Talking Sense

MPR News and the nonprofit organization Braver Angels have created Talking Sense to help Minnesotans have hard conversations, better.

Talking Sense is a reporting project that explores the roots of polarization in communities, families and homes, and looks at how Minnesotans are navigating these divisive times. It’s also a series of live events and online tools that help Minnesotans have challenging political conversations without letting the need to change minds stand in the way of preserving important relationships. 

Has political polarization affected your family or community? Send us your Talking Sense story at talk@mprnews.org

Talking Sense: How does news media contribute to political polarization?  
MPR News guest host Catharine Richert and her guests talk about how the news media contributes to political polarization by stoking mistrust and reinforcing stereotypes.
Civil rights expert: How to bridge Martin Luther King Jr. Day and Trump’s inauguration
Civil rights expert john a. powell, author of the recently published book “The Power of Bridging: How to Build a World Where We All Belong,” addresses the dual occasions of Martin Luther King Jr. Day and President-elect Donald Trump's inauguration day and how to bridge the two.
A new lesson in higher education: Being OK with uncomfortable conversations
Colleges around the country have been taking heat for being too politically correct and stifling robust political debate. At the University of Minnesota's Humphrey School of Public Affairs, the faculty is trying to tackle that problem. 
4 ways news media fuel polarization, and some ways to stop it
We live in politically polarized times, and media coverage can be part of the problem, says Diana Mutz, an author and professor who wants American news organizations to rethink how they present political news.
Divided over politics, a father and son in Minnesota sought a therapist’s help
A father and adult son with sharp political differences sat down with a therapist to figure out how they can have more productive political conversations at a time of intense polarization in the country.
A prayer across the rural-urban divide: ‘Open our hearts, open our brains’
A rural church and an urban church’s congregants and leaders have been meeting during a contentious election year. They wanted to see if they could lower the political temperature among their congregations by learning from each other.