Partisan Polarization

Getting Started

Toxic partisan polarization is one of the primary threats to functioning democracies around the world. Entertainment can play an important role in reducing intergroup hostility and bias, humanizing partisan “others,” and shifting social norms around how we engage across lines of difference. We've assembled a number of resources that help creatives bridge partisan divides and foster civic cohesion while telling the stories they want to tell.

The resources here are provided by the Center for Entertainment & Civic Health (launching in 2021). The center harnesses the power of storytelling and entertainment media to reduce toxic polarization and foster civic cohesion in America.

March 20, 2023

How Entertainment TV Portrays Civic Leadership and Civic Engagement in the United States

Watching Out for Democracy is an independent research project of the Center for Media & Social Impact (CMSI), under the Civic Leadership Stories Project. Under the direction of Principal Investigator Caty Borum and Lead Researcher Paula Weissman...
March 20, 2023

Narrative, Power and Polarisation: The Role of Influential Actors

In societies marked by deep social divisions, powerful individuals and organisations play a key role in building up narratives which promote either peaceful engagement or polarisation that can lead to violence.