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A review by jnlybbert
Network Propaganda: Manipulation, Disinformation, and Radicalization in American Politics by Hal Roberts, Yochai Benkler, Robert Faris
5.0
This is the best explanation of what’s happening in American politics I’ve read yet. The idea that both sides of the political spectrum are equally polarizing or that right wing media “balances out” the biases of mainstream media is a myth. A balanced political spectrum does not accurately describe the ideological landscape of American politics, but we can get a much better idea of what’s happening by looking at the landscape of political media outlets and how they interact with each other.
The authors of this book have looked at data that shows how people interact with political media outlets and how media outlets interact with each other. It tells a story of how the right wing media ecosystem is distinct and separate from the mainstream. It follows a different set of rules, operating on what the authors call a “propaganda feedback loop” mechanism rather than the “reality check” mechanisms that the mainstream media ecosystem follows.
There is no counterpart to this right wing media network on the left. There are left wing media outlets, but they are bound by the rules and mechanisms of the mainstream.
The result of these dynamics is that consumers of right wing media are becoming ever more radicalized and insular. This serves to explain a number of phenomena we are witnessing on the right—the proliferation of conspiracy theories, the increasing detachment from reality, the cult-like devotion to demagogues.
The book makes some suggestions for what should be done about this problem, but I see it as an important wake up call to recognize how influential our media really is, and that not all media is the same. Both sides are not the same. There is something very pernicious happening in right wing media. We need to be able to recognize it before we can ever address it.
The authors of this book have looked at data that shows how people interact with political media outlets and how media outlets interact with each other. It tells a story of how the right wing media ecosystem is distinct and separate from the mainstream. It follows a different set of rules, operating on what the authors call a “propaganda feedback loop” mechanism rather than the “reality check” mechanisms that the mainstream media ecosystem follows.
There is no counterpart to this right wing media network on the left. There are left wing media outlets, but they are bound by the rules and mechanisms of the mainstream.
The result of these dynamics is that consumers of right wing media are becoming ever more radicalized and insular. This serves to explain a number of phenomena we are witnessing on the right—the proliferation of conspiracy theories, the increasing detachment from reality, the cult-like devotion to demagogues.
The book makes some suggestions for what should be done about this problem, but I see it as an important wake up call to recognize how influential our media really is, and that not all media is the same. Both sides are not the same. There is something very pernicious happening in right wing media. We need to be able to recognize it before we can ever address it.