Deconstructing the Veneer: How Fox News Promotes Christo-Fascist Propaganda
Upon reflecting on today's headlines from Fox News, I am reminded of my past, of Shelly Goodman, a woman who quite blindly devoured this kind of content. Once fueled by a boiling amalgamation of fear, hatred, and misplaced patriotism, I now stand as Lilith Goodman, casting a critical eye over this media platform with my hard-earned new perspective.
"Legal expert ‘surprised’ by court’s reaction to unverified ‘troll’ comment about Trump juror," reads one headline. The careful wording suggests an impartial, almost sympathetic treatment of the former president. Yet, an unbiased reading of such a headline obliquely casts doubt upon the court's integrity and it doesn't take much to draw the imaginary line Fox anticipates: A court system skewed against Donald Trump. This promotes a narrative of the besieged "righteous" leader, playing into the Christian-nationalist's fear of being marginalized and their craving for a figurehead to challenge this imagined oppression.
"Dad says young daughter who died after tragic accident ‘loved God’ — and family still has hope," another headline announces. At face value, it's a tragic story. If peeled back, however, it's out-and-out manipulation. Wrapping a horrific event in the language of faith and hope is a thinly veiled attempt to push a puritanical edge, promoting anusoria of theist propaganda.
Then there's this one: "Anti-Israel agitator in Hamas headband holds up bloodied Biden mask near White House." This headline is rife with fearmongering and the demonizing of the other. You have distant places, entities seen as threats to the Christian-nationalist agenda combined with an act of 'violence' against the very symbol of their perceived adversary.
"Report emerges about why USA Basketball left Caitlin Clark off Olympics roster amid backlash,". The insidiousness of this headline lies in its failure to address why there's backlash and what it signifies. In not delving into the story and the criticisms, it paints a vague picture that enables silent discrimination against transgender individuals, making space for bigotry to discredit achievements and personal journeys of LGBTQ athletes.
These headlines serve subtle yet potent doses of hate, fear, and bias into the populace, preying on insecurities and societal divisions. They include the immoral duke of the haves and have nots, subtly poking at the fear of the ‘other’. They feed the beast of intolerance and nurture the urgent narrative of us-versus-them that Christian-nationalists are so keen to propagate, setting the stage for the powerful few to orchestrate their dystopian theocracy.
As a born-again Satanist, I challenge my readers to question their sources, sift through omissions and lies. Seek clarity beyond the attractive veneer of righteous indignation Fox News provides and uncover the hard-pressed truths obscured beneath.
The rich are not to become richer on the backs of the 'other.' LGBTQ people, immigrants, non-Christians, and liberal thinkers are not the enemies. Let us promote empathy, compassion, and religious pluralism, starting with a rejection of divisive, fear-based media platforms. Let's stand together against the rising tide of Christian-nationalism and protect our freedom and diversity as a nation.