The Media as a Tool for Manipulation - Essay Example

The Media as a tool for Manipulation The world today exists in an age of information. Information has become of great importance in society, as different people struggle to ensure that they have important information on what is happening around them, and that generally, they remain informed. The media, from the past decades, continues to play a role in society. It is through the media that people are fed with information on various aspects in society. Although people embrace and appreciate the media today, there have also been considerable controversies that have surrounded the media. Those people oppose to the media argue that the media has failed to play its designated role in society. Nonetheless, today, it is clear that the media as shifted from its role as a tool for information, and has become a major tool for manipulation in society. The advancement of technology has allowed for the widening of the media. Today, there is media forms include books, newspapers, television, radio, internet, and movies, among many others. Therefore, people today are exposed to a variety of information sources; hence, there is a flood of information from different media, directed to the public. Furthermore, since the media is in business, the different media forms are in a competition. This competition has contributed to the divergence of the media from its ideal role as a tool for information. Although there is an overflow of information in society, people are hungry for the truth. This is because, the media, which should ideally be a source of true information, is owned by individuals, who are only interested in pursuing their interests through the media. For this reason, the media ceases to be a tool for information, and becomes a tool for manipulation. There is a high level of manipulation and bias in the media today. According to the Centre for Research on Globalization (CRG), the mainstream media is a greater tool for manipulation, compared to the other media. This is because, the mainstream media is owned by major corporations and elites, and have board of directors that are greatly connected with major international corporations and elites (Web). For example, Time Warner, apart from the Time Warner Magazine, also owns Warner Bros, BHO, and CNN, among many others. Furthermore, its board of directors includes individuals that are linked to IMF, the Rockefeller Brothers Fund, Phillip Morris, and Warburg Pincus, among many others (Centre for Research on Globalization Web). As a result, these powerful individuals behind these media channels use the media channels to press for their self-interests. Secondly, the media is considered to have a strong relationship with the government. This relationship is highly secretive, and might be unknown to many people in society. According to Centre for Research on Globalization, in the U.S.A, one journalist that reported on the Watergate scandal revealed that more than 400 journalists in the United States have worked secretly for the Central Intelligence Unit (CIA). In the United States, it is considered that journalists are a source of intelligence for the CIA, which is a government agency. In addition, major media companies in the United States are known to have cooperated with the CIA, and these include the American Broadcasting Company, Newsweek magazine, the National Broadcasting Company, and the New York Herald-Tribune, among many others (Web). Therefore, with the high affiliation of the media to governments, it becomes quite clear that the media promotes the interests of the government, instead of offering true news to the public. Therefore, the government today uses the media to shape the beliefs and perceptions of the masses (The Vigilant Citizen Web). A few years back, the CIA in the United States, conducted a training program for some of its agents, whom it trained to become journalists, and placed them in major media channels in the country (Centre for Research on Globalization Web). Nonetheless, if the United States indulges in this, then it is a reflection of the media in other countries. The media is also filled with propaganda in its reporting of news and presentation of information to the public. According to Hutchinson, during the time of war in different countries, the media has a role to play in ensuring that they report the different events unfolding in the war. Although the public deserves credible information, the media is blamed to involve propaganda in its reporting of wars. During war, the media does not report the truth as it should. For instance, during the two major Gulf wars, the media indulged in unbalanced coverage of the violence that occurred during these Iraqi wars. The media promoted the interests of the powerful elites. The media failed to report on the true events that led to the war, but they framed the news to conceal the context of the war from the public. This was through censoring and filtering of coverage on the wars before they were presented to the public. During these wars, the media in the United States is also considered to have used symbolism and emotion to bring out Iraq as destructive and bad, thus tainting its image and developing contempt among the people, toward it (35-6). This was all in an effort of the media to promote the interests of major political figures in the United States. Nonetheless, according to Coyne and Leeson, when the media is dependent upon the government, the public might have a negative perception about the media, and perceive its information as having low credibility (72). Through the media, some individuals that are either opposed to government, or hold a different view from that of the “elites” have been discredited and have had their personality tainted for all the wrong reasons. This technique has existed in the media since the past decades, as the media has been involved in the distortion of the truth or indulging in lies. The growing popularity of the internet as part of the media has highly contributed to the issue of discrediting specific individuals, including political opponents, through blogging and through Google news. For this reason therefore, the media can be considered to distort the truth, indulge in fallacy, and offering the public with distorted truth about other individuals in society (Fuchs 103-4). Additionally, the media serves as a tool for manipulation when it offers fake news to the public. This has widened the gap between the reality, and how the elites portray the reality through the media. The advancement in digital technology has also contributed to the presentation of fake news to the public. With the use of the digital camera, it is easy to edit photographs and manipulate them in different ways; a technique, which the media continues to use today. For instance, a common case is in the U.S.A, where the media reportedly inflated the size of the crowds attending the political rally of George Bush. Therefore, such and other similar incidents by the media are meant to mislead the public, and make them believe in information that is not genuine. In this case, this was meant to promote the interests of Bush, who was among the ruling class. Nonetheless, the media is blamed for creating a uniform perception of the world in people, and this is always a wrong or poor perception, as a way of helping the elites gain their self-interests (Holiday Web). Although the media is considered in a negative light, on the contrary, the media holds a special place in society. The media is a key instrument for communication. It is only through the media that people can learn about major events happening around them, and in other parts of the world. This counterargument is right, however, this function of the media has been jeopardized by the involvement of the media in fallacy and corruption at the expense of the consumers of its information. Therefore, this ideal function of the media has been meddled. The media is also argued to be a tool for information, as t is a channel through which social issues are publicized in an effort to seek redress. Different countries experience a variety of social issues, which are a challenge to them. These issues include poverty, human rights issues, murder, violence, corruption, drugs abuse, discrimination, crime, and bribery, among many others. When the media highlights these issues, it is possible for society to develop a collective response and redress. Nonetheless, although the media has highlighted social issues, it has done this selectively, since political interests are high, and these need to be protected when addressing social issues that are controversial. Therefore, a fact remains that the media’s involvement with the political and elite class has had major influence on its ideal role, and has led it to lose credibility in the eyes of a greater part of the public. Conclusively, the media is an important aspect of the present information age. Through the media, people can access a variety of information on different issues in the world. However, the media ceased to play its ideal function as a tool for information and communication. Instead, the media is a tool for manipulation. The high affiliation of the media with the political class has made the media to focus on promoting the interests of the powerful class in society. Therefore, the powerful in society continue to use the media to manipulate the masses in different ways. This is through fake news, distortion of an opponent’s image, and use of propaganda, among others. Today therefore, the media is at the verge of losing its meaning in society. The portrayal of false news and reportings in the media influences negatively on the perceptions of the masses on the world. The media therefore distorts the perception of people on major aspects in the world. For this reason, it is important for people to regulate the amount of time they are exposed to the media, and use their knowledge and wisdom to discern the contents of the media. Failure to do this might make more individuals become victims of the deception and manipulation of the media today. However, the major solution to this lies in the media, which should take the initiative of restoring its ideal role in society. Works Cited Centre for Research on Globalization. “Truth, Propaganda and Media Manipulation,” 31 March 2012, Web. Coyne, Christopher, Leeson, Peter. “Media, Development, and Institutional Change.” New York: Edward Elgar Publishing, 2009. Fuchs, Christian. “Foundations of Critical Media and Information Studies,” London: Taylor & Francis, 2011. Holiday, Ryan. “What is Media Manipulation?--A Definition and Explanation.” Forbes, 16 July 2013, Web. Hutchinson, William. “Media, government and manipulation: the cases of the two Gulf Wars,” 2008, Pdf. The Vigilant Citizen. “Mind Control Theories and Techniques used by Mass Media,” 28 April 2010, Web. Read More