Episode 2: The Rhetoric of Polarization and the Failures of Objectivity in Journalism

In this second episode, Dennis discusses the rhetoric of polarization in connection to the function of shared meaning in the news as it relates to politics. Additionally, this episode builds upon the first episode to advance the conversation on how news in public interest differs from the news as entertainment. We explore the shortcomings of objectivity in journalism in its current form as well as the function of demagoguery and artificial intelligence in the shaping of the rhetoric of polarization; which all serves to cultivate further the "us versus them" American political climate that prevents authentic and engaged public discourse from developing in the media.