The news media should work to accurately inform the public and help citizens manage their fears so they are able to perform their role in democracy and are inoculated against the appeals of demagogues and agenda-driven, hyper-partisan outlets. Instead, our media culture is one that accelerates the spread of propaganda and misinformation; it infects our minds with fear and cynicism, makes it impossible to hear ourselves think, and leaves us divided and demoralized.
It's up to us, as citizens, to reject a "post-truth" political paradigm where rage trumps fact and partisan tribal identity turns those who disagree into the enemy. The HearYourselfThink Project is committed to training a new generation of patriots to uphold our nation’s founding values of reason, truth-seeking, and meaningful civil dialogue.
Our workshop, which you can help fund – allowing us to offer it online, and in communities across the country – teaches people how to have constructive conversations that bridge partisan divides, spark critical thinking, and rebuild the civic connections that have been strained by decades of toxic media and political polarization.