One of the things that becomes painfully obvious when you unplug from cable news outrage porn and start informing yourself more from boots-on-the-ground reporters instead of pundits, is the fact that dissent-driven engagement is more harmful than so-called echo chambers.
There is a time and a place for debate and dissent, but it is not every conversation on every topic every day.
Collaboration and progress is almost always the result of like-minded individuals with common goals supporting and challenging each other in cooperation. Not endlessly arguing the basis of everything.
This is why FOX news has been so successful in their brainwashing. Not because they are an echo chamber, but because they have focused exclusively and collaboratively on their goal of creating an echo chamber and feeding their base a narrative.
Obviously, we must always be open to criticism, but that criticism must always be considered and evaluated. Is it coming from good faith actors? Is it coming from a place of sincere effort toward bettering the national conversation?
Too often in modern punditry dissent is in obvious bad faith and provided merely for the sake of presenting dissent. Confrontation drives ratings and bothsidesism expands a potential audience.
But we have to acknowledge this has resulted in toxic and unproductive discourse.
But we have to acknowledge this has resulted in toxic and unproductive discourse.
Talking heads can (and will) lament the lack of civility in modern discourse until the end of days, but what is driving that lack of civility is an addiction to devil’s advocacy and false equivalence by the punditry class and cable networks.
And I don’t think it’s a coincidence that this problem has gotten worse and worse as the wealthy of the wealthy have been consolidating and merging their media acquisitions.
