Theoretical explanation
“Manufacturing Consent” is a concept introduced by Edward S. Herman and Noam Chomsky, referring to the shaping and manipulation of public opinion through media and other societal institutions to support specific political and economic agendas. This theory emphasizes the crucial role of the media in shaping public perceptions and awareness, highlighting how they can be influenced by structures of power to create a mechanism of ideological conformity through information control.
The most obvious example is that governments in many countries will create a certain public opinion atmosphere by controlling the media, which makes the public more likely to accept or support a certain policy, event or opinion. The media may selectively report news, emphasize certain points, or ignore certain facts. Under this kind of thinking control, media coverage is not just a neutral transmission of information, but a tool for shaping ideology.
Show by example
In the long course of history, there are many such cases. Especially in times of war, the media are most likely to be controlled by the interests of governments or specific groups to shape coverage favorable to their positions. The government will control the media to highlight negative news about the enemy in order to create international opinion in its favor. This selective reporting helped shape public attitudes on the domestic and international stage that supported the war and rationalized policy.
About showbiz events
This happens not only internationally, but also in the entertainment world, where the media also use specific reports to shape or change the public’s perception of a particular quality or event of a star.
For example, the famous singer Taylor Swift, she is a person who has been in the hot water incident created by the media for a long time. Some media outlets focus on her charitable giving and musical achievements, while others choose to cover her private life and confrontations with others, resulting in a mixed public perception of Taylor Swift. It is obvious that the media’s selective coverage affects the public’s perception of the stars.
Therefore, people still need to have the ability to distinguish right from wrong, so that they can have the ability to think for themselves in today’s world where people’s thoughts are controlled by the media.
Manufacturing Consent shows how media, often affected by powerful reality, shapes people’s opinions. In situations like war or celebrity reports, selective reporting of reality opinions is great for the need for a person to think independently. So, the media role a leader in a world. They need to be very careful in choosing the information to report.
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