Manufacturing Consent Audiobook By Edward S. Herman, Noam Chomsky cover art

Manufacturing Consent

The Political Economy of the Mass Media

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Manufacturing Consent

By: Edward S. Herman, Noam Chomsky
Narrated by: John Pruden
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In this pathbreaking work, now with a new introduction, Edward S. Herman and Noam Chomsky show that, contrary to the usual image of the news media as cantankerous, obstinate, and ubiquitous in their search for truth and defense of justice, in their actual practice they defend the economic, social, and political agendas of the privileged groups that dominate domestic society, the state, and the global order.

Based on a series of case studies - including the media's dichotomous treatment of "worthy" versus "unworthy" victims, "legitimizing" and "meaningless" Third World elections, and devastating critiques of media coverage of the US wars against Indochina - Herman and Chomsky draw on decades of criticism and research to propose a Propaganda Model to explain the media's behavior and performance. Their new introduction updates the Propaganda Model and the earlier case studies, and it discusses several other applications.

©2002 Edward S. Herman and Noam Chomsky (P)2017 Tantor Censorship Freedom & Security Media Studies Politics & Government Social Sciences War Middle East Iran Russia Soviet Union Military Vietnam War Imperialism Imperial Japan

Critic reviews

"[A] compelling indictment of the news media's role in covering up errors and deceptions in American foreign policy of the past quarter century." ( New York Times)
Thought-provoking Analysis • Comprehensive Research • Wonderful Narrator • Relevant Media Critique • Well-read Content
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Yes - struggle is a good worrd. The detail is too complex to keep straight while casually listening.

Didn’t work well in audio format. Book's better

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Wonderful narrator and great book. Really gets the brain working! Noam and Edward are a match made in heaven.

Very engaging!

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Amazing, wonderful, spectacular, lovely, great, but depressing af, sad, melancholy, and brought me towards actual nihilism

Amazing

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This is a super comprehensive book. if you are truly interested in the media and how they shape narratives this is the book for you.

dense

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It doesn’t really matter if you consider yourself leftist, a liberal centrist, or some kind of rightist: the theory argued in this book is an important part of developing a serious, skeptical media analysis (as opposed to an unserious “skepticism” of mere contrarianism).

Yes, it’s authors are left wing, but at no point in the text are they trying to sell you on their politics, change your politics, etc, nor are they even arguing from a necessarily left perspective. They’re merely pointing out the biases of the modern mass media, why it has those biases, and how it’s function, even in non “totalitarian” states, serves to propagandize the general public with the “truths” of the state’s point of view, per its interests.

Is it the only text necessary to develop a very solid understanding of mass media? No, but I’d absolutely call it an essential building block for that task, if it’s of any value to you. If gaining such a media literacy is not of interest or value to you, read it anyway, and hopefully you’ll change your mind on the importance of such an understanding.

Important “Classic” Text For Media Literacy

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There's no greater tool for understanding How we came to be in this post truth era. decades of lies by the mainstream media has brought us to where we are. But it's our responsibility to get ourselves out. Start with this book.

No greater tool for the modern person.

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Where to start with this book. It was written in the 80s but it is as prevalent today. This book infuriated me, but in a productive way. We should all be made aware of how our media is used in conjunction with the federal government to excuse atrocities.

Never has there been a more important time to read this book

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A well reasoned argument for the argument for a very obedient media and how they help mold public opinion to government ends.

Disturbing view

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Insightful reading, gained a better understanding of how MSM can promote or deny the actions of our Government Agencies and senior leaders in foreign and domestic actions against the people.

Actions of our Government Agencies in foreign land

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The content of the book is excellent but it's simply far too much significant information to passively listen to. The narrator is unfortunately emotionally detached and thus makes listening to the book feel more like a chore.

The book itself is an amazing compilation of how the media has always been pro-war in favor of the US and its allies citing numerous examples of which unfortunately most people nowadays (young and old) either know nothing about or have a very distorted view of.

I recommend this book (read or listen) only to those whom really have an interest in learning about the propaganda machine. Otherwise it is very difficult to stay completely focused on it (at least in audio form).

Good But Difficult

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