The Media: Truth, Lies and Propaganda

Full Disclosure:

First, let me wish everyone a Happy New Year. Hope everything is going well (so far.)

A little over three years ago, I wrote a three-part series titled Media and the Truth. The reason for the three parts was because it was suggested to me that people prefer not to read long articles. While I disagreed, I went ahead and chopped up the article into three parts which after reflection, I considered a stupid move. So, what you’re about to read is a revamp along with a new title of those three articles with some additional new material into a single one. For those of you who are uber-curious— I’m leaving up the original three part series here. Why? Well… why not. Let’s begin:

The Media: Truth, Lies and Propaganda

Is there a difference between truth— what we believe to be true and what we know to be true? Because the only way a truth becomes a universal truth is if it becomes proven beyond all doubt— universally. This is why we call them “undisputed truths.”

Then we have what we call facts which are nothing more than conclusions based upon supporting evidence based on previously known facts based on supporting evidence. It’s a vicious circle until somewhere down the line, they end up becoming an undisputed fact or a universally held fact. That is the starting point. Science and physics are a great example of this.

On the other hand— truth on a social level doesn’t appear to be as clear cut. We base truth on information we believe to be true. The incredibly high standards we place on facts described in the paragraph above are no where near the standards we place on that we believe to be true. I guess that’s why over the last few years the word “Truth” has now evolved into “our truth” or “my truth.” Truth has transcended into simply what one believes to be true. In many instances facts play little to no role in how they came to their conclusions.

Here’s the sixty four thousand dollar question. Can we separate truth and fact as two completely different entities with two completely different meanings? If someone believes something to be true, does that make it a fact, or simply their personal opinion or belief— or in other words, ‘their truth?”

That being said, I could take this article in a thousand different directions but I promise I won’t. It’s a confusing enough topic as it is. What I will do is attempt to clarify what I feel are the most important aspects in regards to the media and how their truths, their facts affect— and by extension, influence and shape ours and seeing as this article focuses on truth, lies and propaganda— we’ll stick to that premise.

Psychology 101

I know what you’re thinking. What does psychology have to do with Truth in Media? Answer? Everything.

For the most part, I think it’s safe to say that most adults inherently give the benefit of the doubt to whatever information their chosen media platform gives them. Most look no further into their particular claim for 2 main reasons.

1. It’s not important enough to them personally to go to the trouble of researching the claim to ascertain whether or not the claim is accurate.

2. Reason one plus— as long as it goes along with their belief system as to what their truth is. They believe it because they need to.

And here’s the interesting thing. Even if they eventually find out later that what they were told was a lie, in most instances they won’t care. Unless it’s a Bombshell Story based on concrete evidence, people stick to their core beliefs even if those beliefs turn out to be unfounded. They may make some kind of excuse but it won’t fundamentally change their minds. This is proved daily when you look at the comment sections of any news-related website.

The MSM— when it comes to anything Political, it doesn’t necessarily mean they tell the whole truth and nothing but the truth. They tell their version of the truth. More importantly, they market their truth to their base of readers, listeners and viewers in order to gently guide them in the direction which fits the agenda or ideology of the owners of a particular media platform and it appears everyone does it (to a degree.) They call it spinning the truth. More interesting is it appears everyone is OK with it. But I digress.

This is Where Psychology Comes into Play

Have you ever heard of Sigmund Freud? I would like to think that most of us have. If not, here’s a link to what Wikipedia has to say about him.

“Sigmund Freud was an Austrian neurologist and the founder of psychoanalysis, a clinical method for treating psychopathology through dialogue between a patient and a psychoanalyst.”

Have you ever heard of Edward Bernays? No? Really? I thought so. Then again, maybe a few of you have. If not, here you go. Now would be a great time to learn a bit about him. It may give you a better understanding of why we are the way we are and how simple it is to manipulate most of us in some way or another..

………Go ahead – I’ll wait……..

In a nutshell, Edward Bernays was considered the Father of Public Relations. He made corporations countless millions with his innovative ideas on marketing, public relations and propaganda. He was able to do this by incorporating the views of his Uncle. Yep! You guessed it! Good old Sigmund Freud.

I don’t want to regurgitate information about these two men because you can readily find out for yourself by clicking on the links above. Although there is one more individual who I feel is equally important. His name is Adam Curtis. And lucky for you (if you’re not a big fan of reading) he produced a documentary (one of many I HIGHLY recommend) entitled, The Century of the Self. (The link is for the entire series in one video so watch at your own speed or search for each segment separately.) Note: As we’ve seen from the past, links come and go in the blink of an eye. As of this writing, the links work although that could change. If they eventually fail for whatever reason, a simple search will discover one that does. Do I personally agree with all his political views? Absolutely not. However, many of his documentaries tend not to lean one way or another politically so it’s not much of an issue. You be the judge.

It’s important to have a better understanding of the roles Edward Bernays and his Uncle, Sigmund Freud played in who and how we are as individuals within the whole of society. And what their roles, even to this day, continues to play. So, be enlightened and watch The Century of the Self. Not only is it a VERY good documentary— you’ll save me hours of typing.

A History Lesson

Before the internet, before Twitter, Facebook, Snap Chat and every other online platform, all we had for our information was via word of mouth and newspapers.

It was only after the mid 15th century with the invention of the greatly improved printing press by Johannes Gutenberg, did things begin to change.

Because of said improvements, all that was required for anyone to share one’s knowledge, opinions, ideology and yes, even lies was the money to pay for the printing and distribution for whatever they wanted to write. To say truth in the printed word back then was hazy at best would be an understatement.

We find a good example of this by jumping ahead a few hundred years to the election of George Washington as the first President of the United States. Thomas Jefferson and Alexander Hamilton were part of his cabinet and both fought mercilessly on a regular basis concerning the direction each wanted the country to go.

Hamilton wanted a strong central government and Jefferson believed most of the power should belong to the states. Both Hamilton and Jefferson had like-minded friends and supporters which was the beginning of Party Politics. Hamilton called himself and his supporters “Federalists,” while Jefferson and his supporters called themselves “Democratic Republicans”.

To gain more supporters, Hamilton started his own newspaper which he used to vilify Jefferson and his allies constantly. Jefferson responded by helping start a newspaper of his own attacking not only Hamilton, but John Adams and George Washington as well.

Jefferson, after realizing his efforts weren’t winning over the President, resigned his cabinet position and went home. He canceled his newspaper subscriptions and settled back into his life as a farmer/scientist. But it all started back up again when Jefferson made the decision to run for President with Washington’s refusal to run for a third term in 1796.

The race was between John Adams and Thomas Jefferson. Once good friends who had since parted ideological ways due to which way each felt the U.S. should be governed.

Even by today’s standards, it was a brutal and contentious race with newspapers for each side fueling the battle for votes. Truth had very little to do with all the mud and accusations the papers fed to whoever was willing to take the time to read them. In the end, John Adams won by just 3 electoral votes. And with the rules in place at the time, Jefferson— by losing the election became Vice President. (a role he came to despise.)

It became even worse during the Presidential election of 1800 when Jefferson again decided to run against John Adams (who was seeking a second term.) The race was not just between the two candidates running, but also between the publications who supported each candidate doing their best to sway public opinion by any means necessary.

Again, the truth had very little to do with it. [End of history lesson].

I use this example (with the source of this information being the documentary, Thomas Jefferson by Ken Burns), as a starting point to show that “Truth” in what people read through the printed word, especially in regards to politics has been skewed since the beginning of politics. By the way— there is a lot more to the story of Thomas Jefferson. I highly recommend the documentary.

As we all know too well, it continues to this very day. More so now because six corporations (owning most of all mainstream media) control what is seen, read and heard. Add Big Tech to the mix and that covers just about everything.

Mainstream Media vs Truth

Misdirection, Misinformation and outright lies seem to be the bulk of news we as consumers have been offered these days. Is this new? Absolutely not. As we’ve seen in the previous segment, this has gone on for literally centuries. However, there’s a difference.

The news people received back in the 19th and 18th centuries were primarily from just a few local papers backed by one side or the other. In fact, as previously stated, Thomas Jefferson had to go as far as starting his own newspaper just so he could counter-punch and malign John Adams during his election.

Today? The news of today eclipses the news of the past by leaps and bounds. Even William Randolph Hearst, (being the King of Media for his day) could not have imagined how powerful media would become. As consumers of said media, we only have ourselves to blame. No one is putting a gun to our head demanding we change the channel to CNN or run out and purchase the Times. It’s the Media Circle of Life. We fuel the media by giving them our attention inbcluding watching five minutes of commercials each break from their sponsors with their own corporate agenda aside from what their hocking and in turn, fuel our beliefs by reporting only stories which support them. It doesn’t matter if the stories they report are false as the media are under no obligation (legally or otherwise) to tell the truth. And Heaven help the Media if they report a story which challenges that which they’ve come to believe over a period of time. That’s a BIG No no. Social media platforms and the cancel culture would NOT be pleased.

Included in this “Circle of Life” is reporting on certain stories that will bring on the birth of brand new beliefs. Again, it doesn’t matter if it’s true or not. They’ll find someone who [they] can declare an “Expert” (even though it’s doubtful most of us have ever heard of the individual or their qualifications) who will back up the story being reported.

A perfect example of this (though there are many) is the Media’s constant reporting on Trump and his comments he supposedly made in regards to Charlottesville. Biden, amazingly enough— repeats this lie time and time again. It baffles the mind why many here in the US still to this day continue to believe (and cling) to this blatant lie. It baffles me even more when Trump’s entire statement is there on You-Tube for everyone to see, yet people still believe the lie. Their mind-set gives no other choice.

So any individual with a modicum of common sense— with one iota of critical thinking has to ask the question.

“Why is it, that what seems to be a very large part of the American public, cling with dear life to beliefs that are time and time again proven to be completely untrue? Even when the proof of lies they have been told are set out right in front of them?”

And secondly— “why is it that many of these American’s responses are, when confronted with a truth which can’t be disputed is anger?” It truly is astonishing.

I can only conclude that many on the left simply refuse to believe or even consider anything that challenges their beliefs. They have completely closed themselves off to any credible hint that they could be mistaken. They just don’t want to hear it. Kinda sad when you think about it.

This is why you see colleges and universities restricting conservative voices on campuses. The Left now considers any speech that doesn’t support their views as hate speech and by virtue of this, must not be shared. But the opposite is fine with them because in their minds, they are the “enlightened ones” and everyone else is pure evil and must be converted or destroyed.

The most laughable part about all this is when you walk up and try to have a conversation with a diehard liberal mainstream media consumer. In other words, the Left or Progressives and ask them why they believe the way they do, There are basically two responses you receive.

1. Because!…. (that’s pretty much it….) because…. Then they get angry for being asked in the first place or worse, having to explain themselves. (Heaven forbid!) How DARE you question what they believe and why! Where’s the rope!?

2. They will simply regurgitate CNN’s and the Liberal Left’s talking points as the reason. But don’t ask any follow-up questions or they’ll immediately jump back to response number 1. (and continue searching for that rope.) Why? Simple— because that would require them to make a rational argument or further explanation to respond and most just don’t have that ability. And they know this which is why they stick to reasons one or two.

Let’s do a little word association game here, shall we?

In the realm of politics, I will mention one word and you get to choose between Liberal or Conservative as representation of that word. Ready?

The word is….. “Sheep”. (Be honest now)

If your response was liberal— give the man (or woman) a cigar. (If you’ve never heard of the word used in the context described above “Give the man a cigar!” because it tells me you’re are either too young, or I’m too old, (most likely the latter.)

In any event, you would be correct. Which begs the question, why is that? Now, if you are a conservative, you already know the answer. If you’re a Liberal, you’re probably STILL looking for that rope.

I also find it interesting that if on the rare occasion a Conservative does have a normal conversation with a Liberal, the one topic you’ll never see brought up by the Liberal is why Conservatives believe the way they do. Again, why is that? The obvious answer is that Liberals have absolutely no desire to hear any opposing view. Especially if it challenges their own. It’s just not done in civilized society…. right? Right.

Main Stream Media, CNN and the like are fully aware of this. Don’t think for a minute they’re not. And by the way— this includes liberal politicians. Again, you have to ask why. This would be a great thesis for a psychology major. What in my humble opinion could be a factor is that those who identify as “the Left” (and these days you have to include democrats in general) are easily manipulated. It is a mindset.

The Democrat Party proclaims it is a “Big Tent” party, so you have to consider exactly “who” this Big Tent covers. That’s a scary thought. Either way, to my mind, most seem to be easily manipulated. Hence the label, “Sheep.” And the media is right there behind them, making sure they remain that way. They are the sheepherders. Why? Because it’s for their votes and they’ll do or say anything to acquire them. To accomplish this, the media only reports news that reinforces the liberal belief system. They refuse to report on anything that could evoke a challenge or dismiss it entirely as right wing craziness (and here’s what’s comical) ….. without explaining why.

The media no longer feel they have to explain anything to their loyal viewers/readers. Just repeat the headlines and give scripted perspectives and talking points. That’s enough for liberals. That’s why they all repeat the same things. Whether it’s CNN, ABC, CBS etc… etc…. they all repeat the same things. Over… and over… and over. Here are just a few examples:

Another example: The Headline reads, Kayleigh McEnany scolds reporters at briefing for ignoring Eric Swalwell, Hunter Biden stories and as a response, CNN’s far-left White House reporter Jim Acosta shouted, “Isn’t it hypocritical for you to accuse others of disinformation when you spread it every day?” (NOTE* Scroll across to the 29:00 mark to watch the comment and response.)

This is typical MSM playbook tactics. Instead of answering a direct question, or in this particular instance, a statement, the reporter’s response (like most) is addressing the question or statement with a blanket statement. “Whataboutism” at it’s best.

The Perception of Reality

Personal experience dictates 90% of our reality. That being said, there is a difference between what we know is the truth, what we believe is the truth and what we desperately want to believe is the truth and that can have an a major affect on our personal experiences. A perfect example of this is the clip below.

Sneakers— 1992
“Everything in this world, including money doesn’t operate on reality – [but the perception of reality.] Posit – People think a bank might be financially shaken. Consequence – People start withdrawing their money from said bank. Result – Pretty soon the bank becomes financially shaky. Conclusion – It can make banks fail.”

The dialogue above is from the film “Sneakers”— 1992. Great movie. If you haven’t seen it, I recommend doing so.

Interesting thought… isn’t it? The dialogue above illustrates the tremendous power the media actually have. And in many cases, it all begins with a rumor. Someone overheard something from someone and the media runs with it. And what once began as nothing from an anonymous source, perhaps even orchestrated can destroy just about anything or anyone. What’s even more interesting is this movie is 32 years old! The dialogue is just as applicable today as it was 32 years ago.

As William Randolph Hearst said….

Media Rules to Live By

Remember— the Media can literally get away with saying anything they like as long as one or more of the list of words below are incorporated within the headline and/or article. Here are just a few:

Could
Possibly
If true
May
Might
Appears
I think
Believe

The words above should raise a red flag with the reader. Anytime you see these words in an article that purports itself as truth should raise a great deal of speculation. Because when you see these words, it lends itself to be more of an opinion than anything else.

If articles are opinion articles, that’s fine. We are aware that what we are reading is someone’s opinion. What convinces us to agree or disagree with the opinion is the argument the writer makes.

Interestingly enough, many articles we’ve been seeing lately, very little if any argument is made or it’s anonymously sourced. It’s the headline, that’s all that matters and for the most part, as far as the Left is concerned, that’s enough. The line is now so blurred between news and opinion, you can no longer tell the difference between them. Think this is just an accident? Nope. Cable news is all about ratings and Internet News is all about “Clicks.” Considering the bottom line of all of this is money through advertising, it is in their best interests to cater to their viewers and clickers. Again, truth has very little to do with it and as we’ve seen throughout history, it never did.

Fox News vs. Everyone Else

If you’ve read any of my articles here on A Basket of Fish, it should come as no surprise that I am an independent conservative. But more than that, I believe in critical thinking and common sense. In every article I write, I do my best to make the argument for the topic. Whether you’re a Liberal, Conservative, Democrat or a Republican, you should NEVER use Party Politics as a sole excuse for why you believe the way you do. From what I’ve seen over the years, the media counts on your bias as your excuse. To a lesser extent, even Fox News. However, the main difference I’ve seen on Fox is they attempt to make the argument whereas the [rest] are only concerned with the headlines. Time and time again, CNN and the rest have been proven completely wrong with their headlines as you’ll see in the montage below.

This is not so much the case at Fox. Do I always agree with everything the pundits say on Fox? No. But again, they attempt the argument and leave it up to the viewer to come to their own conclusions. That’s the difference.

Is Hannity biased? Of course he is! Take a minute, put aside your dislike for Fox and just listen to the arguments. If you’re not a Tucker Carlson – Hannity – Laura Ingraham or Greg Gutfeld fan or viewer, many of their shows include segments exposing the Media, their lies and misinformation. Here are a couple.

If you’re a liberal, just grit your teeth and watch.

Now I realize that all the clips above would now be considered old and that may be true but you can easily apply the premise from everything you’ve just watched to what is going on in today’s media. Look no further than the coverage of Trump’s legal issues and contrast that with the coverage of the Biden family including the BS coming from the White House Press Secretary and it’s fairly clear that nothing changes in regard to the so-called news.

One final point I’d like to make is the stark contrast between how the White House Press Core treated Trump’s press secretaries and those of Biden. It’s night and day. Anyone surprised by this? Anyone?

There are a couple of quotes that I feel are more important today than they were when they were said.

Edgar Allan Poe

and long before Poe, there was

Buddha Siddhartha Guatama Shakyamuni

Confucius as well

Inspiration we can all use. When it comes to the media,

A BOF Challenge:

As the Basket of Fish, I’d like to offer the following challenge to all who have read this article. On many occasions, Fox news likes to make the point how little to no coverage other media outlets give on what they consider important stories. For the most part, that’s true but don’t believe me, find out for yourself. So here’s the challenge. For a few days during a given week, I’d like you to be channel/website flippers. If you normally go to CNN.com or MSNBC.com or any liberal news outlet for your news, after you check out their websites, flip over to FOXnews.com or any conservative news outlet and see what’s going on over there. The same holds true with Conservatives. Notice the headlines, read some of the stories and take special note on the way they were written. To say you’d be astonished would not be enough.

Same goes with TV. Watch a show like Special Report with Bret Baier then flip over to Jake Tapper then do the same with shows from Pundits like Joy Reid and the rest (can’t remember their names) and compare them to the likes of Jesse Watters, Laura Ingraham and Greg Gutfeld and of course, Hannity and one of my personal favorites, The Five. If you must, hold your nose and pick a show, any show. Conservative or liberal— from news to pundits and see the difference. See what’s being reported on and talked about. More importantly, see what’s not. In many instances, it’s night and day.

In conclusion of this revamped, revised article I wrote years ago, the one thing I hope we can all agree on is the following. Outside of technology— the Media hasn’t really changed that much in the last 250 years since the times of John Adams and Thomas Jefferson. Still filled with

Lies, Propaganda with a dash of Truth mixed in for good measure.