How local opinion pages can reduce political polarization

+ the broad effect of 'community trauma' US Edition - Today's top story: Local newspapers can help reduce polarization with opinion pages that focus on local issues [View in browser]( US Edition | 27 May 2021 [The Conversation]( Academic rigor, journalistic flair Do you want to read about politics, or do you want to read about making herb jelly? Since this newsletter comes out before a long holiday weekend when you may want to turn away from weighty matters, I’ll cover both. One of our stories this week took me back to an earlier point in my career, when I was the opinion page editor at two Maine newspapers. The publisher gave me my brief when I started: Keep the opinion pages local. What our readers wanted, he believed, was to read about issues relevant to their daily lives. While that could mean the occasional opinion columns and editorials about national issues, our goal was to dig into our backyard and state. Readers loved those pages, proving in an unscientific way what scholars Joshua P. Darr, Johanna Dunaway and Matthew P. Hitt found in their academic study of the role opinion pages can play in our political lives. “The best op-ed pages operate almost like a town square, allowing readers to discuss and debate [issues important both to their communities and beyond](,” they write. But in a familiar tale, “the economic crisis in local news is making it harder for the opinion page to realize its potential as a vibrant community forum,” the scholars write. Instead, it’s cheaper for local opinion pages to feature a mashup of nationally syndicated columns about highly partisan, ideologically based national political problems than to spend the time and effort on commissioning and editing local pieces. And that kind of opinion page can exacerbate community divisions. One local paper ditched all its national content for one month, and overall, readers liked it. The experiment shows how local-only opinion pages “can bring back some readers and bridge some of the political divides that can drive American communities apart” the scholars write. Now, to jelly: I planted much of my ornamental flower seedlings this past weekend. They’re nestled in a garden that’s otherwise filled with useful herbs and vegetables. One of the things I love doing as I walk past a garden bed is to brush against the herbs and get a whiff of their delicious scent. Here’s how to bottle that experience, a simple recipe for herb jelly that allows you to [keep that scent and flavor alive]( all year long. Have a good, long weekend – and if you’re finally getting to see family after far too long, hold them close. It’s the best feeling in the world. Naomi Schalit Senior Editor, Politics + Society Opinion journalism can rile people up – or it can bring them together. momentimages/Getty Images [Local newspapers can help reduce polarization with opinion pages that focus on local issues]( Johanna Dunaway, Texas A&M University; Joshua P. Darr, Louisiana State University ; Matthew P. Hitt, Colorado State University The best op-ed pages operate like a town square, allowing readers to discuss and debate issues important to their communities and beyond. But many now focus on divisive national political issues. A demonstration for peace in Buenaventura, Colombia, where a cartel turf war has left at least 30 people dead since the beginning of this year. Luis Robayo/AFP via Getty Images [Colombian city beset by crime declares ‘Black Lives Matter’]( Shauna N Gillooly, University of California, Irvine A lethal turf war between drug traffickers has terrorized Buenaventura, Colombia for months. Now protesters are demanding the government's help to protect people in this mostly Black city. Each headstone in Minneapollis’ ‘Say Their Names’ cemetery represents a Black American killed by police – deaths that create a ripple effect of pain felt in Black communities nationwide. Jason Armond/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images [Pain of police killings ripples outward to traumatize Black people and communities across US]( Denise A. Herd, University of California, Berkeley Evidence shows that many Black Americans experience police killings of unarmed Black people – even those they do not know – as traumatic events, causing acute physical and emotional distress. - [Sheriffs in more militarized counties reap election rewards]( Christos Mavridis, Middlesex University; Maurizio Zanardi, University of Surrey; Orestis Troumpounis, Lancaster University Sheriffs in less populated counties got bigger boosts from military surplus than sheriffs in more populated counties. - [Despite federal moratorium, eviction rates returning to pre-pandemic levels]( Benjamin Larsen, Boise State University; McAllister Hall, Boise State University A federal eviction ban had much less effect than state-specific restrictions, an analysis of eviction data finds. - [The obscure, unelected Senate official whose rulings can help – or kill – a bill’s chance to pass]( Charles Tiefer, University of Baltimore The Senate has a lot of rules, and its parliamentarian interprets what those rules allow – and what they don't. That can mean a bill will face either huge obstacles, or very few obstacles to passage. --------------------------------------------------------------- Today’s graphic [A map of the United States color coded to show the amount of military surplus different counties receive.]( You’re receiving this newsletter from [The Conversation](. Not interested anymore? [Unsubscribe](. 303 Wyman Street, Suite 300 Waltham, MA 02451