Protests are happening nearly daily, but they don’t always make the news and frequently aren’t covered extensively. It’s not in the best interest of “news” organizations to focus on such things right now.
Even social media coverage of these things are localized and not prioritized on algorithms.
These things are happening. People are participating in the political process that is available to them where they can.
Could we do more? Certainly. The international criticism is valid and many Americans feel your frustration and share it. Just know that the current political atmosphere took decades to establish and much of that work involved, if not outright criminalizing protest, framing them in such a way that reduces their visibility and overall impact, specifically in regards to their voter base. There is no “national conversation” like there was when there were 5 major TV stations and some assumed or even enforced journalistic integrity (however naive that may have been at the time). Now we are in a splintered information landscape that gives people the sense that they are contributing by interacting within their bubbles with little to no actual influence or conversations happening between people who disagree that might be able to find common ground and pool their efforts. Instead, when those groups finally contact each other they are yelling slogans at each other, not coming together to work towards a solution and how to move forward.
Unfortunately our best path forward is the same slow grind that is the election cycle and finding ways to get through to those who don’t want to believe they were mislead.
High gas prices are probably the most effective way to snap people out of those bubbles, if only for a moment.
Protests are happening nearly daily, but they don’t always make the news and frequently aren’t covered extensively. It’s not in the best interest of “news” organizations to focus on such things right now.
Even social media coverage of these things are localized and not prioritized on algorithms.
These things are happening. People are participating in the political process that is available to them where they can.
Could we do more? Certainly. The international criticism is valid and many Americans feel your frustration and share it. Just know that the current political atmosphere took decades to establish and much of that work involved, if not outright criminalizing protest, framing them in such a way that reduces their visibility and overall impact, specifically in regards to their voter base. There is no “national conversation” like there was when there were 5 major TV stations and some assumed or even enforced journalistic integrity (however naive that may have been at the time). Now we are in a splintered information landscape that gives people the sense that they are contributing by interacting within their bubbles with little to no actual influence or conversations happening between people who disagree that might be able to find common ground and pool their efforts. Instead, when those groups finally contact each other they are yelling slogans at each other, not coming together to work towards a solution and how to move forward.
Unfortunately our best path forward is the same slow grind that is the election cycle and finding ways to get through to those who don’t want to believe they were mislead.
High gas prices are probably the most effective way to snap people out of those bubbles, if only for a moment.