Part I & Part II
Two front-page stories that appeared in the nation’s top two newspapers on the same day this past week give a textbook illustration of how the media performs a propaganda function in the information system of the U.S. And all without even trying!
Both stories appeared on Wednesday, July 30th. One was on the front page of the New York Times, and one on the front page of the Washington Post.
The case can be made that these two newspapers are the two most influential newspapers—if not the most influential news organizations of any type—in the United States. Not only do they have huge circulations, but their readerships include the most powerful people in the world and, in addition, their reporting is syndicated and is thus reprinted in smaller newspapers throughout the country. For example, the Washington Post story that I will be citing in this article appeared in my local paper on the same day. In addition, due to their size and power, their editorial decisions shape the agenda of innumerable TV and radio stations and Internet blogs.
Nygaard Notes is an independent newsletter written and published by Jeff Nygaard (subscription info here). Nygaard Notes is concerned with a broad range of issues and ideas, using humor and plain language to reach out to anyone who believes in the values of solidarity, justice, compassion, and democracy. Nygaard Notes is intended to educate, inform, and entertain readers. Nygaard Notes is also intended to challenge its readers, inspiring them to move away from passive ways of thinking and toward more active, creative ways of thinking that lead to positive action.
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Part !
