Gannett Invites USA Today Network Readers to Connect and Bridge America’s Divide
May 18 2021 - 8:00AM
Business Wire
Gannett partners with the #ListenFirst
Coalition and the award-winning My Country Talks program to foster
productive conversation across America
Gannett Co., Inc. (NYSE: GCI), announced today a partnership
with the #ListenFirst Coalition and My Country Talks to foster
connection and provide an opportunity for Americans to have honest,
respectful and meaningful conversations. America Talks is a two-day
virtual event taking place June 12 and 13, 2021. All Americans 18
and older are encouraged to register for the event, which enables
open dialogue among individuals who have differing
perspectives.
Gannett will play a central role in helping thousands of
Americans with diverse backgrounds and beliefs participate in the
national virtual discussion. To help Americans register for the
event, Gannett will embed a special questionnaire in online news
articles published in USA TODAY and in over 250 of Gannett’s local
news sites in 46 states. Daily news readers will be invited to
answer a few, simple survey questions and then be given the
opportunity to sign up for a one-on-one, face-to-face video
conversation with another participant who has differing views
during the digital event in June.
“USA TODAY and the USA TODAY Network are delighted to bring
America Talks to our readers across the country. Now more than
ever, we need to engage in courageous conversations across our
differences, and we hope our readers will answer the call,” said
Mizell Stewart III, Vice President of News Performance, Talent, and
Partnerships for Gannett and the USA TODAY Network. “With deep
roots in red and blue states across the country, we are uniquely
positioned to help facilitate conversation between people of
diverse backgrounds and perspectives who are open to finding common
ground.”
America Talks will serve as the headline event kicking off the
annual National Week of Conversation (NWOC) showcasing additional
opportunities for Americans to have conversations despite
differences in bold and energizing ways. This year’s NWOC will take
place June 14 - June 20, 2021. Powered by the #ListenFirst
Coalition of 300+ organizations, the National Week of Conversation
invites Americans to listen and discover common interests by also
using the official hashtag #ListenFirst.
“America needs to talk, and we need to listen to those unlike
ourselves. The way we’re demonizing each other across differences
is a real threat to all Americans, our families, our communities,
and our country. America Talks is a chance for us to take a
courageous and necessary step toward healing America,” said Pearce
Godwin, Founder & CEO, Listen First Project. “It’s easy to sit
back and point fingers, to lose hope. What if instead we stepped
forward and got real with each other, extending curiosity, good
will and grace? That’s what America Talks and the subsequent
National Week of Conversation are all about.”
The America Talks initiative aligns with Gannett’s ongoing
mission to bridge the country’s divide and coincides with USA TODAY
and Public Agenda’s Hidden Common Ground Initiative. Public
Agenda’s most recent study finds a powerful consensus across
political affiliations that the country needs to move beyond the
destructive divisiveness that plagues our politics. The research
also finds that 79% of Americans believe creating more
opportunities for people to talk with those who have different
values and views would be effective in reducing divisiveness.
Hidden Common Ground challenges the narrative of a divided America
by identifying and amplifying the areas where Americans agree on
solutions to polarizing issues. Through a partnership with National
Issues Forums, the initiative also seeks to foster productive,
civil conversation in communities across the country.
ABOUT GANNETT
Gannett Co., Inc. (NYSE: GCI) is a subscription-led and
digitally focused media and marketing solutions company committed
to empowering communities to thrive. With an unmatched reach at the
national and local level, Gannett touches the lives of millions
with our Pulitzer Prize-winning content, consumer experiences and
benefits, and advertiser products and services. Our current
portfolio of media assets includes USA TODAY, local media
organizations in 46 states in the U.S., and Newsquest, a wholly
owned subsidiary operating in the United Kingdom with more than 120
local news media brands. Gannett also owns the digital marketing
services companies ReachLocal, Inc., UpCurve, Inc., and WordStream,
Inc., which are marketed under the LOCALiQ brand, and runs the
largest media-owned events business in the U.S., USA TODAY NETWORK
Ventures. To connect with us, visit www.gannett.com.
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 more
than 90M unique visitors each month across digital platforms, with
more than 25 million downloads of our award-winning app. USA TODAY
is owned by Gannett Co., Inc. (NYSE: GCI).
ABOUT AMERICA TALKS
America Talks is a powerful two-day event that invites Americans
to connect one-on-one, face-to-face on video across our divides.
Thousands of Americans will join these conversations
simultaneously, and millions more will be inspired by their
example. America Talks is organized by a coalition of nonpartisan,
bridge-building organizations and promoted by Gannett and other
media partners. America Talks is powered by the award-winning My
Country Talks, an international program for conversation across
differences. America Talks is sponsored by Walmart, Microsoft and
Twitter, hosted by AllSides, and will be promoted by its 100+
partner organizations who will host additional conversation
opportunities during the subsequent National Week of Conversation.
For more information, visit: https://americatalks.us.
#ListenFirst
ABOUT PUBLIC AGENDA
Public Agenda is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization dedicated
to creating a stronger, more inclusive, more participatory
democracy for everyone. Through research and public engagement
programs with local and national impact, we focus on raising up the
voices of the public, bridging divides to facilitate progress, and
strengthening relationships between institutions and the people
they serve. Founded in 1975 by the social scientist and public
opinion expert Dan Yankelovich and former Secretary of State Cyrus
Vance, Public Agenda works on diverse critical public issues,
including health, education, environmental resilience, and civic
engagement. Follow us on
FB@publicagenda/Twitter@publicagenda/Instagram@publicagenda_.
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USA TODAY | Gannett Chrissy Terrell (504) 952-4225
caterrell@usatoday.com
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