The smear : how shady political operatives and fake news control what you see, what you think, and how you vote / Sharyl Attkisson.
By: Attkisson, Sharyl [author.].
Material type:
TextPublisher: New York, NY : Harper, an imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers, [2017]Copyright date: ©2017Edition: First edition.Description: 294 pages : illustrations ; 24 cm.Content type: text Media type: unmediated Carrier type: volumeISBN: 0062468162; 9780062468161.Subject(s): Journalism -- Corrupt practices
| Mass media and public opinion -- United States | Mass media -- Political aspects -- United States | Communication in politics -- United States | Politics and culture -- United States| Item type | Current library | Collection | Shelving location | Call number | Status | Date due | Barcode | Item holds | |
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Haddon Twp. | Nonfiction | Adult | 070.4 Att (Browse shelf(Opens below)) | Available | 05000009759437 | |||
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South County | Nonfiction | Adult | 070.4 Att (Browse shelf(Opens below)) | Available | 05000009759445 | |||
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Voorhees | Nonfiction | Adult | 070.4 Att (Browse shelf(Opens below)) | Available | 05000009244778 |
Enhanced descriptions from Syndetics:
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER!
Ever wonder how politics turned into a take-no-prisoners blood sport? The New York Times bestselling author of Stonewalled pulls back the curtain on the shady world of opposition research and reveals the dirty tricks those in power use to influence your opinions.
Behind most major political stories in the modern era, there is an agenda; an effort by opposition researchers, spin doctors, and outside interests to destroy an idea or a person. The tactic they use is the Smear. Every day, Americans are influenced by the Smear without knowing it. Paid forces cleverly shape virtually every image you cross. Maybe you read that Donald Trump is a racist misogynist, or saw someone on the news mocking the Bernie Sanders campaign. The trick of the Smear is that it is often based on some shred of truth, but these media-driven "hit pieces" are designed to obscure the truth. Success hinges on the Smear artist's ability to remain invisible; to make it seem as if their work is neither calculated nor scripted. It must appear to be precisely what it is not.
Veteran journalist Sharyl Attkisson has witnessed this practice firsthand. After years of being pitched hit jobs and puff pieces, she's an expert at detecting Smear campaigns. Now, the hard-hitting investigative reporter shares her inside knowledge, revealing how the Smear takes shape and who its perpetrators are--including Clinton confidant Sidney Blumenthal and, most influential of all, "right-wing assassin turned left-wing assassin" (National Review) political operative David Brock and his Media Matters for America empire.
Attkisson exposes the diabolical tactics of Smear artists, and their outrageous access to the biggest names in political media--operatives who are corrupting the political process, and discouraging widespread citizen involvement in our democracy.
Includes index.
Birth of the modern smear: spies, Bork, and the Clintons -- David Brock's smear frontier -- The smear industrial complex: smear merchants and scandalmongers -- Media matters (but money matters more) -- Plausible deniability: conjuring an Astroturf reality -- Transactional journalism: the black market information trade -- the anti-smear candidate (and the disloyal opposition) -- The road to the conventions -- General election -- Brave new world of #FakeNews (and chilling efforts to censor it) -- Epilogue: The smear gone global.
The veteran journalist exposes the practices of opposition research to reveal how political leaders use their influence to shape public opinion, connecting popular misconceptions to strategic smear campaigns that have influenced voters.
Table of contents provided by Syndetics
- Acknowledgments (p. vi)
- Author's Note (p. vii)
- Introduction (p. 1)
- Chapter 1 Birth of the Modern Smear: Spies, Bork, and the Clintons (p. 9)
- Chapter 2 David Brock's Smear Frontier (p. 35)
- Chapter 3 The Smear Industrial Complex: Smear Merchants and Scandalmongers (p. 67)
- Chapter 4 Media Matters (but Money Matters More) (p. 94)
- Chapter 5 Plausible Deniability: Conjuring an Astroturf Reality (p. 119)
- Chapter 6 Transactional Journalism: The Black Market information Trade (p. 140)
- Chapter 7 The Anti-Smear Candidate (and the Disloyal Opposition) (p. 166)
- Chapter 8 The Road to the Conventions (p. 195)
- Chapter 9 General Election (p. 214)
- Chapter 10 Brave New World of #FakeNews (and Chilling Efforts to Censor it) (p. 249)
- Epilogue: The Smear Gone Global (p. 275)
- Index (p. 287)
