When I was in junior high school, I had to do a project on propaganda. This was during the time of the USSR and I had the great idea to listen to Radio Moscow and compare it to western media. My project was to find examples of different kinds of proganda and I dutifully did so. Eventually I had to find an example of "the big lie". I singled out a story of a big military victory by the USSR (probably in Afghanistan, but I don't really remember). It was not reported in any other news outlet, so I used it as my example of "the big lie". Of course I got an A+ for the project.
Some weeks later, I happened to notice a one paragraph story buried in the back of the newspaper which finally reported the soviet victory. I then started to look for evidence that my other examples of propaganda were incorrect. I readily found such evidence.
I have always felt embarrassed by they episode. It was my first revelation that media outlets have political agenda and that they adjust the way they report news based on that political agenda. But even more important was that I had participated in that agenda by re-reporting that view of the world to my classmates.
It is amazing how easy it is to allow a mixture of arrogance, pride and prejudice to galvanize a view of the world that is just wrong. You then spread that false-certainty to others. Together you work tirelessly to maintain that fiction without ever knowing it.
I have often thought that I wish I could have redone my project on propaganda after I made these realizations. Such is the strength of propaganda, though, I'm quite sure my revised project would have resulted in an F.
The OP does not realize his error, I am quite sure. He probably can not be made to realize his error and will argue vehemently on behalf of the puppet masters pulling the strings of his belief. I think the best we can do is to try to notice the strings pulling our own limbs, for we are surely not immune to this problem.
Very interesting that you've actually experienced this first hand while doing research for a class. I find that the difference in reporting on the same subject matter can be so wildly different, and I find that so confusing. It's so easy to twist stories for your own purpose. I wish there was a better solution.
When I was in junior high school, I had to do a project on propaganda. This was during the time of the USSR and I had the great idea to listen to Radio Moscow and compare it to western media. My project was to find examples of different kinds of proganda and I dutifully did so. Eventually I had to find an example of "the big lie". I singled out a story of a big military victory by the USSR (probably in Afghanistan, but I don't really remember). It was not reported in any other news outlet, so I used it as my example of "the big lie". Of course I got an A+ for the project.
Some weeks later, I happened to notice a one paragraph story buried in the back of the newspaper which finally reported the soviet victory. I then started to look for evidence that my other examples of propaganda were incorrect. I readily found such evidence.
I have always felt embarrassed by they episode. It was my first revelation that media outlets have political agenda and that they adjust the way they report news based on that political agenda. But even more important was that I had participated in that agenda by re-reporting that view of the world to my classmates.
It is amazing how easy it is to allow a mixture of arrogance, pride and prejudice to galvanize a view of the world that is just wrong. You then spread that false-certainty to others. Together you work tirelessly to maintain that fiction without ever knowing it.
I have often thought that I wish I could have redone my project on propaganda after I made these realizations. Such is the strength of propaganda, though, I'm quite sure my revised project would have resulted in an F.
The OP does not realize his error, I am quite sure. He probably can not be made to realize his error and will argue vehemently on behalf of the puppet masters pulling the strings of his belief. I think the best we can do is to try to notice the strings pulling our own limbs, for we are surely not immune to this problem.