Herman and Chomsky Killing It

I love Herman and Chomsky's Theory (my paper is on them). Their propaganda model explains clearly the influences behind mass media and how the filtering process works. I like how the article still applies to the media industry today, even though the text was written a while a ago.

In my project I am currently analyzing Brazilian media through the lenses of the propaganda model. It is astounding how similar Brazilian and American media can be alike. The same filtering processes (ownership, advertising, sources, flak, and anticommunism) work in Brazilian media. Anticommunism, in fact, has been a constant discourse utilized by the conservative Brazilian media since the days of the military dictatorship. The anticommunist ideologies were so strong at the time that a "housewife movement against communism" movement was launched in Brazil. Many believed communists actually ate children (quite hilarious). 

These filtering forces are still present today. In the June 2013 Brazilian protests Brazil, a lot of the mass media discourse had to do with the propaganda model ideals. Protesters were highly criticized because of the destruction of private property. The security of private property is one of the capitalist values that is as held the highest is our society. The destruction of these godly “material goods/property” by the population was seen as outrageous. “How dare they mess with our property?!”

Working-class claims were laughed at by the liberal media system in the beginning of the riots. The decrease of the bus fare price was the clam at the core of the movements. However, even after the fare was lowered (at the end of the protests) the profit of corporations remained intact. Media advertised that the corporations couldn't continue to operate with lowered fare prices, therefore, investment funds would be cut. The profit of the ruling class was never put in danger or into question. The propaganda model helped those in power to retain their privilege despite the general dissatisfaction of the population with the way the transportation corporations were doing business.

This type of incident makes me realize how deep the propaganda model is intertwined is in our society. It can influence the views of many, and it can certainly influence the outcome of social class movements.