Position paper #10: Is hate speech in the media directly affecting our culture - Essay Example

Hate speech in the media and culture Is hate speech in the media directly affecting our culture?
Yes. Hate speech is deliberate bias and discrimination against people which can be incited. This definition expands with the changes taking place in society and has incorporated the aspect of media violence as well. There is no contention on whether the media has hate speech or not as the answer is quite obviously and openly yes. The media from the news (both visual and print) to the entertainment media have been delving into hate speech on not only political issues but have now turned to social issues as well. The hate speech is eroding our culture in these areas making people become haters who turn to violence simulated or real in a bid to act out on the hate that has been inculcated in them.
The news anchors and popular show hosts as well as celebrities who are among the most listened and adored individuals in the nations have become the perpetrators of the hate speech in the media which is ultimately affecting not only the adults but the children as well (Alexander & Hanson 222). They are openly rude and hateful towards the leaders and their efforts at improving the lives of the people especially the less fortunate and marginalized groups in society which are the poor. They make out the policies being made in health care or security seem useless and of no need to the people at all which makes the rest of the people back them up and start seeking ways to destroy these policies.
The hate speech in the media has negatively eroded the brilliant minds of the young generation who are the flag bearers of the culture of tomorrow and made them resentful of for example those who are marginalized in the society. They make them to appear lazy, uncoordinated and deserving of the life they are getting (Alexander & Hanson 224). The hate speech has gone to an extent of openly stereotyping the cultures of the Muslim for example and classifying them as terrorists as well as the elderly as underserving of the social services checks as they are no longer useful to the society.
What all this hate speech has done is inculcate the nation with a violence culture where people have been made to think that the only way to handle some of these issues is through resorting to violence. People are becoming violent verbally and physically towards the marginalized in the society instead of assisting them, they exhibit the same behavior towards the Muslims as well. All this is fuelled up by the hate speech and violence in movies and video games which are seemingly encouraging the use violence to handle the problems in the society and to eliminate those considered troublesome.
At the trend the hate speech is eroding the culture of the Americans and even the rest of the world in general, there is danger lying ahead. The government no matter its criticisms should step in to curtail some of these hate speech even if it will mean mildly disobeying the freedom of speech if it hopes to have better leaders in future who are morally and ethically upright.
Work Cited
Alexander, Alison & Jarice Hanson. Taking Sides: Clashing Views in Media and Society. New York: McGraw-Hill Education, 2014. Print. Read More