A new podcast produced by VPM focuses on local government and community issues in the Richmond region. Randolph-Macon College political science professor Rich Meagher hosts the biweekly show, “RVA's Got Issues,” which airs on Wednesdays.
VPM News Features Editor Whitney Evans spoke with Meagher about what he hopes to accomplish with the new podcast.
This interview has been lightly edited for length and clarity.
WHITNEY EVANS: Rich Meagher, you're a professor of political science first and foremost. I'm sure you have some clue about what people need, what young people want, how they can be more engaged, how they can be more informed.
Rich Meagher: Well, when I think about young people, at least students on our campuses, they want to be productive, they want to be safe, and they're also feeling a little overwhelmed and scared by the sheer amount of information that's out there, they don't know what to trust, they don't know what to do about it.
One of the things I really like to do with my students is scale it down. That's one of the reasons I'm so interested in state politics, and especially local politics. It doesn't have to be about some huge organization with millions of people and billions of dollars. It could be about what's going on across the street. It could be about something that bothered you or your family growing up. It could be about the public institutions, the government institutions that most of us spend most of our lives involved with – the local school system. But people don't think about that.
What I love most about talking about politics with people, from my students to those in my community, is demystifying it, humanizing it, and helping them understand that politics is not only something they can understand and know about, but something they can actually affect.
That's not to say we have to ignore the national level — I mean, there's important work to be done there, too — but I think it's a lot easier to understand, grasp, figure out, and then actually take action at the local level.
What can people expect from this podcast? From what I understand, this podcast aims to fill this need.
I think we're trying to do two things: try to inform and try to inspire. One of the scary things about doomscrolling is that it can make you feel so powerless sometimes. It saps your energy. We want to counter this by not only talking about what's going on here in Richmond and the surrounding counties, but also what can be done about it.
Not only are they knowledgeable and well-informed about local issues, but they can also explain to you, “What is affordable housing?” or, “What are the important things I need to know about public transportation and what does that mean for people in and around the city?” And they can also explain, “What should I do next? If I care about this or if I'm just interested in making my community stronger and better, what are some of the things I can do?”
We talk to people who know a lot, but also people who love doing really cool stuff.
Affordable housing is the first episode. What other issues will you be touching on?
What issues are we not going to discuss? Infrastructure, transport, the economy and arts and culture. We want people to understand the structure of local government. “What is the County Council Supervisor? What is it and what does it do? And why did they use to run litter picking campaigns and now they don't?”
Disclosure: Both VPM News and RVA's Got Issues are licensed to and distributed by VPM Media Corporation. This interview follows VPM News standard editorial practices and has not been reviewed or edited by station management prior to publication.
If you have any questions about this article, please contact the VPM News Director: Elliot Robinson Editor-in-chief Dawnsia M. Price Risko.
