A Look Into NSA Students' Thoughts On Politics - Part 2
By Zoe B.
Politics by lionvision from Getty Images Signature Created in Canva
Disclaimer: This is Part 2 of this article - be sure to check out Part 1 in order to read more about what policies NSA students care about the most.
As Part 1 of this article explored, there are a few specific policies and issues that NSA students care about the most - namely abortion, illegal immigration, foreign wars, the economy, and the LGBTQ+ community. Now that these views are clear, the question arises: how exactly does the media they consume affect their views? Most of the students said the information they consumed mostly came from media companies, news services/newspapers, YouTube channels, podcasts, or social media, as well as from family members and friends.
It seems the sources from which students get their information affect the political party they identify with. For example, the student from Southeast Asia identifies more as a Republican, referring to All Israel News, The Jerusalem Post, Fox News, CNN, and tidbits from Ben Shapiro, a right-wing political commentator, as their news sources. Except for CNN, most of these sources are right-leaning, so it makes sense why this student chooses to get information from sources with views similar to theirs. In the same way, Avery, Michaela, and Hudson get much of their information from the Daily Wire, a conservative media company. Both Avery and Hudson also lean Republican. When it comes to Silas, he gets most of his information from CNN, which is a left-leaning media company (AllSides). He identifies more with the Democratic Party.
It is apparent that there is a noticeable connection between the news outlets that students consume and the party they associate with. Their political affiliation also relates to the issues they care about the most, as shown in this article. General issues Republicans care about are the economy, abortion, the border crisis, and the LGBTQ+ agenda, while Democrats can focus on stricter gun laws, reproductive rights, and the issue of deportation.
When asked whether they thought mainstream media was biased and could be trusted, everyone except Silas said that they do not trust mainstream media as it is biased to the left. Rachel’s response sums up the response of every right-leaning student, saying “I do not trust mainstream media. [...] I think too many media sources are more interested in pushing a liberal agenda instead of keeping people informed about truth.” Michaela also adds, “Mainstream media outlets are people pleasers. They will do whatever they can to cover what is culturally (and I feel this leans to the woke side) correct, and they love to blow things out of proportion.” When it comes to Silas’ opinion, he says that while “Every news source will have some sort of bias,” he has faith “the mainstream media can cover both parties and candidates well if they focus on the facts, not their inherent political leanings.” It is interesting that the people who identified with the Republican Party see the media as biased, while Silas, who has more faith in the Democratic Party, trusts the media more. This leads to the question of whether this is simply a correlation or a causation. Is it just a coincidence that those who identify as Republicans do not trust the media, while those who identify as Democrats generally do?
In a time when it seems politics are at the forefront, and all the media consumed leads to controversy, it is important to remain hopeful and not let hatred and anger take over one’s life. Rachel’s response about this is inspiring: “I know that all leaders are put in place by God. [...] He allows leaders to come into power, and He can take that power away. God can use even evil rulers to accomplish His goals. Plus, one day, Jesus will rule over a new earth, and His rule will be perfect.” Let this be a reminder that while it is good to be informed on what is going on in the political landscape – letting the news consume one’s life is a mistake. Instead, choose to lean and trust in God instead. All humans, including politicians, will be at fault sometimes, so instead trust in the almighty God who knows how to do no wrong.
Columns: 🔎Informational 👤NSA People
Zoe B. lives in Argentina with her parents, dog, and one of two brothers. She is an eleventh grader, and this is her third year at NorthStar but first in the Navigator. In addition to being a writer for the Navigator, she is also one of two Club Coordinators for Student Council and a tutor for High School students. She has been playing sports all her life and is currently a competitive tennis player who dedicates a lot of hours to training and competing around South America.