ANTIWAR

    The news sources have seen a backlash of censorship against media criticizing government's choices concerning foreign nations and war situations. Agenda Setting Theory is the concept that news sources filter what they want to report and place specific topics in focus to make that story or viewpoint more prominent in the minds of the audience. The Antiwar website and the American Conservative both have tons of articles discussing the problems with the U.S. conflicts abroad. The plethora of different topics present show that these antiwar writers have a good amount of content to present and discuss that is completely cast out of the media and therefore is left unseen by majority of the public. 

    The U.S. government has a history of getting involved in wars over seas. Although George Washington famously warned to avoid foreign entanglements, that has proven to be disregarded. The government also has a history of silencing antiwar voices, even though one of the rights in the first amendment is to petition the government. The Sedition Acts of 1798 and 1918 are prime examples of the United States government silencing the criticism from its citizens about the wars it is involved in. This precedent is frightening and is happening currently as well. Social media platforms are widely privately owned and therefore hold the right to censor and dictate what is posted. However, many people use these media sites as sources for their news. This also adds to the lack of awareness from the public about antiwar opinions as well as facts that shed negative light on activities of the government abroad.