I’m know this has been covered in piecemeal fashion on this forum for the last few years to be sure, but don’t remember a specific thread regarding this phenomenon. If so, my bad.
But an interaction with a co-worker today brought this back to mind, and also reminded me of other people I know who are just like him.
This is a man whom I like as well as anyone I work with (out of hundreds of people). He is kind, courteous, a very good worker, conservative, and religious. We share the same religious faith and attended the same church for a while.
Today we had some time to chat about our out of work lifestyles. The talk went to the media, and we talked mostly about the TV shows we liked to watch. He steered the discussion around to politics, saying he watched a fair amount of political programming.
Now, I am always careful about sharing any political views with acqaintances and co-workers, since I am not interested in creating any conflict unnecessarily with these people. So I simply listened.
He began by telling me that virtually all news was biased, and most of it was “fake news”. He made it clear that he watched only certain cable programs (Fox) and avoided any network news. He also told me he no longer reads the newspaper, as he no longer trusts the Associated Press. The man is convinced the mainstream media, all of it, is biased against the current Republican administration.
He’s not the only one I know like that. My BIL, who has been getting the daily paper for decades, no longer takes it because of the material in it.
These folks have willfully shut themselves off from virtually any information that conflicts with their point of view and existing biases, mainly about the president.
In sum, I guess I shouldn’t be so surprised that some many on the right continue in their slavish support for Trump, et al, since they don’t allow themselves a peek outside the bubble.
Just my opinion/observation.
