Blogging Survey
Media Summary
Part 1
Most of the posts (52%) in this story are supportive of Obamacare. Only 22% of the sampled posts are against the plan. In addition, a sizeable number (24%) gives neutral opinions. It is apparent that even those who are opposing the Affordable Care Act (ACA) do not have concrete arguments but are only opposed to the plan because it is from a government which is run by the Democratic Party.
The general message in these posts is that Obamacare is achieving what Republicans thought it would not. The five million people and counting who have enrolled indicate that Americans have endorsed the plan. Most of the commentators believe that this will benefit many poor people and that the government has taken the right decision. There is also a growing opinion that Republicans have not come up with any strategy to cater for healthcare to rival Obamacare and should, therefore, not protest for the sake of doing so. In addition, most of the posts are more about political affiliations than the merit of the healthcare programme.
Those opposed to Obamacare believe it is burdening the society. They perceive it as a populist strategy instead of a genuine health insurance program. They wonder how five million people compare with the entire American society. The neutrals are adopting a wait-and-see attitude. They would like to study the situation and to see how it pans out in the future.
Many of the posts are brief. There are, however, longer ones especially from those who want to explain how Obamacare is impacting their localities. Such posts also tend to be supportive because the blogger’s interest is to vouch for the healthcare program. Most of the posts are written in colloquial language. They also do not adhere to grammar or spelling rules in some instances. There is no profanity in the posts and unpleasant opinions are expressed without attempting to provoke anger. In addition, most of the posts are believable because contributors attempt to justify their opinions.
Part 2
It is obvious that the contributors to the story are not under coercion and do not fear to express their opinions. This is indicative of freedom of speech in the American society. In essence, democracy is valued and promoted because nobody is hindered from contributing to issues of national importance. There are merits and demerits associated with blogging:
Pros
- It is possible to generate healthy national debates through blogs.
- Contributors can raise practical ideas for the betterment of national programs.
Cons
- Society can be polarized by negative contributions through blogs.
Reference
Stein, S. (2014, March 17). Obamacare Enrollment Reaches 5 Million. The Huffington Post.
Retrieved from http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/03/17/obamacare-enrollment_n_4981243.html?ir=Politics
