January 16, 2014

The Story About Conservative Media That Should Terrify Progressives

Politico Magazine is up with a big story this week that should scare any progressive who cares about winning the war of ideas. It is ostensibly about how the right is copying the success of liberal outlets like the Huffington Post or Upworthy with viral videos or sexy slideshows. In reality, it is a good reminder of just how badly the right is trouncing the left when it comes to media infrastructure.

Originally published Jan 8th, 2014 on HuffingtonPost

I used to be a media skeptic. I got my start in campaigns, trying to get good people elected. After seeing good leaders left with nothing but bad choices too many times, I tried grassroots advocacy in an attempt to tilt the policy landscape. Along the way, I was dismissive of mere attempts to educate, or inform, or entertain.

To produce progressive change, I told myself — to win equality, or action on climate disruption, or dignity for all working people — you can’t count on facts or persuasion alone. You also need to build inescapable pressure on elected officials to act as you wish, not merely persuade them that it is the right thing to do.

In other words, when you’re in the middle of a fistfight, you need to punch back, not toss out prose. I have no doubt that this view is quite common among Democratic and progressive strategists, organizations and funders. But it is also, I have come to believe, terribly short-sighted. Punching back is only half the battle.

The media dictates what we talk about each day, and this is even more true for our politics. There are infinitely more problems in this world than can be discussed on any given day, much less acted on by our elected officials. Media outlets — as tumultuous, overlapping, fragmented and interlinked as they are today — collectively decide what filters to the top (Duck Dynasty, anyone?) and what goes ignored (anyone remember the last set of front-page stories on the school-to-prison pipeline?).

Build a big enough media infrastructure to discover, amplify and discuss the stories you care about, and you set the agenda in Washington. As Reid Cherlin, the author of the Politico Magazine piece, put it, “All together, these outlets add up to a movement with sufficient mass to make a measurable difference in how politics is reported.”

Why play the refs when you can become one yourself?

In fact, setting the agenda goes beyond deciding what politicians care about — that assumes they even know about all those other problems. Daniel Kahneman, the only psychologist to win a Nobel prize, popularized the concept that “What You See Is All There Is,” or WYSIATI. Our first instinct is to assume that what we see and hear is the extent of the world. It takes a conscious thought process to imagine something beyond that. We also conflate memories that are easy to retrieve with things that are true.

Read story after story about food-stamp freeloaders and the national debt? It will be no surprise if you end up thinking welfare spending is driving our deficit, and cutting back is more important than ending Wall Street tax loopholes and spending the money on job creation. We allow conservative media to define reality itself, then lamely issue contrarian reports and demand that Democratic politicians go out in a blaze of righteous glory, “leading” against the tide of public opinion.

I take little reassurance that progressive messages are popular. Any advertising executive will tell you that you need to repeat a message endlessly for it to stick. Progressive funders have invested in polling firms and research to craft persuasive messages, but we lack the infrastructure to get them out there. As Van Jones puts it, “We don’t need better messages, we need bigger megaphones.”

And I wonder what if we don’t set strategy based on some ideal of how people should make decisions, not how they actually do? Yes, some people think Rush Limbaugh’s word is gospel, but that’s because audiences connect emotionally with people, not ideas. Yes, most people on unemployment are active job seekers who can’t find a job, but the human brain is wired to give way more weight to an anecdote about a lazy cousin who is cheating the system. Yes, policy papers are great, but people respond and remember stories.

Reid Cherlin’s Politico Magazine piece focuses on how a new generation of conservative media entrepreneurs are copying the success of their liberal equivalents. But this is taking place while right-wing talk radio and Fox News remain dominant forces. Progressives carved out a toehold in a conservative media landscape with blogs and digital media, and now are ceding that ground due to a failure to invest.

Some may point to the collapse of Air America, the fledgling attempt at liberal talk radio, or MSNBC’s continuing ratings struggle, as evidence that there simply isn’t an audience for progressive media. I don’t buy it. Few progressive media outlets have been funded well enough or long enough for a fair evaluation. The Daily Caller has only been making money for over a year. The Washington Free Beacon is funded by a 501(c)4 nonprofit, which “offers freedom from worry about traffic,” according to a source in the Politico piece.

The argument that there is barely audience enough for Huffington Post, Think Progress, and MSNBC doesn’t hold up, either. Look at Upworthy‘s exponential growth. African-American radio is going strong, and there is no group of voters more reliably Democratic. It is not like there was a torrent of investment flowing into liberal blogs even in their heyday, and they still do not lack for readers.

Conservative media are overcoming this same critique, with the New Hampshire Union-Leader‘s Drew Cline telling Politico Magazine that the conservative movement is “richly varied” and so are its members’ reading preferences. Is anyone doubting that the Democratic big tent is even more richly varied? Glenn Beck was kicked off Fox, and now The Blaze gets 20 million page views a month and he has his own television channel.

As for the return on investment: “You could spend $5 million on a week of ads, and what do you get for that?” Cherlin quoted one conservative saying. “For $5 million you can launch a newspaper and beat up the administration all year.”

It goes beyond that. All those writers, editors, bloggers and radio hosts go on to form a talented pool of recruits for television, which still rules. Rachel Maddow started on Air America. Campaigns and coalitions, funded one-by-one, often last until the bill passes (or, more often, doesn’t) and then fade away. Lasting media institutions not only help push legislation, but remain to shine a light on implementation and share success stories (wouldn’t a bigger army of such outlets have come in handy during the Obamacare roll-out?).

The investment won’t just pay off, it is badly needed. We’re already behind. And if progressive campaigns against Rush Limbaugh and Glenn Beck scare advertisers off of all “political” content, not just conservative, rich right-wing types will fill the gaps. The same should be true of progressive funders, but it doesn’t appear to be.

The underlying truth is that change happens slowly. Conservatives build institutions to shape and promote Republican values. Progressives build infrastructure to get Democrats elected. Is it any wonder that sweeping Democratic electoral wins have, with a few exceptions, failed to translate into truly progressive policymaking? We need to be launching a dozen more ThinkProgress‘s and Upworthy‘s, funding the blogs and talk radio that already exist, and shifting our thinking about the best way to invest in long-term change.

“We have no right to be boring or irrelevant,” Tucker Carlson said of his Daily Caller.

If progressives don’t invest in media, we will be both.

Comments (85)

  1. November 14, 2020

    cialis tadalafil online

    cialis from canada free samples user name – disocunt cialis – cheap cialis bangkok

  2. November 25, 2020

    cialis over counter walmart

    generic cialis, effects – cialis trial – what is the size of brand cialis

  3. December 21, 2020

    happy family cialis generic

    viagra alternative cialis gb.php?id= – trackback lascia un commento cialis – cialis generic cheap title

  4. December 22, 2020

    viagra on sale

    viagra testomonys – viagra 20mg canada joined – viagra coupon code you have posted in this thread

  5. January 7, 2021

    cialis online without prescription

    real brand cialis no prescription – cialis 20 mg street value joined – cialis herbal equivalent

  6. January 13, 2021

    viagra without doctor prescription

    buy viagra online website – will viagra allow me to get laid with 3 different girls? – viagra lawyer columbus

  7. January 19, 2021
    cialis for sale said...

    cialis pills

    cialis lowest price

  8. January 20, 2021
    viagra coupons said...

    canadian viagra online pharmacy

    levitra viagra vs viagra board.cgi?mode= – viagra vs viagra cost clever.cgi – viagra and alcohol use posts

  9. January 21, 2021

    buy cialis over the counter at walmart

    cialis 20 mg 12 table who is online – cialis 20mg dosage announcements – cialis 20 mg coupon it is currently

  10. May 10, 2021

    are sildenafil and sildenafil citrate the same

    sildenafil sitrate dose

  11. July 30, 2021

    cialis viagra levitra

    how to take levitra 20 mg

  12. August 10, 2021

    buy stromectol online no prescription

    order ivermectin 3mg

  13. August 30, 2021

    ivermectin demodex

    oral ivermectin for lice

  14. November 11, 2021

    ivermectin 3 mg pills

    buy ivermectin 6 mg otc

  15. November 24, 2021

    cost of stromectol

    ivermectin malaria

  16. December 1, 2021

    ivermectin 3mg tablets for human

    buy ivermectin 12mg online

  17. November 19, 2023
    Aggrenox caps said...

    Aggrenox caps

    The Story About Conservative Media That Should Terrify Progressives « Colin Holtz

  18. November 20, 2023

    viagra online prescription uk

    The Story About Conservative Media That Should Terrify Progressives « Colin Holtz

  19. December 11, 2023

    college essay writing company

    The Story About Conservative Media That Should Terrify Progressives « Colin Holtz

  20. December 11, 2023

    application essay help

    The Story About Conservative Media That Should Terrify Progressives « Colin Holtz

  21. December 11, 2023

    professional essay writers review

    The Story About Conservative Media That Should Terrify Progressives « Colin Holtz

  22. December 12, 2023

    definition essay help

    The Story About Conservative Media That Should Terrify Progressives « Colin Holtz

  23. December 12, 2023

    write my essay wikipedia

    The Story About Conservative Media That Should Terrify Progressives « Colin Holtz

  24. December 12, 2023

    essay proofreading services

    The Story About Conservative Media That Should Terrify Progressives « Colin Holtz

  25. December 13, 2023

    cheap essay services

    The Story About Conservative Media That Should Terrify Progressives « Colin Holtz

  26. December 13, 2023

    help writing college essays

    The Story About Conservative Media That Should Terrify Progressives « Colin Holtz

  27. December 13, 2023

    good essay writing service

    The Story About Conservative Media That Should Terrify Progressives « Colin Holtz

  28. December 14, 2023

    essay homework help

    The Story About Conservative Media That Should Terrify Progressives « Colin Holtz

  29. December 14, 2023

    essay writers review

    The Story About Conservative Media That Should Terrify Progressives « Colin Holtz

  30. December 14, 2023

    best college essay help

    The Story About Conservative Media That Should Terrify Progressives « Colin Holtz

  31. December 14, 2023

    essay writing services for cheap

    The Story About Conservative Media That Should Terrify Progressives « Colin Holtz

  32. December 14, 2023

    writing essay help

    The Story About Conservative Media That Should Terrify Progressives « Colin Holtz

  33. December 19, 2023

    uk pharmacy online viagra

    The Story About Conservative Media That Should Terrify Progressives « Colin Holtz

  34. December 19, 2023

    fluconazole pharmacy online

    The Story About Conservative Media That Should Terrify Progressives « Colin Holtz

  35. December 19, 2023

    phentermine india pharmacy

    The Story About Conservative Media That Should Terrify Progressives « Colin Holtz

  36. December 20, 2023

    misoprostol available in pharmacy

    The Story About Conservative Media That Should Terrify Progressives « Colin Holtz

  37. December 20, 2023

    propranolol online pharmacy

    propranolol online pharmacy

  38. December 20, 2023

    generic cialis usa

    generic cialis usa

  39. December 20, 2023

    sildenafil brand name india

    sildenafil brand name india

  40. December 21, 2023

    buy liquid cialis online

    buy liquid cialis online

  41. December 22, 2023

    when will teva’s generic tadalafil be available in pharmacies

    when will teva’s generic tadalafil be available in pharmacies

  42. December 22, 2023

    no prescription cialis

    no prescription cialis

  43. December 22, 2023

    where can i buy tadalafil online

    where can i buy tadalafil online

  44. December 22, 2023

    cheap generic viagra usa

    cheap generic viagra usa

  45. December 22, 2023

    75 mg sildenafil

    75 mg sildenafil

  46. December 22, 2023

    viagra cost comparison

    viagra cost comparison

  47. December 22, 2023

    viagra for women buy online

    viagra for women buy online

  48. January 5, 2024

    cialis canada pharmacy

    cialis canada pharmacy

  49. January 6, 2024

    pharmacy support viagra

    pharmacy support viagra

  50. January 7, 2024

    best price on cialis 20mg

    best price on cialis 20mg

  51. January 8, 2024

    best research tadalafil 2017

    best research tadalafil 2017

  52. January 9, 2024
    viagra 150 mg said...

    viagra 150 mg

    viagra 150 mg

  53. January 16, 2024

    buy viagra online us pharmacy

    buy viagra online us pharmacy

  54. January 18, 2024

    sildenafil 25 mg tablet

    sildenafil 25 mg tablet

  55. January 19, 2024

    levitra for women

    levitra for women

  56. January 19, 2024

    where to buy viagra with paypal

    where to buy viagra with paypal

  57. January 20, 2024

    canadian cialis 5mg

    canadian cialis 5mg

  58. January 22, 2024

    gabapentin regimen

    gabapentin regimen

  59. January 23, 2024

    valacyclovir horses

    valacyclovir horses

  60. January 23, 2024

    gabapentin pregabalin cross reactivity

    gabapentin pregabalin cross reactivity

  61. January 24, 2024

    metformin mellékhatása

    metformin mellékhatása

  62. January 24, 2024

    furosemide natriuresis

    furosemide natriuresis

  63. January 24, 2024

    semaglutide 10 units

    semaglutide 10 units

  64. February 7, 2024

    cymbalta fibromalgia

    cymbalta fibromalgia

  65. February 9, 2024

    duloxetine vs nortriptyline

    duloxetine vs nortriptyline

  66. February 10, 2024

    fluoxetine dosage dogs

    fluoxetine dosage dogs

  67. February 11, 2024

    cephalexin 500 mg oral capsule

    cephalexin 500 mg oral capsule

  68. February 13, 2024

    lexapro controlled substance

    lexapro controlled substance

  69. February 14, 2024

    buy generic viagra united states

    buy generic viagra united states

  70. February 17, 2024

    azithromycin eye drops

    azithromycin eye drops

  71. February 28, 2024

    cephalexin 500 mg for uti

    cephalexin 500 mg for uti

  72. February 28, 2024

    goodrx ciprofloxacin

    goodrx ciprofloxacin

  73. February 28, 2024

    can you take bactrim while breastfeeding

    can you take bactrim while breastfeeding

  74. March 22, 2024

    conditions treated by amoxicillin

    conditions treated by amoxicillin

  75. March 22, 2024

    diclofenac sodium dr

    diclofenac sodium dr

  76. March 22, 2024

    diltiazem side effects hair loss

    diltiazem side effects hair loss

  77. March 23, 2024

    augmentin doses for sinusitis

    augmentin doses for sinusitis

  78. March 23, 2024

    cozaar side effects anxiety

    cozaar side effects anxiety

  79. March 23, 2024

    citalopram interactions with alcohol

    citalopram interactions with alcohol

  80. March 24, 2024

    allopurinol nursing implications

    allopurinol nursing implications

  81. March 24, 2024
    taking aspirin said...

    taking aspirin

    taking aspirin

  82. March 28, 2024

    celebrex copay card

    celebrex copay card

  83. March 28, 2024

    how long does buspar stay in your system

    how long does buspar stay in your system

  84. March 28, 2024

    ashwagandha powder dosage

    ashwagandha powder dosage

  85. March 28, 2024

    side effects of celexa 20mg

    side effects of celexa 20mg