Press coverage of Russia's interference in the 2016 presidential race has turned into a "hyperventilating, over-emphasized" media frenzy, Emmy-winning journalist Sharyl Attkisson told Newsmax TV.
"Let me be clear: I do believe Russians tried to interfere with our elections, that they long have, as have the Chinese, as have we in other elections," Attkisson, host of "Full Measure with Sharyl Attkisson" said Thursday on "The Steve Malzberg Show."
"This is not unusual. It's based on what I hear from intel officials I trust. But all the coverage that we're seeing smacks very much of a narrative and a propaganda campaign."
"And it's very interesting to sort of observe it, from the sort of hyperventilating, over-emphasized media coverage on something that is far less important than other things that are being ignored or not covered as heavily. This all smacks of sort of a campaign."
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Still, Attkisson told host Steve Malzberg, she is not surprised by the media's focus.
"Not at all," Attkisson said. "I just feel like, as I've said many times, we're living in sort of an artificial reality created by the narrative du jour, by whatever politicians or special interests have their grip on the news that day. We're getting very little sort-of-original thoughts in news coverage anymore."
Attkisson is the author of the upcoming book, "The Smear: How Shady Political Operatives and Fake News Control What You See, What You Think, and How You Vote," to be published by Harper in June.
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