Manufacturing Consent

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Book Review: 

 


This time around, I highlight the classic work by Herman & Chomsky, “Manufacturing Consent: The Political Economy of the Mass Media”, new to the SSS Library collection. Being published in 1988 (with updates in 2002), one might imagine this work on use of the propaganda model of communication in western media to massage and manipulate the masses, to be outdated. On the contrary, while the medium of media has changed dramatically in the almost four decades since publication, the methods remain virtually the same. Herman and Chomsky assert that mass media companies…

"are effective and powerful ideological institutions that carry out a system-supportive propaganda function, by reliance on market forces, internalized assumptions, and self-censorship, and without overt coercion", by means of the propaganda model of communication.” 

Today’s volume and rush of internet content from independent creators commenting on all things political and cultural is a development with mixed results. While the stranglehold that legacy media maintained previously over the narratives we consume has been broken (a necessary and healthy development), what has replaced it is a fragmented plethora of information (and misinformation) often designed to polarize and enrage. Is this not just another form of propaganda?

What has become of deep thought, critical analysis, openness and humility? It seems to me these are the antidotes for the intellectual and emotional coercion we are subjected to with every click on the internet. I have included a video on this for your consideration.



Recommendation: “Manufacturing Consent” is still extremely relevant today. If you push back against corporate and political manipulation and value intellectual honesty, this is the book for you.

Author – E.S. Herman & Noam Chomsky

Publishing – Pantheon Books, New York, 1988

Genre – Nonfiction

Pages - 412

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