Madam Secretary: Nonpartisan Politics in the Age of Social Media
With politics the way of life in
almost all countries, we are seeing a drastic change in that world as digital
age takes over politics. The spread of political propaganda and fake news on
platforms like Facebook have inadvertently broken many friendships and even
families. One example is a fraudulent article from the United States claiming
that a Democrat was arrested for falsely accusing 2017 Republican Alabama
Senate candidate Roy Moore of pedophilia. Another is a hoax from the
Philippines alleging Vice President Leni Robredo conspired with former United
Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki Moon to oust President Rodrigo Duterte.
Propaganda and fake news become
viral by touching on political sensitivities. Regardless which side of an issue
they belong to, diehard supporters can react aggressively and respond with
insults. These include attacks on a person’s intelligence and sexist remarks, as
well as threats of rape and violence.
As the stories mentioned above
and similar others create a divide among people, a more neutral approach to
politics on social media becomes urgent to avoiding unnecessary rage as well as
misinformation. A nonpartisan mindset overcomes blind rage by focusing on
objectivity, free thought, and reform. This allows proponents to set aside personal
and political biases so they can hold a more constructive dialogue over a
problem.
Such an attitude is helpful in
social media where heightened emotions can prevent people from recognizing
truth from falsehood. No one, however, is immune to prejudice—or put
positively, to having an initial mental framework of understanding the world, as
discussed by German philosopher Hans-Georg Gadamer in Truth and Method. Nevertheless, reaching an informed opinion
remains possible with patience and tact.
Active Listening
Effort is key to political
neutrality. Whenever conflict arises, full attention must be given to what the
other is saying so that both parties can reach mutual understanding, if not
agreement. This is called active listening: a structured form of listening and
responding that begins by withholding judgment.
For instance, in an argument on
whether vaccination causes autism, rather than calling the opposition “dumb,” listeners
can respond by asking, “Why do you think so?” Succeeding questions then aim to gather
more data such as the speaker’s sources of information, personal beliefs and
values, and feelings about the issue.
The end goal is to build rapport that
hopefully leads to a resolution.
Fact Checking
Anyone who shares unverified
content puts thousands at risk of misinformation and even violence. Such was
the case when a piece of Islamophobe fake news threatened mass hysteria in 2016
by claiming that the Swedish Transportation Administration banned Christmas
lights on street poles to avoid offending Muslim migrants. The story has since
been debunked.
Before spreading or saying
anything about sensational social media posts, there are a few signs to watch
out for. These include click-bait headlines, grammatical and spelling errors,
uncredited content, inaccurate publication date, lack of sources, and
questionable quotes and images. Visiting other media outlets online can verify whether
a circulating article is being reported elsewhere. Reverse image search tools
also help check the legitimacy of shocking viral photos.
What matters here is for people to
stay calm and do their research before jumping to conclusions. They can then report
or block fake news and inform fellow social media users about deceptive posts
to mitigate the spread of misinformation.
Diplomatic Wisdom
Ultimately, a nonpartisan mindset
serves the common good by concentrating on a given problem rather than fixating
on hierarchies or affiliations. The process may first come off as rude to
people with political sensitivities or positions of power. But through proper
diplomacy, such as by speaking sincerely and informatively without sounding condescending,
proponents can bring in opposing parties into the conversation so they can
become part of the solution.
The wisdom of unbiased politics
is best embodied by the protagonist of American political drama Madam Secretary with its new season that
premiered last February 9, 2018.
During the pilot episode, newly
appointed Secretary of State Elizabeth “Bess” Adams McCord (Téa Leoni) decides to pursue
unsanctioned methods to save two teenagers accused of being spies in Syria. Despite
her course of action being unorthodox, she still comes clean to US President Conrad
Dalton (Keith Carradine), convincing him to let her think out of the box so she
can save both the kids and his reputation.
Likewise, she broaches a
sensitive topic with the King of Swaziland during a state dinner by discussing
the rising AIDS epidemic in his country. To win his cooperation in the matter,
she demonstrates her familiarity with the names of his ten wives much to the
monarch’s surprise and admiration.
In both situations, Elizabeth not
only embraces her lack of partisan bias but also practices good diplomacy so
all parties can benefit.
The show also leaves us with a
hint of conspiracy. Will Elizabeth be able to keep her apolitical principles intact
as tension unfolds in the White House? Madam
Secretary premieres on Friday, February 9 at 9:00PM exclusive on Blue Ant
Entertainment.
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channels 53 (SD) and 196 (HD), SKYdirect channel 35, Destiny Cable channel 53,
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