They say one of our problems causing so much division is that people are only reading, watching, or listening to things that echo how they feel. Most of us know what we don’t want to watch on television because it upsets us. The same is true of magazines, newspapers, and radio. If we are to keep our democracy, we can’t continue to consume only what we agree with.
Most Americans have some form of cable TV. Most cable operators don’t want to offend their subscribers and offer news programming that represents different points of view; i.e., they will have something like Fox News on one side and MSNBC on the other. Today there will be another set of hearings on what took place in Washington on January 6.
After the end of the hearings today, go to your favorite source and listen to what they say about the hearing. Then turn to the channel you know irritates you. Listen to what they have to say. Try to keep your emotions in check and see what they emphasize about the hearings. You already know what your favorite news channel is emphasizing. See if you can answer the question, “Why are they so different?” Be honest! You know why you agree with your favorite news channel. However, what is so different on the other channel that it angers you?
It may be challenging to do that in your anger about what they’re saying. Let’s take another of life’s choices. Say you need to choose a new vehicle. Even on the rural dirt road I live on, there is a wide range of vehicles chosen by my neighbors. I say vehicles because I have a neighbor who loves his Harley. I have another neighbor who has a heavy-duty pickup. I occasionally see a neighbor driving a classic Austin – Healy. The drivers of all those vehicles don’t get angry at those who do not share choice vehicles. The pickup driver may need his truck for work. The classic Austin Healey driver loves classic cars, and the Harley motorcycle enthusiast loves his “Hog.”
Like the drivers of the various vehicles, we all have “a personal need” when we consume news. When we look at a news source we disagree with, we need to understand why another person would watch that news source. We differ because we have different needs. We don’t disagree because we hate others. Understanding the needs of others will go a long way toward closing the gap in our country.
