The Civic Discourse Project: ‘Citizenship and the Media’

Two journalists visited Arizona State University’s Tempe campus to participate in the School of Civic and Economic Thought and Leadership’s Civic Discourse Project, “Citizenship and the Media: A Responsibility to Promote Civic Literacy.”

New York Times columnist David Leonhardt and Ramesh Ponnuru of the National Review and American Enterprise Institute discuss the concept of political parties and the meaning of getting news in this day and age. Leonhardt and Ponnuru agree that it’s important to disagree: in their view, discourse and compromise were fundamental to the founding of the United States. But while arguments can be good, the amount of political polarization stems from a lack of understanding from both sides.

Some of these threads stretch forward to our contemporary context, while others connect us profoundly to American founding principles.

The School of Civic and Economic Thought and Leadership provides an indispensable forum for the school to include historical and contemporary conversations about politics in American society within the framework of civic discourse that inspires all of our public programs.

MORE: Read about the latest season of The Civic Discourse Project or see all this season’s episodes.

Illustration of columns of a capitol building with text reading: Arizona PBS AZ Votes 2024

Arizona PBS presents candidate debates

The Capital building with text reading: Circle on Circle: Robert Lowell's D.C.
May 2

An evening with ‘Poetry in America’

Earth Day Challenge graphic with the Arizona PBS logo and an illustration of the earth

Help us meet the Earth Day Challenge!

Graphic for the AZPBS kids LEARN! Writing Contest with a child sitting in a chair writing on a table and text reading: The Ultimate Field Trip
May 12

Submit your entry for the 2024 Writing Contest

Subscribe to Arizona PBS Newsletters

STAY in touch
with azpbs.org!

Subscribe to Arizona PBS Newsletters: