Upping the Anti’s: 50 Years of Vilifying Intellectuals, the Government, and the Media

Abstract

American attitudes toward the institutions of knowledge have transformed in the past half-century. As the national culture developed to include more citizens in the areas of higher education, the media, and politics, many conservatives began to question those in power. Since the mid-twentieth century, there has been a growing accusation of liberal bias in colleges, in the news, and in government. These verdicts of one-sidedness helped usher in a new media system, one tailored specifically for those on the right. Rooted in truth but inflated into the illusory, the conservative accusations of bias have led to a cynical dismissal of these three foundations. Dagnes examines the formation, development, and contemporary conservative arguments against liberal universities and professors, against a large and intrusive government, and against a biased news media. These arguments together comprise one important reason that there is a right-wing media circle today.