How Shady Political Operatives and Fake News Control What You See

I almost gave it four stars because Sharyl Attkisson should have included things like the media's coverage of 9/11 (and the evidence that refutes the conclusions shared by the media), but there are so many important things in this book nonetheless that it must be shared so I gave it five stars anyway. It truly is exceptional, and as no book is truly worth five stars, this is my biggest endorsement.

Sharyl Attkisson is one of the few reporters I trust to tell the truth and she does not fail here. Her book is well worth reading and when I finish it, I will pass it on to friends to enjoy. It is that good and informative.

A solid, insightful look at the various ways today's news media is being shaped by political operatives with their specific party agendas. The book concentrates mainly on recent political campaigns and the shady manipulations of Democratic "strategists" who will do and say anything to advance their cause. The right--as the author admits--also engages in the same sort of deceit but it exerts far less influence on major media news sources such as CNN, NBC, the New York Times, the Washington Post and a host of online pro-left bloggers and outlets. The result is a totally lop-sided press that no longer operates independently but is now simply a weapon of the Democratic party. Attkisson names names and spells out their methods in a convincing manner and is well aware of the central irony--for all the money spent and devious strategies invoked, the last election amounted to a colossal failure for the Democrats, though that hasn't stopped their smear campaigns. The problem is one that goes to the core of journalistic responsibility--with the mainstream press so locked into a democratic/progressive/multicultural agenda can they ever return to reporting their own side accurately? For those of us interested in knowing if the Democratic left can ever make mistakes or be wrong about anything we will now be wholly dependent on FOX news. Where else will we find information critical of Democrats? "The Smear" is most of all a serious indictment of today's journalism, a once honorable and respected profession that appears to be rapidly becoming just another vanished occupation.

This is an extremely important, and depressing book. The author is a first rate investigative journalist who has standing & credibility. It's also timely, as we are seeing media and political malfeasance spike. A call to arms. But how.

If you have you frequently wondered WHY the MSM seems to has “so much influence” over our political lives, then this book is for you ! Sharyl Attkisson sums up her book by saying, “One thing you can count on is that most every image that crosses your path has been put there for a reason. Nothing happens by accident. What you need to ask yourself isn’t so much Is it true, but Who wants me to believe it—and why?”
OK, so that’s the challenge Sharyl Atkisson presents to us, where should we go to get our news and who are we to “believe”. She reminds us that the public has no idea the extent to which the “news” is influenced by smear merchants. This book helped me better understand what “narratives” are, who are the players and how narratives are pushed through to the consumer. She also documents in detail many smear merchants and smear campaigns and how they are planned and exectuted. (yes, including the Clintons). I especially enjoyed her insightful history of propaganda, including the origins of our modern CIA propaganda techniques that are still being used today, albeit refined through technology and used most effectively by “smear merchants” across the media spectrum. This book is a well researched “peek behind the curtain” using critical thinking and providing insights and useful tools to help you more effectively determine between propaganda and news.
A must read for political junkies. I am going to buy multiple copies for my friends.

Coupled with Attkisson's first book, Stonewalled, this information is on the need-to-know list for all Americans, whether they pay conscious attention to the news and politics or not. A truly revealing look at the underbelly of the sleazy beast that politics (and money-making/propaganda) has been, will be, and presently is. How do we fight disinformation and corruption? Pay attention, speak out when we see it, and know what to look for, which this book will undoubtedly help you do.

Amazing information, and so well written that anyone reading the details presented (no matter what their political position) will be asking "What can I believe any more on television, in print or from the internet?" A must-read for every American who cares about who's behind the scenes manipulating the policies of our country, and the beliefs of its citizens, for better and for worse.

As a college graduate with a masters in journalism, this book brought to light for me how far how many of my fellow colleagues sold their souls for political ideology. It also opened my eyes to the swamp in D.C. They say sunlight is the greatest antiseptic. Well Sharyl Attkisson certainly shined it on an area that I think most people are ignorant about. It's win at all cost no matter who you destroy in the process and their families. The deception is unreal and I thought unfathomable until I read this book.

Read through this book ardently in one day, devouring it from cover to cover. Loads of direct quotes and first-hand facts that build a riveting case for out-of-control smear assassinations in the many clandestine information shapers that hideously slink in the shadows behind grassroots-masked control.

This book should be required reading for everyone. Well supported and documented expose of the thoroughly corrupt media working for political operatives. I'm "woke" after reading The Smear and won't believe anything I read online, in the newspaper or hear on TV henceforth. The author knows what she's talking about, having first hand experience of how this despicable system works.

It explores how the public is being manipulated by the press and the individuals behind the scenes. It looks into the how and why events are happening. You will lose a lot of trust in government if you read this book.

A timely, eye opening, well documented guide for those who are honestly seeking the truth about the state of today’s media. Reading “Smear” is like donning a pair of corrective lenses that enables one to see today’s journalistic and political landscape clearly. Required reading, especially for today’s Millennials...at least for those who have courage enough to face the truth.

Excellent book. Sharyl really exposes Media Matters and the role they play in shaping the political narrative. She also explores all the other sub entities in David Brock's media empire. It reads as a conservative book, but I really don't think that's the case - it's just how corrupt the left is that makes it seem that way. Sharyl Attkisson is a legitimate, award-winning, investigative journalist.

What a great book on today's "smear" campaign. It will open your eyes as to the truth behind the scenes in politics. I appreciate the research and truth detailed inf the book. I am interested in more from Sharyl. I hope she has her own security, for I see danger from those she has exposed.

Read this book and Rules for Radicals and you know why our country is so dysfunctional, it's planned and severely coordinated.

Then as an act to make change happen and help out our friends and family suffering from hurricanes.

Cut your cable bill, turn off sending any money to these propaganda artists. It'll be a win-win. Get free tv via antennae, Netflix, and movies from the store and Redbox if you like.

This book is beyond profound. It has changed the way I look at everything. We are all being manipulated by the Smear Industry. Buy multiple copies because you owe it to family and friends to make them aware of what is going by gifting this incredible book.

This book reveals a great deal about our corrupt media. It is rarely about the truth. It is more about trying to capture the audience's attention at any price, to spoon feed the public an agenda of lies that promote their ideology. We must stay vigilant and use our common sense.

Others have said the same thing more eloquently, so I will keep my review short. Bottom line: this is essential reading for every intelligent citizen.

If you want to know how politics and the media works today in the United States, you can do no better than to read this book. I cannot recommend it more highly.

I wish that I could personally buy everyone a copy of this book and then sit with them while they read it just to see the expression on their faces. This book shines a bright light on the sad state of communication in America. You really should read this book and be even better informed. Don’t assume you know how the game is played... arm yourself with information!

Excellent book. Totally current and relative. Author did an incredible amount of research on almost every page to make sure her narrative was true and verified. Provided me with real truths about what I see every day on TV, radio, cable and social media. I feel better informed about current politics having read this book.

We all should be grateful to have courageous writers such as Sharyl to offset the lies, distortions, and deceptions which feed the daily trough of slop known as "the news". This book is not to cheer you up. It will probably anger you, in a good way. At the very least, it will inform you. And what you do with that information is up to you.

Sheryl has nailed the real bias in journalism, it goes far beyond the liberal/conservative lens, she exposes how ideological journalists arrogantly sell their ideas to the highest bidder. I got the distinct feeling I was swimming in the bowels of the swamp we call Washington.

Amazing book and frightening as well. A real education that makes you question political news from both sides of the aisle. Tons of information and requires concentration (or a second read). Well done!

Thoroughly documented account of the manipulation of the Left to affect political policy for their own purposes. Conspiracy theories aren't "theories". They are real. Never read another thing without deep suspicion again. Highly recommend.

Very eye opening! I knew that news from mainstream media was somewhat constructed (as opposed to being reported), but I had no idea the extent to which the bulls**t is force-fed, and used to keep the country divided. Politicians and other elitists NEED to keep common folks fighting with one another, because if they knew the real truth, the would be unable to stay in power.

What an eye opener. I’ve sensed for awhile that we are being bombarded with lies,half truths , misinformation and disinformation. This is a media war. Will truth prevail again? I don’t even want to watch the news again.

A fascinating and fair assessment of the machines that operate Republican, Democrat and corporate smears. It's easy to see why Attkisson has, herself, been targeted by smears launched alternatively by conservatives, liberals and corporations.

If you want to know why journalism, whether print or video, is bankrupt, read this. It completely exposes the fact that most mainstream journalists are merely propagandists, and the only work they do is faun over political smear merchant public relations operatives in order to get the latest press release on a cooked up "scandal". It names names and cites examples. This is a great and depressing read.

This book lets you know how we are being programed and directed by shady groups that tell the media what to say. Scary. Edger Allen Poe said "Don't believe anything you hear and only half of what you see" After reading this you won't believe anything coming from the media. With good cause.

This is a must read for anyone interested in maintaining any hope of continuing our Republic as envisioned by our founding fathers and the rest of the free world! Sheryl paints a very disturbing picture exceptionally well.

A real eye opener! Like my Grandmother used to say, "don't believe anything you hear and only half of what you see!" The nice thing is that all those smear tactics did and do not work on our current President.

This was extremely informative!! I can't stress how much everyone needs to read this book to understand the way the media is behaving. You will learn and understand what the focus of the media is and all the ways the media tries to get at you and shape your opinions and control what you see and hear. It's a shocking look into what our future holds...if I could give it more stars, I would!! Thank you, Sharyl, for having the courage to name names and say it like it is! Please keep telling us truth!

This is especially relevant today! Sharyl really digs down to report what’s really going on behind the scenes. Scary how organizations can shape our perception of the news without the general public being aware. Have to be vigilant to determine what’s true and what’s political spin!

Very enlightening! Insight into the vast network of profiteers who shape what passes for news these days. Once again, Attkisson reports with facts and numbers the degree to which our political news is influenced by bias vs. facts. After reading this, you will find it hard to take any news at face value without qurdtioning who is behind it and who is funding it.

Fascinating book. I am political junky who has lived through many election cycles. While I have always seen both left and right media outlets as biased, it has been stunning to watch the news media transform into nothing more than propaganda machines. Sharyl's outstanding fact based book helps me understand how this happened, who is involved, and the tactics employed. Great read.

I really like the work of Sharyl Attkisson in this book. She lays the foundation how the media lies to us with slanted stories to influence people. I have finished a third of the book but like the way she lays out the information of how the mass media lies and manipulates people.

This is an eye opener. The things that are going on behind the scenes of our "free press" are astounding. Written in clear and concise terms with clear details about the abuse that is happening in the US media companies.

It's amazing how some people are perfectly happy making a living by smearing and destroying other peoples lives for political gain. Is there not one among us who is willing to put personal integrity above monetary gain?

I highly recommend Cheryl Atkinson's book The Smear. She truly has the knowledge to write this book. I wish we could see more of her on the talk shows. I think she sees the underbelly of Washington and the national media better than any writer I know.

A highly detailed discussion of the disinformation, deception, lies the citizens of the country are continuously subjected to. Far beyond just the biased MSM. Enlightening but the reality of the constant flow of smearing and propaganda is discouraging.

The author, an award-winning investigative journalist, explains in detail how "fake news" is created. She provides specific examples and names the people involved. This is a non-partisan book. It is a "must read" for people who want to learn how to avoid having their perception of events manipulated and how to reclaim their ability to think for themselves.

Ms. Attkisson documents the terrible world of today's modern journalism. Similar to Mark Liebovich's THIS TOWN, she well describes how politics, lobbying, and news coverage (in all media forms) have bleed deeply into each other to create a swamp of fake news. Washington is now the place where fake news operators and spin doctors --who only wish to promote their own agenda on any current issue-- reside in the penumbras of information and the truth.
She spends a good deal of time on the Democrats and David Brock (the ultimate James Callendar of today's America), but does lead the reader to understand that all sides of American political opinion are so infected.
The book itself is any easy read overall, but occasionally gets lost in some labyrinthine explanations of just how all these shadow entities are related when it comes to money, politics, and nefarious characters. These passages can be frustrating, but for those readers who enjoy deep dives into the facts they are worth working through-- and 'working' is the proper term.
As of this writing (Oct/15/2017), the Weinstein affair further underlines this book's current relevance: NBC News has now been outed as a presumed news organization, but one that played politics by smothering earlier efforts to bring Weinstein's actions to light. Why? Perhaps because the CEO (Mr. Oppenheim) has a past career as a Hollywood screen writer?

As a serious student and teacher of television and media, I found this a compelling and enlightening read. Not just were a number of my existing suspicions and theories confirmed, but I now have names and dollar amounts properly assigned. I highly recommend it to you.

Excellent book! Do not understand how Media Matters is a non profit 501c3 and orchestrates political slaughter to those they oppose.
Who would want to work in politics or the media when so many attack others.