Subject: Re: If RFK gets confirmed ,
It's influential and important, of course. Its audience surely over-represents the hardcore politically active folks within the GOP base, and it can serve as an imprimatur and thought leader and political gatekeeper within the party. But not it's not pervasive.
Agree that people watching Fox is not a huge number but it's just one source of misinformation infection.
From '91 to 2021 Rush Limbaugh's show had 15 to 26 million daily listeners depending on the source you choose(EIB claimed the higher figure, of course, kinda like Trump claiming the biggest inauguration ever) !
Also, you are not considering the multiplier effect of coordinated misinformation campaigns.
The combo of electronic sources infect the daily activities in overt and subtle ways; school, sports, social clubs, workplaces, churches, school boards, supposedly "non-partisan" councils and Boards, employment unions.
"The term “magic multiplier” itself might not be a standard term, but it appears to emphasize the significant and sometimes seemingly disproportionate effects that certain actions or inputs can have on various processes, systems, or outcomes. It’s essential to recognize that real-world scenarios are complex and subject to various factors, so the actual effects of multipliers may not always be straightforward or linear. In the context of development communication, mass media is considered a magic multiplier as it can have a significant impact on information dissemination."