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Frequently Asked Questions

What is Civil?

Our mission is to empower you to understand more and argue less. Each week, we identify trending topics and analyze the narratives from the Left and Right. We'll be in your inbox, offering you the context you need to engage with alternate viewpoints civilly. Our newsletter is delivered on Wednesday mornings. It’s a quick 5-10 minutes read; A perfect pairing with your morning coffee.

How do you decide what goes in each newsletter?

Each week, our team analyzes content from dozens of news outlets – Left, Right, and Center. We find the essential stories where the consequences are significant and narratives are diverse. All our writers have equal say in content decisions and final analysis. We synthesize the spectrum of perspectives to get you the facts, the biases, and the impact of what’s happening.

Who writes Civil?

Our team’s beliefs span the political spectrum and we are upfront with our biases, so you never have to wonder what implicit biases impact our work. We all want a better future for our country. We just have different ideas of what “better” looks like. We believe everyone has a right to their own beliefs. Even when we disagree, we know it’s more important to treat each other with respect than it is to convince each other to see the world as we do.

What qualifies you to interpret bias?

We regularly reflect on our own biases, and work together to understand how our different biases prevent us from seeing certain things clearly. By working together, across the political spectrum, we’re able to distinguish facts from fiction. We ask ourselves these questions to keep ourselves on the right track:

  • What is the factual basis of this perspective
  • What biases are impacting the narratives?
  • Will separating the opinion from the fact increase the potential for civil dialogue?

We don’t claim to be perfectly objective and are open about our existing biases. Since unbiased writing is impossible, we ask ourselves the more important question: “Will this newsletter help readers be more or less civil?”

Why should I read Civil?

We believe that everyone has a right to their world view, and it’s in our best interest to understand where everyone is coming from. When we understand each other, we can better identify problems, and build better solutions. Sounds great, but chasing down every political opinion is time consuming and exhausting. Don’t worry, we got you. We make sure you can get that diversity of perspectives, right to your inbox, every week, no hassle.

How are bias ratings formed?

The Civil team does not assign bias ratings for each news outlet. Our bias ratings come directly from AllSides, a bi-partisan non-profit who assign bias ratings based on thousands of reader opinions and a bi-partisan review board. Check out their bias rating system and editorial ideology.

How can I become part of the solution?

First, forward our newsletter to people (yes it’s that simple). Then, have a conversation with them! Find what you have in common and use that to engage with civility. You certainly won’t always see eye-to-eye on every part of an issue, but you can always treat someone with respect, even if their views are different than your own. If you’re up for a civility challenge, find someone you tend to disagree with, and dig deep to find your common ground.

I subscribed, but still don't see Civil in my inbox. What gives?

99.5% of the time (no really, we’ve run the numbers), Civil was delivered to your email. However, it could very well be in your promotions or junk folder. Here’s what you can do to solve that

On Gmail

  • Mobile users: Tap the three dots in the top-right corner, then tap "Move to" and select "Primary
  • Desktop users: Simply back out of this email and drag & drop us into the "Primary" tab
On Apple Mail
  • Tap on our email address at the top of this email (next to "From:" on mobile) and press "Add to VIPs"
On Outlook
  • Right-click on the message in your inbox. Select "Junk E-mail" from the menu. Then, click "Add Sender to Safe Senders List".
On Yahoo!
  • Go to ‘Settings,’ then ‘Filters,’ and finally select team@civilmedia.io

How do I contact Civil?

Respond to our newsletter or shoot us an email at team@civilmedia.io. If you want to give us feedback, rant, or crave the dopamine hit that only a sent email can provide, we’d love to hear from you!