The Hope of Information
Brenda Dervin's "good and hopeful news"
May 11, 2024 - Vol. 2 Issue 23
Welcome to Infophilia, a weekly letter about the human love of information and connections. This is one of the places where I’m developing an evolutionary, social, positive psychology of information, avant garde research. If this is your first time here, I’m glad to have you. To learn more, browse the roundup in Jan or the Archive, watch the video or read the Local News. Remember, you can also use the Substack app to listen or read. As always, thanks for reading.
Cite this article in APA as: Coleman, A.S. (2024, May 11). The Hope of information: Brenda Dervin’s “good and hopeful news.” Infophilia, a Positive Psychology of Information, 2 (23).
I must confess to a rare pugnacity in last week’s video essay “Freedom to Read is a Winnable Fight.” I prefer to offer grace to those who hold different opinions, but this was about intellectual freedom. My desire for authenticity and clarity over-rode other considerations, such as a nuanced or highly polished presentation. So, I was very pleased by a reader’s reaction. I feel understood - thank you!
I am not your New York Times video critic who looks at staging, content, layout and ways guests are personally engaged into the broadcast. But if I were I would comment: 1) What a spectacular presentation by such a thoroughly prepared, gifted and appropriately dressed, attractive broadcaster whose home setting contributed to its effectiveness; and 2) On parallel with the best news networks like MSNBC… main point of this presentation with effective personal appearances by John Oliver… to underscore the need to affirm, advocate for and work to support THE FREEDOM TO READ. I hope the Directors and staff of local public libraries get this as they need to see it for themselves and take you on as their Public Information Specialist!
Authenticity, like truth and accuracy, are part of healthy infophilia. Today, I have another genuine video with a note on Brenda Dervin’s contribution to infophilia.