The level of discourse in our country has undoubtably dropped over the last few decades. Calling the opposition "un-American" or "liars" is common practice. And compromise has become a dirty word. In short, civility in news and politics has slowly eroded.

While divisions and divisiveness have always been a part of the political equation, there was a time when respectful disagreement and deference to cooperation were what defined the American government.

As we head into the final months of the general election, this week's theme at IVN is civility in politics, news, and discourse.

IVN: Who We are and What We are Doing

The IVN website, still under heavy long-term construction, is designed to give readers a broader and more transparent access to news and information while significantly magnifying the reach of quality independent contributors. IVN is accomplishing this goal by creating a news and information platform that provides independent journalists, civic leaders, and even campaigns unfiltered access to the news cycle. This integrated approach generates wider search engine exposure and a broader reach to targeted audiences.

IVN’s reputation and credibility are preserved through its adherence to a published etiquette and editorial guideline. These guidelines ensure that both contributors and readers benefit from robust and diverse content in a civil environment.

IVN: Internship Opportunities

In an age when "journalism" has become increasingly subjective, IVN has developed internship program to show students and recent graduates how to produce objective and fact-based journalism. As part of this program, IVN provides instruction on social media and search engine optimization so that these up-and-coming journalists have a leg up on their competition on the online competition.

IVN: The Mission and Civility in News and Politics

The purpose of IVN.us is to provide unfiltered political news and policy analysis across the political spectrum. Unlike traditional media outlets and elsewhere in the “blogosphere” where the diversity of viewpoints is often reduced into partisan circles, IVN actively encourages contributors and readers of differing political tendencies to engage in a constructive dialogue. The mission of IVN.us is to raise the level of civil discourse to a place where solutions are more persuasive than talking points, and participation is not conditioned on your party affiliation.