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I have long felt that democracy is circling the drain. Last summer, from the stage at the Aspen Ideas Festival, I urged philanthropy to recognize what’s at stake and act.
Today, our country’s growing divisions confirm my fears about the threats we face. International crises from Ukraine to Gaza and domestic issues too numerous to name have the right and the left standing like mixed- martial-arts fighters snarling at each other from opposite sides of the octagon. In between is the moderate majority of voters swinging from one election to the next, reacting to issues of the moment or, on courageous occasion, standing as defenders of democracy. The question is: Why are we so far apart?
Answers vary, but there is an underlying problem. Despite the benefits of the Information Age, the downside is that opinion and misinformation are now both labeled as fact. Anyone can easily manufacture their own version of the “truth.” When we can’t even agree on facts, how can we possibly find common ground in our communities or our politics?
We all initially react to information with our “gut” — a mixture of emotion, instinct, experience, and prejudice. In the best moments, we test our reaction with discernment, engaging trusted information sources. For much of the history of our republic, reputable news sources were key to our individual and collective search for truth.
Today, too many take that gut feeling and cherry-pick supporting evidence from across the internet or news sources, reinforcing our preconceived notions with information relayed to us by those who base their gospel on political agenda, material gain, or someone else’s cherry-picking.
So how do we start to turn things around? We find, build up, and fund nonpartisan nonprofits that serve as honest brokers and empower us to become honest brokers ourselves.
I am drawn to the News Literacy Project (NLP), a nonpartisan nonprofit that seeks to bring the tools necessary to separate fact from fiction into classrooms across America. It helps educators teach students to determine the credibility of news and other information and recognize the standards of fact-based journalism.
Last year, I joined the NLP Board of Directors and made a $10 million commitment — the largest in its 16-year history. But writing checks and attending quarterly board meetings aren’t enough. Given the national crisis of confidence in our democracy, philanthropy must do more than we’ve done before.
We can use our convening power to make sure groups like NLP get in front of the right people so they can expand their work. I’ve hosted convenings that include meetings at the Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce headquarters and lunches in San Francisco and beyond. In 2022, I hosted Los Angeles schools superintendent Alberto Carvalho at Roosevelt High School to demonstrate the importance of teaching news literacy to the next generation. Today, NLP is expanding in the city’s public schools.
It is a significant undertaking to rebuild and reinforce the pillars upon which this country stands. And whether we like it or not, we are all stakeholders. It truly doesn’t matter which political party you are with — or none at all. We all must understand that democracy is only as strong as the next generation who will defend it. As philanthropists, we can help honest brokers on the local, state, and national levels engage our young people in the cause of democracy.
This critical work can’t be done without accelerating funding. More than $1.3 trillion in assets is sitting in foundations throughout our country. Another $230 billion is parked in donor-advised funds. These resources can and must be used immediately to build better infrastructure to promote a sounder democracy.
That funding shouldn’t come from special interests of any ideological or political stripe. It needs to come from philanthropic individuals and foundations that make donations with one requirement: that they are used to achieve a mission effectively and efficiently. I am a believer in providing general operating support. If I choose to make a big bet on a nonprofit, I believe it knows best how to deploy my investment.
And when making a big bet, I like to find organizations that get more “cluck for my buck.” In the case of NLP, it helps teach students the importance of accurate local and national journalism while showing how good reporting is held to a much higher standard than a post on Facebook.
Young people need to recognize the importance of local and national news organizations. Throughout our country’s history, robust fact-based reporting has exposed wrongdoing and led to significant reforms. In 1892, Ida B. Wells documented lynchings and exposed the horrific murders of Black men and women. Upton Sinclair’s undercover investigations of meatpacking plants led to monumental change in worker and food safety in the early 1900s. Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein reported on verified corruption at the highest levels of the Nixon administration, prompting a presidential resignation. In recent years, Jodi Kantor and Megan Twohey brought Harvey Weinstein and other sexual harassers into the light and sparked a movement long overdue.
Yet we increasingly rely on social media to get our news — an online comment section where anyone can say anything and claim it as fact. When Americans know how to find trustworthy sources and rely on them instead of social media, we can stop debating what is real and start talking through what conclusions should come from facts. That is our path to lasting solutions — and to a democracy that will not just survive, but thrive.
The Commons is financed in part with philanthropic support from the Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation, Einhorn Collaborative, and JPB Foundation. None of our supporters have any control over or input into story selection, reporting, or editing, and they do not review articles before publication. See more about the Chronicle, the grants, how our foundation-supported journalism works, and our gift-acceptance policy.