Exposing Media Bias and the Liberation of Pandora's Box

I am entranced by the magic of Enrique Dussel’s ideas about liberatory ethics.  are rooted in a critique of Western modernity and colonialism. He proffers that traditional ethics are often shaped by oppressive systems, focused on promoting the ideals of the dominating side much. Senator George Graham Vest may have said it best, “history is written by the victors and framed according to the prejudices and bias existing on their side.’ This helps us see the need for implementing something like Dussel’s liberatory ethics which call for a focus on verbalizing the experiences of those oppressed by these systems.  An honest approach to combat the push to maintain the status quo, challenging the powers that be who perpetuate inequality and injustice. Dussel aspires to be an ethical voice for everyday life, speaking for the interests of the immense majority

Chomsky and Herman's "Propaganda Model" shares that the media serves the interests of powerful elites by shaping news for the agenda of the powers that be. The model outlines five filters that shape media content: concentrated ownership of media outlets, dependence on advertising for funding, reliance on government and corporate sources for information, organized repelling of dissenting voices, and a prevailing ideology of fear of a distinct enemy. These things skew the coverage, trashing alternative perspectives and reinforcing the message to maintain the current power structure. Currently Journalism cannot be a check on power because the very system encourages complicity.

Examples of these filters can be seen in everyday media consumption. For instance, this article by WebFx  https://rb.gy/16p1qyLinks to an external site. speaks of the top 6 corporations who own the majority of Mass Media in America. They direct content, limiting limit coverage of issues that challenge their interests. Advertisers spend money in forums that mimic their ideals like with My Pillow’s Mike Lindell and Fox while not sharing the wealth with others like CNN. I’ve also observed how the media pivots from stories like the Genocide in Gaza preferring to focus on the false specter of Anti Semitism with our elected officials mimicking the message. Creating an enemy is the last of these pillars. A prime example is how we use the words fascist and communist thrown about to describe our two major political parties fully knowing we will never be a communist country.