Gun reform. It’s a hot topic for most American citizens. School shootings, killings of innocent people and police brutality have brought the topic to the forefront of US politics.
Some people are calling for a strong-arm approach. They want guns gone and want it done soon. Some people want to keep their guns and no one will take them away. A large chunk of American citizens fall in between. They know that gun reform is needed, but they know that outright taking away guns isn’t the answer. Why hasn’t anything happened then? The answer isn’t as simple as it may seem.
One of the answers is hardcore, right wing media. The information that is assimilated throughout the public is largely inflammatory and sensational. This is absolutely done on purpose. Many conservative Americans have the idea that the Left wants to take away their guns. They don’t see it as a reform. Rather, they see it as a ban. If there is reform of any kind, it will be to get rid of citizen’s right to bear arms.
Why is much of the conservative public misinformed as to the other side’s position? The media is the short answer. Media has become sensational. Right media isn’t the only one to blame for this shift in news reporting to problem causing. Strong media on both sides create this mantra that the other side is evil. They want to tear down parts of the US and rebuild it to disproportionately benefit their side. That’s the rhetoric that is spewed from each side.
Regarding gun reform, this type of rhetoric can be catastrophic. Representatives have many people to take into account when they are considering actions to take. That includes the opinion of the public and their party. When the public is misinformed about what the other side’s goal regarding an issue is, they may urge their represented official to vote one way or another on a particular bill.
Citizens have a particular place they like to get their news. It’s out of habit. When someone turns on the tv, they want to hear opinions that are similar to theirs. There is comfort in knowing that someone agrees with you and publicly represents that opinion. However, it is the media’s job to inform the public correctly on issues. An informed public is one that can properly make decisions and inform others that are around them. An informed public should ideally be able to govern itself. Again, this is not the way that the media is set up anymore. They are more concerned about views and ratings rather than facts and being unbiased.
In a debate like the gun reform, information is everything. It isn’t some lax issue that can be tinkered with until the end of time. Guns have the ability to kill. People die from them daily. A misinformed public isn’t able to understand that impact.
By the Right media misinforming their audience, it prevents reform. Many on the Left want stricter gun regulations. The media on the Right turns this into the Left wanting to take all guns away. This prevents reform of any form from happening.
In the age of political polarization, it is the media’s job to inform. If citizens are going to become smarter and more politically inclined, it is only going to happen through the reform of the media.
It's My Opinion 