Kitchen Table Talk over the Grill of Cancel Culture.™

Local publishers expand digital platform with a new podcast called We the People to engage local personalities with conversational interviews. The format of the show is based on the tag line — Kitchen Table Talk over the Grill of Cancel Culture.™

“The standards of conversation on social media has hit such a devastating low that we need a dedicated cultural shift toward the expansion of grace and tolerance in human conversation on any given topic,” WtP show host Nicholas Mattson said. “Not only is freedom of speech foundational our human rights, but the ability to engage in that speech with other human beings in a way that respects two or more sides of a discussion is becoming the exception and we wanted a show that provided a local outlet to voices that need to be heard.”

The show has produced 16 shows to date, with guests from Paso Robles to Atascadero. Notable guests include Paso Robles Rotary president Bob Fonarow and Atascadero Police Chief Jerel Haley.

“Our show’s discussion format is non-sensational, but we don’t avoid any conversations or topics,” Mattson said. “The goal is to dig out the concepts buried in political vitriol and openly discuss differences in opinion without assassinating a person’s character over it. People generally cannot learn without being introduced to new ideas.”

During Friday’s show with local men Dorien Banks and Marc Martin, there was consensus of the vitriol present on Facebook regarding any statement that resembles a politics position, regardless of how mild it might be.

“I left Facebook years ago,” Mattson said, “and I tread lightly on Twitter. Facebook is particularly disastrous, and I don’t just blame the users and friends on the platform. It’s been revealed that Facebook’s algorithm has been tailored to manipulate users toward lower emotional states such as anger and sadness.

“I have an opinion, and I appreciate my opinion and education behind my opinion,” Mattson continued, “and I appreciate other peoples’ opinion. What I don’t care to do is share my opinion on Facebook and then go outside and be hated by my neighbor because we don’t agree. We’ve entered a toxicity on social media that very clearly indicates some level of mental illness on a massive scale.”

The We the People podcast was created to provide an alternative outlet of long form conversation to avoid opinionated debate and instead engage in civil conversation for the purpose of Making Communities Better Through Communication.™

“We have an open criteria for our guests,” Mattson said. “Our requirements are that they represent our local community and can carry on a conversation for more than an hour.”

Some guest appearances cover specific topics and other guests represent a bigger discussion that warrant repeat appearances to tap into the broad points of a topic concerning the local community.

To view the shows, subscribe to the channels, or contact the show to suggest a guest, go to wethepeoplecast.com.