All aboard the polarization express! Fueled by an unscrupulous media, this is a runaway train driving a wedge into the American electorate. Whatever you are experiencing or witnessing, there are experts to deny it. Whatever events have occurred, there are propagandists pretending to be journalists ready to spin and twist it. Whatever you believe, there are commentators and politicians to deride you and your values.
The dichotomy of 2018 was primarily unbiased objectivity verses “fake news.” There are certainly different perspectives with varying degrees of merit or more simply two sides to every story, but every piece of information is precisely packaged to elicit outrage from whatever target audience. For instance, the same news item about any progress in negotiations with North Korea are cast in completely opposite terms: FOX would report a breakthrough for peace, but CNN would report Trump was selling out America.
Analysis and opinions are fine, but it has become indistinguishable from the news. There is no balanced reporting anywhere; no straight forward report of pros and cons. There are few if any in the press that present the consumer with valid questions. No issue is allowed to develop; every new topic is immediately judged failure or success. No one especially Trump is given a chance to implement their agenda and let the results be tested. With over 90% negative coverage, everything President Trump does is treated as corruption, treason, or a war crime. He can’t even pardon the Thanksgiving turkeys without bitter acrimony.
But there is also a huge backlash to the incredibly unfair treatment of Trump that has his supporters hunkered down for the long relentless siege. Trump supporters cannot give an inch to the Trump haters or they will take a mile, so Trump supporters cannot afford any objective assessment or questions. Trump is not perfect, but any criticism would be used in impeachment proceedings. So, Republicans refrain from honest introspection.
Politicians share the blame, but the press has largely poisoned the public discourse. We expect politicians to be competitive and even combative, but why is the media competing on policy issues with politicians? Why are they badgering the president with their opinions? CNN’s Jim Acosta should have been kicked out. He doesn’t ask questions; he states his opinion and then tries to goad his target into agreeing their policy stinks. He is a side show.
That vaunted fourth estate has become a fraud for two reasons. First, the mainstream media has picked sides. They have absolutely thrown all in with leftist policies and become the de facto spokesmen for the Democrat Party. Heck, they don’t push Democrats; they lead the Democrat platform. However, their bias can be tolerated. It is the shameful double standard they vehemently deny that is aggravating. Don’t claim objectivity when consistently excoriating Republicans and extolling Democrats.
The second reason is the prime factor why the media has become a sad excuse for journalism. Forget all their pomp about their public duty. They don’t care about issues or news; they care about outrage and shock. The news especially about government policy can become boring and cumbersome, but if they paint the players as misogynists and racists verses benevolent socialists in shining armor, well then folks want to see what happens next. It is all about sensationalizing the struggle and making it personal where characters are loved and hated. It’s not unlike scripting wrestling.
Do not expect the media to reform. They want your attention and are not above any circus trick to get it. If our Republic is to survive, we must have an informed and engaged citizenry that can assess matters for themselves. So it is up to each of us to closely scrutinize media reporting and sift the information to form an opinion. A bitterly divided America may be good for the media, but not for Americans. So just refuse a ticket on the polarization express.
“I appeal to you, brothers, to watch out for those who cause divisions and create obstacles contrary to the doctrine that you have been taught; avoid them.” Romans 16:17
