DIFFERENT AIN’T THAT BAD
In early August this year, YouTube, Facebook and Spotify, among others, erased popular conservative figure Alex Jones off their respective platforms.
Described by New Yorkmagazine as “America’s leading conspiracy theorist,” he runs Infowars.com, a website devoted to fake news and conspiracy theories.
The decision to yank off any content connected with him was a polarizing one. Liberals argued that Jones was a negative vessel of journalism, given his trademark exaggerated and conspiracist news and commentary. But conservatives claimed that the banning undermined free speech and was meant to push an anticonservative agenda.
This entire case, however, posits a larger question: Is having different opinions and perspectives in news a bad thing?
Big divide
The Alex Jones debacle is a small sample of the big divide of American politics, values and beliefs as projected by the media. There are news outlets that tend to lean on either side of the political spectrum, as well as people who follow and support them. With that said, a faction-like system of journalistic news and views amplifies the divide. However, the negative view on the disparity shouldn’t necessarily be negative—it should more so be appreciated.
Having a plethora of views and mediumsona topic is beneficial to discourse and critical thinking. By exposing ourselves to them, we gain a broader understanding of the world and its events. This leads to more meaningful and impactful discussions because we are now open to listening to views and perspectives that are different from ours. Borders vanish and connections are made.
In light of this, I implore everyone to get out of their comfort zones and immerse themselves in news that challenges them to think and question. Many people seem to criticize left- or right-leaning news outlets while praising bipartisan sources of American news. A lot of those who criticize either side of the news tend to be from the opposition, most probably due to the fission of thoughts, ideals and values. Because of this, people tend to criticize or avoid news outlets whose views are opposite theirs.
Agreeing to views opposite ours is not necessary; if anything, these views just give us a broader perspective of things.
At a time of fake news, it’s important to remain critical of information that is thrust upon us, to check their sources to gauge whether the news is the truth or a lie. Moreover, news outlets should strive to be objective in their reporting, bereft of personal views or hidden agendas.
When this happens, I can envision a bright future full of aware, open-minded and critical thinkers.