The sites below are resources that have been useful in my research and provide valuable services and information for those interested in topics such as public policy, government, media bias, and more.
Ad Fontes Media
Ad Fontes Media is a news rating company focusing on “reliability” and “bias” in reporting from some 2,000 news sources. Some of its services are free, and others must be purchased or subscribed to. Among the free resources is “Rated Sources”, which provides updated “reliability” and “bias” assessments (scores) for some 2,000 individual news sources. Using this resource, you can drill down beyond cable and broadcast news to individual shows and media personalities (e.g., Tucker Carlson and Sean Hannity from Fox News, Anderson Cooper from CNN, or Rachel Maddow from MSNBC. Ad Fontes also publishes and updates a “Media Bias Chart” that visually places all the major news sources on a spectrum of news value/reliability and bias.
AllSides
AllSides is an American company that assesses the political bias of various media outlets. One of its major features is to provide versions of similar news stories from the perspective of the political right, left, and center, thereby giving readers information outside of their normal information bubbles. It rates some 800 sources on a five-point scale (Left, Leans left, Center, Leans right, and Right) using both unpaid volunteers and staff. AllSides uses these rankings to produce media bias charts listing popular sources. AllSides offers a free membership providing coverage of major news stories from the perspective of right, left, and center. It also offers a “sustaining membership” which is free of ads and provides members with access to many more services.
Braver Angels
Braver Angels is a citizen’s organization created in 2016 devoted to depolarizing America. It does so through grass roots organizing where volunteer leaders leverage a host of Braver Angels programs to transform attitudes towards one another. A major thrust is to bring blue and red community members together for workshops, debates, or other activities. Participants pledge to try to understand the other side’s point of view, even if they don’t agree with it; to engage those they disagree with, looking for common ground and ways to work together; and to support principles that bring them together rather than divide them. Through these programs, which also include e courses, joining alliances, and becoming a volunteer, the objective is to move Americans from hatred or disdain to respect & appreciation. Interested parties are encouraged to become a member of Braver Angels, with a wide range of contribution options (monthly or yearly). Participation in some programs is conditioned on being a member, but several of the programs are free.
Bridge Alliance
The Bridge Alliance is a left leaning coalition of about 100 organizations, “working together to promote healthy self-governance in our democratic republic. Bridge Alliance member organizations span the ideological spectrum, but are unified to work efficiently, outside arbitrarily defined political lines.”
Member organizations agree to adhere to the following five principles:
- Embracing Our Differences: We recognize that the richness of the American identity is due to our ability to accept our differences and embrace our cultural, ethnic, racial, and political diversity with dignity.
- Collaboration: Our country is stronger when we work together constructively to meet the challenges we face.
- Citizen Voice: Our country is well represented when informed citizens are active in the political and social processes.
- Solutions: Genuine, good faith problem-solving will lead to the best solutions to address our great challenges.
- Open-mindedness: We explore and learn from each other, seeking aligned efforts to raise visibility and effectiveness.
The Bridge Alliance is a good website to get an overview of the extensive array of organizations working to address polarization and division in America. It breaks down its member organizations into the following categories:
- Informing the Discussion (17 orgs)
- Bridging Ideological Divides (39 orgs)
- Cross partisan Think Tanks (14 orgs)
- Addressing Money and Corruption in Politics (4 orgs)
- Empowering Young Americans (18 orgs)
- Facilitating Citizen/Government Interaction (17 orgs)
- Strengthening Integrity in Voting, Campaigns, and Elections (12 orgs)
- Supporting Public Officials and Institutions (12 orgs)
Common Ground Committee
Common Ground Committee is a nonpartisan, citizen-led organization founded in 2009 that describes its mission as follows: “CGC inspires and motivates the public to find common ground and reduce incivility and polarization for a stronger nation. We do this by demonstrating how influential people of opposing views can unexpectedly find agreement without compromising core values. We provide innovative content and tools that empower individuals and consequently, their political leaders to do the same.”
One of the key resources available via CGC is its “Common Ground Scorecard”, which is a tool to help voters learn which elected officials and candidates are seeking common ground on important issues to move the country forward. You can search politicians by name, and officials and candidates can score a maximum of 110 points. The lowest possible score is minus 20.
There are other good resources available through CGC. One is its, “Ten Attributes of a Common Grounder” which can help you do your part to overcome polarization, and which can help you identify politicians and candidates who practice these attributes. Another good resource is its blog and extensive array of podcasts. Finally, CGC partners with Unify America (see below) to encourage interested parties to take the “Unity Challenge.”
CGC requests donations but does not require membership in the organization to participate in any of its activities, programs, or resources.
Unify America
Unify America, created in January of 2020, describes its mission and vision as follows: “Our mission is to replace politics with problem solving. And it starts with having “bubble-busting” conversations. Our vision is to coach and empower everyday Americans to participate directly in civic decision-making at all levels of government.”
The organization partners with nonprofits, colleges, and other organizations to deliver live, interactive experiences that reduce contempt and repair partisan divides. One of its primary tools is the “Unify Challenge,” a guided video conversation that each participant takes with another American who may vote differently than the participant or be different than the participant in other ways.
The website has several useful resources, including blogs and “insights.” Donations or memberships are not solicited, and participation in the organization’s programs is free.
