The problem of the influence of the free-market economics model of media is explored by Edward S. Herman and Noam Chomsky in Manufacturing Consent: The Political Economy of the Mass Media. The authors utilize a series of case studies and their own extensive research over a long period of time to assess the mass media in the United States. They explain their methodology in the Introduction; to employ a propaganda model that is ôan analytical framework that attempts to explain the performance of the U.S. media in terms of the basic institutional structures and relationships within which they operateö (xi). The book therefore centers on media structure and performance, not on the media effects on the public. The authors acknowledge, however, that ôno simple model will sufficeàto account for every detail of such a complex matter as the working of the national mass mediaö (304).
Herman and ChomskyÆs basic complaint and theme is that the U.S. mass media in all forms do not live up to their traditional image as key information providers.
The authors contend that the media serves the powerful societal interests that control and finance them. Therefore it is these power sources that are the ôprimary definers of the newsö (xi). Herman and Chomsky designate the power sources as the American government and the corporate giants, and contend that the profit motive not only underlies what news is reported, and how, but ignores news and concerns of the less privileged people in favor of the privileged class. The result is conservative, limited, biased reporting in the mainstream media because the profit motive taints reportage with propaganda. A major idea of the book is that mainstream news media are not free and independent but propaganda organs of the corporate state. The authors maintain that propaganda campaigns may be instituted by the government as well as by media organizations. They present many examples of propaganda camp...