Lecture Notes: Media as Propaganda

Introduction to Propaganda

• Commonly associated with authoritarian countries (e.g., North Korea, Kazakhstan, Iran)
• Contrasted with democracies (e.g., United States, France, Australia)
• Discussion of perceived press freedom and freedom of thought

"Manufacturing Consent" by Noam Chomsky and Edward Herman

• Published in 1988
• Challenges the notion of media as a check on political power
• Argues media serves to manufacture public consent
• Claims democracy is staged with the assistance of media functioning as propaganda machines

The Five Filters of Media

1. Ownership

• Mass media firms are large corporations
• Often part of bigger conglomerates
• Primary objective: Profit
• Critical journalism is secondary to corporate interests

2. Advertising

• Media costs exceed what consumers can pay
• Advertisers fill the financial gap
• Media sells audiences to advertisers, not just content

3. Sourcing

• Journalism system encourages complicity
• Governments and corporations influence news narratives
• Media relies on scoops, official accounts, expert interviews provided by those in power
• Power and media are interdependent

4. Flak

• Dissenting journalists and stories face backlash
• Flak machine discredits sources, dismisses inconvenient stories, and diverts conversations

5. Common Enemy

• Need for a common enemy to manufacture consent
• Historical examples: Communism, terrorists, immigrants
• Enemy serves to unify public opinion through fear

Conclusion

• Media operates through these filters to manufacture consent constantly
• Public opinion is shaped by these mechanisms