Did you know that John Kerry allegedly got a really expensive haircut? If you read newspapers such as the White Lake Beacon, or if you are a regular viewer of CNN or Jay Leno, then you probably do. Never mind the fact that it might not be true.

Here's another one: Did you know that, on the May 10th edition of his program, Rush Limbaugh made the following statement?: "I don't think the public outrage nowhere near matches what we watched on television on Friday and yesterday exhibited by these holier than thou sanctimonious elected officials who are themselves acting and saying what they think you their voters want them to say and what you their voters expect to hear...." He made this statement regard the fallout from Abu Ghraib prison scandal. You know, the incidents of abuse and torture that George W. Bush has publically apologized for? When a loyal conservative implicitly attacks the President, it's not news; but when an online conservative columnist floats an unsubstantiated rumor about a Democratic presidential candidate, it is. Some liberal media you've got there.

PBS and NPR are often cited as being "liberally biased", when in fact, according to the Program on International Policy Attitudes, Americans who rely on PBS/NPR for their news about the Iraq war are better informed than those who get their news from other sources. Which is the most misinformed group? Those who rely on FOX News for their information on the Iraq war.

So, what does all this information mean? First, that it's highly unlikely that the mainstream media is "liberally biased". Second, it seems very likely that conservative news outlets fail to inform their consumers, or that they at least attract consumers who fail to absorb information. But, if this is the case, how did the mainstream media get tarred with the liberal brush? And how did a such an unimformative network become the highest rated cable news channel?

Well, according to former conservative journalist, David Brock, the key is money and patience. In an interview with Salon.com about his new book, The Republican Noise Machine: Right-Wing Media and How It Corrupts Democracy, just one of the right's major advantages is its access to tremendous amounts of money from several wealthy benefactors, and the persistance to throw that money at pet causes for long periods of time.

While some still don't trust David Brock due to his past activities on behalf of the conservative movement, it's important to realize that he is the left's greatest ally. As a former member of the cabal, he knows its inner workings. This information can be used to point the way for the liberal media strategy. Liberals should copy the best tactics of their enemies, throw out the worst, and take the fight to them as fiercely as possible. David Brock's Media Matters for America center is a good start. But it's only a beginning. More needs to be done if liberals are to have sufficient resources to stand toe-to-toe with the right-wing media machine. To that end, we present the following action list: Five Things Liberals Need to Do to Fight the Right.

1. Raise Money: Conservative organizations are awash with ready cash from big-time philanthropists. Liberals are able to raise money as well, but, up to now, not as much as their right wing counter parts. If the Democratic party is truly full of "limousine liberals", let's see that cash go to more liberal media groups.

2. More Think-Tanks: These organizations are the back-bone of the conservative media machine. From their depths come hundreds of reports every year on almost every topic, which seem to strengthen conservative positions and wind up shaping our nation's policy debates. They also take in millions of dollars in donations, which they then lavish on conservative media organizations. While there are plenty of liberal organizations out their, most of them are single-issue groups, which is why they lack the focused message of the right-wing media.

3. Consolidate At the Top: Ever notice how often right wing commentators seem to parrot the RNC? These liberal think-tanks must have a close relationship with the Democratic party, as well as each other. In order to succeed, they must be committed to speaking with a single voice, in order to counter the right-wing echo chamber. When the DNC has something to say, they should say it. But the left wing media should say it as well, and as often as possible.

4. Diversify in the Middle: Having an all-liberal network like Air America is nice. But prospective listeners must consciously choose to tune in to what they know is a liberal organization. This limits it's effectiveness. It should be noted that, until FOX News came along, there have been very few openly conservative media conglomerates in the United States. The reason? They didn't need one. Rush and Imus and Scarborough all have programs on mainstream radio networks. Liberals should be doing everything they can to get as many of their own commentators on stations like WABC as possible.

5. Develop the Will to Win: How is it that a Republican Congress past a huge entitlement bill, which was then signed by a Republican president? It was because winning was more important to them than sticking by their principles. While liberals shouldn't necessarily go that far, it's well known that the right is often more focused on winning than they are on what makes them conservatives in the first place. The liberal movement as a whole would be served very well by a cadre of operatives with a desire to win above all else. This will bring a fierocity to the battle unlike anything we've seen before on the left. Winning must be the goal, it must be everything. As extreme as this sounds, liberals need not be concerned about losing sight of their principles. They'll always have a core of ideologically minded individuals to remind them of what their fighting for. But, in order for those ideals to be implemented, they will need power first. Power that comes from winning the game.



-B. C. Silvia
-5/12/2004