KPBS Midday Edition

New Book Analyzes 'High Conflict' Of Divisive Political Issues

By Jade Hindmon / KPBS Midday Edition Co-Host, Harrison Patiño / Producer, KPBS Midday Edition

Published August 9, 2021 at 12:37 PM PDT

This story was published more than 2 years ago.

In this Dec. 4, 2018, file photo, birds fly past a smoking chimney in Ludwigshafen, Germany. Development that’s led to loss of habitat, climate change, overfishing, pollution and invasive species is causing a biodiversity crisis, scientists say in a new United Nations science report released Monday, May 6, 2019.

A new book by journalist and author Amanda Ripley takes aim at how discourse surrounding controversial topics can become toxic.

From climate change to the pandemic, divisive political discord surrounds some of the most pressing issues facing the world today.

The way these issues evolve from initially straightforward problems to deeply politicized arguments can lead to what's called "high conflict."

It's a term that journalist and author Amanda Ripley uses to describe how the discussion surrounding important issues can become toxic, which is explored in her latest book "High Conflict: Why We Get Trapped and How We Get Out."

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"High conflict stops being about the thing it seems to be about, and it usually is about fear, humiliation, a desire to belong, and to make sense of a world that doesn't feel like it makes sense," Ripley said.

She joined Midday Edition on Monday to discuss the high conflict surrounding some of the world's most pressing issues, and why common ground on these topics is so rare.

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Jade Hindmon

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Jade Hindmon is KPBS Midday Edition co-host. Prior to making San Diego home, Jade worked in markets across the Southeast and Midwest, building a network of sources to tell the stories of people in each community. She worked as a multimedia journalist and anchor at WRTV in Indianapolis. While there, she launched “The Weekend Edition of Good Morning Indiana” and generated breaking news content for both broadcast and digital platforms. Prior to Indianapolis, she was an anchor and multimedia journalist at FOX Carolina in Greenville, SC. As part of that Emmy Award winning team, she covered elections, landed exclusive interviews, and interviewed presidential candidates. Jade also had the opportunity to cover international news and was able to travel to South Africa during the 2010 World Cup. Jade is a three-time Emmy nominee, a National Association of Black Journalists Salute to Excellence Finalist, and the recipient of a South Carolina Associated Press Award. She is a proud graduate of Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University.

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Harrison Patiño

Harrison Patiño is a producer for "KPBS Midday Edition". His primary roles include story development, and is involved in the audio production and coordination of interview subjects. Prior to joining KPBS, Harrison held various positions at Hawaii Public Radio within its news and music departments. While pursuing a double major in journalism and classics at The University of Hawaii at Manoa, Harrison worked at the school's student-run radio station, KTUH. After graduating, Harrison served as a community advisor for the University of Hawaii at Manoa's Student Media Board.

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