How to participate
The Beacon Journal and Bliss Institute for Applied Politics at the University of Akron are seeking people to participate in interviews and focus groups to understand better the issues that divide us.
Here’s how you can participate.
Focus groups
In-depth, confidential discussions will be conducted in Akron in late April and early May on the following topics:
• College loans: Must be in your 20s or 30s and with a student loan. Can be in or out of college, graduate school, a private for-profit technical school, degreed or not.
• Military: Must be the spouse, parent, daughter, son, brother or sister of someone in the Army, Marines, Navy, Air Force or Ohio National Guard who served in a combat zone on the ground in Afghanistan or Iraq in the last year.
• Guns: Men and women with conceal-carry permits.
• Respectful conversation: People who want to talk about the difficulty today in having polite and respectful conversation about contentious issues.
• Public employment: Government workers and retirees who want to discuss their role in the work force.
• Media: People who represent diversity in the way they obtain news and information.
• Religion: People who represent variety regarding religion, including nonchurched. May or may not be in leadership roles.
To volunteer, go to http://AmericaToday.questionpro.com. Decision Point Marketing and Research is organizing the sessions for the Beacon Journal and Bliss Institute.
Stories
Reporters are seeking volunteers who are willing to share personal financial, health, political and religious information and feelings for stories about retirement, government regulation, health care, climate change and taxation.
If you are interested in any of these, send a letter or email to reporter Kim Hone-McMahan at kmcmahan@thebeaconjournal.com, or 44 E. Exchange St., Akron, OH 44309.
Provide your name, community, occupation and phone number and include some words or sentences that express your thoughts about America Today. Initial contact information will be confidential.
