Manufacturing Consent: The Political Economy of the Mass Media

What political choices enabled media consolidation? Why has that been so detrimental to a free and independent press?

In what ways did the Reagan administration create a “perfect storm” that reinforced the mainstream media’s role as propaganda machine?

What are some of the ways the press defines Central American elections as legitimate or illegitimate? Cite specific examples.

Define what the authors mean by “worthy” and “unworthy” victims. Although the media reported the deaths of five churchwomen in El Salvador, how did that reporting create the impression they were unworthy victims?

Cite some examples of rhetorical propaganda from the media’s Vietnam coverage. How did the media use specific tone, word choice, or context to create a false impression, while perhaps remaining technically accurate?

Part of American self-identity is moral righteousness. How do the government and its media allies exploit this fact for their own advantage?

What is confirmation bias? How does it affect how the media reports on current events? Cite examples from the text.

According to the authors, does a journalist have an obligation to report only the facts? In the case of Vietnam, how might reporting only objective facts have led to a false impression of the war?