DIVIDED
OLITICS IN THE UNITED STATES
you have. Not knowing who to trust is particularly difficult for people in this current political climate. How do you know that the place you get your news is giving a full and objective picture? The answer is you don’t, that's where trust comes in. Many people are trying to consume less news in order to preserve their mental health so it is vital that what is consumed is accurate, helpful and not just two sides of a debate shouting about impending civil war or the resurgence of communism. A recent in-depth study entitled “The Trust in News Project” by Reuters and Oxford, analysed the trust consumers had in news in general and the industry trends in relation to this. One of the key statistics presented was the clear desire for objective journalism and broadcasting. Out of a survey of over 1,700 Americans, 60% stated that they preferred to get news from a source that had no point of view. Additionally, only 27% of Americans felt they could, in general, trust the news. It seems that people have lost patience with fear-based narratives and sensational headlines. Particularly over the course of this past presidential campaign, voters became more aware
of the influence of the media and the importance of being a critical consumer. Some headlines and news stories are blatantly untrue and we can disregard them with ease, but it's in that grey-area of paranoia where false and potentially dangerous political narratives thrive. It seems like so long ago since we spent days glued to election coverage with our minds on a loop of permutations, close calls and genuine anxiety about the importance of the election. It feels as though the US has been a country on edge ever since. Despite the many weeks that had elapsed since the result was announced, it still seemed to be tempting fate to definitively say that the whole thing was wrapped up and we could all move on. As expected, Trump made it very difficult for Biden to have a smooth transition into the White House. A second passed vote on the impeachment of the 45th president and all 50 states on alert ahead of Biden’s inauguration was, in a warped way, exactly how you would have expected Trump’s term to end. He became the first US President to be impeached twice and despite the long-standing rivalry between the two major parties,
Trump became one of a small cohort of presidents who did not attend the inauguration of their successors. The 20th of January came and went, thankfully with no great disruption and you could almost feel a nation exhale as Joe Biden and Kamala Harris took their oaths. The theme of the inauguration was pretty clear; the acknowledgement of divide and the pursuit of peace and unity. This was a truly historic inauguration with the swearing in of the first-ever female vice-president. The significance was also slightly more nuanced, as for many this was the emergence of hope after a period where such a virtue seemed so hard to find. Now, as we have heard so often, is a time for reconciliation and forward thinking. A time for accepting difference rather than being afraid of it. Young poet Amanda Gorman was at the forefront of the inauguration and her powerful words can hopefully inspire a nation to value character over political beliefs. As Gorman so eloquently concluded her piece, “For there is always light, if only we’re brave enough to see it, if only we’re brave enough to be it.”
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