A call to depolarize

It’s that simple, but not easily achieved.

We’ve heard so much about the loss of civility in the last 5 to 10 years and wonder why. Well, it seems to have occurred in parallel with the rise of social media and the polarization of the media, an industry that was supposed to be objective and factual.

We can’t turn on a television anymore without getting bombarded by some journalist who is pushing his/her agenda, disguised as “the news.” Partial or one-sided news isn’t news; it’s propaganda. I realize news outlets have been used to support an agenda since the advent of the printed word. And polarization of the news media is not only an effective means of promulgating one’s opinion, it is also very profitable. But this widespread misinformation is tearing us apart.

We really do need to keep informed, it is essential to a well-functioning republic. But we especially need to dial back the rhetoric and limit our exposure to a media that is much more interested in ratings and profits than it is to informing the public.