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According to Media Matters for America, a progressive media watchdog organization, the right-wing media ecosystem holds overwhelming narrative dominance—a structural advantage that no amount of Democratic messaging can overcome without significant changes to the media landscape. From their perspective, this is not a messaging problem; it’s a media crisis that fundamentally shapes the political landscape in the U.S.

Media Matters’ Perspective: Why Messaging Won’t Fix the Left’s Problems

Many Democratic strategists and political analysts argue that their party simply needs better messaging to compete with the right. However, Media Matters disagrees. Angelo Carusone, President of Media Matters, has been vocal in rejecting this idea. "Even if Dems had the perfect message, it wouldn't get anywhere. This isn’t a messaging problem; it's a media crisis," he argues.

From their analysis, the right has successfully built an expansive, self-sustaining media infrastructure that ensures their narratives dominate news cycles and public discourse. Meanwhile, Democrats focus on traditional campaign spending, including billions on paid advertisements, which Media Matters argues have little long-term value in shifting the media landscape.

According to their research, right-wing influence is not limited to news media—it has seeped into sports, comedy, and lifestyle content, allowing conservative narratives to spread beyond political audiences. Media Matters warns that this asymmetry in media influence will continue to shape American politics unless directly addressed.

Rejecting the “Left-Wing Joe Rogan” Solution

Some have suggested that Democrats need their own massively influential media figure, similar to Joe Rogan or Tucker Carlson, to counterbalance conservative dominance. But Media Matters strongly disagrees with this approach.

Carusone argues that the modern information landscape is too fragmented for any single figure to balance the scales. Instead, they advocate for an expansion of progressive media across multiple platforms, with a more diverse range of voices capable of engaging different audience segments.

From their viewpoint, the right’s advantage isn’t simply a handful of powerful personalities—it’s a networked ecosystem of media outlets, influencers, and digital content creators reinforcing each other’s narratives. In contrast, they argue, the left lacks this infrastructure, leaving progressive ideas with fewer organic pathways to reach and influence the public.

Why “Pay-to-Post” Influencer Strategies Won’t Work

As Democrats look to digital influencers to help spread their messaging, Media Matters warns that many are repeating the same mistakes made in traditional political advertising. According to their analysis, political consultants are porting outdated ad-buy strategies into the influencer space, relying on “pay-to-post” campaigns that they argue are ineffective.

Carusone cautions that this approach not only won’t work but will make the problem worse. From their perspective, media creators and influencers cannot be engineered or micromanaged. Instead, they need resources and long-term investment to build independent platforms that organically attract audiences.

In their view, the key to success is building a sustainable media pipeline—not just renting short-term visibility through paid social media posts.

Media Matters' Take on Trump’s Media Ecosystem

From the perspective of Media Matters, former President Donald Trump’s influence is not just political—it’s deeply embedded in right-wing media. They argue that Trump has mobilized what were once considered fringe voices and brought them into the mainstream, using a powerful right-wing media network as his vehicle.

Many figures in Trump’s orbit—such as Steve Bannon, Kayleigh McEnany, and Stephen Miller—either emerged from or later moved into right-wing media roles. Media Matters sees this as part of a deliberate strategy that ensures Trumpism remains deeply entrenched in media culture, even when Trump is out of office.

According to their analysis, this vast media infrastructure serves as an echo chamber, reinforcing and legitimizing far-right narratives while leaving little space for competing progressive perspectives.

"Politics is Downstream of Culture": Why Media Matters Sees This as a Cultural Battle

Media Matters views political influence as a byproduct of cultural dominance. They argue that right-wing media has mastered theater, spectacle, and narrative control, making conservative ideas entertaining, engaging, and omnipresent.

In their analysis, this media strategy has helped normalize far-right ideologies, making them part of mainstream discourse rather than fringe perspectives. They warn that, without significant investment in alternative media infrastructure, the left will continue to struggle to compete for public attention and cultural influence.

Carusone sums up their concern by stating:

"Fascism is theater. And right now, Trump has quite a stage."

From their point of view, unless progressives create their own sustainable media landscape, they will continue to be reactive rather than proactive in shaping public opinion.

Media Matters Warns: Right-Wing Media Influence Extends Beyond Politics

One of the most striking points in Media Matters’ research is that right-wing media isn’t just dominating political news—it’s expanding into unexpected spaces. Their report highlights that right-wing narratives are now appearing in sports, comedy, and lifestyle content, reaching audiences who may not even realize they’re being influenced by conservative ideology.

By embedding right-wing views into everyday entertainment and digital content, Media Matters argues that conservative media outlets are shaping cultural norms well before audiences engage with overtly political content. They see this as a long-term strategy that will continue to shift public sentiment unless aggressively countered.

Media Matters’ Call to Action: Build a New Media Ecosystem

From their perspective, the solution to this crisis is not just better messaging or more political spending, but a fundamental restructuring of progressive media infrastructure. They argue that Democrats must:

Invest in independent content creators who can organically attract and engage audiences.

Build digital platforms that allow progressive voices to reach beyond traditional political spaces.

Create more “blue bubbles” in the media landscape by expanding the presence of left-leaning voices in multiple content niches.

Without these steps, Media Matters warns that the right will continue to dominate the media environment—and ultimately, the political conversation.

For a more in-depth look at Media Matters' analysis of right-wing media dominance, see their full report: