Skip to content
Search

Latest Stories

Top Stories

A call for civic culture

U.S. flag flapping in front of the Capitol Dome
rarrarorro/Getty Images

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.

Read More

The Importance of Being Media Literate

An image depicting a group of people of varying ages interacting with different forms of media, such as smartphones, tablets, and laptops.

AI generated

The Importance of Being Media Literate

Information is constantly on our phones, and we receive notifications for almost everything happening in the world, which can be overwhelming to many. Information is given to us in an instant, and more often than you think, we don’t even know what exactly we are reading.

We don’t even know if the information we see is accurate or makes sense. Media literacy goes beyond what we learn in school; it’s a skill that grows as we become more aware and critical of the information we consume.

Keep ReadingShow less
Fox News’ Selective Silence: How Trump’s Worst Moments Vanish From Coverage
Why Fox News’ settlement with Dominion Voting Systems is good news for all media outlets
Getty Images

Fox News’ Selective Silence: How Trump’s Worst Moments Vanish From Coverage

Last week, the ultraconservative news outlet, NewsMax, reached a $73 million settlement with the voting machine company, Dominion, in essence, admitting that they lied in their reporting about the use of their voting machines to “rig” or distort the 2020 presidential election. Not exactly shocking news, since five years later, there is no credible evidence to suggest any malfeasance regarding the 2020 election. To viewers of conservative media, such as Fox News, this might have shaken a fully embraced conspiracy theory. Except it didn’t, because those viewers haven’t seen it.

Many people have a hard time understanding why Trump enjoys so much support, given his outrageous statements and damaging public policy pursuits. Part of the answer is due to Fox News’ apparent censoring of stories that might be deemed negative to Trump. During the past five years, I’ve tracked dozens of examples of news stories that cast Donald Trump in a negative light, including statements by Trump himself, which would make a rational person cringe. Yet, Fox News has methodically censored these stories, only conveying rosy news that draws its top ratings.

Keep ReadingShow less
U.S. Flag / artificial intelligence / technology / congress / ai

The age of AI warrants asking if the means still further the ends—specifically, individual liberty and collective prosperity.

Getty Images, Douglas Rissing

Liberty and the General Welfare in the Age of AI

If the means justify the ends, we’d still be operating under the Articles of Confederation. The Founders understood that the means—the governmental structure itself—must always serve the ends of liberty and prosperity. When the means no longer served those ends, they experimented with yet another design for their government—they did expect it to be the last.

The age of AI warrants asking if the means still further the ends—specifically, individual liberty and collective prosperity. Both of those goals were top of mind for early Americans. They demanded the Bill of Rights to protect the former, and they identified the latter—namely, the general welfare—as the animating purpose for the government. Both of those goals are being challenged by constitutional doctrines that do not align with AI development or even undermine it. A full review of those doctrines could fill a book (and perhaps one day it will). For now, however, I’m just going to raise two.

Keep ReadingShow less
An illustration of AI chat boxes.

An illustration of AI chat boxes.

Getty Images, Andriy Onufriyenko

In Defense of ‘AI Mark’

Earlier this week, a member of the UK Parliament—Mark Sewards—released an AI tool (named “AI Mark”) to assist with constituent inquiries. The public response was rapid and rage-filled. Some people demanded that the member of Parliament (MP) forfeit part of his salary—he's doing less work, right? Others called for his resignation—they didn't vote for AI; they voted for him! Many more simply questioned his thinking—why on earth did he think outsourcing such sensitive tasks to AI would be greeted with applause?

He's not the only elected official under fire for AI use. The Prime Minister of Sweden, Ulf Kristersson, recently admitted to using AI to study various proposals before casting votes. Swedes, like the Brits, have bombarded Kristersson with howls of outrage.

Keep ReadingShow less