We learned this past week in class about blogs and why people read them. According to the article we read, most people read blogs that they can agree with. conservatives read conservative blogs and liberals read liberal blogs. We call these kind of blog readers carnivores since they read blogs in order to get the "red meat" that they are searching for. Omnivores on the other hand are those readers who read blogs both on the right and the left of the spectrum.
It is sad that there are so few omnivores out there. It shows us that people are stubborn and close-minded when it comes to politics. Even if you disagree with the other side, what is the harm in reading their opinion on an issue? As Noah said in his blog "Media, Politics, and Lebron dunking on Jerry Stackhouse", people find it easier to make things black and white. Too many people think they are absolutely, completely right and anyone who disagrees is absolutely, completely wrong. It is a shame so many people are like this. Not only do they disagree, but they are reluctant to even hear what the other side has to say.
It really is a shame. Polarization, media bias, it's a depressing situation. If only everyone could be more open minded and less hostile to opposing opinions. If only there were a political party and news network specifically designed for the average, median American. Maybe more people should take a Media/Politics course in order to develop a more open mind... Until then, we can only strive to be open-minded ourselves and encourage others to follow our example.
ReplyDeleteI completely agree!! People are so caught up in trying to polarize themselves that they lose sight of their goal. Correct me if I’m wrong but the last time I checked, reading a blog or any other news source is for the sole purpose of acquiring the most correct rendition of the news. How will the so called “carnivores” ever be intellectually honest if all they do is read sources that reinforce their beliefs?!
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