DateThe Propaganda Model

The Propaganda Model is a conceptual model in politics that illustrates how systemic discrimination and propaganda are used in corporate media. It was established by Edward Herman and Noam Chomsky (Herman, 2000, p. 102). It tries to explain how people and social, political, and economic policies are manipulated in people's minds through propaganda. This objective is achieved through advertising, government sourcing, and media ownership, creating publicity through undemocratic forces. Media serve propaganda in favor of powerful community interests that finance and control them. The concerned parties have vital principles and agendas that they want to deliver. They are also placed strategically to constrain and influence media regulation. Nevertheless, the media serves as a communication system in passing symbols and messages to the public. It is obliged to entertain, inform, and amuse people with codes, values, and beliefs that will integrate them with the broader community (Herman, 2000 p. 107). In a world of conflict of class interest and concentrated wealth, the media requires systematic propaganda to fulfill its function.

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Nevertheless, structural factors include control and ownership, as well as other significant revenue sources such as advertisers. It is also made of the relationship between the media and newsmakers that can explain and define the meaning of the content (Boyd-Barrett, 2004 p. 436). The propaganda model also uses other associated factors, such as the ability to complain about the news treatment in the media. This treatment involves fixing fundamental ideologies and principles that elite and media personnel ignore but are usually rejected by the public. However, these structural factors in the media activities are not always controlling; neither does it produce similar and simple results always. Nevertheless, media regulation may allow some extent of varying opinions as long as it is within the accepted perspective. The system's importance is that it can maintain the inconvenient and varying information at a margin that will not interfere with the official plan.

However, the mainstream media has significantly affected the propaganda model. The availability of TV networks, magazines, motion picture studios, book publishing houses, and cable channels have made it easier to spread propaganda globally. Since 1990, there has been rapid globalization and massive deals making the media industries centralized in nine giant film studios. They include Disney, Viacom, Bertelsmann, Sony, Vivendi Universal, AOL Time Warner, News Corporation, AT&T-Liberty Media, Vivendi Universal, and General Electric (Mullen, 2009 p. 6). They all participate extensively in producing and distributing media content except General Electric. For instance, Disney, Viacom, News Corporation, and AOL Time Warner are involved in producing movies, magazines, TV programs, theme parks, toys, music, books, and videos, among others. They also distribute their materials through retail stores, cable and broadcasting ownership as well as movie-theatre chains. Moreover, they offer news and regular investigative documentaries and reports on political issues.

Furthermore, some types of media, like books and movies, have significantly affected the international market for a long time. For the last two decades, the global media system has greatly influenced the local culture, politics, and methods. It has been caused by the rapid increase of worldwide advertisement and better technological advancement that has enabled cross-border operations. Globalization has also been facilitated by state regulation and the use of neoliberal ideology. America and other developed countries have placed the interest of their local organization while expanding internationally. Additionally, the World Bank and International Monetary Fund (IMF) are also enlarging their transaction through the global media market (Mullen, 2009, p. 6). Nevertheless, neoliberal ideology has facilitated regulations that enable private ownership of satellite systems and broadcasting stations. However, the ideology and culture evident in the international process are mainly related to lifestyle goods and themes, and they weaken the sense of society. Globalization, together with national budgetary pressures and deregulation, has helped to minimize the noncommercial media in various countries. This reduction is evident in Asia and Europe, where public broadcasting dominated the systems (Mullen, 2009, p. 6). However, the financial needs of public broadcasters have made them emulate commercial systems through fund-raising and programming. Some have become entirely commercialized through privatization and regulation changes. The international balance of power has changed significantly on business networks.

Moreover, the new communication methods and the Internet are affecting the journalism monopoly and opening time of free interactive media. Besides, the Internet has improved the efficiency of the group and individual networking. This diversion has made many individuals move away from mainstream media in multiple ways. For instance, Japanese women have Websites where they can share their problems with peers and get advice on personal, financial, and business matters (Sparks, 2007 p. 4). Additionally, Chiapas resisters were able to mobilize global support to publicize their demands and pressurize the Mexican government to amend regulations in the area. The Internet was also used by Bolivian peasants, who demonstrated against World Bank privatization programs, creating a significant global attention level leading to desired consequences. The newly privatized Bolivia water system had quickly increased water rates, but after the worldwide publicity and protest, the issues were resolved, and the management was dissolved.

Protest movements have significantly enjoyed from internet-based communication. For instance, the World Trade Organization (WTO) tried to push a secret Multilateral Agreement on Investment that would protect the international investors disregarding the rights of democratic bodies within the countries (Klaehn, 2009, p. 6). The Internet was used to create an opposing force that hindered the acceptance of the agreement. Although the Internet has been a vital communication tool for protesters, it has some limitations. For example, it cannot be used for mass communication if one does not have a brand name. Only a few commercial organizations have attracted a broad audience in their internet offering. New technologies are primarily implemented to achieve corporate desires, and the recent changes have enabled media to reduce staff while still making more excellent outputs (Klaehn, 2009 p. 6). The advanced internet interaction has allowed the audience to shop online, but it has also facilitated the organization to gather personal information about their audience. This information has helped them to create target-oriented ads and features toward their customers.

In conclusion, the change in communication and politics has facilitated the use of the propaganda model. The increase in media centralization and mergers, corporate power, and reduction of public broadcasting has made propaganda more influential in America and around the world. The competition in the advertisement has become more extreme, and the boundaries between advertising and editorial departments have reduced. These changes have strengthened the propaganda model having a significant impact on the public sphere. Therefore, the propaganda model has helped in understanding how media adapt and are adapted to systemic demands.

References

Boyd-Barrett, O., 2004. Judith Miller, the New York Times, and the propaganda model. Journalism Studies, 5(4), pp.435-449.

Herman, E.S., 2000. The propaganda model: A retrospective. Journalism Studies, 1(1), pp.101-112.

Klaehn, J., 2009. The Propaganda Model: Theoretical and Methodological Considerations. Westminster Papers in Communication & Culture, 6(2).

Mullen, A., 2009. The propaganda model after 20 years: Interview with Edward S. Herman and Noam Chomsky. Westminster Papers in Communication and Culture, 6(2).

Sparks, C., 2007. Extending and refining the propaganda model. Westminster Papers in Communication and Culture, 4(2).