The American political scene continues to be plagued by media hostility and dangerous rhetoric. This was evident when Donald Trump was grazed by an assassin’s bullet during a campaign speech in Butler, Pennsylvania. While some commentators have blamed reckless remarks made by Joe Biden for inciting violence, the blame can also be placed on the media that promotes such messages.
The New Republic recently featured a cover image depicting Trump as Adolf Hitler alongside an article about “American fascism.” This kind of sensationalist propaganda only fuels the divide between the two major parties in the United States, with Democrats enjoying greater public reach due to their control over national media. This has led to a record-high number of Americans (39%) saying they don’t trust the media at all, with 58% of Democrats having trust in the media compared to just 11% of Republicans.
The media’s power to twist news stories and personalities is evident in their coverage of events like the Black Lives Matter protests. While mainstream channels were sympathetic to the acts of violence that spread across the country, only a few pro-Republican outlets covered the arson, vandalism, and looting that caused billions of dollars in damage. This manipulation of information has contributed to the dangerous atmosphere of hate that permeates the US political scene.