2011 One year ago, Weber Shandwick and Powell Tate, in partnership with KRC Research, released its first annual Civility in America: A Nationwide Survey. Due to the increased attention paid to civility over the past year, we wanted to re-assess Americans’ attitudes towards the subject. Coverage in the media, community attention to the issue and creation of new non-profit organizations such as The National Institute for Civil Discourse have continued to attract attention to the topic. In an online search, over 12 million mentions of “civility” surfaced. This is a 460% increase from the same time one year ago. How, if at all, has this increased attention impacted civility or perceptions about it? Without a doubt, the past 12 months have been tumultuous when it comes to how civility has played out on the national stage. Several high-profile events accentuate how civility has infiltrated our everyday conversation and sense of well-being — Donald Trump’s “birther” investigation of President Obama, Chicago Bulls’ Joakim Noah swearing at a fan on camera, online comments about CBS war correspondent Lara Logan’s sexual assault in Tahrir Square and Charlie Sheen’s radio rants against his executive producer that led to the actor’s dismissal from the top-rated sitcom Two and a Half Men.
Civility, and the lack of it, in America begs greater understanding of how Americans’ lives are impacted and how Americans can take more responsibility for their communications and interactions online and offline. “Civility in America should be an inalienable right. Americans have a right to defend their names and explain their actions and opinions, but the increasing unruliness in the public square is worrisome and demands attention and new solutions.” Jack Leslie Chairman of Weber Shandwick
Weber Shandwick and Powell Tate regularly conduct research on topical communications issues impacting companies and organizations and the constituents they serve. We leverage findings to further inform the strategies we develop to address our clients’ most pressing communications challenges. The second wave of Civility in America was conducted by KRC Research in late May 2011 using an online survey of 1,000 U.S. adults. The 2011 results from Civility in America fall into several key areas in this report — civility in politics, education, the workplace, the Internet and the marketplace.
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