The classic function of media
that is to inform, to educate and to entertain has been modernized according to
the needs of the era and the society. Now, it is not in the wrong to say that
our consent and our public opinion is being manufactured by the media industry.
Democracy now is staged, and through propaganda it functions.
As it is shown in the animation “The Consent Factory: The Mass Media Machine”by
Noam Chomsky, that media manufactures our consent, it has now become the major
function of media especially in our society where it makes the common people to
think what the media wants them to think and makes them believe in it.
By portraying the audience or common people as just ears and eyes and the media
persons as an eye inside a mouth they cleverly reflected the reality that media
has its eyes everywhere but chooses to notice only things of its interests and
of course common people would only see and listen to what media shows and
blindly follow it, whether the content is fabricated or based on truth.
Just like it is said in the article “Manufacturing consent in
Indian-administered Kashmir” by UzmaFalak that in the Indian-administered
Kashmir every bit of news/information is depicted in a same manner that would
benefit their propaganda just like an image reverberating through multiple
mirrors exhibiting a same picture over and over again, and in the end, resulting
in achieving guaranteed public opinion making of the people.
How The Media Operates through Five Filters in our Society:
To manufacture consent and forming public opinion of the common people, some
filters were discoursed by Noam Chomsky, for putting into use to achieve maximum
success. If we give some thoughts into it, those are as it is applied by our
media as well. Let’s take a look:
o Firstly, the corporate media is the bitter truth of this era. The end game of
every media group or corporations is only acquiring guaranteed PROFIT by any
means possible. Because of this system, genuine journalism is nowhere near in
practicing. As the media has become a particular separate industry now, the
essence of good journalism is being killed.
o One of the biggest source of profit for the media corporations are the
advertisers and we, the common people, are the source of profits for the
advertising companies. We don’t realize how special we are that we are the
“gifts” to the advertising companies! It does not matter even if we are unable
to adopt the lifestyle of the Elites that our media and advertisers are
explicitly promoting, the common people are so common that they still would rush
towards the newly opened international fashion outlet.
o Every content in the media is indeed influenced by Government, Corporations
and our big Institutions to some extent. Because they have made themselves a
crucial part of journalism, involving in every story influencing every piece of
information.
An easy example of its implication can be found in the Indian-administered
Kashmir where every piece of media content is being invented which then moves
around across newsrooms, parliament, bureaucracies, business houses,
advertisements, academics, militaries etc.
o And of course anyone, whether a journalist or other media person, challenges
the one in power and divert away from their unanimous system, they would be
condemned.
Including the distortion of any piece of story that is inconvenient for the one
in to fit their needs.
o Today, a common enemy is very much needed to build the public opinion, just
like a boogie man to put fear into people and make them think about that
particular common enemy, just so that their attention is diverted from the issue
at hand. When terrorism as a common enemy is not being enough diversion, then
issues like Wiki leaks or Panama papers leak or anti-army opinions are put
forward as a new type of common enemy.
It must be very much clear to understand our media by the above discussion, as
now we have no choice but to ponder over it as millennial.