This article is an excerpt from the Shortform book guide to "American Marxism" by Mark R. Levin. Shortform has the world's best summaries and analyses of books you should be reading.
Like this article? Sign up for a free trial here.
Just how bad is media propaganda in America? Is it part of a larger program of Marxist indoctrination?
Mark Levin believes that leftists have created a well-oiled indoctrination machine that teaches young Americans to hate the nation and rebel to achieve justice. He argues that the media instructs them on how to act and what to believe.
Continue reading to learn Levin’s argument regarding media propaganda.
Media Propaganda
Levin argues that the news media reinforces the Marxist indoctrination that’s taught in schools through propagandized reporting. He explains that major American news outlets—such as The New York Times, The Washington Post, MSNBC, and CNN—use leftist ideologies such as CRT as a factual standpoint to analyze and report on situations. Rather than giving the public an unbiased report of events and letting them decide for themselves what’s right and wrong, they strategically frame the news with rhetoric and selective reporting to support their leftist perspective.
Levin explains that this media propaganda is evident in how the leftist media refers to certain groups of people and events. For example, scientists who present information that disproves climate change are labeled “climate change deniers.” And Americans who publicly voice disagreement with organizations like Black Lives Matter or Antifa are called “racists” or “white supremacists.”
Levin explains that this inaccurate reporting makes people view American society from a leftist perspective. It also teaches them to support Marxist ideologies and groups, like the Democratic party, social and environmental justice organizations, and leftist activists.
| New Media Bias Levin explains that the leftist news media is a biased source of information that uses rhetoric and selective reporting to indoctrinate the public with a leftist point of view. Many experts and academics agree with Levin, but they add that leftist news outlets aren’t the only culprits—conservative news outlets like Fox News (Levin’s own employer) and Newsmax are just as guilty of biased reporting. Ultimately, very few mainstream media sources are entirely credible and bias-free. However, experts explain that there are things you can do to ensure you’re receiving accurate news with as little bias as possible: Consider the sources used. Where did this reporter get their information? Who is being quoted and at what length? What makes them an expert on the subject? Are they a credible source to speak on the given issue? Who’s telling the story? What is this specific reporter’s demographic, religion, political standpoint, and so on? How might this impact their bias? Where does their funding come from? Journalism that’s being funded by a particular organization might be influenced to report with a bias that will benefit their funder. Does the story include loaded language? As Levin explains, biased news sources tend to use loaded language like “white supremacists” that will evoke an emotional reaction from viewers to keep them watching and convince them of a certain perspective. Slow down and consider how the specific language of a news article is affecting your judgment. There are a number of credible sites you can use to help measure the above criteria: for example, AllSides, FactCheck.org, or MediaBias/FactCheck. |
———End of Preview———
Like what you just read? Read the rest of the world's best book summary and analysis of Mark R. Levin's "American Marxism" at Shortform.
Here's what you'll find in our full American Marxism summary:
- Why Mark Levin thinks leftist organizations are fueling a Marxist revolution
- Who the American Marxists are and what ideologies they’re pushing
- What American patriots can do to maintain their freedom
