080 | 披着新闻外衣的政治机器:美国右翼媒体如何打赢信息战 Weapons of Mass Deception

【聊了什么】

在过去的几十年里,右翼构建了和主流媒体完全不同的一套生态,他们系统性地建设自己的智库、媒体、草根组织和学术网络。今天我们看到的福克斯新闻、布莱巴特、Daily Wire、以及大大小小的右翼网红,都是这几十年深耕积累的结果。研究美国政治和媒体的学者杨云康在新书《Weapons of Mass Deception》中把这套系统拆开来看:这些机构表面上是媒体,实质上是政治组织——有目的、有金主、有动员机制。

这期节目我们和杨老师深入探讨了右翼媒体生态是如何运转的:谁在背后出钱、信息战具体打的是哪几张牌、阴谋论又是如何从社交媒体一路"交易"进主流话语的。我们也聊到了一个新的变化——在creator economy时代,网红正在取代传统媒体成为信息战的主战场。

购买杨云康的新书《Weapons of Mass Deception》:https://www.amazon.com/Weapons-Mass-Deception-Information-Communication/dp/0197820301。主播和嘉宾的言论不代表其所在机构或其雇主的观点。

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合作投稿邮箱:[email protected]

【时间轴】

05:24 右翼媒体不仅是新闻机构,更是政治组织

16:30 商业模式:为什么许多右翼媒体即使亏损仍能长期存在?

21:39 意识形态:金主个人观点如何推动比共和党更极端的议程

26:02 右翼信息战:重复谎言、曲解事实与缺乏背景资料的操纵

35:35 “回音室”效应:右翼媒体内部的协调、张力与信息放大

57:15 解决方案:改变双重股权结构以削弱家族金主的控制权

68:04 民主党为何不“抄作业”

【我们是谁】

美轮美换是一档深入探讨当今美国政治的中文播客。

我们的主播和嘉宾:

小华:媒体人

杨云康:研究美国政治和媒体的学者

【 What We Talked About】

Over the past several decades, the American right has built a media ecosystem entirely separate from the mainstream — systematically investing in think tanks, outlets, grassroots organizations, and academic networks. Fox News, Breitbart, Daily Wire, and the sprawling universe of right-wing influencers are not accidents. They are the product of decades of deliberate infrastructure-building. In his new book Weapons of Mass Deception, scholar Yunkang Yang takes this ecosystem apart piece by piece: these outlets may call themselves media, but they function as political organizations — with clear agendas, deep-pocketed backers, and sophisticated mobilization strategies.

In this episode, we sit down with Yunkang to explore how this machine actually works: who's funding it, what specific tactics drive its information warfare, and how fringe conspiracy theories get "traded up the chain" into mainstream discourse. We also discuss a newer shift — in the creator economy era, influencers are increasingly displacing traditional media as the frontline of information warfare, with a much shorter and murkier path from content to policy.

Pick up a copy of Weapons of Mass Deception: https://www.amazon.com/Weapons-Mass-Deception-Information-Communication/dp/0197820301 . The views expressed by the host and guests do not represent the opinions of their employers or any affiliated institutions.

【Support Us】

If you like our show and want to support us, please consider the following:

Join our membership program: https://theamericanroulette.com/paid-membership/

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Business Inquiries and fan mail: [email protected]

【Timeline】

05:24 Beyond the news: why right-wing media are political organizations

16:30 The business model: how right-wing outlets survive — and thrive — while running at a loss

21:39 The money behind the message: how billionaire backers push agendas more extreme than the GOP itself

26:02 Information warfare: repeating lies, distorting facts, and the power of missing context

35:35 Echo chamber dynamics: coordination, tension, and amplification within the right-wing media network

57:15 A path to accountability: reforming dual-class share structures to curb donor control

68:04 Why the left hasn't copied the playbook

【Who We Are】

The American Roulette is a podcast dedicated to helping the Chinese-speaking community understand fast-changing U.S. politics.

Our Hosts and Guests:

小华 (Xiao Hua): Journalist, political observer

Yunkang Yang:A scholar of American politics and media

Hosts
Guests