'Us' vs. 'Them': Media's Pronouns Have Changed Post-Mueller

The media increasingly lament a “divided” and ever-more “partisan” nation, with television news mentions of such words surging since the election of Donald Trump. Yet beneath these overt references to a national divide lies a less obvious indicator of how far our divisions have come: the use of “us” and “them” pronouns. Do media outlets consistently use words like “us” and “we,” grouping the audience in with themselves? Or do they favor “they” and “them” to refer to “others”? It turns out President Obama’s second term marked a turning point in this regard, while the Mueller report was the moment that truly fractured the press into distinct partisan camps. The “Mueller moment” is visible even on Twitter.

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