Media manipulation

The processmedia manipulationbased onuselogical fallaciespropaganda techniques,is used by some individuals or groupsindividualsinfluencesuppress information or pointsview by crowding them out ofmedia, or by inducing other people or groupspeoplestop listeningcertain arguments, or simply by drawing their attention elsewhere.

• Distraction by nationalism (see transfer withinarticle propaganda): A variant ontraditional ad hominembandwagon fallacies appliedentire countries. The method isdiscredit arguments coming from other countries by appealingnationalistic pride or memorypast accomplishments, or appealingfear or dislike ofspecific country, orforeignersgeneral. It can be very powerful asdiscredits foreign journalists (the ones thatleast easily manipulated by domestic political or corporate interests).
  • Example: "You wantknow what I really think ofEuropeans?" askedsenior United States State Department official. "I thinkhave been wrong on just about every major international issue forpast 20 years." [1] Asmost persuasion methods,can easily be appliedreverse,this case,callstatementsUS government representatives "American arrogance".

• Straw man (see Straw man fallacy): Lumpingstrong opposition argument togetherone or many weak ones,createsimplistic weak argument that can easily be refuted.
  • Example: Grouping all opposed to2003 InvasionIraq as "pacifists", socan be refuted by argumentswargeneral. Asmost persuasion methods,can easily be appliedreverse,this case,group all those who supportedinvasion togetherlabel them as "warmongers" or "lackeys ofUnited States".

• Distraction by scapegoat (See scapegoating withinarticle propaganda): A combinationstraw manad hominem,which your weakest opponent (or easiestdiscredit)considered as your only important opponent.
  • Example: If many countriesopposedour actions, but onethem (say, France)obviously acting outself-interest, mention mostly France.'' Asmost persuasion methods,can easily be appliedreverse,this case, attemptingdiscredit George W. Bushorderdiscreditentire coalition against Iraq.

• Distraction by phenomenon : A risky but effective strategy summarized by David Mamet's movie WagDog,whichpublic can be distracted,long periodstime, from an important issue, by one which occupies more news time. Whenstrategy works, you havewar or other media event taking attention away from misbehaving or crooked leaders. Whenstrategy does not work,leader's misbehavior remains inpress, andwarderided as an attempted distraction.
  • US President Clinton's involvementBosniaoften cited as an example.

• Marginalization (See AppealauthorityBandwagon withinarticle propaganda): This onewidespreadsubtle: Simply giving credence only"mainstream" sourcesinformation, whichalsoeasiestmanipulate by corporate or political interests, sincecan be owned or sponsored by them. Information, arguments,objections that come from other sourcessimply considered "fringe"ignored, or their proponents permanently discredited.
  • Example: "I think there arelotpeople out there who feelway I do, but haven't wantedcome forward because they're afraidbeing identified withfringe group..." Langley said. "I don't believeallthings that all(anti-war) groups stand for, but we all do share onein common: I do believe that this warwrong." [1] Asmost persuasion methods,can easily be appliedreverse,this case, Jacques Chirac callingleadersseveral European nations "badly brought up"supportingUS.

• Demonisation ofopposition (See Obtain disapproval withinarticle propaganda): A more general casedistraction by nationalism. Opposing viewsascribedan out-groupthus dismissed outhand. This approach, carriedextremes, becomesformsuppression, asMcCarthyism, where anyone disapproving ofgovernment was considered "un-american""Communist"was likelybe denounced.
  • Example: The consignmentalmost all dissent to"International Jewish conspiracy" by Nazi Germany. Asmost persuasion methods,can easily be appliedreverse,this case,consignmentvoices supporting action against Iraq as being "Hawks".''

• Googlewashing: A newly coined word by Andrew OrlowskiThe Register [1]April2003describealleged practicechangingmeaning ofmeme (in this example, Second Superpower) by web-publishingwell-linked article usingterman inoffensive manner, strippedits political significance.

People concerned about media manipulation have promotedteachingmedia literacyteach aboutabove techniquesthus make them less effectivepeople thus educated.

See also

• spin
• propaganda
• McCarthyism
• censorship
• censorship inUnited States
• Edward Bernays
• Disinfopedia
• meme
• Noam Chomsky
• patriotic journalism

Weblinks

• Specific Sites Excluded from Google.fr and/or Google.de