 Truth and Persuasion  Journalism  Public Relations  Advertising  “The problem for us is not are our desires satisfied or not. The problem is how do we know what we desire.” ― Slavoj ŽižekSlavoj Žižek

 Critical thinking  Hegemony  Some prominent mass communication theories:  Agenda-setting  Priming  Framing  Cultivation

 War and Security  Lack of real debate in media (FAIR analysis of pre- Iraq War coverage on ABC, CBS, NBC, and PBS revealed only 3 out of 393 segments that were anti-war.)  Co-opted language  Sanitized coverage  Euphemistic language  Distancing

 Diamonds  Manufactured desire  Manufactured scarcity  Human rights concerns  Misleading certification

 Walmart  Social media campaign to “fight hunger.”  Criticisms of Walmart: ▪ Puts local companies out of business and employs low- wage workers ▪ Violation of political rules by suggesting to employees how to vote ▪ Supply chains with human rights concerns ▪ “Dead peasant” insurance

 Post-WWII Concept (socially constructed)  Consumption was an early indicator used to determine which nations were the most “developed.”  Defined 2/3 of the world as “underdeveloped.”  Ignored problems of colonialism  Criticized as new form of colonialism.

 Alternative Indicators:  Legal rights  Health  Education  Gender equity  Peacefulness  Charitable giving  Happiness

 Film  The Corporation  Why We Fight  Videos  Manufactured Consent  Toxic Sludge is Good for You  Independent Media in a Time of War  Frontline: The Persuaders