Media Entrepreneurship In A Time Of Polarization

1. 72% of US adults think that news organizations tend to favor one side when presenting political and social issues.

2. 71% of online readers say that they read news sites that agree with their own views.

3. And most importantly, 50% of Americans say that talking about politics with people they disagree with is stressful and frustrating.Laura believes that due to our news consumption habits, we’ve forgotten how to empathize with those who don’t share our political opinions. Instead, we make nasty caricatures of those who disagree with us. It’s no surprise that we feel more divided than ever. Thus, Laura decided to build a different type of news company - one that was intentionally designed from the ground-up to appeal to both parties. One that would make it fun and easy for readers to engage with opinions from across the political spectrum. Laura has a hypothesis: she thinks that if Americans engage with opposing opinions, they will be less likely to judge and more likely to empathize. They will begin to understand how somebody — who is just as smart as they are — may form different opinions. She thinks that this empathetic approach will lead to healthier, solution-oriented debate. So like Rob, Laura is wrestling with a major question as she builds her company: In this age of political polarization, how can she develop and market content that appeals equally to liberals and conservatives? Rob and Laura both spent their summers in Boston with summer fellowship grants from the HBS Rock Center for Entrepreneurship. Rob launched a podcast called Small Batch News. It’s a brief, daily podcast covering topics that are overshadowed by nonstop Trump coverage. You can subscribe on iTunes or as an Alexa Flash Briefing. Laura’s company, Abridge News, creates informed and empathetic political discourse among Americans who have opposing points of view. Each day, their website (https://abridgenews.com) highlights a trending news story and curates different opinion articles that each represent a unique, defensible point of view.