Propaganda in Modern Times Essay Example

It is worth mentioning that propaganda in modern times is becoming a common practice in the mainstream media. It has also become easy to detect the propaganda in that the press has provided different avenues to get and verify information. These platforms have also provided excellent opportunities to fact check the claims presented by going back to the original source to verify the information. On the other hand, it is also becoming a challenge when it comes to detecting propaganda in this modern time. The reason is that people are busy and distracted and they believe any news in the media without first verifying its validity. Most people do not know that ninety percent of the world's press is owned by just a few mega multinational companies, making it possible to manipulate its content easily. Therefore, it is possible for a lie to promulgate through many channels making people believe that it is from different sources and representing different opinions while in real sense it does not. In this essay, I will look at the propaganda that has been going on since the US elections in 2016 about Russia hacking the elections.

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In essence, the media has for so long now insisted that the Russian government hacked the US elections in 2016 thus manipulating the outcome. The press reports that there were continuous attempts by Russian hackers before the election year to get into the major US institutions. The press indicates that the hackers were spy agencies and the military intelligence working to oversee and manipulate the US elections (Inkster, 2016). From the different reports, the media claims that the hacking mainly targeted Clinton because while she was the secretary of state stopped the attempt by Russia to restore the relationship between Moscow and Washington (Sanger & Savage, 2016). This piece of news is propaganda information that is convenient for the Clinton and her team to place the blame on the Russians rather than her unpopularity and corruption vices. The propaganda has been used by Clinton's team to cover up the main reasons for losing the elections to Trump by clouding the people with force information.

Notably, this piece is propaganda even if it has continuously appeared on the mainstream media for such a long time that it seems real to most of the people. One of the main reasons that I consider it mere propaganda is that the media or Clinton's team has never provided any concrete evidence to support their claim. The propaganda started as a rumor after Clinton lost the 2016 elections to Clinton. Trump's win came as a surprise to so many people and especially the Democrats. As a result, rather than displaying Clinton's unpopularity as compared to that of Trump and her bad reputation as the queen of corruption as the reasons for the defeat, the rumor became a more convenient story that the public would readily believe. Additionally, this piece of information was spread all over the mainstream media and focused on the different people giving their opinions which are centered on the same thing but representing diverse views and from various sources making it seem authentic.

The propaganda has had an enormous impact on the current culture and the performance of the current government in the United States. The reason is that since the propaganda has persisted for such a long time, it has become a way to blackmail Trump and his government by holding him against it so that he will do their bidding. Consequently, the propaganda has affected the ability of the current government to do their job and especially the president. The reason is that through this kind of news to the public the US government is easily manipulated by the party which is the actual guilty ones by pointing the finger at the other party as they try to shift the peoples focus from what is happening. Although the news has no real proof and is only based on high ratings, it would be a source of a strained relationship between the two concerned nations.

Conclusion

To conclude this discussion, it is important to note that propaganda in modern times has become a common practice in the mainstream media. Although it is easy to detect propaganda by just taking time to go back to the original source, it has become difficult since the public uses the information passed by the mainstream media as accurate information. It is made possible when the press begins a rumor or incorrect information and then its aired on different media platforms, and different people give their opinions about it. For instance, in the case of the news about Russia hacking the US elections in 2016. Different press around the world aired the information sprout from a simple rumor. Although there was no proof provided, the propaganda is believed to be true by most of the people around the world. Consequently, the piece of information has had a significant impact on both the current government performance and the relationship between Russia and the United States.

References

Inkster, N. (2016). Information Warfare and the US Presidential Election. Survival, 58(5), 23-32.

Sanger, D. E., & Savage, C. (2016). US Says Russia Directed Hacks to Influence Elections. New York Times.