Battling the Big Lie: How Fox, Facebook, and the MAGA Media Are Destroying America

by Dan Pfeiffer

Overview

“BATTLING THE BIG LIE is an important read for anyone who’s wondering how the far right traffics in lies and what we can all do to fight back.” ―PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA

THE INSTANT #1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER OF YES WE (STILL) CAN! AND CO-HOST OF POD SAVE AMERICA.
 
BATTLING THE BIG LIE explains how to combat political disinformation and dangerous lies of the right-wing propaganda machine.

In BATTLING THE BIG LIE, bestselling author Dan Pfeiffer dissects how the right-wing built a massive, billionaire-funded disinformation machine powerful enough to bend reality and nearly steal the 2020 election. From the perspective of someone who has spent decades on the front lines of politics and media, Pfeiffer lays out how the right-wing media apparatus works, where it came from, and what progressives can do to fight back against disinformation.

Over a period of decades, the right-wing has built a massive media apparatus that is weaponizing misinformation and spreading conspiracy theories for political purposes. ⁠This “MAGA Megaphone”⁠ that is personified by Fox News and fueled by Facebook⁠ is waging war on the very idea of objective truth—and they are winning. This disinformation campaign is how Donald Trump won in 2016, almost won in 2020, and why the United States is incapable of addressing problems from COVID-19 to climate change.

Pfeiffer explains how and why the Republicans have come to depend on culture war grievances, crackpot conspiracies, and truly sinister propaganda as their primary political strategies, including: 

• Republican efforts from Roger Ailes to Steve Bannon and Donald Trump to sow distrust while exploiting the media’s biases and the Democratic Party’s blind spots.
• The optimization of Facebook as the ultimate carrier of Trumpist messaging.
• Educating the Left to stop clutching pearls and start “fighting fire with fire.”
• How to fight back against the trolls spreading disinformation and hate on the Internet.

A functioning democracy depends on a shared understanding of reality. America is teetering on the edge because one of the two parties in our two-party system views truth, facts, and science as their opponent. BATTLING THE BIG LIE is a call to arms for anyone and everyone who cares about truth and democracy. There are no easy answers or quick fixes, but something must be done.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781538707982
Publisher:	Grand Central Publishing
Publication date:	06/06/2023
Pages:	336
Sales rank:	444,299
Product dimensions:	5.40(w) x 8.10(h) x 1.00(d)

About the Author

Dan Pfeiffer is a cohost of Pod Save America. One of Barack Obama's longest serving advisors, he was White House director of communications under President Obama (2009-2013) and senior advisor to the president (2013-2015). He lives in the Bay Area of California with his wife, Howli, their daughter, Kyla, and their son, Jack.
 

Table of Contents

Introduction ix

I What Happened

1 Canaries in the Information Coal Mines 3

2 From Russia with Love 18

3 How Trump Almost Stole the 2020 Election 25

4 A Short History of the Long War on Truth 48

5 Why Republicans Need to Lie to Win 61

6 The Anatomy of the MAGA Megaphone 71

7 The Best Disinformation Money Can Buy 95

8 Roger Ailes and the Evil Genius of Faux Journalism 115

II How It Happened

9 Disinformation and the Destruction of Local News 133

10 Facebook: Too Big to Succeed 151

11 Poking Holes in Facebook's Defenses 178

12 The Media's Conservative Bias 189

13 Debunking the Dumbest Myth: Why MSNBC Is Not "Liberal Fox" 203

14 Message versus Megaphone: The Real Reason Dems Suck at Messaging 212

III What We Do about It

15 The High Stakes of the Battle against the Big Lie 229

16 Get on a War Footing and Win Hearts and Minds 235

17 A Modern Model of Journalism 248

18 Preaching to the Progressive Choir 266

19 Starve the Trolls: How Liberals Can Stop Being Owned Online 290

20 Build an Army of Keyboard Warriors 301

21 Signs of Hope 310

Acknowledgments 315

About the Author 317

Editorial Reviews

04/04/2022

Pod Save America cohost Pfeiffer (Un-Trumping America) takes a punchy look at “how disinformation and propaganda became the dominant Republican political strategy, how it works, what it means, and how Democrats can fight back.” Focusing on recent history, Pfeiffer discusses Russia’s disinformation campaign to help Donald Trump win the 2016 election; Trump’s allegations of “fake news” against CNN, the New York Times, and other mainstream outlets; Republicans’ embrace of climate change denialism and the conspiracy theory that President Obama wasn’t born in the U.S.; the decline of local news; and Trump’s efforts to downplay the dangers of Covid-19 by attacking the credibility of Anthony Fauci and other public health experts. Pfeiffer also documents how a group founded by a “Trump-supporting dirty trickster” targeted Black voters with false claims that people who voted by mail in the 2020 election “would have their information shared with law enforcement and collection agencies seeking warrants and unpaid debts.” To combat Republican propaganda, Pfeiffer encourages progressives to promote positive ideas and organizations on social media, rather than launching into counterattacks that only serve to spread disinformation. Though Pfeiffer’s sarcasm and mocking tone can grate, he makes lucid and persuasive arguments. Progressives will relish this fiery call to arms. (June)

Publishers Weekly

"The United States is in the throes of a disinformation epidemic that is being fueled by right-wing media personalities, unchecked social media companies, and extremist politicians – posing a clear and present threat to our democracy. In his book, BATTLING THE BIG LIE, Dan has demonstrated a sharp understanding of how we got here, while lifting up some of the most promising efforts leading in this fight and offering a roadmap for how we can all play a role in countering disinformation where it spreads – to quite literally save our democracy. Anyone who is concerned about the impact disinformation is having on society today should read this book."—Tara McGowan, Founder of Good Information Inc. and Courier Newsroom

“Our real lives and online lives are so confusing and frankly at times depressing that we want to just tune out but we know we can’t! Too much is at stake. In BATTLING THE BIG LIE which is part guide, part battle plan and a little bit of therapy, Pfeiffer helps breakdown how and why we got here, and gives us the tools to fight back against disinformation, talk to people we disagree with and help create an environment where progressive media can thrive. A vital read going into our upcoming elections."—Alyssa Mastromonaco, New York Times bestselling author and co-host of Crooked Media’s Hysteria podcast

“Democracy will not survive if truth continues to be a casualty of propaganda and disinformation. Battling the Big Lie is an enlightening, at times enraging, and always entertaining guide through the recent history of our politics and media, drawing on Dan Pfeiffer’s unparalleled experience. Read this book if you want to understand what is happening in American politics, why it is happening, and what you can do about it.”—Ben Rhodes, former Deputy National Security Advisor and author of After the Fall

"This is the book that progressives and Americans generally need to better understand the rise and resilience of Donald Trump and the Trump Republican Party. It’s not about him, as much as Trump wants everything to be about him, but about the right-wing media ecosystem of disinformation that’s sustained Trumpism. Dan Pfeiffer understands that and narrates it here as only a longtime practitioner of political communications can, and he delivers some yucks along with the hard and often depressing truths."—Jackie Calmes, Los Angeles Times columnist and author of Dissent

“Dan's most important book to date, BATTLING THE BIG LIE offers concrete solutions to one of the greatest challenges of our time - combatting disinformation and its corrosive impact on democracy.  Whether you are a concerned citizen newly worried about the state of democracy or a political professional who has lamented the right-wing's devastatingly effective media machine for decades, BATTLING THE BIG LIE delivers an empowering, modern blueprint for fighting back.”—Jennifer Palmieri, Co-host of Showtime's The Circus and author of #1 New York Times bestseller Dear Madam President

“A new playbook for Democratic messaging with a bite and a sting.”—Kirkus Review

“The author does detail, with bracing clarity, just how effective right-wing messaging has been compared to that of the left—see the Big Lie—and he offers advice for mainstream media in advance of upcoming elections… Good advice for any side in a functioning democracy.”—Booklist Reviews

From the Publisher

05/06/2022

Democratic political operative and Pod Save America cohost Pfeiffer (Yes We [Still] Can) demonstrates how U.S. Republicans used disinformation and propaganda to achieve political gains in the past few decades. He reviews the various ways they have eroded confidence in American governmental institutions, the press, and science—much to the detriment of society. By spreading disinformation—information intended to deceive—and by lying outright, the GOP has tried to hold on to power and boost its number of supporters. Using a conversational tone reminiscent of his podcast style, Pfeiffer conveys his concerns about how certain news organizations like Fox News and social media platforms like Facebook have assisted the Republicans in their mission by propagating or spreading "alternative facts," such as during the previous two presidential elections, and harmful information during the COVID pandemic. Sprinkled throughout are irreverent footnotes, which provide humorous asides and ironic commentary. VERDICT While not the first to identify these serious issues within the U.S. political system, Pfeiffer offers a concise overview of the issues and discusses ways that Democrats can remedy their messaging to combat these lies. Concerned citizens, political junkies, and fans of his podcast will find this work accessible and informative.—Donna Marie Smith

Library Journal

2022-04-13
The co-host of Pod Save America examines the sweeping disinformation practices of Republicans and their media allies.

“If Democrats and the media do not fight back against the right-wing media machine bent on division and destruction, democracy has no chance of surviving,” writes Pfeiffer, who served as a senior adviser to Barack Obama during his second term. Hard words, but hardly alarmist given the evidence the author assembles. Though many believe this disinformation machine is a recent development, Pfeiffer recounts a smear campaign from 2004 mounted against South Dakota Sen. Tom Daschle, in which the GOP falsely claimed that Daschle had promised to return the Black Hills to the Sioux Nation if Sioux leaders delivered the votes necessary for him to win the election. Daschle narrowly lost, forcing Pfeiffer to rethink the conventional rules—e.g., don’t feed the beast by dignifying lies with a response. The author argues convincingly that the biggest beast is Fox and Friends, which “has all the accoutrements of a typical news program while being a right-wing clown show.” Fox News, he writes, is a wholly partisan wing of the Republican Party. “And here’s the most disturbing thing: there is a market for ‘crazier than Fox.’ These networks were able to siphon off some of Fox’s audience, and now they are in a race to the bottom,” writes the author. Pfeiffer is a master of cutting derogation: “Arkansas senator Tom Cotton makes Jared Kushner look like a magnetic personality”; “[Jerome] Corsi is a well-known nutcase and a shitty writer, but when your campaign is trying to elect a Black man with the middle name ‘Hussein,’ no threat can be ignored.” He proposes a recalibrated journalism to counter the Republican machine, with plank points such as “Build Immunity to the Big Lie” and “Build Trust,” but whose overarching, sensible argument is to abandon the pretense of balance in favor of “a progressive propaganda operation that can go toe-to-toe with the Right.”

A new playbook for Democratic messaging with a bite and a sting.

Kirkus Reviews