Improving Civic Discourse

While the editors of the Columbia Journalism Review discourseare addressing the press in helping to rebuild the American conversation, their advice has value for all of us.Improving Civic Discourse 

“Ideas, particularly political ideas, are meant to be shared, to redefine themselves over the blue flame of discussion…increasingly Americans live in separate information silos. In uncertain times the tribes gather close. People don’t talk to outsiders.”

The editors urge the press to help “rebuild the forum that makes democracy work by being its best self” by taking steps to “Ignore the bias bullies”, “Stand up for facts” and “Return to deep reporting backed by institutional processes” which means “lots of feedback from near and far, fact-checking, copy-checking and double-checking, all part of the practical effort to publish something as accurate as possible.

“A massive retreat into ideological niches is hardly restricted to cable TV, and it doesn’t help the nation address its challenges.”

Amen.