While all of the Mackinac Center’s videos are educational, “The Scoop,” a new live series on Facebook, introduces a more casual format.

The first of these new videos gave viewers some insights into the Mackinac Center’s victory at the Michigan Supreme Court, where we prevailed over Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s unilateral extension of her state of emergency powers. The video features three Mackinac Center staffers: Director of Communications and Marketing Jarrett Skorup, moderated a discussion between Director of Research Michael Van Beek and Vice President of Legal Affairs Patrick Wright. They talked about the court decision and answered several questions about its potential implications for the state.

This new three-person format allows for more casual and natural conversation that offers an easier-to-understand explanation of issues in public policy. This can be extremely helpful in breaking down difficult topics for a general social media audience, and it gives the Center another way to connect with our audience.

The series has received positive feedback from the start, but it was temporarily halted in December by the state’s stay-at-home lockdown.

Now, however, “The Scoop” is here to stay. Viewers can expect a new video each month. Each episode, released simultaneously on the Mackinac Center’s Facebook page and YouTube channel, discusses an important policy issue with at least two experts. The series will continue to provide viewers the same quality information and discussions they have come to expect from the Mackinac Center, but in a more accessible format.

Do you have an idea for a topic you would like to see featured in this video series? Contact Taylor at piotrowski@mackinac.org with any suggestions.