Right's CRT attack goes back decades

People hold up signs during a rally against "critical race theory" (CRT) being taught in schools at the Loudoun County Government center in Leesburg, Virginia on June 12, 2021. The term "critical race theory" defines a strand of thought that appeared in American law schools in the late 1970s and which looks at racism as a system, enabled by laws and institutions, rather than at the level of individual prejudices. But critics use it as a catch-all phrase that attacks teachers' efforts to confront dark episodes in American history, including slavery and segregation, as well as to tackle racist stereotypes. ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS/AFP via Getty Images

Conservative media in the United States does not play the normal role of the Fourth Estate in a democracy, which is to inform the public so they can make reasoned and principled decisions about significant social and political questions. Today's right-wing media is effectively a dedicated propaganda and disinformation machine in service to the Republican Party and the "conservative" movement.

Its primary goal is to convince (white) people to support the Republican fascist movement, both by recruiting new members and securing the loyalties of those who are already members of the fascist cult. Another important task is to attack and demobilize liberals, progressives, Democrats and others deemed to be "the enemy." To accomplish these goals, the right-wing media and its larger echo chamber are tasked with replacing empirical reality with an alternate universe of lies, misinformation and other malignant fables.