Why build a media company today?
The mission of Civil is to restore trust in our country’s promise and each other; to pursue objectivity that is so lacking in the ideologically saturated media. It’s to build a community for those of us who are repelled by the illiberal populism that’s attacking the core of our country from both sides of the political aisle. At Civil we reject the idea that everyone must either be on Team Left or Team Right. We believe that Americans hold a wide range of views and they are far more willing to have civil conversations than the conflict driven media would have us believe.
Who are we?
Civil was cofounded George Nolfi (Chief Creative Officer) and Ian Allen (CEO). For more on our journey, click here.
George Nolfi has extensive experience creating content as a writer on the Bourne Identity and Ocean’s Eleven franchises, and writer/director of the Matt Damon-Emily Blunt film, the Adjustment Bureau and Samuel L. Jackson-Anthony Mackie film, The Banker, which won the 2021 NAACP Award for Best Independent Feature Film. He also created short form public-interest content such as “What is Gerrymandering?” which has been viewed more than 7 million times according to ATTN.com which commissioned it. Before becoming a filmmaker, George studied political science at Princeton, Oxford, and UCLA.
Ian Allen served ten years in the Marines and seven as a CIA Paramilitary Officer. Following his government service, he co-founded the Third Option Foundation, a nonprofit, and Camber Systems, a data analytics company. He was also an Executive Producer at Fox News, and is a producer on an upcoming Universal Studios project about the fall of Kabul, and studied International Relations at the University of San Diego.
Why Civil?
We chose the name Civil in reference both to civility and to Aristotle’s idea of a Civil Society where a people band together to seek well-being and flourishing for all. The first two requirements for this are humility and curiosity, but these are both grossly absent from the mainstream media today.
We believe that the evocative power of video can resonate in the same visceral way as the hate clicks and shock stories of cable news; but can unite rather than enrage. We believe America’s best days are ahead, but we have to push back against the party activists and cable news pundits who have lost all sight of what this country should be; a civil society where everyone has a place.
What are we making?
Civil Explainers, including:
Three Whys Deep is our series exploring the big issues in politics and culture.
Special Episodes behind the scenes at Civil, including our recent piece on Media Manipulation.
Civil Podcast: Where we talk with guests in an effort to explore the best forms of opposing arguments.
Civil Stories: Mini-documentaries that will explore the hardest subjects with nuance, depth, and length. The first coming in 2024.
Civil Conversations: We sit down with Americans from all corners of life – some married, some friends, some complete strangers, but each with opposing political and ideological views – to discuss the most polarizing issues of our time; and to prove that we can all still find common ground.
In Your Words: A news segment with Lisa Bennatan that seeks to tell the stories – in their own words – of those most affected by the biggest events of the day, whether political, cultural, environmental, or technological.
Why become a member?
To participate with us on this journey as we build a new video news and culture magazine. Along the way, we’ll experiment with a range of stories and formats – with your feedback. As a member, you’ll be asked for your input on editorial direction, have full access to our content archive, and be the first to know when we begin developing events and meetups.
But most of all, for community. Our goal is a place for all Americans who are disaffected and disempowered by the media and political environment today. If you’re curious, join us and be a part of a new movement…
And lastly… submit your project to us
We are always looking for great stories about Americans engaging with each other to solve problems and build a better world. If you have made a visual story that you think deserves to be shared with a wider audience, submit to us here.
To find out more about the company that provides the tech for this newsletter, visit Substack.com.
