Barth Keck.Barth Keck is an English teacher and assistant football coach who teaches courses in journalism, media literacy, and AP English Language & Composition at Haddam-Killingworth High School.
If Facebook has taught me anything, it’s that thoughtful political debate is an endangered species. People now just dig in their heels, broadcast their opinions, and don’t budge an inch.
My problem is I grew up in a world where facts mattered. People expressed their opinions, but they were expected to include at least one scintilla of verifiable supporting evidence. That world, apparently, is passé. Today, political debate is all about ad hominem labels (“repugs” and “snowflakes”) and scripted talking points.
I blame Roger Ailes, the founder of Fox News, who died last week at the age of 77. Building the network from scratch in 1996, Ailes eschewed the traditional model of objective news delivery in favor of news with a decidedly partisan bent. His model worked — catapulting Fox to the top spot among all cable TV channels — because Ailes knew that people would gravitate to news they liked, facts be damned.
Read the full story on CT News Junkie.
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