Good for Germany.

In the US we have "network news" and "cable news".

Network news is what the workers, families and people who just want a quick update on the world watch. This nightly news (30-60 min) focuses mostly on local horrors like murders, robberies, fires etc. with a smattering of positive local happenings. They might touch for 1-2 minutes on national/political news, and in doing so attempt to tell it in a way that doesn't piss off 50% of their audience. People that watch this news, as their primary source are blissfully unaware of how bad it really is. They think it's just "politics as usual" and don't want to be bummed out after a long day at work.

Then we have cable news, which is is a 24/7 IV drip for retirees, stay at homes, jobless Americans and the most militant supporters on both sides. If you identify with Republicans you watch Fox News if you identify with Democrats, you watch MSNBC. Both leave you feeling outraged, exhausted and convinced the other side is "lying to you".

Then, both sides retreat to social media, where their friends and family re-enforce what they already feel - further widening the divide between Americans.

I’m all all for cynical reductionism, but come on. There are hundreds of millions of Americans and only a fraction watch Fox or MSNBC. There are newspapers, blogs, forums, social media of varying quality, PBS, NPR, CBS, NBC, ABC, CNN, Twitter, news magazines, and much more. There truly is no excuse for being totally ignorant of politics after two years of this except deliberate action to blinker yourself.

This, in a country of cord cutters, and massive internet consumption, with access to the world’s press in addition to their own.

For brevity, maybe I went too far in my reduction-ism. I stand by my assertion however that "network news" isn't covering it enough (leaving most in the dark) and cable news is creating a divisive atmosphere due to the mixing of commentary and actual factual news which leads both sides to believe the "others" are lying to them.

I think you need to broaden your social circle, as the Americans I know personally aren't as connected as you assume. Every revelation I share with them is responded to with shock and disbelief. "What do you mean it's illegal but no one is doing anything about it?" or "If that was true, shouldn't those people be arrested and in jail?"

I only know a couple "cord cutters" and even those that have cut the cord, still watch network news; CBS, NBC, ABC, Fox. Facebook we know is an echo-chamber, not open to dissenting opinions by design.

Furthermore, these people aren't on Twitter, they don't even know what a "web forum" or blog really is ("is it like a website?").