Toxic discourse on college campuses

Heightened tension on college campuses

A recent?New York Times?op-ed written by two deans of prominent public policy colleges — one who served in the Israeli military, the other Palestinian — stated they’re deeply alarmed at the polarizing and dehumanizing behaviors on college campuses surrounding the Israel/Palestine conflict. Students are “screaming past one another instead of listening and engaging with the other side.” They say that training the leaders of tomorrow “starts with countering speech that is harmful; modeling civic dialogue, mutual respect, and empathy; and showing an ability to listen to one another.”

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Movement updates:

• Have you used our new, interactive site? We launched our new?Citizen Solutions?site, which lets you weigh in on the issue of Gun Rights & Safety in Tennessee. Make your voice heard!? Weigh in

• A new book makes the case for moderation Aurelian Craiutu, Movement Partner and political science professor for Indiana University Bloomington, has a new book,?Why Not Moderation?: Letters to Young Radicals. The?L.A. Review of Books?called it “a very welcome corrective to the highly polarized spirit of our times.” Read the review

On The Feed:

AI-generated media on the rise

We are exactly one year from the 2024 presidential election, and the stakes for recognizing fact from deliberate fiction couldn’t be higher. Fake, doctored images have been around for a long time. In the late 1800s, some people would hand-draw tornadoes onto glass and photograph them against rural backgrounds. Now, of course, fake media is sophisticated and surrounds us.?Dan Evon?debunks viral rumors for?RumorGuard, a website from the nonpartisan nonprofit?News Literacy Project, which teaches people fact-checking skills. Read his article on our website for his expert insight into this newest form of misinformation and how to avoid being tricked by fakes. Read more…

Join the Conversation:

Is division a laughing matter?

In Rob Feld’s 16-minute film, comedians Colin Quinn, Mo Amer, Jim Norton, and others discuss how hard it can be to tell a joke during highly polarized times. The film also explores how social media warps our perceptions of each other and leads to unnecessary conflict. Watch it.

Make It A Habit:

Look for signs of fake, AI-generated media

Fake and manipulated media can ramp up our us vs. them divides. As AI programs get better at making things that look real, this problem will get worse. Make it a habit to not just accept what you see, but to bring some healthy skepticism to the table.

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