Why Is There So Much Right-Wing Media???

Influence is a term that refers to the effort and money spent by individuals to exert influence over politics and culture. The wealthy in the country have a significant influence over politics and culture, but election statistics often fail to capture the scale of their influence. This article aims to provide a visual representation of the wealthiest areas of influence, using two families: the Wilkes and the Wilkases. The Wilkes, two brothers with far-right politics, have made billions in the fracking industry and have used their wealth to destroy the environment. The Wilkes have funded online media companies Prageru and the Daily Wire, with the Wilkes dubbing over 6.5 million dollars into Prageru and 4.7 million dollars in seed money for the Daily Wire. They push the LGBT grooming narrative and call for increased state violence against the queer community, claiming that the gay community is better off when oppressed by heterosexual monogamous individuals than when allied with trans activists.

The Wilkes have been accused of claiming the 2020 election was fraudulent, and they have been accused of spreading hateful and often outright fascist rhetoric. These online media outlets, funded and owned by the Wilkes, broadcast these untrue and often outright fascist rhetoric to audiences that rival more established media. These outlets have a significant impact on shaping the national dialogue, nurturing moral panics, and encouraging far-right extremists into acts of stochastic terrorism.

The Wilkes have also funded traditional media outlets like the Press, such as The Daily Caller, which received funding from the Charles Koch Institute and the Charles Koch Foundation. The Daily Caller's tabloid-style articles are often a variant of The Barbarians, and Trump did nothing wrong. In addition to the nearly one million dollars from Charles Koch, a hundred and fifty thousand dollars of the Daily Caller's funding came from the Trump campaign.

The Daily Caller, a fringe media outlet, relies heavily on investments from the Koch brothers and Trump money. The paper's revenue is primarily driven by extreme far-right politics, with some of its journalists receiving cash prizes or being heads of Coca-funded organizations. The Atlantic, another well-respected press outlet, is also influenced by the Koch brothers. Some of their journalists write articles about free speech being under threat, often defending climate change denier and transphobe Jordan Peterson. This strategy funnels a mainstream audience to a climate change denier and transphobe, who receives his own cut of the Koch fund.

The Atlantic is not the only outlet the Koch brothers are putting money into, as there are many outlets and organizations that have the attention of the Koch brothers. Time Inc, which the Koch brothers invested 650 million dollars in in 2017, also owns magazines like Time, Fortune, Sports Illustrated, and Essence. These outlets have already spent hundreds of millions to influence the editorial lines of these organizations, reaching millions of people in the US.

The video highlights various organizations funded by the Koch brothers, including Americans for Prosperity, Stand Together, and the Charles Koch Foundation. These organizations are often funded by wealthy conservatives and other non-profits, often passing grants through to politically active 501c4 organizations. These organizations also fund AstroTurf groups, such as Speech First, which defends free speech on college campuses. Coke LED funds are directed at academic departments, and think tanks like the Heritage Foundation, Cato Institute, and Manhattan Institute are involved in influence lobbying at every level of the American government. The Koch brothers and their fossil fuel allies have spent millions on attack ads against Democratic candidates, particularly against Obama in 2012.

They have also poured money into the campaign funds of conservatives at the far right of the Republican party, pushing Republicans closer to the extreme. The video highlights the wide range of organizations and their influence on the American government.

The author discusses the funding of various organizations, including anti-muslim, anti-LGBT, and anti-immigrant groups. Between 2014 and 2018, donors trust and donors capital fund gave 13 million dollars to organizations that profess anti-muslim, anti-immigrant, or anti-LGBTQ sentiments. The author believes that this represents about 5% of what these two families are doing. The author also mentions that billionaires contribute to these organizations, with many having their own organizations, companies, and charitable donations. The left, on the other hand, has less influence and is not willing to fund such powerful networks advocating for their abolition.

To match the right without being a capitalist billionaire, the author suggests setting aside their salary for 10 years and investing in stocks. The right-wing media effectively sets life or death stakes, focusing on issues like climate change prevention and the impact of the US on the global community.

Democrats often turn climate change into a cultural struggle, turning it into a political struggle. Ground News is a web and mobile app that aggregates over 50,000 new sources and offers comparison tools to help readers understand the interests funding each outlet. The app also provides political leaning factuality ratings and ownership of every news source, making it easier to break out of propaganda bubbles. Ground News is a great tool for building media literacy skills and helping parents and friends break free from propaganda bubbles. It is currently offering a 30 discount for its Vantage subscription to all second-thought viewers. The video explains the scale of influence in politics and culture, highlighting the effort and money spent by the wealthy in the country.

I present the influence and spending methods of two influential families, the Cokes and the Wilkses. Focusing on these two families is sufficient to illustrate my point. The Wilkses, known for their far-right politics and wealth accumulated from the fracking industry, have strategically used their money to fund online media outlets such as PragerU and The Daily Wire. These platforms promote false narratives, including spreading misinformation about the LGBTQ+ community, advocating for increased state violence, promoting election fraud conspiracy theories, and engaging in discriminatory and hateful speech.

The impact of these outlets is significant, as they have amassed large audiences, sometimes rivaling more established media sources. For instance, The Daily Wire's reach on Facebook has been known to surpass major news outlets combined. The rhetoric disseminated by these platforms not only shapes public discourse but also influences the creation of laws. The example of Matt Walsh from The Daily Wire playing a role in the passing of bill HB1 in Florida, which restricts gender-affirming healthcare for minors, highlights their real-life impact.

Although the Kochs are not direct investors in PragerU or The Daily Wire, their non-profit organization Americans for Prosperity has supported conservative figures and donated to The Daily Wire. The Kochs have also funded other conservative organizations and media outlets, such as Tucker Carlson's media company, The Daily Caller, and the renowned publication, The Atlantic. Their contributions to these outlets influence the content produced, often focusing on topics such as free speech under threat and defending controversial figures like Jordan Peterson.

The influence of these families goes beyond online media and extends to traditional media outlets as well. Charles Koch, for example, has funded The Daily Caller, while the Kochs have also invested in Time Inc., which owned magazines like Time, Fortune, and Sports Illustrated. By financing these media organizations, they shape the narrative in alignment with their conservative agenda.

To facilitate their influence, the Kochs and other wealthy conservatives establish and fund various organizations, such as think tanks and academic departments, which further propagate their ideologies. These organizations receive grants from sources like Stand Together, Donors Trust, and the Koch foundations. The funds are directed towards research centers, academic departments, and grassroots groups, spreading their influence through universities and society at large.

Additionally, the Kochs and their allies engage in lobbying and campaign financing, utilizing organizations like Americans for Prosperity to support Republican candidates and promote their conservative agenda. Attack ads against Democratic candidates and support for far-right Republicans are some examples of their political involvement.

The scope of influence exerted by these families and their network of organizations is vast and difficult to fully comprehend. This article only scratches the surface, providing a glimpse into their methods and reach. It is crucial to recognize that the left lacks comparable financial resources and the ability to fund a network of this magnitude to advocate for their causes.

In conclusion, the right-wing media ecosystem strategically frames issues as cultural struggles, fostering division and promoting their conservative agenda. Ground News, the web and mobile app, is an invaluable tool for media literacy. It aggregates over 50,000 news sources, offers comparison tools, and provides insights into the political leaning, factuality ratings, and ownership of each source.