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Abigail Anguiano
July 22nd, 2016
ENGL 1302
Dr. Michael Gardin
Manipulating the Media in the United States
The United States has long been under speculation, by it's citizens, for manipulating the media
for their own gain. In this way, the United States has influenced the media through not only news
channels, but also propaganda through media outlets. By controlling the media, not only do they
guarantee that their viewpoints are being publicized but they also guarantee that their biased
belief is the only thing being shown to its citizens.
For example, Media manipulation is described as someone using related concepts and techniques
to create either an argument or an image, of themselves or of others, to benefit themselves. The
way this is done is with the sender, which in this case would be the United States, "influencing
the receivers" (U.S Citizens) "to make decisions according to the sender's primary preference by
manipulating the information through the media" (Jung, page 188). The reasoning for the
manipulation is due to the fact that mass media has become such an important and influential
force in our day-to-day lives which makes processing information on an unconscious level
relatively easy. This is called "The Pigouvian Theory, in which the government maximizes the
welfare of consumers" (Djankov, page 341). By doing this, the government is able to control the
media in order to broadcast their own beliefs and opinions. Thus, creating a monopolized control
of the media itself, which is able to not only dictate what people think about something but also,

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"manipulate information to entrench the incumbent politicians, preclude voters and consumers
from making informed decisions, and undermine both democracy and markets" (Djankov, page
342). By creating this environment, the government is not only able to control the output of
information but also control the way the information is spread and how. For instance, a widely
popularized method is the use of slander. This is done by using this tactic "to connect, even if it
is through intricate stratagem, the person to some law-breaking, shady, person, organization, or
action" (De Victoria, page 2). Another tactic used is by making "the Devil look like God and God
like the Devil" (De Victoria, page 3), which utilizes slander to make the attacker seems as if
he/she is the savior by not only twisting around the facts but also the sides in order to benefit
themselves.
In addition to the circumstances revolving around how the manipulation of media is done,
understanding how it effects the public is a key to understanding why it's done in the first place.
Now the manipulation of the media wouldn't even exist if a) the government was honest and
reliable and b) if the citizens of the United States didn't blindly support what the government
does. However, both a and b in this case, are both void as the government isn't genuine and the
citizens for the most part are rather ignorant. Which in turn is why the government is able to
manipulate the media in order to persuade the people to their beliefs. For that reason, the
emergence of modern man interested in what is happening- around the world and the development of new concepts (Stefanov, page 66), the media in the U.S now plays a central
role in communicating to the public (Happer, C. & Philo, C., page 321), leaving the public
vulnerable to its wiles. However, this is not because the citizens of the United States are
completely incompetent but due to the fact that by controlling what has been outsourced by the

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media, the government is able "to limit the range of arguments and perspectives that inform
public debate (Happer, C. & Philo, G. , page 321).
The first example of this media manipulation is through the television network and their blatant
use of repeated verbatim in a multitude of broadcasts nationwide. This scandal was brought to
light by comedian and talk show host Conan O'Brien in November of 2012 using a compilation
of videos from each broadcast. One primary example of this is when three different anchors, one
in Louisiana, one in Wisconsin, and the other in California all spouted, Well, the final days of
the campaign can get a little salty, (Farhi) within minutes of each other. This is due to the fact
that major networks are given "ready-made scripts and interview packages"(Farhi) from a
centralized source in either New York, Los Angeles, or Washington. Which not only supports the
theory of the media being monopolized but also that these "ready-made scripts" had to have been
signed off on in order to even make it to the network itself.
In addition to the obvious use of scripted news coverage, "mainstream media is owned directly
by large multinational corporations" (Research). This is shown through the board of Time Warner
and its connections to a plethora of other networks. For example, Time Warner owns not only
Time Magazine but also HBO, Warner Brothers, CNN, and Turner Broadcasting System.
Looking at it as one company owning four other companies doesn't seem too bad however, each
of those companies listed owns about 160 sub-companies alone not only in the U.S but also in
Japan and India.
Furthermore, Carl Bernstein, one of the reporters from the Washington Post who covered the
Watergate scandal, revealed that almost 400 journalists secretly carried out assignments for and
by the CIA. This revelation brought to light a history of deceptive behavior on part of not only

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the CIA but also some of the most powerful companies and individuals in America. Some
companies included in the scandal were "the American Broadcasting Company, the National
Broadcasting Company, the Associated Press, United Press International, Newsweek Magazine,
the Mutual Broadcasting System, the Miami Herald and the old Saturday Evening Post and New
York Herald-Tribune" (Bernstein). In fact, the CIA not only ran a program specifically to "teach
its agents to be journalists but afterwards than placed them in "major news organizations with
help from management" (Research). The reasoning for their affiliation with top-tier journalism
companies was the belief that they were able to gain access to certain locations abroad with a
certain degree of freedom that they would otherwise not have. Regarding the use of the CIA's
agents in journalism, it has been noted that in the year 2000 "during the NATO bombing of
Kosovo several officers from the US Army's 4th Psychological Operations (PSYOPS) Group at
Ft. Bragg worked in the news division at CNN's Atlanta headquarters" (Research). During the
same time, it was also discovered that the same PSYOPS group during the Reagan
Administration planted stories in the media favoring Reagan's Central America policies. The
story was later published by the Miami Herald which described the entire ordeal as psychological
warfare implemented by the U.S. which is then compared to the type of operation the military
follows in order to influence a population in enemy territory.
An example of media manipulation is Time Magazines blatant manipulation of its covers in
order to garner sales from respective locations. This media manipulation is a bit different but
garners the same effect, this is due to the fact that Time is manipulating what is being shown to
Americans not only for profit but is also causing Americans to lose interest in the world around
them. By doing this they are causing a rift within society and damaging the core values the
United States were based upon. For example, while the cover of Time Magazine in other areas of

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the world center around the Revolution in Egypt and their rebellion against military rule.
However, the cover in the United States centers around how Anxiety is good for you (Airey)
with Egypt: Revolution Reignited posted above the Time center piece.
Another example is the propaganda put forth in efforts to entice war by the United States. For
example, in 2008 the Pentagon ran major propaganda campaigns in order to promote their own
image of their administrations war-time policies. This was done by using retired generals and
Pentagon officials (Research) which lead up to the war in Iraq in 2003 and continued on until
2009. Similarly, to the use of propaganda by the Pentagon, Stephen Hadley used the media to
enforce ideas of attacking Syria to public using appearances on CNN, MSNBC, Fox News,
Bloomberg TV, and authored a Washington Post op-ed headlined To Stop Iran, Obama must
enforce red lines with Assad (Research). Later, it was discovered that not only was Stephen
Hadley the director of Raytheon, which is a massive weapons manufacture, but that the
Tomahawk missiles that Raytheon assembled were citied to be the weapon of choice in the
potential strike against Syria (Research) and that Hadley had financial shares worth $891, 189
in the company itself.
In continuation of the war propaganda implemented by the U.S. Government, in July 2016 a U.S.
led coalition with France left Northern Syria in ruins with over 140 civilians dead. Claiming it
was an accident, the U.S. military confirmed it had conducted air strikes in the area and said it
was investigating claims of civilian deaths (Wright). Which, in itself, is an example of a tactic
widely used for the manipulation of media called "the Devil look like God and God like the
Devil", as previously discussed. The reasoning for this is due to the fact that if Syria was to kill
over 140 people in the United States it would be an act of terrorism, however when the U.S. is
behind the act it is called an accident and claims to be investigating the claims.

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Given these points, the United States manipulates the media in order to enforce certain beliefs
and agendas with its citizens and it has a long history dating back to Reagans campaign to prove
it. Not only has the media been manipulated by the United States government, but it has also
intertwined its CIA officials into the most prominent of Political Journalism, while also media as
a way to enforce political and war agendas.

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Works Cited:
Happer, C., & Philo, G. (2013). The role of the media in the construction of public belief and
social change. Journal of Social and Political Psychology, 1, 321-336. doi:10.5964/jspp.v1i1.96
Cary, Mary Kate. "The Master of Manipulation." US News. N.p., 6 Nov. 2015. Web. 22 July
2016.
Jung, Hanjoon Michael. "Information Manipulation Through The Media." Journal Of Media
Economics 22.4 (2009): 188-210.Business Source Complete. Web. 22 July 2016.
Djankov, Simeon, et al. "Who Owns the Media?." The Journal of Law & Economics 2003: 341.
JSTOR Journals. Web. 22 July 2016.
(Stefanov): TEFANOV, Daniel. "Can The Concept Of Social Responsibility Ensure The
Existence Of The Educational Role Of The Media?." Valahian Journal Of Economic Studies 6.3
(2015): 63-68. Business Source Complete. Web. 22 July 2016.
De Victoria, Samuel Lopez. "Media Manipulation of the Masses: How the Media
Psychologically Manipulates | World of Psychology." World of Psychology. N.p., 06 Feb. 2012.
Web. 22 July 2016.
Research, Global. "Truth, War Propaganda, CIA and Media Manipulation." Global Research.
N.p., 31 Mar. 2011. Web. 22 July 2016.
Fraud, Sigmund. "6 Examples of Media Manipulation." Activist Post. N.p., 01 Mar. 2014. Web.
22 July 2016.

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Farhi, Paul. "A Local TV Trend: And Now, the Identical News." Washington Post. The
Washington Post, 27 Nov. 2012. Web. 22 July 2016.
Bernstein, Cal. "Carl Bernstein." Carl Bernstein. N.p., 20 Oct. 1977. Web. 22 July 2016.
Airey, David. "TIME Magazine Covers: Worldwide Differences David Airey." David Airey.
Time Magazine, 28 Nov. 2011. Web. 22 July 2016.
Wright, Paul. "Syria: At Least 85 Civilians Feared Dead after US Air Strike 'mistake'"
International Business Times. N.p., 20 July 2016. Web. 22 July 2016.