Document Type

Article

Publication Date

9-22-2026

Publisher

Clemson University Press

Abstract

In the United States, political polarization has been growing for decades. Political belief and party affiliation now shape not just who people vote for, but who they count as friends, who they date, and where they choose to live. Some also note the growth in what is termed affective polarization—rooted in not just ideas but feeling, attachment, and emotions—leading to a sense of intractable division rather than unity. Looking at our news media landscape, we also find polarization in terms of which news sources people trust. A recent Pew Study showed Democrats favor CNN while Republicans favor Fox News, with both holding serious reservations about the other. Given the importance of news media in shaping political discourse, this assignment tasks us with critically examining political news coverage on issues of freedom.

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