Are Western countries still subject to propaganda, or are we more or less allowed to believe what we want?

Answer 1

You betcha, just look at Fox News in the US!

Answer 2

You raise a good question. I will base my answer upon the UK rather than 'all western countries' simply for convenience.

Firstly, the government control the media more than many people realise. Okay, not all the media is owned by the state, or even owned by people who live in the same nation (Rupert Murdoch). However, the government routinely uses reporting restrictions to filter what information the public receive, and what they don't.

Similarly, government's have become more media-savvy. The "today is a good day to release bad news" faux pas simply illustrated the level of spin which we have been reduced to. One branch of government had to apologise for its 'special advisors' comments that day. However, on plenty of days since, those same advisors have been manipulating the message, timing it to be released at times for the convenience of government.

For example, have you ever noticed how a 'problem' will arise just immediately prior to a 'solution' being announced by government? Almost every new policy initiative is preceeded by a wave of carefully-selected local news items that make the initiative in question appear absolutely necessary. Similarly, with the use of pagers, text messages and modern communications our members of parliament are rarely 'off message', and can give the exact sound-bite required for that day wherever they are called upon by the media to do so.

Celebrities play a similar game, with stories being invented to co-incide with their new book launch, their new film promotion or their love life being either re-invigorated or left in tatters just to achieve a few column inches around the time of a new product release.

Does this constitute propoganda? Of course it does. Whilst we are free to believe what we want in theory, the basis of the information that we receive to form opinions is very tightly controlled indeed.

Freedom is an illusion. Even though we may live in a western liberal democracy our lives, our very thoughts are led in a certain direction for the convenience of others who would seek to manipulate us.

Answer 3

Living in the most manipulative nation the world has ever seen I'd say Americans in particular are seduced every waking moment by propaganda. Part of the "genuis" of this manipulation is the illusion that we are somehow drawing our own conclusions, operating with a full slate of information, and not subject to media manipulation. Like Orwell said, it (manipulation) is little noticed because we are surrounded by it like the "air we breathe".

Answer 4

Yes there is lots or propaganda in the press often who to blaim flavour of the year single ,mums, beggers, immigrants etc

Certinaly in the Uk with businesses influencing the media and rules not lettiing people speak out especailly rock stars

Often under a must say both sides policy... with time delays ...

or you can speak but on such a small scale nobody will hear

Answer 5

Entirely subject to propaganda in many forms, mainly via the media of television, and newspapers.
Part of the current propaganda is that each of us can believe what we want.

Answer 6

We are all led to believe that we can believe what we want.
The war in Iraq is a prime example.
Everything from Tv Advertising to your local Newspaper is bending us to their will in some way or another, this is one of the reasons panic attacks are on the increase, ppl are getting confused with being bombarded with so much.

Answer 7

We still have the right not to believe what we are told at least. I take a lot of what I see on the news with a huge pinch of salt. I've read 1984!

Answer 8

Just listen to Fox News. That is worse than propaganda, most of it are total lies! But an appeals court said it was OK for them to lie!!

Answer 9

Ever watched CNN? That definitely qualifies as propaganda, along with most other media groups.

Answer 10

Oh we're subject to propaganda alright!! But we can take it or leave it. At least we don't HAVE to believe it.

Answer 11

The sheeples will always believe what there told ...is sad but true ...not enough of them actually do any further research into the story's there told or the implications of those stories ....its how corrupt governments exist ...the majority all ways falls for it