the established media, but also within society more generally. The foundations of healthy coexistence are being shaken. Yet, given the many crises surrounding us, social cohesion is more important than ever. So how can we strengthen «real» communities? 

To address this issue, Polaris has taken a new approach, with support from the Migros Pioneer Fund. And the magic word for this approach is «local». The project looks to establish a network for local neighbourhood news with the help of the neighbours themselves. Users produce news content in accordance with journalistic principles and with the help of assistive technology. The stories are then verified by the community, meaning the neighbours check each other’s  work. News from the neighbourhood is supplemented by information from government offices and administrations, as well as updates from civil society organisations, schools and churches.

Polaris aims to strengthen people’s connections with their own surroundings and their neighbourhoods, as well as to improve users’ media literacy by empowering them to produce their own news content to journalistic standards. This approach is designed to establish a (new) level of trust in society.

Photo/stage: © Goran Basic