What We Expect to See in 2017
- Jan 1, 2017
- 2 min read
Mainstream Media Will Continue to Perpetuate the Two-Party Duopoly—Kasia Anderson
Unfortunately, I’m expecting to see the continued erosion of journalistic standards in the mainstream media. We will no doubt witness the ongoing substitution of functional news coverage and commentary by “panels” populated by surrogates and water-carriers for both mainstream parties. (This is another way of reinforcing the two-party duopoly in U.S. politics and drowning out possible contributions from those who may offer unexpected or unsanctioned perspectives.) There will surely be more of a push, on the part of outlets that tend to toe the Democratic or Republican party line, to splinter the us-vs.-them divide and widen perceived rifts between various demographics.
I also expect that strategies deployed as test cases before the election will be refined and applied more broadly in its aftermath. Take, for example, the recent and astonishing developments in North Carolina. I’m not alone in suggesting that those could add up to a test case for larger-scale threats to American democracy, such as it is. On another note, the campaign-trail rallies that helped secure Donald Trump’s presidential victory also served as test cases for determining which slogans and ginned-up controversies stirred up the crowds. Those may persist into his tenure in the White House, but regardless, the ideas that resonated with audiences could show up again in more concrete form (with at least one exception: “Drain the swamp”). And continuing along well-worn lines, there will be more attempts to wield the idea of “fake news,” now thrown around so widely that its meaning has become confused and distorted, as a way of not just identifying potentially bogus stories but also shutting down legitimate, if at times controversial, discussions and debates.
To end on a more hopeful note, as in other fraught moments in the nation’s history, we’re likely to see a variety of creative pushback methods put to work against the practices and policies of the incoming administration.
12 Fearless Prognostications—Bill Blum ...
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