Fear is alive and surging. Americans are more afraid today than ever before. Polls show Americans constantly worrying about becoming victims of terrorism, crime, and war. Since the 2016 election, widespread fear has skyrocketed. Concerns as to why have sparked curiosity in media influence, the GOP/DNC and even the President of the United States, Donald Trump. When we allow fear to prevail our emotions, thoughts, and actions, we are left with an irrational view of political concepts which fuels the fire for a fearful America.
Donald Trump imposes and utilizes fear as political rhetoric. In his bid for the Republican Nomination in 2016, Trump generates an unexpected statement concerning America and Mexico. "When Mexico sends its people,
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they're not sending their best. They're not sending you. They're sending people that have lots of problems, and they're bringing those problems with us. They're bringing drugs. They're bringing crime. They're rapists...Mexico is forcing their most unwanted people into the United States. They are, in many cases, criminals, drug dealers, rapists, etc.” (PBS NewsHour, Youtube, 20:48-22:36). Headlines erupted following Trump's speech, sparking discussion of fearful insight to where our nation stands with Mexico and how an individual running for the most adept position in America could potentially convey unprofessional thoughts. In my own experience, I've witnessed a slow deterioration of unity throughout the nation after Trump's election. Trump openly incriminated an industrialized nation without direct evidence of facts and numbers, and the people believed it. In addition to Trump using fear for his political career, he as well utilizes it imposes it among his own political agenda. In the wake of the Russia investigation, Trump took to Twitter to convey his thoughts as he seems to always do. "Our relationship with Russia is worse now than it has ever been, and that includes the Cold War. There is no reason for this..." (Trump, Twitter, 2018). Openly discussing a national matter in regards to relations with other countries alone allows for individuals to feel the panic factor because it puts them in the position of, what will happen next? In relation to his own agenda, this benefits Trump because it sends those listening into a downward spiral, and takes the focus off conflicting issues like women's fight for reproductive rights, immigration status, and North Korea (Jordan, par. 4, 2017). When we're diverted from what really matters, superficial worries seep through the cracks and our logical decision making as individuals are hindered, causing our responsibilities as citizens to become unproductive.
In addition to Trump, his affiliated party, the Grand Old Party (GOP) imposes fear. "The end of the DACA program threatens all the things that the young people he works with have achieved...You see in their eyes the fear, that's the heartbreaker" (Sanchez, par. 1,2, 2017). Just recently, the GOP propositioned for the repeal of DACA, a program that allows illegal immigrants who were brought to the United States illegally as children to receive a renewable two-year period of deferred action from deportation and become eligible for a work permit in the U.S. (“Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals,” par. 1, 2018). Threatening to take away something so helpful yet unhelpful in the eyes of many presses tremendous anxiety on hundreds of thousands of immigrants living and working in the states. When fear is near, the capacity for control is even more prominent, therefore the GOP successfully benefits from using fear factors to get immigrants to sign or agree or in return for being granted amnesty. I personally believe and have second handedly witnessed the GOP inflicting fear upon immigrants, as for example, of hearing horror stories of families being …show more content…
ripped apart by immigration services, terror-ridden anxieties swarming anonymous websites worrying if they are next and if they will survive it. I really do believe the GOP digs deeper into the concerns of immigrants for a successful political outcome, such as high deportation rates and support for the debated wall to place between Mexican and American borders. If fear-based tactics are not recognized soon, we could lose all hope in our humanitarian characteristics we Americans much cherish so much and a learning respect for struggling individuals. Aforementioned, the wall is a great example of how the GOP doesn’t represent the majority of America or what it needs. Republicans in Congress simply don’t care as much about public sentiment as Democrats do. The ideological meeting between parties sends a message towards deflected ideas and damaged individual reflection (Barker, par. 7, 2017). Deflections between party agreement and disagreements sway the public into a cyclone of confusion. It is in my impression that the GOP does not care to who is on their side, as in retrospect of the wall. “'The White House just rolls over and plays dead, says we’ll just fight on [the border wall] next time,' the conservative House aide added. 'Congress doesn’t know if they’re for real'” (Lachlan, par. 9, 2018). A wall between two industrialized countries who are not at war with one another is complete malarkey (Heer, par. 3, 2017). Conservatives in Congress see red states for their ability to pick up a pencil and check a voting box for national matters applicable to those in Congress themselves, therefore their imposition of fear is just as toxic as any others. To clear the water and maintain a neutral mindset, the Democratic National Committee, or DNC, imposes fear as well, but in the form fearing Trump and the GOP. According to a 2017 article regarding racism and discrimination The Nation points out statistics conveying that, "Democrats express dramatically lower anti-black attitudes on both scales compared to Republicans or Independents...Republicans express significantly lower pro-immigration attitudes compared to Democratic partisans...Independents, however, express significantly higher levels of economic insecurity" (McElwee, par. 14 & 15, 2017). Despite the article addressing the push of Trump's economic anxieties on voting choices, it reveals statistics that concisely uncover the divide that is among Americans, or more specifically the political parties. When fear seeps through the cracks of what one side is afraid of that the other isn't a power factor comes to the table and we have left a division in what once what a confident and unified nation. Trump using fear of Mexico, health care, planned parenthood etc., is widely discussed, however, the DNC benefit from propositioning the fear of the GOP, their opposing party and what will become of America if given complete control. On her campaign trail for Democratic Nominee in 2016, I personally witnessed Clinton’s tendency to accuse and use the same "what if factor Trump utilizes in his own speeches. "Donald Trump and the GOP are both clear and present dangers to the United States" (MSNBC, Youtube, 2:26-2:39). Clinton propositions Trump and the GOP as a threat which can enable individual worrying. Fear-based speeches lead to worrying to those who listen. Today in America, we face fears concerning gun violence, terrorism and whether our reproductive rights are granted freedom to us women. We should not be so much concerned about political corruption and worry ourselves about our economic status compared to others (“The Chapman University Survey on American Fears"), but instead on how we can set out for new lengths for a more successful future. The media imposes fear.
It is of my judgment that broadcasting stations are fixated on the words, "breaking news." It seems today that any circumstance holds as current breaking news as highlighted by Psychology Today. "News programming uses a hierarchy if it bleeds, it leads. Fear-based news programming has two aims. The first is to grab the viewer's attention. In the news media, this is called the teaser. The second aim is to persuade the viewer that the solution for reducing the identified worry will be in the news story" (If It Bleeds, It Leads: Understanding Fear-Based Media, par. 1, 2011). Our emotions guide us through our anxieties and most of the time, things seem worse than they actually are. All the discussion regarding Mexicans are taking our jobs (PBS NewsHour, 20:48-20:54, 2015), and North Korea missiles heading for the Pacific border of America etc., are all heightened by the kind of media we consume. The intention of news is to inform us of what's occurring around us and possibly suggest solutions to how to cope or resolve them. However, the real question that should be asked of ourselves is, is it sensationalized or real news and does it seek to benefit or instill fear in its audience? Editor of the Atlantic, Molly Ball uses news outlet, The Guardian, in agreement and opens up about how the media is like a cloak of protection for Americans. When the anxiety is high, people crave protection (Ball, par. 9, 2016), therefore concise reasoning is almost
impossible to achieve. In addition to this, the media exasperates situations. In political analyst, Jeet Heer’s eyes, “...the world itself is doing pretty darn good. We do not have major powers in conflict. We have small wars. We do not have major wars (Heer, par. 6, 2017). Nightly news consists of two things, headlines, and interviews. Within these interviews, we witness screaming and accusing the other, and efforts of always pinpointing an "enemy." I believe that this kind of reporting doesn’t get you anywhere, and only encourages anxiety upon a greater majority than there was before. Then again, we must ask, how can you complain about America being afraid when you are the same people frightening it? The irony of the fact is that fear is hidden in the words of those who we elect to combat it. Fear comes in many forms, including but not limited to: Donald Trump, the GOP/DNC and even the media. The imposition of the economy crashing, other countries laughing at us and Mexican immigrants taking American jobs all interfere with our duty as Americans, to make decisions with a clear mind. If we as people cannot do so, then we have more problems in electing the wrong kind of representative we need for a stable society If this occurs, we can fix the fallacies and eventually shape a better future for our own children. If we cannot do so, then living in fear will stay consistent. We cannot let it dictate us, so we must manipulate it, turning it into something bigger and better.
In The Influencing Machine, Gladstone argues that the media focuses on putting out news that remotely threatens viewers. In the text she states, “emphasizing bad news is good business…world [seems] more dangerous…actually is.” It is good business considering that it keeps the audience on their toes and makes them think about what is going on. When you visit news sites or look at news stations
Wang’s studies have shown that news industries are now tabloidizing news because it elicits the attention of their viewers. Now the only thing considered as “entertainment” in the news is “crimes, accidents, and disasters”. Wangs writes “News that bleeds seem to still lead the primary broadcasts” (Wang 722). People nowaday only tune in when a disaster has occurred and anything other that is not “interesting”. Unfortunately, people would rather watch Isis in action then heard about Obama releasing innocent victims from prison. The reporter in “Gray Noise” proves Wang’s words true when he records on his lens about a mother who had just lost her
In “Reporting the News” by George C. Edwards III, Martin P. Wattenberg, and Robert L. Lineberry, the main idea is how the media determines what to air, where to get said stories that will air, how the media presents the news, and the medias effect on the general public. “Reporting The News” is a very strong and detailed article. The authors’ purpose is to inform the readers of what goes on in the news media. This can be inferred by the authors’ tone. The authors’ overall tone is critical of the topics that are covered. The tone can be determined by the authors’ strong use of transitions, specific examples, and phrases or words that indicate analysis. To summarize, first, the authors’ indicate that the media chooses its stories that will air
Politics is dirty and competitive and has not changed between 1879 and 2018. It is a complex system of jargon, charm, facts, and lies. Mark Twain’s “The Presidential Candidate” satirically expresses the essence of both old-world and modern politics as a presidential candidate who blatantly tells the truth of his wrongdoings. As a politician, one must be an open book. Their life must be truthfully written on the pages for the readers to analyze and evaluate their credibility as leaders. “The Presidential Candidate” resonates both in 1879 and 2018 with his use of humor, use of diction and use of subtlety.
In addition, the Cold War is what brought this fear. Elaine Tyler May says that it has become an obsession to gain security. She says that because of fear, movements, such as feminism and black equality, prevented these individuals from being fully accepted into society as equals. I believe that fear has only distracted America from these movements of becoming fully successful. The article also refers to America being less of a democracy by citizens refusing to have faith in their government and refusing to trust one another. Reputedly, fear is what shaped America the way it is
"Culture of Fear" is a book that describes that it is our perceptions that dangers have increased, and so much the actual level of risk. Glassner explains in all of his chapters how people and organizations use our fears as a way to increase their profit. Glassner also states about the prices we pay for our panics and all the time and energy we spend worrying. Americans are afraid because of the media's broadband expose of crime, violence, drugs and diseases.
...de Americans on September 11, 2001. Now we are being told this number is possibly three times higher than originally reported, adding to the horror in America’s citizens. Society has been indoctrinated in the belief that there is continuously a worldwide threat. Paranoia and anxiety has been the key focal point and the American way of life.
“They 're bringing drugs, they 're bringing crime,” He is addressing that all the Mexicans are drug dealers and killers that’s not true. He cannot be stating all the Mexicans because not all of them are drug dealers or killers. “I will build a great, great wall on our southern border and I will make Mexico pay for that wall,” If he wants to make a big wall so any Mexicans can enter and make them pay for it that’s just stupid Trump is the one that wants the one he should be the one paying for something he wants. This wall is not going to stop Mexicans from coming to the U.S; they can still come in a plane of by sea. He says he wants to built a wall, than if he is paying where will he get all that money just to make stupid wall, the U.S has no loose money to give out to put the wall up.
Donald Trump, a current Republican front-runner, is well known for his presidential campaign and its harsh policies on illegal immigration between Mexico and the United States, which are largely similar to the 1930’s repatriation movement. His policy on Mexican immigration states, “The influx of foreign workers holds down salaries, keeps unemployment high, and makes it difficult for poor and working class Americans… to earn a middle class wage.” This is almost identical to a claim that was made during the Great Depression, and his plans for solving the crisis are also identical to the efforts made during the Repatriation; welfare refusal to immigrant families, job denial, and mass deportation of roughly 11 million Mexican immigrants. Though the thought of these plans going through may seem unachievable, history shows that they can be --and have been --
Sadly, Bradbury’s predictions about the effect fear have on erratic decision making is shown in society today. An egotistical businessman named Donald Trump, who was to our dismay was recently elected to be our president. He is very controversial and makes a lot of rude and sexist remarks, so people are still confused unto why America has chosen him to be their president. The answer is simple. People did it out of fear, fear that the refugees coming from a very dangerous place will harm them. Statistics have shown that “31% of Americans specifically say the new immigration policy will keep them safer…. [while only] 26% fear the new rules will make them less safe” (Ropeik). This shows that some Americans find Trump's fear of terrorists beneficial and think that it would keep them safe from the immigrants or outsiders from other countries. Ignoring the fact that they believe he is under qualified, they made this rash decision purely to be protected from what they fear. Some Americans fear that the immigrants from other countries will come in and end up being terrorists or will come into the country and take their jobs. This fear instantly invokes them to try and find protection from it. Trump's remarks are beneficial in the way that it could bring safety against the immigrants who we fear, but also brings in a detrimental effect. Trumps Muslim Ban is detrimental because of the hate crimes that would follow Donald Trump's
In Benjamin Radford’s essay “How Television Distorts Reality” the author contends that television newscasts distort reality by focusing on sensational events. Radford claims that news broadcasts devote inordinate amounts of air time to crime coverage, and avoid more critical subjects such as race relations and geopolitics. The mainstream media benefits from these divisive tactics due to the rationale that sensational headlines are much more attention-grabbing, and they believe that they are being “democratic” by offering the masses prepackaged information that can be easily consumed. In reality, the media is forcefully increasing the viewer’s feeling of vulnerability, leading them to
People use many different sources in order to gain knowledge about current events. In America, historically, mass media and television have been the most dominant sources for information. Over the last decade, internet-based news sites and talk-radio shows have emerged as viable alternatives to the traditional media. While, obviously, the latest forms of news media are very different from their “elder” counterparts regarding the conveyance of the information, they share some of the same issues regarding the reporting of the news. News coverage can be, and usually is, influenced by many factors including, but not limited to: personal political ideology, religion, culture, and economics. The “inner” influences of political ideology, cultural values, and religion are not limited to the writer or reporter of a story. Editors, managers, and owners are also subjected to these pressures, in addition to the need to turn a profit, and, therefore, also influence the reporting of the news. Because of these influences, the final product is rarely an objective reporting of the facts. News sources convey their subjectivity, sometimes subtly, other times blatantly, through many methods. Listeners, readers, and viewers of all media should consume all information with a grain of salt.
Newspapers and nightly news shows have become a business. They no longer go by the public services values they once stood by (Sensationalism, 2005). Instead of being the fourth branch of government, they are just like any other money making business. It is no longer a race to put out the truth; it is more a race for dollars and control. Sensationalism is purely fueled by money and popularity. If a news outlet garners a large amount of popularity, they can swing votes, and influence voters. Sensationalism has already affected many political situations. Sensationalism has proven to spread like a virus. If sensationalism is not controlled, there is no way the news outlets can be the advocate for the people.
“The oldest and strongest emotion of mankind is fear”. Fear is a vital response to physical and emotional danger if we didn't feel it, we couldn't protect ourselves from genuine threats. But often we fear situations that are far from life-or-death, and consequently hang back for no good reason. Traumas or bad experiences can trigger a fear response within us that is hard to suppress. This is why it can be such an incredibly important tool for others to wield especially politicians. Often they are able to manipulate the general population and push upon us their agenda due to it. “Fear is a mind killer” an evolutionary trait with a purpose, an emotion for survival and in recent studies an inhibitor of knowledge. The media also plays a vital part
In many cases, organizations have motives for spreading fear. In Lepore’s It’s Spreading, the response of the media to the “crisis” is a fantastic example of journalists working to create publicity rather than to inform the public. The Washington Post published Parrot Disease Baffles Experts on January 8th, 1930 despite the fact that many experts already had an idea of what they were looking for. A few days later, more news outlets published responses to the death of Percy Q Williams, one of the few victims of the parrot fever. The Chicago Daily Tribune published a story titled Baltimore Woman Dies and the Associated Press “announced that the country’s scientists had declared war [on the disease]” (Lepore). As a result of the media’s exaggerated stories, people felt a greater need to keep up with the “dire” situation. This began a trend that allowed media outlets to sell more papers. This tactic is still around today. A great example of this is the aspect of “urgency” most 24/7 news networks convey to their audience. Making viewers feel like the future depends on a story makes them more apt to follow