If I may propose a counterpoint: all that, in some cases, sure, but certainly also other cases where they started out under the umbrella of the right’s airtight propaganda screen and simply never bothered to get a second opinion, reinforced by the cult-like indoctrination claiming that everybody else is lying anyway.
Propaganda works and it takes an active effort, an effort that is severely discouraged by the existing propaganda environment, to seek out a reality check.
However, while such cases may exist, it is getting harder and harder as time goes on to justify sticking to the FOX propaganda bubble at this point.
You are completely right. There’s an entire ecosystem of right wing propaganda channels out there but most people get their news from their friends. It’s the key phenomenon behind influencer culture. And that’s how most of the damage is done.
If someone has one friend who is considered knowledgeable on current affairs and that one friend watches Fox, chances are that none of his associates will have an accurate understanding of any given topic. And that’s by design. The kind of tripe spread on fox news is inflammatory and salacious. The sort of noxious trash you’d share with friends in private conversation.
I realize this is what TikTok and facebook maximize: The friend effect. People learn from their friends. The kind of lies spread by right wing networks is magnified by social media and Russian bot farms.
If I may propose a counterpoint: all that, in some cases, sure, but certainly also other cases where they started out under the umbrella of the right’s airtight propaganda screen and simply never bothered to get a second opinion, reinforced by the cult-like indoctrination claiming that everybody else is lying anyway.
Propaganda works and it takes an active effort, an effort that is severely discouraged by the existing propaganda environment, to seek out a reality check.
However, while such cases may exist, it is getting harder and harder as time goes on to justify sticking to the FOX propaganda bubble at this point.
You are completely right. There’s an entire ecosystem of right wing propaganda channels out there but most people get their news from their friends. It’s the key phenomenon behind influencer culture. And that’s how most of the damage is done.
If someone has one friend who is considered knowledgeable on current affairs and that one friend watches Fox, chances are that none of his associates will have an accurate understanding of any given topic. And that’s by design. The kind of tripe spread on fox news is inflammatory and salacious. The sort of noxious trash you’d share with friends in private conversation.
I realize this is what TikTok and facebook maximize: The friend effect. People learn from their friends. The kind of lies spread by right wing networks is magnified by social media and Russian bot farms.