What is the media: The main means of mass communication (broadcasting, publishing, and the Internet) regarded collectively.
What is the purpose of the media: To serve as the fifth estate holding our politicians’ and other elites’ feet to the fire in the interest of plebeian citizens by fact checking and reporting the truth when communicating stories and analysis.
What is the media used for: Our mainstream network and cable news outlets, along with countless websites, serve the interests of the 1% by shining the “truth” through a curved capitalist lens.
But how?: Through the overtones and undertones expressed in every word and image.
So the media “message” is politically bent?: Of course. It serves the interest of the rich and powerful who own mass media.
How does it do this? It all looks on the up-an-up to me: Consider Gramsci’s cultural hegemony concept, in it’s best description:
“the ‘spontaneous’ consent given by the great masses of the population to the general direction imposed on social life by the dominant fundamental group; this consent is ‘historically’ caused by the prestige (and consequent confidence) which the dominant group enjoys because of its position and function in the world of production.”
Can we escape this media influence?: Of course not. We politically and culturally swim in it’s soup.
How can we change this?: If we recognize that there is a opaque pane in front of the truth.
Well, how do we get everyone else to see the truth: Organize, Comrade. Organize…
