1. ownership of media is held by major corporations with interests and goals similar to power elite elements of society 2. people with different views, dissenting voices, are not heard much 3. the breadth of debate is limited 4. the official stance and institutional memory prevail and become history 5. peoples interest and ATTENTION are often diverted away from issues about which they could become concerned These attributes come to limit a society in part because mainstream mass media play their part by imposing what Chomsky calls Necessary Illusions, which make certain the masses of the populace wont become curious and involved in the political process and will continue submitting to the civil rule of the power elite (maintaining the status quo) -- thus, the masses (80%) are marginalized and diverted while the political class (20% who vote and participate in democracy) are indoctrinated into the status quo. This system is not a Conspiracy but is a HEGEMONIC system of sorts, WORKING WITH propaganda, wherein people do not get all the important information that may arouse that curiosity and prompt them to get involved and create changes. Chomskys concept of NECESSARY ILLUSIONS is linked to power elites dominating how life happens, with part of the population -- about 20% who MAKE UP the political class and are expected to participate as cultural managers in a limited fashion -- are indoctrinated, and most people -- the other 80% of the population -- are marginalized, diverted from political awareness and participation in self-governing, and reduced to apathy so they dont vote or take charge. Media are a tool of societys power elites and owned and controlled by them and are used to impose those iIllusions that are Necessary to keep people diverted from the political process. [David Hume asserted hundreds of years ago that the power always rests with the people but that they dont act because they are oppressed or manipulated] Thus, indoctrination of the political class and diversion of the masses make up THE ESSENCE OF the democracy practiced in the U.S. (Chomsky notes also that there is no correlation between the internal freedoms in a society and violent external behavior -- and that all governments are ruthless to the extent that they are powerful.) Major media (NEW YORK Times, Washington Post, TV networks, AP) shape our perception of the world by serving as Agenda Setters, Chomsky says. Media allow some dissenting voices but marginalize them via constraints such as CONCISION, Chomskys concept saying in mainstream media content, ideas must be stated briefly so it can fill UP THE TV content between commercials or fit in the print media newshole). Thus, dissenting views are mostly disallowed because they take longer to explain and need more complete evidence. Chomsky asserts that in order to break free, citizens must take 2 actions: 1. They must seek out information from ALTERNATIVE MEDIA (media outside the mainstream and usually having a particular POINT OF VIEW) 2. they must move toward change by becoming engaged in community action -- because people can use their ordinary intelligence to make changes in their lives and communities. Grassroots movements begin there. People can organize to begin grass roots momentum to bring about wider change -- but Chomsky says people must realize soon that the world is not an infinite resource and an infinite GARBAGE CAN. In these ways, people can fight societys tendency to isolate them from collective action and activism. Chomsky says it is profoundly contemptuous of democracy when the American political system has stage-managed elections and uses manipulation such as testing phrases to determine their likely effect on audiences. Chomsky argues that people need TO WORK to develop independent minds -- maybe in part by forming COMMUNITY action groups with others with parallel interests and values, not in isolation, which is where the present system tends to keep people. hope.journ.wwu.edu/tpilgrim/j190/Chomsky.summary.html
Posted on: Wed, 09 Jul 2014 00:57:12 +0000
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