Beyond Hypocrisy
Decoding the News in an Age of Propaganda
Herman, Edward S
Publisher: South End Press
Year Published: 1999 First Published: 1992
Pages: 244pp ISBN: 9780896084353
Edward Herman's book should be required reading for all news rooms and journalism students. In this book he examines through essays, cartoons and a dictionary of "doublespeak" the terms used in the language of U.S. government policy. He highlights the deception and moral hypocrisy and the media's all too willing role to propagate it: whether it be the invasion of Kuwait by Iraq (agression) or the American invasion of Grenada (justifyable) . One of the most important aspects of doublespeak is the ability to "use lies to choose and shape facts selectively". Another lesson of this book is the governments' mastery of propaganda and manufacture of new foes and the media's failure to question the basis in reality of these supposed threats.
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