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A call for civic culture

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The Fulcrum
By The FulcrumDec 06, 2024
The Fulcrum
The Fulcrum staff.
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Civic culture shapes how we treat one another and whether we care for our community. It shapes how we show up to solve common problems and whether we can disagree without hating one another.

The 2024 election reminded us of the deep fissures in our nation’s civic culture. At times it seems Americans are speaking different languages — based not on heritage but on partisan leanings — or that the dominant narratives of division are the only path forward.

But so much of this country is yearning for a different culture, a healthier way of being America. And countless community members are already doing so, even if they’re not getting the mainstream media coverage they deserve.

Our nation needs new “stories of us” that give common purpose and show how a stronger civic culture is possible — and happening. On Monday, Dec. 9, Citizen University will host a workshop for storytellers, journalists and content creators to explore how to tell "Stories of Us” that strengthen our social fabric and help America find a way forward.

The workshop is for trusted messengers who are telling stories that help Americans feel more hopeful, activated and sustained in fortifying their communities and strengthening democracy, such s:

  • Journalists and writers who cover topics around strengthening their communities and our democracy.
  • Storytellers and content creators who use their platforms to shape American consciousness for the common good.
  • Civic-minded Americans who are using their voice to catalyze more unifying and trust-building activity.

These civic practitioners will share a wealth of resources, tips and examples from the field of civic storytelling, messaging, and journalism:

  • Eric Liu, co-founder and CEO of Citizen University will discuss “Why civic culture.
  • Kevin Singer, communications support lead for Philanthropy for Civic Engagement will talk about “How Americans perceive civic language.”
  • Aya Taveras and Brooke Moreland, director of community and director of learning and design (respectively) at Cinereach will focus on “Civic storylines that change culture.”
  • Shia Levitt of News Ambassadors will talk about “Complicating the Narrative for good.”

Register now.

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Entertainment has been used for decades to improve attitudes toward other groups, both in the U.S. and abroad. One can think of movies like Guess Who's Coming to Dinner, helping change attitudes toward Black Americans, or TV shows like Rosanne, helping humanize the White working class. Efforts internationally show that media can sometimes improve attitudes toward two groups concurrently.

Substantial research shows that Americans now hold overly negative views of those across the political spectrum. Let's now learn from decades of experience using entertainment to improve attitudes of those in other groups—but also from counter-examples that have reinforced stereotypes and whose techniques should generally be avoided—in order to improve attitudes toward fellow Americans across politics. This entertainment can allow Americans across the political spectrum to have more accurate views of each other while realizing that successful cross-ideological friendships and collaborations are possible.

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A cornerstone of conservative philosophy is that policy decisions should generally be left to the states. Apparently, this does not apply when the topic is artificial intelligence (AI).

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After the 2024 election was deemed the “podcast election,” many people inside and outside of the podcasting world were left wondering how to capitalize on the medium as a way to promote democracy and civic engagement to audiences who are either burned out by or distrustful of traditional or mainstream news sources.

The Democracy Group podcast network has been working through this question since its founding in 2020—long before presidential candidates appeared on some of the most popular podcasts to appeal to specific demographics. Our members recently met in Washington, D.C., for our first convening to learn from each other and from high-profile podcasters like Jessica Tarlov, host of Raging Moderates, and Ben Rhodes, host of Pod Save the World.

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A few years ago, I would have agreed with the argument that the most important AI regulatory issue is mitigating the low probability of catastrophic risks. Today, I’d think nearly the opposite. My primary concern is that we will fail to realize the already feasible and significant benefits of AI. What changed and why do I think my own evolution matters?

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