The Brainwashing of My Dad Film Night

The Film Night

The film’s starting point is the filmmaker Jan Senko’s own story as she watches grief-stricken when her largely apolitical “Kennedy Democrat” father, Frank, turns into a virulent right-wing conservative, spouting negative opinions about African Americans, gays, feminists, etc. She goes on a voyage to find out what was happening to her once kind dad. And she finds the culprit. Her father’s altered thinking started when his job changed and he had a long, daily car journey to get to work. His companion on this commute was his radio and Rush Limbaugh! From Rush Limbaugh he began to access other right-wing outlets, like Fox News and email lists. Their opinions became his opinions. And she discovers his story is not unique.

She journeys to try to understand how her father, and the nation, has seemingly lost objective news sources and the effect that has had on our politics. Along the way, she interviews many experts, including a neuroscientist, linguists and media analysts.

Researching, she finds that from the Nixon years onwards there were projects to build strong and influential right-wing organizations, networks, media messaging and media outlets. Nixon’s administration began nudging the middle to the right on moral grounds. They re-framed groups and issues: the poor became “takers,” the established media became the “liberal media,” government regulation became “government takeovers,” etc. One of Nixon’s advisers was Roger Ailes, who went on to found Fox News in 1996. 

Ms. Senko’s journey also takes her to an Oxford neuroscientist, who argues that the brain can become addicted to the appeals of media outlets and incite angry responses. This ties in with the tactics and techniques of seduction these media deploy. Some would even argue that it is a form of “stealth brainwashing.”

David Alm wrote in Forbes, March 25, 2016, “…“The Brainwashing of My Dad” isn’t really about Frank Senko or even the media that hijacked his mind for 30 years. It’s about all of us and how easily manipulated we can be under the pretense of information.”

Although “The Brainwashing of My Dad” concentrates on the well-established talk radio and television outlets, we were able to expand the discussion to other news outlets and talk about the importance of social media and the growth of the Alt-Right after the screening. Today’s media has become a polarising device. We have Trump in the White House. We need to find solutions.

About The Film Night Speakers

Professor Charlie Beckett is Director of Polis, the international journalism think-tank at the LSE. He is a specialist in the future of news and political journalism. He worked as a film-maker and programme editor at the BBC and ITN’s Channel 4 News before joining the Department of Media and Communications at the LSE in 2006. His books, “SuperMedia” and “WikiLeaks: News in The Networked Era” show how journalism is changing and its impact on society and democracy. As a journalist, he covered several US elections and at the LSE has researched and written extensively about US politics and media and the challenges of ‘fake news’ and President Trump.

Karin Robinson is Head of Social Media for OgilvyOne London, a large advertising and communications agency. In 2008 she was the Regional Field Director for the Obama campaign. She has worked with DAUK through four presidential elections, served as Vice-Chair of DAUK and is currently on its Executive Committee. Throughout this last election cycle she was an informed and unflinching voice for DAUK on a wide range of TV and radio programs here in the UK. She continues to provide powerful critiques of the right-wing agenda of Trump and the Republican Party of our behalf.

Susan Schoenfeld Harrington chaired the discussion. Susan is a member of DAUK’s Executive Committee, a former Vice Chair of DAUK and served on the DPCA. She has actively worked on political campaigns at the city, state and national level as both a volunteer and staff. In 2016 she was very active in the Hillary campaign.  Susan worked in the television industry and keeps a close eye on developments in international and U.S. media. The Trump administration and Republican dominance at federal and state levels have inspired her to sharpen her focus on ensuring that Democrats campaign effectively to set out their agendas for opposition, resistance and define what Democrats want to achieve in preparation for the 2018 mid-terms.