March 29, 2024
INTERVIEW: How Right-Wing Media Brainwashes People by Installing “Sticky Beliefs”, with filmmaker Jen Sen
On Escaping the Rabbit Hole podcast, with Antonio Perez
➭➭➭➭ LISTEN HERE! ➭➭➭➭➭
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RECENT EVENTS
Sunday, February 10, 2024
Screening of “The Brainwashing of My Dad” at The Ethical Culture Society of Bergen County, Teaneck NJ. Followed by a Q&A with filmmaker, Jen Senko
Thursday, November 2, 2023
Jen Senko was a Keynote speaker at The International Coercive Control Conference (ICCC). TOPIC: “The Cost of Coercion in the Media: Lessons Learned from The Brainwashing of MY Dad“
➭➭➭➭ REGISTER HERE! ➭➭➭➭➭
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August 30, 2023: The Chauncey DeVega show | ➭ LISTEN HERE
“Jen Senko shares her thoughts on the new CBS News/YouGov poll that shows how Donald Trump’s followers trust him more than their friends, family members, and religious leaders. In essence, and once again, Donald Trump is the leader of a fascist political cult.”
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July 22, 2023: Jon Atack, Family & Friends | Interview (youtube channel)
“Jen Senko talks about her fascinating documentary and the book of the same title which gives even more detail of the information war waging in the US. Jen's dad Frank was a thoughtful, considerate man who became a raging fanatic when his information sources were restricted to right-wing media - especially Fox "News" and Rush Limbaugh. Jen found that this plague has touched many families in the US. It seems astonishing that a literate, intelligent man who spoke seven languages could have been pulled into this hateful echo chamber. Jen gives us a remarkable perspective on the machinations of the right and the need for us to check our information.”
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June 28, 2023
Radicalized: Truth Survives — an investigative podcast on disinformation and radicalization with Heidi Cuda, Jim Stewartson, High Fidelity, and Sean Conner.
Special Guest: Jen Senko
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June 22, 2023
Steven Hassan, Phd, Freedom of Mind Resource Center — “The Brainwashing of My Dad”, with Jen Senko
Read the blog post and watch the interview ▶HERE
— or watch the interview here (youtube) ➭➭➭ —
See More Recent Events, Articles and Interviews below…
The Webby Award-Winning Documentary is Now a New Book!
Order at Your Favorite Indy Bookstore or on Amazon
If your indie bookstore doesn't currently list it as available, ask them to add it.
If you have a Goodreads account, add the book to your “Want to Read” list, and please recommend as a Must-Read!
For a Signed and Personalized Copy:
Order one from Three Lives Bookstore — Call the store at 212-741-2069 or email info@threelives.com to order.
- “Jen Senko’s work is essential for understanding the political dysfunction the United States is experiencing today. Many of us have documented aspects of the disinformation system that is dividing our nation, but she shows us how it works, through her exploration of Fox News' and right-wing radio's devastating effect on her family and our communities. Everyone who wants to save our democracy needs to learn from her lessons.”
- — Anne Nelson, author of “Shadow Network: Media, Money, and the Secret Hub of the Radical Right”
- “Jen's story is brilliant and gives us all insight about what we can do when lying right-wing media seize the minds of our friends and family.”
- — Thom Hartmann, New York Times bestselling author and progressive talk show host
- “Jen Senko explores the root cause of America’s political crisis: the susceptibility of millions of our citizens to expert political propaganda. Tragically, one victim was her own father; luckily, she helped him recover. Anyone who wonders why there is so much hatred, division, and fear in the country needs to read this poignant story.”
- — Mike Lofgren, American author and former Republican U.S. Congressional aide
- “The Brainwashing of My Dad not only uses one family's story to elucidate a problem that has plagued American society for decades—right wing disinformation, it also shows a way forward for people who care about America. Many people have wondered what happened to their relatives or friends in recent years. This film shows how far-right propaganda can take hold of people without them even realizing it's happened.”
- — Matt Sheffield, publisher at Flux and host of the "Theory of Change" podcast
Gus Miller—Against the Current, No. 219, July/August 2022, “The High Price of Delusion”, review of the book, “The Brainwashing of My Dad” | ▶ READ HERE
Oct. 4, 2023 | Chauncey Devega—SALON, “ ‘A clarion call to arms’: Experts on why MAGA remains impervious to anti-Trump Republicans' message” | ▶ READ HERE
Jen Senko is the director of the documentary "The Brainwashing of My Dad."
Yes, Trump COULD stand in the middle of Fifth Avenue and shoot someone, and they would still be devoted. Dare I say he could even claim he's a woke lib and his followers wouldn't even hear it. It no longer matters what he says.
We all know by now; this is classic cult behavior. It's all about the leader, not the ideology or what the person they follow represents—they might represent nothing. Cult followers abdicate their reasoning, and their own ideas of what is good or bad to a leader. Giving themselves over to a leader absolves them of any guilt or responsibility. If confused by all the stuff flooding the zone and the contradictions in the news, it's almost a relief to just hand it over to a leader who says He Knows.
May 23, 2022, 7pm (UK) | The MindShift podcast with Dr. Clint Heacock | ▶ LISTEN HERE
May 19, 2022 | Interview with The David Feldman Show | ▶ WATCH HERE
Feb. 28, 2022 | Q&A—The Daily Edge with Richard Hine: “Brainwashing Our Troops: As Ukrainians fight for their lives, it's time to permanently remove pro-Putin propaganda from US military bases” | ▶ READ HERE
Feb 10, 2022 | CommonDreams.org: “It's Time the Pentagon Pulled the Plug on Fox News” by Jen Senko and Mike Lofgren | ▶ READ HERE
Tuesday, Dec. 7, 2021 | Q&A with Richard Hine in The Daily Edge—▶ READ HERE
Oct. 27, 2021| Salon—Chauncey DeVega interview: “Jen Senko on how Fox News brainwashed her dad — and is now prepping its audience for fascism” | ▶ READ HERE on Salon.com
May 11, 2023, 6:30pm | Spencer Creek Library, “TOPIC—The Brainwashing of My Dad”
May 10, 2023 |bobcesca.com | The Bob Cesca Interview: “Jen Senko Returns”—[Explicit Language]| ▶ LISTEN HERE
May 2, 2023 | “Counterspin” with Janine Jackson (FAIR.org), “interview with Jen Senko on hate talk” | transcript, ▶ READ HERE
April 28, 2023 |FAIR (Fairness and Accuracy in Media) — “Jen Senko on the Cost of Hate Talk” | ▶ LISTEN HERE
April 27, 2023: MSNBC’s Joy Reid interviews Jen Senko on “The ReidOut” | ▶ WATCH HERE
February 26, 2023 | “Save the Date—Speakeasy with Jen Senko” on the Bette Dangerous substack with Heidi Cuba | ▶ READ HERE
February 21, 2023 | “Changing the Channel with Jen Senko”: RADICALIZED podcast with Heidi Cuda, Jim Stewartson, High Fidelity, and Sean Conner | ▶ WATCH HERE (youtube)
January 6, 2023 | Irish Granny Tarot (Helen Cowan podcast) | A Conversation with Jen Senko | ▶ WATCH HERE (youtube)
December 4, 2022 | Gary Purifory—P4T: The Brainwashing of My Dad, Part 2, with special guest Jen Senko | ▶ LISTEN HERE
October 6, 2022, 7 PM EDT| Screening of the film for Indivisible St. Louis
July 26, 2022| Vice TV: Jen Senko will be interviewed about Rush Limbaugh in an episode of ViceTV's series called: "The Dark Side of the 90s".
May 15, 2022 | Irish Granny Tarot—A [followup] Conversation with Jen Senko | ▶ WATCH HERE (youtube)
Wednesday, May 4 | THIS IS REVOLUTION podcast—Deprogramming the Right Wing Brainwash w/ Jen Senko + Special Guest Host Dr. Andrew Hartman | ▶ WATCH HERE
Sunday, April 10, 2022 | KSQD90.7FM “Be Bold America!” with Jill Cody | ▶ LISTEN HERE: https://ksqd.org/what-happened-to-my-dad-with-jen-senko/
Monday, Mar. 28, 2022 | Irish Granny Tarot—A Conversation with Jen Senko | ▶ WATCH here
Thursday, Mar. 24, 2022, 1:00pm EST | LIVE STREAMING—Matthew Sheffield @TheoryChange broadcast w/@Jen_Senko to discuss her book and film | WATCH ▶ Facebook Livestream or ▶ Youtube Livestream
Friday, Feb 11, 2022 | Background Briefing with Ian Masters: Fox's Propaganda is Undermining Our Military and National Security | ▶ Listen Here
Wednesday, Jan. 19, 2022 | SoBroRadio on Youtube: Speaking with the director of “The Brainwashing of my Dad” @Jen_Senko on the rise of conservative new media | ▶ youtube link HERE
Interview with Steven Hassan | ▶ JOIN the live virtual watch party HERE
Saturday, Dec. 11, 2021, 8:00pm EST/5:00pm PST | Zoom Event with Media and Democracy Working Group Washington State
Wednesday, Dec. 1, 2021 | Zoom Event with Indivisible St. Louis—Meet Author and Documentary Film Maker JEN SENKO discussing her new book “The Brainwashing of My Dad”. LISTEN and WATCH HERE Book readings and Q&A
Tuesday Nov 30, 2021 | Your Call with Rose Aguilar, KALW Public Media in San Francisco, a live listener call-in show. Guests include Jen Senko, Albert Samaha, (BuzzFeed), Dr. Jeanne Shafer.
Tuesday Nov 23, 2021, 8:00pm | “None of the Above” with J.D. Durkin—Cheddar News (Streaming TV) | Live stream or on multiple streaming TV platforms
Friday Nov. 5th, 2021, 8:40am | The Jimmy Malone iHeartmedia Cleveland Radio Show | LISTEN HERE
Oct. 28, 2021 | Miggs and Trace Burroughs interview Jen Senko | WATCH HERE or LISTEN HERE
Oct. 19, 2021, 2:00 PM | The Lowdown with Ira Wood | LISTEN HERE
Oct. 17, 2021, 11:00 AM | Reliable Sources with Brian Stelter on CNN | WATCH THE VIDEO HERE (or the full version HERE)
Oct. 11, 2021, 11:00 AM | The Thom Hartman Show | LISTEN HERE and HERE (2 parts)
Oct. 7, 2021, 6:00 PM | The Beat with Ari Melber on MSNBC | READ THE TRANSCRIPT HERE
Oct. 6, 2021, 3:00 PM | The Nicole Sandler Show | LISTEN HERE
Oct. 6, 2021, 9:00 AM | The WSLR Peace & Justice Report | LISTEN HERE
Oct. 5, 2021, 8:45 AM | The Benjamin Dixon Show | LISTEN HERE or WATCH HERE (segment begins at 1:00:24)
Oct. 5, 2021 | Rhetoric Warriors, Dr. Dan French | LISTEN HERE or WATCH HERE
Jul. 21, 2021 | The Art of Film Funding podcast with Carole Dean | LISTEN: From a Personal Experience to a Film, Join Jen Senko, The Brainwashing of My Dad
- “A Compelling Fusion of Personal Narrative and American History...” → Read More... (at amazon.com)
- — reader Robert Rosen (Amazon)
- “Ms. Senko has done a phenomenal job of combining her family’s story with meticulous research to create a compelling and relatable narrative...” → Read More... (at goodreads.com)
- — reader Suzi
- “The Brainwashing of my Dad book came out today. We already know many of the hows and whys, but Jen Senko goes deeply into the Psy-ops operation known as Fox News. Her voice is relatable to families everywhere whose loved ones have morphed into somebody different.”
- — Sue Wilson
- “Thoroughly enjoyed this book. It lived up to its title and more so. Ms. Senko is roughly my age and I am from the same part of the North East US. I sense she is politically center-left not by Trump standards a socialist, communist instead as she makes clear in the book one who is tolerant of all.
The real bonus for me in this book is she explains how the right-wing media came about with changes in laws regarding cross-ownership and more importantly no need to any longer present both sides or more of an issue in order to have an FCC license” → Read More... (at goodreads.com) - — Michael Hassel
Frank Senko had always known how to have a good time. Despite growing up in a poverty-stricken family during the Depression and having to fight his way to middle-class status as an adult, he tended to look on the bright side. But after a job change forced Frank to begin a long car commute every day, his daughter Jen noticed changes in his personality and beliefs. Long hours on the road listening to talk radio commentators like Rush Limbaugh sucked her father into a suspicion-laden worldview dominated by conspiracy theories, fake news, and rants about the coastal elite and libtards trying to destroy America.
Over the course of a few years, Jen's dad went from a nonpolitical, open-minded Democrat to a radical, angry, and intolerant right-wing devotee who became a stranger to those closest to him. As politics began to take precedence over everything else in her father's life, Jen was mystified. What happened to her dad? Was there anything she could do to help? And, most importantly, would he ever be his lovable self again? Jen began the search for answers, and found them... as well stories from countless other families like her own.
Based on the award-winning documentary, The Brainwashing of My Dad uncovers the alarming right-wing strategy to wield the media as a weapon against our very democracy. Jen's story shows us how Fox News and other ultra-conservative media outlets are reshaping the way millions of Americans view the world, and encourages us to fight back.
Sourcebooks, 9781728239590, 320pp.
Publication Date: October 5, 2021