United States of Distraction

- As the driving forces behind the Project Censored institution and annual yearbook, Higdon and Huff are well-positioned as critics, advocates, and reformers of media, journalism, and politics. Their perspective on how media influences society is authoritative and well-established. Given the mounting crises posed by the Trump presidency, their critique of media’s role in giving rise to division, intolerance, and far-right tendencies is timely and urgent, and the market for their perspective—those who are aghast with the Trumps—is vast. This book will draw from and build on Project Censored’s well-established national readership. - This is a must-read book to understand the playbook for an imperial presidency, one exploiting several historically rooted vulnerabilities in American society, especially around education and the media, and prevent it from happening again. We can still reverse our current trajectory toward a more fascistic culture and become one that is more equitable and representative. This book shows us how we can do just that. - Mickey Huff's previous work with Project Censored had warned that a Trump-like figure would emerge unless we ameliorated our societal vulnerabilities, especially in the public sphere (education, free press). This book properly situates Trump as a symptom, not the central cause, of the crises of contemporary US political culture, one almost half a century in the making along with the rise of neoliberalism. - Assesses the role media and entertainment played in Trump’s rise to political power. - Offers suggestions for taking action regarding changing media and education to counter influences of corporate power and alt right. - Meant to provide historical context and political and analytical depth presented for a general reading audience, especially for use in lower division college courses, or AP high school as well. - Project Censored is a well-established progressive institution with a diverse array of publicity and marketing resources at its disposal including social media, email lists, web sites, blog, and radio programming. These will all be on tap to augment outreach, marketing, and publicity for this book. -The Project Censored radio show on Pacifica Radio is nationally syndicated on 40 stations from Hawaii to New York. Project Censored has 12,000 Twitter followers and 60,000 Facebook followers. Project Censored promotional email list reaches 20,000 subscribers. Academic outreach list of 4,000 sociology and media studies professors. 20 campuses connected via Project Censored affiliate programs. Direct mailing to 20,000 addresses (snail mail). Authors give talks all the time, especially through KPFA in Berkeley. - List of campuses that have worked with Project Censored, whose research has been vetted and posted online and/or published in their annual books as part of their Validated Independent News Stories curriculum, overseen by their associate director, Dr. Andy Lee Roth: Univeristy of Vermont, Champlain College, UMass-Amherst, Worcester State, SUNY Buffalo, UC Riverside, Pomona College, Citrus College, College of Marin, North Central College, St. Lawrence University, Fordham, Diablo Valley College, Napa Valley College, Chabot College, Indian River State College, Los Positas College, University of San Francisco, San Francisco State, California State University Easty Bay, Sonoma State, Syracuse, University of Regina, and College of Western Idaho. - Authors plan to tour, including bookstore signings and university talks, panels, and conferences - They will give interviews local and nationally, including Democracy Now!