The Brainwashing of My Dad: How the Rise of the Right-Wing Media Changed a Father and Divided Our Nation—And How We Can Fight Back

by Jen Senko

A powerful and eye-opening exploration of the impact of right-wing media on individuals and society

This groundbreaking book delves into the personal journey of Jen Senko, whose father fell victim to the insidious influence of media manipulation, leading to a deep divide within their family and our nation.

Through research and personal anecdotes, Senko unveils the tactics employed by right-wing media outlets to shape public opinion, sow discord, and distort reality. From talk radio and cable news to social media platforms, she exposes the mechanisms used to manipulate minds and stoke fear, ultimately leading to the polarization and division plaguing our society.

Key topics covered

The rise of right-wing media and its impact on public discourseTechniques used to manipulate minds and shape public opinionThe personal toll of media brainwashing on families and relationshipsExploring the role of fear and misinformation in the political landscapeStrategies for fostering understanding, empathy, and constructive dialogueRebuilding a united nation through media literacy and civic engagementWith thought-provoking insights and practical advice, Senko empowers readers to recognize and combat the destructive influence of media bias. By sharing strategies for reclaiming critical thinking, fostering constructive dialogue, and rebuilding bridges, The Brainwashing of My Dad offers hope for healing our divided nation.

Genres: Politics, Nonfiction, History, Memoir, Audiobook, Biography Memoir, Biography

319 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 5, 2021

Reviews

[Michael Hassel Shearer · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Brainwashing of My Dad- How the Rise of Right-Wing Media Changed a Father and Divided Our Nation – And How Can We Fight Back by Jen Senko
Thoroughly enjoyed this book. It lived up to its’ title and more so. Ms. Senko is roughly my age and I am from the same part of the North East US. I sense she is politically center-left not by Trump standards a socialist, communist instead as she makes clear in the book one who is tolerant of all.
The real bonus for me in this book is she explains how the right-wing media came about with changes in laws regarding cross ownership and more importantly no need to any longer present both sides or more of an issue in order to have an FCC license.
She mentions that the term “brainwashing” comes from the Chinese term of ‘washing the brain”. Having studied the Chinese language, I love this type of creative word creation. Also, the term “The Big Lie” come from mein kampf.
She describes the conversion of her father from a tolerant “old guy” to a hate filled person starting with the listening to Rush Limbaugh. I recall many years ago hearing Rush and finding his comments not informative but shocking and comedic. But her father like many bought into his diatribes I believe in part because as they aged, they saw life as well as their perception of the white guy’s future in America disappearing. Her father finds like-minded men mostly becoming “ditto-heads” and so he is part of a group.
The next big step was the creation of Fox “News” and large comfy chairs where he father and like brainwashed men could hear repetitively all day lies that became their beliefs.
I wish Ms. Senko could offer an easy fix but I think there is not one. I do agree perhaps if the rest of us and the “crooked’ media would label these people as cult Republicans or I would suggest cult conservatives, it might let the center Republicans take back their party.
Until something like this happens, it seems hard to see how we can have a governing center which is important for our democracy.

[Jennifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rounding up from 2.5 stars and filing in the “important topic, not particularly well written” category. Although the rise of right-wing media and the psychology of “brainwashing” within the current political climate is definitely a fascinating subject, the book suffers from a lack of evidence, slightly sophomoric writing, and honestly not enough talk about Senko’s dad…I felt like I was reading a college freshman’s “Intro to Media” research paper in many spots. Definitely think this is one that would have benefitted from perhaps a slightly drier, but ultimately more compelling, more rigorous and academic “facts and figures” approach.

[Jessi · Rating 1 out of 5]

I got this expecting one of two things: either a deep dive into the cult politics that have developed over the last six years, or a commiseration piece: "this happened to my family, it might have happened to yours, too; let's be sad about it together." I didn't get either, which would have been fine...but the book wasn't particularly well written. Midway through I decided to do a little background research on the book and discovered that the documentary on which it was based was criticized for lacking nuance (I didn't realize there was a documentary) and that the follow up book was criticized for its choppy writing style. I fully agree. It's just not particularly well put together. It reads like a series of long facebook posts. I'm sure someone out there would enjoy this, but I was not one of those people. Which is unfortunate because it's an important topic and one that has impacted me personally. I'm sure more than a few biased people will see the low ratings for the book and think they're justified in their beliefs, which is frustrating.

[Carey’s Reviews · Rating 2 out of 5]

1.5-2 Stars! DID NOT FINISH. Every argument the author has against ‘conservative news’, can be said for all news media outlets. I stopped watching or reading any mainstream media without fact checking it myself. I prefer watching independent journalist on YouTube - left leaning, right leaning and middle ground. I like to see stories from ALL points of view, to understand and make up MY OWN mind. To be honest, I found Fox News to be more truthful than the other news channels which tend to lean liberal. And no, I am not a republican. I’ve voted republican and democrat and consider myself more independent than anything. News corporations don’t care about informing people with actual truth, they just care about ratings. If you are a CNN/MSNBC/other liberal news lover and see conservative news as the evil liars, than you’d probably like this book.
*I received this book at no charge & I voluntarily left this review.*

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book explores a timely and much-needed topic: the rise of Fox News and America’s cult-like conservative propaganda machine. Senko couples historical digest with anecdotes about her own aging father’s radicalization. There were some really fascinating details in here—seeing original Roger Ailes memos and a few other such primary sources was highly compelling—but I overall thought the book suffered from lack of rigor. I would have liked to see more research studies and expert sources and would have preferred if the book were written by an academic. A lot of it felt true and resonated with my own experiences with my dad, but I don’t want to fall into the same trap of reacting from emotion rather than from logic that the book describes :) I’ll keep my eyes peeled to see if there are any similar books that fit that bill a bit more.

[Jen Juenke · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is such a timely book. I really enjoyed how the author wove in history and her personal experience. I am glad that her dad was able to come out of his right wing slump at the end.
There was a few questions that I had.....she had mentioned early on in the book that her father helped a homeless man and soon would be homeless himself....yet there was no more mention of this anywhere in the book.
Did her dad stop hanging out with his friend who had also gotten into Rush Limbaugh?
I felt that there could have been twice the amount of information and just as good.
I liked the end of the book with suggestions on what to do to combat the Fox Media channel.
Overall a great book about the cult like brainwashing of the right in America.

Thank you to the publisher and to netgalley for allowing me to read this ARC for this honest review.

[Tracy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very interesting book. The message that the author wants readers to take away, "no matter what political party you affiliate with, think carefully about the media you consume." I think those are very wise words.

[David · Rating 4 out of 5]

Once in a while a book comes along that is so relatable that I can’t help but nod my head in recognition while I’m reading. Such is the case with TBWOMD.

America is a bitterly divided country. Left and Right paint each other in the most awful terms to the point where we can’t even agree on anything.

Things weren’t always this way. We used to get along. We used to argue but still respected each other. We used to agree on reasonable gun control and abortion. We weren’t always fighting over basic facts. But something changed.

Senko’s father Frank was a happy go lucky basically non-political Democrat all his life, believing in the values of hard work, charity and treating his fellow human with kindness and decency. Then he started to change…not all at once, but slowly. For when a job later in his life gave him a long commute, he filled the time in the car not with music, but with talk radio. Specifically, with Rush Limbaugh, the self-proclaimed most dangerous man in radio aka the harmless little fuzzball. And later he started watching Fox News. The combination of the two changed Frank, as he began repeating things he heard and saw, and became increasingly hostile. The change impacted how he got along with his family; every conversation steered back to politics, every person whom he once liked and respected began to turn into the enemy.

For this is the effect three hours a day of listening to a lying hateful man topped off with a nonstop barrage of a news network that has been little more than a mouthpiece for a Republican Party that has gone further and further into crazy town…

Senko does a fairly masterful job of synthesizing the history of how we got from being a nation of basically decent and compassionate people who could agree to disagree to one that is divided and tribal and distrustful of each other. She links it to what happened to her father. And then she tells of his miraculous journey back to being the kind and loving human he used to be (spoiler alert: it had a lot to do with turning off the radio and turning off the TV.)

I can relate to a lot of what she says. Indeed, the Limbaugh effect is/was more common than I ever realized. So maybe the confirmation bias is there, maybe I am enjoying it because I agree with much of it. But that said, it is a great place to start if one is trying to find out just how the hell we got into this mess.

[Jeremy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Parts of this book are excellent. The core story, of a beloved father lost to Rush Limbaugh and Fox News, is excellent. The way in which the father morphs into a rage filled bore, who cannot help but argue with his family, who neglects his wife, and fills much of his waking day with rage, is captivating and illuminating. The simplicity of the solution--removal of the media influence gradually--is impressive.

But what really grates is the amateur history analysis of the rest. The development of polarization is handled so ponderously and in such a simplified and one-sided fashion. It is all the Republicans fault, and there is no blame on the left for the way in which they demonized various conservatives and Republicans. Now, to be clear--I firmly believe in asymmetric polarization. The Republicans polarized first, and more deeply. Most of the blame is on their side. But not ALL the blame, not by a long shot. Beyond the culpability question, this is just bad history--shallow, disorganized, and unoriginal. It feels like the actual story of the documentary (the good parts of the book) just wasn't long enough to make a book. To her credit, the author doesn't puff up the autobiographical parts, to make her family's story a bigger part of the book than it needs to be. But puffing up the history analysis is a weak choice as well.

One super strong point of the book, that felt like puffery at first but ended up being valuable, came at the end--where she quoted folks who have struggled with their own family members whose minds have been altered by the right wing media cocoon. The story she tells is all around us today, making this book important to read.

[Erin · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had heard of the documentary of the same title that Senko did and was interested in this topic. I have a family member that fits the description of Senko's father: a conservative radio and Fox News cult member who has seemed to turn away from their former values in support of the Sean Hannity and Tucker Carlsons of the world.

Senko does a wonderful job researching and describing the factors that went into the current alt-right Republican party. I didn't know much about how the media worked to form the political parties we have now, so this was really enlightening. My favorite section of the book was the end where she included several stories of other people with family members who have seemingly gone off the rails into the clutches of Trump. There were a few sections that felt a little dry (I would have loved Senko to include even more of her own personal stories throughout the text), but overall, this was a huge eye-opener to the effects that media can have on all of us.

*Free ARC provided by Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review*

[Karen Adkins · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is based on the award-winning documentary Jen Senko made about how her dad, a once fun-loving engineer who voted Democratic, got sucked into the Rush Limbaugh/Fox world and became an angry Republican. This story resonated deeply with me (like many, I have relatives who became Fox/talk radio obsessives and with whom I can no longer have civil discussions because we do not share an agreement on basic facts). I haven't seen the documentary, and suspect I would like it more than the book in some ways. Senko describes some of the images that are in the documentary and they are powerful. To give one example, her father actually builds wooden doors to the kitchen so he could listen to Rush while eating lunch in peace (he forbade his wife from entering the kitchen during his "Rush lunches"); the physical walling off of space on top of the mental and emotional walling off stands in for what's happening her. Senko makes a real case for thinking about the right-wing media ecosystem as a kind of brainwashing cult. She's not a very engaging writer, so the book is a bit of a plod at first (and if you know your US history, you can really skim through most of the first 50 pages). But the final four chapters make up for its flaws. First, Senko and her mom were able to deprogram her dad; essentially by engaging in a bit of subterfuge while he was temporarily hospitalized, unsubscribing the house from cable and his worst media/email habits, and subbing in more mainstream options. The redemption story of the return of her sweet, funny dad (and his introspection about it) is inspiring to read. She carries this forward in a chapter that details specific actions people can and should take individually and collectively to change some of the media structures that give these figures such power. (One hopes Dominion is taking care of some of this for us right now.) And the final chapter is filled with testimonials from people across the country who've successfully weaned themselves or family members off rightwing media.

[Joanne · Rating 3 out of 5]

I appreciate the story Senko tried to tell and her effort to base the trends she saw on FDR-era legislation and policies passed (since retracted by Reagan,) to monitor safe media practices. But I felt it was painted in very black/white broad strokes, with every iota of the blame pinned to one side -and ironically, indicative of the lopsided bias problem that she’s trying to illustrate. I feel a more moderate, balanced and cited view of (the granted) very real problem she’s saying that hurt her father would sway more folks to her side of the argument. But as it stands, it’s a bit histrionic.

[Drea · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well written book that gave me that feeling in my stomach that I remember feeling everyday during 45’s term; tension, chaos, conflict. The strife in families was and is real and this well-researched book documents the fall into brainwashing of the author’s father. It broke my heart but I found myself nodding along as I have decided to disconnect from social media from those who watch FOX and participate in the hysteria propagated therein. It all makes me sick and makes me feel sad. That said, this book helped me feel less alone if that makes sense. Heartfelt thanks to Sourcebooks for the advanced copy.

[Kim Esmael · Rating 5 out of 5]

Phenomenal book! A must-read for those of us trying to figure out how we became so divided and why so many people we know have become so hateful.

[Shanna · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love how this book offers the author’s personal experience with lots and lots of educated information and historical context. Who knew corrupt R’s have had a long game since the early 70s? I didn’t but it all makes sense and helps explain the cognitive dissonance that continues to appear in many R voters based on science, and brainwashing. Great book.

[Sue Doherty · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book gave a good overview of how right-wing media has used propaganda techniques since the 1990s to advance a fascistic and white nationalist agenda that benefits wealthy people in power. She shows it through the change in her father as he began to spend more and more time listening to Rush Limbaugh and watching Fox News.

The writing was okay, but in places it felt incomplete without enough examples or explanation to fully develop and explain various points. This is a quick read that many people can probably relate to though, and the author does conclude with some ideas for how we can fight back against the constant drift towards false information and propaganda instead of actual news and objective information.

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent, easy to read review of how the Right Wing Media evolved and the tactics it uses to brainwash people. Senko's research is thorough, but her writing is very accessible, and I think that is so important in this issue. While I was reading this book, I kept remembering reading "Madame Bovary" in high school and how Flaubert included a lengthy passage detailing how Mme. Bovary was swept up in the drama and delusion of opera. It's the same here - be careful what you consume, because what we expose ourselves to influences us. In a world full of an enormous variety of media, choose wisely.

Some compelling passages:

- On the depression and the Republican view of it: "President Hoover believed in virtually no role for the government and wanted to promote capitalism and individualism. He believed that banks and businesses just needed to show confidence to force a quick recovery and that the Depression would get better by virtue of individuals helping their neighbors and people pulling themselves up by their bootstraps. But in fact, matters were only getting worse."

- On the idea of "economic royalists": "In FDR’s acceptance speech for his 1936 nomination, he introduced the term economic royalists to describe the super rich who wielded enough wealth and power to directly influence American policies. Economic royalists fought against social safety net programs, partly because these social programs were partially funded by levying higher taxes on the rich. This resistance to tax-supported social initiatives would continue for the next several decades and remains a hallmark of today’s Republican Party."

- "Like Hitler, Goebbels believed the bigger the lie, the easier it would be to sell to the public, especially if the lie was repeated often and propagated by what would appear to be official sources. He has been widely quoted as saying, “If you tell a lie big enough and keep repeating it, people will eventually come to believe it.”

- The beginnings of the Kochs: "In 1954, when Brown v. Board of Education found segregation to be unconstitutional, Southern economist James McGill Buchanan argued that paying taxes for poor kids, and especially Black kids, to go to school was exploitative of the wealthy! In fact, he didn’t think the wealthy should pay any taxes for things like public education, social security, libraries, roads, etc. So, he started organizing. Charles Koch joined him and helped fundraise and organize. Today, Buchanan has been called the architect of the radical right.4 Not long after Buchanan started organizing, in 1958, a fervently anticommunist group with these shared beliefs, called the John Birch Society, was created. It had an impact. A Republican presidential candidate in 1964 adopted its platform. That was Barry S. Goldwater."

- "After Goldwater lost the election to Johnson, the extreme Right realized they were quickly losing influence over American society. The energy in the United States was leaning more and more liberal, and the conservative agenda was seen as backward-looking and out of touch. Influential people within the Republican Party realized they needed to do something drastic to convince voters that the conservative point of view was the only correct one. They began to establish organizations to market the notion of “liberal bias” to the public. Liberal bias is a theory constructed by these ultraconservatives, or New Republicans, who accused mainstream media of promoting liberal ideas over conservative ones, and it has persisted into the twenty-first century."

- On the false use of the idea of "balance": "Brock described how objectivity was key to journalistic standards in the 1960s: There was a universal agreement, I think, that the goal of journalism was objectivity and to discern the truth of conflicting claims. The conservatives moved the argument from objectivity to one of “balance.” Under the rubric of balance, the conservatives do better because the way the media now treats balance is there’s 99 percent of scientific consensus on global warming. One percent of scientists funded by the coal industry say that is not true. But they’re presented in a balanced way, giving credit to both sides."

- On Nixon: "Nixon’s campaigns also actually pushed the Republican Party itself further to the right by fusing ideas about the role of government in the economy, women’s place in society, racial grievance, law and order, and White evangelical Christianity. ... Nixon especially capitalized on this growing cultural hostility by creating a new definition of the “elite” as the people and groups advocating for progressive social movements. If you happen to be a liberal and have been called elite and have been puzzled as to why you were called this, this is where it started. By rebranding who the elite in America were, Nixon successfully turned working-class people’s criticism away from the super-rich country club types who financially backed the Republican Party and toward the Democratic Party and its liberal ideals. His administration called this the blue-collar strategy24 and portrayed the silent majority as victims of these so-called elites hell-bent on destroying traditional American values."

- What conservatives really mean when they say they want to MAGA: "It was shocking—a jolt—to hear Claire say the following: They [the Birch Society and wealthy corporate libertarians] saw 1900 in America like the apex of when we were great as a nation. 1900—before the income tax, before the Federal Reserve, before any progressive legislation was considered or passed. Before child labor laws, before women had any rights, before women even had the right to vote. Robert Welch, who was the founder of the John Birch Society, talked a lot about 1900 as these glorious times in the American History. And he said, “There were pockets of poverty.” If you know anything about 1900, you are now laughing. “Pockets of poverty, however,” he said, “but it was a healthy kind of poverty. Poverty free from government interference, where every man understood that relief from dire want is entirely his own responsibility. Thus, the blessings of liberty outweighed the poverty.”"

- The way that Democrats have fed the right wing machine: "Clinton, being a people pleaser and ever the politician, tried to work with them, but this new Republican Party didn’t want a healthy democracy. They wanted one-party rule to be able to enact their corporate libertarian agenda, and they were determined to get it by any means necessary, mercilessly destroying any Democrat or moderate Republican who stood in their way."

- The consolidation of media outlets: "This is why we have only five or six corporations controlling almost all the media today. In contrast, in 1983, there were fifty companies that had meaningful control over various media outlets. Largely as a result of this act, by 2015 Rupert Murdoch became the executive chairman of the world’s second-largest media conglomerate, News Corporation."

- The effect of the 1996 Telecommunications Act: "Less than eight months after the Telecommunications Act was passed, Murdoch launched Fox News."

[Suzi (Lil Bit Reads) · Rating 5 out of 5]

“The Brainwashing of My Dad” examines the rise of right-wing media and its effects through the lens of the author’s personal experience with her dad. Jen Senko chronicles her dad’s descent from caring and somewhat nonpolitical into angry and combative conservatism (what she terms “Cult Republican”), fueled by rhetoric and rage from Rush Limbaugh, Fox News, and their ilk.

Ms. Senko has done a phenomenal job of combining her family’s story with meticulous research to create a compelling and relatable narrative. She clearly analyzes the evolution of the Republican Party as well as the legislative and regulatory changes that paved the way for the right-wing media explosion. Her conversational writing style makes complex subjects accessible, like the physiology of neurobiology and brain-washing. Although the issues are complicated and there’s no easy fix, Ms. Senko offers hope for the future and some ways that readers can take action.

Jen Senko also directed a documentary also titled “The Brainwashing of My Dad” on this topic. I highly recommend both this excellent book and the documentary to fans of politics and current events!

[Claire Hamlet · Rating 3 out of 5]

Finally finished this book. So good, so disturbing, STRONGLY recommend!!!!!

[kate · Rating 4 out of 5]

an incredibly informative dissection of how right-wing media has been pushed onto the American people whether we like it or not - and how individuals can go down a specific, awful path

[Chris Boutté · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a really great and fascinating book showing how someone can not only get indoctrinated by the Far Right, but it can happen to anyone. I haven’t seen Jen Senko’s documentary about her experience with her dad, but I knew I wanted to check out the book. I’m always curious how people can begin believing some of the ridiculous false information and conspiracies that run in right-wing circles, and this book explains how it happens because Senko watched her father go through it. We often think it happens overnight or the people are just “bad” people, but it’s something that slowly happens over time.

I really think this book can help people empathize with those who fall victim to the misinformation and propaganda that comes from the right. These are not only people who are struggling just like us on the left, but they’re victims of a coordinated effort of manipulation. Most of all, we often forget the families that are ruined from these situations. As a recovering drug addict, I see similarities because this is the type of thing that can destroy families. Fortunately, the book has a bit of a happy ending.

If I had to give a criticism of the book, it’s minor. At times, it felt like there was more history of politics than the story. But at the same time, I learned a ton that I didn’t know before. For authors, I also recognize that it’s difficult because each reader is different and some may not know the full history and context of how we ended up where we are today.

I absolutely recommend this book. Aside from it helping more people understand the right-wing pipeline, Senko also concludes the book with a ton of resources and ways we can combat misinformation and propaganda.

[Sheldon Chau · Rating 4 out of 5]

Powerful account of the dangers of right-wing media and how it can poison and transform the common person. Although this book is clearly one-sided, Jen Senko still provides a very painful and true and relatable account of her personal experience of how all this can be dangerous and heartbreaking. Really liked how she closed the book out with suggestions on what we can do and also first-hand accounts from others who wrote to her.

Would’ve loved for the book to go even deeper into its analysis and provide more specific or more thorough descriptions of what exactly the right-wing media was doing - the content and tactics and most importantly, real-world examples to pair with the broad and sweeping claims of their devious strategies.

More like a 3.5-star book but it gets 4-stars for flagging something (far-right reach) that is more and more alarming (and important) in today’s society.

[MaskedSanity­ · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had watched Jen Senko's documentary (of the same name) a few years ago and I was very interested in reading the book when it came out. I'm completely aware of the power of the Right Wing media. I live with in my own household. There is an obsession with it. The fear, anger, and hatred that it causes is monumental. I'm so amazed at how so many seemingly intelligent people fall for it. Even the ones that claim to study history refuse to see the obvious historical evidence that led to the creation of FOX and the other Right Wing sources.
I honestly don't think that the book, or the documentary, will sway anyone away from the Right Wing stuff, since they're already so entrenched in it. But, if you're like me and you know how bad it is, you'll enjoy the book. And also, if you haven't already seen the documentary, I recommend that you check it out.

[Cassidee Platner · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is based off a documentary the author made about the brainwashing of her father by far right media. This book was a digestible history/psychology lesson about how far-right media outlets work and why they’ve been so successful. Small part memoir, this book was incredible and I would highly recommend it to anyone who has a person or people in their life that is/are part of the far-right cult. This book, while not necessarily a guide of how to help your loved one escape their MAGA and Fox “News” cults (there is a small portion at the end that offers ideas), it does offer clarity as to what is happening, from a historical, psychological, and economical view. As both a history and psychology teacher, this book comes highly recommended. Everyone should read this, but especially those still in the cult.

[Ione · Rating 5 out of 5]

My family was destroyed by a combination of far right media and evangelical religion. I grew up being told to think for myself and to never allow another human to force me to waiver from my own beliefs. As my parents became victims of Rush Limbaugh and later, Trumpism, I was told if I clung to my beliefs I would no longer be part of the family. My parents died having not spoken to me for over two years. I wish I could have the same, positive hope as this author but it did help to know I was not alone in my experience. I recommend this book if you want to understand why American politics has taken such a dark turn. Maybe by following the author’s advice you will have a chance to salvage your own relationships with people who have fallen into this dark hole.

[Roy Andresen · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this book because the situation seemed eerily similar to mine. I agree with most of the what was presented in this book. I really enjoyed the sections of the book in which the author told her personal story, as it was therapeutic to me knowing I am not the only one out there. I can't have a 10 minute conversation with family members without them bringing up something political even though I make it well known that I have no desire those topics. Thanksgiving since Obamas presidency has been a day I've grown to dislike for this very reason.

My qualm with this book is that it doesn't speak to the biases from the other side and it seemed more like a history lesson than what I was expecting.
3.5/5

[Abba · Rating 3 out of 5]

While the information provided and points made are compelling I fear the way this book was written will lose many people. I thoroughly enjoyed the documentary and related heavily to the subject at hand but could not ignore the casual writing style used. When digesting a political topic I prefer a more professional style. I believe if the intention behind this book is to raise awareness it should be handled with a more academic tone. I had problems with the formatting, citations, and sarcasm. Despite these complaints, this book is important! It gave me many new resources to look into and taught me a lot!

[Carol · Rating 1 out of 5]

After I watch this, it is just more liberals trying to come down on conservatives. It is ridiculous that anybody in their right mind would like Hooters. I don't know why people want to see half naked women now. What is wrong with her dad? Not a damn thing. He has his head on his shoulders the right way and they need to take a lesson. Stupid liberals. He is a very smart man and very educated. He knows what's going on in this world. Too bad that these people don't believe in things that are right. They might as well give up their constitution as well.

[Donitello · Rating 5 out of 5]

I lived in Canada, where the Constitution prohibits hate speech.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hate_sp...

It is easy to see why other industrialized democracies restrict hate speech: it gives birth to violence and societal disruption.

We have all seen this reasoning confirmed over the past several years in our own country. This documentary shows that societal violence was always the *goal* of hate radio and TV in the US.

To pretend that such speech is a Second Amendment "right" is to ignore worldwide evidence and history, and we remain complacent at our peril.

[Optimism · Rating 5 out of 5]

fantastic survey of right wing media and the power it holds by generating a feedback loop. in both the author's experience as well as that of many people who wrote in featured in the last chapter, if the circuit is broken and less far right media is consumed, things change.

I'll admit my news intake can be an echo chamber, but Cult Republicans, to use the term in this book, mean that the divide is now insurmountable. I'll look at policies before voting, as always, but can't see a world in which I'll ever vote for a republican in the future.