Starters Jonathan Milner Starters Jonathan Milner

How big is the gap in Americans’ news sources?

Critical Analysis

Find answers to the following questions using the visual above, any links below, your big brain, and your knowledge of American government and politics:

  1. According to the data from the chart above, what news source is most trusted by Republicans?

  2. According to the data from the chart above, what news source is most trusted by Democrats?

  3. According to the data from the chart above, what news source has the biggest gap in trust between the two major political parties?

  4. What information not provided in the visual above would you need to know to calculate the overall most trusted news source in the U.S.?

  5. Why do you think there is such a big partisan gap in trust of news sources?

  6. Explain how this partisan gap in trust of news sources has impacted the current government shutdown?

  7. From what news platform do you prefer to get your news and how does your preference compare to your parents and grandparents (ask them!)?

  8. According to the visual below* where do people who identify themselves as the most liberal get their news?

  9. American news media traces its roots to the colonial era with the first newspaper in 1690. The 19th century saw the rise of the Penny Press, making news accessible to the masses, and the birth of "yellow journalism" fueled competition. The 20th century introduced radio and television, fundamentally changing how Americans consumed news. Broadcast journalism brought major events directly into homes. The late 20th and early 21st centuries have been defined by the digital revolution. The internet and social media have democratized publishing, created 24-hour news cycles, and fragmented audiences, presenting new challenges for traditional media models. Explain whether the current state of the news media is good for democracy.

  10. We know that many people simply watch news that reinforces their political biases. This is called selective exposure. In other words, Conservatives watch conservative news, and liberals watch liberal news. Nobody changes their mind. Explain how much of the news you watch simply reinforces the political views you already possess and describe the impact of selective exposure on American politics.

Write and Discuss

Take ten minutes to write about the question at the top of the page and then discuss with your classmates.

Act on your Learning

Change your news source for one day (e.g. if you mostly get your news from MSNBC, use Fox as your main news source. If you mostly get your news from Fox, use MSNBC as your main news source) and share how this impacted your views of the news (that rhymes).

Get Creative

Today’s news media would have been unimaginable to the Framers. use your imagination and speculate on what the news media will be like in 20 years.

Learning Extension*

Check out this Pew Report on the political gap in Americans’ news sources.

Glossary

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