An Antidote to Political Polarization
American political polarization is at an all-time high. How can we get back on the same page?
Political polarization in America is at an all-time high. As a result, the political infighting is out in the open, and it is affecting basically every part of American life. An October 2021 Pew Research poll says, “A large majority of Americans say there are strong political and strong racial and ethnic conflicts in the U.S. and that most people disagree on basic facts”.1 Most Americans disagree on basic facts. This is an incredibly concerning sentiment. Facts are supposed to be immutable. They’re what we use to inform policy decisions. We need to move forward together as a country, but how do we do that if Democrats and Republicans can’t even agree on basic facts? In a 2018 interview with David Letterman, former President Barack Obama said that people who watch Fox News are “living on a different planet” than individuals who listen to National Public Radio.2 He was right then, and he is even more right today. We’re at the point where the political divide is so deep that we cannot see past blaming and shaming each other. As a result, political discourse is no longer productive, and it is becoming increasingly uncivil. The political and social ties of America are frayed, meaning that as a nation, America is weak. So, how can Americans get back on the same page?
First, it’s important to identify what’s contributing to this complex problem. For starters, there’s the fact that the political news cycle moves fast. There is a lot going on. As Americans are still reeling from today’s news, tomorrow’s news is already unfolding. Then, there’s the issue of bias in reporting. Let me be clear about this: there is bias in every source, not just the sources that you dislike. Facts are cherrypicked. Things are written in a way so that the conclusion is drawn for the readers. Bias exists in all things, whether it’s intentional or not. Then, there’s the fact that sensationalism sells. All news is portrayed as big, bad, and scary. Then, there’s the issue that the mainstream news networks prey on the American psyche. They tell their respective audiences that they’re right, that they’re smart, that they’re morally superior. Those people on the other side of the political aisle are against you. Now, combine all this with the modern technological age. There is constant data mining, data sharing, shadow banning, paying for clicks, etc. etc. This makes it extremely difficult for people to see an opposing point of view unless they actively seek it out. We get further and further into our political bubbles. In turn, the divide deepens. Groupthink and arrogance abound. Americans not only don’t understand each other, but they hate each other.
So, how do we fix this? There are a lot of moving parts seemingly conspiring against the American people. In addressing this issue, the claim is often made that we need more reliable and trustworthy media sources. However, new media outlets are created often. They never seem to make an impact though because they end up just adding more noise to the noise. More recently, there have been calls to censor speech. However, as our American forefathers can attest, this is a dangerous path. To control the information is to control America. Who, then, is to be put in control? That’s a question with no answer because humans are fallible. So, that solution is out, too. Since I can’t change human nature and it is a futile endeavor to take on the corporate media, my idea is to help Americans understand how media bias and manipulation manifests in news reporting, specifically in political news. I will do this through a marketplace of ideas approach. I plan to organize all political news reports from CNN, CBS, Fox News, and NBC by political topic. Therefore, all these points of view will be available for users to see in one place. With this, my hope is that overlapping basic facts, aka the truth, can more easily be filtered out of the opinions, leads, and fluff that is so ingrained in the mainstream media’s political reporting. There will be no data mining or preference settings. My aim is to simplify the news cycle so that it is diverse, manageable and understandable.
If this succeeds and Americans are able to see how they are being manipulated, then it is my hope that some sense of unity can be restored. We don’t have to think the same way, but it is in our country’s best interest to get back on the same page.
https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2021/10/13/americans-see-stronger-societal-conflicts-than-people-in-other-advanced-economies/
https://www.cnbc.com/amp/2018/01/12/former-president-barack-obama-warns-on-polarizing-media-us-electoral-system.html
Great idea! Excited for what will come from this newsletter!