How to Radicalize Yourself In Two Easy Steps

Here’s an idea I’ve been working on and thinking about recently: one reason political discourse is so inflammatory is that journalists and political commentators are discussing these issues every single day.

We see this most obviously on TV and online. Most news organizations have daily shows with daily hosts who talk about politics and culture daily.

And most of these journalists and commentators are firmly on one side or the other of the political aisle. This means they have a certain audience and a certain lens through which they must comment on all current events.

But it seems to me that the problem with this daily model is that it ends up breeding (necessitating?) a radicalization of those reporters and commentators. This then trickles down to their viewers, with everyone doubling down on each new issue, going deeper and deeper into the depths of “their side.”

This happens for two reasons, which I’ll outline below.

1. All Commentary Must Have an Angle

Something really noteworthy or remotely noteworthy takes place. The chattering class knows that everyone else in the chattering class is going to comment on it for the next few days. So they must also comment on it over the next few days.

Each side must comment on the issue through their (progressive or conservative) lens. Nuance is not allowed.

The result is a mountain of current events and issues whose interpretation is firmly split into two opposing camps. And the result of that is that the original issue or event loses objective meaning. It becomes an ethereal, formless spectre floating around the partisan political/culture wars, with each side grabbing at it for their own gain.

2. Daily Shows & Commentaries Necessarily Go Fishing

The second way the daily news/commentary model can radicalize its participants is in the fact that it’s really hard to fill a half hour or an hour every single day with some kind of commentary.

This means that sooner or later these shows will end up digging and fishing for material to fill their time. (Gotta create that content!) Sometimes events happen and the show falls into their lap (e.g. the attempted assassination of Donald Trump). Other times, they need to go fishing.

And because they need to go fishing, they inevitably end up taking the smallest non-news item, commenting on it from their side, and then amplifying it. Chris Williamson has a great tweet on this point exactly.

The result of all this fishing is that we end up with a chattering class who are looking at all events through a very specific, often distorted lens. How can I comment on this in a way that would make it good to add to my show? How can I spin this to make the other side look like a bunch of dummies?

The result is our situation today. A people divided.

Conclusion

So this is where I’m at on this topic. I’m not saying this is the only reason we are where we are, I’m simply suggesting it as one possible explanation among many.

If you have to comment on something every single day in a certain way, it’s only inevitable that you end up going deeper and deeper into that viewpoint. Your job depends on you remaining one-sided.

Anyhoo, that’s all for now.

What do you think? Feel free to leave me a comment with your thoughts!