Manufacturing Consent

In their first chapter of Manufacturing Consent, Edward S. Herman and Noam Chomsky introduce us to "A Propaganda Model" that they use to demonstrate "the possibility that the government might be manipulating the news, imposing its own agenda, and deliberately diverting attention from other material." They say it "requires a macro, alongside a micro- (story-by-story), view of media operations, to see the pattern of manipulation and systematic bias." Do they do an adequate job to convince me of this; they most certainly helped raise my awareness of how I process information. The five filters they present are very convincing and drew my attention to the problem with our media and has caused me to become much more of critical thinker.

Chomsky's books have been key in addressing this problem in the media, and being that they are so very well written they have had a global impact. His writing contributed significantly to be considered at one time arguably the most important intellectual alive. After watching him in interviews and in debates, it is my conviction that he is just as persuasive in person as he is in his writings. His cool, calm, levelheaded demeanor significantly adds credibility to his arguments. He seemed almost always to be very relaxed and yet passionate about the subjects he would address. He always articulated his points with precision and excellence, and he often times was very humorous. Noam Chomsky, I'm sure, is more convincing on paper to some, and in person to others. I think he does an excellent job utilizing either medium.

Category:

Education

Tags:

• Manufacturing
• Consent
• Noam
• Chomsky