Outrage Overload

A Connors Institute podcast

Outrage 83 – Can Dinner Fix a Divided Society? – Tim Jones

Aired Mar 4, 2026

Political polarization, social division, and declining trust are often blamed on media, algorithms, and social networks. But what if the problem is simpler, (but also more difficult), than that? What if we’ve forgotten how to sit down with people who aren’t like us?

In this episode of Outrage Overload, we talk with Tim Jones, founder of Longer Tables, a Denver-based non-profit designed to rebuild social trust and connection through large-scale community table events. By bringing strangers together for communal dining experiences, Longer Tables aims to reconnect people, combat isolation, and foster unity.

This conversation explores why human relationships are “slow-cooked,” why online connection often feels real but isn’t, and how designing environments for genuine conversation might help heal a divided society.

Why This Conversation Matters

Many efforts to reduce polarization focus on messaging, media literacy, or policy reform. Tim Jones offers a different approach: designing social systems that make authentic connection easier.

Tim Jones is Executive Director of Longer Tables, where he designs large-scale community dinners to build belonging and trust. A USC Film School graduate, he blends storytelling, identity, and spirituality to reconnect communities and workplaces.