Table of Contents
PART 1: Advertising and the Illusion of Meaning 1. Advertising and the Illusion of Meaning PART 2: The Media Perspective 3. The News Bias: Distorting Reality and Feeding Fears PART 3: Profiting from Fear and Myth 8. Cashing in on Crises and Manufacturing Martyrs PART 4: The Wages of Fear: The Consequence of a Public Blinded By Myths 10. Losing Trust and Resources Conclusion: Toward Solutions Index
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Media Mythmakers: How Journalists, Activists, and Advertisers Mislead UsBy Benjamin Radford
Prometheus Books: 2003, 324 pages, Illustrations, Notes, Index. Hardback, $26. ISBN: 1-59102-072-7
As the lines between advertising, news, and entertainment blur, the ideal of an informed citizenry becomes harder and harder to achieve. We, the American public, aren't sure anymore what to believe, or where to put our money and trust. We know we're being manipulated, misled, and outright lied to by those who seek our support. Whether it comes from advertisers, activists, or the government, the manipulation is constant and pervasive. Those who are supposed to help us understand the world and the problems we face frequently fail us. Journalists and the news media offer entertainment and sensationalism instead of significant information. Politicians and lawmakers who guide our country are little better; instead of real solutions, we are offered merely illusions of change. This hard-hitting critique of our media culture examines not only the ways in which we are deceived, but the media's role in propagating those deceptions. But Media Mythmakers goes beyond criticism to give concrete examples of the damage that manipulation of the news causes. From missing children to the aftermath of the September 11 attacks, from the efforts to end slavery to AIDS education, myths and deception in the media threaten us all. While the public is being misled, real problems go unaddressed and resources are wasted on misguided ideas. In an increasingly complex world, where accurate and unbiased information is more important than ever, this book provides a timely and much-needed analysis.
Reviews: "...a provocative, well-researched book…gives an apt overview of many of the problems facing modern society." - Oakland Press "This book should be required reading for all who are caught up in the thrall of US mass media; all who think they are being manipulated, misled, and lied to but are not quite sure how an why this is happening...Written in an appealing style devoid of academic jargon and pontification, this book peels away the myths that mislead and provides the facts. It should be on every library shelf. Essential."–Choice "Radford offers hundreds of examples of deceptive practices in journalism, advertising, political activism, public relations, and charity appeals." - The Futurist "As entertaining as it is informative..." - Vermont Comic News, October 2003 "Many editors and TV news directors will find it uncomfortably close to the truth... it is unsparing in its criticism." - Sacramento Bee "With insight and wit, Benjamin Radford trains his experienced skeptical eye on fear-mongering journalists and activists. The result is a fascinating book that leaves no modern American myth unchallenged." - Barry Glassner, author of The Culture of Fear |
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