Understanding Political News Bias

Our “Stick With It” series on the Top of Mind podcast continues with journalist Isaac Saul, founder of the daily political newsletter Tangle. He talks about why it’s so hard to find unbiased political news and what news consumers can do about it. He also shares a “Stick With It” story about moderating a conversation between two guests with opposing views on the Israel/Hamas conflict that got so heated one of the guests demanded Tangle not release the interview. What happened next strengthened Saul’s belief in the power of tough conversations.

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Is Perspective-Taking the Key to Overcoming Polarization?

Why is it so hard to see things from a perspective other than our own? Our perspectives are shaped by our life experiences and our biology – some people are color-blind, for example. As a result of these differences, no two people see the world in exactly the same way. And yet, when it comes to differences of opinion on issues that we really care about, we are quick to demand that everyone else see things the way we do. Psychologists call the ability to see from a different vantage point “perspective taking.” Is perspective-taking the key to overcoming polarization in society? In this podcast episode, we learn how our brains are wired to process information differently – some think in words, others pictures. We get practical tips on how to practice perspective-taking during difficult conversations. And, we learn about the potential pitfalls of focusing only on developing empathy to bridge differences, because some empathy leads to helping, some does not.

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An Inside Look at Perspectives that Challenged the Top of Mind Team this Season

We’ve spent the last several months on Top of Mind assessing the assumptions that drive our decisions. And we hope you’ve had a few “Stick With It Moments” as you’ve heard a perspective that challenged you, but you chose to stay open and curious – and keep listening! And hopefully that’s been good practice for “sticking with it” when you encounter challenging perspectives in your daily life. Because leaning into that discomfort leads to new empathy, more clarity on complicated issues, and a better ability to advocate for the things you really care about. While we’re producing the podcast, we have Stick With It moments, too. So in this podcast episode to wrap up Season 4, our host Julie Rose talks with the Top of Mind team about moments that challenged them in recent episodes about adoption, end-of-life decisions, immigration, police reform and political disagreement.

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How Native Americans are Reclaiming Their Narrative

More than three-quarters of Americans say they know little to nothing about Native Americans. Nearly the same percentage also say they rarely or never encounter any kind of information about Native peoples. What Americans DO know about Native Americans likely comes from inaccurate history lessons that keep tribes situated in the past. Or maybe from the antiquated characterizations in Hollywood films and TV shows. But a new wave of research, activism, and representation is changing the conversation; Native Americans are reclaiming their narrative. So today, what assumptions do non-Native people in America have about Native Americans, past and present? In this episode of the podcast, we talk to a former teacher and curriculum designer about bringing contemporary Native American history into the classroom through the arts, a researcher and media consultant about the consequences of invisibility, a reconciliation advisor about healing from appropriation, and a former elected tribal leader about the importance of strengthening Tribal sovereignty.

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Immigration and America’s Labor Shortage – Are Guestworkers the Solution?

America is aging and many industries say they need more immigrant workers to do lower-skilled jobs Americans don’t want. Are they right? If so, how should we be looking at immigration and America’s labor shortage to find those solutions? And if immigration is not the answer, how will we fill the growing number of open positions in industries like healthcare and construction? In this episode of the podcast, we’re reframing the debate about immigration, with a closer look at short-term migration. We tend to think of immigration as being exclusively a permanent thing, but development economist Lant Pritchett says most immigration is intended to be rotational. Could immigration work better for America – and for the people who want to come here – if we significantly expand guestworker programs? We explore the history of guestworkers in the US, speak to someone who’s worked in America on an H-2A farmworker visa and consider the risks of expanding that program without significant reform. We hear about the need for better enforcement of existing immigration laws and border security. And we consider a proposal to meet America’s labor needs without more immigration.

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The Hidden Cost of Fines and Fees

Fines and fees have become the default way we punish people in America; deterrence is the ultimate goal, but do fines actually deter bad behavior? Often the consequences of fines and fees are not felt equally, because what’s expensive to you might be pocket change to me. Still, the overdue book or speeding ticket costs the same for both of us. In this podcast episode, we interview a library advocate and former library director who successfully eliminated fines at his library. We also share the story of a man who struggled with traffic fines which led to 15 years of license suspensions. A former judge and advocate for reforming fines and fees shares how her organization is aiming to reduce the negative consequences of monetary penalties. And a behavioral economist who conducted one of the most famous experiments on fines discusses the many ways financial penalties can backfire, if we’re not careful.

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Power of Curiosity to Bridge Divides

Our “Stick With It” series on the Top of Mind podcast continues with Monica Guzman, senior fellow at Braver Angels, host of A Braver Way podcast and author of “I Never Thought of It That Way: How to Have Fearlessly Curious Conversations in Dangerously Divided Times.” Guzman (a liberal) describes how countless political conversations with her parents (who voted for Trump twice) helped her understand the power of curiosity to bridge differences and reduce polarization. In this podcast conversation, Monica Guzman shares practical tips, starting with asking ourselves “What am I missing?” when we encounter a perspective that challenges us. “Certainty is the arch-villain of curiosity,” says Guzman. “Curiosity gets sparked at the gap between what you know and what you want to know. Asking ‘What am I missing?’ acknowledges the fact that in most cases you are probably missing something. So it gets your mind to get curious about the gaps that it’s refusing to see.”

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Coping With Criticism That Feels Personal

Our “Stick With It” series on the Top of Mind podcast continues with Monica Packer, a personal growth coach and host of the popular About Progress podcast and Instagram community @aboutprogress. Packer’s professional and personal focus is choosing progress over the paralysis of perfectionism. Starting a blog and podcast were part of Packer’s personal commitment to trying new things. But it also opened her up to criticism that felt personal. She talks about choosing to lean into the opportunity to better understand a rejection from someone she respected. Over the course of many emails and one memorable phone conversation, Packer says she realized that while her critic had been making stereotypical assumptions about her, she was doing much the same thing toward him. Sticking with the discomfort of those conversations helped her understand the criticism was not as personal as she’d initially thought, and gave her confidence to continue being vulnerable on the podcast.

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We Don’t Agree on America’s Founding Story. Do We Need To?

Americans struggle to agree on even the most basic parts of America’s founding story. Some say it was divine intervention. Others, a scheme to profit off slavery, or simply a pursuit of freedom. Can we ever really agree on national narrative? Do we even need to? People are complicated and so is history. But when it comes to national narratives and founding stories, we tend to assume only one story can be right - and it's the version that most aligns with our own feelings about America. Simplicity might not be necessary, though. Can a founding story be complicated and contradictory and still do its job? In this podcast episode, a professor of classics recounts how the myth of Romulus and Remus laid a narrative foundation for the rise of the Roman empire. A history scholar explores America’s unique need for a founding story and traces the contributions of George Bancroft, William Gilmore Simms and Frederick Douglass. And a history curriculum designer encourages us to think differently about teaching American history and the nation’s narrative.

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Who Owns Our Cultural Heritage? — Museums, Repatriation, and Appropriation

Who should decide how the stories and artifacts of a cultural heritage are shared with the world? For a long time, the assumption has been that as long as culture’s stories are told, it doesn’t matter who’s telling them. But who would you trust to tell your story? Museums of human civilization and culture are at the center of this conversation. Some are returning antiquities taken by colonial force. Others are consulting with indigenous communities to reframe the stories exhibits tell. But what’s lost when museum’s make the question “Who owns this cultural artifact?” their primary focus? In this episode of the podcast, we visit the famed Pitt Rivers Museum in Oxford to understand how 19th century ideas of white European superiority are perpetuated in modern museums. We speak with a prominent skeptic of repatriation who believes it undermines the power of museums to help us understand history and our place in it. We also hear a story of spiritual healing prompted by the return of Native American items by a small museum in Massachusetts. And then we make the issue modern and personal with a conversation about what cultural appropriation looks like in daily life and how we can appreciate, rather than appropriate.

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