Propaganda Is Harder To Decipher In Today's Media
This is a research essay for my English class. The format expectations are standard; an introductory paragraph (which contains the hook, thesis, roadmap, and other general knowledge on the subject), three body paragraphs, and a conclusion paragraph. In-text MLA citations please as well as Works Cited MLA. Each body paragraph should have an explicit, clear topic sentence. EVERYTHING should be justified and argued and claimed with evidence, proof, facts, etc from reliable resources to back up the claims. If you would like to contact me, you can do so through my number but you must message me through IMESSAGE (apple) because if you dont, I cannot receive your message. You can even email me and I will respond immediately. The thesis/topic and my three body paragraph ideas should be as follows:
thesis - Propaganda is harder to decipher in today's media.
body paragraph 1 - Comparing/talking about media today to media in the past.
body paragraph 2 - Comparing/talking about propaganda today to propaganda in the past.
body paragraph 3 - Explaining and justifying why propaganda is harder to decipher today's media.
General Format:
Introduction (hook, thesis, roadmap, a little background information)
Body Paragraph 1 (topic sentence, introduce evidence, evidence, analysis, introduce evidence, evidence, analysis, introduce evidence, evidence, analysis, conclusion sentence. So three subpoints within the body paragraphs in total, based on the info for each body paragraph above ^^)
Body Paragraph 2 (topic sentence, introduce evidence, evidence, analysis, introduce evidence, evidence, analysis, introduce evidence, evidence, analysis, conclusion sentence. So three subpoints within the body paragraphs in total, based on the info for each body paragraph above ^^)
Body Paragraph 3 (topic sentence, introduce evidence, evidence, analysis, introduce evidence, evidence, analysis, introduce evidence, evidence, analysis, conclusion sentence. So three subpoints within the body paragraphs in total, based on the info for each body paragraph above ^^)
Conclusion (rearticulate the thesis, summarize the points/flow of arguments presented.)
"Simple but beautiful sentences please. No 'big' words please."
Professor’s Name:
Course:
Date:
Propaganda is Harder to Decipher in Today’s Media
Everyone today qualifies to be a journalist. The only requirements are that one should have a phone and access to the internet. There have been stories that have gained validity after one person took a photo and shared it on social media platforms. People have become increasingly involved with what is happening around them, and it is incredibly difficult for traditional media outlets to keep up. Currently, breaking news is shared on social media platforms, and by the time it gets to the media outlets, it is already trending or is already circulating the world. Matsa and Shearer (np) note that “about two-thirds of American adults (68%) say they at least occasionally get news on social media.” However, this article continues to say that “many of these consumers, however, are skeptical of the information they see there.”57% of the said consumers believe the information they get from social media is inaccurate while 42% believe it is accurate. Compared to traditional media like newspapers, social media continue to soar in their usage as more people depend on them for news. Shearer (np) from Pew Research Center reports that in America, social media “sites have surpassed print newspapers as a news source for Americans.” However, even as media continues to evolve, it should be noted that propaganda has also grown with the change and growth in media. Today, people are misdirected or are fed with fake or wrong information daily. Media outlets have also fallen victim to the issue of fake news and propaganda. Many have reported accounts that eventually turned out to be propaganda, and this is a testament to the way propaganda has infiltrated media. This essay thus seeks to compare media today and, in the past, compare propaganda today and in the past, and finally explain and justify why it is currently difficult to decipher propaganda.
Media today is more efficient, timely, and is not constrained by things like cost and the realities of printing and creating a big and complex distribution channel. The introduction of the Internet changed how news is disseminated as well as who gets to disseminate the news stories. Because of the internet, news outlets can share their stories with ease and reach many people around the world. A news channel like CNN is available worldwide, and this is mainly because of the availability of the Internet. So, people in America and Africa can enjoy the same stories and follow news that appeals to them. With regards to the argument at hand, this means that currently, propaganda reaches more people than it did in the past. As indicated, access to the Internet has made it easier for news outlets, bloggers, and anyone who qualifies to be a journalist nowadays to share their stories. Silverman and Pham (2018) note that Facebook continues to be the most preferred platform for sharing propaganda and fake news. According to their analysis, “the top 50 fake stories of 2018 identified by Buzzfeed News generated roughly 22 million total shares, reactions, and comments on Facebook between Jan. 1 and Dec. 9, 2018, according to data from BuzzSumo and Trendolizer.” These shares, reactions, and comments are from people who live thousands of miles apart, and this means that more people are falling victim to fake news and propaganda. Media today is also timely compared to media in the past, and this is mainly because of the Internet. In the past, people had to grapple with print media which were dependent on the distribution channels set up by the parent agencies. When these failed, people would get newspapers late and thus consume information that is already stale. Today, people get information in real time. This means that people consume news as it happens. A good example is the presidential elections. During the U.S.’s 2016 presidential election, the entire world was able to follow the proceedings in real time. When the winner was revealed, the entire world was aware as well. The same case applies to fake news and propaganda. Everyone gets it at the same time, and the Internet makes sure certain things spread like wildfire. In the past, the perpetrators behind propaganda took time to spread flyers, erect posters, and have their stories on newspapers. It took a lot of time for a person in a rural setup to gain access to the latest trending news and topics. However, today, everyone has the latest and in the shortest time possible and this is a testament to the difference between media today and in the past. It also takes a few steps that are less costly to share a story. In the past, people were constrained by the realities of cost as well as distribution channels. With access to a smartphone, anyone can be a journalist. People have become internet sensations in seconds because of the pictures they took and the stories they shared with the world. This was not possible in the past because there were designated news channels or agencies that were responsible for sharing news with their target audience. Transforming everyone into a journalist comes with a lot of things. The first one is the reality that different things appeal to different people. So, people will share their ‘truths’ even though these may not be substantiated or factual. The second one is that this gives room for more fake news and propaganda. This brings about a major difference between the media today and in the past.
Propaganda today is more subtle and hidden than it was in the past. It is crucial to know that propaganda is not a new word but has been in existence since ancient times. Some of the ancient tools of propaganda include literature, art, caricatures (doubles as art), architecture, inscriptions, public speeches as well as public ceremonials. However, as the world developed and evolved, the world adopted other ways and even though some of these methods remain present today, they are not used as extensively as they were in the past. In the recent past, propaganda was propagated through newspapers, flyers, speeches, shops, and posters. These played a part in driving action and shaping international opinion during the First World War. Cooke (2014) notes that “the efforts of states to justify their actions, and to build international support, resulted in some of the most powerful propaganda ever produced.” A good example, is the Are we afraid? No propaganda postcard which depicted a courageous Britain. Germany was also among the countries that embraced propaganda to drive its agenda. One good example is The English Beast which was a pamphlet that was produced to showcase Britain as the enemy. These were not only effective but helped to drive public opinion while also fueling one of the bloodiest wars ever fought. These methods worked, and some were loud and lacked any ounce of subtlety. However, today, propaganda is spread in subtle ways through advertisements, news outlets, celebrities, movies, and tv shows. Currently, people do not know that what they do is as a result of the actions of a celebrity or something they saw in an advert. People today live pre-determined lives and are not aware of this fact. Because of propaganda, people have been conditioned to agree to certain things and disagree with others. Furthermore, in the past, it was difficult to counter propaganda with facts because news spread slowly and it would take long before a person was able to reach the public. Case in point the First World War. It was impossible to counter the propaganda machine and, in the end, war erupted. Today, however, news spreads quite quickly, and it is possible to produce facts and have them fight against the propa...