Propaganda Theory: spin doctoring and media management

How Propaganda Theory Apply to Spin Doctoring and Media Management:
Outline:
1.0 Abstract:
2.0 Introduction
2.1 Background information
2.2Problem Statement
2.3Literature Review
3.0 Methodology
4.0 Findings and Discussion.
5.0 Conclusion.
1.0 Abstract:
In society today, media plays a very vital role in shaping peoples perceptions and reactions to any particular situation. Given that the broadcasting business has become so competitive, every media house would strive to position herself as the best speech and common interest champion in the industry. Aligning themselves to government and corporate organizations becomes their strategy to compete. This has therefore exposed the media to propagandists in society who aim to use the media to preach their hidden agendas and gain support of the public. This research was done to assess to what extend propaganda apply to spin doctoring and media management in society we live in today. It was established that this is a practice that has been on the increase with time and is associated with many societal conflicts globally. Most governments have harbored propaganda policies for both internal and external interests. This is likely to arise and go unnoticed in cases where private ownership of the media is allowed without any check and balances, (Klaehn 124).
2.0 Introduction
2.1 Back ground information.
Propaganda as used in this research refers to a carefully designed way of relaying information to the public (i.e. mass communication) with an intention to sway or manipulate opinion or behavior of the target audience. Spin doctoring will be used in this paper to refer to the process by which the media present information or facts selectively to favor a particular position or situation. In society, spin doctoring and media propaganda have been used by public figures including politicians and other administrators to persuade the public to support their hidden agendas. It is this close correlation that informs our curiosity to know how the propaganda theory apply to the concept of spin doctoring and media management Thus this research was done to test the main hypothesis that Spin doctoring and media propaganda has been used over the years by Administrations to gain public support for their hidden agendas:
2.2 Problem Statement:
This research was done to test the main hypothesis, which is; ‘Spin doctoring and media propaganda has been used over the years by Administrations to gain public support for their hidden agendas`. Do people in society understand the core principle underlying colonialism, wars, domination and class struggle that continue to exist even in the advent of sophisticated education and technology? Such are the issues this research sort to address. It is interesting that humanity believe in withholding crucial information so as to mislead, misinform, manipulate and make it easy to dominate others who lacks the information. It is believed that the key to achieve and retain control does not lie with physical supremacy; rather, it largely depends on one`s ability to capture the hearts and minds of the people to whom domination is intended. This is where the media comes handy to the propagandists who pursue selfish interests.
2.3 Literature Review:
The origin of the term propaganda has been said to have arose due to the need to suppress Protestantism and favor Roman Catholic faith instead. The word propaganda then has been used in society to describe how leaders, both in political and other spheres tend to communicate information to the public in deceptive and biased ways with a primary aim to favor their hidden, malicious agendas. Put differently, propaganda is designed to direct how the audience should perceive and respond to the crafty agenda as required by those involved.
Spin doctoring in the media goes hand in hand with propaganda since information is ‘Spin doctored` to favor a particular outcome. This would imply that the media is responsible for the information manipulation. However, the media has been manipulated at times to ensure the information disseminated is pure propaganda favoring some individuals or groups in society. It has been argued for instance that media manipulation played key role in the successful attack on Israel by the Hezbollah. The Islamists put in a lot of effort to be able to shift the views of the international community to their advantage and against Israel. In this case, the media was manipulated to communicate information in which favored the Islamists. But there have been cases in society where government own and therefore control what a particular media house relays to the public. In many cases where this is so, the media will at all costs endeavor not to contradict the government position regarding a particular issue even if the information has to be misrepresented, exaggerated or altered altogether, ( Golding 25).
Propaganda always comes to the peoples minds in times of political rivalry and war. In both, each party while assuming as the only one whose position is justified, considers the views of the rival or enemy to be propaganda. Indeed we can argue that conflict can either be settled on the battleground or through propaganda, on people`s minds, (Lippmann 264).
It is common knowledge that during war, the warring parties employ hate speech and false pretence propaganda tactics to engage the audience against the rival party, and self advantage respectively. At such time, though no one identifies with the truth, each party acts in a manner to suggest that her actions are based on truth and nothing but the truth. It is due to such background that one Winston Churchill, former British prime minister maintained that truth need be accorded bodyguard of lies during war because she (truth), is quite valuable, (Anup 197).
As applied to media, propaganda is manifested in a variety of ways depending on the situation. Most often, propaganda will consist of big lies and half truths. So where does the media go wrong? During war time, the media may report and communicate out of context information by concentrating on absurdity at the expense of underlying causes of conflicts still unsettled. The media tend to concentrate focus on only two players ignoring the other players taking part in a conflict. In most cases, the media relay information in a way that the audience will identify one party to be good and the other party as bad. The media is known to generate confusion by directing attention toward the war itself instead of highlighting...