Fewer people trust the media these days, and those that do, tend to trust them – especially the TV and internet news – a lot less than they did. Now, we could take the time to argue for or against those positions, or we could parse out the “whys” and the “hows” of all of it, but that’s not what this is about.

This article is about what came out of that growing distrust, a hyper-partisan form of media, mostly on the web, that appealed to and catered to and coddled a very specific point of view. No centrists need apply, this was only died in the wool far off to one side partisan country. The flagship of this fleet of partisan blogs used to be Drudge, but it could be argued, these days, that crown goes to Breitbart, the “news” organization that successfully placed one of its top people in the election committee of the President of the United States.

Now, after losing the Presidency, and not gaining much if any ground in the Senate and the House, the Democrats are trying to figure out how to get the turnout that refused to come out for Hillary Clinton. They want to mobilize the base in a way that they haven’t really seen since 2008. So, they are borrowing the successful plays from the far right playbook.

According to various media reports, a new station is in the works: True Blue Media, a site that has high aspirations to become the left’s answer to Breitbart, hoping to both counter and blunt the impact of this media juggernaut.

See also  What You Need to Know about SAAS

According to early reports, the “network” will be led by David Sirota, a former investigative journalist and a frequent critic of Hillary Clinton. It’s an interesting choice, as Sirota has more of a reputation for a rabble-rousing activist than a straight journalist. But a recent statement by Sirota has some offering tacit hope that, though biased, this media outlet will somehow be different.

“At a time when mass misinformation threatens journalism and American democracy, compelling accountability reporting is needed now more than ever… The public is being inundated with gossip, half-truths, partisan propaganda and stories that have little connection to people’s daily lives — and all this is happening just as major crises threaten our country and our planet.”

In the same release, Sirota promised to follow a “straightforward mission” to “fearlessly report on the most important issues of the day, to break original news, to scrutinize the political forces and elite power brokers that affect the public at large…”

Perhaps the most telling quote from the statement included Sirota promising his publication would not bow to “conventional beltway wisdom” … the very mindsets that are now being blamed for completely misreading the political climate in the last election, leading to a losing effort in the presidential race.

But will borrowing the Breitbart strategy and trying to sell it to the left really create the kind of results the Democrats need to be relevant again in national politics? That remains to be seen.

SHARE
Previous articleChargers move strains fan loyalty
Next articleThe Best Day of the Week and Time of the Day to Send a Press Release
Ronn Torossian is the Founder & Chairman of 5W Public Relations, one of the largest independently owned PR firms in the United States. Since founding 5WPR in 2003, he has led the company's growth and vision, with the agency earning accolades including being named a Top 50 Global PR Agency by PRovoke Media, a top three NYC PR agency by O'Dwyers, one of Inc. Magazine's Best Workplaces and being awarded multiple American Business Awards, including a Stevie Award for PR Agency of the Year. With over 25 years of experience crafting and executing powerful narratives, Torossian is one of America's most prolific and well-respected public relations executives. Throughout his career he has advised leading and high-growth businesses, organizations, leaders and boards across corporate, technology and consumer industries. Torossian is known as one of the country's foremost experts on crisis communications. He has lectured on crisis PR at Harvard Business School, appears regularly in the media and has authored two editions of his book, "For Immediate Release: Shape Minds, Build Brands, and Deliver Results With Game-Changing Public Relations," which is an industry best-seller. Torossian's strategic, resourceful approach has been recognized with numerous awards including being named the Stevie American Business Awards Entrepreneur of the Year, the American Business Awards PR Executive of the Year, twice over, an Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year semi-finalist, a Top Crisis Communications Professional by Business Insider, Metropolitan Magazine's Most Influential New Yorker, and a recipient of Crain's New York Most Notable in Marketing & PR. Outside of 5W, Torossian serves as a business advisor to and investor in multiple early stage businesses across the media, B2B and B2C landscape. Torossian is the proud father of two daughters. He is an active member of the Young Presidents Organization (YPO) and a board member of multiple not for profit organizations.