“The conservative movement’s strategy is to delegitimize the media regardless of its fairness and accuracy. In its place, we’ve seen the rise of  broadcasters whose foremost loyalty isn’t to informing their audience. What we have are propagandists masquerading as journalists.” — Ex-pat Brit, advocate for G.W. Bush in two presidential elections, and gay HIV-positive libertarian conservative Andrew Sullivan posts on Hugh Hewitt today.

Frye in Words with Power:

We distinguish two forms of rhetoric which, if not always debased, are certainly suspect: propaganda and advertising.  They are suspect because their approach is ironic . . . [O]nly the forms of rhetorical propaganda that are backed by threats and penalties designed to eliminate the ironic response are actively debased. (CW 26, 38)

With entities like Fox News we get no journalism, no irony, propaganda funded by advertising, and a steady stream of threats and penalties.