Episode 6: How the Attention Economy Drives Polarization

In this second installment of our two-part series with Brian Katulis and Danielle Pletka, the conversation shifts from the craft of foreign-policy storytelling to the pressures that warp it. They discuss how algorithms reward confrontation, how outside actors manipulate division, and how the simple fear of standing apart from one’s peers can reshape what experts are willing to say. Katulis and Pletka illuminate not just what drives polarization, but what can soften it: curiosity, humility, and the willingness to stay in the room when disagreements arise. This episode offers a thoughtful look at how we might rebuild spaces for debate, that informs rather than divides and how stronger public narratives can help restore a healthier democratic culture.Host: Matthew Levinger – Host of the America’s Why Podcast and Professor of Practice of International Affairs at the George Washington University.GuestsDanielle Pletka – Distinguished Senior Fellow in Foreign and Defense Policy Studies at the American Enterprise Institute.Brian Katulis – Senior Fellow at the Middle East Institute.Explore Taking the Edge Off the Middle East, the Middle East Institute podcast hosted by MEI Senior Fellow Brian Katulis: https://mei.edu/taking-the-edge-off/Visit our website to learn more about the America’s Why Project and join the conversation: americaswhyproject.comListen on: Spotify | Apple Podcasts | Amazon MusicThe views expressed in the podcast are those of the speakers and do not necessarily represent those held by the America's Why Project team or the George Washington University.