Are we really as angry as the media says we are?

[grumpyduck]

I am so sick and tired of reading about all this anger going around: people on both sides of this or that bashing "the other side." Tweets and counter-tweets. Protests. Yadda yadda. This morning I was ready to do a post here, saying, basically, "Grow the f**k up and get a life, America!"

Then I said, okay, wait one.

So I'm going to ask for your personal opinion, based on your personal experience: do you believe America is as angry as the media makes us out to be, or do you think a good chunk of the coverage is just to get people to read about it and see the ads while they're at it? IOW, clickbait?

And here's a bonus question: do you think all this coverage is actually making people angrier about the issues discussed?

My answers based on my experience: I think a good chunk of it is clickbait, and yes I think it's making some people more pissed off because they get caught up in it.

[Orsino]

1. I believe the MSM try hard not to let us get as angry as we should be.

A lot more shit would probably be getting burned down or blown up, which is bad, but there would be change, which the MSM's owners don't much like.

[ismnotwasm]

2. I think most of America is sick to its stomach

Last edited Tue Apr 3, 2018, 01:10 PM - Edit history (1)

Shuddering away from this shit show as often as possible. No matter what the political ideology, these are brutal times with frightening consequences. I see this distancing in things like my news alerts “Here’s you non- political news”

Personally though? I’m angry as fuck. I don’t do sick.

[hueymahl]

3. I'm pretty pissed off

But I am likely in the distinct minority of the general population (DU board members excluded).

I think people should be more pissed off.

[alarimer]

4. I am.

I am a rage machine all the damn time with everything this Administration is doing. Pretty sure it's going to kill me. Which is good, because then I won't have to see the end result of this madness.

[Bradshaw3]

5. Faux news and RW media in general have made a mint off of anger

Keep the people afraid and agitated. Good for profits and sowing the field for autocratic control. People used to keep politics to themselves for the most part. trumpistas now bring it into the public sphere all the time where I live, and online of course. So my radar is up and it's a job to keep my own anger in check.

[Caliman73]

6. I'll go cynical on this one and say most Americans don't care.

I will also ask, What media is saying that we are angry? Specific outlets?


There are groups of people on all sides of the political spectrum who do consume news media but I do not think that it is a truly significant amount of people. The mainstream media outlets, which are usually the largest in terms of circulation or viewers, only get maybe 10 million people watching per night, or 7 million readers if you are USA Today, about 3 million for the New York Times. Cable outlets like Fox, CNN, and MSNBC get about 3 million a day.

So, if you are looking at the numbers and figure that most of the numbers indicate repeat viewership not unique eyes, you can see that maybe 30 to 50 million people are closely following the media.

Granted, I did not put in social media like Twitter and Facebook.

Most people are busy with their lives, listening to music, taking pictures of their lunch, etc...

I would say that the general mood in the country is apathy not anger.

[FarCenter]

7. Sort of angry, but mostly driven by media competition for eyeballs.

It used to be that confrontational arguments in the news occurred only in vignettes such as Point Counterpoint. Other political discussions were conducted politely by William F Buckley or in the McLaughlin group.

Now the confrontational style has won out completely and occupies channels pretty much all day.

Confrontation was rare enough that it could be satirized.

[malthaussen]

8. Well, Mr Buckley did go off on Mr Vidal that one time...

... but even then, he was fairly restrained.

-- Mal

[Paladin]

9. If trump doesn't infuriate you, you're stupid and you're not paying attention. (nt)

[SonofDonald]

10. Yes I'm mad but there's a good reason

When the entirety of what's been done (that we know of) is out there for all to see it makes me so disgusted that the Republican Party stands idly by with their hands in their pockets and their brains in neutral.

That's where my hate comes from, inaction and blatant acceptance that this is okay and business as usual.

And some of it's because of the deafening silence from many on our side.

If there is a Blue Wave coming why aren't more Democrats taking these bastards to task?, that does create a little anger but maybe they are waiting for something concrete to get behind.

My problem is there's a lot of fresh concrete being poured every day.

No matter, I'll never vote for a republican or anyone that's even looked in that direction.

We are the party of Mom, Apple Pie and the Flag.

[Wellstone ruled]

11. Let's see if this angst brings

our Democratic Voters to the Polls in November,if we get another 2014,what can I say. Besides,we deserve what we get.

[DemocratSinceBirth]

12. I believe America is more divided than at any point in its history, any point...

[oasis]

13. Won't be angry for much longer. Mueller locomotive gaining speed.