Freedom of the press is one of the defining characteristics of the First Amendment to the United States Constitution. Due to this, the United States has long been the standard for any country that desires a free press. However, alongside a free press come many flaws that we must deal with to preserve our system. If the media in your country is free, it is bound to make many mistakes. These errors aren't a big deal unless the state of public discourse devolves into one that is purely tribal in nature. I would argue that we are headed in this direction.

Politics has become somewhat of a team sport.

A growing number of individuals seem to be choosing which side they're going to root for and are sticking to that side no matter what occurs. Neither the left or the right is innocent in this case. Both sides tend to get their news from sources that are likely to reinforce their preconceived notions. This allows the citizenry to become lazy in their obligation to hold the government and/or the media accountable. I am not arguing that the media has to be perfect in order for us to return to a state of less polarizing politics.

My argument is that we must understand that everyone has their own personal biases that we must take into account before accepting what is said as fact. This is especially applicable to the media.

While many journalists attempt to remain as neutral as possible, their personal beliefs often slip through.

It is important to recognize when this is happening.

When a discussion strays from the argument at hand and turns into the demonization of the other side, that's when you know that it has lost its credibility. Objectivity is incredibly rare in the media as sensationalism and bias will always exist. The only way to combat this is through the assessment of the news through your own lens rather than through someone else's. If everyone applied this to their consumption of news then I truly doubt that the country would be as polarized as we are today.