Blog #4: Polarization

Some believe those who care most about politics are those who seem to have the most influence in public opinion; additionally, those opinions tend to reflect the deepest partisan divisions. This polarization can cause distrust between parties, but I argue that the "newer forms" of opinions on cable television, such as the Daily Show and Face the Nation, actually benefit a democratic society more than harm it.

I'd say these shows, whether they feature far left or right viewpoints, can enhance the political arena by shedding light on issues that need more of a resolve in today's attempted rhetorical sphere. Take for instance Crossfire and the intensity of the show's debate format. While I don't agree that public discourse needs to involve interruption and a slight raise of the voice to illustrate a point, each segment presents both sides of the political opinion on a topic and it's up to the viewer to take that information and disseminate however he or she feels necessary. I prefer Face the Nation's style over Crossfires or Hannity & Colmes mostly because as Jacobs and Townsley said in The Space of Opinion, the questions of the debate were "shaped by the desire to hear the other's position, in its full complexity and most developed form" (119).

The Daily Show is the only TV show I can honestly claim that I viewed over an extended period of years. It first came out when I was a sophomore in high school, and I remember loving the satirical style used since we were learning satire in our English class. Over the years, my political inquiries emerged as Stewart spat and stirred important questions about the current state of our nation. In the 16 years as a host, and while he considered himself a "leftist," viewers saw Stewart dissect every dot on the political spectrum. Some said he destroyed Obama's 2008 slogan "Yes We Can" when he interviewed him during his first year in office, and again, while he was/is a "leftist,"Stewart shed light upon the needed discourse that America needed at that time. He forced media, politics, and intellects to face realities, not hide behind their political shield. Stewart, like many of these other TV commentators, discussed controversial and emotional issues of the time, such as the Charlie Hebdo killings and the journalistic expression and rights surrounding it.

Overall, do I think these shows are causing polarization and a sense of partisan views among each party? To a degree, yes. It depends what segments the viewer is watching, how informed the viewer is, and in what ways the viewer takes the information and spreads it among other public spheres. Isn't that part of a working democracy?