America Is Dangerously Divided. USA TODAY and Partners Launch “Hidden Common Ground” to Find Solutions.
December 05 2019 - 6:00AM
Business Wire
USA TODAY, Public Agenda and Ipsos delve into
the issues that divide Americans and offer “common ground”
solutions leading up to the 2020 presidential election
Hidden Common Ground, a nine-month examination of issues that
divide America along with potential solutions, launches today by
USA TODAY, part of Gannett Co., Inc. (NYSE: GCI), and partners with
a poll that finds Americans believe political divisiveness is
harming our democracy. Nine out of 10 say it’s important for the
United States to reduce the chasm.
Leading up to the 2020 presidential election, USA TODAY, Public
Agenda and Ipsos will examine controversial issues — such as health
care, immigration and economic opportunity — and present solutions
from diverse subject-matter experts.
In the first installment, USA TODAY Washington Bureau Chief
Susan Page reports on the bitter divisiveness that marks so much of
our politics and what citizens want to see in American public life.
“By overwhelming margins,” she reports, “those surveyed said
national leaders, social media and the news media have exacerbated
and exaggerated those divisions, sometimes for their own benefit
and to the detriment of ordinary people.”
According to the inaugural Public Agenda/USA TODAY/Ipsos survey,
three in four respondents say there is more common ground among the
American people than is typically recognized. Moreover, one in 10
respondents say political divisiveness is making them sad, anxious
or depressed. Surprisingly, almost 40 percent of Republicans and
almost 50 percent of Democrats say they would be tempted to cross
party lines to elect a leader who helps bring the country
together.
In the coming months, Public Agenda will produce in-depth
research and analysis on major issues facing the American
electorate. Ipsos will conduct polling on these topics, identifying
areas of public agreement.
The results will be presented online at USATODAY.com and,
beginning Thursday, Dec. 5, in a monthly special report in the
print edition of USA TODAY. In addition to reflecting areas of
agreement among U.S. voters, upcoming installments will give
readers the opportunity to compare where presidential candidates
stand on each issue.
Reporting on each issue will be accompanied by original
commentary from the USA TODAY Opinion team as well as opinion
pieces from diverse subject-matter experts.
Award-winning opinion editor and columnist Tim Swarens, formerly
of the Indianapolis Star and the Miami Herald, is joining the
project in the role of commentary editor. His work has been
published in USA TODAY, the Wall Street Journal, the Arizona
Republic, the Detroit Free Press and the Seattle Times. Swarens
also has appeared on CNN, Fox News, MSNBC and the BBC.
"Much of the political rhetoric and social media chatter in our
nation is undeniably corrosive. But that's not the full story,"
Swarens said. "Our goal with this project is to highlight the
voices and stories of people and organizations across the country
who are working together, in spite of their differences, to find
solutions to problems facing their communities and our nation.”
Hidden Common Ground also features a unique partnership with the
National Issues Forums Institute, which will host a series of
moderated, online forums using its Common Ground for Action digital
platform beginning Thursday, Dec. 5. A schedule of forums and
information on how to participate can be found at
usatoday.com/hiddencommonground. Public forums in communities
across the country are planned throughout 2020.
This initiative is part of Gannett’s commitment to provide the
most comprehensive coverage of the 2020 election, fueled by the
company’s footprint in more than 260 communities across the U.S.
Gannett’s effort will include industry-leading innovation in
augmented reality, audio and video storytelling, interactive
experiences and in-person events.
Public Agenda is a nonprofit, nonpartisan research and public
engagement organization dedicated to strengthening democracy and
expanding opportunity for all.
The Hidden Common Ground project is supported by the John S. and
James L. Knight Foundation, the Charles Koch Foundation, and the
Rockefeller Brothers Fund. The Kettering Foundation serves as a
research partner to the Hidden Common Ground initiative.
About USA TODAY
Founded in 1982, USA TODAY reflects the pulse of the nation,
serving as host of the American conversation by delivering
high-quality, engaging content through unique visual storytelling
across all platforms. A media innovator, USA TODAY reaches nearly
88 million unique visitors each month across digital platforms,
with more than 26 million downloads of our award-winning app. USA
TODAY is owned by Gannett Co., Inc. (NYSE: GCI).
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For Media Inquiries, Contact: USA TODAY Chrissy
Terrell Corporate Communications and Public Relations, Director
504.952.4225 caterrell@usatoday.com
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