The Myth of the Liberal Media
You often hear this narrative that the “Liberal media” controls our political landscape. Sometimes even when facts go against a conservative talking points, people cry the “liberal media” is taking over. Well I’m here to tell you that’s a complete lie. Throughout this piece, I will lay out how T.V., music, films, and even social media are hardly avenues to propagate liberal biases, but completely the opposite.
Television
According to the American Press Institute, 86% of Americans’ get their news from television networks. Of the T.V. networks, there are three major networks garner the majority of viewing numbers. The top three are Fox News, MSNBC, and CNN. Of those, it is considered Fox News is a conservative news network, CNN aligns itself in the middle, and MSNBC aligns itself with progressive ideals. Or at least so they all claim.
Rick Kissel, a journalist who writes for Variety.org, did a piece breaking down the numbers for these news media outlets over the years and what he found was remarkable, yet not surprising. Fox News, for the 5th consecutive year was pinned as the most watched television network in the country, averaging 2.16 million viewers per evening, which is when most Americans’ get their news. The other two heavy hitter counter parts, didn’t even come close. CNN placed 7th as the most watched network, averaging 1.39 million viewers an evening, followed by a pathetic 13th place by MSNBC, averaging slightly less than CNN.
So as most Americans get their news from an extremely conservative network, let’s really dive into how “liberal” the most “liberal” television network really is. According to MSNBC the most viewed program on the network is Morning Joe, which is hosted by a lifetime conservative, Joe Scarborough. Scarborough practiced law before serving as a congress man for the state of Florida. During his time in office, he advocated for things such as privatizing the education and energy departments within the state, as well as taking conservative positions on social issues, such as abortion.
So, this loony-left network has its ace host that is largely seen as a conservative hosting its largest viewed program on the network, and people want to scream about the liberal media? Turn on Morning Joe on any given day and listen to what they discuss. It is 90% Trump coverage, and it’s hardly coverage tearing him down. They almost endorse his ‘populous’ message, and often times ignore his bombastic remarks he makes, excusing him as an entertainer. If the “liberal progressive media” truly existed, they would be talking policy. But they don’t. They cover Trump for ratings.
It doesn’t end with ratings either. Let’s look at who owns MSNBC and who runs ads on the program. MSNBC is owned by COMCAST, a corporation which dominates American television access. They have donated 598 thousand dollars to the RNC and other GOP based organizations in 2016 alone, according to opensecrets.org. Donations to Democratic based organizations? 627 thousand dollars.
So the owners of the most liberal media television outlet in America is donating almost as much money to Republicans as they are to Democrats? Also, you know it’s not a progressive network, when Koch industries runs an ad that portrays working class people backing Koch industries saying, “I am an energy voter”, is absolutely ludicrous.
It is no secret that Fox News is largely criticized by the likes of Trevor Noah of The Daily Show, SNL, and other comedy late night television show for how outrageously conservative their view points are. Which is why many times people like to say how liberal the media is. However, that hardly moves public opinion on policy position. In my opinion, it actually takes attention away from them. Why? Because all these networks do is make fun of how ridiculous Fox News is. They don’t actually present the issues and their solutions from a progressive point of view.
Music
Media isn’t just news, its pop culture as well. According to Busbud.org, country music is the most popular among ten states within the union, the most of any one gene done in the study. One of these states is New York, a state that almost always votes blue. Country music has a funny way of facilitating political undertones within itself. Themes within country songs: trucks, beer, patriotism, and an overall life style that panders to the rural American, a demographic that almost always votes conservative. Four other non-southern states joined New York in this study. So this conservative message is reaching a much broader audience than one might think, in an election year that is seeing these blue states become increasingly more “purple.”
Why sing about that lifted Chevy all the time? Go take a quick peak on CMA Country Music Festival website, Chevy is the biggest logo on their sponsor page. A nice fat Chevy logo, front and center so you can’t miss it. You don’t think Chevy cuts a check, or slaps Silverado on a truck and sends it to Luke Bryan’s front door every time he mentions a Chevy truck in one of his songs? Give me a break. You don’t think the Koch brothers love this movement in country music that persists on having a truck to be a true American? All while ensuring you are paying far more at the pump for a vehicle that you might not even need, but sure does send the message that you’re “more American” than your neighbor who is driving that Camry (Even though the Toyota Camry is the most American car you can buy).
Slap a ‘country’ message behind a catchy beat, and you have the ability to send out a message of blind nationalism to millions of people, geared up and ready to drink some bud light cans. Which, by the way, also just launched a campaign this summer, claiming it was “the beer for America.” Oh yeah, also a major sponsor of the CMA country music festival. Who drinks bud light? I know you have a picture in your head, and I bet you he or she is white and wearing a camo hat, loves this country more than Obama does, hates Hilary Clinton, and “works harder than you do.”
The message is simple: Be an American. Drink cheap beer, drive a truck that’s “made here”, wave that damn flag, and never, ever apologize for it. Sounds familiar? Unapologetic nationalism? Look no further than your Republican nominee. And we wonder how we got here. Combine this message in music with Trump telling this demographic that their country is being taken away from them and you have a dangerous opportunity for a propaganda machine. And I believe, more than ever, that it is working.
When was the last time you saw a wave of liberal based messages in music? Rage Against the Machine? Rise Against? Maybe, but the last time we’ve seen anything like this was from the Vietnam War era with songs such as “Born in the USA,” a song which has been hijacked by the political right ironically enough. We haven’t had a cultural cleanse in years, and I think it’s about time we get real about the messages being conveyed to us within our music.
If you’ve ever been to these concerts, the message of America being “their” country just oozes out of every corner of the venue. Almost everyone that goes to these concerts is decorated in some sort of American flag memorabilia, you can almost guarantee a “USA” chant will start at some point or another. Not to mention everyone is absolutely blasted drunk, which is somehow apart of this whole “American thing.” I’m not anti-American, at all. But I question why these people feel so patriotic when they are belting music which subtly implies that they miss the good ole’ days of the south (if you know what I mean).
Films
Hollywood is often cited as the liberal leach pit of America. I was on the phone the other day with a close friend, and asked him to cite one liberal film or film maker off the top of his head. He cited Michael Moore. Michael Moore just came out with a film titled “Where to Invade Next.” The film was based on a message of progressivism politics from the perspective of various foreign countries. It focused on fighting for labor rights, affordable health care/college, and criminal justice reform. He went to these countries and investigated how successful they were with the way they ran things. At its conclusion, he relayed the message that these were all originally American ideals and values which we have since abandoned due to corporate greed and failed policy. Admittedly, this is an extremely liberal documentary, and not an action film. However, the claim is that the liberal media dominates that political landscape. So I ask you, did you even know this film existed? Did you ever see a preview on a major television network? Did you ever see an ad? I bet that the answer is no.
Meanwhile, two films have come out in the last several years that are championed by the political-right. Specifically, Lone Survivor and American Sniper. Both of these films explore the bravery of our troops overseas, which I am more than fine with. Lone Survivor, actually should be aligned with Democratic ideals, as the theme within the film relays the idea that all Muslims aren’t actually terrorists, and they are fighting the same evils that we are. Funny how that message was missed, as the hero Marcus Latrell spoke in typical right-wing pandering fashion at Donald Trump’s kick start rally at the RNC a few days ago, spouting that same Republican talking points about essentially nothing but a made up reality of foreign affairs.
The other film, American Sniper, explores the life of Chris Kyle. A soldier from the State of Texas, who is credited with dozens of kills and consequently saved countless American lives. However, the largest focus of the film is on the condition of PTSD. Ironically enough, yet again the right has pandered to the idea of blind nationalism and scooped up this American hero through this film as an example of being “one of their own” and the Republican base never looked back. He’s their hero. Not America’s. He’s their boy from Texas. He’s a patriot, and if still alive today, would have been ashamed of the Obama- Clinton “cartel.” However, it’s ironic that this party champions this man so much, when they abandon people like him every single day with their lack of action of these issues.
For one short example, under President Obama, multiple bills have been proposed offering expansions of veterans’ benefits to combat conditions such as PTSD that our soldiers and service men and women suffer from each and every day. One of which specifically was led by Senator Bernie Sanders. In 2014, 41 Republican Senators voted against the bill.
Social Media
Facebook recently came across a controversy. Conservatives claimed they were censoring Republican based news perspectives on their website, and blew this up to attack the liberal media, which was completely false. Facebook runs itself like any other news organization. Curators on the website calculated what stories were trending and facilitated the news stories in a non-bias fashion. Look up the story for yourself. The claim has been dismantled from every angle.
Also, if you grew up anywhere like I did, most of your friends are sharing more simplistic right wing talking points, than leftist ones. I know this could be a demographic situation, but this still holds weight to it. It’s a breeding ground for simplicity. Why? Because the message can be summed up in a meme or a picture. I know there are liberal memes out there too, but they don’t get nearly the shares that conservative ones do, because people don’t understand them. It’s also because they suck.
Let’s look at Twitter. Donald Trump has changed the rules of engagement on social media, basically running his campaign with bumper sticker politics in 140 characters or less, receiving literally dozens of thousands of retweets daily. Of the final three Presidential candidates, Trump has 9.9 million followers on twitter, Hilary Clinton has 7.5, and coming in at last place, is the 74 year old socialist psycho path, Bernie Sanders, with 2.8 million. But wait, aren’t millennials the majority of twitter users? Absolutely. Our generation is so disengaged with the political system, we aren’t following Trump for Trump’s policy, but rather his entertainment offerings.
The Bigger Picture
The points I just laid out about twitter go way beyond the epidemic of people following a narcissist for entertainment value. This racially charged, simplistic, nationalist view spreads like wild fire on outlets like Twitter. The people that fight this simple rhetoric have a much harder challenge with 140 characters. They have to explain, question, analyze, synthesize, and think in 140 characters. It’s not so easy to combat simplified arguments with complicated answers.
Same goes for T.V. news shows as well. Notice how short segments are? We need quick hitting talking points and fast answers. It takes time to explain how the middle class has been destroyed by international and domestic policies for the last 30 years. You can’t do explain it in a ten minute segment. But you sure can blame it on the Mexicans and scream for a Wall. Problem solved. And when you do try, it’s dry and boring. So, people don’t watch. Instead, they’ll watch Morning Joe and listen to what racist thing Donald Trump said last night because it’s funny, or in the very least entertaining.
And finally, I must touch on this idea of needing to give two sides of every argument. Some arguments are just flat out wrong. For example, climate change deniers. Climate change is real, and it’s caused by human activity. Allowing a non-scientist to debate a climate scientist on nightly news television shows is not reporting facts and letting the people decide for themselves on policies they want to enact to solve the issue. It’s facilitating stupidity and ignorance. We see this on almost every issue, from the economy, to our foreign policy and beyond. We just allow people to make up their own realities and allow them to anchor major television networks, because that’s “the other side of the argument”. But it’s not, it’s simply a made up reality that draws attention away from real solutions to real problems.
The bigger picture, is that the liberal media doesn’t exist, despite the conservative media telling you that its brain washing you. If the liberal media existed, we wouldn’t be fighting to convince the American people that Obama Care is actually working. If the liberal media existed, we wouldn’t be having discussions on equal pay for women, it would be done already. If the liberal media existed, we wouldn’t be talking about gay marriage as an issue anymore. If the liberal media existed, the country wouldn’t be scared that Obama was going to take their guns away. And it goes on, and on. Don’t kid yourself, your news organizations, your music, your films, and your social media, are hardly liberal. In fact, it’s completely the opposite.
