POLITICAL DISCOURSE SHOULD NOT BE CONSIDERED “CONTROVERSIAL”
by Contributor
(Jan. 27, 2017) — In polite conversation, politics is hardly a proper topic. Like other taboo subjects – including religion and money – politics is too controversial as well as relatively dense, and it makes most people uncomfortable to discuss political opinions. Therefore, in everyday life, people rarely have the opportunity to express their thoughts on politics.
Unfortunately, the same is becoming true of journalism. The medium in which it is not only appropriate to explain political developments but it is fundamental to Americans’ rights has been repeatedly attacked in recent months. Many suspect news outlets will begin to self-censor so they may retain high ratings and healthy reputations.
In both private and public conversations about politics, it seems the spiral of silence is growing larger and more powerful. It is becoming more apparent that news outlets and individuals must combat the spiral before political speech is thoroughly stifled. To do that, it is important we understand what the spiral of silence is, how it impacts political speech, and what we can do to thwart its further growth.
Explaining the Spiral of Silence
Introduced in the mid-‘70s by Elisabeth Noelle-Neumann, the Spiral of Silence Theory explains why some groups seem to be mute during conversations on politics. Ultimately, experiments found that those believing they hold the majority viewpoint feel empowered and encouraged to speak, while those believing they hold a minority opinion tend to clam up. The reasons behind these responses are manifold, but fear of social isolation is a predominant cause.
The spiral originates on the micro level, where individuals are unwilling to express their opinions and thus become silenced. As more and more members of the perceived minority fall silent, the spiral grows to the macro level, where significant numbers of the public refuse to speak their opinions, and society as a whole adopts social norms contrary to the perceived minority’s views.
Because the spiral is predicated on assumptions and perceptions, the mass media has a profound effect on the spiral of silence. By choosing to devote more airtime and column inches to one group’s views over another’s, the media can generate the appearance of minority and majority, when the truth is just the opposite. Through media machinations, it is possible for the majority opinion to be silenced – which is why accurate reporting is so important to informed political decision-making.
Recent Increases in the Spiral’s Scope
Indeed, the media is somewhat to blame for the 2016 presidential election outcome. Undisguisedly left-leaning outlets hid the numbers of Trump supporters, convincing most of the country that Clinton’s victory was certain ― until election night. Yet, the media’s reporting was not the only recent increase in the spiral of silence; politicians are attempting to silence political opinions and groups, as well.
During the election, several conservative politicians and pundits raged against liberal news organizations and individual journalists, undoubtedly hoping to scare and silence them. For example, Trump bullied and harassed reporter Megyn Kelly for interrogating him about his treatment of women, effectively convincing her to leave her longtime employer Fox News.
Additionally, Ben Carson literally attempted to silence BBC reporter Katty Kay when she asked him to comment on various women’s allegations of Trump’s sexual assaults. Attempts to browbeat the press into reporting conservative opinion is just as egregious and detrimental as the press’s existing liberal bent.
After the election, Trump and his followers have treated the press even more harshly. During his press conference, Trump generously used the term “fake news” in attempts to silence entire news organizations: Buzzfeed and CNN. Moreover, hints from the administration that the press will have less access to the White House indicate that the president wants less political conversation in general – a blatant attempt to broaden the spiral even farther. Given that freedom of the press and freedom of speech are constitutional rights, the attempts of politicians and others to manipulate political reporting and silence political groups should be seen as deprivations of liberties and failures to uphold the law.
Defeating the Spiral
It is possible to defeat the spiral, especially at the macro level. It is vital that the public support open political discourse, even when conversations contain less-popular or oppositional viewpoints. Additionally, the public should engage with a variety of news organizations, from mainstream media outlets to smaller publications like zines and blogs. Unconventional news outlets are less likely to feel the strain of majority thought and more likely to report marginal stories or opinions, encouraging individuals to engage in political conversation.