Tuesday, May 30, 2006
Getting the News
The article on the fake U.S. TV news just before this has caused me to reflect on how people get the news.
It is my belief that most liberals get a wider range and more informed news and opinions that the mainstream. Perhaps it is simple exposure to this that influences the opinions on major issues. If this is the case then exposing moderates to more alternative media would be very useful and over time could move them from moderate to liberal.
This exposure to news and views that conflict with what they believe does not work with conservatives. Some studies on the art of persuading people advise that conservatives will ignore or reject news that doesn't fit their prior beliefs. Conservatives are also frequently tied into an entire community constantly pushing their prejudices and opinions - their worldview. This is the big problem with talk right radio and FOX NEWS, they feed the prejudices and do so while pretending to be presenting facts. Previous studies have shown that people who named FOX NEWS as their number one source for News were not uninformed on facts but actually misinformed - they said they knew stuff that wasn't true. The more recent Pennsylvania poll showing that FOX News viewers over 99% rejecting what a majority of all other news viewers believed supports this and needs to also be further explored. Conservatives will say this is because the liberal media is all wrong and only FOX News and right talk radio gets it right. Show me the evidence since 2000 of the vast liberal media - it has been corporate Right all the time.
Does this work for liberals - constantly pushing conservative news and opinions? Somewhat - but many if not most liberals evaluate sources and value opposing views if they are factual and informed. Liberal churches and groups have meetings and workshops about reaching consensus and respect for diversity. That is totally alien to the conservative worldview.
Why is diversity not part of the conservative mindset? Because American conservatism is another name for authoritarianism. Authoritarianism was a big area of psychological research during and after World War 2 as scientists sought to understand the appeal of totalitarian movements of the left and the right. Authoritarians want one worldview, one set of facts, one set of approved opinions, and want to follow their leader. They are also really motivated by fear but reject this explanation. They want to be strong and posturing and rhetoric and group solidarity makes them feel strong.
Where to get liberal news? If I wanted somebody to get the news that is important to liberals and often not carried by the mainstream I would send them to American Progress Report and have them sign up for the emails. It is not radical left but mainstream liberal news. They are also connected to the Think Progress blog with short takes on the news updated constantly. You can, of course, also just try here and try the links on the left of this post. They can be more fun than the more sober responsible links above.
There are sites on both the left and right that monitor the news. Looking at the sites you can get the difference between the two sides. The right Accuracy in Media site will raise non-factual objections to a media story, often without watching or reading the material. Media Matters for America about 99% of the time documents factual errors. A recent exception had been objecting to a long front page New York Times gossip piece speculating on the Clinton's marriage and their report urging they follow-up with a story on the Bush's marriage problems considering the Globe documented story about the president drinking again and them not talking. There are other Watch sites that watch or read and comment on particular media so you don't have to.
This is not a great blog post - I need to look up and link much more of the claims and don't have time now. I should also try some practical application of this - see if I can sign someone up to the emails and see if their opinions evolve.
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1 comment:
"another name for authoritarianism.." wow, you're not pulling punches anymore, are you? :) There's a lot of truth to what you say, but there are other dynamics at work. Maybe we can say that conservatives tend to see things in terms of dichotomies/black and white, while liberals tend to see issues in shades of gray.
"not a great post." Oh, I know the feeling. Throwing something on the page, and then realizing there's actually something coherent you're saying here. Don't worry. You can revise.
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