Draft - Thesis outline Irma

19-10-2017, 10 o'clock. Dear reader, since our last meeting I've been focussing on reading, summarizing and analyzing relevant points for my thesis. To keep it clear, I've made a separate page with the 5 summaries of "text". See this link

Link to 5 summaries of relevant articles, books or videos in 200 words

Isn't the alternative truth all we have?

A research on the cause and effect of storytelling

Note, I'm researching the idea to structure my thesis in a magazine structure, you could think of fictional interviews, small essays, film review, comic, etc.

Introduction

I want my thesis to be about the cause and effect of storytelling, the rhetoric's behind the manipulation in the mass media in comparison with social media. What has changed and what is and the effect it has on the interpretation of the truth. Telling the truth is generally appreciated, but couldn't you say that the truth is always subjective interpretation? That therefore there would always exist an alternative version of my interpretation of truth?

Media Communication VS Social Media Communication

When I try to explain my thesis outline to people within my bubble, I do get the response 'But don't we already know that media, politicians, and marketers lie to us?' I guess this is true, so how relevant is this research on the rhetorics of storytelling? My point of view today is that I wonder why we, me too, except that information could be (or probably is) a lie or misinterpretation? Why did we stop demanding the truth and accepting that they manipulate our interpretation? There is a difference between presenting only the bright side and an alternative fact.

Did politics change when Edward Bernays started advising President John Calvin Coolidge Jr.? Was this the moment marketing tactics entered politics? And what would happen if the gossip around Mark Zuckerberg running for the presidency would be true? How far can he influence our opinion with all the data he collected over the years? Let's assume there are politicians whit good intentions and want to tell the truth and confidence the public with honest facts, what do they have to do to fight back? Does the good guy need a better spindoctor?

• News- The war on facts
• Trump VS Press
• Noam Chomsky VS Press

• Edward Bernays

philosophy, not as a chapter by itself, but a guideline throughout

• Socrates
• Plato - the notion of the noble lie
• Aristotle
• Nietzsche - there are no facts, only interpretations
  • theory on Self-overcoming, trying to become a better version of your self, become who you really are, aim to be a superman (ubermensch)
    • Own up to Envy, use it as a guide to what we really want. See what you envy as a goal or role model.
    • Don't be a Christian (or don't follow
    • Never drink alcohol
    • God is death

• • The religion of comfortableness

Representing a persona - I'm online therefore I am

The freedom/duty of representing yourself I'm online therefore I am

• Rachel Dolezal - a white woman pretending to be black.
• Social media -
• Jacques Lacan - mirror stage
• Socrates

The power of the Storyteller - fictional conversation about the storytelling techniques

• Charlie Kaufman VS Edward Bernays
• Maybe Patricia Highsmith, Hitchcock

What makes a reliable big other to follow?

Maybe this is the strange duck in my research, although I think this is a relevant theme within my practice.

• "The Big Other doesn't exist" - Slavoj Zizek

Truth in Neuroscience? Truth is in the eyes of the beholder?

How reliable is a human brain? Could you trust what you see is the truth? I think the brain has a very important role in the interpretation of information I'm fascinated to explore this knowledge of "system" thinking, the common cognitive biases and roles of the different parts of the brain

• We are our brain - Dr. Swaab
• Wired for Storytelling - Lisa Cron
• Thinking fast and slow - Daniel Kahneman
• How Stories Change the Brain - Article by Pal J. Zak

Analysing artist that play with manipulation

• The YESmen
• Floris Kaayk

Commenting/bringing the news in a lighter/creative way

• Southpark
• News satire television program's such as Daily Show

Bibliography

• The Political Brain: The Role of Emotion in Deciding the Fate of the Nation
• "The Big Other doesn't exist" - Slavoj Zizek
• Jacques Lacan - mirror stage
• MANUFACTURING CONSENT The Political Economy of the Mass Media by Edward S. Herman and Noam Chomsky (1988)
• Manufacturing Consent - Noam Chomsky And The Media-The Companion Book To The Award-Winning Film by Peter Wintonick and Mark Achbar (1994)
• The Propaganda Model: a retrospective by Edward S. Herman
• The Century of the Self -Adam Curtis

• We are our brain - Dr Swaab
• Wired for Story telling - Lisa Cron
• Thinking fast and slow - Daniel Kahneman
• Plotting and Writing suspense fiction - Patrica Highsmith
• Post-truth by Matthew Dáncona

Feedback Fabian, Steve, Nadine

• It's not clear for Fabian, are these the chapters already?
• It's not very clear what is the connection with Rachel or representing the persona.
• Something are a bit far fed, some a bit abstract, it could be more specific.
• Steve things a case study is a good idea, maybe a case study of her own work
• You've got storytelling, truth-telling, representation of true or false identity, but the o
• Social media communication is related to the film and previous work.
• Steve things an important element is rhetorics, but she should be more specific on what kind of rhetorics, you could analyze case studies instead of going in this historical path, that seems to far of your work.
• Storytelling as Rhetorics, Truth isn't relevant.
• Good to read about Post-truth, think about affective politics, this is more about emotion than reason.

(irma : Rhetorics to manipulate on an emotional level)

• Fabian, But you should realize that the thinking fast and slow, connection between emotional and reasonable thinking
• But we can agree that is is not about truth but the interpretation of truth. How storytelling affects the individual and she should use her own work as a case study.

• Steve : Take two of the books or articles that you are reading and write a synopsis. Use your instincts to select.
• Book tip Steve - Post-truth by Matthew Dáncona
• Fabian Thinks about the power of words, book?