Media Control: The Spectacular Achievements of Propaganda (Open Media Series) by Noam Chomsky (PDF)

Description

Noam Chomsky’s backpocket classic on wartime propaganda and opinion control 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 as 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 “succeeded, 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 further 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. Media Control is an invaluable primer on the secret workings of disinformation in democratic societies.

User’s Reviews

Reviews from Amazon users which were colected at the time this book was published on the website:

⭐Another thoughtful and insightful book by a recognized master. Dr. Chomsky enumerates all the dangers that result from too few sources having the “voice”/ability to be trusted to inform the masses. This book shows you how Hitler’s propaganda assault fooled a large portion of the German people. And those techniques are being used here in America, and have been for quite some time. He lends credence (if not complete proof) to the quote by A. J. Liebling, that – “Freedom of the press is guaranteed only to those who own one.” – is the cold, hard truth.

⭐Simple, easy to understand, to the point, your average brilliant Chomsky. This book should be required reading for every student of history or social studies. It gives prospective and general understanding to something as complex as mass-media and its relationship and effect on the American people. I would even recommend it to anyone not in America so that they may understand how the American media functions and manipulates the public opinion.

⭐Is there any better time to live than right now to discuss Media manipulation and control? Noam knows what he is talking about and has known for a long time. He understand sociology, thinking, psychology, people, the media, and how everything works together. A must read for today’s thinker.

⭐Propaganda is a form of communication that aims to influence attitudes toward a cause or position. It is primarily aimed to influence an audience.Fundamentally, it should be a neutral term. However, it grew up with a negative connotation by association with the world wars.In 1924, Adolf Hitler wrote that “propaganda is a truly terrible weapon in the hands of an expert”. While the term propaganda might evoke oceaninc crowds of people rising arms and shouting “Heil Hitler” it is important to note that it was not invented by the Nazis.The original latin word refers to the biological reproduction of flora and fauna (to propagate, things that must be disseminated), whereas the Papacy coined the phrase propaganda fide.The Sacred Congregation for the Propagation of Faith is a Congregation of the Roman Curia for the Evangelization of Peoples (Congregation pro Gentium Evangelizatione). In 1622, Pope Gregory XV founded the Sacra Congregatio de Propaganda Fide (sacra congregatio christiano nomini propaganda) but it was Pope Urban VIII who made it an institution.Noam Chomsky’s Media Control is a little and easy to read book. Loved it. If you get a chance and you would like to know what is the role of the media in contemporary politics (and open your mind to new ways of thinking if you are not familiar with Propaganda) this is a book for you.Clearly, it is U.S. centric (as pretty much all the books available to market).It will take one hour of your time (more or less depending on your reading skills) to be read.Noam Chomsky goes directly to the point and his thinking will not leave the reader disappointed. You might wish to try it as an appetizer. Then, if you want more. There’s much more Content worth reading/watching/listening to from Noam’s brilliant mind.

⭐”The Essence of Society is engineering Consent.” –Edward Bernays, adviser to Woodrow Wilson.”Media Control” is both brief and informative. The great thing about thi book is you can apply the concepts to instances in the past and present. The omniscient and omnipotent media. It dictates what most of us discuss at the dinner table, or over a cup of coffee or beer. The topics at hand are spoon-fed to us, and often our very own opinions are spoon-fed to us also. Often, we get a narrow pre-defined “choice” of 2 positions to take on these complicated topics. Often the two positions are oversimplified and more nuanced than actually opposing one another. These issues and circumstances are not that simple. But the media constructs and defines the parameters, simplifies and narrows them, and dishes them out to the public. This is the narrow field of play the mainstream media hands to us. We sheepishly accept it, often without being aware of it nor critically thinking about it. Our opinions on these chosen topics are often limited.”Media Control” is applicable for the past, present, and future. The rules basically stay the same.”Not every item of news should be published. Rather must those who control news policies endeavor to make every item of news serve a certain purpose.”-Joseph Goebbels”It is the absolute right of the state to supervise the formation of public opinion.” -Joseph GoebbelsRecent real-life instances of “Media Control” include Freedom Fries, pre-emptive attacks, war-mongering, PNAC, and the Neo-con fad that has infiltrated the US government via appointments, and influenced the US public in recent years: A high percentage of the American public according to polling data is not interested in attacking and overthrowing governments in foreign countries. Therefore, the public has to be influenced, excited, and engineered to endorse such endeavors. Fear is the best motivator to influence public opinion.One example cited among many was the American public’s perception and belief that Iraq would invade the United States. Iraqi armed forces landing on the shores of New Jersey or California? Imagine that. The Americans had to “fight them [the Sunnis) on their soil or they’d have to fight them on our soil.” 7/10 American polled believe Iraq & Hussein were involved in 9-11 during the media onslaught that began with Judith Miller of the NY Times and the GWB administration. The Iraq conflict is near (perhaps) the end of US troop involvement, but it’s a great illustraion of Media Control.Another example from this book is former Panamanian ally, Manuel Noriega: a small time operator that dealt drugs in cooperation with the US the government, until he fell out of favor. Noriega was made larger than life. Made into a caricature of a dangerous thug. A threat. The USA removed him and restored power to the 8% white minority elite, having U.S. military officers in positions throughout the government.Before this in the 1980s, there was the Emergency Threat to the United States: Latin American, Lessor Developed Countries, with ill-trained, and ill-equipped armies.Ironically, the Creel Commission (CPI) is noted in “Media Control,” and appriately so. The Creel Commission was a propaganda campaign to get the USA involved in WWI. It’s widely considered by historians to be the center of the creation of the Public Relations (PR) industry.The media is all-powerful. The thoughts most think, the tenets most believed in, and the words people say, are the words of others.Highly recommended.

⭐This book should be required reading for all high school seniors. Chomsky tears the lid off the Pandora’s Box that is the network news and other “reputable” media sources. Don’t believe everything you’re told by “official sources” but question what those sources may have to gain. The book is short and to the point. It’s NOT a study in paranoia or conspiracy theories but makes the case for critical thinking and proper skepticism.

⭐I enjoyed reading this book. Although, I didn’t learn anything new, so I would recommend this book for people who want their opinions and beliefs challenged.

⭐I can’t even write honest reviews on here anymore without being censored.

⭐Edward Herman and Noam Chomsky’s 1988 book ‘Manufacturing Consent’ is one of the most influential works of media studies of the modern era. However, as some reviewers have noted the book is somewhat repetitive and a little dry and pedestrian in style. For a much more concise and readable introduction to Chomsky’s research into the nature of corporate mass media this book provides an excellent overview of the development of those distorted and unethical mechanisms of social control that constitute ‘mainstream media’.

⭐When will he learn? The media is control and control is the media.Typical Chomsky … argumentative, reasoned, well written.Don’t bother if you are paranoid and think the world is run by lizards. I’m not saying that you are wrong. but you don’t really want more stress in your life, do you?

⭐The book proved (to me at least) that since WW2 governments have used many of the techniques used by the Nazis in their various campaigns.Want to understand how illegal wars have been started in the middle east without people even understanding that it was illegal in the first place? Read this book.Want to remain in the dark about how certain media groups are spoon feeding us all poisonous information that is destroying humanity from the core? Don’t read this book, you’d probably find it scary anyway.Chomsky shows you facts that are provable. It’s not about theory.After reading this book I found myself noticing more and more the devices used to cultivate mass acceptance of a grotesque agenda of the powers that be, which includes theft, betrayal and, not least of all, murder.If it were up to me, everyone would have access to this information from the day they learnt to read and understand words.

⭐In a concise booklet, Chomsky explains how the “unthinkable” (fairly summed up in the widespread post-modern belief that “we” are more human then “they”)becomes banal. The dual connection of public relations/advertising and war in the 20th century has produced an extremely sophisticated machine in the hands of governments and, even more shamelessly, the media moguls. Together, these forces have had huge success in distorting hearts and minds so as to produce “spectator democracy” ,a “parade of enemies”and “selective perception” ( titles from the contents list of sections in this 100-page work) Chomsky points out that the first government propaganda operation in 20th century USA was by the Wilson government in 1916, when a commission was set up precisely to encourage war-sentiment among the,till then, largely non-interventionist US public.Since that time, “liberal” or even “left” governments have joined the usual suspects in promoting bellicose feelings at the drop of a hat, as it were.We could imagine ourselves back in the days ( c.1710) of the War of Jenkins’s Ear (cf. the recent arrest by Iranians of the British yachtsmen who strayed into territorial waters – presented by the media, including the BBC, as if it verified the “you can’t talk to people like that” attitude, a prelude in game theory to the leap into armed conflict)Chomsky’s booklet ends with reflections on the latest distortion – it’s only “terrorism” if “they” do it to “us”, since we are virtually never allowed by the mainstream media or governments to consider the massive evil deeds “we” perpetrate ( see also William Blum’s books, and the website medialens) The “special relationship” of the UK to the US means. of course, that British governments will fit in with whatever propaganda the US promotes. It was, one may recall, a little irritating to Mrs Thatcher that Ronnie invaded Grenada, but no more… ( just a few killed in this British colony, and they – dare I say it ?- black)

⭐This little book (/primer) is a very concise presentation of the control on modern western society. Although it is mainly aimed towards Americans in its content, it is extremely relevant to the rest of the world; not only in the sense of americas involvement in foreign affairs, but in introspective consideration of ones own ‘democratic’ country.If you are at all interested in world affairs, it’s important to keep an open mind. Chomsky presents a number of examples of media control and its affect on the punter in a very transparent way, and does so without pushing any ideals he holds himself; other than to use your cognitive capacities to see things the way they really are.

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