The Art of Propaganda, Influence, and Outright lying by the Media

Dateline: March 9, 2020

First, I apologize for sending emails to the friends I did about getting masks and goggles for the outbreak of the latest virus. COVID-19. In a moment, it sounded like the right thing to do. I will not offer any further advice and will act only on my instincts of common sense as it relates to myself. With that stated, I am getting over the most severe bout of allergies I have ever had. The freaking desert is blooming as it never has, and it is kicking my ass.

That leads me to my discussion—the on-going and never stopping information about COVID-19 and its impact on everything. Trying to get past my allergy symptoms, resigned to stay on the couch and hack my way through a day, I watched TV. What I have learned by listening to all the reporting is that the CDC is giving out sound advice and are approaching this problem systematically. No one should be hysterical, yet, the media reports panic in the population. How could that be?
Naturally, it is the Media that is creating the “panic” and the unrest in the population. The Secretary HHS and Director, CDC, are interviewed, and when finished, the media talking heads start with, “This is what the doctor said or meant, …” as if we, the viewers, are too ignorant to understand what was just stated by the expert. The Media believes we are incapable of understanding information, and they must interpret it for us. The built-in hubris of the media, no matter which news outlet you watch, is overwhelming.

When the “re-tasking” of a comment or interview is done, it is propaganda to establish a “headline” for that media person or network. In other words, they are trying to portray themselves as the news outlet that has the only correct information, and “please continue watching us…” It’s a game of influence, and we are the targets.
My solution is to listen only to the expert doctors from the government agencies assigned to get a handle on this issue and tune out the media hype that follows these pronouncements. The twenty-four-hour news cycle is an excellent avenue for misinformation and distortion, and it causes the public to panic. It encourages the public to continue to tune-in to find out the latest piece of information. It is a vicious cycle. Everyone engages in critical thinking for yourself, your family, and use your common sense on what to do and how to do it. No need to share it because we all have our view of what common sense is or should be, and it does not necessarily fit another family, individual, or group situation. I know I will and have taken appropriate steps for myself and my family.

I also want to mention that politicians such as the ones interviewed from New York and California fall into the same category as the media, possibly at a more insidious level since they are motivated by political bias against the Trump administration. Make up your own independent mind and let me and others know your view.