“The result has been that an increasingly authoritarian agenda has been sold to the American people by a massive, multi-tentacled media machine that has become, for all intents and purposes, a propaganda organ of the state. McGowan goes along with Eisenhower and discusses in his claim that the media is a powerful, influential advertising agent that is basically trying to take over the lives of American people.
McGowan mentions that “lying is an integral element of the business of government.” In this context it can be perpetuated that the media and the government work along with one another. The government (ex. Politicians) will favor a specific media source in a positive light that covers their positive side and that does not mention any of its lies or disinformation.
Another interesting point that McGowan brings up is how the media determines what the “issues” are. He discusses how the media portrays guns, rock/rap music, and video games are the ones to blame in youth violence and as a result school violence. However, it is noted that youth violence has actually declined. Since the media has created this issue we as a society begin to question whether adolescents should be exposed to these sorts of things. Media does not want to send the real message out that it is society as a whole to blame. It is considered to become too complicated that way when it is much simpler to blame pop culture.
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I agree with you on how we should blame society as a whole, but I think kids today are growing up in an environment which blurs the line between reality and fantasy. The realistic graphics in video games and movies can have an effect on children exposed to it.
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