…to improve the information environment…
America’s poisoned information environment strongly contributes to problems of polarization and the Perception Gap. Improving the information environment is far from easy, but it essentially boils down to a simple math problem: add content that enhances social cohesion, and subtract content that frays social cohesion. More Like US’s initial focus on highlighting similarities across the political spectrum adds content that builds social cohesion. A wide variety of other content can also achieve this, such as showing those across the political spectrum as full complex individuals rather than stereotypes, who often do so much good for their families or communities, and can have the capacity to be great collaborators or friends. Another important addition to the information environment concerns media / information literacy, providing simple, scalable guidance about how to deal with the flood of information in today’s world. Meanwhile, to subtract content that frays social cohesion, it is necessary to address perverse incentives in news media and social media that ultimately use politically polarizing and distorting content to maximize user attention, as well as electoral systems that reward politicians for playing to fringe voters to win primaries in safe districts.