Propaganda in American Media Essay - 805 Words

Propaganda in American Media One of the greatest revolutions in the twentieth century was not political in nature, however, it aided in many different political revolutions. This revolution was the communications revolution. The twentieth century has experienced one of the greatest changes in means of communication including technologies such as radio, motion pictures, the Internet, advanced communications and most importantly the television. Sadly, political leaders and the government to convince or persuade the masses that their ideas supercede those of others have utilized these technologies. Television, more so than any other form of communication, has been the ultimate tool of the propaganda effort. It is the trustworthiest†¦show more content†¦Therefore, what we mostly see on the screen is what the sponsors promote, which are usually mechanisms to keep society stable. This exactly what American media was doing from the muckrakers of the 20s to the war in Kosovo in the 90s. Let us now look at so me examples of the use of TV as a mean of control over society. Before January 1991, public opinion polls showed that the American public was split into two groups, 50% each, about whether the U.S. should attack Iraq or not. Historians say however, if any anti-war voices had been heard in the mass media at this time, the outcome could have been completely different. The second example turns out to be a tragic one, when we talk about the freedom of speech. After the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the pictures of the irradiated Japanese were not made available to the American public until the 1980s. In both cases we see the control of society through TV, by those who control it, and directing society toward a certain destination, which is found to be the way forward for the humanity, and keeping the system together by creating a popular culture based on consumerism; turns out to be a modern way of practicing authority in our lives. 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