Decibel Hosts First Rundberg Sounding Board Meeting

Austin PBS’s Decibel held its first Rundberg Sounding Board meeting on Feb. 8 at the North Austin YMCA. The new volunteer advisory group, consisting of 11 local residents and professionals, will provide feedback on Decibel's reporting for the next year. They will help ensure that Decibel is creating content that accurately reflects the community's needs and concerns. Members will also suggest story ideas.

During the meeting, attendees were asked to rate the news coverage of Rundberg on a scale of one to five, one being ‘very poor’ and five being ‘excellent.’ Out of the seven in-person attendees, four rated it as ‘poor’ and two rated it as ‘very poor.’ One person did not respond. No one rated the coverage of their community as ‘good’ or ‘neither good nor bad.’

Results from a poll of Rundberg Sounding Board members on news coverage of their community.

Participants expressed that while there is coverage, it often lacks depth and predominantly focuses on crime without sufficient follow-up on community impact. Attendees highlighted the presence of numerous wonderful people and projects in the area that deserve deeper exploration and representation in the media.

The Decibel team then screened “Into The Melting Pot,” our first Rundberg longform video. Feedback on the visual representation in the stories was generally positive. Six attendees rated it as ‘good,’ and one rated it ‘excellent.’ All attendees said that it accurately represented part of their community.

Attendees appreciated efforts to showcase the neighborhood's diversity but felt that discussions on poverty and housing issues, while important, overshadowed the portrayal of the community's strengths. Overall, participants emphasized the need for more nuanced coverage.

Members shared several ideas for future stories to provide a broader view of the Rundberg community. Key suggestions included covering the impact of gentrification, highlighting community centers like the North Austin YMCA, affordable housing, the changing job market, and the entrepreneurial spirit seen in local flea markets and food trucks.

Discussions also touched on safety surveys and neighborhood security. The role of neighborhood associations in fostering community engagement was emphasized, exploring how these groups can bring residents together and address common concerns.

Rundberg Sounding Board members discussing community issues. Photo by Katie Amatangelo.

Finally, the importance of community engagement and consistent feedback was highlighted. Members appreciated Decibel's interactive approach and suggested celebrating the diverse cultures and languages within the community through various storytelling formats.

With continued community interaction, Decibel aims to stay aligned with residents’ needs and preferences to persist in providing impactful and meaningful reporting.

Do you have a story idea for the Decibel team? Share it with us here!