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What our readers say:

“Journalism might just be making a comeback...”

“Keeps me grounded in reality and not just in my bubble.”

“I find it calms me down. If you only get one perspective it feeds the outrage machine.”

“…it gives me information to have civil discussions with people on the flip
side.”

“It's my favorite thing to read every morning

"I'm impressed at how well it captures the genuine concerns of the blue and red sides of current events."

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There's a mountain of news out there...

And it's getting harder to know what news you can trust...

The gems are often buried under “newsfeeds” of sensational headlines, ads, and trolls.

Meanwhile, the divide between liberals and conservatives continues to get bigger.

People accuse. People fight. People unfriend you on Facebook.

They assume the worst of each other — instead of assuming good intent and moving forward in discussions together.

Your shortcut to understanding the other side...

See the big picture with the best points from both sides

...in one easy 5-minute email a day

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We do the research. You decide.

“I like intelligent discussion of issues, which has become hard to find.
The Flip Side fills this need for me.”

gun control

election watch

abortion

sanctions

Get to the heart of one major news topic a day:

See who's being impacted, and the most prevalent viewpoints from both sides

Be able to defend your stance against the best arguments from the other side

Keep your own bias in check. Feel good knowing you’re not living in a filter bubble

Trade war

immigration

peace talks

protests

How your daily email is made

We read news all day and argue all night — to make sure your 5 minutes are well spent.
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Our politically diverse editorial team of liberals and conservatives start with:

1

What's being covered?

We scour 30+ publications to see what's making the top news.
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2

What are people talking about?

Leverage tools like Newswhip, Blue Feed, Red Feed, and social media to see what’s trending.
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3

Choose 1 topic (sometimes 2)

Must be substantive and/or offer fresh perspectives on a given topic.
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4

Read. Read. Read.

Read all the recent op-eds and analyses on the topic/topics, and choose the most thoughtful and informative articles from each side. Here are the tools we use to determine our Left and Right categorizations:
  • Survey and analysis from the Pew Research Center
  • Survey and analysis from the Knight Foundation
  • Media bias ratings from AllSides
  • Media Bias/Fact Check
  • Berkman Klein Center study on the 2016 election coverage
In addition to the publications themselves, we also pay attention to the self-described and perceived political leanings of the authors we cite.
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5

Choose the most representative and thought-provoking snippet

This is the fun part, where every article and snippet we choose is fact-checked, and approved by at least one liberal AND one conservative team member:
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6

In your inbox—every weekday morning!

And we also add a light-hearted article to brighten your day :)
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“It’s so much more than just an email…”

"... gets me thinking more about right and wrong, instead of right and left."

“Huge time saver. Efficient. Concise. Fair.”

Our readers say they feel:

“...more optimistic seeing that sometimes both sides agree on something.”

“...helps me understand how different people are telling the same stories each week, without the hair-on-fire reactions.”

“...a bit like political meditation.”
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Geoff Pallay
Editor-in-chief of Ballotpedia
“In a time where it is hard to cut through the noise, I enjoy opening up The Flip Side each morning to see an aggregate collection of various viewpoints on major issues.”
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Debra Mashek
Executive Director, Heterodox Academy
“In a polarized world flooded with soundbites and quick takes, The Flip Side delivers daily a much-needed dose of constructive engagement with views from across the ideological spectrum. The Flip Side demonstrates the value of multiple perspectives when trying to understand the nuances of our complex world.”
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Anthony Pennay
Chief Learning Officer, Ronald Reagan Foundation
“In his farewell address, President Reagan cited the need for ‘an informed patriotism.’ Too often, informed in the modern world means fully immersed in a bubble. For our democracy to thrive, the next generation of citizens needs to be able to critically examine issues from multiple points of view. The Flip Side is a quick, easy way to develop that habit, and get beyond the bubble.”

Wake up to a more balanced view of the world tomorrow...

“…the only daily email I receive that I read every day without fail — and I receive a lot!”
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Our Mission

The Flip Side is on a mission to help bridge the gap between liberals and conservatives.

We’re a one-stop shop for smart, concise summaries of political analysis from both conservative and liberal media. Our goal is to become a news source for liberals, moderates, independents, conservatives, and even the apolitical.

It’s hard to convince liberals to watch Fox or conservatives to watch MSNBC. But if everyone takes 5 minutes a day to read The Flip Side, we’ll have a starting point when talking to our friends and neighbors.

Sign up for TFS Premium today and help shape the future of news & civic dialogue.