First published 2017
Political opposition research has transformed American democracy into a battlefield of calculated character assassination. Veteran journalist Sharyl Attkisson draws from her firsthand experience receiving pitched hit jobs and puff pieces to expose how smear campaigns operate. She reveals the invisible network of opposition researchers, spin doctors, and outside interests who craft media narratives designed to destroy ideas and individuals. Attkisson identifies key players including Clinton confidant Sidney Blumenthal and political operative David Brock, who runs Media Matters for America. The book demonstrates how smear artists base their attacks on fragments of truth while obscuring larger realities. These operatives must remain hidden to succeed, making their calculated work appear spontaneous and unscripted. Attkisson shows readers how paid forces shape virtually every political image they encounter, from attacks on Donald Trump to mockery of Bernie Sanders campaigns. The book offers readers the tools to detect these manipulation tactics and understand how smear campaigns corrupt political discourse while discouraging citizen participation in democracy.
Genres: american, political-science, non-fiction, 21st-century, journalism, current-affairs
Vibes: suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: corruption, deception
294 pages · Hardcover · Harper