Darren Bailey has announced another run for governor of Illinois. The downstate farmer easily won the Republican primary in 2022, but went on to lose to Democratic Gov. J.B. Pritzker by 13 points.

Bailey’s quick rise raises a question: How did a relatively obscure state lawmaker from rural Illinois end up with his party’s nomination? A new book argues the mainstream media bears much of the responsibility for giving Bailey the platform from which to launch his campaign. It’s called, “Amplifying Extremism: Small Town Politicians, Media Storms, and American Journalism.” We’ll talk about it with co-author and communications professor Nik Usher.