For propaganda to be effective it should be reinforced. Thus, when Fox "News" gets a juicy right wing "outrage," it reinforces it throughout the show and on into other shows. A recent cause of agita, in the Christian right, is the claim that the Girls Scouts are being corrupted by librul indoctrination. Much of their indignation centers on Girl Scout sex education programs which are done in conjunction with the Christian right's major bête noire, Planned Parenthood, along with Girl Scout awards to groups and women who support AIDS education and international family planning. Think Hillary Clinton. But when a Girl Scouts publication recently sourced Media Matters (a major Fox bête noire), the right wing went wild and Fox News did its part to aid and abet by setting the "outrage" and then reinforcing it. Media Matters provides a detailed overview of this vilification of the Girl Scouts. As communication of a right wing meme and an attack on Fox's public enemy number one, it was vintage Fox hypocrisy and agitprop at its finest.
Fox & Friends introduced the "controversy" (The MMFA material) on 12/28. The gang provided the Fox message about how Media Matters "has an agenda" (Oh, the irony!) which includes "destroying Fox News." Mention was made of the connection between MMFA and Soros and "you know his history." No mention was made that "The Blaze," which they acknowledged was their source, is Glenn Beck's blog. Steve Doocy added to the "outrage" by reporting that a Girl Scout, who accuses the Scouts of "lefty bias," found out that the Scouts refer the young innocents to, gasp, Planned Parenthood and other "pro-abortion groups."
Later in the show, the agitprop was reinforced with some "chat" about the Media Matters reference. Clayton Morris brought up the patented Fox whine about how MMFA is "going after Fox News" and is funded by the evil George Soros. Morris' comment that "the notion that this is a non-partisan group is laughable" considering that he said it on a partisan show while doing a partisan hit piece. Doocy reinforced how MMFA is "lefty" and doubled down the agitprop with a new claim that the authors have a "lefty point of view." He said "lefty" a couple of more times. Mention was made, again, of "The Blaze" without noting its connection to Glenn Beck.
The Fox message about the lefty, fetus hating Scouts was reinforced, as I reported, the following day in the interview with the aforementioned (former) Girl Scout, Sydney Volanski, who might just be replacing Lila Rose as the darling of the anti-choice right wing given that she has been embraced by radical anti-choice and homophobic groups and individuals. Her comments were met with no counter information such as the fact that while the national Girl Scout organization has a neutral position on abortion and birth control, local chapters can partner with any organization that they choose. While the Girl Scouts organization spokesperson has stated that future copies of the media book will not have references to Media Matters, Volanski and the gang on the curvy couch seemed dubious about their intentions as Volanski claims that the book, with the evil MMFA sourcing, is still available.
Later in the show, there was more reinforcement of the memes with talk about how Volanski "blew the whistle" on the evil Media Matters thing. Part of the interview was played in which Volanski accused the Scouts of having "a clear, liberal ideology" and how she's spreading awareness of the Girl Scout "deceit." More suspicion was cast on the Scouts with a comment about Volanski leaving the group because of "what looks like a liberal agenda." Even more suspicion was cast when the crew, again, expressed doubts about the Scout's statement that the MMFA reference was being removed. Doocy again referenced the Planned Parenthood connection. Later that day it was discussed on "The Five" and cited on Fox News Special Report.
So let the word go forth, the Girl Scouts are part of a "lefty" agenda which could be turning yer sweet, lil, Merkin girl into a dirty little George Soros loving slut. At least that's the take away from Fox "News." And if Fox News says it, that, in the words of Plan 9 From Outer Space, "proves it."
