"Débat à Nice-Matin: où va le mouvement des retraites ?" - nicematin.com

We have had a long period of civil turbulence in Nice and in France more widely. Strikes. Demonstrations. Etc.

In order to address the competing concerns, the local newspaper - Nice Matin - did what a lot of smart people might recommend. They organized a meeting at the newspaper of the leaders of the principal groups involved on the many sides of the issues, and had a debate/discussion and reported on it in the newspaper the next day.

When was the last time a US newspaper did this? I am sure it has happened often, but I just don't recall, and I don't recall it recently.

This was not an editorial board meeting. It was designed to be a debate, with the leadership of the newspaper "animating" it as the French would say.

There are many variations, of course, on this excellent theme!

Has it helped solve the problems? Perhaps not, but the newspaper obligation here, I believe, is to try. It met that obligation very well.