Media has undoubtedly contributed to the immense political polarization in our country. Whether it be false stories blasted by news businesses, social media posts that portray false narratives, or even memes that catch America’s attention, the divide between the left and the right is only widening. The divisiveness between our political parties today has much to do with the news sources Americans rely on and the obvious confirmation bias that fuels the divide. It’s not clear what the best route to healing our country’s political situation is, but it is clear that something has got to change.
With an unlimited number of news stations and online news sites, there are few sources that liberals Democrats and conservatives Republicans collectively trust to obtain their news. The common idea that liberals use CNN and conservatives use Fox News unfortunately contains validity. According to a Pew Research Study called “Americans are divided by party in the sources they turn to for political news”, much of the polarization in our country comes from the perceived credibility of news sources amongst Republicans and Democrats.
As seen in this graphic from the Pew Research Center, 39% of American adults use CNN and 39% use Fox News. Although the number of users is comparable, the percentage of those users who are Republican and Democrat yield far different results. With sources like CNN and Fox News being affiliated with different political views, the stories and information put out by the sources resemble those beliefs. With Republicans viewing news stories that positively portray Republicans and Democrats viewing news stories that positively portray Democrats, you see confirmation bias playing into the political party divide. Financial news sources, which yield a profit based on their users, use stories and headlines to attract viewers. I discuss CNN and Fox News as examples, but many news companies are blatantly afflicted with certain political parties in order to attract viewers and make money. For example, if CNN uses a headline that bashes Donald Trump, Democrats are going to be intrigued and click. That’s a business looking to make money, rather than a news sources providing a service. We are lacking news sources that share unbiased news stories, simply for the sake of informing Americans.
As I mentioned, confirmation bias plays a vast role in the partisanship of America. The idea of confirmation bias only strengthens the differences between the left and the right. According to the World Economic Forum, confirmation bias occurs when people seek information that only confirms their pre-existing beliefs. Republicans are going to look for news stories that fuel their beliefs, as will Democrats. Often times, people will quickly believe something is false if it goes against what they’re used to believing. That’s another reason why people continuously use the news sources they’re used to. The problem falls when people refuse to question their beliefs or learn new information. Unfortunately, the cycle between what people see in the news and confirmation bias, only furthers the polarization we see in America today. Something needs to be implemented to ensure validity in news stories. Until everyone is given the same news, there will never be a common understanding between people of different political affiliations.
America is in a tough situation with the current political divide, and finding a solution that everyone can collaboratively agree upon is nearly impossible. In my opinion, Americans have to be willing to relearn how to obtain news. Understanding that news companies are businesses who need to make money is arguably the most important aspect. Things you see online and hear on tv might not always portray the full story. Although it is easier said than done, I also think it would be beneficial to view news from multiple locations through multiple perspectives. Avoiding the use of a lone news source would prevent you from hearing from one side of the aisle. Lastly, question the validly of the information you’re being fed. Find facts or news sources that provide evidence with sources.
Even though America is dealing with a seemingly unsolvable divide, you have the ability to control what you believe. So be educated about what you believe, whose opinions you value, and what sources you rely on!
https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2020/08/11-cognitive-biases-that-influence-political-outcomes/
I really enjoyed reading your post! It brought up so much good information, including the conformation-bias. Your post was very informative and factual. I also liked how you included solutions on how to start fixing the problem. I also really liked how your solutions are attainable and everyone can do them! Great blog post!
I thought the idea of confirmation bias was really interesting, and so true! It reminds me of a class I’m taking on scientific literacy, where we talked about the “ego” of the people on scientific issues. People sometimes think they know more than the scientists who have spent their lives learning about a topic. I think the same thing happens in political news, but instead of thinking they know more than scientists, people think they know more than the other political party. I think ego plays a huge role in the political divide, and confirmation bias helps build the idea that your side knows more than the other.
Your post also made me think of the FCC that used to regulate news sources to ensure both sides had fair portrayals in the news. It makes me wonder if that’s something we should consider implementing with modern news sources, or even if there should be a new modern news source created that is federally regulated to show both sides.
Really interesting suggestion about the FCC regulation. I think our country gets caught in this state of limbo, where we place immense amounts of importance of free press (and its separation from the government) but simultaneously we have crushing levels of polarization and misunderstandings that make it hard to function cohesively. It’s certainly a complex issue that is going to take a lot of tact and consideration to remedy.
This is definitely something that everyone needs to hear. I liked how you showed the graph with different parties watching certain news sources. It really put into the perspective the divide and how that affects what people hear and believe.
Our country is the most divided its been since the Civil War, and the media plays a large part in this. I think your analysis of the discrepancy between Democrats and Republicans is, for the most part, spot on. When cable news first became dominant with the likes of Walter Cronkite and Dan Rather, the stigma surrounding CNN and Fox News was simply news reported with a slight bias. Today, however, the stigma has changed from the news with a slight bias to completely different news or different “facts”. Hardline viewers of Fox News feel that CNN is blatantly incorrect, and vice versa with the likes of CNN and MSNBC.
This issue has only gotten worse with the 24-hour news cycle. With an audience that needs to be engaged around the clock, news essentially switches from news to entertainment. In other words, it’s easier to “cover a government shutdown in a play-by-play sports style as a conflict between Donald Trump and Nancy Pelosi” instead of actually explaining to the public what a government shutdown entails. This constant need to entertain an audience has led to the media distorting what taste of politics the public gets, and, due to that, we are in a more divisive country.
https://www.cjr.org/special_report/the-fall-rise-and-fall-of-media-trust.php