The how shady political operatives and fake news control what you see, what you think, and how you vote Attkisson, Sharyl 1961- creator autor. text nyu 2017 2017 First edition. monographic eng spa

print

294 pages : illustrations ; 24 cm Behind most major political stories there is an agenda: To destroy an idea or the people advancing it. Maybe you watched someone on the news report that Donald Trump is a racist misogynist, read that Hillary Clinton used a body double, or heard that Bernie Sanders cheated in the primary. Regardless of accuracy, the themes get repeated until they become accepted by many as the truth. It's called "the smear." Sophisticated operatives work behind the scenes to establish narratives, manipulate journalists, and shape the images you see every day. Nothing is by accident. Now investigative journalist Sharyl Attkisson takes you behind the scenes of the modern smear machine, exploring how operatives from corporations and both sides of the political aisle have manipulated a complicit mainstream media to make disinformation, rumor, and dirty tricks defining traits of our democracy. Pulling back the curtain on the shady world of opposition research, she reveals how those in power create well-funded, organized attack campaigns to take down their enemies and influence your opinions, offering an examination of the think tanks, super PACS, LLCs, and nonprofits that have become the hidden backers of some of the biggest smears in American politics. And she doesn't just tell stories -- she names names, sharing her account of how smears take shape and who their perpetrators are -- from Clinton confidant Sidney Blumenthal to liberal political operative David Brock, who, along with his expansive Media Matters for America empire, has been rewriting the rules of the smear game for decades while raking in millions of dollars in generous compensation. In addition, Attkisson reveals transactional journalism and exposes scandalous emails behind the smear industrial complex, showing how Campaign 2016 became the exclamation point on the thirty-year evolution of the smear machine. Dissecting the most divisive, partisan election in American history, she explores how both sides used every smear tactic as a political weapon, culminating in Donald Trump's hard-fought victory, even as his detractors have continued their smears against him into the Oval Office. What emerges is an assault on the mainstream media's willingness to sacrifice ethics for clicks, and the cynical politicians and high-paid consultants who exploit this reality. A critical discussion for this perilous moment, The Smear is a look at how the black market serving professional propagandists really works. Birth of the modern smear: spies, Bork, and the Clintons -- David Brock's smear frontier -- The smear industrial complex: smear merchants and scandalmongers -- Media matters (but money matters more) -- Plausible deniability: conjuring an Astroturf reality -- Transactional journalism: the black market information trade -- The anti-smear candidate (and the disloyal opposition) -- The road to the conventions -- General election -- Brave new world of #FakeNews (and chilling efforts to censor it) -- Epilogue: The smear gone global. Sharyl Attkisson. Includes index. n-us--- Journalism Corrupt practices United States Mass media and public opinion United States Mass media Political aspects United States Communication in politics United States Politics and culture United States Truthfulness and falsehood Political aspects United States Public opinion United States LANGUAGE ARTS & DISCIPLINES Journalism POLITICAL SCIENCE Political Process Media & Internet Truthfulness and falsehood Political aspects Communication in politics Journalism Corrupt practices Mass media and public opinion Mass media Political aspects Politics and culture Periodismo Prácticas corruptas Etica periodística Medios de comunicación Opinión pública Estados Unidos Medios de comunicación de masas United States Politics and government Estados Unidos Política y gobierno PN 4888 A885s 2017 070.4 302.230973 9780062468161 0062468162 YDX 171024 20230411090606.0 eng