News Brief: How the Right Invented—and Exploited—the "Liberal Media" Trope

In this News Brief, we are joined by A.J. Bauer, assistant professor at the University of Alabama, to discuss his new book Making the Liberal Media: How Conservatives Built a Movement Against the Press, a detailed account of the corporate and ideological forces that shaped the popular idea that mainstream media was crawling with fifth-columnist agitators hostile to the values of 'Real America.'

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Guest

A.J. Bauer is a historian, ethnographer, and former journalist and now assistant professor in the Department of Journalism and Creative Media and programming chair of the Office of Politics, Communication and Media at the University of Alabama. His writing has appeared in Bloomberg, Politico, The Philadelphia Inquirer, TV Guide, Columbia Journalism Review, The Guardian, and elsewhere. And he is the author of the newly published book Making the Liberal Media: How Conservatives Built a Movement Against the Press (March 2026, Columbia University Press).

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Transcript

For a full transcript of this News Brief, go here. You can also find transcripts of past episodes, live shows, Beg-a-Thons, interviews, and News Briefs here.

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Citations Merch

Summer's coming and there's no better time to load up on some new gear. And you're in luck: the Citations Needed merch store is open! Wear, carry, sip, and —most importantly, share — your support for the show by picking up a t-shirt, tank top, hoodie, tote bag, water bottle or mug for yourself and your favorite Citations fan.

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Credits

Senior Producer: Florence Barrau-Adams

Producer: Julianne Tveten

Production Assistant: Trendel Lightburn

Newsletter: Marco Cartolano

Music: Grandaddy

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