Satire Essay On Media And Propaganda

The media serves up a heavy dose of rhetoric that can be hard to chew. Reports are sensationalized, and numbers and quotes are out of context. I think it is a mix of fine tuned tactics and a scramble to stay relevant in a society where the masses move on in the blink of an eye. The proliferation of technology in our lives has increased instant access to information. Readers bounce from one big headline to the next. It kind of reminds me of a scene from the movie “The Fifth Element.” The main character scans the internet in a matter of seconds to learn the thousands of years she has missed. We later learn that information at face value only gets you so far. A fictional movie, yes, but not far off from the world we live in. A world where lines are blurred and propaganda is taken as fact without much, if any, skepticism. Of course, not everyone buys into this. Websites like The Onion (“America’s Finest News Source”) and The Daily Currant have been dedicated to satire news, which mocks what media has become. And as for entertainment, there is usually a speck of truth to be mined from John Oliver’s rants. All is not lost but sometimes I think a magic 8-ball would provide

We have to find our own truths. Information is a conglomerate of fact, opinion, narrative, persuasions and more. My parents told me several times growing up to always ask questions and I’m grateful for that lesson. It has enabled me to learn how to read between the lines and know the value of critical reading skills. I’m not saying mainstream media is useless but we need to identify it for what it is. Perhaps this is not a new thought but it seems to be of increasing importance as society grows alongside technology. Furthermore, I believe that we have a social responsibility to absorb information mindfully and share it that way as well because words and information can be