An unimportant person, but an interesting illustration of a social type. Ruth Ben-Ghiat, so deeply an expert on authoritarianism that she advised a cartoon, warns today that Fox News “serves as the GOP's de facto propaganda arm,” amplifying the party’s false messages. No academic has ever said before that Fox News is bad, so you can already feel the fresh breeze of groundbreaking scholarship. The
Mar 15, 2023·edited Mar 15, 2023Liked by Chris Bray
Ummm, she's not wrong. She just omits the fact that every other major media outlet serves as the propaganda arm of the Democratic party. And that all major media is the arm of the corporate globalist movement behind the Uniparty that really doesn't care which arm wins so long as it's who they control. So she's not wrong. But it's a big "so what," the same multinational corporate advertisers who pay for the news they want win no matter what. Fascist authoritarian, Marxist authoritarian, no problem, they've figured out how to do business with either, authoritarianism just makes it easier to get rid of pesky upstart competitors.
But Fox is less monolithic than many others, and its most-watched show is currently pursuing criticism of mRNA vaccines, American support for the war in Ukraine, and the J6 narrative. We'll see how long that goes on, but I see a counternarrative that's being given space to run.
And of course, Ruth Ben-Ghiat is what she complains about.
Mar 15, 2023·edited Mar 15, 2023Liked by Chris Bray
I knew Fox was biased to the right from its start, but thought at least it gave both sides, "fair and balanced." I could see it coming for awhile, I had studied mass media communications and persuasion in college, was trained in the production of a newscast by a professor who went on to found FactCheck.org, Kathleen Hall Jamieson. You'll often see her contributing to PBS and other major media outlets - there's a lot more money in doing propaganda than simply teaching about it. Every single thing about a newscast and what you see on your screen is there for a reason, even the audio quality and tone. Nothing is to chance. Color, font size, camera angle, set, raising or lowering glasses as about to speak, all of it. Like actors acting. In my prior career I was on camera in studios on political roundtable shows about state and local politics. Where the host would be egging me on to engage more, to be more confrontational while the camera was on other guests, he wanted the tension, the fight, makes good TV and all. The spectacle of it.
But the last straw for me came in Fox's coverage of the 2012 election, Romney v Obama. The early morning show talking head predictions had Democrat Patrick Caddell as a big contributor. I remember him saying that Romney had come on strong and that he was in a good position to pull the upset, it was going to very, very close, All standard stuff. But the look he gave the camera after his final pitch before polls open was so telling I took note of it: he knew what he was saying complete BS. It was like he felt dirty reading it, his face didn't match his words, like he felt guilty telling a big lie, like he realized he had truly become a political whore mouthpiece and he felt ickier than usual. He was an actor mouthing the words that the RNC controllers of Fox wanted him to mouth as part of a GOTV operation. That was it for me, Fox = RNC outlet. Sure, the other network talking heads do the same thing, but for the DNC. The realization that's it's all just political theater set in, they all truly are just actors acting. Caddell felt dirty and it showed in his furtive glances at the camera. That was the last time I watched Fox news or any mainstream media newscast for that matter, November, 2012.
Jamieson's class used a lot of examples to show how media and politicians are partners in a dance for public opinion. The Bush interview with Dan Rather in 1988 was contemporary at the time, stood out and I still remember the classroom breakdown of it. All the way down to the position of Rather on the set looking down on a small monitor at his desk that the VP was speaking from, the intentional placement of media as superior to a little politician. "The Wimp" was a narrative he was trying to push back on that Rather was trying to reinforce with that set up. Bush's team (Atwater) knew the image they were battling and were ready for it, he acted tough and tried to take command. Theater. It's all theater.
The fact that Bush will go down in history as one of the biggest traitors to our nation as a truly fascist criminal who set much of our ills today in motion adds to how dirty that whole made-for-TV spectacle was.
"Every authoritarian takeover depends on enablers from business, religion, the law, industry, and the media. In return for profits and privileges, elites agree to tolerate and/or facilitate the rollback of rights, the spread of propaganda narratives, and the recourse to violence against state enemies."
She's another example of our societal collapse. As you point out, she projects her views on punishments to others not in agreement with her, then wants to commit the same on anyone who she thinks deserve the punishment. The communists and facists always do this. And that's what we are dealing with in the Democrat Party and its allies throughout the country. They are quite willing to destroy the society and all institutions to make a point: they are never wrong and anyone who disagrees must be dealt with.
I read some weeks ago at Jeff Childers about newspapers receiving huge grants for running regime-approved narratives. So they don't really care that their readership is dwindling.
The Canadian mainstream media has been bailed out by #TrudeauTheTyrant and they are pretty much in lockstep with him... although China-Gate is getting problematic and RACIST! for the gov. Great post Chris!
It's freaking scary--that this kind of nonsensical bullshit is what passes for intelligence! And these lunatics are busy spreading their delicious brand of crazy to all of the college students. I honestly can't bring myself to read much of what dipshits like Ruth have to say, but it seems like she needs to set the crack pipe down for a bit before barfing out her nonsense. How does any remotely sane thinking person believe any of this stuff?
They're permanent digital tattoos of stupidity they put on their foreheads.
How stupid do you have to be to not have the self-awareness to recognize that?
They are in the pursuit of the trifecta of idiocracy:
1. substituting feelings for fact. 2. 100% fidelity of projection. 3. Going out of their way to be the Japanese soldiers coming out of their cave and not knowing they've already surrendered when they opened their mouths in the first place.
In their mind they're world-beaters. Pretty easy to be the Globetrotters when the press/institutions are the Generals.
This honestly says more about how dumb these people are- barely any of the conservatives I know, including myself, even watch Fox News anymore. With the exception of Tucker it’s all establishment nonsense. It’s probably a good sign these “reporters” haven’t caught on the messaging that the true base is listening to.
Her article makes no mention of propaganda outlets for Democrats.
During a typical, active news cycle with a political controversy, the anchors of MSNBC, CNN, Morning Joe, etc., are literally using the EXACT phrasing the Dems are using in public appearances. Almost like the script came from the DNC. And we don't even need to include NYT and WaPo to make this case.
Not a single acknowledgement in the comments about the left's dominance of formerly powerful mainstream media. Just nonsense about the Fairness Doctrine, as if such a thing matters in the era of The Joe Rogan Podcast.
I readily acknowledge Hannity is generally a Republican mouthpiece. I don't watch Ingram or Watters.
Tucker, while obviously conservative, clearly thinks for himself. He often gets hyperbolic on his nightly show, which I attribute to the showbiz side of his work, and that further alienates him from the left. His long form show on Fox Nation is outstanding. That's how I learned of Chris' work. His apperance is one of dozens of excellent interviews where the guest does at least 90% of the talking, with minimal prompting by Tucker.
Bottom line, Fox caters to its viewers tastes. Their nightly lineup is op-ed programming. The utlimate control is the TV remote, rather than the left's instinct to make it the FCC, DOJ, FBI, the courts, etc.
I am so, so, so tired of those that follow and believe these asinine hypocrites. I am at a point where I no longer blame the ones perpetrating the lie but am now having disdain for those that are voting for them, reading them, and believing the words over the daily REALITY of what is happening. Just yesterday, Biden in his weak, pathetic old man way spoke in Monterey Park, CA, the location of a mass shooting months ago, where he said that “MAGA republicans are calling for the defunding of police.” Really?? I have NOT heard ANY Republican, “MAGA” or otherwise make such a declaration... ONLY Democrats. Only democrats bail rioters out of jail, only democrats who (Maxine Waters) pull over and interfere with police action to “help a brother out.”
Reversing blame.... one can try, but the welling up of anger comes for those who believe the lie.
It is so frustrating....
Freedom of speech as long as you are stating my opinion.
It’s really interesting how they never mention how CNNLOL, MSDNC, Wapo, NY Times etc (and by etc I mean pretty much all other MSM) are the pushers/enforcers of the democrat party.
It’s truly the “accuse others of what you are doing” and then call them crazy when they point it out.
However- other than Tucker, I think there are too many uniparty shills on Fox for this to be remotely true.
I honestly don’t think that those on the left know that true conservatives get their news/voice their opinions on a lot of the more alternative media like Substack and Gab and even then, we form our own opinions based on our research. That’s a foreign concept to the mindless lefty zombies who fall in line with the party.
Ok, I tried reading her essay but couldn’t make it more than two para’s in. Then I read the comments. Holly heck! Anyone looking for a group of conspiracy theorists need go no further. Basically “the military plays fox news on base and many jan 6 people had military backgrounds therefore fox is openly trying to overthrow the government”. And all the commenters agree!
These people think that only their choice’s are legit and all others should be null and void.
At least we can see the coming lanes of attack with their build up of “disinfo” and now claiming fox is the disinfo wing of the republican party. How long until they try to officially censor fox?
As Viva Frei often says: Confession through projection.
Brutal. But 100% correct.
accuse others of what you yourself are doing
The gospel according to Alinsky!
And Goebbels. Same crap, different package.
Ummm, she's not wrong. She just omits the fact that every other major media outlet serves as the propaganda arm of the Democratic party. And that all major media is the arm of the corporate globalist movement behind the Uniparty that really doesn't care which arm wins so long as it's who they control. So she's not wrong. But it's a big "so what," the same multinational corporate advertisers who pay for the news they want win no matter what. Fascist authoritarian, Marxist authoritarian, no problem, they've figured out how to do business with either, authoritarianism just makes it easier to get rid of pesky upstart competitors.
I concede a big piece of this argument, and see for example Sean Hannity's batshit ranting about Russia last night.
https://twitter.com/mtracey/status/1635862771811098624
But Fox is less monolithic than many others, and its most-watched show is currently pursuing criticism of mRNA vaccines, American support for the war in Ukraine, and the J6 narrative. We'll see how long that goes on, but I see a counternarrative that's being given space to run.
And of course, Ruth Ben-Ghiat is what she complains about.
I knew Fox was biased to the right from its start, but thought at least it gave both sides, "fair and balanced." I could see it coming for awhile, I had studied mass media communications and persuasion in college, was trained in the production of a newscast by a professor who went on to found FactCheck.org, Kathleen Hall Jamieson. You'll often see her contributing to PBS and other major media outlets - there's a lot more money in doing propaganda than simply teaching about it. Every single thing about a newscast and what you see on your screen is there for a reason, even the audio quality and tone. Nothing is to chance. Color, font size, camera angle, set, raising or lowering glasses as about to speak, all of it. Like actors acting. In my prior career I was on camera in studios on political roundtable shows about state and local politics. Where the host would be egging me on to engage more, to be more confrontational while the camera was on other guests, he wanted the tension, the fight, makes good TV and all. The spectacle of it.
But the last straw for me came in Fox's coverage of the 2012 election, Romney v Obama. The early morning show talking head predictions had Democrat Patrick Caddell as a big contributor. I remember him saying that Romney had come on strong and that he was in a good position to pull the upset, it was going to very, very close, All standard stuff. But the look he gave the camera after his final pitch before polls open was so telling I took note of it: he knew what he was saying complete BS. It was like he felt dirty reading it, his face didn't match his words, like he felt guilty telling a big lie, like he realized he had truly become a political whore mouthpiece and he felt ickier than usual. He was an actor mouthing the words that the RNC controllers of Fox wanted him to mouth as part of a GOTV operation. That was it for me, Fox = RNC outlet. Sure, the other network talking heads do the same thing, but for the DNC. The realization that's it's all just political theater set in, they all truly are just actors acting. Caddell felt dirty and it showed in his furtive glances at the camera. That was the last time I watched Fox news or any mainstream media newscast for that matter, November, 2012.
Jamieson's class used a lot of examples to show how media and politicians are partners in a dance for public opinion. The Bush interview with Dan Rather in 1988 was contemporary at the time, stood out and I still remember the classroom breakdown of it. All the way down to the position of Rather on the set looking down on a small monitor at his desk that the VP was speaking from, the intentional placement of media as superior to a little politician. "The Wimp" was a narrative he was trying to push back on that Rather was trying to reinforce with that set up. Bush's team (Atwater) knew the image they were battling and were ready for it, he acted tough and tried to take command. Theater. It's all theater.
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/the-time-george-h-w-bush-stuck-it-to-dan-rather-on-live-television
The fact that Bush will go down in history as one of the biggest traitors to our nation as a truly fascist criminal who set much of our ills today in motion adds to how dirty that whole made-for-TV spectacle was.
I keep wanting to ask her: Ok. Now do the Democrats and CNN/MSNBC.
That's how you avoid logical fallacies.
"Every authoritarian takeover depends on enablers from business, religion, the law, industry, and the media. In return for profits and privileges, elites agree to tolerate and/or facilitate the rollback of rights, the spread of propaganda narratives, and the recourse to violence against state enemies."
Someone's Jungian Shadow is showing!
Edzakerly..__https://youtu.be/1dE-CdqJel4
Ironical
She's another example of our societal collapse. As you point out, she projects her views on punishments to others not in agreement with her, then wants to commit the same on anyone who she thinks deserve the punishment. The communists and facists always do this. And that's what we are dealing with in the Democrat Party and its allies throughout the country. They are quite willing to destroy the society and all institutions to make a point: they are never wrong and anyone who disagrees must be dealt with.
Danny Huckabee
"All people who live their lives inside the constructs of the victim triangle will eventually play the perpetrator role."
Yes. Well said.
These geniuses' opinions and tweets can't possibly be putting food on the table.
She has tenure at NYU, publishes books with major commercial publishers, and has other universities fly her in for gigs as a visiting scholar:
https://www.kitv.com/news/local/acclaimed-historian-ruth-ben-ghiat-begins-residency-at-uh-manoa-for-spring-semester/article_57b790a6-ac05-11ed-968f-bbc963538950.html
It's kind of amazing.
I read some weeks ago at Jeff Childers about newspapers receiving huge grants for running regime-approved narratives. So they don't really care that their readership is dwindling.
The Canadian mainstream media has been bailed out by #TrudeauTheTyrant and they are pretty much in lockstep with him... although China-Gate is getting problematic and RACIST! for the gov. Great post Chris!
I guess it does put food on the table...
They're so stupid they think they're on a noble hunger strike
It's freaking scary--that this kind of nonsensical bullshit is what passes for intelligence! And these lunatics are busy spreading their delicious brand of crazy to all of the college students. I honestly can't bring myself to read much of what dipshits like Ruth have to say, but it seems like she needs to set the crack pipe down for a bit before barfing out her nonsense. How does any remotely sane thinking person believe any of this stuff?
All communist
All working in a semi-communist system for sure. "My communism is more capitalistic and conservative than your communism ya filthy bum!!"
It's amazing and depressing. UH Manoa - sounds about right.
They're permanent digital tattoos of stupidity they put on their foreheads.
How stupid do you have to be to not have the self-awareness to recognize that?
They are in the pursuit of the trifecta of idiocracy:
1. substituting feelings for fact. 2. 100% fidelity of projection. 3. Going out of their way to be the Japanese soldiers coming out of their cave and not knowing they've already surrendered when they opened their mouths in the first place.
In their mind they're world-beaters. Pretty easy to be the Globetrotters when the press/institutions are the Generals.
It sucks that we are constantly getting beaten by people this stupid, but here we are.
DeSantis 2024. 'Nuff said.
Also pretty hilarious considering the internet is abuzz with the CDC listening to an op-ed in the New York Times to set masking policy............
https://twitter.com/Hold2LLC/status/1635064991228514305
Almost forgot this doozy! CDC director Walensky gets her news from CNN!
https://twitter.com/bullfrog35/status/1499986636293033986
Happy Bday!
Reminds me of "stop hitting yourself" as one sibling takes their sibling's arm and hits them with it. Playfully. But these people are not playing.
I am really trying to remember to pray for them. Dear Lord please help them see the evil they are doing and change.
Oooh- great analogy - along with the sibling favorite retort: “I know you are but what am I?”
Great recognition of projection!
Amen
This honestly says more about how dumb these people are- barely any of the conservatives I know, including myself, even watch Fox News anymore. With the exception of Tucker it’s all establishment nonsense. It’s probably a good sign these “reporters” haven’t caught on the messaging that the true base is listening to.
Her article makes no mention of propaganda outlets for Democrats.
During a typical, active news cycle with a political controversy, the anchors of MSNBC, CNN, Morning Joe, etc., are literally using the EXACT phrasing the Dems are using in public appearances. Almost like the script came from the DNC. And we don't even need to include NYT and WaPo to make this case.
Not a single acknowledgement in the comments about the left's dominance of formerly powerful mainstream media. Just nonsense about the Fairness Doctrine, as if such a thing matters in the era of The Joe Rogan Podcast.
I readily acknowledge Hannity is generally a Republican mouthpiece. I don't watch Ingram or Watters.
Tucker, while obviously conservative, clearly thinks for himself. He often gets hyperbolic on his nightly show, which I attribute to the showbiz side of his work, and that further alienates him from the left. His long form show on Fox Nation is outstanding. That's how I learned of Chris' work. His apperance is one of dozens of excellent interviews where the guest does at least 90% of the talking, with minimal prompting by Tucker.
Bottom line, Fox caters to its viewers tastes. Their nightly lineup is op-ed programming. The utlimate control is the TV remote, rather than the left's instinct to make it the FCC, DOJ, FBI, the courts, etc.
I am so, so, so tired of those that follow and believe these asinine hypocrites. I am at a point where I no longer blame the ones perpetrating the lie but am now having disdain for those that are voting for them, reading them, and believing the words over the daily REALITY of what is happening. Just yesterday, Biden in his weak, pathetic old man way spoke in Monterey Park, CA, the location of a mass shooting months ago, where he said that “MAGA republicans are calling for the defunding of police.” Really?? I have NOT heard ANY Republican, “MAGA” or otherwise make such a declaration... ONLY Democrats. Only democrats bail rioters out of jail, only democrats who (Maxine Waters) pull over and interfere with police action to “help a brother out.”
Reversing blame.... one can try, but the welling up of anger comes for those who believe the lie.
It is so frustrating....
Freedom of speech as long as you are stating my opinion.
It’s really interesting how they never mention how CNNLOL, MSDNC, Wapo, NY Times etc (and by etc I mean pretty much all other MSM) are the pushers/enforcers of the democrat party.
It’s truly the “accuse others of what you are doing” and then call them crazy when they point it out.
However- other than Tucker, I think there are too many uniparty shills on Fox for this to be remotely true.
I honestly don’t think that those on the left know that true conservatives get their news/voice their opinions on a lot of the more alternative media like Substack and Gab and even then, we form our own opinions based on our research. That’s a foreign concept to the mindless lefty zombies who fall in line with the party.
Filling in the blank on your quote and then she THANK GOD DID NOT STOP CHALLENGING.
This "expert" has no clothes.
Ok, I tried reading her essay but couldn’t make it more than two para’s in. Then I read the comments. Holly heck! Anyone looking for a group of conspiracy theorists need go no further. Basically “the military plays fox news on base and many jan 6 people had military backgrounds therefore fox is openly trying to overthrow the government”. And all the commenters agree!
These people think that only their choice’s are legit and all others should be null and void.
At least we can see the coming lanes of attack with their build up of “disinfo” and now claiming fox is the disinfo wing of the republican party. How long until they try to officially censor fox?
The comments are glorious. I like the one from the woman who says her fear is "palatable."
Which makes her comment even more delicious.