Wednesday 16 September 2020

How does the media manipulate our views?

Media Manipulation Tactics.
Politicians and the media are trained to influence the way we think. This thread looks at how they do that.
Keep an eye out for when politicians, commentators and journalists use these manipulative tactics. We encourage you to post the relevant meme in the comments of the media post using a particular tactic.
Discussing media framing with your friends, family & community groups is a great way of refining your ability to identify when a politician or media outlet is pushing a particular narrative.

These tiles can be particularly useful to help our trusting friends, the gullible and easily influenced to be aware of tactics used to influence us all.

Our media is supposed to hold our politicians to account. But who holds the media to account?
We do.

Media Manipulation
Manufactured outrage

Media Manipulation
Tactical Framing
                                         How will a bill affect us?                                         
Who will be impacted? 
What are the consequences?


    Media Manipulation
                                                        Scapegoating                                                                  
Is one group ALWAYS right and another ALWAYS wrong?


                                                            Media Manipulation 
                                                    Slippery Slope
Who obstructs change? Why?
What's in it for them?



Media Manipulation
Fear Mongering

Fear is a powerful motivator
& can be used to inhibit change
(stay with the known, change is scary)


Media Manipulation
Democratic Symbolism

Lack of accountability
Who is held to account?
Who is presented as above reproach?
What happens when you look at different media?
(2019/20 Bushfires)


Media Manipulation
Attack the Messenger!

Avoiding the issue by deflection
or name calling


Media Manipulation
False Neutrality

Who is being interviewed?
What is their affiliation?
Are we informed?


Media manipulation
Leading Questions

Basically telling us what to think.
But sneakily ... of course
Is there any other way?



Media Manipulation
Trolling

Watch out for pointless, repetitive questions
or statements
which have already been answered.


Media Manipulation
Anecdotes

Occasionally of some human interest, but usually irrelevant.


Media Manipulation
The Middle Ground Fallacy

When "balance" is anything but.


Media manipulation
Democratic Backsliding

Chipping away bit by bit
and then ... kapowie


Media Manipulation
Whataboutism

Distraction, irrelevancies & diversions
They're everywhere.


Media Manipulation
Alternative Narrative


Deliberately muddying the water
to create confusion, doubt & overload.



Media Manipulation
Security Theatre

Simplistic 'answers' to complex issues.
Slogans, sound bites & quick fixes.
"If it's too good to be true, it's too good to be true"

                                        

Workshop potential

These tiles would be excellent workshop material for groups such as Community groups, church groups, U3A, Knitting Nannas & interested in fairness, democracy, climate change, renewable energy, ethics. 

It's also an opportunity to discuss media concentration in Australia and how that affects what's reported, how it's reported, who's interviewed (or not) and what's missing. What are their links to the media outlet? Who benefits? Who is silenced? Why? How are photos cropped to frame perception?

Discussion points: Look at how the words in headlines are carefully selected to create an emotional response. This doesn't necessarily reflect the tone of the article but are chosen so that passers by will see them at supermarket checkouts, servos and in cafes. Drip feed negativity has an impact.

Independent media 

and media bias

Compare murdoch media coverage of the 2019/20 bushfires, with a variety of other reports. What's the same? What's different? When did it become the norm to undermine science? Who undermines? Who benefits? What is the result in our communities?

Spoiler. This article has a lot of the answers.

And there's this: 



Thanks to Access Disrupt for allowing me to share these informative tiles. 

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