Tag Archive: Huffington Post

The Breitbarting of America

Trump/Breitbart propagandist Stephen Bannon

Trump/Breitbart propagandist Stephen Bannon

Donald Trump‘s unofficial electoral win, as well as the elevation of Stephen Bannon to Trump campaign CEO and then future White House counsel, demonstrates how Andrew Breitbart‘s style of propaganda and fake news has triumphed. The mainstream media helped the Breitbart model win, cheering every step of the way. All of this is dangerous for the country.

Before his death in 2012 from a heart attack at age 43, Andrew Breitbart launched Breitbart.com, Breitbart.tv and other related sites, which furthered right wing narratives such as “Scary Brown People” and “Corporations Good, Government Bad.” During President Barack Obama‘s administration, Breitbart helped to push anti-Obama and anti-Democratic Party stories, many of which were at least partially fake or based on doctored videos (i.e., propaganda), but which got picked up by the major news media and became the news, with marvelous results for the GOP. Among the best-known stories flogged by Breitbart were:

Huffington Post flip-flops on Donald Trump coverage

Donald Trump, confusing the Huffington Post

Donald Trump, confusing the Huffington Post

Just over four months ago, the Huffington Post announced that, from then on, it would cover Donald Trump‘s presidential campaign in its Entertainment section rather than in Politics or News. The explanation given was that “Trump’s campaign is a sideshow.” At the time, we said that the Huffington Post’s decision was “boneheaded” because, among other reasons, there were plenty of other Republican candidates whose campaigns fit the “sideshow” bill and/or appeared to be just business enterprises, yet they weren’t being singled out like Trump. Now, the Huffington Post has flip-flopped on its Trump decision, stating that “we are no longer entertained” by Trump, because Trump’s campaign has “morphed into something else: an ugly and dangerous force in American politics.”

Huffington Post’s boneheaded decision on Donald Trump

Donald Trump with his version of the White House

Donald Trump with his version of the White House

The Huffington Post published a notice last Friday stating that, from now on, it will cover Donald Trump‘s presidential campaign under its Entertainment section rather than under Politics or News. According to the notice from Huffington Post Washington Bureau Chief Ryan Grim and its Editorial Director Danny Shea:

Our reason is simple: Trump’s campaign is a sideshow. We won’t take the bait. If you are interested in what The Donald has to say, you’ll find it next to our stories on the Kardashians and The Bachelorette.

Not surprisingly, Trump’s campaign fired back at the Huffington Post, saying:

The only clown show in this scenario is the Huffington Post pretending to be a legitimate news source. Mr. Trump is not focused on being covered by a glorified blog. He is focused on Making America Great Again.

In fact, the Huffington Post’s decision to dump Trump from its political coverage is completely arbitrary, and is a huge mistake.

Alan Grayson Shines Spotlight on Republican Propaganda Machine

When it comes to political communication, former (and would-be once again) U.S. House Representative Alan Grayson of Florida gets it. Not only does he come up with simple and dramatic language in his own communications (who can forget his description of the Republican health care plan as “don’t get sick” and “if you do get sick, die quickly”?), but now he’s shining a much-needed spotlight on the Republican messaging machine, and its guru Frank Luntz.

In a recent Huffington Post piece, Grayson took aim at Luntz and the Republicans for their use of the phony term “job creators” to describe large U.S. corporations which have been eliminating jobs in America and creating them in China, India, and other foreign countries. Grayson points out that “job creators”, as well as other oft-repeated fake and misleading Republican phrases such as “death tax”, “energy exploration”, “climate change”, and “government takeover” are nothing short of propaganda.

Whether or not Alan Grayson makes it back to the U.S. House of Representatives, it’s a sure bet that he will continue to employ his sharp communications skills and his ability to point out Republican propaganda wherever he hears it.