Media Manipulation: 10 Strategies The Media Uses To Manipulate Us

Although the concept of “media manipulation” is not well known, it is thanks to Sylvain Timsit that we have received this valuable contribution. In 2002, the French author compiled a list of 10 strategies the media uses to manipulate us that are used by political and economic forces to control the public. And even though 16 years have passed, his list is still a very powerful, valid argument to consider.

The list is a ranking of methods of mass manipulation. The purpose of these strategies, according to the author, is to create docile, submissive and obedient people. In addition, he says that the media use these to support capitalism, inequality and neo-capitalism.

Timsit’s post went viral in a matter of minutes. And it was actually wrongly attributed to Noam Chomsky. That said, there is an absolute glimpse of Chomsky’s thoughts in Timsit’s work, particularly with regard to the critical analysis of the role of the mass media in our society.

According to Timsit, there are 10 strategies the media uses to manipulate the masses:

Distraction – strategies the media uses to manipulate us

The strategy for distraction consists of deviating the audience’s attention from important issues. One way they do is by flooding the news with stories of trivial problems. The goal is to distract people and keep their heads busy. The result is that people stop asking questions about why the media does not talk about specific issues; people forget the real problems.

Problem – Reaction – Solution

This method is equivalent to doing a “poll” in politics. That is, it consists of testing the population by spreading rumors or ideas to assess how the population would receive them. It is to create a problem and later solve it. Then the audience sees the manipulators as heroes.

Gradualism

Gradualism manipulates the people by making them accept socially unjust decisions. The key is to do it gradually, slowly, over several years.

For example, say the goal is to lay off 80% of the staff of a large profiled company. The media will start to include negative news about the company: sales plummet, stock market crashes, rumors, etc. Slowly it would create awareness and start preparing people for the “big news”. If the dismissals had been known in the beginning, there would have been a public uprising.

Deviation

Another strategy Timsit includes in the list of strategies the media uses to manipulate us is to present unpopular decisions as “necessary”, “for a better future” or “for our own good” . They make the public really believe that their victims will make things significantly better later.

So citizens get used to a lower quality of life. They begin to see it as usual. Eventually, the people will resign to the present state, and will stop demanding what they demanded.

Treat the people like children

The more the media will manipulate the audience, the more they will talk to the audience as if they were children. Rose-painted arguments, signs and intonations are used, as if the people were too weak or immature to deal with the truth. The goal is also a submissive, professional reaction. The idea is to keep people from thinking critically as adults.

Appeals to emotions

Emotional appeals are much more powerful than sterile, purely objective ones. The media knows that, and then they appeal to people’s emotions. Again, they try to keep people from thinking critically; they try to control their thoughts. Remember how powerful fear can be.

To keep the public ignorant and mediocre

According to Timsit, the media prefers an ignorant, uncultivated audience. Keeping them isolated from knowledge makes them easier to manipulate. It also keeps insubordination and rebellion away. Information is power.

Encourage people to contribute to mediocrity

This point and the previous one are very similar, and this is one of the most subtle strategies the media uses to manipulate us. Are the programs offered on TV consistent with what the audience wants? Or are they imposed on us by the media? In other words, do we actually see what we want to see, or what they want us to look at?

For Timsit, the answer is clear. Consumerism and banality are mesmerizing to us. Therefore, we do not care about our surroundings and have been trained to be mediocre.

Self-blame

At the same time as the media encourages our ignorance, they make us believe that we are the only ones facing our adversity. The media tells us that our scarce skills will make us miserable and unsuccessful. They mainly seek self-incrimination through self-excuse and keep the public from mobilizing.

Complete knowledge of the audience

To exercise control over someone, you need to know them. Unfortunately, our modern oligarchies have taken care of this perfectly. For Timsit, psychological, social and technological advances now allow large companies to know everything about each individual person. The ” system ” knows us, and that means it can manipulate us exactly where we are weak.