Tag: Journalism

Edward S. Herman & Noam Chomsky – The 5 Filters of the Mass Media Machine

Link to a video narrated by Amy Goodman about the “Propaganda Model” of Edward S. Herman & Noam Chomsky:

“The 5 Filters of the Mass Media Machine”

Incidentally, this video helpfully updates the “anti-communism” filter of the original version of the theory.  But the original theory always came up a bit short by failing to make clear that these five filters are really about the specific tactics of liberal capitalist media in an ideological war.  Liberal capitalists find these filters to be “correct”, in the sense of being a reflection of their own ideology.  Critics necessarily approach this with a different ideology.

Bonus links: Inventing Reality: The Politics of the News Media (an earlier Marxist rather than anarchist take on the same topic), “Monopoly Media Manipulation”, Taking the Risk Out of Democracy: Corporate Propaganda versus Freedom and Liberty, Propaganda, and The Sublime Object of Ideology

Yarden Katz – Cheerleading With an Agenda

Link to an article by Yarden Katz:

“Cheerleading With an Agenda: How the Press Covers Science”

Bonus links: Stanisław Lem, Solaris and “Economics as Ideology: Challenging Expert Political Power” and Thorstein Veblen, The Higher Learning in America: A Memorandum on the Conduct of Universities by Business Men and Universities and the Capitalist State

Bias in Favor of Reckless Drivers

Another example of misguided priorities:

SHAILA DEWAN: Rebecca Horting was a woman who was charged with texting while driving, and reckless endangerment, I believe, was the charge. She hit a girl who was riding her bicycle down the side of the road, causing brain damage and the loss of a leg. And she was offered pretrial diversion. She paid about $1,200, I believe, and is on course to have her case dismissed outright. So, this is a deal that the prosecutor will make with you: “Fulfill these conditions, and we’ll dismiss your case.” And, in general, it’s a pretty good, progressive idea to give defendants a way out of the huge consequences of getting a record.

“The Price of a Second Chance”: NY Times Exposé on How the Rich Pay to Expunge Criminal Records

There is nothing “pretty good” or “progressive” about letting drivers essentially get away with destroying the lives of bicyclists and pedestrians through reckless behavior (easily avoidable texting while driving).  There currently exists a major problem in terms of prosecutors refusing to charge drivers who injure cyclists and pedestrians (aside from more general problems with prosecutorial discretion).  Relatively speaking, such drivers are much more deserving of long prison sentences than most current prison inmates….people should not be able to injure or even kill someone with almost no consequences merely as long as they are driving cars when they do it.  So, aside from the contrast drawn in the linked interview between the reckless driver and a completely different scenario, isn’t it more accurate so say that this is regressive?  At the very least, this is a terrible example to use, because it holds up a terrible problem as some kind of model outcome.