Media control
"Chomsky's backpocket classic on wartime propaganda and opinion control has been updated and expanded into a two-section book, and redesigned following the acclaimed format of his Open Media anti-war bestseller, 9-11. The new edition of Media Control also includes 'The Journalist from Mars, ' Chomsky's 2002 talk on the media coverage of America's 'new war on terrorism.' Chomsky begins by asserting two models of democracy -- one in which the public actively participates, and one in which the public is manipulated and controlled. According to Chomsky 'propaganda is to democracy what the bludgeon is to a totalitarian state, ' and the mass media is the primary vehicle for delivering propaganda in the United States. From an examination of how Woodrow Wilson's Creel Commission 'suceeded, within six months, in turning a pacifist population into a hysterical, war-mongering population, ' to Bush Sr.'s war on Iraq, Chomsky examines how the mass media and public relations industries have been used as propaganda to generate public support for going to war. Chomsky touches on how the modern public relations industry has been influenced by Walter Lippmann's theory of 'spectator democracy, ' in which the public is seen as a 'bewildered herd' that needs to be directed, not empowered; and how the public relations industry in the United States focuses on 'controlling the public mind, ' and not on informing it.
Stats for nerds
1recommend
3mentions
3people
2017–2022years
33% recommend67% neutral
Mentions per year
What Hacker News says
- > - "There’s a fun conspiracy theory that popped up recently called the Dead Internet Theory..." > I hadn't heard of this. Now that's some sci-fi level of conspiracy but in today's world it seems totally plausible.
I never believed in conspiracy theories, and after I read "Media Control" by Noam Chomsky I understood there is no need for conspiracy theories once you understand how individual incentives are aligned and how individuals always act to maximise profits.
Someone on HN phrased this and I am not taking credit for it but it explains beautifully whats going on: "Google is not making money by showing you the best search result they can, they make money by keeping you searching."
- As a Spaniard (southern), I fully respect that some part of the country wants to decide about their future and become independent. This is like a relationship and sometimes relationships get to an end (for whatever reason).
I support their right to decide but at the same time I feel that the way this has been managed by both Catalan and Spanish governments is not going to have a good outcome :(
On the other side I always had the feeling that this is just politicians willing to use this situation for their own benefit and raise votes. Instead of creating a peaceful dialogue (both sides) they just prefer to keep with the same story over and over creating more and more hate between different parts of the country...
It comes to my mind a book by Chomsky (Media Control) that suggest how US has created always an enemy to have the country united and the support of the people.
Borders..... such a colonial western invention and all the problems they have created.....
- > Basically voters can no longer be trusted with making up their own mind in a democracy and they need to be automatically manipulated for the greater good
That sounds very much like Noah Chomsky.
The pretext of Media Control is that the general public is a bewildered herd that needs to be kept entertained and divided, less they engage in unwelcome "activism". Namely, democracy.
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