Common Ground #1 🤝

 Joe Raedle/Getty Images

Testing a new series

Today, we're testing a new series we've dubbed "Common Ground". Our goal with this series is to highlight the common values that left and right-leaning media share. We're doing this because the team at News Bling decided that we should remind our readers that not every topic is partisan and polarizing. 

How will we do this?

Good question. We'll take articles from the left and the right that seem to be telling a news story in the same way - and extract common values from this. Maybe these common values will spark a conversation of agreement with your neighbor on the other side of the aisle or maybe it’s just a little dose of positivity to end the week.

---

TOPIC #2

Fox News: Vanderbilt condemns 'deeply disturbing' white supremacy email sent to students, faculty

USA Today: Vanderbilt University condemns racist email promoting white supremacy sent to students, staff

TOPIC #1:

Fox News: Air marshals have secretly monitored US passengers for years, report

Washington Post: Air marshals have conducted secret in-flight monitoring of U.S.

---

Summary: A racist email was sent out to students on Monday at Vanderbilt University promoting white supremacist ideas. The source is unknown. Vanderbilt and the local NAACP have responded, and the IT department and police are investigating.
 

Evidence of common ground:

• Both sides felt this story should be on their homepages
• Both highlight the University’s unequivocal stance on the email in their title
• Both quote the University’s and the NAACP’s condemnation of the email

Common value: Racism should be condemned quickly and unequivocally,  just like Vanderbilt did.

Summary: Federal Air Marshals, under a TSA program called “Quiet Skies”, have been putting U.S. citizens on lists and monitoring them during flights. Citizens are put on these lists due to “suspicious” behavior, such as travel history and in-flight behavior (such as length of bathroom use).

Evidence of common ground:

• Both outlets provide a quote calling it a waste of money
• Both provide a quote that raises concerns about civil liberties violations
• Both highlight that bathroom behavior is part of the criteria for monitoring

Common value: Secretly monitoring people on planes (whose only offense might be irritable bowel syndrome 💩) seems like a violation of civil rights and is just plain weird.

When the left and right find common ground

---

Share this story!