Propaganda and the Media

Many of us homeschoolers use homeschooling as an excuse to learn all sorts of interesting subjects ("Honest, I'm just doing it for the kids, dear.")

One very common subject that falls in this catagory is logic. In fact, one of the most popular homeschooling books (written by two homeschooled young men) is "Logic Fallacies"

This is a depressing book to read.

Oh, don't get me wrong. It's very entertaining and we laughed all the way through it! Cartoons and jokes throughout. I HIGHLY  recommend it to everyone!!!

But then I watch the news. Or read the newspaper. Or listen to the radio.

Now I can't help but here/see the propaganda being used on us every day. Here are some examples:

If you are watching a political discussion panel, notice that there is usually one conservative to 3-4 liberals. Now, Americans are split evenly between the two parties, but this disparity in the panels makes it look like liberals are more common. More popular. You want to be popular, too, don't you? Then be a liberal!

The oldest member of the panel is generally the conservative. Americans worship youth. Obviously, conservatism is for old fogies out of touch with the real world and out dated.

The ugliest member is also the conservative (not that they are really unpleasant to look at. Heaven forbid we acknowledge ugly people exist! But the prettiest are the liberals.) You want to be pretty too, don't you?

The most famous is also liberal. Who is that nobody, anyway?

Now, there are plenty of young, pretty, famous conservatives out there, but they never make it to these shows. In this way we are all predisposed to accept the liberal view even before anyone opens their mouth.

In interviews, conservatives are often shown with weird camera angles while liberals are shown straight-on, "open and honest."

Colors can affect our moods (ever wonder why every classroom you every had in school was pale blue or green?). Conservatives are shown in front of backgrounds that cause discomfort and distrust, agitation: Liberals in front of calming, cheerful, trusting colors.

Interviews are edited so that the viewer hears what the producers want them to hear. 

 For example, I saw an interview with a pro-abortion and anti-abortion activists side by side. The pro-abortion activist was shown in an air-conditioned office, in front of a bunch of law books, in a 3-piece suit, calmly saying "A woman has the right to control her own body."

The anti-abortion activist wanted to be shown in his office, too, but the TV station said it would make a better story to show him at the protests.

In August.

In Arizona.

With hundreds of protesters making noise behind him so he had to yell.

His interview was edited down to a 30 second blip with him all sweaty, yelling "We MUST end abortion!" Well, who would you side with?

I happened to be home when the live feed for the Oliver North trial came through CNN. Then 30 minutes later I saw the report of that verdict.

The report of the verdict showed a 10 second clip of the judge saying "President Reagan made a mistake." Oh goodness! He messed up bad, didn't he?! Maybe we should impeach him?

Wait a minute! The original, uncut verdict said, "President Regan made a mistake, but other presidents have made far worse mistakes." Oh, so the judges thought the Prez was wrong but it wasn't that big of a deal. Only a minor blip. Ehhh. 

Guess which clip got played on the evening news? Over and over again?

Even when the media portrays a conservative, they do so in characture. Anyone remember Archie Bunker or Alex Keaton? Truth is, these are as accurate portrayals of conservatives as white actors in black-face were of blacks. And equally as insulting, by the way.

I once read three different newpaper accounts of the same incident; one for more regulations on homeschoolers, one for less, and one that actually didn't care either way. If I had read any one of them alone, I would have thought it to be very balanced, no matter which one it was. By reading all three, the propaganda techniques became glaring.

Both biased reporters put an emotional paragraph that proved his point first, followed by a paragraph that weakly expressed the opposition. Then another emotional pro and another blahhh against, and so forth for the amount of space he was allowed to fill. Each article LOOKED balanced because it LOOKED like both sides were presented. But in reality, the reader was herded along the path the reporter wanted them to go on, all the while thinking he was making up his own mind.

One time Hubby read the exact same article in a conservative paper and a liberal paper. The only difference was the headline. But those headlines changed your entire feeling about the subject at hand, making you draw completely different conclusions.

Now, the book mentioned above only begins to touch on these techniques, but, depressingly, you should be able to begin to pick out even more if you just look for them.

I guess my point here is that you should evaluate WHY you believe everything you believe. Do you think conservatives are heartless because the ones you have known in your life have been? Or  because Archie Bunker was? Paying attention and learning propaganda techniques are the only way we will remove the power to control us from the hands of those who think they are the elite of the country; the media.