Welcome to The Matrix, How Propaganda Control Our Lives By Mel

 

Throughout the years traditional media to a degree educated and influenced the way we think.  Propaganda as Noam Chomsky mention, the way the media has the ability to exploit persuasive tactics is very difficult to detect.  Few large corporations or part of conglomerates controls the media so the information we receive is mostly bias.  This puts the public at large to a disadvantage because we cannot tell what is factual unless we do a thorough research or what is opinionated framed as a fact.  Our fragmented society has embraced more technology in exchange for less critical thinking which means we depend on the twenty percent elite to make decisions for us.  Fierce competition in the media attracts lobbyists along with interest groups to change or converse issues that externally affects us.  To the average person they do not take the time to research the information being fed and therefore they assume it is factual based on what is presented.  The media today is sharply partisan which creates a two-party political system based on persuasion and ratings.

Issues are framed to persuade you to think a certain way.  Frame setting is a very effective tool to spread propaganda throughout the media.  Mostly they focus on the reaction of the audience.  Let’s take for example the issue abortion.  Popular network channels like Fox News engage their audience by framing the reported story around the word ‘baby’ which will attract more pro-life members.  Fox news propaganda message, “Fair and balance” is known to be more conservative plants a seed in a person’s mind that already exist.  Only if the individual is open-minded enough he/she may do a research on the story or observe another experts point of view before making a decision.  On the opposite end in the media is their competitor MSNBC News with their propaganda message, “The place for politics,” reported the same story on the issue abortion.  In contrast they framed the issue around the word ‘fetus’ which will attract more pro-choice members.  MSNBC is known to be a more liberal network compare to their counterpart.  The gate keepers used these necessary illusions to purposely have the rest of society to follow their lead.  Transmitted propaganda message on a frame issue from the media trickles down to their audience which trickles down to individuals or their peers who are less educated.  Those with low media literacy conform to their peers’ ideas without challenging or researching the issue on their own.  They view their friends as opinion leaders; the very same ones who received uncheck information from the top elite in the media.  This creates a social group and gives meaning with shared values to converge with the same idea.