Page:Communication Stream of Conspiracy Commerce.pdf/6



In order to fully understand the Whitewater story, it is important to understand how conservative groups are, and have been, able to generate a media frenzy over the Whitewater story.

The "Media Food Chain" The media food chain is the system by which right-wing activists feed conspiracy theories and innuendo from the fringes into the mainstream media. The "food chain" starts with activists such as Willie Horton creator Floyd Brown, Sheffield Nelson and Larry Nichols. These activists feed the partisan conservative press publications such as the American Spectator, the Washington Times and the editorial page of the Wall Street Journal. The mainstream press then picks up on these reports.

The "Blow-Back" Strategy One specific "food chain" strategy is the "blow-back." The blow-back starts with conservative groups feeding material to the British tabloids, such as the Sunday Telegraph. Conservative American tabloids and mainstream then report on the British reports.

For example, recently the Washington Times reprinted Ambrose Evans-Pritchard's Sunday Telegraph response to a Washington Post article on Vince Foster conspiracy theorists. Pritchard, who took offense to being lumped in with conspiracy theorists, has been a leading reporter of various conspiracies — most recently accusing Vince Foster of secretly being a spy (Washington Times, 7/10/95 and Washington Post; 7/4/95)

The Richard Scaife Connection In addition to use of the media food chain and blow-back strategies, conservatives have another tie — their source of funds. A number of groups that have been peddling conspiracy theories (mainly questioning the suicide of Deputy White House Counsel Vince Foster) are funded by Richard M. Scaife.

Richard Scaife is an heir to the Mellon fortune with an estimated net worth of $750 million. In addition to his financial support of purveyors of Vince Foster conspiracy theories, Scaife also is a Newt Gingrich insider — backing many of the groups that support and defend Newt Gingrich, including contributing $60,000 to GOPAC and $450,000 to the Landmark Legal Foundation. CLINTON LIBRARY PHOTOCOPY