WEBVTT
00:00:00.017 --> 00:00:03.677
For 30 years, the truth has been under attack, and we're living the fallout.
00:00:06.077 --> 00:00:10.497
You're listening to Bigger Table, where more chairs, fewer walls,
00:00:10.577 --> 00:00:12.737
and greater progress aren't just a slogan.
00:00:12.977 --> 00:00:15.477
They're the mission. Let's get into it.
00:00:16.417 --> 00:00:20.757
Welcome to today's episode, where we ask some of the most pressing questions
00:00:20.757 --> 00:00:24.197
on many Americans' minds. What's happening to America?
00:00:24.617 --> 00:00:28.417
How did we get to a place where two completely different realities clash?
00:00:28.617 --> 00:00:32.797
And why do people we care about believe things that seem frankly insane?
00:00:33.397 --> 00:00:37.457
Stick around, because the story behind this isn't only eye-opening,
00:00:37.597 --> 00:00:42.237
it's crucial if we want to understand how we got here and where we might go next.
00:00:42.757 --> 00:00:47.457
I'm your host, Abby Englewood, and today we're diving deep into the media machine
00:00:47.457 --> 00:00:49.677
that's rewiring half the nation's brain.
00:00:50.077 --> 00:00:54.937
We'll explore how decades of strategic disinformation have reshaped politics,
00:00:55.217 --> 00:00:57.077
culture, and our understanding of truth.
00:00:57.917 --> 00:01:00.277
Part 1. The Rise of Fox News.
00:01:02.617 --> 00:01:05.577
It all started with a simple yet powerful goal.
00:01:05.937 --> 00:01:11.197
Dominate cable news. In 1996, Rupert Murdoch launched Fox News Channel.
00:01:11.397 --> 00:01:15.097
But this wasn't just about ratings. No, it was about power.
00:01:15.697 --> 00:01:21.097
Roger Ailes, a veteran media advisor to Nixon and Reagan, understood this better
00:01:21.097 --> 00:01:22.917
than anyone. His approach?
00:01:23.277 --> 00:01:26.177
Repeat enough, and people will believe anything.
00:01:27.117 --> 00:01:30.457
That cynical idea formed the backbone of Fox's strategy.
00:01:31.237 --> 00:01:34.417
Fox News wasn't designed to inform so much as to affirm.
00:01:35.017 --> 00:01:38.437
Ailes built a narrative factory, wrapping right-wing grievance,
00:01:38.597 --> 00:01:43.077
nationalism, and conspiracy in the comforting glow of patriotic backdrops and
00:01:43.077 --> 00:01:46.337
familiar faces like Hannity, Carlson, and Ducey.
00:01:46.657 --> 00:01:52.537
The signature Fox recipe? Make truth subjective, frame issues as us versus them,
00:01:52.737 --> 00:01:55.557
and keep viewers angry, afraid, and addicted.
00:01:56.177 --> 00:01:59.877
Look no further than the run-up to the 2003 Iraq War.
00:02:00.237 --> 00:02:05.517
Fox News echoed and amplified false claims that Saddam Hussein had weapons of
00:02:05.517 --> 00:02:08.097
mass destruction and was involved in 9-11.
00:02:08.637 --> 00:02:14.277
According to a University of Maryland study, 67% of Fox viewers believed that
00:02:14.277 --> 00:02:18.957
lie, far higher than the viewers of any other network. The war was greenlit.
00:02:19.317 --> 00:02:23.017
Thousands died and Fox never apologized. They just moved on.
00:02:23.778 --> 00:02:27.258
Fast forward to 2020. Fox faced a critical choice.
00:02:27.498 --> 00:02:33.018
Tell the truth about Biden's victory or push the lie that Trump's win was stolen. They chose the lie.
00:02:33.498 --> 00:02:37.338
Hosts like Tucker Carlson publicly discredited the election results,
00:02:37.518 --> 00:02:41.378
even though internal Fox texts revealed they knew the claims were false.
00:02:41.918 --> 00:02:47.838
However, on air, this big lie fueled distrust and paved the way for January 6th.
00:02:48.018 --> 00:02:52.698
Fox paid nearly $800 million in damages to Dominion voting systems,
00:02:52.898 --> 00:02:55.358
but the damage to democracy lingers.
00:02:56.218 --> 00:03:00.618
And then there's Tucker Carlson's legacy, pushing white nationalist ideas like
00:03:00.618 --> 00:03:06.378
the Great Replacement Theory, downplaying COVID, and calling January 6th a peaceful protest.
00:03:06.858 --> 00:03:10.978
His show was cited repeatedly by white supremacists and extremists.
00:03:11.438 --> 00:03:16.258
Fox fired him not for racism, but because his divisiveness cost them advertisers.
00:03:17.238 --> 00:03:21.598
What started as a cable network became the Republican Party's central nervous system.
00:03:22.038 --> 00:03:26.498
Its DNA, attack, distract, deny, runs through school boards,
00:03:26.638 --> 00:03:30.398
congressional speeches, and millions who reject climate science and believe
00:03:30.398 --> 00:03:33.058
conspiracy theories. The consequence?
00:03:33.638 --> 00:03:36.878
Facts don't matter. Volume and loyalty do.
00:03:37.318 --> 00:03:41.678
And anyone challenging that distorted reality is considered an enemy of the tribe.
00:03:42.618 --> 00:03:44.898
Part 2. Sinclair Broadcasting Thank you.
00:03:47.382 --> 00:03:51.562
Now, you might think all this biased media happens on cable or online.
00:03:51.762 --> 00:03:56.262
But what if your local trusted news anchor is reading right-wing propaganda verbatim?
00:03:56.842 --> 00:04:00.742
Enter Sinclair Broadcasting Group, one of the largest U.S.
00:04:00.922 --> 00:04:06.802
Media conglomerates, owning nearly 200 local stations that reach 40% of American households.
00:04:07.402 --> 00:04:12.682
In 2018, a viral mashup revealed dozens of Sinclair anchors across the country,
00:04:12.862 --> 00:04:16.862
reading the same scripted message about fake news and media bias.
00:04:16.862 --> 00:04:19.922
It was robotic, authoritarian, and terrifying.
00:04:20.362 --> 00:04:24.782
Unlike Fox's fiery style, Sinclair operates as a Trojan horse,
00:04:25.002 --> 00:04:27.362
dressed in the familiar face of local news.
00:04:27.782 --> 00:04:33.282
Studies show 76% of Americans trust local TV more than national networks,
00:04:33.302 --> 00:04:38.682
and Sinclair exploits that trust, delivering centrally produced partisan content
00:04:38.682 --> 00:04:40.482
without labeled opinion segments.
00:04:41.002 --> 00:04:45.442
The narratives they push? Antifa infiltrates suburbs.
00:04:45.962 --> 00:04:49.902
Vaccines are risky. Schools indoctrinate kids with critical race theory.
00:04:50.402 --> 00:04:52.682
And minimum wage hikes kill small businesses.
00:04:53.202 --> 00:04:56.622
These aren't fringe stories. In swing states and small towns,
00:04:56.822 --> 00:04:59.962
they shape the political landscape quietly but powerfully.
00:05:00.422 --> 00:05:04.082
Even former President Trump praised Sinclair's Washington Station,
00:05:04.382 --> 00:05:07.122
calling it more honest than CNN and NBC.
00:05:07.522 --> 00:05:09.962
But this isn't journalism. It's loyalty.
00:05:11.142 --> 00:05:16.602
Sinclair's goal? Shift the Overton window. make the extreme seem normal by cloaking
00:05:16.602 --> 00:05:18.762
it in the trusted voice of your local anchor.
00:05:19.282 --> 00:05:25.082
It erodes trust in experts, institutions, and journalists, replacing it with
00:05:25.082 --> 00:05:26.622
a warped vision of America.
00:05:27.142 --> 00:05:29.702
Part 3. Talk Radio and the Anger Machine.
00:05:32.924 --> 00:05:36.104
Before Fox or Sinclair, talk radio set the stage.
00:05:36.384 --> 00:05:41.544
It was loud, relentless, and effective. And it began with Rush Limbaugh in 1988.
00:05:42.304 --> 00:05:45.684
The repeal of the Fairness Doctrine paved the way for unfiltered,
00:05:45.844 --> 00:05:47.484
unbalanced right-wing commentary.
00:05:48.184 --> 00:05:52.244
Limbaugh's show reached over 20 million weekly listeners at its peak,
00:05:52.444 --> 00:05:54.184
more reach than many politicians.
00:05:54.944 --> 00:05:57.404
His approach? Emotional manipulation.
00:05:58.204 --> 00:06:01.344
He coined terms like feminazis for women's rights advocates,
00:06:01.904 --> 00:06:07.924
anchor babies for immigrants, and dismissed LGBTQ plus rights as militant agendas.
00:06:08.864 --> 00:06:12.444
Limbaugh reframed politics as a personal affront to his listeners,
00:06:13.004 --> 00:06:15.344
creating a deep sense of victimhood and division.
00:06:15.784 --> 00:06:19.864
This wasn't just talk. It trained millions to distrust science,
00:06:20.204 --> 00:06:24.084
despise the media, reject nuance, and believe liberals were evil.
00:06:25.084 --> 00:06:29.744
Limbaugh made cruelty popular and lucrative, earning millions from ads promoting
00:06:29.744 --> 00:06:31.984
snake oil products alongside outrage.
00:06:32.864 --> 00:06:37.004
His influence spawned imitators, including Hannity, Beck, Ingram,
00:06:37.204 --> 00:06:41.444
and others, who dominate 91% of commercial talk radio today.
00:06:41.884 --> 00:06:47.404
This created an angry uncle effect, a generation steeped in grievance that echoes
00:06:47.404 --> 00:06:50.644
through family gatherings, social media, and politics.
00:06:50.644 --> 00:06:56.224
Today's far-right politicians, like Lauren Boebert and Marjorie Taylor Greene,
00:06:56.424 --> 00:07:00.704
are the living embodiment of this talk radio blueprint, performative outrage,
00:07:01.184 --> 00:07:05.884
victimhood, and constant doubling down, prioritizing clicks over policy.
00:07:06.324 --> 00:07:11.464
Though Limbaugh passed in 2021, his legacy fuels podcasts, OAN,
00:07:11.864 --> 00:07:15.164
Newsmax, and much of the modern GOP's cruelty culture.
00:07:15.584 --> 00:07:17.984
Part 4, Fox's Greatest Hits.
00:07:20.456 --> 00:07:24.216
If Fox News had a most excellent hits album, it would be radioactive.
00:07:24.996 --> 00:07:28.736
Let's revisit some of the most infamous lies that have shaped public opinion
00:07:28.736 --> 00:07:30.896
and policy with devastating effects.
00:07:31.456 --> 00:07:35.856
The Bowling Green Massacre, Kellyanne Conway cited a terror attack that never
00:07:35.856 --> 00:07:38.756
happened to justify Trump's Muslim travel ban.
00:07:38.996 --> 00:07:40.936
The massacre was a fabrication.
00:07:41.396 --> 00:07:45.976
Only two Iraqi nationals had been arrested for unrelated crimes years earlier.
00:07:46.276 --> 00:07:49.056
The correction never matched the reach and damage.
00:07:49.556 --> 00:07:54.936
Jade Helm, 15. A routine military training exercise morphed into a conspiracy
00:07:54.936 --> 00:07:57.296
that Obama planned martial law in Texas.
00:07:57.876 --> 00:08:02.436
Fox stoked fears enough to prompt armed patrols and a governor deploying the
00:08:02.436 --> 00:08:04.636
State Guard to monitor U.S. troops.
00:08:05.636 --> 00:08:10.856
Death panels. Fox endlessly amplified Sarah Palin's false claim that Obamacare
00:08:10.856 --> 00:08:12.756
would create government euthanasia panels.
00:08:13.056 --> 00:08:17.956
This fear led to the removal of important bill sections and undermined public trust.
00:08:18.616 --> 00:08:24.376
Migrant caravan invasion. Fox used military language and drone footage to portray
00:08:24.376 --> 00:08:29.136
migrant families seeking asylum as an organized assault, prompting Trump to
00:08:29.136 --> 00:08:32.536
deploy thousands of troops in a photo op weeks before midterms.
00:08:33.156 --> 00:08:38.356
COVID vaccine lies. Fox hosts, such as Tucker Carlson, cast doubt on vaccine
00:08:38.356 --> 00:08:39.956
safety and mortality data.
00:08:40.256 --> 00:08:45.156
A 2022 study found Fox viewers had lower vaccination rates and higher death
00:08:45.156 --> 00:08:48.396
rates, directly linked to these disinformation campaigns.
00:08:49.236 --> 00:08:54.216
CRT hysteria, though critical race theory isn't taught in K-12 schools,
00:08:54.676 --> 00:08:58.256
Fox portrayed it as a threat to children, sparking protests,
00:08:58.516 --> 00:09:01.316
book bans, and laws censoring history and education.
00:09:02.136 --> 00:09:06.756
These lies stick because they tap into fear and outrage, and as Winston Churchill
00:09:06.756 --> 00:09:11.816
said, a lie gets halfway around the world before the truth has a chance to put its boots on.
00:09:12.256 --> 00:09:14.896
Part 5, The Alternate Reality Economy.
00:09:17.513 --> 00:09:21.533
So why do so many people believe these falsehoods? Why does Uncle Frank trust
00:09:21.533 --> 00:09:23.453
a YouTube chiropractor over doctors?
00:09:23.833 --> 00:09:29.673
Why did neighbors swear Trump was still president in 2021 or that JFK Jr. is coming back?
00:09:30.353 --> 00:09:34.613
It's not intelligence. It's an entirely constructed alternate reality,
00:09:34.873 --> 00:09:37.513
engineered to isolate and monopolize beliefs.
00:09:38.113 --> 00:09:41.513
Right-wing media surrounds its audience with reinforcing voices,
00:09:42.053 --> 00:09:46.113
tribal loyalty, conspiracy cover, and persecution narratives.
00:09:46.713 --> 00:09:48.433
Truth becomes a threat to identity.
00:09:49.413 --> 00:09:50.773
This alternate universe has
00:09:50.773 --> 00:09:55.453
its facts. Trump didn't lose. Climate change is a hoax. COVID was a scam.
00:09:55.913 --> 00:09:58.513
Liberals are pedophiles. And democracy is rigged.
00:09:58.993 --> 00:10:03.713
For many, especially in rural and suburban America, consuming Fox News isn't
00:10:03.713 --> 00:10:05.213
a hobby. It's their worldview.
00:10:05.913 --> 00:10:10.053
Challenges to that worldview are met with rage, heartbreak, or silence.
00:10:10.613 --> 00:10:15.513
Why won't this ecosystem self-correct? because outrage equals profit,
00:10:15.753 --> 00:10:19.793
viewers become votes, and social media algorithms reward extremes.
00:10:20.293 --> 00:10:24.853
Truth has no chance when anger is the algorithm. For those outside the bubble,
00:10:25.073 --> 00:10:31.033
this leads to exhaustion, disbelief, and sadness as they watch loved ones fall down rabbit holes.
00:10:31.593 --> 00:10:33.273
Part 6, How We Rebuild.
00:10:35.374 --> 00:10:41.594
Can we fix this? Yes, but not with tired, both-sides arguments or polite calls for civility.
00:10:42.194 --> 00:10:47.154
Step one, stop the bleeding. Turn off Fox News. Don't share rage bait.
00:10:47.574 --> 00:10:50.454
Gently question false claims and plant seeds of doubt.
00:10:51.054 --> 00:10:54.514
Step two, replace garbage with grounded journalism.
00:10:55.094 --> 00:10:59.074
Support trusted, non-hysterical outlets like Bigger Table, Reuters,
00:10:59.454 --> 00:11:02.534
AP, ProPublica, NPR, and others.
00:11:02.974 --> 00:11:08.334
Podcast recommendations include The Weeds, On the Media, and Bigger Tables podcast.
00:11:08.934 --> 00:11:12.254
Step three, make media literacy mainstream.
00:11:12.934 --> 00:11:17.654
Teach how to verify sources, identify biased language, and detect misinformation.
00:11:18.654 --> 00:11:23.794
Step four, talk to the reachable. Let go of those who are too far gone in conspiracies,
00:11:24.014 --> 00:11:27.474
but engage gently and persistently with others to rebuild trust.
00:11:28.454 --> 00:11:32.334
Step five, build a bigger table. This isn't left versus right,
00:11:32.514 --> 00:11:34.094
it's reality versus delusion.
00:11:34.534 --> 00:11:39.774
We rebuild democracy through shared truth, greater compassion, and increased courage.
00:11:40.394 --> 00:11:45.694
Remember, propaganda is a fire hose, but truth is a flame, and we protect it
00:11:45.694 --> 00:11:48.354
by passing it hand to hand. Be that hand.
00:11:49.274 --> 00:11:52.654
If this episode resonated with you, subscribe to Bigger Table,
00:11:52.854 --> 00:11:57.694
our blog, podcast, and YouTube channel dedicated to clear-eyed analysis and
00:11:57.694 --> 00:11:59.714
media that builds, not divides.
00:12:00.374 --> 00:12:03.554
Thanks for listening and stay grounded in facts, not fear.
00:12:06.674 --> 00:12:11.014
Thanks for pulling up a chair at Bigger Table. If you believe in more voices,
00:12:11.554 --> 00:12:15.394
fewer walls, and real progress, please help us grow.
00:12:15.954 --> 00:12:18.634
Follow, review, and share this podcast.
00:12:19.314 --> 00:12:22.174
Until next time, keep building a bigger table.