Media Control by Noam Chomsky Noam Chomsky wastes no time and begins his work with his definition of the concept of democracy. He states, …Let me begin by counter-posing two different conceptions of democracy. One conception of democracy has it that a democratic society is one in which the public has the means to participate in some meaningful way in the management of their own affairs and the means of information are open and free. An alternative conception of democracy is that the public must be barred from managing of their own affairs and the means of information must be kept narrowly and rigidly controlled. That may sound like an odd conception of democracy, but it’s important to understand that it is the prevailing conception. Indeed democracy has been interpreted in several ways as it evolves in the political spectrum.
The attractiveness of democracy as a concept has made its function vulnerable as a significant political term and perhaps relegated it to a vague, even ironic concept. The definition of democracy is seen in a wide array of perspectives that include a system of rule by the masses and a form of government based on direct and popular continuous participation to the rule of the majority and a system of party competition that operates through regular and popular elections. Certain checks and balances were incorporated to the political system in the form of the Constitution and several regulatory institutions to mitigate the harsh effects of potential abuses of democracy. One of the possible means through which a specific authority can exploit its power in a democratic setting comes in the exercise and scope of its power. The prevalence of patronage and rule of the elite is evident in the democratic set-up. Despite the guarantees provided by the Constitution that each individual freedom is protected there are still instances where individual rights are bypassed as the interests of the elite are prioritized.
The Term Paper on Describe The Goals And Uses Of Political Science citizenship And Democracy And Political Actors
Describe the goals and uses of political science (citizenship and democracy) and political actors. An elitist Plato, opposed to democracy and hostile to the masses, fills the literature. In the midst of an extensive philological and grammatical commentary on Plato's Republic, James Adam (1902, 2.24, ad loc. 494a) includes the following brief but telling observation: "The theory of Ideas is not a ...
Authorities should give all societal players with an equal and viable opportunity to articulate their concerns in a sustainable manner and the value of their inputs should not be predicated on their economic power. This approach minimizes the effects of the paradox of democracy. It is imperative that political institutions are consistent in striking a balance between the interest of various stakeholders in the political process and this balance can be achieved by implementing the provisions of established rules and regulation to the letter. In my view, the capability of the state to lessen the outcome of the paradox of democracy would come from increased social empowerment and more importantly with the redistribution of wealth through progressive taxation and promotion of economic opportunities. As more citizens have adequate financial assets their leverage in bargaining increases and their quality of life improves. As they are empowered through increased access to relevant information they can decide more responsively on important issues. In effect, Chomskys claim that the United States was committed to control the public mind (p. 22) was evident in the success of the Red Scare.
The Red Scare represented the extremes to which American politics could sometimes evolve. The scare was fueled in part by domestic politics and by power struggles between Congress and the President. Evidence of subversive activity at home existed, but it was not extensive. When coupled with events aboard, however, these few unconnected episodes convinced some Americans that a widespread subversive conspiracy was under way at home. The Second Red Scare was a phenomenon much more sweeping in its reach and effects. Anti-communism at home as played out during the Second Red Scare, while based in historically understandable intersectionsof long-held passions, the new world realities of an ideological Cold War, and the domestic politics, nonetheless should be remembered as a period during which guilt by association, blacklisting, self-incrimination and lack of due processall things Americans had opposed for nearly two centuriesbecame commonplace occurrences. Paradoxically, the movement to rid the country of un-American thinking and action resulted in American patriots engaging in activities that violated basic American liberties. The state of American politics underscored the use of government institutions as Americans tried to deal with the problem of internal threats in a democracy. Mass media is one of the wealthiest industries supported by the equally influential advertising business.
The Essay on The War Against American Public Schools By Gerald Bracey
The War against American Public Schools by Gerald Bracey In his book The War against American Public Schools Gerald W. Bracey, a famous educational psychologist and research analyst, makes an attempt to broadly examine the system of American public education schools and functioning of alternative institutions like vouchers, charters, private schools, etc. He studies and summarizes a variety of ...
These two are thriving on the current trend of materialism fuelled by the publics needs and wants. From this angle, the public appears to be the one that determines what the media should manufacture since they are the product end-users. The reality of the market and the laws of supply and demand, however, ensure that the powerful media along with the companies dependent on consumerism dictates what the public must demand. Today mass media is slowly becoming the main element that determines the direction of the peoples ways of life at a particular time. Chomsky shocks his readers every now and then with statements about his ideas on a lot of things. For example, on public relations, he states in no unequivocal terms that public relations industry arent there for the fun of it. Theyre doing work. Theyre trying to instill the right values.
The only value in life is to have more commodities or live like the rich middle class family youre watching and to have nice values like harmony and Americanism. His language is direct and in no uncertain terms delves into several issues about the influence of media. His wit makes his book an excellent read for everyone. In all these, one ponders that it is essential that limits be done in advertising because some consumers are highly gullible and believe everything they hear and see. It is the duty of the owners of these products to be responsible to the consumers at large. In the same manner, it is also the duty of the consumers to be critical and discriminating of all these advertised products. This advertising techniques work under the premise that people are goal-oriented beings and that they will move or act according to their belief systems. Advertisements create these belief systems and the people in turn will act according to these beliefs by purchasing the products being promoted.
The Research paper on Cognitive Dissonance, Media Illiteracy and Public Opinion
Topic – The article ‘Cognitive Dissonance, Media Illiteracy and Public Opinion on News Media’ is examining and discussing public opinion, media illiteracy and cognitive dissonance. The author takes you through a break down on public opinion of newspapers and television news and shows why a lot of the quantitative research taken over the past several decades is in fact invalid. The main purpose of ...
For example, advertisements in womens magazines are selective when it comes to the type of model that will endorse the product. What people can see today in these ads are young, skinny and long-legged women. The ads, therefore, had inadvertently started a campaign that real beauty is determined by how thin, how tall or how young-looking a female is. These new standards are getting more and more difficult to attain, though, it is not surprising that society would impose such difficult goals for a woman in order for her to be acceptable and beautiful. It is part of history how society puts higher premium on womens appearances and conformity rather than on the real person. The continuous emergence of technological innovations, the quest for globalization, and the highly competitive business arena has ushered in a new generation of consumers.
The 21st century digital revolution has empowered consumers with unlimited information, the widest range of choices, and real time virtual access to the market place. With such capabilities, the consumers of the new economy are now more informed, more discriminating and more vigilant. WORK CITED Chomsky, Noam. Media Control. Massachusetts Institute of Technology, http://www.zmag.org/chomsky/talks/9103-media-contr ol.html.
