In today’s world, navigating the news can feel overwhelming. Sensationalism, confirmation bias and the 24-hour news cycle often leave people feeling anxious, disengaged and disconnected. Researchers have even coined a term for this sustained anxiety – “The Scary World Syndrome” – describing how relentless exposure to news skews our perception of reality and increases stress.
However, a study from the Nieman Journalism Lab found that diversifying your online news sources can reduce news-related anxiety by offering a more balanced and empowering view of the world. At AllSides, we believe access to diverse perspectives does more than reduce news-related stress and anxiety – it’s fundamental to a thriving democratic society.
The Role of Business in Fostering Civic Discourse
This idea was central to a recent webinar with AllSides CEO and Co-Founder John Gable, LivingRoomConversations.org Co-Founder Joan Blades, and Janice Brunner, Group General Counsel and Head of Civic Engagement at Travelers, a leading provider of property casualty insurance for auto, home and business that has been operating for more than 170 years in communities throughout the United States.
In the webinar, “The Importance of Balanced Information and Human Connections in a Pluralist Democracy,” hosted by the Travelers Institute, the three leaders discussed how engagement with diverse opinions strengthens the workplace and individual wellbeing. It’s also, they recognized, good for our overall health.
Joan Blades emphasized the workplace is a useful model for productive exchange, stating, “Businesses are one of the places where healthy conflict happens, because companies know that…if you have a conflict and you deal with it well, you come up with better answers.” The result, she continued, is “a team that feels closer and works well together…If successful work environments could start filtering out to our social environment, that would be a gift.”
When people are exposed to multiple perspectives, they’re more resilient against bias and misinformation. They understand the humanity in different viewpoints and become less polarized.
Citizen Travelers + AllSides
This is why we are thrilled to announce our partnership with Citizen Travelers – a nonpartisan initiative by Travelers that empowers employees to participate in civic life and foster more informed and engaged communities.
As part of this collaboration, Travelers employees can now access an ad-free complimentary Reader Level Sustaining Membership to AllSides.com, unlimited use of the AllSides Bias Checker, access to premium newsletters, and more.
Throughout the webinar, the speakers made a strong case for why businesses have a stake in promoting civic activity.
As Janice Brunner concluded, “The idea of taking skills you learn in the workplace into the community…is such a positive way to accomplish more. When you’re working with neighbors civically and innovating to solve common problems, you also learn so much you can take back to the corporation. It really is this virtuous cycle.”
At a time when information overload feels like the norm, it’s partnerships like this that give us hope for a more balanced, thoughtful and connected world.
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