“realtalk@MIT isn’t just about conversation – it’s about creating a lasting culture of listening.”
Our team at the Boston Institute for Nonprofit Journalism is excited to join a growing network of local key Boston stakeholders to engage in public conversations. Organized by the MIT Center for Constructive Criticism with support from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, participants in the project invite “members of their diverse communities to … share their experiences” in order to “develop a shared understanding as a way of building up our civic muscles of democracy in Boston.”
“This initiative not only strengthens the democratic fabric of Boston but also sets a precedent for cities worldwide on how to build more inclusive and responsive communities,” CCC Director and MIT Professor Deb Roy explains. “By bringing together community leaders and employing innovative technologies, we are creating a civic infrastructure that elevates diverse voices into a more meaningful, constructive discourse.”
BINJ reporters will be trained to manage the advanced listening tech being used for the project, but it is not our first experience with it. Back in 2020, some of our journalists used an older version, also developed by Cortico, to interview people about that year’s presidential election. In addition to the opportunity to engage with the public through this new partnership, we are also excited about what their team has done with the technology in the time since. As Cortico explains in its latest newsletter:
In August, Cortico teamed up with MIT Center for Constructive Communication (CCC) to help MIT launch a new dialogue initiative. realtalk@MIT enables the MIT community to come together in small-group conversations to share the values and experiences they bring to MIT as a first step toward building trust and connections among classmates and colleagues.
A key milestone in this project was the debut of Cortico’s app, which enables both virtual and in-real-life (“IRL”) conversations. For the first time, participants could engage in facilitated, in-person discussions, then quickly review transcripts and create highlights on their mobile devices. With consent, highlights could be shared beyond the conversation group, empowering participants to elevate their voice under their own control. The Cortico app combines the power of face-to-face human interaction with the power and convenience of mobile technology, fostering participant re-engagement in a growing dialogue network.
As part of the program, Cortico worked with CCC and other MIT offices involved in student life to train student leaders in dialogue facilitation, setting the stage for conversations during MIT’s orientation week with incoming undergraduate and graduate students. Over the first two days of on-campus dialogue, Cortico’s app supported approximately 20 small-group conversations where students agreed to be recorded to share their experiences and values, building community with their classmates.
realtalk@MIT isn’t just about conversation – it’s about creating a lasting culture of listening. Follow-up engagements will offer deeper opportunities for students to surface themes and insights, helping the MIT community hear voices that might otherwise go unheard.
Other participating organizations include: ArtSpark Boston, Asian Women for Health, Boston CASA, Boston Climate Action Network (BCAN), Boston Public Schools, Circus Up, Disability Law Center, Family Nurturing Center of MA, Greater Roxbury Arts & Cultural Center, Inc., Greatest MINDS Boston, Jamaica Plain Neighborhood Development Corporation, Primary Source, The Loop Lab, and The Peoples’ heART.
Sign up for a listening session with BINJ below. It will only take an hour of your time and all participants will receive a BINJ gift box including a hat celebrating our upcoming 10-year anniversary and a $40 gift card to Newbury Comics.
