A few months ago, three hundred and ninety-three of you took part in our reader / listener / community survey, sharing your thoughts and ideas about Drowned in Sound.
Today we're sharing the next steps and asking for a couple of minutes of your time.
One of my big take aways from the survey was around clarifying what DiS is and isn't nowadays as it seems it's a bit blurry to some of you. My reading of this is that I have skipped a few steps in explaining my intent with this newsletter and our podcast.
In fact, despite the huge amount of time going into creating it, many of you didn't even know we have a DiS podcast or a YouTube DiS channel.
I've heard what hundreds of you had to say and this has led to a new mission statement.
Share Your Thoughts
I'm excited and apprehensive to share the first draft of the new About Us page, inspired by our new mission statement, informed by you.
I'd like your input to co-create the second and - hopefully - final version.
To get involved: Leave notes on this Google doc or if it's easier hit reply if you got this in your inbox or respond in the comments to this newsletter on our website.
The feedback I'd appreciate on this first draft:
- What's missing?
- What shouldn't be left unsaid?
- Is it clearer now what you'll get in your inbox from week to week?
- Does the ambition and scope of the podcast make more sense than it did before?
- What sections feel a little unclear that we should re-work?
- Is there enough clarity to the wider mission?
What Comes Next?
Following your feedback, we'll publish a second and hopefully final draft.
You'll notice we've also mentioned a few things that we're not yet really doing, like creating resources. I link to lots of resources in newsletters but apart from things like compiling starter packs for Bluesky, it's something that going forwards we're going to create more of, to ensure there's some collective wisdom and bits of infrastructure that we can all benefit from.
Over the coming weeks, we plan to take a more active role in campaigning for change, with a few projects we hope you'll want to get behind and invite more music lovers to join in with.
DiS is also thinking of signing up to Public Interest News Foundation's approach to co-creation media after attending a fascinating event a few weeks ago. As well as committing to a solutions-based approach to our journalism, inspired by a webinar we saw from the Solutions Journalism Network.
Thanks for sticking with DiS
Here's a little nugget from our survey. It was amazing to see was how long some of you have been part of this community, and that a lot of you are new here too (welcome!).
I know I've said it before but a massive thank you to everyone who found 5 minutes (some of you kindly spent much longer) to get involved in our survey and share your insights, it's the first time in our 25 year history that we have done something like this and it was really fascinating.
Aside from the data insights, some of the swerve-ball podcast guest suggestions were brilliant and hopefully I can secure a few of them in the coming weeks and months.