The English language is a funny thing. It’s descriptive powers are immeasurable when shaping our opinions on various subjects, from politics to social commentary. We’re all familiar with the use of language to change public opinion, one need look no further than “undocumented immigrants” as opposed to the original “illegal aliens”. That is probably the freshest example of how the media can completely reinvent stories and even groups of people with a new description followed by endless repitition. The repitition is the powerful part of the equation as the media is everpresent in all of our lives all day everyday.
To further illustrate how this works, let’s take a look at blame. I think most people would agree, in todays society there is an inordinant amount of people who suffer from “it’s not my fault” syndrome. Most people who find themselves in some sort of predicament will almost always point the finger elsewhere. Ever wonder what reinforces this day in and day out? Any day of the week, you can find a headline, or a hear a news story worded in this manner:
ICY ROADS BLAMED FOR 3 DEATHS. Well, here’s a newsflash. The icy roads didn’t “kill” anybody. Someones inability to drive, or someones stupidity for driving in those conditions is what killed 3 people. (personal resonsibility? no blame the icy roads) That subtle reinforcement of pointing the blame away has far reaching effects over time.
The media has an enormous amount of sway in everyones perception of events, and unfortunatley for most of us, after we hear something over and over again we just take it as fact. (see Left of Centrist or Left In Aboite for recycled repitition of dubious headlines and stories)
That can be very dangerous to all of us long term, as we’ve seen before, the pressocrats (press and the democrats today are one in the same) have the power to lose wars, open borders, raise taxes and just generally fuck things up. Don’t let ‘em do it, read and hear everything with an open mind!
Posted by Tim Zank
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Interesting post Tim. Point very well made. Blogging has become an eye-opener for me, it seems to me that there were certain things that I used to swallow hook, line and sinker just because I saw the term used over and over again by the media. Suddenly, I just believed in it and believed it all to be true. Blogging has forced me to look further into subjects, dig for the facts and view a subject from all angles, and then come to my own conclusion.
I know exactly what you are referring to as far as recycled headlines. I had not noticed it so much until I watched the Presidential State of the Union, and the democratic rebuttal, I was literally shocked to hear the same canned speech that I read over and over again on the Left side of things.
Working in media, as a selling point I tell my clients media is intrusive and its everywhere, repetition of the right message will equal results. That is the formula for successful advertising, in other words, say it enough and they will believe it to be fact.
Yeah…it’s like when you read a headline “TEN STORY FALL KILLS WORKER”…I just shake my head and roll my eyes…!
It wasn’t the damn FALL that killed him…it was that freaking SUDDEN STOP AT THE BOTTOM that did!
It’s all about the “PC” mentalities!
…And what grabs the reader with the most sensationalistic headlines.
As is posted on the Jerry Doyle website…”Question Everything”.
That’s how you find the truth.
B.G.