When we talk about how much influence media really has, you don’t have to look far. What just happened this past weekend is the perfect example. This past Saturday, June 14, 2025, was a flashpoint in American media and politics. President Trump, on his 79th birthday, hosted a full-scale military parade down the National Mall in Washington, D.C., celebrating the U.S. Army’s 250th anniversary—something unseen since 1991. The spectacle included tanks, Abrams and Stryker vehicles, robot dogs, helicopters, and thousands of troops. The media jumped on it fast, but depending on where you looked, the coverage was completely different.
At the individual level, viewers were polarized. Conservative-leaning outlets framed it as a proud tribute to the military and a patriotic celebration of both the Army and Trump . That narrative led many to express pride on social media or attend after-parties. Meanwhile, progressive outlets and segments, such as The View, pointed out that it felt authoritarian, costly, and possibly misdirected from veterans’ needs . Some “No Kings” protesters even rejected the display outright, calling it political theater. People reacted instantly—some posting online in support, others calling it dangerous, some even organizing protests right after seeing the coverage.
At the societal level, the media’s framing of this fueled broader conversations. These conflicting portrayals sparked national debate about civil-military relations, the nature of patriotism, and democratic norms. Conservatives saw celebration; critics saw symbolism that blurred political power with military might . This division fueled protests in over 2,000 locations under banners like “No Kings Day,” with estimates of over five million protesters nationally . This event is a textbook case for Baran’s agenda-setting and framing theories playing out in real time. As Baran explains, agenda-setting is when the media tells us what to think about by choosing which stories to focus on (2023, p. 340). Framing goes even deeper by shaping how we should feel about it based on the words, images, and narratives they use (Baran, 2023, p. 341). This weekend, media outlets selected this parade as a lead story (agenda-setting), and then shaped its interpretation—patriotic vs. authoritarian—through language and visuals (framing) . These mechanisms drove public perception and shaped behavior across the spectrum. The polarization intensified: Instead of unity, the coverage deepened partisan divides.
Was the media’s influence here positive or negative? Personally, I think it leaned negative. Yes—media platforms must uphold ethical responsibility. Baran (2023) emphasizes that mass media doesn’t just reflect, but constructs cultural reality (p. 338). When coverage becomes emotionally manipulative or politically exploitative, it undermines public trust and civic dialogue. Yes, the public needs to know what’s happening, but the way this was covered only pushed people further into their political corners. According to The Future of Human Agency article, this is exactly what happens when digital media feeds people constant, highly curated content that fits their beliefs—it reduces critical thinking and widens the divide (Rainie & Anderson, 2023).
The article Visions of the Internet in 2035 warns that as algorithms increasingly personalize news feeds, these echo chambers will only intensify if left unchecked (Pew Research Center, 2023). Similarly, The Future of Human Agency points out that modern digital systems can strip individuals of the critical thinking required to question biased reporting, making ethical journalism more important than ever (Rainie & Anderson, 2023). In moments like this, ethical journalism should inform, contextualize, and de-escalate—not exploit outrage for clicks or ratings.
The D.C. parade on June 14, 2025, shows media’s powerful sway in shaping both how individuals react and how society interprets an event. The mixed coverage—framing patriotism for some and authoritarianism for others—rifled up stronger polarization than unity. This reveals just how ethically significant media’s role is. Responsible journalism isn’t optional—it’s vital to preserving democratic discourse.
References
Baran, S. J. (2023). Introduction to mass communication: Media literacy and culture (12th ed.). McGraw‑Hill Education.
Pew Research Center. (2023). Visions of the Internet in 2035.
Rainie, L., & Anderson, J. (2023). The Future of Human Agency.
Multiple authors. (2025, June 14–16). Reuters, NPR, Vanity Fair, The Guardian etc. [as cited above]
