Four speakers from different organizations tackled the use of media and its effect on people today in “What do I believe: media and the politics of division,” a forum held March 14 in Newman Auditorium.

At the Del Monte lecture Dr. Andy Roth, associate director of Project Censored, Susan Lamont, coordinator at the Peace and Justice Center, Bruce Robinson, news director KRCB radio, and Paul Gullixson, editorial director of the Press Democrat, visited SRJC to speak against and in defense of media today.

The event tackled the misinformation in the media and the need for critical thinking. SRJC Philosophy Instructor Michael Aparicio said he thinks people feel the impulse to disengage politically because when trying to deal with political issues it can become difficult and frustrating.

Project Censored’s Roth spoke first. He wanted students to realize the different levels within the media that shape our thoughts. Roth used the example of imagining the news like a map in which stories fall into one of three spheres.

The first sphere included stories of consensus. “Consensus stories are topics that journalists and most of society do not view as controversial whatsoever therefore journalists do not see any need to provide any opposing views,” Roth said.

The second sphere was legitimate controversy in which most people identify as news. “These are the stories that have to be treated with journalistic objectivity,” Roth said. “I mean things like depersonalization, meaning the journalist does not insert her or his perspective into their reporting of the story. They refrain from advocating for or against a position. They aim for a neutral take on a story.”

The third sphere Roth referred to as deviant stories that are beyond journalistic objectivity. He said this sphere seeks to condemn and exclude from the public agenda, stories and figures that violate consensus values.
Project Censored wants to expand the sphere of legitimate controversy. Roth said to take a news story of interest and see where that story is located in reference to the spheres and see patterns being used.

The second speaker, Lamont, wanted the audience to realize that there are two opinions: left and right, and the news media doesn’t represent points other than those. She said she doesn’t believe the media is even trying to represent points outside left and right and the world doesn’t see views in the same way as the media would have us believe.

Lamont said she sees the role of mainstream media is to make the way things are so much a part of our lives, that the way things are become the only way they could possibly be. She thinks the media has been forcing its views into our minds for so long we don’t see that they are forcing their viewpoints upon us. “We can’t have a logical conversation when all the cards are under the table where nobody can see them,” Lamont said.

She said the media does not tell us everything. It only presents the two popular over-powering viewpoints without discussing other viewpoints in the world. She challenged the audience to use critical thinking and ask the revolutionary question “What if,” Lamont said. “As an individual we have to start deconstructing the news.”
KRCB’s Robinson said the divisiveness we see today is because people are stuck on their keyboards instead of communicating face to face. He told the audience that you can’t learn anything that way. Instead when there is someone who disagrees with you, ask them why they disagree.

He uncovered some misconceptions that media is not reporting at all. Social media, commercial and noncommercial outlets that also relate to media are also worth exploring. He said one of the best places to find diverse opinions and see what people are vocalizing about is in the letters to the editor.

The Press Democrat’s Gullixson, said the newspapers come out every day of the year and it stands as an ongoing conversation, especially in the opinion pages. “On the premise of discussing who are we to believe we would all like you to believe us,” Gullixson said. However, like his 13- year-old son, he encouraged the audience to say, “Why should I? I think that is something that should be heard more often,” Gullixon said.

Gullixson said people are skeptical of the newspaper and news media, which makes sense. People are not as skeptical as they should be of other forms of media. “I would submit that our [print] media often is not necessarily a driver of our rhetoric or divisiveness, but I would submit, in so many ways, that it is a reflection,” Gullixson said.

Gullixson pointed out that people would rather get information from friends than news media or a newspaper. “It’s a longstanding truth that we award trust based on credibility and it’s my observation that we seem to award credibility based on a little more than familiarity, which in an era of digital over communication can be a threat to real truth.” He said the fact that people are more likely to believe what their neighbor says rather than what they read is why he believes the division has become the way it has, and politicians see this and now would rather win you over by being your buddy.

Gullixson said a way to change this is to become informed, read and go into depth. Don’t take for granted something forwarded in an email: be skeptical and investigate information.

Gullixson said he doesn’t want students to be discouraged. Even though people disagree, it doesn’t mean we have to be disagreeable. Good things can come from good discussions. People may have to agree to disagree and that is fine. There are great opportunities to check your facts and students should take advantage of that.