“Forty million Americans were exposed to the alarmist views of Fox News” in the month leading up to the 2016 Presidential election asserts Cherian George in “Hate Spin.” Fueled by the scare tactics of conservative operatives, a deep distaste for “the media” has been cultivated by radio personalities, entitled pundits, and fringe groups of the right. As a result, the polarization of the American political system has been rapidly manifesting itself in the years since the 2008 victory of President Barack Obama. The “Tea Party” movement of the 2010 midterms has evolved in to an alt-right union that is increasingly redefining itself. Building on an opposition to the biting truths revealed through ethical journalism, this coalition is deeply impacting the current political climate. As revealed further …show more content…
Embodied in the rise of President Donald Trump, this preservationist culture refuses to accept the reality of the ever-connected world. Essentially, the far right is isolating themselves from what will ultimately be their downfall – the truth. George references a study from Thomas Hanitzsch that identifies four distinct functions of the media in modern society. First, the media fulfills a “populist disseminator” role in which journalism is used to attract a broad audience. Selecting their content based upon the public’s interest at any particular time provides a media outlet with higher ratings and larger profit margins, but does not fulfill the ethical responsibilities of a broadcasting station. In contrast to the popularity-driven role of the “populist disseminator” are mediums that utilize the “detached watchdog” and “critical change agent” roles. Both of these approaches account for the inherent power of the media to influence and for the ensuing moral obligation. “Detached watchdogs” believe their primary role is to facilitate informed decision making