Strategically Communicating

I know the politically correct thing to say would be “of course media consolidation is bad” and “massive media corporations are brainwashing us into consumer-driven oblivion.” In fact, McChesney puts it very bluntly when he says “Modern marketing is clearly the greatest concerted attempt at psychological manipulation in all of human history,” (p. 277).

However, I am going to swim against the flow and say up front that I love Disney. I love everything about it. I love the parks, the movies and even the mice (and I’m deathly afraid of rodents). My daughter has three different official Disney princess dresses, at least five Disney princess dolls and countless crowns. I have helped pad the bank account of Disney’s corporate kingdom more times than I care to count. Do I know that Disney is playing me with dreams of “happily ever after?” Yes. Do I care? Not really.

Why not? Probably for the same reasons that most of the rest of the general population doesn’t care about the mega-media business. I have issues that are much more real and important to me. I have to work full-time, raise a family, pay a mortgage and, now, figure out how to go to school on top of it. Add in some random fears about terrorist attacks and earthquakes, and I am filled to the top with worry, conflict and troubles.

Maybe in the years to come I will regret my lack of caring. In the meantime, I could really use some pixie dust.

Discussion Questions:

1. In Chapter 14, McChesney says “commercially viable media content Internet sites remain few and far between — and, today, it would be difficult to find an investor willing to bankroll any additional attempts.” Is this still the case? Aren’t there all sorts of content options now (corporate-controlled such as foxnews.com and user-controlled such as YouTube)?

2.  What would McChesney think of the Twitter-driven revolution in Iran and the social-media driven Arab Spring?

3.  McChesney has definite ideas as to how the 1st Amendment has been adulterated through the years. Does his belief of what the 1st Amendment should be mesh with what was originally intended by the Founding Fathers?