Talk Business launches ‘Talk Politics’ program

Editor’s note: Roby Brock, with our content partner Talk Business, wrote this report. He can be reached at [email protected]

Talk Business proudly announces a new venture aimed at connecting state political leaders with their constituents in an online forum that capitalizes on new and traditional media channels.

This year, "Talk Politics" will feature a series of 12 one-on-one, 30-minute Q&A sessions with high-ranking Arkansas elected officials who will answer questions from citizens on a variety of topics and current events. Our first guest will be Gov. Mike Beebe (D) at 10 a.m. on Wednesday, May 11. Talk Business host Roby Brock will moderate the Q&A session.

Through the use of Twitter, Facebook, e-mail, Ustream video, and our existing production capabilities, "Talk Politics" will seek questions from our intimate political audience for several days in advance of a one-on-one interview. Brock will pose the questions to a political guest and seek input from viewers throughout the half-hour session via Twitter, Facebook and Ustream’s chat forum.

Content from a completed Q&A will be disseminated through our TV, radio, print and web content partners and made available to all media in Arkansas through video and audio formats.

U.S. Sens. Sen. John Boozman, R-Ark., and Mark Pryor, D-Ark., have also committed to appear in upcoming forums. Invitations are being extended to Arkansas’ four Congressmen. Beebe has agreed to appear every other month on the program.

"Think of this as an online town hall and radio call-in program combined, but with new communication channels," said Brock. "We live in a rapidly evolving world in terms of how citizens communicate with and access their government leaders. We want to serve this audience that is only going to grow in the years to come."

During the live sessions, citizens with computer or smart phone Internet access can go to the Talk Business website and view the Q&A. They can offer questions or comments in the chat room connected to the video stream or communicate through their Facebook or Twitter accounts. Questions may also be sent in advance to [email protected]

Brock added, "In this day and age, it is becoming increasingly easy to ask a direct question to an elected official. This program aims to make that happen on a regular basis."

Talk Business and our content partners will seek questions from our audiences in advance of each Q&A session. Those media partners include: Fox 16 News, KUAR-FM, KUAF-FM, The City Wire, The Tolbert Report, Blue Hog Report, and Stephens Media. Other media outlets are invited to join in the venture.

StationX, a Little Rock-based multi-media production company, and KnowTheNetwork, a Sherwood-based social media and technology firm, will partner with Talk Business on the technical production for the programming.