The Inception of Modern Propaganda and the Hidden Class System Woodrow Wilson In fact, according to Chomsky this version of democracy is the “prevailing conception, both in theory and operation…” But how can Democracy version #1 and #2 both be right and wrong?ĭemocracy appears differently depending on which role you play in society. If you read Democracy version #2 and thought it didn’t sound like a democracy, you’re right… and you’re wrong. Out of these, which sounds more like a democracy to you?ĭemocracy version #1: The public must be allowed to participate in a meaningful way in the management of their own affairs, and the means of information are open and free.ĭemocracy version #2: The public must be barred from managing their own affairs, and the means of information are kept narrowly and rigidly controlled. I suspect this is because we know exactly what a democracy is not: North Korea or Nazi Germany for example.Ĭhomsky begins Media Control with two counterposing definitions of democracy. While Orwell is correct about the definition of “democracy” being harder for all to agree on than the definition of a word like “triangle,” it’s fair to say that many of us have a sense of what a democracy is. George Orwell wrote in his famous essay On Politics and the English Language, with a word like democracy, “not only is there no agreed definition, but the attempt to make one is resisted from all sides.”

If you’re reading this, you probably live in a democracy. Politics, the news, and political campaigns like Brexit will never seem the same again.Īre you ready to see the modern world through Chomsky’s eyes? Part I: The Rules of Democracy How can we defend ourselves against malicious propaganda campaigns?Ĭhomsky’s thoughts on propaganda and the media, if you’ve never heard them before, will fundamentally change the way you experience the modern world.Who are controlling things behind the scenes?.How is our behaviour being shaped by the media?.What is propaganda and why does it exist?.What is a democracy and how does it function?.

In this article, I will be dissecting Noam Chomsky’s book Media Control: The Spectacular Achievements of Propaganda, in an attempt to answer five questions: When you hear the word “intellectual,” who is the first person that comes to mind?įor me, that person is Professor Noam Chomsky: linguist, philosopher, cognitive scientist, historian, logician, social critic, political activist, and author of over 100 books.

Media Control by Noam Chomsky