I'm not a big fan of Truthout; like many agenda-driven organizations, it stre-e-e-e-e-tches the truth pretty damn thin to suit its bias.
http://www.truth-out.org/14-propaganda-techniques-fox-news-uses-brainwash-americans/1309612678
This article is a bit wordy, and rather vague in spots, but it highlights some striking truths. Of course, all news media organizations use same techniques in varying degrees, and many do so with frightening subtlety. Since I'm intellectually lazy, and a big fan of simplicity, I appreciate how easy it is to single out FOX's ludicrous brand of propaganda. Nothing subtle there! It would be laughable, except that, as patently obvious as it is, millions of people fall for it daily. Just because it's the kettle calling the pot black, doesn't mean the pot is mauve.
It's also preaching to the choir. Since it's rather long and somewhat intellectual, most FoxFanatics will never see it.
I recently read this quote: “God created man in His image and ever since man has been trying to return the favor.” I wondered if it was a liberal Christian commenting on conservative Christianity. Turns out is was a conservative Christian commenting on liberal Christianity. Hmm. Funny how that works.
It's not any single agenda that will destroy us; it's blind devotion to an agenda. To me, this concept encourages thought and promotes rational opinions. To many, it just makes me a hand-wringing fence-sitter. I guess I can live with a few splinters in my ass.
In the late 60's I saw this cartoon. The Character was saying, "The more my thinking turns to the far left, the more I find in common with the far right. I think I'm becoming a middle of the road extremist."
ReplyDeleteWSF: Bingo! I see the spectrum as a ring on a flat plane. The center is in the front, and the left and right can only go so far out before they swing around and meet up in the back.
ReplyDeleteI'm not a middle of the road extremist, I'm an extreme middle of the roadist.
Nice turn of a phrase!
ReplyDeleteInteresting link.
ReplyDeleteI enjoy watching each of the news services and observing how they pitch to a particular audience.
Maybe that is why I watch more than my share of sports...
I find it interesting that one of the propaganda techniques is Disparaging Education. Recently, one of the "Word[s] of the Day" on Urban Dictionary was "Whom Alert" which was defined as
ReplyDelete"An alert that is called when one is trying to sound smarter than they really are. In more severe cases, a whence alert may be necessary."
http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=whom%20alert
It is sad when using proper English is seen as showing off. I refudiate (intentional use) this whole reverence of ignorance. I think it just plays on fears: We fear those we don't understand so instead of trying to raise OUR level of understanding, we will taunt them trying to get them to come down to us.
Aarrrgggg....
I live in a state that proudly disparages education, and we have a raging case of brain-drain to show for it. Those who are smart and ambitious enough to go to college, get a glimpse of how the rest of the world does things, and they take off without a backward glance.
ReplyDeleteI must add, that as a total word-geek (or word-queen, if I may) news of the term "Whom Alert" makes me feel badly. ;P