As perhaps never before in our history, Americans are at war — with one another. Divided by race, class, gender, faith and rigid politics, our media has failed us. Instead of the Public Square of information, we increasingly retreat to our own de facto segregated sources of opinion. In this crucial election year of 2012, can we revive the Public Square, and, if not, what happens? Carol Jenkins is an Emmy award-winning former journalist and producer, and founding President of the Women’s Media Center, the groundbreaking nonprofit aimed at increasing coverage and participation of women in the media. In that WMC role, she conceived the acclaimed Progressive Women’s Voices media leadership program, and acquired and expanded SheSource as the largest portfolio of women experts in the country. She explores how to regenerate the public information commons in this polarized age.

This speech was given at the 2012 Bioneers National Conference.

Since 1990, Bioneers has acted as a fertile hub of social and scientific innovators with practical and visionary solutions for the world’s most pressing environmental and social challenges.

To experience talks like this, please join us at the Bioneers National Conference each October, and regional Bioneers Resilient Community Network gatherings held nationwide throughout the year.

For more information on Bioneers Everywoman’s Leadership program, please visit https://bioneers.org/programs/every-womans-leadership/ and stay in touch via Facebook (bit.ly/everywomansFB) and Twitter (https://twitter.com/Bioneerswomen).