Written By: Alexandra Hamilton
Imagine a world without your local radio station or public broadcasting network. There would be no way of knowing what new laws have been passed, what world event had just taken place, and others' thoughts on specific national and global issues. The importance of reporting and journalism goes without question, especially the American free press which has the ability to openly criticize the government. Free and open media is often what categorizes a free nation from one that is not. Most importantly, "A free media functions as a watchdog that can investigate and report on government wrongdoing." However, there is a drastically changing role of the media in American society. It would have been hard for Americans just thirty years ago to believe that the television channels you watch would divide the nation and have such an influence on voter trends however that is in fact the current situation. It is no secret that our news sources have become increasingly bipartisan. What are seen as the two polar opposites, CNN vs. Fox News, are now seen as the radical sides fueling far left or right political agendas. You can be watching CNN praising a new bill passed by Congress with words such as historic or impactful, and switch to Fox News and think that the very same bill is the epitome of disaster and harm. These two sources are discussing the very same thing, but the bias, the selective choosing of information, and the interjection of opinions takes away our ability to form our own judgement and opinions. When we turn on the TV, listen to the radio, and go on social media, no longer do we see media and news that just presents the facts, but rather hear news coated with bias and prejudice. Slowly, the American principles of questioning our governments, diving into new legislation, and considering reasoning from different sides is being replaced with a black and white method of logic, where we believe there is a good and evil or right and wrong solution to things. But more dangerously, we believe the TV station we choose to watch is the correct opinion and the other side is wrong. However, what can be done about it? The First Amendment protects the freedom of the press by declaring that "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of...the press" therefore calls for increased censorship and control of news channels will only contradict America's founding principles of freedom of opinion. Rather than attacking the institutions that produce media, it is up to the audiences across the country to diversify their sources of news and seek out a greater range of opinions from different people. We often only see information that confirms our existing beliefs. We may end up hating the "the other side", believing they are wrong or evil. It feels good to hear from people who think just like us, and media outlets have an incentive to be partisan — it helps them to earn ad revenue, especially if they use sensationalism (the strategy of using shocking stories or words to attract attention, sometimes sacrificing accuracy) and clickbait. But we need to expand our sources of information, even if we don't agree with it, to give us greater perspective of the world around us. All Sides, a website specifically dedicated to analyzing the bias of TV, magazines, and other media sites puts media into five categories based on bias: left, left leaning, central, right leaning, and right. In the far left are CNN and MSNBC, leaning left includes ABC and NPR, central includes the BBC and The Wall Street Journal News. The leaning right encompasses the New York Post News, and the far right comprises of Fox News and the Daily Mail. It is important to recognize where the media we consume falls into these categories, so one can understand the bias that we see and hear everyday. The first step to becoming a better and more educated citizen is to recognize the media you consume is biased. If you believe that your side is is the real facts and don't understand that other opinions and information can also be correct, no progress can ever be made. In order to truly see a change in our country, a total attitude change is necessary. This does not just include the media, but also the way in which we accept the information and use it in our everyday lives. Our views have become too one sided, too black and white, too left and right. It’s now considered if you’re not a Republican, you're a Democrat, and if your not a Democrat, you're a Republican. If you’re not on the same side as me, your wrong and that's that. It’s easy to get tangled up in social media and television and radio stories who present biased information that fail to cover all sides of the story. The saying “people hear what they want to hear” takes on an even more dangerous role in politics because we hide ourselves from our differences, and block our ability to gain full and clearer information that can help us make decisions that consider all sides of the story. You don't have to become a political activist or have a total political view change, but if every American opened up to having a more unbiased and objective understanding of our democratic processes, our country would be a more inclusive and less divisive place. Sources: - https://www.acluidaho.org/en/know-your-rights/your-rights-under-first-amendment#:~:text=The%20Freedom%20of%20the%20Press&text=A%20free%20media%20functions%20as,range%20of%20information%20and%20opinions. - https://constitution.congress.gov/constitution/amendment-1/ - https://www.allsides.com/media-bias/media-bias-chart
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