In
this first weekly posting, consider your own political communication habits. How,
where, when, and why do you talk about politics? Who do you talk to about
politics? Where do you get your political information? And how would you
characterize most political talk today? Do you agree or disagree with critics that
incivility dominates today’s political discussions? You should refer to at
least two of the class readings from either
last week (8/28, 8/30) or this week (9/4, 9/6) to support your answer. Be sure to use proper MLA or APA citation style and refer to the assignment guidelines for more details.
To me, politics are somewhat new to me. While I grew up taking the same math, science and arts classes that everybody else did, I never quite found my way into the political realm. Then came the election of 2016, which happened to coincide with my first government class, “American Government and Politics,” which I took my senior year of high school. While I originally took it because my baseball coach was the teacher, it changed how I viewed the world around me forever. Our discussions, lectures and debates opened my eyes to the world of politics: the inner-workings of the electoral college, the history of the United States government, and, most importantly, how broad of a topic it could be when covered by a journalist.
ReplyDeleteWhile it may not always be the most pleasant form of discussing politics, said high school course led me to gain an appreciation for discussing politics face-to-face. I find that intent often gets lost when a message is put on social media, or over text and email, so I try to hold all of my political discussions while in the same room as another person. Politics can be discussed everywhere, and since I’m typically surrounded by fellow journalists with a passion for communicating, they often are discussed just about anywhere. The manner in which I try to discuss politics is never inflammatory. I am a registered Independent, but lean conservative based on how I was raised. I have nothing to gain from insulting other people’s beliefs, because I am almost always able to at least somewhat identify with what they’re trying to say. I’ll talk politics with classmates, roommates, relatives; anybody with which I believe I could hold a civilized discussion.
It’s becoming harder and harder for me to try to find trustworthy information. The “news gathering” process now contains an extra step; after you find the news, you must read with a fine-tooth comb in order to find the newsworthy elements and avoid the politicized twists. A former teacher of mine always told me to try to find our news from international news sources. I’ll do this on occasion, but the ease of access of Twitter usually leads me to find most of my information there.
I recognize that there is certainly bias in the news, but I tend to stand closer to the Democratic view on just how much bias there is: “Republican respondents believed there was much more bias in news than Democrats (77 percent vs. 44 percent), but both see extensive bias in news on social media,” (Blatchford 2018). I like the “Moments” function on Twitter, and use that as a main source of gathering breaking news. The function presents a short, to-the-point headline, and allows you to explore separate tweets from different entities in order to gain more information and perspective. This brings together content from all sides of the spectrum in an efficient manner.
In general, I do agree with critics that incivility has become an epidemic. As we saw in class, even Jim Acosta, one of the most polarizing news figures today, is still able to have a civil conversation with the other side. Before that happened, however, he was heckled relentlessly, and has needed security guards to leave most events. The incivility has reached our most important vessel for disseminating information: the media. Political commentators yell and scream at each other, and that sets the tone for the millions of people who are watching. The inflammatory nature of certain professionals is what leads to the media being treated like this: “During his campaign, Trump barred reporters from about a dozen media organizations…from being credentialed at his rallies, news conferences and other events, and from flying on the press charter plane,” (Rucker, Dawsey and Parker 2018). That’s exactly what I want out of this class: to learn how to be a journalist that facilitates discussion, not debate.
Works Cited
ReplyDeleteBlatchford, Taylor. “Americans Believe Two-Thirds of News on Social Media Is Misinformation.” Poynter, Poynter Institute, 20 June 2018, www.poynter.org/news/americans-believe-two-thirds-news-social-media-misinformation.
Rucker, Philip, et al. “Venting about Press, Trump Has Repeatedly Sought to Ban Reporters over Questions.” The Washington Post, WP Company, 27 July 2018, www.washingtonpost.com/politics/venting-about-press-trump-has-repeatedly-sought-to-ban-reporters-over-questions/2018/07/27/0e73a068-91a9-11e8-8322-b5482bf5e0f5_story.html?noredirect=on&utm_term=.b50d58dfbdf1&wpisrc=nl_headlines&wpmm=1.
Politics is a very prominent discussion in my household. My brother and father are constantly discussing current issues going on in the political world. I never really took a strong interest in politics growing up. It was always boring to me and I never wanted to get involved. Now that I am older, I realize that politics are starting to take part in my life and will continue to play a role in my life in the near future. I personally do not have strong beliefs about politics. As Naïve as it sounds, I was always confused about the issues and which side believed in what. However, since I am getting older and so much is going on, I have taken some interest in it. I try not to discuss politics with anyone besides my close, comfortable friends and my family members because it can cause unwanted comments. Lately politics have been such a touchy subject and you never know who you can discuss it with. After the 2016 election, I felt the world became even more divided than it already was. Social media became a war zone every place you clicked and people were saying hurtful things left and rights. Any political information I get is from listening to my brother and dad talk, online or the television news. I have come to realize that certain news stations lean towards certain political parties and since I do not closely identify with either party, it is hard to decide which station to listen to. Lately, the term “fake news” has been very confusing. “When PolitiFact fact-checks fake news, we are calling out fabricated content that intentionally masquerades as news coverage of actual events. When President Donald Trump talks about fake news, he means something else entirely. Instead of fabricated content, Trump uses the term to describe news coverage that is unsympathetic to his administration and his performance, even when the news reports are accurate” (Holan, 2017). For someone like myself that is not very active in the political world, hearing the term “fake news” is confusing and makes it harder for me to form opinions. The political talk today is very negative. There are so many problems that everyone has their own opinions about. Incivility does dominate political discussions because everyone has their own thoughts and views on certain issues and they are usually controversial issues that create problems among society. Like I said earlier, social media has turned into a political war zone and people are either scared to express their opinions or if they do, they receive hurtful comments. “Online social media environments present new challenges. In these spaces, users can encounter statements they might consider highly contentious or extremely offensive – even when they make no effort to actively seek out this material. Similarly, political arguments can encroach into users’ lives when comment streams on otherwise unrelated topics devolve into flame wars or partisan bickering” (Duggan and Smith, 2016). I used to enjoy going on social media to catch up with old friends and interact with content from other people, but now it is hard to do that when politics trump (no pun intended) every social media platform. With our president being a very avid Tweeter, it is hard to stay clear of the rants and comments that follow. Television shows are not starting to incorporate politics and trending controversial topics into their scripts. This is something that I am not a huge fan of. Lots of people turn to TV shows and movies to relax and avoid the political discussions. Nowadays, it is difficult to find a show that does not add their two sense into all the political talk. This angers people, including myself, which makes me not want to get involved at all.
ReplyDeleteWorks Cited:
Holan, Angie. “The Media's Definition of Fake News vs. Donald Trump's.” @Politifact, 18 Oct. 2017, www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/article/2017/oct/18/deciding-whats-fake-medias-definition-fake-news-vs/.
Pew Research Center, October, 2016, “The Political Environment on Social Media”
Samantha Nardone
ReplyDeleteI talk about politics constantly, especially with my friends who are passionate about the same issues as I am, even when we disagree, we are able to do so respectfully and learn from one another. However, when discussing politics with people I know disagree, there is more humor in the discussion -- as to not completely insult the other person or align myself with a certain ideology. Growing up in a town that is split pretty much evenly conservative and liberal, there was always the chance that the person you were talking to had different views with you. I learned early from my parents to never speak too loudly about politics, and to not engage with people who were having discussions. Going into to college I learned to leave this avoidance behind and to pursue political conversations, especially with people who do not agree with me. The notion of don’t talk about religion and politics at family events, always made me want to have those discussions because if we cannot talk to family and friends about these issues in a civil way then how are we going to be able to talk to strangers in an intelligent and respectful way.
I think a lot of the time we see our country as extremely polarized because that is what our leaders want us to believe, because that is how they get more campaign donations and support. They want us to feed into the fear that the other side is the enemy, when in reality they are the people we need to work with. We need to be teaching each other, especially the younger generations. Civil political discourse should be taught in every middle and high school government class. We need to give young people the tools they need to have strong and meaningful conversations, because that is what we should be doing ourselves.
Incivility has become the easiest way for people to deal with political opponents. We saw it in the 2016 elections when Hillary Clinton and Jeb Bush had a Twitter war in which they used petty tactics to score cheap points with young voters. (Sanders, 2016). In Sam Sanders NPR piece, Did Social Media Ruin Election 2016, he discusses the ways Twitter had an effect on the way we conduct ourselves online, saying, “there's a deeper story about how the very DNA of social media platforms and the way people use them has trickled up through our political discourse and affected all of us, almost forcing us to wallow in the divisive waters of our online conversation.”
I cannot remember the last time I logged on to Twitter or Facebook and did not see a post that was politically charged, and most of the time I agree with what it says, because I have catered my feeds to a particular viewpoint. We are all guilty of creating an echo chamber, by blocking users we disagree with or following news sites that have a liberal or conservative leaning. But, who can blame us? Why would I want to read articles or posts that I disagree with and will probably make me angry or annoyed? And this is where our problem biggest problem lies; we no longer are forced to have conversations with people outside of the Internet. The slang and terminology we use online always has a way of evolving into everyday speech. So it is no surprise that incivility online via social media has affected the way we communicate in person. We spend so much time consuming and sharing news on social media, but according to Gallup and the Knight Foundation, “they (Americans) believe 65 percent of news on social media is made up or can’t be verified as accurate.” As country we need to do more to step out of the social media bubble and to have conversations, and not just at rallies or protests, but in classrooms and over the dinner table.
Works Cited:
Blatchford, Taylor. “Americans Believe Two-Thirds of News on Social Media Is Misinformation.” Poynter, 20 June 2018, www.poynter.org/news/americans-believe-two-thirds-news-social-media-misinformation.
Sanders, Sam. “Did Social Media Ruin Election 2016?” NPR, NPR, 8 Nov. 2016, www.npr.org/2016/11/08/500686320/did-social-media-ruin-election-2016.
Lindsey guadagni
ReplyDeleteI predict that many people responding to this blog post will say they talk about politics constantly and have strong feelings about how often they speak about it, but me on the other hand I find that I like to limit my political viewpoints to the classroom and for occasional events. I get my political information from the television news sources and online articles, Sometimes even twitter considering our current president's social media twitter addiction. Honestly most political talk today consists of two kinds of people in my opinion. Some people are so far right in the political scale that they only want to think that way and others are so far left and they only want to think the far left way. I feel as a country this is going to get us nowhere. I ask myself daily how are we supposed to get anything done as a country if no one can expand their mind and consider making compromises. This issue has been sitting in my head for awhile and i'm glad other classmates can get the opportunity to read my blog comment and see where i'm coming from. So when I read others posts I promise to have an open mind about all opinions, as this country should be doing. I personally think that many news sources create in civil posts and especially titles to articles so views will read their work. This is such a bad way to spread news in my opinion. I do believe that incivility dominates today's political discussions. This is leading to people not believing in the social media news posts. Political talk today has so much “fake news” who knows what to believe anymore. For example a news article states “ Americans believe 39 percent of news in newspapers, on TV or on the radio is misinformation — but their views of social media are even worse. They believe 65 percent of news on social media is made up or can’t be verified as accurate.”(Blatchford,2018)1 This is an affect on incivility of political discussions and why I believe that political talk today is just untrustworthy. This gets confusing though because of the fact that politicians like Trump are claiming they are the only ones getting attacked meanwhile “fake news” and “yellow journalism” has been around since news itself. Trump can be angry i understand that when the news reports are way out of line, but it's hard to tell as a news reader and not a political figure with inside information what is completely accurate and not accurate. “Instead of fabricated content, Trump uses the term to describe news coverage that is unsympathetic to his administration and his performance, even when the news reports are accurate.” (Holan, 2017)2 So in my opinion I characterize most political discussion as confusing and hard to follow because of the questionable “facts”. The news is as confusing as ever to the average citizen and we need to clear things up and not fabricate the news and just post the facts. The political discussions that goes on in today’s society is all influenced by the news and social media so we need to be careful about what we post and the rumours that we spread (yes Trump I am also talking about your twitter addiction.)
1 Blatchford, Taylor. “Americans Believe Two-Thirds of News on Social Media Is Misinformation.” Poynter, 20 June 2018, www.poynter.org/news/americans-believe-two-thirds-news-social-media-misinformation.
2 Holan, Angie. “How Often Has Trump Said 'Fake News' This Year? We Counted.” @Politifact, 19 Oct. 2017,
www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/article/2017/oct/18/deciding-whats-fake-medias-definition-fake-news-vs/.
I’ve always been exposed to politics due to a strong education in progressive movements and liberal policies in high school. However, this knowledge would not manifest itself until I encountered the contrast to progressive thinking that is prevalent within the Quinnipiac student body. Attending class and living with conservatives stimulated my ideologies and preconceptions. I began to reflect on why I felt offended and uncomfortable whenever my white male roommates would jeeringly holler the n-word in jest. What subsection of American society was I dealing with here? Leaning into politics was my only way of truly finding out. This, obviously in tandem with the election of Donald Trump, would politicize much of my college experience as I had to struggle with referring to many contemptuous MAGA-hat wearing bros as my intellectual, collegiate peers. Philosophy is my minor and ever since I started its coursework I have been most keen on not existentialism or epistemology, but ethics and morality contextualized by political philosophers. It is my belief that the current ideologies guiding United States domestic and foreign economic policy are borderline tyrannical. I have been taught that it is the responsibility of the media to serve as a check on this tyranny, and to make sure that the government operates in the interests of the people.
ReplyDeleteThis is not happening, as demonstrated with countless mainstream political figures and reporters gushing over the death of neoconservative idol and “maverick” John McCain, with the Washington Post editorial board stating that “all over this world, Mr. McCain is associated with freedom and democracy”. Even the next great progressive candidate Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez hailed McCain as “an unparalleled example of human decency”. This is the same McCain who paved the path for conservative buffoons in power by choosing Sarah Palin as his running mate, for as Holly Bailey writes, ”Palin’s tendency to dabble in conspiracy and play loosely with the facts would later set the stage for the arrival of Trump”(Bailey, 4). In addition, the reportedly “civil” John McCain has called his wife Cindy McCain a “cunt” in public, unapologetically referred to his Vietnamese captors as “gooks”, referred to anti-war protesters as “low-life scum”, and called his fellow senators “fucking jerk” and “asshole”. He attempted to block the creation of MLK day, tried to sell weapons to Colonel Qaddafi(while championing democracy and goodwill), recently lobbied to continue arms sales to the violently oppressive Saudi regime, and worst of all, has lobbied for and supported(“bomb-bomb-bomb, bomb-bomb Iran”)countless wars that have caused widespread destabilization, carnage, suffering, and death - all in the service of US global imperialism. One could only admire and respect McCain if they conclude that Yemenis, Iraqis, Vietnamese, etc. are indignant sub-humans (Yet McCain himself was pro-life?), and still even left-leaning publications have enshrined him as a champion of freedom because he bashed Trump(with whom he voted in line with almost every time) and tidied up his PR by writing some empty, fluffed up editorials that espoused rhetoric entirely contradictory to his political actions. This level of misinformation, trust in power, and utter hypocrisy occurring at the highest level of political news media in the United States is why I am so interested in political news, which I locate through Twitter and disseminate through various online news publications.
It should be obvious that I don’t condone any of the racist, sexist, and otherwise vapidly ignorant dialogue of President Trump, but if you couldn’t tell, I am gladly complacent in the erosion of “civil discourse” in the United States. While I wouldn’t say what some would call “incivility” dominates political discussion, as evidenced by the utter lack of criticism towards McCain’s political career by mainstream media following his death, it certainly is beginning to, and I think it is high time it did. “Civility worked in politics because people adhered to it”(Bump, 2), and now Trump is president. Of what purpose does our oh-so-beloved “civil discourse” serve to anyone besides the ruling class? It insulates the interests of powerful people that directly benefit from a status quo maintained by bipartisan elitism and playing nice (“when they go low, we go high”). People who are bereft of the benefits that upper-class civil discourse practitioners receive should not feel any incentive to participate in their linguistic games – if you aren’t upper-class and educated to speak like them it means you’re nothing more than the shit on the bottom of Sarah Sanders’ Sperry Topsiders, so why should you provide the respect that divine and sacred “civil discourse” demands? Why adhere to the nebulous sensitivities of the those who tell you that everything is fine while you sink into the life-ruining economic debt framework they coercively built to benefit only themselves and their children? God forbid anyone gets their Sunday brunch ruined by those who live in inhumane, poverty-stricken squalor due to the policies of said brunchgoers – that would be uncivil! Let’s all go back to adoring warmongering, murderous lunatic George W. Bush for passing Michelle Obama a piece of candy.
DeleteBailey, Holly. "McCain Leaves a Legacy of Standing Up for His Beliefs." Yahoo News, 27 Aug. 2018.
Bump, Philip. "The Irony of Washington’s ‘Civility’ Debate: Trump Already Proved that Incivility Works." Washington Post, 25 June 2018.
Kevin G. Slattery
ReplyDeleteWhen I would talk about politics, it was only in a setting that promoted political discussion. I would not talk about politics if I was not in a forum that promoted political discussion. I would discuss politics in a political awareness club at my high school. The club discussed domestic and international policy as it related to current news stories. I was not confrontational when I would discuss politics with other people. I felt being confrontational would take away from intelligent dialogue that I could have with other people. There were other people who would act confrontational, but I would not raise my voice or try to instigate. I talked about politics because I wanted other people to develop different perspectives and be able to go beyond themselves to solve problems. I sometimes feel that many people struggle with going beyond themselves when trying to reach a solution to a political issue. The urge for me to not make politics confrontational comes from the family I grew up in. At holiday gatherings, one of the rules at the dinner table is that no one will discuss politics. If I did talk about politics, it was with people who I knew were not confrontational and were open to different viewpoints. I feel I am not alone in the desire to avoid confrontation when discussing politics. In a poll about social media and politics, 83 % of correspondents said when their friends post something about politics that they disagree about they ignore it (Duggan and Smith, 2016). Only 15 % of correspondents decided to respond with a comment or post of their own (Duggan and Smith, 2016). You can debate who started the mudslinging, but you cannot deny that both Democrats and Republicans have been engaging in an uncivil war of words. Barron Trump, one of Donald Trump’s sons, was recently the target of incendiary and offensive remarks by actor Peter Fonda, an anti-Trump supporter (Baker and Rodgers, 2018). Most political talk today, especially on social media, is uncivilized and rude. I agree with critics when say incivility dominates today’s political discussions.
Works Cited
Duggan, Maeve, and Aaron Smith. “Pew Research Center.” Pew Research Center, Pew Research Center 25 Oct. 2016, www.pewresearch.org/.
Baker, Peter, and Katie Rodgers. “Breaking News, World News & Multimedia.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 20 June 2018, www.nytimes.com/.
Politics is something that used to get swept under the rug at family gatherings - or I was a kid, so they all hushed up once my sisters and I walked in. I did not come into political conscious until my senior year of high school when I took a government class and started asking my grandfather questions. My grandfather watches the news constantly and thinks… not so highly of the current sitting president. That year, he informed me that he was once the president of his labor union and consistently votes democratic (though he claims he would vote for a republican or a republican policy if they ever “smartened up”) because he believes in the rights of all people. Politics get discussed when there is something absurd socially on the news. I know that policy is important, but there is something more substantial to social issues. A common question that I have is “why wouldn’t you want someone to have as a privileged a life as you?”
ReplyDeleteThroughout the duration of my college career, I have taken to talking about politics with my ex-roommate/friend who is an immigrant. I find that her insights almost always align with mine, but we arrive to the same conclusion via a different path. We both planted tomatoes but she planted them in the ground and I planted them in a pot. I think a big part of this is that I get a lot of my political information from Twitter and CNN whereas, she uses Reddit mainly.
I would argue that most political talk is either extremely heated or extremely tired these days. Sam Sanders writes that social media is currently a cycle of political bombardment. “A rebuttal of nasty political exchanges by highlighting nasty political exchanges” (Sanders). Due to the constant political material being presented to the public on all forms of media, it effects people in different ways. I think that is why I see people who are still extremely motivated to fight for their beliefs and other who are tired of fighting. Part of the reason for this is that incivility is not looked down upon the way that it once was in the media because there are so many options for people to find political discourse. I do not think that incivility dominates discussions but, when rowdy behaviors are not kept in check, debaters get more heated rather than taking a moment to step back and ratings go up. But when hasn’t politics been like this? Thomas Jefferson was accused of having sex with slaves and John Adams said Alexander Hamilton had “a superabundance of secretions, which he couldn’t find enough whores to absorb,” so I doubt that there has ever been much civility in politics (Belkin).
Belkin, Lisa. “7 Ways Donald Trump Is Just like the Founding Fathers.” Yahoo! News, Yahoo!, 7 Apr. 2016, www.yahoo.com/news/7-ways-donald-trump-is-just-1402033286914102.html.
Sanders, Sam. “Did Social Media Ruin Election 2016?” NPR, NPR, 8 Nov. 2016, www.npr.org/2016/11/08/500686320/did-social-media-ruin-election-2016.
DiSalvo Part 1
ReplyDeleteSince the election of 2016, Americans have been talking about politics much more frequently and in much more depth. I find myself watching the news every night, reading the paper, and looking forward to the buzz of a push notification on my phone. I’ve even read some novels written by political analysts, lawyers, and journalists. I talk about and think about politics constantly.
Not everyone has an appetite for political news, but my family has been one outlet where I can share my interest. I often talk about politics with my parents since we share similar political views. I talk about politics with friends and my coworkers as well. I enjoy talking about politics because as American citizens, politics are one of the few things we all have in common. We all live under the same president and Constitution. Our nation’s political system, albeit a polarizing force, is also a good topic for discussion. For example, one of my lifeguarding coworkers is a Libertarian, and I am a Democrat. While our views do not align exactly, political discussion served as a uniting force for two very different people. To be informed about politics is an investment in being an American and I respect members of all parties who take the time to understand America’s intricate political system.
As Trump is making claims about fake news, and media bias is becoming increasingly prevalent, I question the validity of mainstream media. I must carefully examine each news source before accepting it as truth. My main outlets for news are MSNBC, CNN, NBC and the Hartford Courant. I also have a news app that sends me notifications from sources ranging from The New York Times to BuzzFeed. Clearly, some of these are more reliable than others and should be viewed with skepticism.
While I approached my conversations in the lifeguard office with an open-mind, most of the conversation about politics today is plagued with partisanship. As a result, I would characterize political talk today as divided. People are unwilling to consider other perspectives, and this is reinforced by the majority of Americans only seeking out news that fits their political ideology. Our phones learn our political ideology and send us push notifications that further reinforce our existing opinions. We live in an echo chamber of news sources, from TV, to social media, to like-minded family and friends. Therefore, when we have a conversation with a peer or a colleague about politics, our arguments support our narrow perspective on the situation.
As a result, I do believe that incivility dominates political discussion. For example, Jim Acosta, CNN chief White House correspondent, was harassed by Trump fans at a rally in July. Trump supporters chanted “CNN sucks” and “You’re a liar,” because they disagreed with the news being broadcasted on CNN. Clearly, political discussion has become political conflict. Rather than acknowledging and accepting that Acosta has a different point of view, the Trump supporters chose to vilify him for his differing perspective. The same can be said for Democrats. Representative Maxine Water’s call for Democrats to confront members of the Trump administration encouraged incivility in public places. In today’s world, many are unable to engage in a civil discussion with the opposite party because it forces us to leave the echo-chamber of biased media in which we are so comfortable.
DiSalvo Part 2
DeleteThe rise of the term “fake news” also demonstrates incivility dominating today’s political conversations. A Poltico study cited in the Washington Post revealed that the term was never used prior to 2017 in such a demeaning way. However, since Trump coined the term as a way to discredit the press, it is being used worldwide for the same purpose. In Libya, a CNN story about migrants being sold to slavery was deflected by retweeting Trump’s fake news tweet about the network. To call what someone else deems legitimate, “fake,” is the definition of disrespectful and a missed opportunity for an informative discussion.
Furthermore, incivility is facilitated by the mask of social media that most offenders hide behind. According to a Pew Research Study, 40% of users strongly agree that in political discussions on social media people are willing to say things they would never say face-to-face. Using Twitter promotes knee-jerk reactions to what is happening in politics rather than thoughtful responses substantiated with evidence. Trump is famous for his defamatory and reactionary tweets, most recently calling his former aid, Omarosa, a dog. As Philip Bump wrote in The Washington Post, “Trump ran on incivility, embraced it as ‘Trump being Trump.’” Normalizing incivility at the highest level of politics has given Americans the go-ahead to break the Golden Rule that historically guided our interactions with others. Americans and people around the world who look to our president for discretion and diplomacy see Donald Trump cyberbullying former aids, war heroes, news reporters, and political opponents. Political discussion should not be characterized by incivility but rather mutual respect for America and the political system that makes us great. How can a nation with uncivil politics be civil?
Works Cited
Bump, Philip. "The Irony of Washington’s ‘Civility’ Debate: Trump Already Proved that Incivility Works .", 25 June 2018, 2018.
Duggan, Maeve, and Aaron Smith. "The Political Environment on Social Media.", 25 October 2016.
Kelly, Meg. "President Trump Cries 'Fake News' and the World Follows.", 6 February 2018, 2018.
Brian Hanslin
ReplyDeleteWhen it comes to debate, usually I am pretty stubborn which can play to my advantage at times, however it can also be a disadvantage. I myself consider myself fairly unbiased when it comes to political matters. I do not consider myself aligned with one particular party and I am not too fond of discussing politics with people as for the most part people are bias towards their personal views, but in a world where untrustworthy news sources are at an all-time high, the days of productive political debate are fading quickly. We have been hearing this term “fake news” thrown around quite a lot in todays conversations, and with very little fact checking being done by the people consuming this fake news who is to say what is and what isn’t truly fake news. Well our president for one is a major perpetrator to this term. President Trump has called many news sources fake news but none more so than CNN. Not just particular articles or reports written by CNN, but CNN as a whole has been called fake news by our president and his followers seem to be eating up Trumps words. “Among Republicans, though, nearly 9 in 10 disapprove of the media coverage.” (Bump) According to a Quinnipiac pole about 2/3 of the American population disagree with media coverage. With numbers so high you begin to ask yourself how much of this is due to Trumps motto of claiming fake news? Discrediting news sources left and right has not only Trump supporters but Americans in general questioning the people that are supposed to be bringing us the truth. While this could be beneficial in keeping our news outlets in check, I’m sure a lot of people are taking the presidents word as truth whether it is or not. The claims of fake news are almost brainwashing Trump supporters as at Trump rallies “Attendees chanted "CNN sucks" and shouted, "traitor," and "you're a liar" as Acosta reported on camera from the event.” (Relman) What was once a credible source for new sis now being targeted by seemingly an entire political party, and it is all being done with president Trump at the helm. While I am sure that there have been many inaccuracies in CNN reporting’s, I am sure that there have been countless other inaccuracies within countless other news providers yet we do not have groups of people chanting “Fox sucks” at rallies constantly. I believe that people need to be a bit more cautious of what media they consume, because often times the same people who claim others are blindly following fake news are equally as guilty of believing untrustworthy news themselves as often times we do not fact check.
Works Cited:
Analysis | Three-quarters of Republicans trust Trump over the media. (2018, July 25). Retrieved from https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/politics/wp/2018/07/25/three-quarters-of-republicans-trust-trump-over-the-media/?utm_term=.1a5a9287e910&wpisrc=nl_politics-pm&wpmm=1
Relman, Eliza. “'Traitor!': CNN Reporter Jim Acosta Heckled by 'CNN Sucks!' Chants at Trump Rally.” Business Insider, Business Insider, 31 July 2018, www.businessinsider.com/cnn-reporter-jim-acosta-heckled-by-cnn-sucks-chants-at-trump-rally-2018-7.
I think that I mostly talk about politics because politics and sports are so intertwined. Most pundits trace politics and sports being so connected to baseball after 9/11. ESPN created a great documentary about George Bush’s first pitch at Yankee stadium after 9/11 and I think from that moment sports and politics were always connected. The connection has obviously developed since then. We now have the President of the United States tweeting about what goes on during the National Anthem of NFL games along with players not accepting invites to the White House after winning a championship. I think most of the reason I got into politics was because politics got into sports, but once I started following politics I found it so interesting. The how, where and when for talking about politics are all a very similar answer. I don’t really talk about politics to other people, especially kids my age. People are so deep-rooted in their beliefs and get so defensive that it’s never worth bringing up. That doesn’t make me want to be any less informed, but I just never want the conversation to go there.
ReplyDeleteI honestly don’t talk to a lot of people about politics. Though I love to consume political news I don’t really like to discuss it. For me, if someone loves a sports team it’s because they are from the area where the team plays. Though sports arguments can get as heated as political ones, most of what someone believes is just because they like a team because they grew up in a certain area and it’s never really personal. However, with politics people are way more sensitive in their beliefs. Where as an entire family roots for the same team, families have been divided over politics. It just gets so messy and personal really quick. I try to be as informed as possible incase the topics come up but I will never bring it up in a conversation.
I get all of my political news from twitter, anytime of day. I follow many different outlets and read their articles and posts, but I will never just go to their website to see what they posted. I always start on twitter and see where that takes me. I always try to make sure the information I am reading has been thoroughly researched or is at least vetted by someone that I follow on twitter. One of our readings, the Poynter article, states that 65 percent of Americans believe that the news on social media is false. I think that number is definitely high but I also think that fake news isn’t a solid term. If a person is a democrat they might believe most of the news coming out of Fox is fake. But then the next question is on a scale from completely 100 percent true to completely fabricated, where does fake news fall. Does one wrong stat make the entire article fake news? I think different definitions of fake news can make the number of Americans that think news is fake is extremely inflated. To me, the problem is that some people don’t know where the information is coming from. One of our readings, an NRP article, states that between the first and second presidential debate in 2016, one third of pro Trump tweets and one fifth of pro Hillary tweets came from “automated accounts.” The article later goes on to say, “So, if Twitter is a bunch of Post-it notes thrown on the ground, we now have to consider which of those notes are even real.” The fact that there are that many fake accounts influencing political tweets creates total chaos.
I think that most political talk today is by far the most biased that it has ever been. Sometimes I’ll walk by the four television screens in the school of communication, with each television on a different channel, and it doesn’t even look like they are talking about the same country.
Blatchford, Taylor. “Americans Believe Two-Thirds of News on Social Media Is Misinformation.” Poynter, Pointer, 20 June 2018, www.poynter.org/news/americans-believe-two-thirds-news-social-media-misinformation.
Sanders, Sam. “Did Social Media Ruin Election 2016?” NPR, NPR, 8 Nov. 2016, www.npr.org/2016/11/08/500686320/did-social-media-ruin-election-2016.
Sophia Toppo
ReplyDeleteBlog 1
I have a very contradicting view on politics. It has never been something I’ve cared for, but at the same time I feel like it is something that I want to understand. That is why I am taking this class, because I want to be able to understand it better and create my own opinions that are supported by facts. I usually get very nervous about the word “politics” because I usually have no idea what is going on in the world. I’m trying to pay more attention to the news, but honestly I don’t know what to believe most of the time.
I’m the type of person that gets very annoyed when people discuss politics in an inappropriate setting and inappropriate times. If I were to bring up politics at a family dinner I usually do it with intentions to gain more knowledge about what is going in the world when I feel like I have no idea what is going on. I don’t bring it up with intentions to hurt feelings or degrade anyone’s opinions. Then there are situations when people bring up their political opinions in public places. I work in an ice cream store and I have had multiple customers ask me “who my president is,” with intentions of brewing a conversation that I don’t want to have. A customer one time screamed at a teenage boy for wearing a trump shirt telling him how “stupid” he is for voting for him. My only response to any of this commotion is “This is an ice cream store. There is no need for politics here.” Its crazy how much people want to be heard, but they need to understand that certain places are not the right places. People really love their freedom of speech.
I also rarely discuss politics on social media because that is not my vibe at all. I really think social media is a great way to share your opinions and create conversation, but to a certain extent. According to a recent study about the political environment on social media, “More than one-third of social media users are worn out by the amount of political content they encounter, and more than half describe their online interactions with those they disagree with politically as stressful and frustrating”(Duggan and Smith, 3). For me, social media is a place to escape for reality and enjoy simple entertainment. I have no problem when people discuss his or her political beliefs on social media, but when it becomes this long, passive aggressive feed on my twitter account, I’m not exactly thrilled. A recent study about civility in online political discussions stated that, “…participants who were exposed to civil cues were more likely to engage in civil discourse themselves, stay on-topic, and offer additional perspectives in their comments”(Han, Brazeal, and Pennington 1). I found this study fascinating because people tend to be so aggressive when it comes to sharing opinions, it was interesting to see that people can actually be civil if it the conversation is modeled that way. We shouldn’t be scared to talk about our beliefs, but in today’s world, it’s so hard to say something without someone instantly attacking you.
DeleteWorks Cited
Duggan, Maeve and Aaron Smith. “The Political Environment on Social Media, “ Pew Research Center, 25 October 2015.
Brazeal, LeAnn M. , Soo-Hye Han and Natalie Pennington. “Is Civility Contagious? Examining the Impact of Modeling in Online Political Discussions,” Social Media+ Society, September 2018.
Politics has been a fairly new topic to me up until the 2016 presidential election, which sparked my interest in becoming more familiar with the topic. Growing up, I found politics to be often boring, and a touchy subject in general, and found myself steering clear of ever getting involved in talking about politics, especially because I knew little about it to begin with.
ReplyDeleteAfter the 2016 election, I found myself interested in how divided the world around me was becoming, and was eager to learn more about it and politics in general. Both my mom and dad however, have always been passionate about politics, which has allowed me to educate myself more about it. The only times I ever participate in talking about politics would be with my own family or with close friends of mine, since I feel that it is a comfortable environment to agree and disagree with one another and respectfully so. Any political information that I get is directly from both of my parents or from the news. I never really rely on social media platforms such as Twitter, because I’m never sure of what I can truly trust or what is considered to be “fake news”.
Over the past two years, I have learned that the term “fake news” has two completely different meanings. Ultimately, “fake news” is just fabricated news that is presented as factually accurate, but President Trump has brought a whole new meaning to the term “fake news”, prior to his presidency, “fake news had a clear meaning”. (Kelly, 2018). Holan says, “when President Trump talks about fake news, he means something else entirely. Instead of fabricated content, Trump uses the term to describe news coverage that is unsympathetic to his administration and his performance, even when the news reports are accurate.” President Trump, already a media celebrity prior to the 2016 election and now a hard-core tweeter, makes it even harder to decipher what is to be considered real or fake news. This specifically, is why I choose to get my information from my parents or the news, because someone like me who has only been closely following politics since the 2016 presidential election, can find it confusing to decide what to and to not believe from the media.
The main reason I got so hooked on the 2016 presidential election and what was to come after it was because of how prominent social media was in correlation to it. The 2016 election and what came after it with Trump’s current presidency has shed a whole new different kind of light on social media, the good and bad that can come from it. The article “The Political Environment on Social Media” is a great example of both the positive and negative effects that politics can have on social media. While some users are able to utilize and enjoy the opportunities that social media can give them to catch up on recent political topics, some users also abuse these privileges and end up fighting with one another by expressing negative emotions such as frustration and hatred towards each other. I can’t remember the last time I logged onto social media platforms like Twitter and Facebook in the past two years, and didn’t see some post regarding political content or even others enticing one another to have a political debate, simply just to cause a fight. I think that political discussions today are usually negatively connotated, especially since the election of President Trump. I truly believe that if social media didn’t have such an influence over society today (and if our president didn’t tweet every second), that politics would not be looked at nearly as negatively.
Works Cited:
Duggan, Maeve and Aaron Smith. "The Political Environment on Social Media." Pew Research Center, 25 Oct. 2016.
Holan, Angie. “The Media's Definition of Fake News vs. Donald Trump's.” @Politifact, 18 Oct. 2017, www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/article/2017/oct/18/deciding-whats-fake-medias-definition-fake-news-vs/.
Kelly, Meg. "President Trump Cries 'Fake News' and the World Follows." Washington Post, 6 Feb. 2018.
Jeffrey Evans part 1
ReplyDeleteGrowing up, politics weren’t really talked about in my household or around me. I was always focused on other things like sports, going to school and hanging out with friends, the regular things that you think about as a kid. However, since Obama was elected politics started to slowly take part in my life. Having our first African-American president ever was a very exciting event and it was something that people began talking about a lot more around me. However, I still never really talked about politics myself, just heard things through the news when something major would occur. After Obama became president, I feel like politics became part of everyone’s lives a little bit more. Next Donald Trump became president and it’s become even more a part of everyone’s lives, even for people who didn’t want it to be. I was one of those people. At this stage in my life I still am not that involved in politics, besides inside the classroom. However, as I get older I realize that more things are starting to relate to me and that I should really start paying attention to what is going on in this world. These issues affect me as well as everyone else one way or another.
Ever since I switched my major to Political Science, I began to really enjoy hearing and learning about what is going on politically. I still do not like to talk about politics because in today’s world it is a very sensitive topic. It seems as everyone has a very strong personal view since Trump was elected. However, I do enjoy listening to people talk about politics and it is a way for me to become more educated in this field without having to hurt anyone’s feelings. I was always raised not talk about politics outside of the house, so I don’t know if I’ll ever be fully comfortable sharing my views on anything political.
Now, when I do talk about politics or hear about it, I usually would get my information from the news channels or if something big happens it would usually be all over social media. However, the phrase “fake news” has been getting thrown around a lot these days because of many reasons. Most times it’s hard to tell if a story is a true story or, if it’s a biased story with some facts not all there. This statement helps show how biased the news really is “False reports ran rampant on social media sites, such as Facebook and Twitter, and they landed at the top of search results on Google and others” (Holan 2017). This makes things harder for a person like myself because I can be reading a story and not know if what I’m reading is fully correct. This is another reason that I do not like speaking up about events that are happening in the political world because I am not 100 percent sure if what I have read or heard is true.
Jeffrey Evans part 2
ReplyDeleteLastly, I believe that today’s political discussions are dominated by incivility. Like stated before, in today’s world politics is a very sensitive topic. Especially with Trump being our president, there is a huge divide between Republicans and Democrats. This has created an environment in which more people are throwing harsh words, phrases, and even physical fights have happened because they do not side with the same political party as someone else. A great example of this behavior is when CNN reporter Jim Acosta was “heckled” at a Trump rally. People were yelling things like “CNN sucks, traitor and you’re a liar” (Relman 2018). Just because people may not agree with what he is saying or doing, treating someone like this isn’t always necessary. This is what leads me to believe that incivility has taking over political talks and has turned everything negative.
Relman, Eliza. “'Traitor!': CNN Reporter Jim Acosta Heckled by 'CNN Sucks!' Chants at Trump Rally.” Business Insider, Business Insider, 31 July 2018, www.businessinsider.com/cnn-reporter-jim-acosta-heckled-by-cnn-sucks-chants-at-trump-rally-2018-7.
Trump, Donald. “How Often Has Trump Said 'Fake News' This Year? We Counted.” @Politifact, 19 Oct. 2017, www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/article/2017/oct/18/deciding-whats-fake-medias-definition-fake-news-vs/.
Kaycie Romanello
ReplyDeleteIn all honesty, I consider myself to be very lucky to not have a nurturing background in politics. Ever since a young age, my parents never pushed the topic of politics upon me. Yes, they did have the news on all the time and would talk about it with adults, but that is the best part. I did not have to know politics, but they gave me the choice to talk about it on my own. In my opinion, that is why I got so interested in politics. It was never until my first year at Quinnipiac that I started to read up on the news.
Also, because I love to write, I felt as if politics would be the best aspect for me. With this being said, I talk about politics a lot, but I know my boundaries. In other words, I believe that my political views are important to me, but some people do not need to hear about them at all times. If I realize that someone does not like to have a political conversation with me, I will avoid the topic at all costs. For example, that is why I do not speak my political opinions onto social media. I am not one to fight about politics and have to get my “two cents” in, but I do love long discussions about politics that are made to want to find a solution.
On the other hand, I love to share my views before I write articles or when I see important political news. Before I write articles, I explain to my close friends my opinion of the story and then I know in my head that I can block out those opinions if I see it in my writing. Also, when I see the news on, I do love to discuss the topic with whomever is around. Ultimately, I only talk to a couple of my close friends about politics because we all are on the same page about discussing the topic instead of getting upset by it. Also, my close friend and I both read USAToday and listen to NPR podcasts everyday.
Furthermore, my choices in news sources are limited to two because I cannot stand the bias and negativity in the news. Political talk today is not where it should be. In other words, with all of the opportunity to express your opinion on social media, there is too much negativity to be able to have a mature discussion about politics. To further explain my opinion on political talk, House Speaker Paul D. Ryan explained his opinion on political discourse as, “Filled with ‘disillusionment’ and lacking ‘substance ... reason ... facts ... merits.’ Those engaged in the debate “rarely skim below the surface” and feed off a social media network with ‘a narrow vision of society’” (Kane). The media was created for more opinions to be expressed, but now it is turning into an argument every couple posts. Also, I do disagree with critics that incivility dominates today’s political discussions because they are supposed to be encouraging it.
Critics need to understand that there is always room for improvement, but we will never get to improvement if we don’t intellectually have a real conversation about it. I also believe that everyone's a critic. It is understandable to get upset in some conversations, but I think the main culprit of the description of critics are politicians. In an article written by NPR entitled, “Did Social Media Ruin Election 2016?” the author explained the “trolling” of Jeb Bush and Hillary Clinton on Twitter (Sanders). These two politicians are supposed to be guiding the public to intellectually want to have conversations, but instead they are showing the Twitter audience that it is okay to disrespect opponents like that.
Overall, I believe that political discussions are not what they should be right now and I do not agree with the path we are on. We have so much room for expression and working together, but we are only dividing each other apart.
DeleteWorks Cited
Ryan, Paul. “‘Snark sells, but it doesn’t stick’: Ryan draws dark portrait of political talk — without mentioning Trump.” The Washington Post. 25 July 2018, https://www.washingtonpost.com/powerpost/snark-sells-but-it-doesnt-stick-ryan-draws-dark-portrait-of-political-talk--without-mentioning-trump/2018/07/25/519387a8-902a-11e8-bcd5-9d911c784c38_story.html?utm_term=.003c39ed1f44&wpisrc=nl_politics-pm&wpmm=1. Accessed 3 September 2018.
Sanders, Sam. “Did Social Media Ruin Election 2016?” npr. 8 November 2016, https://www.npr.org/2016/11/08/500686320/did-social-media-ruin-election-2016. Accessed 3 September 2018.
I was never someone who extensively followed politics and the news until a few years ago. I’m not proud of it, but I’m one of the many Americans who started paying attention to current events more after the 2016 election. Before then I saw no need to keep up with what was going on in Washington D.C. The Obama Administration ran a tight ship, and rarely any wrongdoings and scandals were reported. My home state of Rhode Island is also a traditionally “blue” state for decades, so politics were never a huge concern for my family. We blissfully went with the flow of things because we liked the direction the country was moving in.
ReplyDeleteToday, however, things are vastly different. Conversations about politics has become an everyday occurrence in both my family and group of friends at home. During my senior year of high school a few of my friends, and I took a class about political ideologies around the world. Since it was an election year, my teacher went above and beyond to update us on all the current events surrounding the presidential race. I feel like that class caused my friends and I to follow current events and really think for ourselves about politics. When we started college, we all began keeping up with events on our own through news sites. Personally, I try to use unbiased outlets like AP, The Hill and NPR, but I sometimes read CNN, The New York Times and The Washington Post periodically. To this day we still sit down when we’re together and comment on the current climate, since we all possess very similar political beliefs. I’ll do the same with my direct family from time to time, but I will rarely talk politics with my relatives because they are mostly traditionalist conservatives.
I do not keep my thoughts to myself because I am embarrassed about what I believe. Instead, I do it out of respect for my relatives. I feel as if it is almost impossible to change the way someone thinks through debating. People find the power to think differently within themselves- no outside force can influence that. That idea is not really understood I feel, considering how most debates and political conversations I see online go. Civil conversations have become the minority online. Whether it is in the comment section of an article tweeted out by NYT, a reply to someone in your town’s Facebook post, or even in a direct message, in most common situations the conversation is blown way out of proportion. The resistance of the left and the persistence of the right has caused a huge divide in this country, and the breeding ground for it is on social media I feel. In my opinion, the most prevalent reason that there is so much hostility and incivility is because it is so easy to be someone you are not. Because it is impossible to authenticate users on the internet, “Many scholars argue that the anonymous nature of online comments, as well as a lack of face-to-face social reprimands from other posters, contribute to the presence of uncivil discourse…” (Han 2). There is no need to worry about repercussions on the internet because there is no face-to-face engagement. You have complete freedom to represent yourself in any way, because there are loopholes to anything you say or post to track back to you.
Part 2:
DeleteI also feel like this rise of incivility has been created through the desensitization of outrageousness that occurs on Capitol Hill. In correspondence to this toxic form of political communication on the internet, similar discourse is happening in our government. President Trump has brought along a new wave of dialect that in my opinion ignited incivility on the internet. He has perfected the art of insulting others, and Americans, Democrat and Republican, are following suit on social media. This causes Central Lakes College Professor Gary Payne to think, “People are looking for the simplest signals to go by. People pay more attention to demeanor than they do to policy.” (Baker & Rogers 2). I agree that civility is a dying breed on the internet right now due to the toxicity in Washington D.C. President Trump’s demeanor in the White House has brought along a dangerous precedent among internet culture in America.
Works Cited
DeleteBaker, Peter, and Katie Rogers. “In Trump's America, the Conversation Turns Ugly and Angry, Starting at the Top.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 21 June 2018, www.nytimes.com/2018/06/20/us/politics/trump-language-immigration.html?emc=edit_nn_20180621&nl=morning-briefing&nlid=8621852520180621&te=1.
Han, Soo-Hye, Brazeal, LeAnn M., Pennington, Natalie. 2018. Is Civility Contagious? Examining the Impact of Modeling in Online Political Discussions. Social Media + Society. 11.
Charlotte Gardner PART ONE
ReplyDeleteAlthough I definitely care about politics, I rarely take the chance to speak up about my beliefs. In this day in age, with the totally polarizing president who is governing our nation, speaking up about your political beliefs acts as your own virtue or your own vice- and rarely lays in between. I was never involved with politics growing up and I’m still not completely comfortable discussing political issues because I’m not the most informed as I could be. When I was young, I remember I would pay attention to politics when they were involved in a huge change in society or the country. I remember voicing my support for Obama because I was so excited for him to make history, but I had no idea what else made him qualified to become our president. Now, I do check up on politics, but out of pure necessity. With so many radical changes going on in our country that I have found myself against, each news headline is even more damning than the one before it. I check on politics to see how much closer our country is from falling off of the cliff where the government has us at the moment.
I’m pretty good at blocking out serious news in my day-to-day life. Hearing about tragedies or about deportation camps is something that I don’t like thinking about because it makes me so anxious to have all this bad going on in the world, and not being able to do one thing about it. But, on the rare occasion in which I do want to be informed, I have turned to social media as a quick source to find out breaking political information. Twitter moments have been a real lifesaver due to its easy-access layout and their compilation of many different views and sources. They are able to link articles from reputable publications as well as tweets from everyday people who all want to join the conversation. I used to have the CNN app installed on my phone, but again, I don’t like seeing terrible headlines so I deleted it. I turn on the news sometimes or my mother recaps the events of the day to me.
Charlotte Gardner PART TWO
ReplyDeleteI find myself sharing my political opinions with close friends and family, but only if I am certain that they share the same views. I am aware how touchy politics can be to some people but I am not that aware of everything political, so I am afraid of speaking out about issues when I could come off as ignorant or just totally wrong. This is in part because some of the media outlets that report political news or people who talk to me about politics are very biased. Philip Bump, a Washington Post writer explained that many people believe that news coverage regarding Trump specifically is biased, “Quinnipiac first started asking the question in March 2017, at which point Republican trust in Trump over the media was at 86 percent. After that, it settled into the range where it is now. Democrats have consistently trusted the media over Trump in overwhelming numbers.” (Bump, The Washington Post). I just began talking to my mother about politics because she walks away from the nightly news with the look of pure disappointment on her face each night and needs to vent about how agitated politics has been making her. I still don’t know which party she sides with, and don’t know my other family member’s parties either, but I’m okay with that. Discussing politics with friends never goes too deep into the subject matter. With our president becoming a frequent star on E! News, my conversations just revolve around his newest tweets or his hair. The most intense political conversation I have ever had was with my best friend after she went to Geneva, Switzerland to attend a UN Summit after the U.S had been removed for violating human rights laws. It was cathartic to delve into such important and heavy topics.
I do agree that incivility has made its way into political discussions but I think it is because it has been reflected by our president so people believe that if he can do it, so can they. There have definitely been unprofessional things said by Trump and reporters alike, but I don’t think it is worth questioning publications about. “During his campaign, Trump barred reporters from about a dozen media organizations — including The Washington Post, Politico and BuzzFeed — from being credentialed at his rallies, news conferences and other events, and from flying on the press charter plane.” (Rucker, Dawsey, Parker The Washington Post). I think most of this talk comes from anger and hatred, not a lesser publication.
Works Cited:
Bump, Philip. “Analysis | Three-Quarters of Republicans Trust Trump over the Media.” The Washington
Post, WP Company, 25 July 2018,
www.washingtonpost.com/news/politics/wp/2018/07/25/three-quarters-of-republicans-trust-trump-over-the-media/?noredirect=on&utm_term=.34fb13925797&wpisrc=nl_politics-pm&wpmm=1.
Rucker, Philip, et al. “Venting about Press, Trump Has Repeatedly Sought to Ban Reporters over
Questions.” The Washington Post, WP Company, 27 July 2018,
www.washingtonpost.com/politics/venting-about-press-trump-has-repeatedly-sought-to-ban-reporters-over-questions/2018/07/27/0e73a068-91a9-11e8-8322-b5482bf5e0f5_story.html?utm_term=.69e862917c27&wpisrc=nl_headlines&wpmm=1.
When it comes to politics, myself and many other people my age are very vocal when it comes to their views and opinions. Most of the time I talk about politics among my friends and parents and (very minutely) on social media. Still, politics is one of those topics that seldom comes up at the dinner table at home or out with friends. Most of these discussions are spurred when major political decisions are made or another major incident happens on the news. The most recent example of this is the death of Senator John McCain. Not only was McCain talked about in this class, he was tweeted, retweeted, texted about and the subject of conversation between my parents and I over the phone. My political information comes from social media and push notifications from news sites like CNN. With siting down and watching the news pretty much out of the picture, information on my phone is the go-to, and I could say the same for most if not all college students.
ReplyDeleteI believe it is necessary to talk about politics because there would be no progress on either side of the aisle without it. Discussion and criticism is crucial in political fodder. In an editorial from the New York Times, the piece includes a quote from Thomas Jefferson saying ““Nothing can now be believed which is seen in a newspaper,” and “Truth itself becomes suspicious by being put into that polluted vehicle” (NYT Editorial Board, 1). However, Jefferson knew that the press was necessary to keep politics in check, as he mentioned before he was president. Taking a page out of Jefferson’s book, the press that covers political discussions is very much a “polluted vehicle”. There is a great deal of incivility and practically no way to have a meaningful discussion without either side going for the throat of the other.
Much of this incivility can be seen to come from the source of the debates themselves: President Trump. Trump himself “stirs the pot” to say when it comes to opinions of the press and politics. In an article from the New York Times, Christine Porath, a Georgetown professor and author explains that, “It seems like people are not only reciprocating [Trump’s incivility], but we tend to stoop lower rather than higher. It’s really putting us in an unfortunate place.” (Bakers & Rogers, 1). It seems that when president Trump took office, political conversations turned into which side could yell louder. Trump likes to point out news outlets that disagree with or report unfavorably about him as “fake news” which only fuels the fire of ousting certain news outlets. Now, more than ever, hostility and incivility dominate political discussions.
^John McMahon Works Cited
DeleteBaker, Peter, and Katie Rogers. “In Trump's America, the Conversation Turns Ugly and Angry, Starting at the Top.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 21 June 2018,
NYT Editorial Board. “A Free Press Needs You.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 15 Aug. 2018, www.nytimes.com/interactive/2018/08/15/opinion/editorials/free-press-local-journalism-news-donald-trump.html?action=click&pgtype=Homepage&clickSource=story-heading&module=opinion-c-col-left-region®ion=opinion-c-col-left-region&WT.nav=opinion-c-col-left-region.
Blog #1
ReplyDeletePolitical news and discussions occur on a daily basis in my life because of the strong interest that I have with the subject matter. Personally, I am a political science minor because of my extreme interest in politics as a whole. Living in a democracy, it is important to discuss or debate key issues in a civilized manner. I discuss politics with my family, friends, classmates and even complete strangers sometimes. All with the intended goal of receiving a wide variety of opinions. In my opinion, it is always best to hear out all political ideologies in order to be fully informed on people’s viewpoints.
The one person whom I feel most comfortable speaking politics around is my grandmother. Usually, we will discuss current political news on CNN and FOX over dinner. I love these discussions with my grandma because we are both able to give our own viewpoints in a civilized and friendly manner. Most of my political information comes from TV and online news. Whenever I see a big story posted on social media I will normally check CNN or FOX’s website to verify if the story is accurate. It is nearly impossible to go on social media and not see political news. In a way, it is a good thing to receive your news quickly, but with so many sources and news stories you must be able to check the accuracy of what you are reading.
The article, ‘Americans believe two-thirds of news on social media is misinformation’ by Taylor Blatchford states, “Americans believe 39 percent of news in newspapers, on TV or on the radio is misinformation – but their views of social media are even worse. They believe 65 percent of news on social media is made up or can’t be verified as accurate.” This is a staggering number for social media users because of the amount of time that people spend on their accounts taking in this “false” information. Even the lack of trust in television news is startling. With the term fake news flying around so much these days a lot of people seem to feel a sense of doubt in any news source.
It is fair for critics to say that incivility dominates today’s political discussions because many people are either 100 percent for Donald Trump or 100 percent against him. There isn’t much middle ground between Democrats and Republicans these days. In my experiences, I have been able to have countless discussions with people who do and don’t agree with my political views. Civility definitely still exists in politics, but during stressful and divided times in our country things can get heated between both sides. Instances such as the events in Charlottesville can cause people to think that the whole country has gone mad, but in reality that was a very small group of individuals that do not represent America as a whole.
The Washington Post article entitled, ‘Feud Over Civility in Politics Escalates Amid Trump Insults’ by Felicia Sonmez and Robert Costa states, “Sanders was asked to leave the Red Hen restaurant in Lexington, Va., on Friday night because the owner said she believes Sanders works for an inhumane and unethical administration.” In this instance, civility was not demonstrated because Sarah Sanders was kicked out of a restaurant all because of who she works for. In civil politics, people can disagree with one another yet respect the other person’s viewpoint. It is crucial that more events such as this or Charlottesville do not occur. It is extremely important that both sides of the political spectrum work together on the important issues facing our country. Working together will bring quicker and better results for our country’s future.
Works cited
DeleteSonmez, Felicia, and Robert Costa. “Feud over Civility in Politics Escalates amid Trump Insults.” The Washington Post, WP Company, 25 June 2018, www.washingtonpost.com/politics/feud-over-civility-in-politics-escalates-amid-trump-insults/2018/06/25/69a55856-7894-11e8-93cc-6d3beccdd7a3_story.html?noredirect=on&utm_term=.46bef0670fa8&wpisrc=nl_headlines&wpmm=1.
Blatchford, Taylor. “Americans Believe Two-Thirds of News on Social Media Is Misinformation.” Poynter, 20 June 2018, www.poynter.org/news/americans-believe-two-thirds-news-social-media-misinformation.
Politics have always for some reason been a heavy discussion at home. I grew up with a mother who was very passionate about her beliefs and the people she thinks are best fit to run the country. Every night, my mother has my brother and I turn the TV to World News Tonight with David Muir and we always watch ABC 7 at 5:00 p.m. Whatever is happening in the world that day regarding politics she has always made a comment. When I was younger and uneducated about politics I would just laugh with her and agree. Over the past few years, we now discuss, agree, disagree, we talk about our stances on these subjects and what we believe is right. Because of this experience I have always been very interested in politics. But I also try to stray away from voicing my political opinion outside of those conversations. Why? My friend group and I had some political discussions during the 2016 election season and fights broke out and things got deep and it was just not the best conversation to have.
ReplyDeleteIn one of our readings the Political Environment on Social Media by Maeve Duggan and Aaron Smith they said, "In a political environment defined by widespread polarization and partisan animosity, even simple conversations can go awry when the subject turns to politics. In their in-person interactions, Americans can (and often do) attempt to steer clear of those with whom they strongly disagree,” (Duggan and Smith 2016). Our political environment is so polarized today, especially after this past election cycle and many conversations I had about politics during and after the 2016 election did go awry. I will often observe political conversation between friends and family now but won’t necessarily discuss my opinions.
Part of this goes into me wanting to become a future journalist. If I end up reporting I do not want to appear biased. Many times I am also forced into political conversation through class discussion, as a am a political science minor and a journalism major. This summer I also interned at PIX 11 News in New York City and while trying to report on the top political stories of the summer, reporters, producers, assignment edits, etc. would all continuously openly discuss and state their political opinions in the news room. Some days I was forced into those discussions.
I also observe political discussions on countless social media sites. Dugan and Smith explain in their research with Pew Research Center that political debate and discussion has become and is a “norm” on social media platforms. Which I find pretty interesting because politics are supposed to be one of those very taboo conversation topics. Maeve and Smith explained that, “most users try to ignore political arguments on social media as best they can; when that fails, they take steps to curate their feeds and avoid the most offensive types of content,” (Duggan and Smith 2016). I have found myself part of this group of people at times. While I will invite countless news organizations into my own feeds so that I am educated in politics, there were just some people during this past election cycle who went on rants on social media and because of that I “muted” many. I still get many of my political information on social media but it will be from trusted news sources like the New York Times, the Post, ABC, etc. I will also seek political information from watching news shows as well.
Part 2:
DeleteI would definitely agree with critics that incivility dominates today’s political discussion. It has not been dominant for long and I really do think the way Trump speaks has really fueled a lot of the incivility. In a Washington Post article by Philip Bump he wrote that, "In civil society, you don’t say that Mexicans are rapists or hint that immigrants are terrorists or drug dealers,” (Bump 2018.) The way he has spoke about Mexican’s, immigrants, women, etc. has made incivility what it is today.
"Civility worked in politics because people adhered to it, often because they thought that failing to adhere to it would cost them votes. Trump ran toward incivility, embraced it as “Trump being Trump” — and is now president. He is the gigantic asterisk that hangs over Washington’s insistence on the need for political civility,” (Bump 2018). As Bump writes instead of recognizing the issues with political conversation today and trying to fix it, we shrug it off say it is just Trump being Trump or Trump supporters being Trump supporters. Incivility has become the “norm” of political conversation and we sometimes forget that just a couple of years ago things were quite different.
Works Cited
Duggan, Maeve and Aaron Smith. "The Political Environment on Social Media." Pew Research Center, 25 Oct. 2016.
Bump, Philip. "The Irony of Washington’s ‘Civility’ Debate: Trump Already Proved that Incivility Works." Washington Post, 25 June 2018.
Brianna Caponi part 1
ReplyDeletePolitical communication, in recent years, has undergone a transformation. This is due to many factors, but most notably it is because of technology that we are seeing so many cultural changes on the political landscape. Out of the advancement of technology in the last decade, a new “leg” was added to the dynamic in American politics: social media. There is debate whether the impact of social media on politics is negative or positive but Sanders in his article mostly points out the negative consequences of allowing social media to gain this kind of power over people. He says social media has changed politics in two ways: you will see people “unfriending” and losing friendships on Facebook, and you will people absolutely outraged on Twitter if someone disagrees with what they’ve said.
Most people probably associate this kind of behavior with regards to the 2016 election and Donald Trump’s Administration. Sanders argues that social media is what made the 2016 election so sensitive and unbearable controversial. He says, “But underneath that glaring and obvious conclusion, there's a deeper story about how the very DNA of social media platforms and the way people use them has trickled up through our political discourse and affected all of us, almost forcing us to wallow in the divisive waters of our online conversation,” (Sanders). My personal experience with the election on social media is not far off from what he described. I was using online news sources and following it all closely on Facebook and Twitter, but by the end of the Fall of 2016 I needed a break from all of it for a couple months because the negativity was too draining and depressing.
Unfortunately, I think the most recent election has changed the way we talk, and also listen about and to other political opinions. Political talk today is very angry, bitter, and frankly hostile in most environments. There is no respect of political discourse anymore, it seems like you’re someone’s enemy if you voted a different way. In an article from the NY Times written by Baker and Rogers, they state, “Mr. Trump’s coarse discourse increasingly seems to inspire opponents to respond with vituperative words of their own. Whether it be Robert De Niro’s four-letter condemnation at the Tony Awards or a congressional intern who shouted the same word at Mr. Trump when he visited the Capitol this week, the president has generated so much anger among his foes that some are crossing boundaries that he himself shattered long ago,” (Baker and Rogers). This new attitude across political conversations has caused this new idea of incivility in politics to emerge. Basically, it’s the idea that it can’t be talked about in a civil manner if there is disagreement in policy, or candidate etc.
DeleteMany people enjoy the debate and chaos over social media, but incivility increasing has made others not want to go on social media due to the tone set around politics. Duggan and Smith of the Pew Research Center completed a study and survey of political conversations and feelings with regards to social media and politics. According to the study, “A new Pew Research Center survey of U.S. adults finds that political debate and discussion is indeed a regular fact of digital life for many social media users, and some politically active users enjoy the heated discussions and opportunities for engagement that this mix of social media and politics facilitates. But a larger share expresses annoyance and aggravation at the tone and content of the political interactions they witness on these platforms,” (Duggan and Smith). Ultimately, the 2016 election was an anomaly and it changed the way we look and discuss politics, but social media has now become too big and vital to the discussion to ignore and it should be interesting to see how this plays out in the upcoming 2020 election.
References
DeleteSanders, S. (2016, November 08). Did Social Media Ruin Election 2016? Retrieved from
https://www.npr.org/2016/11/08/500686320/did-social-media-ruin-election-2016
Baker, P., & Rogers, K. (2018, June 21). In Trump's America, the Conversation Turns Ugly and
Angry, Starting at the Top. Retrieved from https://www.nytimes.com/2018/06/20/us/politics/trump-language-immigration.html?emc=edit_nn_20180621&nl=morning-briefing&nlid=8621852520180621&te=1
Duggan, M., & Smith, A. (2016, October 25). The Political Environment on Social Media.
Retrieved from http://www.pewinternet.org/2016/10/25/the-political-environment-on-social-media/
I believe that the more outraged people are about politics, the more outspoken they become. In recent politics, I’ve found that I have not only become internally frustrated but have expressed my exasperations on the internet for the world of social media to see. Recently, I have been sharing many posts and articles related to American politics, exclusively on Facebook. Each time the president says something nasty or every time I disagree with any of his policy’s I post something. My Facebook page reflects my contempt. The reason I am talking about politics now (more than ever) is because I am generally unhappy or would like to see change in the U.S government.
ReplyDeleteAlthough, as a budding journalist it is important to be objective and to report only the facts, I find that in my outrage I appear to have difficulty staying objective. There are times where I will share a post by The Associated Press (the facts) and there are periods where I will share an editorial by The New York Times. I find the reason I share and post political content on social media is because I feel a personal connection to the issues or policy at hand. Research seems to show that I am not the only person that is speaking out in anger: The New York Times reports that “The politics of rage that animated Mr. Trump’s political rise now dominate the national conversation, as demonstrated repeatedly during the debate over his “zero tolerance” immigration policy that separated children from parents apprehended at the border,” (Baker and Rogers, 2018). This isn’t just a liberal opinion, this is fact. Mr. Trump’s own hate filled dialogue has naturally spread its web over the entire national conversation.
It seems that most political rhetoric these days is largely based around people’s feelings of anger, or personal feelings towards the administration. Whether it’s in person or on social media, people on social media aren’t typically sharing the facts of an event or informing people about a certain policy, but rather bashing each other’s opinions and beliefs. The current Political discussions going on in the U.S can be uncivil and mean-spirited. I’ve seen it almost every day since the beginning of the 2016 election. People seem to be more vocal about their political views than ever, whether it’s someone cursing out an individual for wearing a “Make America Great Again” hat, or someone posting “if you support Trump, we aren’t friends anymore” on Facebook. It’s not hard to believe that people have little respect for each other’s opinions when the Knight Foundation reports that: “Americans believe 39 percent of news in newspapers, on TV or on the radio is misinformation — but their views of social media are even worse. They believe 65 percent of news on social media is made up or can’t be verified as accurate,” (Blatchford, 2018). How can you take a political debate seriously when the facts or articles you are referencing in your discussion are not seen as reliable or honest? With more people unsure of who and what to believe in the current political and media landscape, it is important for the media to reestablish its relationship with the people to possibly allow for more fruitful, civil and organized democratic debate.
Works Cited
Blatchford, Taylor. “Americans Believe Two-Thirds of News on Social Media Is Misinformation.” Poynter, Poynter Institute, 20 June 2018, www.poynter.org/news/americans-believe-two-thirds-news-social-media-misinformation.
Baker, Peter, and Katie Rodgers. “Breaking News, World News & Multimedia.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 20 June 2018, https://www.nytimes.com/2018/06/20/us/politics/trump-language-immigration.html?emc=edit_nn_20180621&nl=morning-briefing&nlid=8621852520180621&te=1.
Rick Lessard
ReplyDeletePolitics are as simple as they are complicated. One chooses a side of an issue that impacts them and they defend that side while rallying others to it. From an early age, I learned quickly that everyone has a political identity but sparingly shares it with others. My first introduction to politics happened in 2000, with the recount of the presidential race. It was also my first presidential race that I remember in detail. I remember asking my parents who they voted for and them rebutting me quickly saying, that you are not supposed to share that information. Ironically, from that point on, I remember discussing politics increasingly with my family and others. As I grew older and politics impacted me more, I learned who I could argue civilly with and who I could not. The older I became, the more I noticed that I and others are pretty stubborn in our beliefs. Political civility has not eroded in recent years but the rise of social media and the Trump presidency has reminded us how ugly politics can be.
My favorite thing on Facebook is how quickly people attack Governor Dannel Malloy. The man could literally be giving puppies to cancer stricken kids and someone will rattle off some expletive comment at the post because they believe he is solely responsible for the decline of the state. It is common knowledge now that you do not post something overtly political on any social media platform unless you are looking for a fight. As Sam Senard said in his NPR article, Did Social Media Ruin Election 2016?, “This is our present political social life: We don't just create political strife for ourselves; we seem to revel in it.” (Senard 1) I believe some people only post politically charged information on social media because they enjoy the confrontation.
We have a constant flow of information that helps us jump from one political controversy to the next. It was not too long ago that people were in an outrage over children separated from their families and being put into cages. Before that it was the Stormy Daniels affair. We are always ready to either condemn or applaud in politics on social media. In many ways, social media is something similar to discussing politics at thanksgiving dinner in the fact that it is downright ugly. I have personally noticed that the people around me have always argued politics in this bullish way.
Part 2 -Rick Lessard
DeleteApparently this has always been the case in American politics. Lisa Belkin said in 7 ways Donald Trump is just like the Founding Fathers, “A new low. A new low? Heavens no, I say, in my best wizened voice. Not even close. Rather than ending the republic, these folks would fit right in with the men who founded it.” (Belkin 1) In past times, politicians were accused of being crazy, ugly, and smelly or having sex with slaves or animals. We have not reached that point yet but we have seen a return to form of hostility. The article had to remind us that people hated Lincoln so much that half the country seceded. Politicians got away from this type of strategy for a bit. They attacked the policies instead of the person. Donald Trump has jumped on the nostalgia train and has been riding it ever since he decided to run. Philip Bump explains this using President Trump’s strategy during his campaign. Bump writes, “Civility worked in politics because people adhered to it, often because they thought that failing to adhere to it would cost them votes.” (Bump 2) People liked the fact the President doesn’t mince words, that he’s a “straight shooter”. We discussed in class the idea that we have reentered into a partisan type environment. One side thinks they can prop themselves up by putting the other side down. FOX News attacks Democrats, MSNBC goes after Republicans. I think the lines now for who supports who has been very clearly drawn out.
I do not talk about politics except with close friends because in climates like this, there seems little room for compromise between Democratic and Republican. I enjoy the idea of compromise, two sides finding a common ground. If I think a person will listen with an open mind like I try to do, I will discuss politics but never on social media! Social media has become the new town square and people can say malicious or even fallacious statements while being protected behind their computer screen. The lack of civility of politics has always been there, it just took President Trump and social media to shine the light on it again.
Works Cited
Sanders, Sam. “Did Social Media Ruin Election 2016?” NPR, NPR, 8 Nov. 2016, www.npr.org/2016/11/08/500686320/did-social-media-ruin-election-2016.
Bump, Philip. "The Irony of Washington’s ‘Civility’ Debate: Trump Already Proved that Incivility Works." Washington Post.com, Washington Post, 25 June 2018. https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/politics/wp/2018/06/25/the-irony-of-d-c-s-civility-debate-trump-already-proved-that-incivility-works/?noredirect=on&utm_term=.ce16b0ed3b8f
Belkin, Lisa. “7 Ways Donald Trump Is Just like the Founding Fathers.” Yahoo! News, Yahoo!, 7 Apr. 2016, www.yahoo.com/news/7-ways-donald-trump-is-just-1402033286914102.html
(1/1) It is a widely accepted fact that politics is a sore subject, particularly in light of recent bipartisan tensions since the 2016 presidential election, often polarizing people in even the most amicable of settings. That is why I choose to only discuss politics in a private setting, or when prompted to by a professor or other academic leader. By private, I mean in any space other than a very public location, such as a cafeteria or on public transit, where all of those involved feel free to voice their views without a third party stepping in and without raising our voices. I like to discuss politics with trusted friends in our cars, in our homes, and maybe even while studying in a secluded location. For example: I have actually discussed the politics that may be covered in this course with my roommate at home because she is so fascinated by the concept. That conversation led to other points of interest, including the politics of non-gendered bathrooms and of the gender binary.
ReplyDeleteI also like to talk to my mother about politics because she always offers a very even-keeled view of the news, though it does help that she shares my political views. I think that, as humans who crave acceptance and often wan their opinions to be echoed, we most often discuss politics with those who will not challenge what we say. This is not true for all people, and I do not think it is a conscious bias in myself, but I do believe it exists inherently in most of us. At the same time, while we outwardly accept support and companionship from those in our respective political parties (I feel right at home with the liberal left, which is a personal choice.), we somehow simultaneously seem to enjoy a good political debate. Passive agreement of political values makes no waves and can even establish a sense of connection between two people, but what people seem to love more is the opportunity to flex their political muscles and voice just how into their views they are. On Facebook, users will post statuses with inflammatory political material (ex: “if you support Donald Trump then you’re an idiot and should unfriend me”), and then act shocked when an opposing user swoops in and offers a rebuttal. According to Sam Sanders for NPR, “This is our present social life: We don’t just create political strife for ourselves; we seem to revel in it”.
(2/2) I read a lot of CNN news on Twitter because I like the way that CNN presents its information. CNN tends to use less click-bait in their headlines and, in my opinion, gives a fairer view of the news than its counterpart FOX. I think it’s important to acknowledge that CNN and FOX are two of the most popular news stations, and most popular cable news networks above all, which creates the illusion that there may be very little opinion beyond those two conflicting sources. This is especially true in the competitive landscape that is social media. Due to the polarizing nature of social media, the ultimate online forum, where you can find all the like-minded individuals you need to team up with and feel safe behind a computer screen, most political discussions online have turned hostile. It seems as though everyone always has something to prove and that the only way to be heard is to make others upset and rise above the overflow of political media coverage, because to be noticed making a statement about Trump or Obama nowadays takes some real shock-value. Donald Trump said it best when he said, “I think the big problem this country has is being politically correct”, thereby supporting the notion that “incivility works” (Bump) in terms of garnering media attention and inspiring people to link up for a cause. Whatever Trump says becomes law for his truly devoted followers, like some twisted Jonestown trance has taken effect.
ReplyDeleteBased on the nation’s constant state of unrest and the people’s inability to wholly come together on important issues like education, disability, and civilian rights under a biased justice system, clearly demonstrated through the charged discourse on social media platforms like Twitter, Facebook, and Reddit, I would have to agree with critics in saying that incivility dominates today’s political discussions.
Bump, Philip. “Analysis | The Irony of Washington's 'Civility' Debate: Trump Already Proved
That Incivility Works.” The Washington Post, WP Company, 25 June 2018,
www.washingtonpost.com/news/politics/wp/2018/06/25/the-irony-of-d-c-s-civility-
debate-trump-already-proved-that-incivility-works/?utm_term=.684e33f5e953.
Sanders, Sam. “Did Social Media Ruin Election 2016?” NPR, NPR, 8 Nov. 2016,
www.npr.org/2016/11/08/500686320/did-social-media-ruin-election-2016.
Sophie Rodgers
ReplyDeleteWhen I was in the fourth grade, I remember proudly declaring to my friends at the lunch table that I was a Republican. That was what I considered myself, without doubt- after all, my parents were Republicans, and so were my grandparents and every aunt and uncle I had ever met. It was around the time of the 2008 presidential election, and I had heard enough of my parents’ rants about how Barack Obama was going to ruin our country to know where we, as a family, stood on the political spectrum. To me, politics were inherited, and I was content with that.
In eighth grade, I made some of my first social media accounts and began to see a lot of opinions that differed from mine. Coupled with a new group of friends and the beginning of high school, my mentality gradually began to change- until, it seemed, I woke up one day what my father would call a “flaming liberal”. I learned to research and ask questions, be critical of what I saw, and my ideas and opinions grew and evolved, but on the whole that’s remained the same- I’m still way over there on the left.
My family and I do not talk about politics. We also don’t discuss social issues (such as abortion, immigration, environmental regulation, etc.). Every time we’ve ever tried it’s led to a full-out screaming match and an abrupt end to family dinner. So we have an unspoken agreement to remain silent. I respect my parents more than pretty much anyone else in the world, but so many of their views are the literal opposite to mine. It’s a confusing but, according to many people I know, not an unusual situation to be in. I talk about politics with my friends instead, with my classmates and teachers, with my younger sister. I spend probably too much time on Twitter and Tumblr, reading and posting. It’s something I’ve been passionate about for a long time, and getting my opinions out there is important to me.
Right now, politics is a pretty scary place. I have a lot of friends who refuse to get involved in talking about anything controversial, claiming the potential backlash just “isn’t worth it”. I understand. I think incivility in politics is rampant, for a few reasons. The first is the ever-growing division between parties. Conversations today turn ugly because people are angry. Minorities and other disadvantaged groups that are finally beginning to have their voices heard are angry about years and years of systemic discrimination. It’s difficult to remain calm when those in power are talking about ways to tear you down even more. Frustration leads to desperation to be heard. For example, when Michael V. Hayden was criticized for a tweet comparing the Trump administration to Hitler’s Germany, he apologized by saying he “felt a warning flare was necessary”. The onslaught on social media discussions can also create a sort of competition of nastiness, with each side trying to outdo the other. Professor Christine Porath claims that while talking politics, most of us are “not only reciprocating, but we tend to stoop lower rather than higher”.
The other reason for incivility, in my opinion, is mass confusion. We have an arsenal of communication tools at our disposal, but they sometimes do more harm than good. There are so many sources and distributors of information that deciding which ones to pay attention to is crucial. This also leads to news stations and talk show hosts focusing on the “trendy” or “hot” topics that will help them compete for ratings. This past summer, “[Omarosa] Manigault Newman received over 34 hours of coverage on the three cable news networks combined”, according to Media Matters. In comparison, the four other major news stories of the week, each of them just as (if not more) important, “received just three hours of coverage”. Different Americans chose to get their information from different sources, which means different biases and spins, which means increased disagreements, misconceptions, and miscommunications.
(part 2)
DeleteI’ve seen firsthand how ugly politics can be, but I hope it won’t always have to be this way. Politics should be a place for people to learn and evolve, rather than a contest to bring each other down.
Works Cited
Baker, Peter, and Katie Rogers. “In Trump's America, the Conversation Turns Ugly and Angry, Starting at the Top.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 21 June 2018, www.nytimes.com/2018/06/20/us/politics/trump-language-immigration.html?emc=edit_nn_20180621&nl=morning-briefing&nlid=8621852520180621&te=1.
Power, Lis. “Omarosa's Coverage by Cable News Drowned out Other Stories.” Media Matters for America, 17 Aug. 2018, www.mediamatters.org/blog/2018/08/17/Omarosas-coverage-by-cable-news-drowned-out-other-stories/221018.
I, like many of my fellow college students, get most of my news and information through social media on my phone. I am very much so aware of the pitfalls of finding out the latest news from Twitter and Facebook, where “fake news” is just as common as baby pictures and weird posts from your aunt. The pitfalls of receiving news from social media are quite evident and yet I continue to use that as my primary source of information. One of the main factors is the fact that I’m already on social media for too much of my day anyway so it’s hard to ignore all of the news that pops up on my feed.
ReplyDeleteAs a political science major, I think and talk about the news almost all the time and I’m constantly talking about it, much to the dismay of my friends. They don’t understand how I can be constantly tuned in to the news and still feel like life is okay and not like the world is falling apart, which is what turns them away from talking about the news. I try my best to show them how important it is to pay attention, but if you don’t want to pay attention then you won’t and there’s not much I can do to change that. They aren’t the only ones that feel this way. The Pew Research center found that Nearly twice as many social media users say they are “worn out” by the amount of political content they see in their feeds (37%) as say they like seeing lots of political information (20%).
I’m not really sure what influenced me to talk about and think about the news so much. I grew up in a household that didn’t talk about politics very much, not for any specific reason, my parents just weren’t that involved in politics. They voted when they were supposed to, paid attention when they were supposed to, and then forgot about it during everyday life. It could have something to do with the fact that their generation didn’t grow up with a 24-hour news cycle like me so they don’t even feel the need to tune in all the time. However, because I grew up with a 24-hour news cycle, and with the development of social media, I’m more inclined to want to tune in to the news. That and when I open up a social media app on my phone the news stories just come up so it’s hard to ignore them.
I would characterize political talk today as tense to say the least. Things are either one way or the other, black and white, and nothing in between. You can’t talk about politics without someone having an issue with something, no matter what side of the aisle they come from. I think that this is a shame because talking about politics is the most fundamental things in politics. Discussion and debate is what has lead us to where we are now. I wish more people were able to understand that not everything someone says is a personal attack on them.
Work Cited
Duggan, M., & Smith, A. (2016). The Political Environment on Social Media. Pew Research Center.
Politics is a common discussion among my family, stemming from me and my father mainly. Both my father and I are strong liberals, and we talk about current events, world news, and the environment. These discussions occur at home mainly, but there are times where we will start having a very engaging discussion loudly at a restaurant, which my mom does not appreciate.
ReplyDeleteA lot of our conversations start early in the morning, when I am getting ready for school while my dad was getting ready for work. The news would be on in the kitchen, and we would discuss the major stories from the day before and the morning of. I try to get my political information from as many sources as possible, from online news, newspapers, television, and my own family. Political talk today is characterized and emphasized by the massive social media platforms that are now the center stage for political “discussion” among those that find that it is very easy to say what you want and find likeminded individuals that say the same stuff you do. This only strengthens the heavy partisanship that goes beyond media now and into online communities. I agree that political discussion has become much more radicalized among the general citizens of our nation. The “incivility” that we see commonly among online political communication is actually more of widespread and radicalized internet behavior and “culture” that has formed through the sense of anonymity of the internet, along with the “shock culture” of very abrasive and strange opinions and ideas. Very weird, radical, offensive, and shocking internet content has become a normalcy among young kids and adults alike, and it is very easy to discuss these topics openly on your favorite website or social media. I feel that this is a kind of “desensitization” that has translated to discussion in real life as well. According to the article “Did Social Media Ruin Election 2016?” written by Sam Sanders, the political twitter accounts of Hillary Clinton and Jeb Bush had posted meme based attack ads against each other, yielding tens of thousands of likes and shares. In today’s age, the power of memes (memetic imagery) are too great to ignore. The rapid sharing of highly controversial and dangerous opinions within memes are actually changing people’s opinions and ideas, reaching to the point of propaganda. The young staffers that run these accounts appreciate meme culture, but failed to understand just how enormously powerful a meme filled with a packet information can be. Many controversial memes aren’t even serious and are meant as jokes, until they reach mainstream audience and all of the sudden people start taking the joke and interpreting it as real and valid. This is exactly what Russian bot accounts did on Facebook, sharing absolutely ludicrous and terrible political memes like Hillary Clinton shaking hands with terrorists. These posts would be picked up and shared by thousands of people, effectively getting people to share propaganda across the internet. Social media is such a new development and already it is obvious that is a vulnerable social institution.
Works Cited
Bump, Philip. “Analysis | The Irony of Washington's 'Civility' Debate: Trump Already Proved That Incivility Works.” The Washington Post, WP Company, 25 June 2018, www.washingtonpost.com/news/politics/wp/2018/06/25/the-irony-of-d-c-s-civility-debate-trump-already-proved-that-incivility-works/?noredirect=on&utm_term=.02f6041db3be.
Sanders, Sam. “Did Social Media Ruin Election 2016?” NPR, NPR, 8 Nov. 2016, www.npr.org/2016/11/08/500686320/did-social-media-ruin-election-2016.