We Should All Be Outraged
Tune into the Rachel Maddow Show on any given night and you’re bound to catch a gem like this. On her actual “news” program, which Maddow claims has a role in “providing useful and accurate information about the news to the American people,” she does nothing but spout her personal opinions about the political landscape in the United States. In just three short and lively minutes, she manages to stereotype, denigrate, and condescend to an entire major party, and display unabashed glee at the notion of a Democratic presidency. Similar liberties have been taken on the conservative side, as outrage and incivility (which is more of what Maddow displays here) have taken over as a “new genre of political opinion media” (Berry and Sobieraj).
As repugnant as the Outrage Industry might seem for those of us who prefer to get our news from traditional, less biased sources, why has news media devolved into such insanity? In the end, it’s all about popularity, which leads to profits: outrage media makes money for news companies by “creating political safe havens for fans in a moment when face-to-face political conversations are extraordinarily daunting” (Berry and Sobieraj). Berry and Sobieraj argue that it isn’t exactly the case that Americans have become more polarized in recent years, but that they’ve divided more noticeably along party lines, as the parties themselves become more “philosophically homogeneous.” Media groups have been able to capitalize on these phenomenons, catering to both sides of the aisle.
Another possible question is related to whether outrage politics can significantly influence political discussion and policy in the U.S. Causing particular harm to Republicans, outrage media has “made it more difficult for the parties to work together” by “vilifying compromise and collaboration” (Berry and Sobieraj). From their influential and financially privileged positions, voices in the Outrage Industry have been able to monitor politicians whom they feel are too prone to reaching across party lines (a quality that used to be respected in politicians). The Outrage Industry also has a place in setting policy agenda, as they may choose to disproportionately cover or reframe certain issues in order to shape discussion and popular concern. The industry has done immense harm to the GOP particularly surrounding immigration, as aggressive legislation pushed by outrage media has forced the party to move to the right and alienated Hispanics who find the initiatives to be “hostile if not downright racist” (Berry and Sobieraj).
If this control over policymaking doesn’t outrage you, consider the fact that “outrage-based media may limit our willingness to engage in political conversations with people who do not share our worldview” (Berry and Sobieraj). With each new polarized, misinformed rant, our society becomes that much more dissonant, and that should outrage us all.
