Politicians and leaders who see the media as 'the enemy within' divide society into two clashing cultural camps. Populist demagogues benefit from binary oppositions.
---Elif Safak--- This quote highlights how framing the media as the enemy can deepen societal divisions, fueling us-versus-them mentalities. When leaders leverage this divide, they often gain power by simplifying complex issues into two opposing camps. Such binary thinking can undermine social cohesion and facilitate populist narratives that thrive on fear and suspicion. Recognizing these dynamics is crucial for fostering healthier discourse and resisting manipulative politics that exploit societal fault lines.