Question

Find an example of a news story that adheres to Herman and Chomsky’s (1988) political economy model of mass media. Explain how the model applies to the story.

Answer 1

This review is a critique of a masterpiece “Manufacturing Consent: The Political Economy of Mass Media” written by Edward Herman and Noam Chomsky. The paper entirely attempts to critique the paradigm of Propaganda Model (PM) applied as a framework to criticize the performance and structural behavior of U.S mainstream media system. The review relies entirely on the book. Greater emphasis is given to the framework of the book-Propaganda Model. Herman and Chomsky adapted it into Manufacturing Consent, as it suggests that ‘consent’ or shared understanding is cooked (manufactured) by elites “specialized classes” as the authors name them. The big media are controlled by few profit-seeking owners; therefore, they do not encourage free flow of news and analysis that are solely against the other end of their interest. Due to this reason, ‘realities’ are preferred to be fabricated and disseminated to the mass. For such solid justification, the authors developed the propaganda model to evaluate the performance of media in U.S.

The Propaganda Model has been introduced by Edward Herman and the well known American Linguist and Media Critique Noam Chomsky. This model is well explained and defended in Manufacturing Consent which is published in 1998, primarily intended to criticize the behavior of the mass media in the United States in general and the way the mainstream media structured and patterned to ‘protect’ elites business in particular. This model built itself on Critical-structural or Critical-Marxist tradition of economy and political ideology. As the title first used by Walter Lippmann in the first half of 20th c, Herman and Chomsky adapted it into Manufacturing Consent, it suggests that ‘consent’ or shared understanding is cooked (manufactured) by manufacturers “specialized classes” as the authors call them. The big media are controlled by few profit-seeking owners; therefore, they do not encourage free flow of news and analysis that are solely against the end of their interest. Due to this reason, ‘realities’ are preferred to be fabricated and disseminated to the mass. For such solid justification, the writers developed the propaganda model to evaluate the performance of media in U.S. in exploring the main print and broadcast platforms, they used the model as a framework, and the writer of this paper sought the model from that point of view and exerted an effort to critique and interpret critically to derive a new insight.

Mass media play an indispensable role in a democratic community. Media are supposed to perform as intermediary bridges that reflect public opinion as their primary purpose, respond to public concerns and make state officials alert to work for the interest of citizens.

The fundamental notion of the so-called democracy depends on reasonably informed community. But the mainstream media especially in the United States; are not playing their deserved role and failed to bring a desired result. Hence, following this failure the model tries to show the big relationship between the powerful corporate ideology and the media. This means the ideological network of mainstream media and business forms diverted the aforementioned role of media into clits ideology. Herman and Chomsky firmly believe that the interlocking of mass media with corporate corrupts in disseminating information and mobilizing media audiences in support of the “Special interest groups” that dominate the state and private economy.

But since its publication, the Propaganda Model has received very little attention within the field of media and communication studies due to its structural question of mainstream media than the effects. This “Watchdog” role of media shifted to ‘market ideology”. This is why Chomsky and Herman expose the ideology behind ion the U.S. liberal democracy as, this is easily offset by the greater ideological force of the belief in the “miracle of the market (as Reagan articulates) the triumph of capitalism and the increasing power of those with an interest in privatization and market rule have strengthen the grip of market ideology, at least among the elite… (and) therefore journalism (in U.S.) has internalized this ideology

Because the propaganda model challenges and deconstructs basic foundations of elite “reality” profit maximization and manufacturing consent and suggests that the media serve corporate ends, it is commonly “marginalized” (Andrew Mullen) from media debate and academic environment. Herman the architect of the model clearly reasoned it as

“Propaganda model is noteworthy, for one reason, because that perspective is consistent with long standing and widely held elite views that “the masses are short-sighted

The issue of Manufacturing Consent is to explain and analyze U.S mainstream media performance, not effect. The Propaganda Model also according to the writers and my view is an important framework to check the workings of the mainstream media. Particularly, the central argument or ‘theme’ of the work is to quest and call for reformation of an observable pattern of indignant campaigns and suppressions, of shading and emphasis, and of selection of context (means where to report events and omit for special purpose), premises, and general AGENDA of Agenda setters, is highly functional for established power and respective for the needs of the US government and major power elites consensus.

In American foreign policy neo-liberalism has granted much. In liberalist nation a media are also granted “limitless” freedom to exercise journalism. In such social plethora, owners of media work to curve the “Rule” well than to stick on the game-type. The game can be whatever, but the rule is determinant to the trophy. Therefore, in the name of ‘free market’ and ‘the right of opinion expression’ they curve the rule that unquestionably serve the interest of elites. The architects of the rule, not the game, use it to mobilize and divert promote and oppress, legitimize and endorse in the dreams of dominant groups and dominating social institutions

The radical left Chomsky and Herman, though devised five “filters” those are the pillars of the book which serve as news selection criteria in U.S. These are:

• The size, concentrated ownership, owner wealth, and profit orientation;

• Advertising as a primary income;

• “Flake” as a means of disciplining the media

• The reliance of media on government information and

• ‘Anti-Communism’ as control mechanism.