#47 John Brummett, prominent and long-time Arkansas journalist & columnist, 8-25-23, Part 2: OTOH Episode 47

In this second part of our interview with John Brummett, April and Glen hear John assert that "a steady, committed effort to human dialog" is a potential antidote to polarization. Currently, he views our nation as a "tied country" where the political math leads politicians to feed on division and pandering to the base of each party, while demonizing the other side. His solution is that moderates must become a movement on their own. The current state of the media, which is discussed in some detail, makes a movement from the middle particularly tough, as he feels our politics have become largely nationalized. Unfortunately, John feels this reality has made state and local news sources less relevant and influential in the community. Options for maintaining a healthy “media diet” are discussed. In addition to pushing for a more involved moderate element in this country, John advocates for "a movement for human connectedness." Finally, John sheds light on the evolution of his alter ego “Bubba” in his columns.