Necessary Illusions: Thought Control in Democratic Societies
by Noam ChomskyAVAILABILITY: Usually ships within 2-5 days
Publication Date: 1989
Publisher: South End Press
Binding: Paperback
Topics: Corporate Rule, Democracy: Theory & Practice, Media, Social Movements
Description: "In short, the major media are corporations "selling" privileged audiences to other businesses... Media concentration is high, and increasing. Furthermore, those who occupy managerial positions in the media... belong to the same privileged elites, and might be expected to share the perceptions, aspirations, and attitudes of their associates, rejecting their own class interests as well. Journalists entering the system are unlikely to make their way unless they conform to these ideological pressures, generally by internalizing the values... Those who fail to conform will be weeded out..." - Noam Chomsky
What role does media play in a capitalist democracy? Based on the Massey Lectures, delivered in Canada in November 1988, 'Necessary Illusions' argues that, far from performing a watchdog role, the "free press" serves the needs of those in power. Rigorously documented, the book is an essential introduction to the "propaganda model" of media analysis. Chomsky offers a message of hope, reminding us that resistance is possible, necessary and effective.
Review(s): "A detailed and careful reminder that just because someone in authority says something, it isn't necessarily true. Chomsky is speaking truth to power. In doing so he makes life better for each of us, offering us hope and strength." - Peacework
"Chomsky is one of the few Americans to consistently challenge the dominant social forces. He sees no developmental alternative short of social and structural change." - World Development
"A thought-provoking book brimming with important information. Chomsky is to be praised for his efforts to show that the major media, like the schools, function as propaganda organs of the
state." - American-Arab Affairs