Irma's essay : Formula of credibility

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Formula of credibility

Introduction

In this essay, I would like to research how communication strategies could be used to increase the credibility of the information that is being presented. Hereby I would like to compare if there are similarities between the propaganda model of Noam Chomsky on mass media in comparison with the advertisement strategies of Sigmund Freud's nephew Edward L. Bernays. After analyzing these media based communication forms, I would like to compare the outcome with researched done within the subject of placebo.

(Question : Is this third comparison to much for this first essay?)

The Propaganda Model

The propaganda model is written by Edward S. Hermans and Noam Chomsky based first presented in their 1988 book Manufacturing Consent: The Political Economy of the Mass Media. The propaganda model is a framework for analyzing and understanding how the mainstream U.S. media work according to Edward S. Herman and Noam Chomsky. The model explores the connection  between economic power and communicative power. They had the impression this media operates on the set of ideological premises where they are depending on the sources of the elite and participate in the interest of this elite. They often have the view  that the masses are notoriously short-sighted and are poor judges of their own interests, Herman refers to several articles in his footnotes.

This model gives structural factors, it's a model of media behaviors and performance not of media effects.

THE PROPAGANDA MODEL is based on 5 points:

Ownership

Advertising

Sourcing

Flak

Anti-communism

The dominant media are:

imbedded in the market system

a profit-seeking businesses

owned by wealthy people or other companies

Funded by advertisers who want to appear in a supportive selling environment.

leaning on government and major business firms as information sources, this causes a certain degree of solidarity to prevail them. It's an unwritten rule that they have to stay loyal to get information or funding.

Propaganda campaigns can only occur when they are consistent with the interests of those controlling and managing the filters.

The power of the U.S. propaganda system lies in its ability to mobilize an elite consensus, to give the appearance of democratic consent and to create enough confusion, misunderstanding, and lack of interest in the general populations, all so to allow elite programs to go forward. There are also different opinions within the elite that open space for debates.

The model does suggest that the mainstream media, as elite institutions, commonly frame news and allow debate only within the parameters of elite perspectives; and that when the elite is really concerned and unified, and/or when ordinary citizens are not aware of the effective propaganda, the media will serve elite interests uncompromisingly.