Keep a Lookout!

Three faculty members of the UW Department of Communication met in a roundtable discussion to talk about their viewpoints on how the media has influenced politics. Adrienne Russell, Matthew Powers, and Patricia Moy answered a variety of open-ended prompts that centered around today's current media sphere and their hindsight on the future of politics. After reading this article, I found that there were key points that I wanted to highlight that I believe is important for awareness. Below are three main points to keep a lookout for when looking at media outlets geared toward politics:

1) Media can be self-fulfilling and self-confirming. There are many instances where algorithms and codes feed you catered information and news that directly appeals to your specific morals and ideas. It is important to recognize this factor because, although these targeted stories fit your narrative, it may not be generated from the most objective source. One of the members within this discussion, Moy, summarized this concept best: "It’s very easy to find information sources that align with our views — and avoid sources that do not."

2) Fragmentation of media can reinforce polarization. Following the previous point, if there are two separate spheres that are pushing two separate narratives, people can become engrossed in their own targeted bubble, refraining from branching out to read about other perspectives. This occurrence can cause people to alienate and isolate certain groups of people if they are not careful. Russell states, "If we inhabit vastly different media spheres, we in some ways also inhabit different realities in terms of content and epistemologies — what we value, who we trust, how we know things, and what we believe."

3) You can become a political target for politicians. The media is a great ground for politicians to plea their campaigns and state their political agendas. However, this factor can stem less from wanting the best for their projective citizens and more for making themselves look good to future voters, creating their own narratives that bolster their objectives. Moy emphasized that "[politicians and elites] have the opportunity to frame themselves in ways they perceive to be most effective in achieving their political goals."

These three points are takeaways from the article that I wanted to highlight, as it is important to lookout for yourself and make sure you are comfortable with the information you are receiving!

Source: https://artsci.washington.edu/news/2023-10/where-media-and-politics-meet