Read on Twitter
As a psychologist and a student of how people get their news and form their views, I wanted to take a few tweets to respond to this common question in detail.
Liberals are starting to wake up to the influence of Fox but they often don’t know why they should fight it.
thread: https://twitter.com/Pinboard/status/1227751409573093376
Liberals are starting to wake up to the influence of Fox but they often don’t know why they should fight it.
thread: https://twitter.com/Pinboard/status/1227751409573093376
First, what does it mean for Fox viewers to be brainwashed? This isn’t a totally well-defined term, but best analogy is to German or Japanese civilians in WWII, or to Russians today. They support(ed) obviously corrupt regimes.
Autocrats always take control of media. Why?
2/
Autocrats always take control of media. Why?
2/
Because controlling people’s information environment WORKS in controlling their opinions.
After WWII, many Americans believed Germans were just intrinsically evil (and Americans were good ppl).
Then Milgram did his famous expts /3 https://psmag.com/social-justice/electric-schlock-65377
After WWII, many Americans believed Germans were just intrinsically evil (and Americans were good ppl).
Then Milgram did his famous expts /3 https://psmag.com/social-justice/electric-schlock-65377
Forget the Milgram “obedience” stuff which is somewhat sketchy. What is uncontroversial is that at least 1/3rd of subjects could be coaxed into hurting people.
Americans aren’t unique. A third of every population has authoritarian personalities that are susceptible...
/4
Americans aren’t unique. A third of every population has authoritarian personalities that are susceptible...
/4
Susceptible to Fox/Limbaugh/Breitbart-style influence.
Another key aspect of Fox’s “brainwashing” is that rightwing media tells people to ignore other media. Just ask any Fox viewer. /5
Another key aspect of Fox’s “brainwashing” is that rightwing media tells people to ignore other media. Just ask any Fox viewer. /5
Fox and Limbaugh do this on purpose to try to control the information environment of their listeners.
So that’s Fox’s “brainwashing”: lying to authoritarian-type personalities using fear and hate, and telling them to distrust other media. /6
So that’s Fox’s “brainwashing”: lying to authoritarian-type personalities using fear and hate, and telling them to distrust other media. /6
As for why Fox is so popular— this is an audience that has been cultivated for DECADES. Fox didn’t start out popular. The sequence is: Murdoch bought the NY Post in the 70s and used it to get Reagan elected in 84. Then Fairness Doctrine was rolled back by Reagan, 1987 /7
Unleashing Limbaugh. And Limbaugh was not always popular! Limbaugh would be out of business today without rightwing-donor subsidies. (Air America didn’t receive the same subsidy from the left.) And Murdoch is estimated to have lost... /8 https://www.mediamatters.org/rush-limbaugh/rush-limbaughs-wingnut-welfare
Murdoch lost $100M+ on the NY Post over the years. These business models were initially NOT sustainable without rightwing billionaires’ funding. Murdoch had to get Reagan to rush his citizenship and later change ownership rules to get Fox started.
R/w media is not organic. /9
R/w media is not organic. /9
But even given rightwing funding, why is Fox so profitable today? Because rightwingers tend to be authoritarian personalities. Conservatives like repetition. Liberals dislike it. This is just an asymmetry in human populations.
And no discussion of influencing wld be ... /10
And no discussion of influencing wld be ... /10
complete without describing the long long history of Republicans conning their base for money. Began with direct mail decades ago.
(It’s also not a coincidence that Fox viewers much less likely to have college degrees.) /11 https://thebaffler.com/salvos/the-long-con
(It’s also not a coincidence that Fox viewers much less likely to have college degrees.) /11 https://thebaffler.com/salvos/the-long-con
Finally, explanatory power. I’m going to interpret this as: “why talk about this? What can we do?”
We talk about Fox’s lying because it is CENTRAL to persuading the GOP base.
Just talk to a Fox viewer sometime. They believe straight lies.
/12
We talk about Fox’s lying because it is CENTRAL to persuading the GOP base.
Just talk to a Fox viewer sometime. They believe straight lies.
/12
As @CultExpert has noted, Fox-listening is like a cult. You have zero chance of persuading people on political issues while they believe Fox (and while Fox tells them you are lying to them). You must delegitimize Fox in their eyes.
Luckily, this is not that hard! /13
Luckily, this is not that hard! /13
The truth is, Murdoch uses Fox to lie to the GOP base to get vote for tax cuts for billionaires. Did same in UK AND Australia. And we know (excellent economics paper @gregmartinphd) that he’s not merely chasing profit—he slants Fox for political ends. /14 https://www.aeaweb.org/articles?id=10.1257/aer.20160812
And based on my too-extensive experience with Fox watchers, almost no one even knows who Murdoch even is! Never mind why he would lie to them.
This is key to persuading the GOP base.
If you’re not saying “Rupert Murdoch”, you’re not going to convince them.
This is key to persuading the GOP base.
If you’re not saying “Rupert Murdoch”, you’re not going to convince them.
Say it:
“Fox lies to you to get you to vote for billionaires tax cuts.” “Rupert Murdoch and the GOP elite call you ‘useful idiot’ in private.” “Trump laughed at you after the tax cut, telling his Maralago friends they all got a lot richer... at your expense.”
/end
“Fox lies to you to get you to vote for billionaires tax cuts.” “Rupert Murdoch and the GOP elite call you ‘useful idiot’ in private.” “Trump laughed at you after the tax cut, telling his Maralago friends they all got a lot richer... at your expense.”
/end
One more thing I almost forgot.
Many high-info liberals will read this and say “Ah, people choose to watch Fox. It’s just reinforcing existing opinions.”
NO!!!
If you believe this, watch @BrainwashingDad movie. Watch it yesterday. It’s that impt.
(iTunes. Amaz Prime. )
Many high-info liberals will read this and say “Ah, people choose to watch Fox. It’s just reinforcing existing opinions.”
NO!!!
If you believe this, watch @BrainwashingDad movie. Watch it yesterday. It’s that impt.
(iTunes. Amaz Prime. )
correction: Murdoch used the NY Post to get Reagan elected in 1980 AND 1984. The famous Jack Kemp (R) quote is about the 1980 election. Obviously, in 1984 it would have taken a lot for Mondale to win. https://www.nytimes.com/2017/02/12/business/media/rupert-murdoch-donald-trump-news-corporation.html
