One Small Step Pairs Strangers With Opposing
Political Beliefs for One-on-One Conversations, Not to Debate
Politics, but to Rediscover Their Shared Humanity
Research Shows One Small Step Dramatically
Increases Americans' Willingness to Engage with the "Other
Side"
BROOKLYN, N.Y., July 8, 2024
/PRNewswire/ -- StoryCorps, the national nonprofit dedicated
to helping us believe in each other by illuminating the humanity
and possibility in us all, today launches One Small Step America. This effort is the
national scaling of the organization's One Small Step initiative, and includes a
national PSA campaign with digital, print, broadcast, and
out-of-home advertising in markets across the country. Having
focused One Small Step in
three local Model Communities since 2021, StoryCorps today makes it
possible for anyone, anywhere in the country, to quickly and easily
participate in a One Small Step
conversation by visiting TakeOneSmallStep.org.
In development since 2017 and currently active in Richmond, Virginia, Wichita; Kansas; and Columbus, Georgia; One
Small Step pairs strangers with opposing political beliefs
for conversations, not to debate politics, but to get to know each
other as fellow Americans. The initiative is based on social
psychology's contact theory, which holds that meaningful
interaction between people with opposing views can help turn "them"
into "us." More than 5,400 people in over 40 states have
participated in One Small Step to
date.
Dave Isay, Founder and
President of StoryCorps, said, "We are not as divided or as
different as we think. In fact, 9 out 10 Americans are tired of
division, scared of where it's leading the country, and looking for
a way out. As we scale One Small
Step nationally, we want people to know that they are part
of the 'exhausted majority.' One Small
Step offers hope, sanity, and a simple step for Americans to
take to help close the divides tearing at the very fabric of our
nation. This is not a problem StoryCorps can tackle alone, but we
believe we are uniquely positioned to make an impact, and will
fight with everything we've got—because if the culture of contempt
wins, we all lose."
Research by accomplished scientists and pollsters shows that
One Small Step is singularly
effective in helping people with opposing political views see the
humanity in their fellow Americans, and in seeding hope for
meaningful communication once again. A study by Yale's Social Perception and Communication
Lab found that One Small Step
participants show not only "increased empathy" toward their
conversation partners across the political divide, but over time
start to have greater understanding and empathy for those on the
"other side." Research by More in Common found an almost 50%
increase in Americans' willingness to engage with those on the
"other side" after exposure to One Small
Step content, including conversation snippets. Benenson
Strategy Group found that One Small
Step messaging makes communities as a whole feel
significantly "more hopeful" and more likely to respect and to feel
respected by those on the other side.
The PSA campaign, designed by creative agency I.D/W and
featuring the designs of famed illustrator Noma Bar, will lead with the message "Let's
Talk…for a Change." It will direct people to TakeOneSmallStep.org,
where they can see conversations across the political divide
modeled by One Small Step
participants, sign up to record their own One Small Step conversation, or simply find more
information about the initiative.
Tim Dixon, Co-Founder of More
in Common, said, "One Small Step
is one of the most hopeful things in the particular moment we are
in. There is an appetite for concrete connection across political
differences and no one is giving people an opportunity to express
this. One Small Step has unlocked a
secret that is so powerful and so basic: exposure to healthy
conversation challenges the prevailing narrative that we hate each
other. Ordinary Americans connecting across differences offers
hope. One Small Step is profound in
its potential."
Funding Credits
One Small Step is made possible
by the generous support of a wide range of funders, including The
Hearthland Foundation, Solidarity Giving, the Corporation for
Public Broadcasting, the Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation, The
Marcus Foundation, the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation,
Chris Anderson and Jacqueline Novogratz, the Robins Foundation,
Kansas Health Foundation, New Pluralists, Schwab Charitable Fund
made possible by the generosity of Present Progressive Fund, and
the FThree Foundation.
About StoryCorps
Founded in 2003, StoryCorps is a national nonprofit dedicated to
helping us believe in each other by illuminating the humanity and
possibility in us all, one story at a time. Nearly 700,000 people,
in all 50 states, have recorded interviews about their lives
through StoryCorps. The award-winning organization preserves the
recordings in its archive at the American Folklife Center at the
Library of Congress, the largest single collection of human voices
ever gathered, and shares select stories with the public through
StoryCorps' podcast, radio broadcasts, animated shorts, digital
platforms, and best-selling books. These powerful human stories
reflect the vast range of American experiences, engender empathy
and connection, and remind us how much more we have in common than
what divides us. StoryCorps is especially committed to capturing
and amplifying voices least heard in the media. The StoryCorps
MobileBooth, an Airstream trailer that has been transformed into a
traveling recording booth, crosses the country year-round gathering
the stories of people nationwide. 2023 marked the 20th anniversary
of StoryCorps. Learn more at storycorps.org.
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SOURCE StoryCorps