Media Indoctrination

Research Paper # 92866

Communication > Mass Media
Film > Documentary
Political Science

An analysis of the propaganda, media deception and thought control themes in the documentary, "Manufacturing Consent: Noam Chomsky and the Media."

3,251 words () | 5 sources | MLA | 2006 United States

Paper Summary:

The paper demonstrates how, in an age where the majority of Americans gather their information from visual sources such as television, media propaganda becomes even more effective, powerful and dangerous. The paper contends that "Manufacturing Consent" is a powerful educational tool that opens up the debate about propaganda and contemporary society and teaches critical thinking skills, which is the first step toward public participation in the political sphere.

From the Paper:

"Manufacturing Consent: Noam Chomsky and the Media, directed by Mark Achbar and Peter Wintonick, released in 1992, is as relevant now as it was when it was released. Evidence supporting Noam Chomsky's views has only grown stronger as corporate and governmental control of media has dramatically expanded since President Bush has entered office. The media has been a powerful player in the eradication of visible public dissent to both the intervention in Afghanistan (it was never formally recognized as a war) and the war in Iraq (aptly called in a prime example of Orwellian doublespeak "Operation Iraqi Freedom). The political apathy of the American public is not natural but is rather an outgrowth of media deception and manipulation."

Sample of Sources Used:

Cupp, David. "Cinematic Expression and Cultural Dynamics." 2005. Dec. 2005 < http://www.filmschools.com/cupparticle.html>
Harris, Paul. "The Mole, the US Media, and a White House Coup." The Observer 20 Feb. 2005.
Herman, Edward S. and Noam Chomsky. 1988. Manufacturing consent : the political economy of the mass media. New York : Pantheon Books.
Manufacturing consent : Noam Chomsky and the media / National Film Board of Canada. [1992 v 1&.2]
Tomasulo, Frank P. "The Mass Psychology of Fascist Cinema," Documenting the Documentary: Close Readings of Documentary Film and Video, ed. Barry Keith Grant and Jeanette Sloniowski, (Detroit, Michigan: Wayne State, 1998), 99-118.