Had you ever heard of William F. Buckley, Jr.? Your recap of American political history leads me to believe the answer is no.
Buckley was a very minor player in the media at the time.
He did a fair amount with what little he had. Better than nothing, for certain. He helped keep some conservative ideas alive.
National Review was one minor political magazine.
Consider his influence on society compared to Time, Look, NewsWeek, even Reader’s Digest and National Geographic.