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We have some more exciting news to share.

As you’ve hopefully noticed, things look a little different around here. We’ve redesigned the èßäÉçÇø! website (more on that here), but those changes aren’t stopping with our new look. Today, we’re formally launching a renewed effort to better communicate with you, our incredible, loyal, thoughtful, inspiring readers.

Thankfully, you haven’t waited for us to start the conversation. Day after day our inboxes are full of your unsolicited words of inspiration, thanks, ideas, and constructive feedback. It’s a powerful reminder for the team here that there’s a community of millions behind us.

For more than 20 years, we’ve been partnering with you to build a more just, sustainable, and compassionate world. As beautiful as that relationship has been, we know we can have an even greater impact in the world by providing a better way for you to bring your thoughts, ideas, and expertise to the table more prominently for our—and each other’s—work.

The first step of this renewed effort is the launch of our all-new discussion platform, powered by the brilliant folks at Vox Media’s and funded in part by the generous support of ’s Community Listening and Engagement Fund.

Unlike commenting platforms you’ve probably seen elsewhere (including èßäÉçÇø!—we’re sorry!), Coral was built with you in mind. The platform, and our programming for it, are ultimately crafted to provide you with a great experience engaging with us and each other.

What you won’t find:

More trolls than a DreamWorks movie. We’re committed to making this a constructive space for all of us to discuss solutions for a better world. Violators of our guidelines will not be tolerated. To help make this possible, you also won’t find:

The ability to comment on every single story. Great discussions require great moderation. To make sure your experiences are positive, we’ll be limiting the number of stories we offer commenting on.

Real names. Your privacy and safety is our primary concern. You’re more than welcome to use your real name, but it is not required. 

What you will find:

Opportunities to go deeper on a story. You’ll be able to chat, ask questions, and get more insight from èßäÉçÇø! contributors, editors, and sometimes even the story subjects themselves. 

Opportunities to build our issues with us. That’s right, we’re bringing you into the process of creating issues of èßäÉçÇø! Magazine. We have a community of some of the greatest forces for good in the world. We want your thoughts, ideas, and feedback.

Opportunities to provide input on our products. We want you to have a say on your experience reading èßäÉçÇø! What do you like? What could be improved? How can we make the èßäÉçÇø! experience better?

Great conversations. With èßäÉçÇø! staffers, and hopefully each other. Ultimately, our goal is to create a space that allows us to better partner with each other.

We’re putting that goal to test with our very first discussion on Thursday, Jan. 23 at 11 a.m. PST (2 p.m. EST).

Join èßäÉçÇø! Editorial Director Sunnivie Brydum, Creative Director Tracy Matsue Loeffelholz, and me for a discussion about what you would like to see from èßäÉçÇø! in 2020—our coverage, our magazines, our website—whatever you want, really. This is your space. To get started, you can register now to submit your comments or questions ahead of time. Otherwise, we’ll see you Thursday!

Matt Grisafi
Sr. Director of Product & Marketing
èßäÉçÇø! Media