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Does democracy die in darkness? We may find out as the president and his backers strive to sideline and discredit media watchdogs.
At a time when Americans really need to pay attention to politics, studies show they are woefully uninformed. According to a poll published by Fusion, 77 percent of Americans between the ages of 18 and 34 could not name either senator from their home state. In a different survey produced by University of Pennsylvania, only 36 percent of individuals could name all three branches of American government, and nearly as many (35 percent) could not name a single branch (the executive, judiciary or legislature).
And what’s worse? Some of our politicians are prepared to take advantage of Americans’ ignorance and indifference.
In the backdrop of all this chaos and confusion, emerged President Donald J. Trump. Reluctantly, I must give Mr. Trump his due as a masterful media manipulator. During the campaign season, he cultivated a reputation as a straight-talker. He was a businessman who spoke his mind, cut to the chase and did not feed his followers the same recycled political rhetoric to which they had grown accustomed.
For the moment, let us set aside how Trump exploited people’s economic anxiety and frustration with the direction of the country. Regardless of where they stand in life, Trump supporters found his approach refreshing, and their support now is unwavering.
As a man of letters, President Barrack Obama provided elevated prose and elegant speeches. Yet, the Obama Administration featured soft power and leadership from behind on the international stage. America should instill a sense of awe in our enemies and confidence in our allies. Instead, Obama backed down from many of the nation’s adversaries, including Russia, Syria and Iran.
The mad-man from Manhattan stepped onto the political stage in that period of anemic growth and abdication of global leadership. Before the current administration launched 59 cruise missiles into Syria, Trump targeted another opponent to his presidency: the American press. Earlier this year in a tweet, Trump declared war on the mainstream media.
According to the president, “The FAKE NEWS media (failing @nytimes, @NBCNews, @ABC, @CBS, @CNN) is not my enemy, it is the enemy of the American People.”
Trump’s words are dangerous to democracy. If we allow any politicians, regardless of their office, to distort and disrupt the important work of the free press, anything is possible. We need reporters to question and press our representatives for answers to hold them accountable.
Democracy only works if individuals are fully informed, understand the issues and have thought about solutions to these challenges in order shape the direction of the country. Democracy cannot survive or flourish when people prefer a politician’s propaganda or alternative facts to reality.
Ignorance and indifference make it possible for politicians to accumulate power without the people’s consent. How can anyone vote or decide on matters affecting our country if they uninformed or, worse, misinformed? If elected officials always lie and no one holds them accountable, the worst consequence is not that people believe the lies, but that no one believes anything anymore.
While both strength and resolve are refreshing to witness in American leadership, no one wants a bully-in-chief. Trump’s saber rattling toward mainstream media shows an unsettling disrespect for individual liberty.
Regardless of where you stand politically, the American press is on the front lines as guardians of our freedom. A free and independent press is an essential element to American democracy. Information and context always provide illumination to the darkness.
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Photo Credit: Getty Images