Here is a definition to pick apart:
Propaganda is a type of message aimed at influencing the opinions or behavior of people. Instead of impartially providing information, propaganda is often deliberately misleading, using logical fallacies, which, while sometimes convincing, are not necessarily valid. (Wikapedia)
The news on TV and the print in black and white greatly impacts the opinions of the population. The coverage in the news/newspaper is definitely not impartial, because it is the voice of the “owners”. Who are the owners? Well they are the investors, governments and big corporations with money and power in our societies, basically the few elite portraying the media to help their cause.
What does this mean to me? CRITICAL THINKING… You can’t just believe it because someone in a nice suit, behind a wood desk told you over the television. THIS JUST IN… they are reading off a teleprompter and the person who okays the words on that little screen is one of the elites also controlling everything you see on the screen in your living room.
The problem is that when I see something on the news, I don’t really question it. They have the geographic locations, good vocabulary, maps, pictures and video clips to back up what they are telling me. I don’t feel the need to do any more research on the topic, in that 3 minute coverage I figure I have a ‘good enough’ grasp of the issue to get by.
SO WRONG. When you watch this stuff, you have to be critical of the logo you see on the screen, the investors, the government and the advertisers who are all censoring what you ‘get to know’ in order to protect their interests.
This is particularly true with global affairs. As in the article about Venezuela, the average person is only going to understand that simplified version they read or see on the news. Especially when it is outside of their nation and in most cases across an ocean. What does the public do when their media tells them something, believe it. Should they? Probably not.
Here is a clip of an American who just doesn’t know any better, he is just basing it on what the American media told him. (However, I do not believe that justifies the way he acts).
Rated R for language.
SO WHAT TO DO? With the internet at our fingertips we can search the web about issues we hear on the news. Look into the story and find more than just one perspective. BLOGGING is the perfect example, it is not all elite censorship to promote a cause, so check out some blogs if you need some info. But keep in mind even blogs, everywhere you go and everything you hear is from someone, so BE CRITICAL.
Look for the facts beyond just a news broadcast or newspaper column, then maybe get a blog and inform the rest of the world who hasn’t clued in yet that the person behind the teleprompter is not as objective as they want you to think.
Here is an example of someone who uses his critical thinking skills regarding the media…
Noam Chomsky on Latin America, particularly Venezuela.
And I have to say people actually participating in FESTIVUS in their own homes is quite the evidence that mass media is taking over!!
I completely agree with you about how important critical thinking is, and yet we don’t do it. I am in another sociology class where we are giving group presentations. And I admit, the groups with the tons of statistics, who dress up, wear nice clothing, and have nice powerpoint presentations and video clips influence me way more than someone who doesn’t do these things. For some reason our media has trained us to just agree with these kinds of things, as we associate them with telling us the truth. Whereas, the people who don’t have these things, who could be perfectly right, while the other group is wrong, will have a harder time convincing the public. Scary to think about eh. I like your videos too!!
The problem I am running into recently is that my critical thinking has lead me into questioning everything to the point that I might have to start labeling myself a cynic. I am particularily bad when people start citing statistics. I have to know how the data was collected to know whether I can even come close to trusting it. I find the myself opposite to you. The better looking, the fancier the graphics, and the more technical the terms used, the more I distrust the motives behind the showiness.