MessyandchaoticpracticesofdemocracyintheUnitedStates:"Freedomofspeech"innameonly_GuangmingOnlineMessyandchaoticpracticesofdemocracyintheUnitedStates:"Freedomofspeech"innameonlyByJunyeZhangOnDec.5,2021,China'sMinistryofForeignAffairsreleasedareportonitswebsitetitled"TheStateofDemocracyintheUnitedStates."Thisseriesofinfographicscentersonthesecondsectionofthetext,"Messyandchaoticpracticesofdemocracy."ThissectionillustratesthatdemocracyintheUShasgonewrong,whichisreflectednotonlyinitssystemdesignandgeneralstructure,butalsointhewayitisputintopractice.ThegunshotsandfarceonCapitolHillhavecompletelyrevealedwhatisunderneaththegorgeousappearanceoftheAmerican-styledemocracy.ThedeathofBlackAmericanGeorgeFloydhaslaidbarethesystemicracismthatexistsinAmericansocietyfortoolong,andspurredadelugeofprotestsripplingthroughoutthecountryandeventhewholeworld.WhiletheCOVID-19pandemicremainsoutofcontrolintheUS,theissueofmask-wearingandvaccinationhastriggeredfurthersocialdivisionandconfrontation.Dividendsofeconomicgrowtharedistributedunfairly,andincomegrowthhasstalledformostordinarypeopleforalongperiodoftime.TheAmerican-styledemocracycanhardlyupholdpublicorderandethics,noradvancepublicwell-beingtothefullest.Herearehighlightsfrompartfiveofthetext:"Freedomofspeech"innameonly.(5)“Freedomofspeech”innameonlyIntheUS,themediaisjuxtaposedwiththeexecutive,thelegislativeandthejudiciaryasthe“fourthbranchofgovernment”andjournalistsareconsidered“uncrownedkings”.ThoughUSmediaorganizationsclaimtobeindependentfrompoliticsandservefreedomandtruth,theyareactuallyservingfinancialinterestsandpartypolitics.AfewmediaconglomeratesmaintaincontroloftheUSnewsmediaandhavemorphedintoapoliticalforcewithoutsizeinfluence.UndertheTelecommunicationsActof1996,thefederalgovernmentisrequiredtorelaxregulationovertheownershipofmediaoutlets.ThishasledtoanunprecedentedwaveofmergersandacripplingerosionofthediversityandindependenceoftheUSmedia.Thedrasticreductioninthenumberofmediaoutletshasenabledafewcompaniestoexpandintomonopolies.IntheUS,afewmediaconglomeratesarenowincontrolofover90%ofmediaoutlets,nettingthemanannualprofitevenhigherthanthegrossdomesticproduct(GDP)ofsomedevelopingcountries.Thesemediabehemoths,whileeagertomakemorebusinessfootprints,haveextendedtheirreachintoAmericanpolitics,attemptingtoswaypoliticalprocessesthroughlobbying,publicrelationscampaignorpoliticaldonations.TheUSmediamonopolieshavebecome"invisiblekillers"ofcivilandpoliticalrights.RobertMcChesney,aleadingUSscholarinthestudiesofpoliticaleconomyofcommunicationsandprofessorattheUniversityofIllinoisatUrbana-Champaign,notesinhisbookRichMedia,PoorDemocracythatmediacompanies,profit-drivenbynature,confinepeopletotheworldofentertainmentprograms,deprivingtheiraccesstodiversifiedinformation,distractingtheirinterestinpublicaffairs,diminishingtheirabilitytodistinguishbetweenrightandwrong,andmutingtheirvoiceinthedecision-makingofsocialpolicies.InanAmericansocietydominatedbymedianarratives,traditionalnotionsofcivicandpoliticalinvolvementhaveshriveled.Depoliticizationhasturneddemocracyintoapoliticalgamewithoutcitizens.AreportinMiami'sNewHeraldarguesthatasthemediaiscontrolledbytheeliteandconglomerates,peoplearenotabletodistinguishbetweenfactsandpoliticalpropaganda.TheUSmediaisnolongera“gatekeeper”ofdemocracy.ThepoliticalwranglingbetweentheLeftandRightintheUSmediahasfurtherentrenchedtheestrangementanddivisionbetweenthetwopartiesandbetweentheeliteandthemasspublic.IthasaggravatedpoliticalpolarizationintheUS,pushingthepoliticalLeftfurtherleftandtheRightfurtherright.AndithasfueledthespreadofextremistideologiesandpopulismintheUS.AccordingtoastudybySejongInstitute,athinktankintheRepublicofKorea,over80%ofconservativevotersintheUSseenewsreportsbymainstreammediaoutlets,suchasNewYorkTimes,asfalseinformationandhaveabiasedtrustinmedia.Votersbelieveinonlyafewmediaoutletsandwouldignorecommunicationsatthenationallevel.Levelheadeddiscussionsandconsensus-buildinghavebeenreplacedbymegaphonespoliticsandnegativepartisanstrife.TheDigitalNewsReport2021issuedbytheUniversityofOxfordandReutersInstituteindicatesthatamong92,000onlinenewsconsumerssurveyedin46markets,thoseintheUShavethelowestleveloftrustinnews,amere29%.Intheinformationagewhentraditionalmediaisonthedecline,socialmediahasbecomeanewfavoriteforthegeneralpublic.Yet,liketraditionalmedia,socialmediaisalsounderthecontrolofbigcapitalandinterestgroups.Toincreasetheirwebsitetraffic,socialmediasitesusealgorithmstocreate“informationcocoons”,leavingextremecontentuncheckedanduncontrolled.Thisdrivesuserstowardself-reinforcingtheirexistingviews,exacerbatesidentitypolitics,andfurtherdividespublicopinion.InOctober2021,formerFacebookemployeeFrancesHaugenleakedtensofthousandsofpagesofexplosiveinternaldocumentsofFacebook.ShedisclosedtoColumbiaBroadcastingSystem(CBS)thatFacebookwouldnothesitatetosacrificepublicintereststokeepusersonitsplatformandmakeprofits.Facebookhasbecomeamainplatformforsocialextremistsandisfraughtwithhatespeech,disinformationandmisinformation.Actionisonlytakenon3-5%ofhateandabout0.6%ofviolenceandincitementontheplatform.Editor:DisclaimerTheviewsandopinionsexpressedinthisarticlearethoseoftheauthor's,GMW.cnmakesnorepresentationsastoaccuracy,suitability,orvalidityofanyinformationonthissiteandwillnotbeliableforanyerrors,omissions,ordelaysinthisinformation.