Over the holidays, this column will explore next year’s urgent issues. Today we look at the crisis in western democracy, Donald Trump’s victory and the role played by digital mediaIn November 2020, shortly after Donald Trump’s defeat in the US presidential election, Barack Obama observed that America risked entering “an epistemological crisis”. The prospect of Mr Trump’s return to the White House in January validates his predecessor’s premonition.Mr Obama was talking about media fragmentation and polarisation: different segments of society existing in discrete information spaces; arguments no longer drawn from a common reservoir of facts; no shared reality, no foundation of truth. “Then by definition the marketplace of ideas doesn’t work,” he said. “And by definition our democracy doesn’t work.” Continue reading...
The Guardian Editorial argues that the rise of digital media has significantly contributed to the crisis in western democracies.
They highlight media fragmentation and polarization as key factors: information bubbles isolate people, creating echo chambers where shared truths and facts disappear. This breakdown of a common understanding of reality undermines the "marketplace of ideas" and, consequently, democratic processes.
The editorial concludes that better regulation of digital media is urgently needed to mitigate these harmful effects.
The Guardian Editorial argues that the rise of digital media has significantly contributed to the crisis in western democracies. They highlight media fragmentation and polarization as key factors: information bubbles isolate people, creating echo chambers where shared truths and facts disappear. This breakdown of a common understanding of reality undermines the "marketplace of ideas" and, consequently, democratic processes. The editorial concludes that better regulation of digital media is urgently needed to mitigate these harmful effects.
