Jackie Calmes, Joan Shorenstein Fellow (Spring 2015) and national correspondent for The New York Times, introduces her new discussion paper examining the increasing influence of conservative media on the Republican Party's agenda. Calmes found that beyond the big names and outlets such as Limbaugh and Fox, smaller local personalities also exert significant influence over listeners and politicians. This influence is troubling to leaders in the Republican Party, who Calmes interviewed extensively for the paper. She argues that today's conservative media now shapes the agenda of the party, pushing it to the far right – at the expense of its ability to govern and pick presidential nominees.